She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Left Me With Walls, Wheels, and Wounds 281

Chapter 281 Ellis's Phone Got A Virus

After shooting off the message, Ellis powered down his phone and tucked it away, resolute in his mission to avoid any unnecessary distractions.

He'd finally coaxed Freya out for a breath of fresh air. No way was he about to let anyone mess that up.

The instructor stared blankly at the message lighting up his screen, completely at a loss.

Without wasting a second, he hit the call button and tried Ellis. But all he got was Ellis's voicemail

He was left speechless. He narrowed his eyes at the car that had just driven off, jaw tight with irritation. "Fine. Let's see how long you last without turning your phone back on."

Ellis, on the other hand, couldn't care less about ruffling his friend's feathers. They'd been pulling tricks on each other since childhood.

To be fair, they only ever reached out when it suited them.

By the time they rolled into the city, the clock had already ticked past four in the afternoon.

Ellis drove Freya straight home.

There was no use heading to the office at this hour. Besides, he and Melvin had already squared away everything that mattered. Freya had nothing left to stress about.

Once they arrived, Freya unlocked the door.

"Thank you for today," she said, glancing back with a rare flicker of sincerity in her eyes. "I'll give you a raise next month."

Ellis replied in his usual nonchalant drawl, "Much appreciated, my dear boss." Freya was momentarily struck dumb. She still wasn't used to being called that. "Go on in and rest up. I'll holler when dinner's ready," Ellis said in that familiar, protective tone, one that bordered on brotherly. "Especially after that raise you promised me."

"I..." Freya started, instinctively ready to decline.

But the look in Ellis's eyes stopped her short.

She swallowed her protest and changed her answer. "Alright."

After they parted ways, Freya reached out to Trent.

Compared to her, Trent probably knew Ellis even better. The two of them were like peas in a pod-sharp,

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Chapter 21 QUA W

and full of

small talk for a bit before

down Ellis's dinner invitations

invitations? Trent asked, dating his

admitted, a tle uneasily Even

shake the worry. "With the way he's always opers, when he's nice to you,

the couldn't think of any reason

already moved

smiled faintly, quietly marveling at how rocky

the look.

fact that Ellis's retired?" Trent tried to shift the

Hadn't Ellis

that 'devil captain', maybe it's time

lens."

"Huh?" Freya was puzzled.

the stage. "Or maybe Irving in your place and collecting

think like that?" Freya always felt unguarded around

of us," Trent continued, nudging her a little more. "But now that we're all out in the

Freya frowned.

bit out of place? That

Especially Ellis," Trent said, his tone turning sincere as he wove the tale on Ellis's behalf. "If he invites you

serious?" Freya still found it

like that kind of person. But Trent's words held a strange sort of

time. "If you don't believe me,

a bit more casual chatter,

thoughts, and came to one conclusion.

she didn't dwell

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group chat, she opened it-the one with all eight of them, Ellis included-and typed,

the Shaw Group. As far as the company went,

really was

in, "How

Riley added, "No objections."

Trent echoed, "Me too."

rest threw in their affirmatives as well. The only one who stayed quiet

and Riley kept tagging him in the group, but he didn't

then, there was a knock

find Ellis standing there,

grand cosmic joke. "Can

"Hmm?"

phone's got

remembering-he'd gotten that phone after retiring, and she'd

it on," Ellis said quickly as he saw her hand move toward