Freya paused. Was her grandmother implying Matteo would also be coming home late tonight?

“Grandma, I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine. But even if you’re busy, don’t forget to eat well,” her grandmother said gently.

“I will. Thanks, Grandma.”

After hanging up, her takeout arrived. She ate quickly and then continued working until nearly 10 PM before leaving the office. She hadn’t driven herself today, so she had called the driver half an hour earlier to arrange a ride. By the time she finished her work, the driver should have arrived.

When she got downstairs, she found the driver already waiting. However, it wasn’t the driver she’d arranged with; instead, it was Matteo’s driver. And Matteo himself was sitting in the back seat.

Seeing her hesitate, Matteo slowly rolled down the window and looked at her. “Grandma asked me to pick you up.”

Freya didn’t say much, simply walked around and got into the car, sitting in the same spot she had occupied that morning. The car smoothly merged into the traffic.

A quiet stillness fell over the car. Matteo was focused on his phone, ignoring her. Freya, however, suddenly remembered something and asked, “Did they agree?”

She was referring to whether Raven’s uncle and the others had agreed not to move into the house across from her family’s house. She had run into Raven at lunch, and Raven seemed unhappy, leading her to guess they had agreed. But what about everyone else?

Matteo didn’t look up from his phone. “They agreed.”

“Then…” Freya hesitated before asking with more certainty, “Can I buy that villa? The one across from my uncle’s house?” She wanted to buy the villa to prevent future problems.

Matteo paused, glancing at her briefly. “You can.”

Freya let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“Mm,” he responded indifferently.

By the time they got home, Grandma hadn’t gone to bed yet. Seeing Freya return in Matteo’s car, she felt reassured and went to her room to rest.

After going upstairs, Freya called Jason to update him. She had just finished that call when Johnny called.

About half an hour later, after hanging up with Johnny, she went back to her room and found Matteo had already showered. He was sitting by the bed, reading a book.

When she entered, Matteo glanced at her and, without speaking, returned his attention to his book. Freya didn’t say anything either. She went to the bathroom to shower and complete her skincare routine. By the time she was finished, it was quite late. She looked over at Matteo, who was still reading.

In the past, when Matteo was distant, she had grown accustomed to it. So, when they were alone, she didn’t feel too awkward. Now that things between them were a bit more relaxed, she felt unsure how to behave around him. But she reminded herself that, fundamentally, their relationship wouldn't change.

With that thought, she quietly got into bed and tried to sleep. Just as she lay down, Matteo put down his book, turned off the lights, and got into bed. It felt as though he had been waiting for her to get in bed so he could turn off the light.

Freya paused, thinking perhaps she was overthinking it. Her mind quickly calmed down, and soon after, she fell asleep.

The next day, Grandma again asked if Matteo could drive Freya to the office. Freya declined, saying, “Grandma, I have a social engagement today. It will be inconvenient without a car.”

Grandma furrowed her brow and glanced at Matteo, hoping he would offer to drive her. However, Matteo silently ate his breakfast, ignoring her unspoken request. Seeing this, Freya lowered her head, not wanting to cause difficulty. Grandma, seeing Matteo didn’t offer, didn’t insist. She remarked, “Of course, I’ll just let you take care of it.”

Later that day, nothing unusual happened. Freya stayed at the office, working overtime until nearly 9 PM, before driving herself home.

To her surprise, when she arrived home, Matteo was already back. He usually came home much later unless something special had happened.

Since Matteo wasn’t in the bedroom, Freya switched on the lights and put her bag aside. She was about to check on Isabella when she noticed a red folder on the vanity.

Freya froze. Although she and Matteo shared a bedroom, the left side of the bed was Matteo’s, and she never went over to that side unless necessary. Likewise, the right side was hers, and Matteo didn’t cross into her area. Their personal items—wallets, watches, skincare products—were neatly organized in their designated spots. So, the red folder certainly wasn’t something Matteo had misplaced.

Freya walked over to the vanity, and as she got closer, she realized it was a property deed. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly opened it. Sure enough, it was the deed for the villa across from her uncle’s house, and under the ownership section, it listed only her name.

Before she could fully process it, Matteo came back into the room.