Enzo's arrogant laughter echoed through the villa. Faye, who was playing mahjong, rushed out in alarm, thinking something had happened.
When she saw Freya in Enzo's arms—and Hudson, her husband, just standing there doing nothing—the other women around her couldn't help but mock the situation.
"Is that even a man?"
"Seriously, what kind of husband just stands there like a statue?"
Faye's face was tight with anxiety. She couldn't understand what her daughter was thinking.
She knew all along that Freya's heart belonged to Enzo—and truthfully, Faye liked Enzo more too. But the two had been forced apart.
Five years ago, Enzo had chosen to move to the Philippines. Around that same time, Freya was heartbroken and the family patriarch had fallen critically ill.
At the last moment, Hudson showed up with a miracle pill that saved the old man's life.
Later, they found out Hudson had known the old man years before, and that Freya and Hudson had actually been engaged as children by the two families.
With the old man pressuring her and the binding family arrangement, Freya ended up marrying Hudson against her will.
After the wedding, seeing how unhappy her daughter was, Faye told her to wait it out. She said they could divorce once the old man passed away. But then Freya got the idea to start her own business. What started as a gamble quickly snowballed into a booming company—its valuation now in the billions.
When the old man passed away a year ago, the obvious next step was divorce. But doing so meant Hudson would be legally entitled to a huge portion of the company.
To avoid that, Faye came up with a shady plan: keep Hudson around in name only, and let Freya quietly move on.
But Freya never moved on. She was just waiting for Enzo.
Hudson had just asked for a divorce earlier that day. Faye had finally calmed him down… and now Freya was throwing herself into Enzo's arms right in front of him.
Was she trying to push him away on purpose?
Faye was fuming.
"What? Cat got your tongue, loser?" Enzo smirked while holding Freya tighter, clearly enjoying himself.
He had heard plenty over the years—how Freya constantly called Hudson a loser. A man who didn't fight back, didn't talk back, and just buried himself in work.
"This guy's a joke," Enzo continued, now full of pride.
But Hudson just smiled calmly, lifted his backpack, and said evenly, "Freya, I'll see you tomorrow morning at 10, in the court."
He didn't want to deal with any of this anymore.
For five years, he had treated Freya with patience and care. All because of a promise that he'd saved her life once when she nearly drowned.
Back then, she had jokingly said she'd repay him by marrying him. Hudson, young and smitten, swore he'd spend his life making her happy.
He thought time would eventually make her love him back. But even after five years, she'd never let him in.
Now that her "one true love" was back, Hudson knew this was the end of the road.
"Hudson, wait!" Freya hurried after him, eyes wide with panic. "It's not what it looks like. Can't we just sit down and talk about this?"
She had to calm things down—for the company's sake.
"Move." Hudson's voice was cold and firm.
"Let him go." Enzo yanked Freya back to his side. He wrapped his arm around her possessively and declared,
"I'm back now. You don't need this loser anymore. I'll be the one standing by your side from now on. Anything he gave you, I can give you ten times over. And everything he couldn't give—I'll give you that too."
Hudson ignored Freya's pleading eyes and Enzo's smug expression. Without saying a word, he walked past them and out the door.
Enzo watched him leave and let out a scoff. "What a joke. The guy didn't even try to argue. Total coward."
Inside, Faye and Freya stood frozen, their faces tense.
Sensing the awkwardness, Enzo tried to lighten the mood with a cocky grin. "Come on, Mrs. Wilson, Freya—he's out of your lives now. Isn't that what you've both wanted for a long time?"
Freya gave him a look and sighed. "Enzo, you don't understand. Yes, I've wanted a divorce for a while, but right now isn't the best time…"
Enzo's smile faltered slightly. He remembered that the Wilson Corporation was preparing to go public, and any scandal—especially a divorce—could hurt the process. He realized that maybe he'd pushed things a little too far.
What made things worse was that Freya had planned to transfer Hudson's shares in the company to him. But that required Hudson's signature—and now there was no way he'd sign willingly.
Enzo felt a wave of regret. Trying to show off had backfired hard.
Then Faye spoke up. "Freya, didn't you plan to travel with Enzo? Go now. If you're not around, he can't file for divorce alone."
Freya's eyes lit up. "You're right." She turned and started heading upstairs to pack.
But Enzo caught her wrist gently. "Wait. There's a better way to take care of this," he said, his tone serious. "You can't avoid him forever. If Hudson realizes that the divorce could delay the company's IPO, he might use it to blackmail you. You'll be stuck in a worse position."
Freya turned to him quickly. "What do you mean? What's your solution?"
Enzo lowered his voice and leaned in. "Think about it. If Hudson dies, wouldn't his shares go to you? You're his legal wife."
The room fell silent. Freya and Faye stared at him, stunned—but slowly, the idea began to take root.
They hadn't thought of that.
If Hudson died, the shares wouldn't be a problem. No signature needed. No delays.
Freya blinked, then slowly smiled. "Enzo… That's actually a brilliant idea. It solves everything." She clung to his arm, looking up at him like he was a hero.
Faye smiled too, clearly pleased. She looked at Enzo with growing approval. Compared to Hudson, Enzo was everything she thought a man should be. Hudson had spent the last five years acting like a recluse, never helping the family or the business. Meanwhile, Freya was out there building an empire alone.
But Enzo? He came back and immediately offered a solution to the biggest issue on their plate.
"Enzo," Faye said warmly, "once this is over, I hope you'll marry Freya. That is, if you don't mind that she was once married."
Enzo smiled confidently and gently cupped Freya's face. "Mrs. Wilson, I'd be honored. I'd never look down on Freya, and I promise to take care of her."
While Hudson hadn't even signed the divorce papers, the three were already planning the next wedding. No shame.
Freya's cheeks turned pink. She leaned in and whispered, "Enzo… even though I was married to Hudson, I never slept with him. I'm still a virgin."
Enzo's eyes widened. He stared at her, shocked. Five years of marriage but they never slept together.