Chapter 496:
If the conversation couldn’t continue without chaos, she would just leave. Miguel was older, and she wouldn’t stoop to arguing—but that didn’t mean she had to stick around.
“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” Miguel’s frown softened ever so slightly at the sight of Alan, though his tone remained firm.
There was still a hint of old-school gender bias in the way he treated men versus women. But Freya didn’t care, as long as her parents didn’t think the same way.
“I was working, but there’s something going on at the company that only Mina can handle,” Alan replied smoothly. “I couldn’t find her there, so I came here.”
Miguel’s expression remained stern. “And the company can’t function without her?”
“It really can’t,” Alan said with a good-natured smile, clearly unbothered by the old man’s tone. “You wouldn’t believe how sharp she is. She just closed a killer deal that brought in a huge profit.”
“She should focus on looking presentable,” Miguel muttered, his eyes narrowing at Freya’s tailored outfit. “What’s the point of being at the office anyway?”
Alan’s gaze shifted ever so slightly at that remark.
Freya, however, remained unfazed. She let the words drift past her like a breeze. She already knew what her grandfather thought.
To him, marriage was simply a tool—to extract the highest possible value.
“Look at the daughters of other prestigious families. Which one of them doesn’t keep themselves polished and poised?” Miguel continued his rant.
“Mina’s stunning even without all that polish,” Alan replied sincerely. “And everyone’s different. Some enjoy dressing up. Mina enjoys making money. There’s room for both.”
gⲁ𝗅𝓝𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝗰0𝗺, 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝖘𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝗶𝗻
Miguel clearly didn’t appreciate the sentiment.
Vivien quickly tried to smooth things over. “Alan’s right. Freya really is beautiful. Even without any effort, she still turns heads.”
Both Freya and Alan winced slightly at her saccharine tone.
Miguel cast another glance at Freya, his discontent still simmering. “Being pretty isn’t enough. She still lacks the real talent to compete.”
At that, Freya arched a brow ever so slightly but said nothing. Thinking Miguel had misunderstood her completely, Alan was ready to speak up.
He knew how gifted Freya was. She’d hosted her own art exhibitions, written piano compositions used in competitions—all when she was still a teenager.
Experts from multiple disciplines had praised her work.
Years had passed since then, and she had only honed her skills further.
How could she be seen as lacking?
But before he could say a word, Freya gently tugged on his sleeve.
Alan looked over, confused.
“Your father’s spoiled you, hiding you away from the world,” Miguel said, still fixed on Freya. “Now that you’re an adult, it’s time for you to pull your weight.”
Alan blinked. What was this about?
“I called you here to ask if there’s anyone you’re interested in,” Miguel said, his tone all business. “If there is, I’ll arrange the marriage accordingly. But since you’ve already been married once, I’ll handle it my way.”
“I won’t marry for business,” Freya said, her voice steady and firm.
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