When Joanne finally woke up, it was already past 10' clock a.m.

Freya used to tease her about it because she would ask Freya to eat and sleep regularly all the time. Nevertheless, once given a chance, she would sleep to the next day. She was simply a bully!

However, she had a perfect reason-

Her job required her to stay up late from time to time. It was common for her to be wakened up in the middle of the night to respond to emergencies. So what if she occasionally slept in!

Today, she really slept too long in the morning. She rushed to get up, washed and went downstairs.

However, there was no sight of Brian.

After asking Simon, she knew that he went to the nearby course for golf.

When he was free on weekend mornings, Brian liked to play some golf. She knew it, and she got it through Chris.

Back then when she just returned home, Chris's company was also the right track and he gradually had time to relax. On weekends, he always talked about going to the course to stretch his legs. Later, he intentionally revealed something to Joanne. "Brother Brian you knew when you were little goes to the courses too. I've run into him many times."

Joanne thought she had hidden the excitement well and finally seized a chance to arrange for Freya to go there with her and Chris. However, she did not come across Brian there. When they returned home, she even got teased by Chris. "Joanne, aren't you upset to miss your Brother Brian?"

She blushed at the tease and did not dare to come across anyone anymore.

She had worked up the courage to do it. It not only failed but was seen through by Chris. Later, she knew that Chris had seen her affection for Brian from the very beginning.

After breakfast, Brian still had not returned yet. Joanne had to nestle on the sofa surfing the Internet.

In the age of the Internet, news was all over the place. Yesterday, the Lambert Group anniversary celebration swept the entertainment section, today the hype cooled down. That being said, Joanne found that she was in the gossip column again.

-Brian & His Wife in the Supermarket, Looking Close and Lovely.

The report was not long but had many pictures. She was pictured to select the aftershave for Brian, and Brian was pictured to choose some stuff for her. They were seen wheeling a grocery cart together. At some time, she looked sideways at Brian and smiled so brightly. Even, the moment when she stood on tiptoe to kiss Brian was captured. Then, Brian picked up a can of nuts on the shelf for her. Everyone knew what was going on at first sight.

The report... was too good at taking pictures.

The texts were about them shopping in the supermarket yesterday. It described how they were in sync and how they loved each other. Joanne commented in her heart. "Love each other? It was just Brian pulling pranks on her."

However, she still saved those photos one by one. She erased the watermarks with software and saved them in a locked folder.

In that folder, there were already many photos, among which were photos collected from yesterday's news.

It was kind of sad that she could only have their photos in this way.

Just as Joanne closed the folder, the phone on the coffee table rang. It was from Brian.

She picked up the phone and asked, "When will you be back?"

"I won't come home for lunch," said Brian, "Fishermen here just came back. They brought a lot of seafood. We'll have lunch at a friend's place. Will you come over?"

Joanne subconsciously scratched at the coffee table. "Who's with you?"

"Gavin, and your brother."

Luckily, she was close to them. Then, it should be fine. She heaved a sigh of relief and stood up. "I'll come over. Tell me the address."

"Have Simon drive you. He knows the place."

"OK!"

Joanne hung up the phone and rushed to the door excitedly. When she was putting on shoes she suddenly thought of something and went back upstairs.

She returned to her bedroom and opened the closet. It had been filled with casual clothes. Yesterday, they bought several pieces of dresses and put them here. She took out the first dress Brian bought yesterday. After a short while of hesitation, she still put it on.

Brian said she looked beautiful in dresses. She was not trying to impress Brian or something. It was a shame to leave clothes gathering dust in the closet, right?

She went downstairs to find Simon, who understood everything just when he heard the word "seafood". After getting onto the car, he added, "It's not a restaurant. Some old chef got tired of city life and went to live in a fishing village. Later, he got close to the fishermen and could always buy fresh seafood. He likes to cook them himself and invite friends over for a meal. Not everyone can taste those delicacies."

Joanne was left speechless.

She used to consider Freya and herself the top experts at finding the best food in Arlington. However, Brian had brought her to several restaurants she did not know, and the food there was beyond expectations. Now, there was a secret seafood gourmet in some fishing village...

He was the real deal top expert, right?

The village was located in the real suburbs, in a town forgotten by the downtown dwellers. Sunshine in the early summer cast golden rays on the surface of the sea. Fishing boats tied to the dock swayed with the waves slapping. There were tan, simple and industrious fishermen onshore, and the drone of working machines could be heard in the distance.

Simon opened the door for Joanne and pointed at a Japanese-style dwelling. "There it is. Young Madam, please go ahead."

"OK!"

Joanne got off the car. After a few steps, she saw Brian walking out of the room.

He wore simple casual clothes today and did not look formal and serious as usual. The clothes revealed his broad shoulders and long legs. He was tall and conspicuous, looking young and charming.

"Alas, such poison."

Brian had been looking at the time to pick up Joanne outside. He estimated that she should arrive at this time, but he did not expect that she wore the dress bought yesterday.

The noon sunshine was scorching hot. She held a parasol and the corner of her dress rustled in the wind. She walked to him slowly and he could not take his eyes off her anymore.

At the door, Joanne folded the parasol. "We should get in."

Brian naturally held her hands into the room. The Japanese-style house's doorframe was a little short, and he needed to lower his head to enter. Joanne wondered why there was such a unique dwelling in such a fishing village. She let Brian lead her while she scanned the entire room at will.

The courtyard held an important place in a Japanese-style home and was often vivid with plants, making people feel they were in the wilds. The courtyard here was not big but was carefully arranged. If he did not have someone arrange it, then the house owner must have been half a gardening expert himself.

Wooden and latticed rooms hidden in the courtyard perfectly blended in, leaving people in peace and tranquility. Joanne could imagine what kind of atmosphere would be created when the night fell and when the dim yellow light shot through the paper windows.

Brian opened the shoe cabinet and took out a pair of cloth slippers for Joanne. "Change your shoes."

Joanne asked while taking off her shoes. "Does the old chef Simon talked about own this house?"

"After he decided to live in solitude, he especially had people built it." Brian asked, "Do you like it?"

"I can't say I like it." Joanne said, "I just thought there must be a story behind his decision. Right, how did you know him?"

Brian paused and continued, "He's a friend of my father."

"I see." Joanne remembered that night when Brian was calling "father" in his dreams, so she deliberately avoided the topic. She smiled and held his hand. "Let's go inside."

Brian led Joanne into a tatami room.

This kind of Japanese-style building could always make people feel quiet and comfortable. Joanne took off the shoes and walked barefoot on the rush tatami. A cool feeling crawled onto her by her arches. Gradually, she started to forget the heat of summer.

On a wooden table in the middle of the tatami room, a fish grilled on coal was giving off an intense aroma. Below the grill on the table, there were many other both good-looking and aromatic seafood, which whetted her appetite.

"Here. Joanne, come and sit with me." Gavin invited her. "We're all waiting for you. Lucky you! Uncle Finn hasn't grilled a fish for us in a long time."

Brian brought Joanne to sit down. He handed her a pair of chopsticks. When she tasted the grill, her eyes immediately lit up.

It was no that she had not eaten any delicious fish grill before, however, it was the first time that she had tasted one so freshly-roasted. The aroma of the coal combined with the intense-flavored marine fish, resulting in a peerless taste.

She stared at Brian and could not say a single word. She was merely nodding her head hard.

Brian seemed to know what she wanted to say and smiled. "Take your time. There's still plenty."

Joanne thought of something at that time and asked Chris, "Brother, have you came here before?"

Chris said, "A few times."

"A few times and you didn't bring me." Joanne resented his act. "Talk about how much you care for me!"

"Every time I'm here, the one that sits beside you is also here." Joanne teased her. "If I asked you before you two got married, I didn't think you'd come."

After a failed attempt to come across him, Joanne really did not have the courage to create a chance to see Brian again. Her voice died down involuntarily. "If you dared to tell me how delicious it was, why shouldn't I come?"

Chris smiled meaningfully. "Really?"

Joanne lowered her head with a slight blush on her face. "Go away!"

Gavin could not watch it anymore. "Chris, aren't you a pot calling the kettle black? Said we'll play some golf this morning. Who did you see this morning?"

Joanne jerked her head up and asked Brian, "Who did my brother see this morning?" If she asked Chris directly, he would definitely dodge the question.

Nevertheless, Brian would spill the beans for sure. "Freya."

Joanne was guessing that it was Maya, but... it was Freya? Her instincts told her that it was implausible.

She shot a doubtful glance at Chris. "If you don't tell, I can always ask Freya myself."

Chris could not imagine how Freya would describe things between them, so he had to surrender and told her what happened yesterday himself briefly. After the story, Joanne felt somewhat scared as well. However, as long as Freya was fine, everything would be OK. Nevertheless, here came the question-

"Brother, why did you drive past Lambert Group Media Co. 's gate? If you headed home from the company, you shouldn't have passed there."

Brian put a slice of fish on Joanne's plate and slightly raised his lips. "Joanne, don't ask a question when there's obviously an answer."

Joanne found it hard to believe and fixed her eyes on Chris. "If so, Brother, did you really detour to see Freya?"

"As her friend, shouldn't you worry about Freya's condition more at this time?" Chris trying to change the topic.

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