Chapter 238

Matteo showed no change in expression. The meeting table was rectangular, and Rex’s seat was directly opposite Freya and Matteo. He smiled and nodded at Rex before walking over to sit next to Freya. Freya silently looked at her phone, showing no intention of greeting him even as he sat down.

Matteo, however, turned to look at her. “You’ve lost weight. Been very busy these days?” Freya knew he was speaking to her, but she didn’t respond, keeping her eyes focused on the documents in her hands. At that moment, someone approached Matteo to greet him, and he stood up to exchange pleasantries.

Soon, most of the people had arrived, and several political figures, including Jordan Hall, entered the meeting room. Upon seeing Freya and Matteo, Jordan paused. Like Reed, he hadn’t known who Freya’s husband was when she mentioned she was married. It was only after Reed met with Freya and had dinner with her that he found out her husband was actually Matteo.

Now, seeing them sitting together, they didn’t appear like a married couple; in fact, they seemed like complete strangers. Jordan quickly withdrew his gaze. The forum officially began, and neither Freya nor Matteo spoke. It wasn’t until they were called to give their speeches that they finally spoke.

The government staff arranged lunch for Freya and the other business representatives. After the meeting concluded, Freya packed up her things and stood up to leave. Matteo watched her back as he followed behind her.

Rex and Jordan had close ties and were quite familiar with each other. As they left the conference room, Rex took the initiative to greet Jimmy. Freya ignored Rex, who was standing next to Jordan, and walked up to Jordan, greeting him with, “Mr. Hall.”

Jordan smiled, his tone warm as he said, “You don’t need to be so formal all the time, just call me Uncle Hall.” Freya complied, “Uncle Hall.” Rex paused for a moment. If he recalled correctly, Freya had first met Jordan at an art exhibition held by Jordan’s father. Even though Jordan had been courteous to her back then because of Johnny, they weren’t exactly close.

But now, Jordan not only recognized her right away but also greeted her with such warmth—as if Freya were someone he had watched grow up, just like a child of his own family. Moreover, when Freya addressed him, her posture as a junior was respectful yet confident, as though she were very familiar with him.

At that moment, Matteo also walked over and greeted Jordan, “Uncle Hall.” Jordan’s smile faded a little when he saw Matteo. The Hall and Wilson families weren’t very close, and although he had worked with Matteo a few times in the past, they weren’t particularly familiar. He had always regarded Matteo as a talented and humble individual, someone who was highly accomplished and polite when interacting with others. As for Matteo’s personal life, Jordan had never paid much attention.

However, Jordan distinctly remembered that during the art exhibition last year, Matteo had a girlfriend, and it seemed like everyone knew about it. On the other hand, the news about Freya’s marriage had never been widely known. Back then, when they appeared at the exhibition, it looked as if they didn’t even know each other.

So when he learned that Freya’s husband was actually Matteo, and that they already had a few children aged five or six, he had been quite shocked. But now, seeing them together at this gathering, the way they interacted—or rather, the lack of interaction—made him suspect that maybe they had already divorced.

The group proceeded to the dining area. When they sat down, Matteo positioned himself next to Freya. Rex noticed this and furrowed his brow. He had already seen Matteo speak to Freya during the meeting. Although he couldn’t hear their conversation, Matteo had been unusually gentle in his manner toward Freya, and there seemed to be a familiarity between them. Now, Matteo even deliberately sat next to her… The more Rex observed, the deeper his frown became. He had never seen them so close before. It was starting to make him wonder if there was more going on between them than just a casual professional relationship.

Freya remained quiet, listening to Jordan and the other officials talk while quietly eating her meal. Although Matteo sat next to her, he was engrossed in conversations with others, not making much effort to talk to her. It wasn’t until the meal was nearly over that Matteo finally spoke to her, “Isabella is starting school soon. Are you planning to personally take her on her first day?”

Freya lowered her head and responded indifferently, “I’m busy, I don’t have time.” Matteo merely smiled and replied, “Alright, I understand.” Then he turned back to chat with the others. Rex had been paying close attention to them, and as he watched Matteo talk to Freya again, he couldn’t help but think—but then he reconsidered. Maybe Matteo was just speaking to Freya in front of everyone because it was natural and public, not necessarily anything more. After all, Wilson Tech and Cole had a partnership, so Matteo was probably just being polite, not implying anything else.

Rex shifted his gaze away and focused on his meal. However, as he looked at Jordan again, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He quickly took out his phone and sent a message to Jimmy: “Did Uncle Hall and Freya know each other before your grandfather’s art exhibition?”