Freya did not think he would be so observant as to notice she was in pain.

Her ears felt like they were burning, and his hands felt similarly hot. It made her feel like her entire body was burning up.

"It doesn't hurt anymore. Really."

Bradley looked at how her blush had spread down to her collarbone and smirked before eventually letting her go.

She was not fully mature and would blush at the slightest touch, causing her face to look like a ripe tomato waiting to be plucked. How could a girl like that have fooled around before?

Knock, knock.

Just then…

A servant knocked on the door and called out to them.

"Mr. Bradley, Miss Freya, Old Mr. Austin has called you down for the meal."

"Okay," Bradley indifferently responded before going to carry Freya out of habit.

Freya instantly jumped off the bed and shyly said, "I can walk by myself. Otherwise, Lydia would scold us for it again."

She then turned to push his wheelchair.

Bradley had been about to say he did not care, but then he saw how red her cheeks were. He could not bear to tease her anymore, so he just let her wheel him down.

In the dining room.

Owen sat at the head of the table with Arthur, Lydia, Brian and Susan sitting on one side of the table. As Jinny had been locked up in the ancestral hall while Ethan was bedridden from his broken legs, those two were not present.

Bradley was in a wheelchair, so there was not a chair prepared for him. Freya sat down next to him.

A burning gaze followed her from the moment she appeared. Conflicted emotions shone in those eyes as the man opened his mouth to greet Freya.

"James, this is Freya Lawson, Uncle Bradley's wife."

The man who was about to speak was interrupted by Susan's introduction, and the light shining in his eyes instantly faded away.

It was only then that Freya realized there was a new person in the room.

She was stunned for a moment when she saw him awkwardly greet her as "Aunt Freya".

Susan then introduced him, "Freya, this is James, my son.

Freya nodded in greeting.

On the drive over, Bradley had mentioned to her that Brian had a son and daughter. His son was named James while his daughter was called Yvonne. However, Yvonne rarely returned as she stayed abroad.

Ethan and James were around the same age, and they were three years younger than Bradley. Still, due to their relation, the two younger men had to call Bradley "uncle".

"Now that everyone is here, let's eat."

In the Austin household, everyone could only start eating once the elders said so.

However, rich families were especially keen on etiquette, so no one made a move until Owen did.

Freya was starving. Staring at the table full of delicious food that she could not eat even though she wanted to, she could feel her stomach growling.

The loud growl broke the silence, causing Freya to awkwardly smile.

Her stomach's protest was a little too loud.

Bradley glanced at her and became the first to pick up his cutlery to serve her some food.

When Lydia saw that, she immediately lectured him. "Bradley, Dad hasn't started yet."

"Freya is hungry." He ignored Lydia and continued filling up Freya's plate.

Freya nudged his leg and made sure to speak in a volume only the two of them could hear.

"It's fine. I can deal with it."

"You'll have no energy to give birth if you go hungry."

That one casual statement was heard by everyone, and it made Freya's cheeks turn bright red while Owen burst out laughing.

"Bradley is right. Freya, you still have to add new members to our family. You can't starve. Everyone, let's eat."

Lydia was speechless. Just how biased is this old coot?

Sometimes, she wondered if Bradley was Owen's illegitimate son. Why else would Owen be so indulgent when it came to Bradley?

"Freya, you're having a baby soon? Then, you must strengthen your body." Susan enthusiastically made sure to fill up Freya's place with the more nourishing dishes.

In an instant, there was a mountain of food on Freya's plate.

Looking at the tiny hill before her, Freya awkwardly laughed. "Thanks, Susan."

"No need to thank me. We're family. Eat up."

Freya was reminded of her mom when she looked at Susan, and the thought filled her heart with warmth.

When her mother was still alive, she would frantically served Freya as much as her plate could hold as though she was afraid Freya would starve.

"Freya, you're too skinny. You have to eat more so you can grow taller," she would always say.

Thoughts of her mother made Freya's eyes water up.

Lydia scoffed upon seeing Susan's actions. "A family who is just putting on an act. Who are you trying to impress?"

She had great control over her voice and made sure only Brian's family heard what she said.

Brian might have a good temper, but that still angered him. Just as he was about to lash out, Susan placed a hand over his trembling hand and gave him a gentle smile as a signal.

All these years, they had to deal with Arthur's family throwing their weight around. They had gone through so much that they could not throw it all away just for something trivial.

As long as the other family did not step too far over the line, they could turn a blind eye and move on.

James was staring at Freya the entire time. He was filled with discomfort when he heard she would be giving birth to Bradley's children.

When Susan saw that he was not eating, she served him some food. "James, you work hard. You need to eat more."

"Thanks, Mom."

He did not shift his gaze away. Freya knew he was staring at her, so she focused on her food and dared not look up.

Lydia noticed this. With narrowed eyes, she scrutinized them.

Bradley had also noticed the two individuals' peculiar behavior. His eyes darkened, but he did not burst out in anger. Instead, he focused on peeling the shell off the shrimp.

His plate was soon full of peeled shrimp. He pushed it over to Freya. "Eat up."

"Huh?"

Freya was surprised. Had he been peeling the shrimp just for her?

A strange feeling flowed through her, causing her to stare dumbfoundedly at the plate for a few long moments.

He had broken the rules of the family for her and even peeled shrimp for her. That filled her with shock and gratitude.

"Let me know if it's not enough. I'll peel more for you. Eat up," he said in an indulgent tone.

Freya pursed her lips. "It's enough. Thanks, Bradley."

On his lap, James was clenching his fists when he saw how loving their interaction was. Even his face had twisted into an ugly look.

Finally, he could not sit still any longer and put his cutlery down. "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I'm full. I'm off to work."

Susan saw that he had not taken a single bite and quickly called out, "James, you ate nothing. How are you full? Even if you're busy, you must take care of your health."

However, James was already upstairs and closing the door to his room.

Susan was worried, confused about her son's behavior.

As for Lydia, she knew exactly what was going on. The fool has an unusual relationship with James.

Her lips curled up in a sinister smirk upon realizing that.

She had not expected the gods to be on her side, helping her discover this surprising piece of news.