Chapter 568:
When Freya and Melvin arrived, they found only Alan, Ethel, Hugh, Trent, and Frederick there.
Freya was genuinely surprised.
“Why are you all here?” she asked, eyes narrowing at Alan. This was supposed to be a simple company retreat. So why were Trent and Frederick here too?
Trent and Frederick exchanged a glance, and Trent spoke first. “Alan invited us.”
Freya turned to Alan, waiting for an explanation.
“The company retreat was just a cover,” Alan admitted, dressed casually and looking annoyingly handsome. “Sheila and Uncle Hugh noticed you haven’t been yourself lately. They figured this would cheer you up.”
They all knew her too well. If they’d told her directly to take a break, she would’ve brushed it off with a stoic “I’m fine.” But no one came out of a divorce untouched.
They hadn’t brought it up earlier because the timing wasn’t right. She wouldn’t have been in the mood anyway.
Now felt like the right time.
“Mina, since you’re here, might as well enjoy yourself today,” Ethel chimed in.
“Mina, you really need to loosen up,” Hugh added.
“Freya, your sister rarely gets this sentimental about you. Don’t let her down,” Frederick teased.
Ethel shot back, “Frederick, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like!” Frederick grinned.
Soon, the two were at it, throwing playful jabs and laughing as they bickered like old friends.
𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 g𝓪l𝗇ovè𝗅𝓈.𝓬𝗈𝗺
Hugh and Alan exchanged knowing looks and quietly stepped aside.
“I’ll check on Sheila. You guys carry on,” Hugh said.
“Okay,” the rest replied.
Hugh left without a fuss.
He’d considered taking Freya’s assistant with him but decided against it.
She clearly had a close bond with him.
“Let’s go. There’s a flower field nearby,” Trent suggested. “The view’s nice, and there’s a gazebo where we can rest.”
Everyone agreed and followed along.
At first, Trent and Alan chatted with Freya, cracking a few jokes and sharing mundane stories.
Little by little, she let herself relax.
Eventually, the attention shifted to Melvin, who hadn’t uttered a single word since they arrived.
“By the way,” Trent remarked, adjusting his glasses in that habitual, absentminded way that gave him an almost professorial charm, “Melvin, what made you decide to become Mina’s assistant back then?”
Melvin hesitated, the cool sharpness in his eyes flickering with a rare hint of uncertainty, as though the question had genuinely caught him off guard.
“The opportunity came up, and I couldn’t pass it up,” he replied swiftly, his tone effortlessly smooth, the answer polished to perfection.
Trent’s gaze lifted slightly, a knowing smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, though he chose not to elaborate.
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