?Chapter 1042:


    “What do you think, Freya?” Kendra turned to Freya, expecting backup.


    Freya pressed her lips together and nodded slowly. “Honestly? You’ve got a point.”


    Ellis let out a low chuckle.


    Kendra shot him a look. “What’s funny?” Even angry, she maintained that graceful,posed air—like a poet calmly delivering a sharp line. “Did I say something wrong?”


    Ellis didn’t answer. “I’ll go check the kitchen,” he said, slipping away before she could drag him into it.


    As he walked out, he nced at Freya for half a second.


    Freya rubbed her nose, a little uneasy. Was he… annoyed?


    Just as she was overthinking it, her phone buzzed—a custom notification. While Caldwell and Kendra were deep in conversation again, she peeked at her screen. It was a message from Ellis, which read, “Marriage isn’t as good as finding a soulmate, huh?”


    Freya typed back, “Don’t you think so?”


    Ellis, now outside and leaning against a pir, smirked as he typed back. “You’re baiting me. Waiting for me to say the wrong thing so you can show my mom and have her scold me, right?”


    Freya replied, “Don’t project your pettiness onto others.”


    He sent back a meme—a smug cartoon cat with the caption “Seen right through you!”


    Freya didn’t respond. She rolled her eyes and put her phone away just as Caldwell and Kendra wrapped things up.


    Fresh updates now on g??ln????e??s.c??m


    Caldwell was apologizing. “I got too worked up earlier. Tomorrow, let’s go shopping. I’ll buy you whatever else you like.”


    “I only like the bracelet Freya gave me,” Kendra said tly. Then, adding, “Go see what Ellis is doing. He’s been in the kitchen forever.”


    “Alright, alright,” Caldwell said, hurrying out.


    Right outside, he spotted Ellis leaning against a pir, casually scrolling through his phone.


    Ellis looked up as Caldwell approached.


    For a moment, they just stared at each other. The air grew awkward. Not wanting Kendra to overhear, Caldwell grabbed Ellis and dragged him outside to the yard.


    Back in the living room, only Freya and Kendra remained. The two of them chatted easily, with Freya answering all of Kendra’s questions one by one.


    This time, after all, she was genuinely Ellis’s girlfriend—not just faking it.


    Eventually, Freya steered the conversation in a different direction. “Can I ask you something?”


    Kendra gave her a knowing look. “Let me guess. Is this about Ellis?”


    Freya nodded. “Yeah.”


    “Go ahead. If I know, I’ll tell you.”


    Freya hesitated for a second, choosing her words carefully. “Does he have any cute nickname?”


    “Nickname?” Kendra blinked, tilting her head.


    “Yeah,” Freya said, leaning in. “Something adorable or funny he was called as a kid.”


    Kendra thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “Oh! He does.”


    .


    .


    .