?Chapter 1206:

    Kristian’s gaze dropped to their intertwined hands and the glittering engagement ring on her finger.

    At that moment, his heart twisted with a sharp, unbearable ache. The emotional walls he’d spent so long building shattered in an instant. Yet not a flicker of emotion showed on his face.

    Gerard nudged Kristian gently, sensing the sudden standstill.

    That small nudge brought Kristian back to reality. He stared at the face that had haunted his nights, parted his lips, and finally said, “Long time no see.”

    “Yeah, it’s been a while,” Freya said with casual ease, her voice carrying that familiar softness.

    Kristian gave a faint nod, though his chest churned with a mess of emotions he couldn’t name. In the end, he didn’t say another word. After a small, strained nod, he forced himself to look away and turned to leave. In that fleeting moment when they brushed past each other, whatever fragile thread had still connected them snapped without a sound.

    From that point on, their lives veered in separate directions, each bound toward their own fates.

    “Wasn’t that Kristian Shaw just now?” Ethan whispered, leaning close to Alyssa and keeping his voice low so Ellis wouldn’t hear.

    Alyssa gave a subtle nod in response.

    Ethan’s gaze darted instantly to Ellis.

    An ex and the current one, face to face. Where was the drama? The sparks? This was beyond underwhelming.

    “Let’s go.” Ellis, as steady as ever, held Freya’s hand with quiet certainty. Freya simply said, “Okay.”

    Once inside, as Freya chatted with Alyssa, Ethan wasted no time slipping over to Ellis, curiosity practically wing at his throat. “So tell me, how did it feel seeing Kristian just now?”

    “What do you think?” Ellis replied smoothly, not missing a beat.

    “How would I know? I’m not you.” Ethan leaned in, eyes gleaming with interest. “Don’t dodge it. Out with it.”

    Your next journey starts at g?lnσν???s???o??

    Ellis, idly scrolling through his phone, finally answered in his usual calm tone, “Felt like burying you alive.”

    Ethan blinked, stunned. “What does that have to do with me?” he asked, thoroughly confused. He assumed Ellis must’ve been too awkward to deal with Freya’s ex and redirected his frustration at him instead. Seriously, who even did that?

    “Why’d you suddenly stop walking back there?” Ellis turned his gaze on Ethan, his voice slightly sharper, edged with warning. “Someone might think you and…”

    Kristian had some hidden history.”

    “How would I know why I stopped?” Ethan fired back, still baffled.

    He didn’t know either. Something about seeing Kristian had made him pause, purely by instinct. No logic behind it. Just a reflex.

    “What’s the deal? Felt threatened?” Ethan pressed on, genuinely curious. “Were you afraid Freya might let go of your hand and run back to him?” Ellis remained unruffled. “I’m not you.”

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