Chapter 17: The Woman from the Original Novel

Three days passed peacefully. Freya settled into a routine of writing in the morning, photographing and shipping luxury items in the afternoon, and cooking whenever Louis came home. Her novel gained readers faster than expected. The numbers were still small, but the growth was steady enough to make her optimistic.

On Friday afternoon, Freya visited a stationery store to buy notebooks and packaging labels. She was comparing two sets of pens when someone beside her reached for the same box. "Sorry," the woman said, withdrawing her hand politely. Freya turned toward her—and froze.

She knew that face. Serena Wells. The female lead of "The CEO's Gentle Devotion." In the novel, Serena had been described as gentle, intelligent, and quietly beautiful. Standing in front of her now, she looked almost exactly as Freya remembered from the descriptions: soft features, clear eyes, and an approachable smile.

"You can take it," Serena offered. Freya quickly released the box. "No, it's fine. I was just looking." Serena smiled and picked up another color instead. "Then we don't have to fight over it."

Freya forced herself to behave normally, but her thoughts were racing. Why was the female lead here? The city was enormous. Meeting her randomly in a stationery store felt absurdly coincidental.

Serena moved to another shelf. Freya deliberately waited before heading toward the checkout, only to find Serena standing in line directly ahead of her. Her phone rang. "Ethan, I'm almost done," Serena said warmly. Freya's suspicions vanished. It really was her.

Ethan Hale—the male lead and the man responsible for Louis's downfall. Freya instinctively lowered her gaze. She had no intention of involving herself with the protagonists. As far as she was concerned, their story was finished. She wanted nothing from them.

Unfortunately, Serena noticed the name on Freya's membership account when the cashier greeted her. She turned around sharply. "Freya Stone?" Freya's heart sank. "Yes?" Serena looked genuinely surprised. "Louis Stone's wife?"

There was no hostility in her voice, only recognition. Freya nodded. "That's me." Serena hesitated. "I'm sorry about what happened." Freya almost laughed at the strange situation. The woman whose information had repeatedly helped Ethan defeat Louis was apologizing to Louis's wife for his bankruptcy.

"It's business," Freya replied. "These things happen." Serena seemed surprised by her calmness. "I heard you and Mr. Stone were..." She stopped, apparently realizing the question was too personal. Freya finished it for her. "Getting divorced? We're not."

Serena's expression changed subtly. "I see." Freya couldn't tell whether it was relief, confusion, or something else. Before either woman could continue, a tall man entered the store. Even without having seen him before, Freya immediately knew who he was.

Ethan Hale walked directly toward Serena, but his eyes shifted to Freya halfway across the store. His expression became guarded. Freya resisted the urge to sigh. She had spent days avoiding trouble, yet the original novel's male and female leads had somehow appeared directly in front of her. Apparently, waking up after the ending didn't mean she had escaped the story after all.