Freya froze. Johnny paused as well. He glanced at Freya, then whispered, “Teacher… Why would Mr. Wilson want to meet with you? Can you tell us?”

“He said he wanted to introduce someone to me,” Nolan replied, ending the call without further comment.

Johnny turned to Freya. “Could it be that the person Mr. Wilson wants to introduce to Teacher is Raven?”

Johnny had learned during their recent dealings with the Brown family that they also owned a tech company. Raven had previously sought employment there, hoping to work with their programming language, cuap. The public believed Nolan's team developed cuap, though the reality was more complex.

Now that Raven couldn't join their company, she was likely to contact Nolan to study cuap. She might even seek to become one of his students.

Considering this, Johnny cursed under his breath. “Damn!”

Freya shared his thought. She suspected this might be Matteo's way of compensating her for preventing Raven's family from moving into the house opposite her uncle's. Given Matteo's feelings for Raven, how could he allow her to suffer to help Freya?

Johnny said, “If she really has hidden talents, doesn’t that mean—”

Though they were Nolan's students, and he was usually indifferent, their relationship was actually quite good. He was strict, but possessed a warm heart beneath his cold exterior and held strong principles. If Raven’s abilities truly impressed him, he wouldn’t refuse her simply because of her history with Freya.

So…

Freya quickly composed herself. “Let’s focus on our own work for now.”

That evening, she returned home later than usual; Grandma was already asleep. Matteo hadn't yet returned; he might not return at all. But after showering, she found he had come back. Seeing him, she faltered momentarily, offering a slight nod in greeting. She didn't ask about his meeting with Nolan; neither did he. After a glance, he went to shower.

The next morning, Freya woke late. Downstairs, she heard Grandma's sarcastic voice directed at Matteo: “Last night, I was already in bed by ten, and you still weren’t home. I thought you wouldn’t come back!”

Matteo, sitting opposite Grandma, calmly drank his water without replying. Grandma knocked on the table, feigning anger. “Say something! Stop pretending to be mute!”

Matteo put down his cup. Seeing Freya descend the stairs, he glanced at her before turning back to Grandma. “Didn’t you say I had to come back and accompany you this morning?”

“Hmph, I thought you’d ignore me again!”

“I wouldn’t dare.” His tone remained indifferent, devoid of discomfort or guilt.

Annoyed, Grandma ceased speaking to him, waving at Freya to sit.

Freya sat, asking, “Grandma, are you going out to play later?”

“It’s not ‘you all,’ it’s ‘we’!” Grandma smiled. “We’ll go together. Mag, where would you like to go? Grandma will follow your lead.”

Freya sometimes felt like a boring person; she couldn't think of entertaining places everyone would enjoy. “I’m fine with anything. It’s up to you.”

Grandma already had a plan. “How about hot springs? Last time we were supposed to go but didn’t get a chance, and I ended up getting sick from the frustration. This time, someone’s going to make it up to me.”

That “someone” clearly referred to Matteo. He remained calm, drinking his tea, seemingly unfazed and unembarrassed by Grandma's comment. The incident appeared inconsequential to him; he never seemed to care.

Freya realized this and averted her gaze. She’d been to the hot springs before and felt no excitement about returning, but since Grandma mentioned it, she agreed. “Alright.”

After breakfast, Freya packed for the trip, only packing for herself, not Matteo. Though nominally her husband, he was not her actual husband; he was Raven's man. She guessed he wouldn't be pleased if she touched his belongings; she had no interest in doing so anyway.

Aunt Sara packed Isabella’s things. Before, Freya might have worried Aunt Sara hadn't packed everything and would have double-checked, but now, after packing, she simply dragged her suitcase downstairs without concern.

After waiting, Isabella and Matteo came down. At the resort, Matteo went off to make a phone call. While Freya organized her things, Grandma entered, handing her a box and whispering, “This is the outfit I prepared for you. Remember to wear it when you go to the hot springs later.”

From Grandma’s expression, Freya instantly guessed the box's contents.