?Chapter 1004:


    “You… had this custom-installed?”


    “Yes.”


    “This viplex was built just four years ago, wasn’t it?”


    “Probably. I can’t remember exactly.”


    “What made you put in a connecting door? I mean, I can alwayse in through the front,” Freya asked, her curiosity catching up with her.


    Ellis fell into silence. What could he possibly say now?


    There was no way he could confess the truth—that years ago, he had already begunying the groundwork for them to share a life under the same roof.


    “Captain.”


    “What’s on your mind?”


    “Besides me, have you ever liked someone else? Even just a passing crush?” Freya’s voice lit up with curiosity, the kind sparked by recent revtions.


    Ellis didn’t waver. “No.”


    “So… you’ve had feelings for me since four years ago?” Freya ventured boldly, following the breadcrumb trail of clues.


    After all, who knocks down walls between two rooms just to build a hidden door—unless there’s a reason?


    The logic didn’t hold water unless affection had been stirring quietly in the background all along.


    A smile tugged at the corners of Ellis’s lips, subtle but striking. “What, feeling proud of yourself now?”


    “Seriously? You liked me four years back?”


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    “Mmm.”


    Freya blinked. “Now I’m suddenly a little nervous about what lies ahead.”


    Ellis’s brow lifted slightly in confusion. Nervous? Shouldn’t knowing that he had held her in his heart for years bring reassurance, not worry?


    “How did you manage to have a crush on me and still put me through the wringer during training?” Freya genuinely wanted answers. “You set traps for me. I ended up training double time more than once.”


    Everyone, aside from the ever-cunning Trent, had fallen prey to Ellis’s schemes at some point. So much so that whenever Ellis showed the slightest kindness, their instincts screamed danger ahead.


    Ellis looked at her, his gaze cool and calm.


    So, she was digging up old grievances?


    Freya nudged him.


    “You could say that was my own twisted version of affection.” His voice was smooth as velvet,ced with something faintly teasing.


    Freya responded without missing a beat, “Then you must love quite a crowd.”


    That caught him off guard.


    “Greta, Riley, Moss, Cade, and Frederick,” she ticked them off on her fingers. “To be fair, Moss and Frederick should top your list.”


    Those two were the textbook definition of never learning from one’s mistakes—falling headlong into Ellis’s traps every time. And each time, the fallout was entirely predictable.


    “Jealous?” Ellis asked, shifting the focus with practiced ease.


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