Ricky Lawson, Seth's nephew, and Amy together handled the arrangements for the funeral.Freya stayed by Amy's side throughout, watching as Amy greeted each mourner with a smile, not shedding a single tear. Freya supported Amy's trembling arm, feeling the frailness in her touch. Her own eyes reddened, but she didn't utter a single word of comfort. As night fell, Freya sat with Amy over dinner. While watching Amy eat calmly, Freya couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. "Mrs. Lawson, you don't have to keep it all in. It's okay to cry."Amy looked up. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she stared at Freya for a long moment. Finally, she held back her tears and said quietly, "I won't cry. Seth didn't like it when I cried. He liked it when I smiled."The moment Amy finished speaking, Freya found herself crying instead.Just then, Freya's phone vibrated in her bag. It was a call from an unknown number. After composing herself, she answered the call."Where are you?" It was Daniel.
Freya stood up. "No need. It was a patient. I was just accompanying the family. Let's head back."Daniel looked at her forlorn figure, understanding the weight of her words. Neil had been cremated here, too. That memory lingered as he silently followed her to the car and quietly started the engine.Freya sat silently in the passenger seat, staring out the window and lost in her thoughts.Trying to lighten the mood, Daniel said, "I haven't had dinner yet. Is there anything you feel like eating?""You can pick what you like. I already ate." Freya had eaten a little earlier and wasn't hungry."I've been away, so I'm not familiar with the good places around here. Any recommendations?"Freya rarely dined out due to her modest salary, which didn't leave much room for indulgence. But she thought for a moment and made a suggestion. "There's a traditional restaurant on the fourth floor of the mall. I saw an advertisement. It looks good."Daniel simply nodded and continued driving.They
Back at home, Freya approached Daniel for his Venmo."By the way, how did you get my phone number?" she asked."I got it from Grandpa."Freya nodded. After getting his Venmo, she immediately transferred half of the dinner bill to him.Daniel asked in confusion, "Why are you sending me money?""The dinner bill, we'll split it fifty-fifty," Freya said matter-of-factly.Daniel looked at her. "The moment we got married, I never expected you to pay for household expenses."Freya didn't understand the sudden seriousness in his tone and quickly explained, "This isn't about that. I just wanted to cover my own share since I ate, too.""I can easily take care of you. Keep your money for buying things you like," Daniel said as he opened a drawer, retrieved a bank card, and handed it to her."Use this card for household expenses from now on. I gave you the pin number before I left. Why haven't you used it? Did you forget the pin number?""I remember. I just don't have many expenses livin
Daniel had already changed out of his casual clothes. He was now wearing a fitted vest and slacks that highlighted his narrow waist and toned back. The perfectly tailored pants fit his long legs just right. It was a simple outfit, yet on him, it gave off an air of restraint and stoicism.Freya thought that he looked like a living mannequin.She then recalled his abs, chest muscles, and broad shoulders. Surely, he had the sleeper build.When her gaze met Daniel's eyes, Freya realized he had been watching her the whole time, amusement dancing in his eyes.Caught in the act, Freya quickly lowered her head and resumed eating her breakfast."I told you. Kids shouldn't be reading erotica," he teased."Why does he always bring up the most embarrassing things?" Freya thought while shooting him a quick glare. She said, "I said it wasn't what you think! I was just learning. That's all.""And why were you learning that kind of stuff?"Freya froze, unsure how to answer that. She couldn't e
The moment Daniel stepped out of the elevator after returning from work, the rich aroma of pork rib stew filled the air. Since this was a one-apartment-per-floor setup, he could easily tell where the delicious smell was coming from.When he opened the door, he saw Freya exercising in tight yoga clothes. She turned as she heard the door unlock, her face glistening with a fine layer of sweat. She was on her knees, her hands and chin resting on the mat, while her butt faced the entryway.The sight was so intense that Daniel instinctively reached for the shoe cabinet to grab his slippers.Freya stood up, noticing his dark expression. She figured he must have been exhausted from work and quietly put away her yoga mat before heading to the bathroom for a shower.Daniel sat on the couch and sipped on cold water, his gaze fixed on the closed bathroom door. After a while, he heard the water stop, and only then did he stand up and head to his own room.At dinner, Freya carefully observed Da
Freya soon got busy and forgot all about the dream.The study was spacious, with a six-foot-long solid wood desk positioned in the center, directly facing the floor-to-ceiling window. Towering bookshelves lined both sides of the room.This setup made it easy to divide the space. One bookshelf for each of them, and each could take a side of the desk.Freya only had a laptop but wasn't sure if Daniel would set up a desktop, so she left most of the desk for him. After tidying up, she reheated the leftover stew from last night for lunch.Being home alone made Freya feel much more at ease. She ate while scrolling through her readers' comments on her latest chapter.One reader commented, "The way you wrote the scene was so smooth!"Another replied, "Right! I could totally feel the male lead getting all worked up. It was so freaking seductive, and in a suit no less!""Hey, Cameron, don't keep these gems to yourself. Share the good stuff with everyone!""Do you do this in real life? Be
Freya was stirring the sauce for the crab when she heard the door open. She glanced up and simply said, "You're back."Daniel had changed into his indoor slippers and was now standing in the living room and watching her. She wore a loose black T-shirt and gray sweatpants. With her long hair tied up, her small frame made her look almost like a child.She was six years younger than him, and yet managed to give him a sense of home. The feeling was strange and made him almost irrational.Freya turned off the stove, covered the sauce, and reached for the steaming crab with oven mitts. When she turned around, she met his eyes. They had lost their sharpness, replaced by a softness of contentment."Why don't you go take a shower? I still have to make the mushroom soup before dinner."Daniel's gaze shifted slightly. "I'm hungry and don't want to move.""Then, sit and wait. I'll be quick."Freya turned away, still feeling his eyes on her. A flutter of nervousness made her heart race. Than
The next moment, Daniel turned her book around. "The book is upside down."Freya was caught off guard and embarrassed. She tried to defend herself, saying, "It's not upside down. I can see the illustrations more easily this way.""Oh," Daniel responded, his voice trailing off with a chuckle.Freya then noticed that the illustration was of a male pelvis from the front. Oh, no! There was no way to explain this away. She was a doctor, and studying anatomical illustrations was a normal part of her learning. She'd just been distracted and flipped to this page.But Daniel had seen her looking at erotic material before, and now, catching her studying this image probably made him think the worst.To hide her mortification, Freya quickly turned the page. But when she saw the content, she shut the book entirely, pretending nothing was wrong as she returned it to its place."Is this my space?" he asked."Yes," Freya answered while avoiding eye contact.Once Daniel had gone back to his r
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