Chapter 12: Beyond the Ending

The thought followed Freya all the way home. When she had first realized she had transmigrated, she had been relieved to discover that she had arrived at the epilogue. The major conflicts were supposedly finished. The male and female leads had won, Louis had lost, and the minor character Freya had been destined to disappear from the story after abandoning him.

But novels ended because authors stopped writing, not because the people inside them stopped living. Louis still had enemies. Clement was suddenly interested in her. Melissa had called after years of silence. None of that had appeared in the book because none of it had mattered to the original plot.

Freya opened a notebook and began writing down everything she remembered about "The CEO's Gentle Devotion." The male lead was Ethan Hale, heir to Hale Corporation. The female lead, Serena Wells, had started as an ordinary employee before repeatedly helping Ethan avoid Louis's business strategies. Their romance had developed alongside the corporate war until Ethan eventually defeated Louis.

Freya frowned as she wrote. In the novel, Louis had been portrayed as ruthless and ambitious, but most of his supposedly villainous actions were normal business competition when examined carefully. Ethan had simply been the protagonist, so every move against him had been framed negatively.

Even stranger, the book never clearly explained why Louis had risked so much in the final battle. Someone as intelligent as him shouldn't have collapsed so completely from a handful of failed investments. Freya had ignored the inconsistency while reading because Louis was only the antagonist. Now that she lived with him, the plot hole felt much more important.

She drew a question mark beside his name. Could there have been something the author never revealed? Freya remembered Louis's calmness after bankruptcy, Derek still working beside him, and the expensive car that had picked him up. A truly ruined businessman shouldn't have looked that comfortable.

Her eyes narrowed. Then she shook her head. It wasn't her business. Whether Louis had hidden resources or not, she had already decided what she would do: become financially independent, help him if necessary, and eventually leave when he was stable again. She couldn't spend every day investigating her temporary husband.

Freya opened a new document and turned her attention to her own career. She chose one of her most successful stories from her previous life, changed the setting and character details, and began rebuilding the outline from memory. Since she already knew the major plot, writing went much faster than starting from nothing.

By noon, she had completed several thousand words. She submitted the opening chapters to both platforms she had researched and then went to prepare lunch. Louis had texted that he wouldn't return, so she made something simple for herself.

That afternoon, another two bags sold. Freya packaged them happily and updated her spreadsheet. At this pace, she could clear most of the collection within a few months. She divided the expected money into three categories: living expenses, savings, and investment capital. Louis's name appeared nowhere on the sheet.

She had meant what she told him. If he needed money, she could lend it, but she wouldn't throw everything she owned into his business. She had died once already. In this life, financial independence was security, and she intended to build enough of it that nobody could control her future.

Late that evening, Louis returned and noticed the notebook beside her laptop. Freya had gone to the kitchen, leaving it open. He wasn't trying to pry, but one line immediately caught his attention: "Louis Stone—bankruptcy doesn't make sense." His gaze remained on those words for several seconds. When Freya returned with water, the notebook was exactly where she had left it, and Louis's expression revealed nothing.