?Chapter 971:


    Liam was not getting any younger. It was time for him to settle down.


    Out on the open sea, Liam was catching waves under the zing sun. Suddenly, a chill ran down his neck. He paused, rubbed at the sensation, then shrugged it off and dove back into the surf.


    Once Kristian left, Freya double-checked the guest room to see if Gerard had left anything behind.


    After confirming the space was clear, she quietly retreated to her own room.


    The moment Freya stepped inside, Ellis swept her into his arms before she could even catch her breath.


    She blinked, a little dazed, wondering if he’d somehow overheard her exchange with Kristian. “Did what I said to Kristian bother you?” she asked quietly, searching his face for any hint of annoyance.


    Ellis only tightened his hold, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Not at all,” he said, clearly savoring the feel of her pressed close. “But I think you got something wrong earlier.”


    She frowned, sifting through the conversation in her mind, but nothing seemed out of ce. “What did I get wrong?”


    He dipped his head, his voice low and utterly serious. “Your first love.”


    Freya stared, genuinely baffled. Kristian had been her first in every sense—she’d never even looked at anyone else that way.


    Ellis’s lips twitched with amusement. “Go ahead. Google the definition of first love,” he teased, watching the flutter of hershes with a kind of quiet delight, as if the smallest gestures from her could undo him. Still nestled in his arms, Freya obliged, searching it up on her phone.


    Ellis nced over her shoulder at the result.


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    He grinned, mischief flickering in his gaze. “See? You and Kristian got married so quickly, you never even had a real rtionship before that. No dating, no romance. That means I’m actually your first love.”


    Freya’s confusion only deepened.


    Ellis reached over and pinched her cheek with teasing gentleness. “Understand now?”


    She squinted, still dazed.


    He bent down, brushing a light kiss across her lips—quick and mischievous, gone before she could react.


    He never missed a chance to flirt, did he?


    Freya fixed her eyes on him, questions tumbling through her mind. Why did he keep stealing kisses like this?


    Ellis pulled back with a soft chuckle, running his fingers through her hair with easy affection.


    Sometimes, Freya wondered if this version of Ellis—so tender, so patient—could possibly be real, even though he showed it often enough.


    “Ellis,” she called out.


    He met her eyes, a spark of amusement flickering there. “Yeah?”


    She hesitated, then asked, “If you’re still training my team members, would you ever consider training me, too?”


    He raised an eyebrow, azy smirk ying at his lips. “What do you think?”


    “I guess not,” Freya replied, lips quirking. “After all, I’m your girlfriend.”


    Ellis’s smile turned roguish. He leaned close, his voice dropping to a velvet whisper in her ear. “You’ve got quite the imagination. Next time you dream, make it even wilder.”


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