Chapter 38: A Talent She Shouldn't Have

Freya worked on Chloe's sample project until nearly one in the morning. The apartment was small, which made the layout more challenging rather than less. She reorganized storage, adjusted the kitchen flow, created a compact workspace, and selected materials that would stay within the client's limited budget.

The next morning, she reviewed everything with fresh eyes and made several changes before sending the proposal to Chloe. Then she returned to her novel, forcing herself not to refresh her messages every five minutes.

Chloe called before noon. "What happened to you?" Freya's heart jumped. "Is it bad?" "Bad? This is better than work from half our junior designers. When did you start designing again?"

Freya relaxed. "Recently." "Recently doesn't explain this. Your old university work was creative, but your space planning is completely different now."

That was dangerous territory. Freya laughed lightly. "People improve when they get older." Chloe accepted the answer because she had no reason not to.

The firm wanted to use her proposal and offered to pay her for the project. More importantly, Chloe asked whether Freya could take occasional freelance assignments. Freya agreed immediately, provided deadlines didn't interfere with her writing.

When Louis came home for lunch, she announced, "I have a second job." "You already have the store." "That's liquidation, not a career." "So what is the second job?" "Interior design."

She showed him the proposal. Louis examined the renderings and floor plan. His expression grew increasingly thoughtful. "You made this overnight?" "Most of it." "When did you relearn the software?"

Freya had prepared for questions after Chloe's reaction. "I watched tutorials and practiced." "For how long?" "Why are you interrogating me?"

Louis put the tablet down. "Because three months ago you couldn't install a printer driver." Freya stared at him. She hadn't known that memory existed.

"Maybe bankruptcy awakened my hidden intelligence." Louis's eyes remained on her. "Maybe." The word sounded far too calm.

Freya quickly changed the subject. "Are you eating lunch or conducting a background investigation?" "Both are possible." "Only one is allowed in my kitchen."

Louis sat down, but his doubts intensified. He had already discovered her writing ability. Now she demonstrated professional design skills that couldn't realistically have appeared in days. Her personality had changed, her habits had changed, even the way she spoke about money and relationships had changed.

Any one difference could be explained. Together, they formed something impossible.

That afternoon, Louis asked Derek to retrieve Freya's old university portfolio. Derek looked confused. "Why?" "I want to compare her work." "You think she's secretly been practicing for years?"

"I don't know what I think." That was the truth. Louis didn't believe in supernatural explanations. People didn't simply become someone else overnight.

Yet late that evening, he compared an old student design with the proposal Freya had created for Chloe. The aesthetic preferences had similarities, but the technical maturity was dramatically different. It looked less like someone remembering an abandoned skill and more like someone with years of professional experience.

Across the hallway, Freya happily added "Design Income" to her spreadsheet. She had no idea her determination to become financially independent was creating evidence for a mystery Louis had begun quietly investigating.

Louis closed the old portfolio and leaned back in his chair. He could order deeper investigations, question former classmates, or confront Freya directly. Instead, he decided to wait. Whatever secret she carried, she had shown no intention of harming him. For now, observing her voluntarily was more useful than forcing answers she clearly wasn't prepared to give.