Chapter 4

At ten in the morning, Hayes walked in with a woman.

The sharp click of her high heels echoed across the floor, and her perfume was so overpowering I could catch a whiff of it all the way from my spot in the living room.

I was tucked away in the corner, pretending to flip through a magazine.

The woman strutted into the middle of the living room, looked around, and frowned. "What kind of taste is this? Looks like something a nouveau riche would pick."

Hayes's face stiffened a little. "Ms. Jones, this way, please."

Ms. Jones? I shot her a glance. She looked to be in her early twenties, tall and slender, with delicate features, but the smirk on her lips screamed, "I'm the queen here."

She spotted me in the corner, her gaze sweeping over me. "So, this is the one who took her sister's place?"

Hayes hesitated. "Luna's from the Shepherd family. That's for sure."

She walked over and stopped right in front of me, sizing me up like I was some discounted item. "And she's deaf, too?"

Hayes nodded.

She suddenly snapped her fingers right in front of my face. The snap echoed, sharp and sudden.

I didn't even blink. Please, did she think I hadn't seen that move before? Vincent'd already tried it on me four times. Who did she think she was, anyway?

She raised an eyebrow and let out a mocking laugh. "Wow, she really is deaf. Poor Vincent, stuck with a deaf wife. Talk about bad luck."

She turned and headed upstairs, tossing over her shoulder as she passed Hayes, "Tell Vincent I'm here to see him."

Hayes said, "Got it."

After she left, Hayes gave me a quick, sympathetic glance.

But he hid it right away. After all, I was "deaf," so even if I caught his expression, it wouldn't mean anything to me.

Meanwhile, I was already filing away everything I'd learned about her in my mental notebook: Jolene Jones, who was close to Vincent.

She was arrogant, thought she was above everyone else, and could stroll into the Knight family's house like it was hers.

Conclusion: Either she was Vincent's childhood friend, or she had some business connection with him.

Either way, she was definitely not friendly toward me.

At noon, I passed by the study on the second floor.

The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear Jolene's voice from inside. "Vincent, are you seriously keeping that deaf girl around?

"She's a total waste. She can't help you with anything, and I bet she can't even string a sentence together."

Vincent's voice was calm. "What's it to you?"

"It's not about me, but it's your reputation that's on the line. Everyone's saying Mr. Knight married a deaf girl and got screwed over by the Shepherd family. Aren't you worried about what people think?"

There was a brief silence. Vincent said, "My reputation isn't your business."

Jolene paused, then put on a sweet, whiny tone. "I'm looking out for you, Vincent; you've always treated me the best. I don't want you to get taken advantage of."

I stood there for a couple of seconds, letting it all sink in.

Confirmed: they were childhood friends. And Jolene was obviously into my man. Well, Vincent.

But Vincent's attitude was lukewarm. He didn't push her away, but he didn't accept her either. It was a classic keeping-her-on-the-hook move.

I quietly slipped away, making sure not to make a sound.

Whatever was going on between them, that was their business. My main goal? Keeping myself alive. Everything else? Not my concern.

As long as I stayed invisible, kept quiet, and kept up the deaf act, nobody would want to mess with a rock, right?

But that naive little fantasy of mine got shattered that very night.

*****

At dinner, Jolene stayed for the meal.

Vincent sat at the head of the table, with Jolene on his left and me on his right.

The atmosphere at the table was so tense, it felt like a battlefield.

Jolene was chatting and flirting with Vincent, giggling so much she was practically tossing her hair and showing off.

Mid-conversation, she suddenly turned to me, pretending it was no big deal. "Oh, right, Vincent, she can't hear, can she? So, whatever I say, she won't have a clue?"

Vincent picked up a piece of ribs. "Yeah."

Jolene flashed a sly smile and said right in front of me, "Honestly, the Shepherd family's eldest daughter is pretty clever.

"She ran off with ten million dollars and left her deaf sister behind to take the blame. Isn't that just using her as a human shield?

"Who knows, maybe this little sister's been cannon fodder since day one."

Her tone was airy, like she was spilling tea about some random family.

My fork was steady as a rock, and my face didn't show a single emotion.

Jolene, you were right.

But you know what? This so-called cannon fodder was quietly taking note of every single word you said.

If I ever got the chance, I would treat you to a big meal.

And when you were busy stuffing your face, I would replay everything you said for you.

Oh, right, I didn't have a recorder. Guess I would have to rely on my memory.

Seeing I didn't react, Jolene pushed it even further. "Hey, Vincent, is she actually stupid? Deaf and stupid? Why bother keeping someone like that around? Just send her back..."

"Jolene." Vincent set down his fork. His voice was quiet, but the air at the table instantly turned icy.

Jolene's words caught in her throat.

"She's my wife," Vincent said, calmly wiping his mouth with a napkin. "She's mine. No one else gets to decide her fate."

His words were soft, but Jolene's face instantly blanched. "I... I didn't mean it like that"

"Eat." With just one word, Vincent shut the conversation down.

Jolene dropped her gaze and fell silent.

Me? I sat there, my feelings all over the place.

He defended me. Maybe it was that possessive vibe, like, "Nobody messes with what's mine." But still, he had my back.

"She's my wife." That line landed way heavier than I thought it would.

You shouldn't overthink it, Luna. You were just a pawn in his game. He was probably protecting his own pride.

I kept my head down, shoveling food into my mouth, trying to squash that strange flutter in my chest. Just keep being the stoic stone lion in the corner.