She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Chapter 296 Don't Push

Your Luck

When Freya caught sight of Ethel clutching a baseball bat, glaring daggers at Kristian, she froze in disbelief. "Sheila, what on earth are you doing..."

Ethel flinched, clearly caught off guard. On instinct, she whipped the bat behind her back, stammering, "N-no, it's nothing. Really."

Right then, she began to suspect this was all a carefully laid trap by Kristian, just so Freya would barge in and

assume she was about to take a swing at him. How utterly infuriating!

"She was just showing me how to protect myself in case a stranger breaks in," Kristian piped up, feigning

innocence with those wide, guileless eyes.

Ethel blinked, momentarily at a loss for words.

Freya stepped closer, her voice gentle. "Even if I'm out for work, the bodyguards

will always be around to look after you. You'll never be left alone."

"Thank you." Kristian's tone softened with her. "Freya," he said, glancing up at her.

"Yeah?" she answered, meeting his gaze.

"Can I still think of you as my elder sister?"

Freya looked puzzled, not responding right away.

"Sheila said it's not proper for me to treat you like that, but... I want to. I don't want to think of you as my

aunt."

He didn't voice the rest, but something in his expression told Ethel that she wouldn't like what was left unsaid.

Freya didn't seem to mind. "That's fine."

Watching things escalate far too quickly for her liking, Ethel interjected, "Now he's just like a kid, you are too

old to be his sister."

"Then how should he call me?" Freya asked sincerely.

"I suggested ‘aunt'," Ethel muttered after clearing her throat.

Freya gave her a look. "Seriously?"

"Think about it," Ethel pressed, not backing down. "If he keeps regarding you as his sister, once he recovers, he'll look back and think it was all sweet and touching." She was determined to put a stop to the whole idea. "But if he treats you as his aunt now, once he's back to normal, he'll be mortified."

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Chapter 296 Don't Push Your Luck

The thought of him calling his ex-wife "aunt" was beyond ridiculous.

Freya raised a fair point. "But what if he doesn't recover for a long time?" "Well..." Ethel faltered, words catching in her throat. She couldn't explain it, but she had this strong gut feeling Kristian would get better soon.

He'd always been sharp, decisive-flawless in business. There was no way his mind wouldn't bounce back just as quickly. She didn't know why she believed it, but she did.

"He can think of me however he likes," Freya said lightly. "It makes no difference to me."

"Alright."

"You silly girl."

Freya reached out and tousled her hair affectionately.

Kristian observed the scene with sparkling eyes. Slowly, he ambled toward Freyanoveldrama

and tilted his head forward, clearly angling for a pat.

Freya blinked.

Ethel, equally baffled, stared at him.

Neither could figure out what he was up to.

Ethel, always the first to speak, narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

Kristian didn't say a word. He pressed his lips together and simply looked up at Freya, waiting patiently for that pat on the head.

A strange tension filled the air.

As Ethel replayed what had just happened in her mind, something clicked-and an edge of jealousy slipped into her tone. "You want my sister to pat your head?"

"Is that okay?" Kristian asked softly, his voice as delicate as cotton, eyes brimming with hope.

Even Freya was taken aback. That face and those eyes-yet the expression and tone were so utterly transformed. It was like Kristian was someone else entirely.

She found herself marveling at fate's odd sense of humor.

"No way!" Ethel clung tightly to Freya's arm, clearly refusing to yield. "Don't push your luck!"

"He's basically like a five-year-old right now..." Freya murmured, coughing lightly as a reminder.

"I don't care." Ethel's protectiveness was still just as fierce. "Well, I'm only three. If you pat his head, I'll cry!" Kristian might've been Freya's ex-husband, but now he was like a clingy child vying for her affection. Ethel wasn't about to let him win. Freya chuckled and ruffled Ethel's hair again, her eyes softening into a smile. Some things never changed. Ethel was still irresistibly adorable.

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Chapter 296 Don't Push Your Luck

Kristian felt a twinge of disappointment, but the moment he saw Freya's smile, he couldn't help smiling, too. "Freya, you're smiling," he said softly.

"That's because of me," Ethel snapped back, unwilling to let go. "It has nothing to do with you!"

“As long as Freya's happy, I'm happy, too,” Kristian replied simply, his thoughts pure.

Ethel paused, staring at the earnest, innocent face before her. Her cheeks suddenly grew warm, and a whirlpool of complex emotions stirred within her.

This was still Kristian. But right now, he was like a five-year-old boy... Why on earth was she arguing with a kid?

"You two go on talking," Freya said, treating them both like children. "If you want snacks, call the bodyguard. If

you want to watch TV, go ahead. I've got work to do."

"Okay," Kristian responded sweetly.

Once Freya grabbed her water and headed off to the study, Ethel and Kristian were left eyeing each other in

silence.

Before Kristian's accident, Ethel wouldn't have dared to even meet his gaze-let alone glare at him.

But now, things had shifted.

Ethel demanded, still looking for a fight. "Freya's busy now, so you have to listen to me."

Kristian nodded obediently. "Okay!"

Ethel was momentarily stunned into silence. A phrase she'd once seen online echoed in her head. Sincerity really does work.

Faced with someone so obedient, sweet, and eager to please, she just couldn't bring herself to be mean.

"Get me some water."

"Sure."

"Grab me some snacks from the cupboard."

"Okay."

"I want some fruit."

"I'll go rinse them."

The two of them bantered and played like children in the living room. Seeing they weren't squabbling, Freya finally turned her full attention to work. Christmas was just ten days away, and lately, Melvin had been swamped with preparations for the company's annual party and masquerade ball. "Ms. Briggs, the hotel and schedule are finalized," Melvin reported during their video call. "The annual party will be held on the first and second floors. After that, single guests can head to the eighth floor for the masquerade ball. Everything's arranged."

Freya gave a brief grunt. "What are this year's lucky draw prizes?"

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"Same as last year. Three first prizes-two hundred thousand dollars each. Five second prizes-one hundred thousand each. Ten third prizes-fifty thousand. The rest get participation gifts like iPads, laptops, phones, or shopping cards, all given randomly," Melvin rattled off casually.

Anita International Group had always been generous with its employees, handing out lavish gifts and hefty year -end bonuses every holiday season.

The cash rewards and prizes rarely changed.

Freya was silent for a beat. "Let's add a grand prize this year."

"Hm?"

"For Cap... For Ellis Lambert," she said slowly.

She'd originally planned to transfer Ellis to a branch closer to his home, but he'd

declined, saying he wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility.

So instead, Freya decided to reward him with an apartment. That way, he'd stop feeling the need to keep sending her money out of gratitude.