Chapter 184

Treya’s calm demeanor made it seem as if she already knew they would cooperate. Rex didn’t think much of it, assuming Johnny had probably discussed it with her beforehand. He coldly said, “Looking forward to a pleasant cooperation.”

Upon arriving at the restaurant and getting out of the car, as Freya and Johnny were about to head upstairs, Rex, with sharp eyes, noticed Matteo and Raven entering from another side. He stopped in his tracks and greeted them, “Mr. Wilson, Miss Brown.” Matteo and Raven noticed them as well. Matteo responded, “Mr. Hardin, Mr. Gray.”

Johnny smirked without any warmth, “Mr. Wilson.” Before he could say anything else, Johnny added, “You guys chat, we’ll head up first.” With that, Johnny and Freya entered the elevator together.

Earlier, when Rex had met Johnny at Wilson Tech, he had already noticed that Johnny clearly disliked Matteo. This time, Johnny didn’t even try to hide it, which surprised Rex. He didn’t know what animosity existed between Johnny and Matteo, but it was clear that Matteo had a much friendlier attitude towards Johnny.

After Johnny and Freya left, Matteo and Raven turned their attention back to the table. Raven asked, “Is the cooperation between Mr. Hardin and Mr. Gray settled?” Rex smiled and said, “Yes, it’s done.”

Raven had known that the cooperation between Cole and Rex hadn’t worked out before. She knew it was because Rex had upset Freya, and as a result, Johnny had also started to distance himself from Rex. Previously, Johnny had firmly rejected any cooperation with Rex, but now Rex had succeeded. This made Raven wonder if this meant that, even though Freya was important to Johnny, when it came to his own interests, he would still prioritize them. In other words, Freya might not be as important to Johnny as Raven had thought. Thinking this, Raven smiled and said, “Congratulations.” Hearing her say congratulations, Rex smiled back and said, “Thank you.”

Then, Rex turned to Matteo. “By the way, Mr. Wilson, there’s a project from your company that I’m interested in. When do you have time? I’d like to discuss it with you.” Matteo replied, “I have time in the next few days. Feel free to contact me whenever you’re available.” Rex nodded. After they got off the elevator, he parted ways with them and went to his private room.

When he entered, Johnny and Freya were already ordering. Seeing him, Johnny said, “Oh, Mr. Hardin, finished with your chat?” Rex sat down, adjusted his position to stay a little farther from Freya, and, not minding Johnny’s attitude, asked, “Mr. Gray, is there some kind of conflict between you and Mr. Wilson?” Johnny curled his lip. “Not conflict—an old grudge.” Rex: “…” It wasn’t possible for someone to just casually mention an old grudge like that.

Not wanting to press the issue, Rex didn’t ask any more questions. He saw that they were still choosing dishes, so he said politely, “This meal is on me, no need to be polite, just order whatever you like.” Johnny didn’t look up. “We know. We didn’t plan on being polite to you.” Rex: “…”

After Johnny and Freya finished ordering, Rex ordered a couple of dishes as well and started discussing business matters with Johnny. Soon, the waiter began to bring the dishes. At first, Rex thought Johnny was joking when he said they weren’t going to be polite. But as the dishes kept coming, he realized they had ordered some of the restaurant’s most expensive items. His forehead began to throb slightly.

Johnny, oblivious to Rex’s discomfort, kept serving food to Freya. “Mag, let’s take our time. No need to rush.” Freya nodded. “Mm.” Rex: “…” Johnny was deliberately trying to make things uncomfortable for him. In reality, neither of them cared about the cost of the meal.

As they ate, they started talking seriously about business. Freya, sitting quietly at the side, only interjected when necessary. Most of the time, she didn’t say much. Rex was quite surprised by this because whenever she did speak, her comments were very constructive. It seemed she had some real competence.

Previously, he had assumed that the relationship between Freya and Johnny would be one where Freya was the passive partner. But at this meal, their dynamic seemed reversed. He also thought that this might be the secret behind how Freya had managed to capture Johnny’s attention. After all, if Freya didn’t have some ability, how could Johnny be so taken with her?

When they were almost finished, Freya went to the restroom. As she came out, she bumped into Matteo, who had just come out of the nearby restroom. Matteo saw her but didn’t seem to have anything to say. Perhaps he didn’t know what to say to her. Freya didn’t intend to talk to him either. She was about to walk past him when she suddenly stopped and said, “When can we officially get the divorce certificate?”

Although she knew Matteo was probably just as eager as her to get it done, she had never asked about it before. Now that so much time had passed, she decided to bring it up. Matteo replied, “It’ll be a while longer.” “No specific date?” “I’ll notify you once it’s settled.”

Treya didn’t say anything further and was about to leave when Matteo suddenly added, “Our grandmother knows about the divorce now.” Freya responded, “It’s good that she knows.” At least she wouldn’t try to force them together anymore. She also wouldn’t have to keep pretending. Matteo said, “Mm.” They didn’t speak any further and walked in silence side by side.

At that moment, someone suddenly rushed around the corner. Freya and Matteo both stepped aside, but Freya still ended up being bumped into, her back pressed against Matteo’s chest. Matteo reflexively steadied her waist.