?Chapter 970:


    Gerard didn’t hesitate. “Honestly? The pay’s great. And you treat me better than most bosses ever would.” He let out a wryugh. “You might be a disaster in rtionships, but you’re damn good to your staff.”


    Kristian’s lips pressed into a thin, silent line.


    “Remember that project you handed me to practice on, ages ago?” Gerard continued, the memory still sharp in his mind. “Ipletely blew it. Cost thepany millions. But you didn’t tear into me. You just stepped in and fixed it.”


    That kind of loss barely made a dent in Kristian’s world. For Gerard, still fresh-faced after just a year with thepany, it would’ve crushed him—he could’ve spent a lifetime repaying that debt. Kristian met his gaze and shrugged it off like it was nothing.


    “You’re worth a lot more to me than a couple million.” That had been Gerard’s one real misstep.


    In truth, it wasn’t even a mistake—just ack of self-assurance holding him back.


    Since then, something in Gerard had shifted. He found his rhythm, took ownership, and Kristian rarely had to intervene after that.


    “Mr. Shaw,” Gerard ventured, picking up on the fading energy in the room, “I actually think Ms. Briggs made a good point today. No matter if it’s love or work, people have to keep moving forward.”


    Kristian gazed into the distance, his lips pressed tight. Everyone told him to move on, as if it were that simple. But love wasn’t a task he could just file away and forget.


    Gerard added softly, wishing both Freya and Kristian could find some peace, “The people you’ve lost are still gone. You can’t change what happened by living in the past.”


    “I know,” Kristian rasped, his voice thick and uneven.


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    Gerard hesitated. He had more on his mind, but one wrong word could send Kristian spiraling back to those dark days—skipping meals, barely functioning—so he swallowed it.


    The silence dragged on. Atst, Kristian turned to the window, staring out at the city lights as if searching for answers only he could see.


    “I’ll let go,” he said slowly. “When her kid is old enough to start kindergarten.”


    He needed to know Ellis would actually cherish Freya. Too many men changed after the vows—some cheated during pregnancy, others turned cold when their wives’ looks faded after childbirth.


    Kristian couldn’t rest until he saw, with his own eyes, that Freya was truly happy.


    Gerard froze, struggling to process.


    “School?”


    Even if Freya married and had a baby tomorrow, that would be at least five more years!


    Kristian would turn twenty-eight this October. Add five years, and he’d be thirty-three by the time Freya’s child started kindergarten. Would his family ept that kind of timeline?


    “If you’re truly nning to wait until her child is old enough for school before moving on, you’d better have Liam go on a few dates once you’re back this year,” Gerard advised, knowing exactly how Kristian’s family operated. “If you don’t, your parents will shift their focus onto you instead.”


    Melinda, Lionel, and Isaac had always adored Freya. The second they learned she was seeing Ellis, all that disapproval wouldnd squarely on Kristian’s shoulders.


    Could Kristian handle being constantly targeted at home? It was only a matter of time before he got picked on!


    Kristian hesitated, a flicker of life brightening his weary gaze. After thinking it over, he replied with a nod, “You’re right.”


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