?Chapter 1088:


    Taking in the pile of expensive items, Hugh gestured for them to take a seat.


    At first, conversation was thin on the ground.


    Hugh wanted to break the ice but realized it wasn’t the right moment to dive into anything heavy. In the end, he decided to get lunch started instead.


    During the meal, the talk was polite but kept at arm’s length. Hugh threw out questions, and Ellis fielded them naturally.


    The atmosphere had an edge of awkwardness. To be more precise, the awkwardness existed only in Hugh’s head.


    “Ellis, can we have a word in the study?” Hugh asked after the meal, cutting through the silence. He genuinely wanted to clear the air. “There are some things I’d like to hash out with you privately.”


    Freya was ready to jump in. Whatever needed saying could be said right here. But Ellis chose to follow Hugh to the study.


    Before stepping inside, he shot Freya a quick text, saying, “It’s just a chat. Don’t worry.”


    Freya nced at the message, then at the closed study door, a cocktail of emotions swirling inside her that she couldn’t quite pin down. Ethel picked up on her sister’s nerves and settled down beside her.


    “Are you worried about Ellis?”


    “Not really.”


    Freya wasn’t worried. She knew Hugh wouldn’t throw a wrench into her rtionship with Ellis. It was just that she wasn’t used to this kind of behind-closed-doors, private conversation. It felt… off.


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    “Rx. Dad is one hundred percent in your corner when ites to you and Ellis,” Ethel reassured her, whether Freya needed it or not. “While you were away, I caught him singing Ellis’s praises more than once, saying how perfect you two are together.”


    Freya made a small sound of acknowledgment, but her mind had already wandered off.


    She knew Hugh wouldn’t stick his nose where it didn’t belong or give Ellis a hard time, yet she couldn’t shake the uneasepletely.


    In the study, thirty minutester, Hugh and Ellis had already covered several topics.


    Ellis stayed polite, humble, and steady as a rock. “You have my word — I’ll take good care of her. I won’t let history repeat itself.”


    “Mina has a stubborn streak a mile wide,” Hugh said, knowing his daughter inside and out. “In certain situations, she can dig her heels in. When that happens, I hope you’ll bear with her.”


    “She’s wonderful. You don’t need to lose sleep over it,” Ellis responded simply.


    He understood Freya’s stubborn side, her habit of overthinking, and every other piece of the puzzle that made her who she was.


    Seeing Ellis’s genuine sincerity, Hugh felt a weight lift off his shoulders. His daughter had found someone who was worth her salt. He finally felt at peace.


    When the conversation wrapped up, Hugh opened the study door to find Freya nted right outside.


    “Mina?” Hugh stopped short, caught off guard.


    Ellis also looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Freya’s expression was calm, her tone steady. “I just came to see how your heart-to-heart was going.”


    “We’re done,” Hugh replied. But he knew darn well that she wasn’t here to check on their progress—she was worried he might put Ellis through the wringer! She always threw her lot in with Ellis.


    Freya naturally took Ellis’s hand and said her goodbyes to Hugh. “We’ll head out now. We have some loose ends to tie up, but we’ll swing by again soon.”


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