Chapter 173

Raven furrowed her brow, unsure of why she was asking. Before Raven could answer, Treya smiled gently and said, “What you describe as discussing and improving together is something that might happen at home or in school. But businesspeople gather for profit; without benefit, there’s no deal. Since there are better options, why should we go out of our way for something that doesn’t serve our interests?”

Freya’s tone was warm, even carrying a smile. But Raven’s heart sank upon hearing it. She realized, at this moment, she had underestimated Freya. Looking at Freya, she knew she had made a mistake. Freya pushed the teacup toward Raven, smiling. “Miss Brown, please have some tea.”

Raven hesitated for a moment. In this situation, with the tea being pushed toward her, refusing it would be hard to do. She picked up the cup and said, “Thank you, Miss Miller.”

“You’re too polite, Miss Brown.”

Johnny had been quietly observing the exchange between them. To be honest, he was really worried that Freya would be bullied by Raven again. Hearing how easily Freya had silenced Raven, he was genuinely surprised.

After reviewing the documents and finishing the conversation with the General Manager, Johnny saw them off downstairs. He gave Freya a thumbs-up and said, “Impressive.”

Freya lowered her gaze and smiled faintly. “After all, I worked as a secretary at Wilson Group for several years.” Though many of the important clients at Wilson Group were beyond the reach of ordinary secretaries, she had dealt with quite a few people and accumulated some experience. Johnny had momentarily forgotten this detail.

He asked, “So, was there really a problem with Raven’s proposal?”

“Yes.”

Although it was quite detailed and the technical content was correct, she suspected that Matteo might have personally helped Raven refine the proposal. But for some reason, when it came to implementation, there were one or two flaws.

After discussing Raven’s proposal, Freya asked, “What about Wilson Group?”

Hearing this, Johnny rubbed his nose and replied, “You know, Matteo is also in our industry. He understands the technology well.” Wilson Group had plenty of money. Its many technical personnel were highly sought-after talents in the industry. On top of that, Matteo himself was highly skilled in technology. So, the proposal he sent over wasn’t just good; it was… unparalleled. This was probably also why Matteo could calmly wait until now to have someone come seeking cooperation.

Freya wasn’t surprised after hearing this. She said, “When it’s time to make a decision, just judge the matter on its merits.”

Working with a top-notch team would eliminate many worries. As for the personal matters between her and Matteo, they were insignificant in the face of business projects.

In the afternoon, Rex also came to Cole. This time, Johnny didn’t meet with him. Rex, unable to meet with anyone, left on his own after a short while. Not long after Rex left, Harry arrived. Johnny and Freya went to meet with him together.

After reviewing Harry’s new proposal, Johnny and Freya exchanged a glance. Seeing that their thoughts aligned, Freya immediately said to Harry, “Mr. Becker, looking forward to a pleasant cooperation.”

Harry noticed that she was in charge of Cole. His gaze shifted subtly between her and Johnny before he stood up to shake their hands. “Pleasant cooperation.” They proceeded to discuss the details of the contract.

As dusk fell outside and the preliminary contract details were almost finalized, Freya’s phone rang. It was a call from Isabella. She had called twice in a row. Freya hung up both calls. Isabella didn’t call again.

Meanwhile, Matteo answered his phone. Half an hour later, he returned home. Isabella was lying in bed receiving an IV drip. Upon seeing him, she weakly called out, “Dad…”

Matteo sat at the edge of her bed. Seeing that she still had cold sweat on her forehead, he took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped it for her. “Does your stomach still hurt?”

“A little better…” Though she was slightly improved, the pain was still there. Matteo didn’t scold her for eating recklessly. Seeing that, aside from her physical discomfort, she also seemed in a bad mood, he asked, “Would you like me to call Aunt Raven to come over and see you?”

In the past, if Matteo had said this, she would have eagerly agreed. But now, she grabbed his hand and shook her head. “I want Mommy to come back and see me.” Though she loved Aunt Raven, when she felt unwell, the first person she thought of was always her mother. She hoped the person staying with her right now was Mommy.

Matteo heard this and said, “Okay.” He didn’t pull his hand away, but took his phone and dialed Freya’s number.

Freya had just finished discussing the contract with Harry and was preparing to go out for dinner when she saw Matteo’s call. Remembering the two missed calls from Isabella earlier, Freya hesitated for a moment before answering. “Hello?”

Matteo: “Isabella has mild food poisoning. She’s at home receiving an IV. She wants to see you.”