Half a month after Terence and Joanna's wedding was called off, Freya met with Harper. The two arranged to meet at a café.The sky was clear.As soon as Harper sat down, she picked up Freya's iced drink and took a sip. "Why are you still drinking iced drinks? The weather's getting colder.""I'm getting my fill before it gets freezing cold. Otherwise, I'll have to wait an entire winter before I can enjoy them again," Freya countered playfully."What's the deal with Terence's wedding? You didn't explain it clearly over the phone," Harper asked, speaking of Terence as though he were just an old acquaintance. Freya recounted the events of the wedding cancellation in detail. Harper listened quietly, offering only a faint smile when Freya finished. Freya immediately understood Harper had moved on. Half a month earlier, when Freya told Harper that Terence's wedding had been canceled, Harper had been on a construction site. She said, "Freya, I'm at the worksite, and the sign
At the affiliated hospital's ICU unit, Freya stood by the patient's bed and performed standard CPR while the nurse beside her followed her medical instructions. Her long hair was wrapped in a surgical cap, and her forehead was covered with a layer of sweat. Her face had a rosy glow."Allow me, Dr. Somner," Lila said as she saw Freya starting to tire. CPR would be ineffective if the compressions were shallow due to fatigue. The two worked together, and Freya stepped aside. She carefully observed the various indicators on the monitoring equipment. "Administer 1 mg of norepinephrine," Freya ordered. The nurse immediately repeated the instruction, "1 mg of norepinephrine." "1 mg of norepinephrine administered." The ECG monitor finally showed a response. "He's back. His heart rate is back." Freya's voice rang out, and the entire team of rescuers let out a collective sigh of relief, but no one let their guard down. It wasn't until the patient's lips returned to their
Freya opened the bag and found that it was a small cake. "This doesn't look like something from a store. Did you make this?""No, I went back to Talbot Manor for a meal and had one of the maids make it." Daniel hummed."It must be delicious. Mrs. Woods' pastries are the best." Freya had been to Talbot Manor a few times and had figured out which maid made the best dishes. "Have you been here for long?" she asked."Not too long. The nurse told me you were busy with a patient when I arrived." Daniel shook his head."You should've just given it to the nurse. It must be tiring having to wait." Freya sighed. Daniel stared at her. "The cake was just an excuse. I wanted to see you." Freya's heart skipped a beat. She quietly requested, "Bend down a little." Daniel didn't understand what she wanted, but he bent down and leaned closer to her. Freya leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for bringing me a late-night snack."Daniel suddenly stiffened, his gaze burning
After the ordeal with William, the rest of the night passed peacefully.At 6:00 am, Freya started drawing blood for some analysis. Her phone rang from inside her bag. It was early, and it was most likely just a notification, so she didn't pay much attention to it. She waited until she was done before checking her phone.It was a message from Daniel, "I'm in the parking lot. "It was 6:00 am. Why wasn't he asleep?She replied, "You didn't sleep last night?"Daniel replied quickly, "I did."Freya stared at the screen, unsure how to reply. She didn't respond and put her phone back in her bag. She continued writing her report.On Saturdays, all doctors except the ones on duty had a two-day weekend. After the doctor came to relieve her, Freya left.Freya arrived at the parking lot and immediately saw Daniel's car. In the car, Daniel drove while Freya pretended to sleep. He had been on a business trip for a week, and they had seen each other only briefly last night. Freya wasn't s
When Freya woke up, it was already noon. She hadn't been able to sleep after dinner last night, and it wasn't until the sky started to brighten that she finally felt drowsy. Her body had recovered. As she walked to the bedroom door, she looked up and met Daniel's gaze. Their eyes met, and Freya quickly averted her eyes before walking toward the water dispenser. "Do you want to go out for lunch? There's no food at home." Daniel's voice came from behind her.How did he manage to remain so calm after their intimate night? "Sure." Freya put down her cup. "I'll go wash up and change, then I'll be right there." She was thirsty, so she got up and went straight to get water before washing up. While changing, Freya made sure to check her body. Thankfully, there were no marks left on her. The car ride was silent. Freya didn't really have anything to say to Daniel. After they finished eating, Freya suggested going to the supermarket to buy groceries. As they passed by a b
The voice on the phone was one Daniel hadn't heard in ages, and it sounded a little unfamiliar. "Daniel.""Yes, speaking," he replied."Why don't you bring Freya over for dinner tonight? Your dad, your siblings, and I are all here." Kate Jameson's voice was full of anticipation."I'll ask her," Daniel said as he glanced at Freya, who was busy choosing ingredients."No need. Just pass her the phone. I'll talk to her myself," Kate said eagerly.Daniel refused, "No, you'll freak her out."Freya had already picked out the ingredients and was standing obediently beside him, waiting for him to finish the call."I'll come to your place, then," Kate insisted.Daniel was at his wit's end with Kate. Her knack for catching him off guard rivaled Freya's. Freya took everything literally while Kate only heard what she wanted to hear."I'll bring her over." Daniel felt a wave of frustration. He knew there was no point in continuing the conversation."Good. That's what I wanted to hear. Come
After saying that, Freya looked at Daniel with hopeful anticipation.Daniel thought for a moment and replied, "Alright, but you'll have to call me honey from now on."Her eyes instantly lit up, and she felt a surge of joy. "I will."It was so much easier to call him honey than to keep being pushed to have a baby.Daniel patted her head. "Alright, go tidy up the fridge. I'll wash these things." Watching her walk off happily, humming a little tune, he couldn't help but smile.In truth, he wasn't doing it for her. He was doing it for himself. Having tasted the pleasure, he certainly didn't want Freya to get pregnant right now.After starting the washing machine, Daniel went back to the study. He opened his phone and sent a message in the group chat for the first time.Daniel: "I'm bringing Freya home for dinner. Here are three things. 1. Don't talk to her about having kids; 2. Don't give her random gifts; 3. Don't get overly excited."Christopher: "Dan, I don't have anything to gi
Freya glanced at Daniel, and when she saw him nod, she followed Yvonne and Kate to another room.Once they were far from Daniel, Yvonne finally spoke up, "Freya, I didn't know you were scared of my brother.""What?" Freya was slightly puzzled.She wasn't scared of Daniel. It was just that since it was their first time meeting, she didn't quite know how to interact with them, so she constantly looked to Daniel. Plus, Kate and Yvonne were so unpredictable with their words and actions. Freya was worried she wouldn't be able to handle it and might cause trouble for Daniel."No worries. You're not alone. I'm scared of him too. In our family, the only ones who aren't afraid of Dan are Grandpa and Dad." Yvonne glanced in Daniel's direction as she spoke. "Freya, has Dan been treating you badly?"Freya answered without thinking, "No.""Is living with Dan boring?" Yvonne asked."I'm used to living on my own, so it's not boring," Freya replied.Hearing that, Kate kicked Yvonne under the
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