Joanne was pretty sure she would soon be brainwashed by Freya if she let the conversation continue along the same line. "What about that show you're on? Haven't you guys started recording yet?" she said, changing the subject decisively.

"We don't do recordings," Freya said a little bit too proudly, "It'll be a live show! There won't be any prior editing before the airing. And there's going to be a huge stage with a full 360 view without any blind spots. Hey, be sure to tune in, okay?"

As if watching it from a TV screen could possibly satisfy Joanne.

"I'll be there live at the scene," Joanne declared.

"But the first season starts in a few days," Freya said a bit regretfully, "You're probably not going to make it to the first screening. But you can ask your brother for the entrance tickets if you're coming to the following screenings. He's the show's biggest sponsor."

Wait a minute, Chris was sponsoring Top Model?

Joanne thought for a moment and came up with a likely possibility.

Then again, judging from the ignorant look on Freya's face, she probably had not realized anything yet. Joanne thought for another moment and decided to keep it from Freya for the time being.

From the looks of things, Chris was going all out for Freya.

Freya stayed until Iris returned with food around three in the afternoon. Freya figured she had to leave; otherwise she would not be able to help herself around delicious food and would end up robbing Joanne of her lunch.

Iris laughed in response. "I made a lot, you know. You can share it with Joanne."

Freya swallowed a mouthful of drool. "I can't, Aunty. If I eat anything now, I might as well just put the first place trophy right into the hands of other contestants. I'm going now, Joanne. I'll come to visit again when I'm free."

After that, Freya left quickly as if she were a gust of wind.

Iris laughed. "That girl is pretty energetic, isn't she? And she's so open and honest. How come your brother isn't interested in her?" Even an old dowager like her had heard about Freya's relentless pursuit of Chris for over ten years.

Joanne was quiet for a moment. "Mum, if you can think of any suitable guys, you can always introduce them to Freya. There're loads of people interested in her if my brother doesn't snag her up!"

Yep, she was digging a hole for her brother. Served him right for betraying her secret. How dare he tell Brian about her going to the golf course just to see him?

For a moment, Iris considered the proposal seriously. Then, she nodded. "You know, there are in fact a few men who are good matches for Freya."

By some odd twist of fate, Chris just so happened to walk in with a basket of fruits.

"Chris, we were just talking about you," Iris said, "So. If it's really like what Joanne said that you have no plans to accept Freya, I suppose it's alright for me to start introducing guys to her, then?"

Chris set down the fruit basket. Slowly, his gaze went to Joanne, to whom he gave a dangerous look of warning.

Joanne brushed off his warning with a shrug.

Then it hit him. Chris understood. Joanne was doing it on purpose to get back at him. Nonetheless, teaching Joanne a lesson was not his priority at the moment. Right now, he had to put a stop to Iris's matchmaking attempts.

"Aunty," Chris said with a smile, "Freya and I are working things out."

Iris was a sensible person; she knew exactly what was implied in Chris's comment. "You shouldn't take too long, though," she reminded. "She's already involved in showbiz. That kind of world isn't exactly lacking in people who are both good-looking and rich. Who knows Freya might end up setting her eyes on someone else after her debut."

Joanne nodded. She whole-heartedly agreed with Iris's advice.

"You guys chat, then. I have an appointment with Mrs. Megan and the others tonight. I have to head back first," Iris said, standing up to leave. Then, she halted as if she suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Joanne. Brian's dinner is in the other thermos. Remember to ask him to eat it when he gets back."

"Alright," Joanne said. Then she tugged Chris's hand. "Bro, can you send mum off for me?"

"Oh, hush. We're all family here. There's no need for this send-off nonsense." Iris insisted on having Chris stay in the room instead of sending her off. She grabbed Joanne's thermos and left straightaway.

Chris ruffled Joanne's long tresses the moment the door closed. "Looking to cause me trouble now that you have a lot of free time on your hands, I see? Looks like all the years I've spent pampering you are for nothing."

Joanne made a face at her brother. "Serves you right for telling Brian about the golf course."

Hah. As if that were all Chris had told Brian. But from the looks of it, Joanne seemed to think that her secret was still kept under wraps.

He smiled. "If I didn't tell him, he wouldn't have gone to City Z to look for you the next morning. He would've become a workaholic through and through and you might not even be here."

"Workaholic?" Joanne asked doubtfully, "What do you mean?"

"That's what Gavin told me," Chris said, "After you left, Brian buried him in work. Apparently, it's his way to numb himself. He was at work regardless of night and day. Even if he did go home, he never slept in his own room. He slept in your bedroom after you left."

Joanne was shocked. It was as if an invisible hand had reached into her chest and was now giving her heart a violent shake.

"Look, I don't know why he agreed to divorce you. Maybe it's because he really thought that you have feelings for Shawn and had wanted to give you the right to choose." Chris paused for a moment before he picked up where he had left off in a serious tone. "But I know for sure that he hadn't really wanted to divorce you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risk travelling through the typhoon to City Z just to look for you. And it's a good thing that he did, too. If not, who'd be able to find you that quickly after you got stranded on that mountain?"

Joanne lowered her head. After a brief moment of silence, she raised her head again. The corners of her lips tugged into a smile. "Bro, I already know how to handle the issues between me and Brian. But what about you? Freya just left. Did you run into her?"

He did.

Technically, Chris was the only one who saw Freya. The little queen had been staring straight ahead when her sports car drove past his.

He had never seen Freya again ever since they parted ways at the party, nor did Freya tried to look for him.

He was not really surprised though. He was the one who had asked Freya to wait until the end of Top Model after all.

No, what was strange was that thoughts about Freya would pop up in his mind at random times.

Sometimes, it occurred when he just woke up; Freya's figure would appear in his mind without warning the exact moment he opened his eyes.

Sometimes, it was during a meeting, where he found himself losing track of his thoughts as he remembered some teasing remark that Freya had told him ages ago.

Other times, it occurred moments before he fell asleep. Then again, he would find himself reaching for his sleeping pills whenever he thought about Freya while in bed.

...

"Bro?"

It was rare for Joanne to see Chris like this. It was like he was physically here, but his mind was miles away. She waved her hand before his face. "Bro!"

Chris came to his mind. "It makes no difference whether we run into each other or not."

"Oh, yeah? What if you actually saw Freya walking and chatting happily with a handsome man?" Joanne laughed gloatingly.

"That's something I've already seen before. But those people aren't up to her tastes, so I've got nothing to worry about," Chris said. All of a sudden, Chris's lips curved into a tiny smile. It was as if there was a poisonous needle hidden underneath his elegance. "Brian, on the other hand, is a different story. I ran into him a few times when he was still in the US. And every time I saw him, he was hanging out with a bunch of blonde western chicks. And it was midnight at that time."

"... Quit talking behind other people's back!" Like it or not, Joanne was still a certified medical examiner. As if she would take people's words just like that. "You'd better make yourself clear. Where did you run into him? What was he doing with those women?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself, then?" Chris did that on purpose. He peeled a banana for Joanne. "Well, I'm going to go."

Annoyed, Joanne took a bite of banana. Deep down, she thought Chris and Freya were truly made for each other: Freya had tried to have her worrying about other women stealing her man, and shortly after that, Chris had done something similar by suggesting the possibility that Brian used to belong to other women.

Then again, so what if Freya was right about Brian having three or five ex-girlfriends? There was nothing Joanne could do even if it were true.

Brian was six years older than her, and he was turning thirty this year. Surely, his life experience was vastly richer and more complicated than hers. Surely it was normal for him to have girlfriends during his prime.

Joanne knew what she should do: act graciously and say that she doesn't mind it one bit. After all, everyone had a past. The most important thing was that Brian had ended things cleanly!

Then again, that did nothing to quell the bitterness she felt within her heart.

One thing for sure was that she should not take her jealousy out on Brian. Otherwise, she would be playing right into Chris's hands.

Well... She would just keep messing with Chris, then.

Brian made good on his word when he said that he would only be back during night-time. It was already past 8 AM when he walked in, and he was still leaving work instructions to his subordinates on the phone when he entered.

He probably had a lot of overdue work after the few days he had been away to City Z. He must be exhausted on his first day back.

Something softened in Joanne's heart at the thought. "Have you eaten yet?" she asked softly.

Brian paused in his act of taking off his jacket. It was as if the thought of having a meal had only just crossed his mind. "Not yet."

Joanne took the thermos from the nightstand. "Mother sent this over in the afternoon. It should still be warm. Go ahead and eat something first."

Brian dragged over a round table top. Joanne transferred the soup and dishes from the thermos into a bowl. The food was nearly cold now. "Hurry up and eat," she said, handing him a pair of chopsticks. She was worried that his stomach would start acting up again if he ate too late.

Brian kept his eyes on Joanne when he took the proffered chopsticks from her. Joanne felt awkward under his stare. "I've already eaten," she said.

"I know. Do you want to take a bath first?"

The question was as banal as it could get, and yet Joanne started blushing heavily for some reason. She nodded. Brian put the chopsticks down and entered the bathroom to fill up the tub for her.

After the tub was filled with warm water, he placed her toiletries beside the tub so that she could have easier access to them. In his mind, Brian ran through the list of other things she might need. "Guess her clothes are all that's left," he thought after a moment.

Iris had brought a new change of clothes for Joanne when she came this morning. Brian walked out and opened the wardrobe. A hospital gown, her jacket, as well as her underwear were laid neatly inside.

A strange look formed on his face as he stared at the colorful articles of clothing inside the wardrobe.

Joanne knew as well what Brian had seen. Heat rose to her face instantly as she blushed. "Um, the clothes, I can get my clothes on my own," she stammered.

He had already seen them anyway. Plus, they were a married couple. There was no need for such taboos between them.

Without hesitating, Brian grabbed a set of clothes and turned around. "Will these do?" he asked Joanne.

Joanne stared at the undergarments that Brian had placed on top of the stack he was holding. The effect was instantaneous as the redness on her face turned several shades deeper than that of a red opium poppy. "Ye-yeah," she said, averting her gaze.

Brian headed towards her once again, and then he picked her up.

Joanne was still unaccustomed to that feeling of weightlessness; her arms went around Brian's neck automatically. The temperature on her cheeks rose without her knowing it.

Brian set her down when they reached the side of the tub. "Call me once you're done. Make your leg stays out of the water."

"Mm," Joanne said with her head hung low, "You, you need to get out of here."

Her face would probably explode if Brian did not get out right this instant.

Joanne might have imagined it, but she thought she saw a smile on Brian's lips the moment he turned around.

"Hey, what the hell is he laughing at?!" she thought.

Cupping her hands, Joanne splashed some cold water onto her face. Finally, the temperature on her cheeks dropped a little. She stepped carefully into the tub. Much to her surprise, the water's temperature was just right. Brian had even set the tub to maintain the water temperature. He had arranged all her toiletries beside the tub as well.

A surge of affection blossomed inside her heart.

She had been ill and bedridden in the past before. At that time, Freya and a bunch of friends had taken great care of her. But Brian was the only one who paid attention to even the minutest of details.

Just how much had he done for her behind her back these few years? How many times had he been secretly looking out for her from afar?