"Big Mouth." Daniel sounded warmer and more familiar with this person than he did with others. "Yeah, I just got back." He listened to the caller for a short while before replying, "Alright, send me the address. I'll be there soon."Freya could tell Daniel had just agreed to meet someone. This "Big Mouth" was probably a guy.They soon arrived at the apartment. Daniel parked in the underground parking lot and took the box of food from the trunk. Freya stepped forward to take it from him, thinking he was probably rushing to leave.He sidestepped and dodged her. "Lock the trunk.""How do I do it?""Press the button on top."Freya followed his line of sight and saw the button. She wasn't tall enough to reach it, though. She even tried standing on her tiptoes.Suddenly, a hand reached above her and pressed the button. The door slowly shut. She turned to be faced with Daniel's chest again. His unfamiliar scent enveloped her.Freya placed her hands between them, preventing her nose
"Hi, Freya. I'm Ben Walden, or you can call me Big Mouth. We had a gathering today, and Captain had a bit too much to drink. Sorry about that."Ben had a crew cut, as did Daniel. His skin was also tanned, and he had a tall, sturdy build. His expression was much softer than Daniel's, though."Oh, okay. Thanks. Come in," Freya said.Ben helped Daniel onto the couch and got ready to leave. "I'll get going now."Freya was about to get him a glass of water. When she heard that he was leaving, she walked him to the door. She didn't know him, anyway. "Thanks for bringing him back.""It's no big deal. You look prettier in person than in your photos, Freya," he said."Huh?" What photos?Ben didn't explain. All he said was, "My wife's waiting for me downstairs. See you next time."Freya looked at the shut door. He'd spoken to her with such respect that it made her feel weird. She was only 24 years old, yet he made her feel much older. Also, what photos had he been talking about?Freya
Freya looked at the name flashing on the screen—Harper York. She answered it and said, "Hi, Harper.""What are you up to, Fae?" Harper sounded affectionate. She was Freya's best friend."I'm just lying in bed. I'm not doing anything.""Looks like I'm coming at the right time, then." Harper's voice faded in and out of the phone.Freya sat up excitedly and cried, "Are you coming to Sureton City?"Yep.""Is it a business trip?""No. I'm being transferred back to headquarters." It would be a lot easier for Harper to meet Freya once she was back in Sureton City. She'd be closer to her family, too."Congratulations! This is good news for you and me both." Freya was delighted. She needed some soda to celebrate, so she headed to the fridge to rummage around while still on the phone.Daniel was no longer in the living room, but there was still a faint trace of alcohol in the air."When are you arriving? Have you already found a place to stay?" Freya asked."My flight will land at 1:0
Daniel wore a black tracksuit and held a white towel. It was clear he'd just returned from a workout. He headed straight to his room. Soon, Freya heard the sound of water running.Her mind conjured the memory of him standing there in nothing but lounge pants and the contents of the erotica novel she'd read last night.When she realized what she was doing, she shook her head, scorning herself in her heart. She swore not to touch or write erotica in the future—it had turned her thoughts dirty and was distracting her!Freya continued analyzing the publication, but none of the words entered her brain. Ultimately, she decided to prepare lunch before heading to the airport since it would take her over an hour to get there from the apartment.She used the things Thomas had given her and Daniel last night to prepare a couple of dishes. She grabbed the necessary ingredients and placed them on the counter.The kitchen was her favorite part of the apartment. It was large and spacious, and th
Freya transferred on the subway thrice before arriving at the airport at 12:53 pm. She didn't have to wait long before seeing Harper appear with three large suitcases.Harper was 26 years old and Freya's best friend. They'd lived on the same street while growing up, and they'd done their senior year of high school together after Freya had skipped grades. They'd sat for the SATs together and were something like war comrades.Harper had studied civil engineering at university. At five feet and nine inches, she was taller than Freya and looked good in everything she wore.However, as an engineer, she frequently needed to visit construction sites to check on the progress. So, she was used to wearing windbreakers, cargo pants, and hiking boots.If Freya was a combination of cuteness and iciness, Harper was truly an ice queen. Her hair was cropped short, and her gorgeous eyes were cold and aloof when facing strangers."Fae!" Harper saw Freya and waved happily. She ran to the latter and
"How does it feel to have your so-called husband back?" Harper asked with a mischievous smile.Freya thought of the doorbell ringing and Daniel's presence in her home and felt frustrated. "Honestly, it's just annoying. It's like my peaceful little world's been invaded, and now, I'll never have a quiet day again."She took a sip of her drink and continued, "Plus, he's kind of full of himself. He always thinks what he sees is the truth.""And this is after just one day under the same roof? Seems like you've had plenty of interaction already," Harper teased.Freya then told Harper about the time he caught her reading an erotica. Harper burst out laughing, nearly doubling over. "That's hilarious! But, yeah. That sounds exactly like something you'd do.""Don't you think he's a bit self-righteous?" asked Freya."I think he reacted pretty normally, honestly."Freya gave Harper a puzzled look.Harper explained, "Think about it. How would you feel if he watched adult films in front of
After saying goodbye to Harper, Freya headed straight up to her apartment. She unlocked the door to find the living room in complete darkness. Daniel wasn't home, or so it seemed.Humming softly to herself, she opened the fridge, grabbed a soda, and took a few sips. Just as she closed the fridge door, the light faded, and suddenly a shadow appeared before her.Startled, Freya stumbled back, hitting her waist against the counter. The sharp pain forced her to stop and confront the person."Why didn't you turn on the lights? I thought someone broke in!" she demanded, her voice still trembling from the scare.Daniel's voice was calm as he responded, "The security here is tight. No one will break in."Freya blinked. Was that a dig at her intelligence?"You scared me half to death!""You were just too caught up in your happy thoughts to hear me coming," Daniel retorted, moving closer. The faint smell of smoke clung to him as he leaned in and braced his hands on either side of her.Fr
The night sky was adorned with a crescent moon and twinkling stars, while the city slept peacefully below. Yet, Daniel lay awake in bed, restless and agitated.Every time he closed his eyes, images of Freya's slender, fair waist, and the curves of her back would flash through his mind.After tossing and turning for hours, it was already past 1:00 am, and sleep still eluded him. Frustrated, Daniel decided to get up and work out.After more than a hundred push-ups, some of his restlessness finally subsided. He took a cold shower and, only then, managed to fall asleep.The next morning, Freya woke to find the apartment empty again. After a simple breakfast, she retreated to the study to work on her novel. She had to take advantage of this time before her full-time job started to build up a decent word count.By noon, Daniel still hadn't returned. Thinking back on how he'd helped her with her injury the night before, she considered calling him to ask if he wanted to come home for lunc
Daniel and Freya went home after dinner. Kate didn't make Freya stay for tea as the Talbots could tell that something had shifted between the couple, even though Freya behaved nicely just like before.At home, Daniel stood beside Freya and reached out for her hand, but she stubbornly pried his fingers away and shoved her hands into her pockets.Daniel called the hospital director and got to the bottom of Freya's transfer to the ICU. He explained, "My love, all I wanted was for them to transfer you to the ICU. That's your specialization, isn't it? You've rotated through all the departments in the hospital by now. The emergency department is simply too dangerous."She shut her eyes without a word. She was fuming."I had nothing to do with the letter. The director ordered the intern supervisor to inform you, but it ended up this way," said Daniel."Yeah, you might have nothing to do with the letter, but things wouldn't have happened if you hadn't forcefully transferred me out of th
"Daniel was handsome back in school—the campus hottie, in fact. We studied at an international school. Cole and I had heard about his fame even when we were in middle school." Standing beside Freya, Yvonne explained, "Thankfully, Daniel was a simple-minded guy who spent his time studying and playing basketball."Freya could not recall much from her school. She remembered studying a lot. During break, she rarely stepped out of the classroom apart from going to the bathroom or filling up her water bottle. She had no idea who the campus hottie and campus belle were."Is a campus hottie very popular?"Yvonne looked at her in shock. "Of course! Daniel could never fit his bag into his locker.""Why so?""His bag was filled with love letters and snacks from girls. His classmates often went to him for snacks when they were hungry. Only the love letters were left in the end.""Did many girls write love letters to him?""Of course. The basketball court was super crowded whenever he play
Freya and Daniel visited Talbot Manor for dinner again. Yvonne immediately pulled Freya to her room when Freya stepped foot in the living room. Daniel was accustomed to his family taking Freya away from him whenever he was home."Freya, let me show you something. This is the novel I told you about." Yvonne placed a stack of papers in Freya's hands. She explained, "This is the script that was edited. I got it yesterday. The scriptwriter did a great job adapting the novel.""I'll take a look." Freya flipped through the papers with much interest and read a few pages. From the highlighted dialogues and the notes Yvonne scribbled across the pages, one could tell she was eager to act in the play.The scriptwriter did not change much of the story in the novel except for changing the sequence of events and moving some conflicts to the beginning to suit the audience's taste and to make it easier to film. "So, Freya, how is it?" Yvonne waited eagerly for Freya's review after Freya set the s
Freya comforted Harper, "Both of you willingly arrived at this decision, didn't you? I think Nathan is a decent guy. He can be quite talkative, but he made your mom really happy with his sweet talking on the day your families met for a meal."A smile blossomed on Harper's lips when she recalled the scene. "My parents are very happy with Nathan. They always complain that I'm too mature and calm. I guess that's the nature of women in STEM. Nathan is my complete opposite."Freya thought it was a magical fate. "Your families get along well with each other. The two of you are the only child at home. Your families are small and simple, and your parents are supportive of the marriage. You have no worries in the future. Most importantly, Nathan really loves you."They waited until the waiter served the food before they continued chatting."Harper, a woman is emotional and easily moved. I, too, thought I could casually date Daniel without putting in too much feelings. I thought that was the
Freya was on duty on Tuesday and had the rest of the day off after Monday afternoon.After she wrapped up her Monday afternoon shift, she came across Daniel, Harper, and Nathan at the hospital entrance.It struck her how good Nathan and Harper looked together. Harper was an icy beauty when she stood there in silence, while Nathan always looked like an excited puppy by her side; he wouldn't stop talking.Daniel leaned against his car with a look of disdain, trying his best to keep the couple at arm's length."Why are you guys here? Are you here to pick me up?" chirped Freya.Harper reached out to hold Freya while resting an arm on her shoulder. "Yeah. We're all here to pick you up, Fae."Harper then turned to Daniel. "Mr. Talbot, I'll borrow Fae for the entire afternoon. I'll drop her off at your lobby before 8:00 pm."With that, she left with Freya."Harper, aren't we having lunch together? It's our first day of marriage. Can Daniel and I join you?" Nathan yelled from behind.
At home, Daniel hugged Freya. "My love, when's our wedding?"She dodged his kiss. "I don't want one.""Why?"Smiling, she replied, "For no reason other than it's a chore.""You seemed very absorbed in the event just now to the point you forgot to eat." He greedily kissed her on the neck. "Why aren't you interested in throwing your own wedding?"She smiled. "Well, I had to listen to what they were saying. I'd look bad if I ate without paying attention."Daniel cupped her pretty face in his hands and gave her a tender look. "Do you not want a wedding because of fear?"She retorted, "Tell me, what do I have to fear?""Well, you don't have a family."She immediately teared up."Alright, alright, I shall shut up now. Come, give me a hug." Daniel felt sorry when he saw her eyes, which were red from crying. He pulled her into his arms and coaxed her, "We won't have a wedding if you don't want one. You have the final say. Please don't cry. I was wrong. I won't bring it up again or fo
Freya sat at the dining table in a private room of a hotel. She was surrounded by the six members of the York and Sanders families. Daniel was by her side. What had started as Harper's blind date with George that morning had now turned into a discussion about marriage between Harper and Nathan. Watching the joyful harmony between the two families, Freya felt happy for Harper. Since Nathan had appeared at the café, Freya hadn't had a moment to speak privately with Harper. Initially, she and Daniel weren't meant to be part of this meeting. But Harper insisted, saying, "Freya is family to me. I need her here." Nathan also invited Daniel along. Under the table, Freya reached for Daniel's hand. He grasped hers firmly. Leaning in, he whispered, "What's on your mind?" "Nothing. I've never gone through this process before. I can see that Erica is happy on the surface, but deep down, she's a little reluctant and worried." "It makes sense. A mother's heart is always heavy when
Harper understood now. She glanced at Nathan, who was slumped over with his head hanging low. "Mrs. Turner, let me briefly introduce myself." Freya stared at Harper in disbelief. What was she doing? Was she trying to sell herself too?"I'm 26 years old, a certified architectural engineer employed by a state-owned enterprise. I've passed all the professional certifications I'm eligible for at this stage. My parents recently retired, and we've fully paid for a new house, which is currently being renovated. We're also refurbishing a shop, so at the moment, I'm carrying some debt." Nathan, who had been dejected moments earlier, perked up immediately. "Debt isn't an issue! I have savings, a salary, and even some retirement benefits from my service…" "Don't interrupt her." Kelly patted Nathan's shoulder, signaling him to calm down. "I've been in a relationship before. It started in my freshman year and lasted seven years. But we never lived together." She then looked at Nathan
Freya followed the voice and noticed a woman approaching them with a warm smile. She was dressed in a long back down coat. Though she showed signs of age with fine wrinkles on her face, her demeanor exuded elegance and composure. Her every movement was a delight to watch. "Mom!" Nathan stood up. Her presence caught him off guard. Ignoring her son, Kelly Turner placed her belongings with him and squeezed into the seat beside him. Nathan shifted to make room for her. He silently prayed that she wouldn't ruin his plans. Without hesitation, Kelly grabbed his phone and opened up his Venmo QR code. She smiled and held it up to Harper. "You must be Harper, right?" "Yes, I am. Nice to meet you, ma'am." Like Freya, Harper was taken aback. She was unsure what Kelly was up to. Nonetheless, she had to be polite. "Ma'am? You can just call me 'Mrs. Turner.'" "Uh… Mrs. Turner. Mr. Sanders and I are not really that close. This is only the second time I've met him." "It doesn't m