Chapter 2

The next morning, Josh came over as usual to make me breakfast.

I fumbled my way through washing up, then settled at the dining table.

Josh set a glass of milk and some bread in front of me, fussing as always. "Mr. Ford, how's your appetite today? Want me to whip up something else for you?"

"No need, Josh. This is perfect," I replied with a smile.

As I ate, I kept an ear out for any sounds in the house.

Geneva still hadn't come out.

She must've been starving last night based on the way she tore into her dinner.

So, I wondered how she was going to deal with breakfast this morning.

Just as I was thinking that, I heard the storage room door give a soft creak.

Then I heard someone tiptoeing out.

She finally emerged.

I acted like I hadn't noticed and kept sipping my milk slowly.

Josh was next to me, tidying up the dishes while the morning news played.

"The city's biggest business group, Photonia Group, went bankrupt and started liquidation proceedings yesterday.

"Its founder, Johnny Carline, and his daughter, Geneva Carline, are still missing..."

The news announced Johnny and Geneva by name.

I could feel a gaze coming from behind me.

It was Geneva.

I was sure she heard the news, too.

I could imagine the mix of emotions on her face right now.

Josh, though, didn't catch much. His hearing wasn't great, so he only got the gist of it.

"Photonia Group? Sounds like a big deal. How'd they go bankrupt? Man, life's unpredictable," Josh sighed.

He had no clue that the very "unpredictable life" he was talking about was right behind him, hiding in the shadows.

Geneva was lurking in the shadows of the living room, her eyes locked on me.

Even though I couldn't see, I could feel her gaze, sharp as knives.

She was probably trying to figure out what I was thinking after hearing that news.

She wondered if I was gloating or pitying her.

My face stayed calm, the kind of calm that came naturally to someone who couldn't see.

But inside, I wondered if she was secretly taking pleasure in her situation since she thought I couldn't hear.

She lingered for a moment, then quietly slipped off to the kitchen.

This time, she was clearly being more cautious, keeping things quiet.

I heard the faint clinking of dishes, so soft it was like a cat sneaking a bite.

Then the faucet was turned on for a moment, then quickly shut off.

It looked like she was too nervous to use the stove.

She probably just found some cold food or grabbed a glass of water to get by.

The once-pampered heiress of the Carline family was now living in my house, sneaking around like a fugitive.

The irony was just off the charts.

After Josh finished tidying up, he said to me, "Mr. Ford, I'm heading to the market for groceries this morning.

"I might be back a bit late. Make sure you stay safe while you're here by yourself."

"Got it, Josh. Take care," I replied.

Once Josh left, the house fell completely silent.

It was so quiet that I could clearly hear Geneva chewing on bread in the kitchen.

She must've found the bread crusts I left over from last night.

I got up, pretending to fumble my way toward the coffee table in the living room, as if I was reaching for the remote.

Then, my cane struck something sticking out from the floor.

I yelped, wobbling a bit, nearly taking a spill.

The remote in my hand "accidentally" dropped and rolled right up to the kitchen entrance.

The chewing noises from the kitchen came to an abrupt halt.

Geneva must've jumped out of her skin.

I couldn't help but grin to myself. I wanted to teach her a lesson.

"Why is this tile sticking up again..." I put on a frown, acting annoyed as I grumbled.

Then I bent down, groping around on the floor with my hands.

I knew perfectly well the remote had rolled right up to the kitchen doorway, but I deliberately avoided that spot.

I pretended to feel around the coffee table leg, then under the couch, never getting close to the kitchen.

From the kitchen, Geneva's voice was so quiet it was like a mosquito buzzing. "Idiot."

I was speechless.

I totally heard that.

She just called me an idiot.

She was sneaking around my house, mooching my bread, but she had the nerve to call me an idiot.

I was so pissed, I almost wanted to throw the remote right at her face.

But I held back.

The game was just getting started.

I kept fumbling around, and my hand bumped into something on the floor.

It was an empty bowl for spaghetti.

Josh would never leave trash lying around.

It was for the beef spaghetti.

She had eaten this last night.

I picked up the blow, pretending to be confused, and gave it a sniff.

"That smell... beef? Did Josh switch up his taste lately?" I muttered to myself.

I made sure my voice was just loud enough for Geneva in the kitchen to hear.

There was another faint sound coming from the kitchen.

I could feel an intense gaze fixed on me, like she was burning holes in my back.

It wasn't anger or hostility. It was pure fear.

I held up the empty spaghetti bowl, shaking my head like I couldn't figure it out.

Then, I just "casually" tossed the empty bowl into the living room trash can.

Just like that, it became the "bomb" I tossed out without a second thought.

Geneva was probably breaking out in cold sweat right about now.

She thought she'd covered her tracks, thought I didn't have a clue.

But now, even a "blind" guy like me managed to catch her scent.

That feeling must've been even more chilling than actually getting caught.