She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Chapter 231

Chapter 231 Freya Saw Through Cheryl Effortles...

The three young women strolled in through the main gate.

It was a quaint little villa, standing all on its own-the very one Hugh had gifted to Cheryl and her daughter.

When it cto comfort and convenience, Hugh had never cut corners with them; he made sure they had

everything they could possibly need, even going as far as hiring a housekeeper to ease their daily load.

As Hugh stepped inside alongside the Briggs sisters, the rich, savory aroma of freshly prepared food floated

through the air.

Before long, Cheryl appeared, carrying a pot of steaming soup in her hands.

"There you are, Hugh," she said as she set the pot down on the table, her eyes shining with affection and cheer.

"Come, sit. The food's ready-we can start eating."

Vivien gestured for them to take their seats, adding, "Everything on the table is homemade-my mom's signature

dishes."

"Didn't you have a housekeeper?" Hugh asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

He'd hired one specifically so they wouldn't have to worry about cooking, making sure they had balanced meals

and a lighter routine.

"I gave her the day off," Cheryl replied softly. "I wanted to cook for you myself- something special, since you

rarely cby."

Her simple words struck a chord in Hugh's chest, bringing with them a flicker of guilt.

It was true-he hadn't visited much these days.

"Con now, let's eat," Cheryl urged gently.

The meal stretched on for over half an hour, the table crowded with dishes Cheryl had lovingly prepared.

Throughout the lunch, Vivien fluttered between pouring fresh juice and pointing out her mom's best dishes to

Freya and Ethel.

Even Ethel, normally poised and composed, found Vivien's energy to be a bit much.

Cheryl, on the other hand, while making sure Freya and Ethel were cared for, spent most of her tserving

Hugh.

Once the meal had ended, Cheryl headed off to slice sfruit.

Hugh sat there, quietly grappling with emotions he didn't quite know how to name. He hadn't realized Cheryl

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Chapter 231 Freya Sew Through Cheryl Effortlessly

had dismissed the housekeeper or how much effort she had poured into preparing such a feast.

They sat for a while, snacking on fruit and exchanging idle chatter, letting the minutes drift by for over twenty

Freya glanced at the clock, sending it was tto steer things toward the real matter at hand. "Ms. Newman, I'd

like to talk to you in private, if that's alright?"

Cheryl blinked, momentarily surprised, then looked toward Hugh before replying. "Of course."

"Please cwith me."

*Alright"

Cheryl's demeanor remained warm and approachable.

As she rose to follow Freya, she called out, "Vivien, please entertain Hugh and Ethel."

"I will," Vivien replied smoothly, keeping her tone polite and composed.

But for Hugh, things were different now. He no longer trusted her.

Every the looked at her, memories of her past lies and wild assumptions about him and Freya resurfaced.

Despite his growing dislike for her, as her future stepfather, he kept his feelings carefully hidden.

"Mr. Briggs."

"What is it?"

want to apologize sincerely for what I've done before," Vivien said, her gaze steady and full of remorse. "I'm

going to find a job and work hard. | hope you won't think less of my mom because of me."

Hugh hesitated, caught off guard by her words.

Vivien continued, "My mom really cares about you."

"I know," Hugh replied, his expression shadowed with uncertainty.

Vivien didn't press the matter, only saying, "Thank you."

Hugh studied her quietly, emotion stirring under the surface, unsure of what to say.

Meanwhile, Ethel, having kept her distance from Vivien ever since the earlier incidents, treated her coldly.

She glanced outside toward the yard, wondering how much longer her sister and Cheryl's conversation would

go on.

Since everything that had happened, she had shifted from calling Cheryl by her first nto "Ms. Newman”—

a subtle but firm display of detachment.

Out in the yard, Freya and Cheryl sat across from each other on pachairs, a small round table between them.

Cheryl seemed a little cautious, her tone carefully neutral. "What would you like to talk about?"

She had thought about calling her Mina, but sensing Freya's cool demeanor, she decided it was best to stick to

the point.

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Chapter 231 Freya Saw Through Cheryl Effortlessly

"It's not a big issue, and since it's just the two of us, I'll be blunt," Freya said, her

voice calm and even. "Why did you choose to be with my dad?"

"Uh..." Cheryl was visibly caught off guard.

To her, Freya had always seemed aloof and indifferent-certainly not someone

who would pry, even if she knew

something.

Yet now, face-to-face with that question, Cheryl found herself at a loss.

Freya asked, "Is the question too hard?"

"Not exactly," Cheryl replied, opting to take a more measured route. "It's just that

my relationship with your

father is complicated. It's not as simple as what you saw back then."

"By complicated, do you mean you and my dad were in love once?" Freya asked

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without hesitation.

Cheryl froze, completely thrown by how much Freya already knew.

Freya explained, "I know about it. My dad toldeverything."

"If you already know, then you should understand why I'm with him..." Cheryl tried to hold onto her

composure,

but her heart was anything but steady.

Freya gave her a look-subtle, but piercing enough to make Cheryl's pulse skip.

Cheryl couldn't quite understand how a woman so young could exude such calm authority.

She hurried to wrap things up, "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

"You've been apart from my dad for over two decades, and you had a daughter

with another man," Freya said,

clearly unconvinced. "Do you honestly expectto believe that your feelings

from back then are what brought

you back to him?"

Cheryl asked, "You don't believe me?"

"Ms. Newman, I'm asking you to be honest with me," Freya said, holding her

gaze.

"Believe it or not, I'm with your father because | care about him," Cheryl said, keeping her tone composed.

"Seeing him again stirred feelings | never truly got over."

When Freya heard this, she knew Cheryl had no intention of dropping the act. To convince others, one must

first convince oneself.

Freya didn't give her the chance to continue. "Is it really about old feelings, or are you drawn to his position as

chairman of Briggs Group? You should know better than anyone."

"What... are you implying?" Cheryl's heart began to pound, though she kept her face unreadable.

"I know what you're after," Freya said, piecing everything together from Cheryl's expression and behavior. "You

want to join the Briggs family by marrying my dad. If that happens, Vivien becomes family too. As his

stepdaughter, finding a well- matched marriage prospect wouldn't be hard."

As Freya spoke, Cheryl's hands curled into fists in her lap. She had never imagined that Freya-someone she

had barely met twice-would see through her so effortlessly.