Chapter 29

Freya was unaware of Matteo's return. No one had informed her. It had been two weeks since she moved out of the villa. During this time, she had gradually grown accustomed to and enjoyed the quiet, leisurely life of living alone.

Today was the weekend, and she slept in. After getting up and washing, she opened the curtains to find perfect sunshine. She stretched, watered her plants, and was about to make breakfast when the doorbell rang. It was Mrs. Smith from across the hall.

"Freya, I hope I didn't disturb you?"

Freya replied gently, "Not at all, I was already awake."

"That's good," Mrs. Smith said warmly. "These are freshly made pies and pasta from our home this morning. I brought some for you to try."

"Thank you, this is too kind."

"It's the least we could do. If you hadn't saved our Tommy from that mad dog the other day, who knows what would have happened. We've been wanting to properly thank you, but my husband and I have been so busy with work, we couldn't find the time... we feel quite embarrassed..."

"It was nothing, Mrs. Smith, you're too kind."

After more pleasantries, Mrs. Smith left. Back inside, Freya ate breakfast while studying the algorithmic mechanism of an AI system she'd been researching recently.

In the afternoon, a news notification about T University's centennial celebration popped up on her phone. Freya paused, checked the date, and realized it was indeed T University's birthday. Checking online, she found several trending topics about #TUniversityCentennial. The celebration's high publicity wasn't just because T University was the country's top university, with every move closely watched, but also because this was its first centennial celebration. As a result, an exceptional number of honorary alumni had been invited back for the ceremony—prominent figures across various fields.

Freya looked at the screen repeatedly. Her hands trembled as she recognized several familiar faces in the footage. Memories of her university days flooded back. Her heart suddenly felt chaotic.

If she hadn't entered marriage right after completing her undergraduate degree, perhaps she, too, might have been among the honorary alumni invited back for today's ceremony?

Freya closed her laptop and, after some hesitation, drove to T University. It was already afternoon. Many VIP guests had left, yet the campus was still crowded. As she wandered aimlessly, a familiar voice called out near the familiar laboratory building.

"Freya?"

Twenty minutes later, in a teahouse outside T University, Johnny poured her a cup of tea. "How have you been lately?"

Freya held the teacup, looking down with a faint smile. "Quite well, just... preparing for a divorce."

Johnny hadn't expected this answer, pausing, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

"What are your plans now? Would you consider coming back to the company?"

"I've thought about it, but..."

Johnny didn't know her concerns but spoke earnestly, "Mag, the company needs you. You're still a shareholder, and I hope you'll come back to take charge."

"I... I..." Looking at Johnny's serious expression, Freya couldn't express her difficulties. It wasn't that she didn't want to. But AI development had advanced so rapidly. She'd been away from the field for six years. Even if she returned now, she feared she couldn't keep up with current developments, let alone lead the industry as she once had.

Though Johnny and Freya had rarely met in recent years, even from their few encounters, he could see how far she had fallen from her former brilliant self. Thinking of Freya's former self, Johnny never dreamed that the word "insecurity" would one day apply to her. He didn't know much about Freya and Matteo's married life, but he knew enough. Though he had his suspicions, he didn't voice them, instead speaking earnestly, "It's okay to fall behind temporarily. Your ability and talent aren't comparable to ordinary geniuses. Mag, as long as you still want to walk this path, it's not too late to start again."

"Don't forget, you were the professor's most satisfying student in his teaching career."

Freya smiled at this. "If the professor heard that, he'd probably snort and say he was forced to pick the tallest among dwarfs."