Chapter 177

The next morning, at 2 AM, Freya, Zaves, and Bago arrived at the dock. Harry and Daisy were already there. When Deley saw Freya, she ran up to her. “Aunt Freya!”

Freya bent down, hugged Deley, and smiled. “Delay, long time no see.” Noticing Xavier and Hugo looked a little confused as they observed Harry and Daisy, Freya introduced them.

Harry was very polite and said, “Hello.” He then took out some gifts for them, saying, “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I brought a few things. I hope you like them.” Everyone was surprised at how thoughtful and considerate Harry was. Not only did Xavier and Hugo seem taken aback, but even Freya paused for a moment.

After some small talk, they boarded the boat. Xavier and Hugo already knew about Freya’s impending divorce from Matteo. Seeing how Freya was holding Daisy’s hand and speaking so kindly to her, Xavier exchanged a glance with Hugo: “Is this the future brother-in-law?”

Hugo shrugged. “I’m not sure, maybe?” Seeing that Freya and Harry weren’t paying attention, Hugo leaned toward his brother and whispered, “He’s quite handsome.” But compared to the previous brother-in-law, he seemed much more approachable.

Watching Freya interact with Daisy, they both felt a bit conflicted. They knew that Freya was likely going to lose the custody battle for Isabella. Not only was Matteo unwilling to give up custody, but they had also noticed that Isabella, who had recently returned to the country, had been spending less time with Freya and preferred staying with Matteo. They couldn’t imagine how heartbreaking this must have been for Freya.

Now that they saw her developing a new relationship, they were genuinely happy for her. They also joined in to play with Daisy. They thought that if they were kind to Harry’s family, maybe when Freya married him, his family would treat them well too.

Xavier and Hugo came over to ask Daisy if she wanted to play on the water slide. Seeing the colorful water slide nearby, Daisy immediately nodded eagerly. The water slide on the yacht was indoors and hot spring-style, so it wouldn’t be cold even in the middle of winter. The slide was something both adults and kids could enjoy, but it was mostly a playground for teenagers and children.

Freya and Harry slid down a few times but lost interest. However, Daisy, Xavier, and Hugo had a blast. Freya sat by the side, enjoying the warm water like a hot spring. At this moment, Harry handed her a drink.

“Thank you,” Freya said, taking it. Harry sat down not far from her and said, “You’re welcome.” He then asked, “How old are they?”

“Xavier is 16, Hugo is 14.”

“Do you often take them out to play?”

Freya shook her head. “Used to, but recently I’ve been busy with work and don’t have much time.”

Just then, Harry’s phone rang. Noticing the caller ID, Harry stood up and said, “I’m going to take this call.” Freya nodded. He walked a little further before answering, “Frank.”

Matteo’s voice came through the line. “Where are you?”

“On the yacht.”

“Are you out at sea?”

“Yes.” Harry’s eyes flickered over to Freya, who was sitting by herself. “Is there something you need?”

Matteo replied, “Isabella wants to play with Daisy, so I’m calling to ask if you could bring her over.”

“The boat is out at sea, maybe next time.”

“Alright.” Matteo didn’t say anything further and hung up.

At noon, the five of them sat down for a seafood feast. In the afternoon, they lay out on the deck, basking in the sun while fishing. Daisy, Xavier, and Hugo played until they were exhausted. After a while, they lay down on the lounge chairs and fell asleep.

Harry had some work to attend to and went to a quieter spot to make a few calls. When he returned, he saw Freya engrossed in a book. Though Harry had studied finance in college, he immediately recognized the book in her hands. It was a book that he often saw Matteo reading.

Seeing how focused Freya was, Harry stopped in his tracks. Freya was so absorbed in her reading that she didn’t notice his return until the wind blew Daisy’s blanket open. It was the rustling sound that made her realize Harry was back.

Harry sat down in a chair and asked, “This book… do you also read it often?” He used the word “also.”