Matteo looked at her for a moment, then turned his gaze away, replying, “Hmm.” Freya breathed a quiet sigh of relief, glad he hadn’t misunderstood. She said nothing more and walked toward the walk-in closet.

After getting dressed, she emerged to find Matteo still in the room. She didn’t think they had anything to talk about, so she gave him a quick glance before walking past him and sitting at the vanity to begin her skincare routine. Matteo got up, walked to the closet, and then went to the bathroom for his shower.

By the time she finished, it was late. She climbed into bed, but despite feeling exhausted, sleep eluded her. The day’s events swirled in her mind. The night before, she had slept peacefully beside Matteo, but tonight, her emotions were far more complex.

Not long after, Matteo emerged from the bathroom, fresh from his shower. A while later, he turned off the lights and lay down on the other side of the bed. Freya could sense the distance between them, though he remained silent.

The room was silent. It took a long time before Freya’s thoughts grew hazy, and she finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Freya woke to find herself alone in the bed. After washing and dressing, she went downstairs to find Grandma Wilson already awake. Grandma Wilson was about to speak when Matteo returned from outside. He was dressed in a gray sports outfit, his hair slightly damp with sweat—he had likely just finished a morning run.

He nodded at Grandma Wilson, greeting her with a simple, “Morning.” Grandma Wilson looked at them both with displeasure. “You two woke up so early?” Freya, surprised, thought it was a good thing they had both woken early.

But before she could consider this further, Matteo, his expression calm, spoke. “I’ve studied pharmacology. The soup you made last night doesn’t work on me.” He turned and walked upstairs without waiting for a reply.

Chapter 109

Freya froze, the meaning of his words slowly sinking in. Matteo had realized Grandma Wilson had tampered with the soup. And, from the look of it, he hadn’t drunk it. She hadn’t expected Grandma Wilson to do such a thing.

She frowned, about to speak, when Grandma Wilson sighed. “Sometimes, knowing too much isn’t always a good thing. Sigh… I still want another grandson. Mag, if you have time, you and Matteo should put in more effort, understand?”

Freya: “…”

She didn’t know what to say. Although Matteo had agreed to help her last night, she knew there was no longer any possibility of them being together romantically. If something had happened between them last night, it would have been disastrous. As for having another child… that was out of the question.

Before she could dwell further on the matter, Isabella came downstairs.

Upon seeing Freya, her face softened a little, likely recalling her admiration for Raven. During breakfast, Matteo again naturally sat next to her, but neither initiated conversation. Yesterday, Freya had taken Isabella to school, but today, Isabella asked if Matteo could do the same.

Matteo agreed. “Got it.”

Grandma Wilson glanced at Freya and said, “Frank, take Freya along too. You’re both heading in the same direction anyway…”

Freya quickly interrupted, “No need, Grandma. He has too many social engagements and won’t be at the company much. I don’t have a car, so it’s inconvenient for me.”

Grandma Wilson didn’t relent. “He can go to his engagements, but if you don’t have a car when you get off work, just call the driver to pick you up.”

Before Freya could respond, Grandma Wilson had already made up her mind. “It’s settled then.”

Freya stood still for a moment, looking at Matteo. He didn’t say anything. His silence was enough—he had agreed. After breakfast, she had no choice but to get in the car with Isabella and Matteo.

Isabella, familiar with the routine, happily climbed into the car. The fact that both Freya and Matteo were accompanying her made her day especially bright. But for Freya, she couldn’t remember the last time she had ridden in Matteo’s car. It had been a while.

As Isabella got into the car, Freya was about to follow, but Matteo suddenly spoke. “You sit over there.”

Freya paused, feeling a little awkward. She hesitated but eventually walked around to the other side, where the driver opened the door for her. The car was a bit cramped with Isabella between them, making any conversation between her and Matteo difficult. He was busy with his phone, typing out replies, deeply preoccupied.

Freya looked straight ahead, trying to ignore the tension in the air. Meanwhile, Isabella had crawled up into Matteo’s arms, peering over his chest to look at his phone.

“Ah, it’s Aunty Raven,” she said, her voice full of excitement.

Matteo, still focused on his phone, responded with a casual, “Hmm.”

Perhaps remembering Freya was still there, Isabella glanced at her from the corner of her eye. She then returned to staring at the screen, clearly not mentioning anything about the conversation between Matteo and Raven.

After a while, Isabella seemed to grow bored. She climbed out of Matteo’s arms and opened the car’s storage compartment. Freya wasn’t trying to invade her privacy, but as Isabella rummaged through the compartment, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of its contents: a lipstick, a small woman’s handbag, and a small backpack Isabella used to carry around.

It didn’t take much to figure out that the lipstick and handbag probably belonged to Raven. At that moment, Freya finally understood why Matteo had told her not to sit in that spot earlier. It was because that seat was always occupied by Raven. He didn’t want her sitting there.