《The substitute bride is a mute》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    On the night of their wedding, Judy ke sat in distress at the edge of the bed.


    Jenna didn''t want to marry the disfigured eldest son of the Reid family, so their father had Judy take


    her ce.


    Subsequently, she was treated as a bride unworthy of being presented to the public. She married


    into the family without a wedding and guests of any kind.


    As for her own family, she felt utterly heartbroken by their actions.


    The sound of the door being pushed open interrupted her thoughts. She lifted her head and was


    met with a gentle yet piercing gaze of a man.


    rk Reid.


    Her husband whom she had just married.


    He had a tall yet slender build,and sharp features. He felt like a hawk in the night¡ªsolitary yet


    domineering.


    His handsome face had been forcibly ruined by a scar that stretched from his forehead to his jaw. It


    made him look more aggressive.


    Under his sharp gaze, she instinctively averted her eyes.


    All of a sudden, rk spoke bluntly.


    "You''re not Jenna ke."


    The woman in front of him was evidently more beautiful than Jenna.


    Judy began to make hand signs at him out of habit.


    "What are you doing?" He asked as he furrowed his brows.


    She stopped before realizing that he couldn''t understand signnguage. She offered him an


    awkward smile and pulled out the notepad she carried with her, jotting down her words for him.


    The next moment, she saw his eyes turn cold.


    "What does Matthew ke mean by this?" He scoffed. "He''s fully aware I asked for Jenna, yet he


    sent me his mute, illegitimate daughter?"


    The words ''mute'' and ''illegitimate'' made Judy''s breath hitch in her throat. She lowered her eyes


    slowly before her chin was forced upwards by the man.


    "Does the ke family take me for a fool?"


    His fist tightened.


    What if he kicks her out because he''s mad? What would they do about her grandmother''s medical


    bills then¡­


    Judy tried to exin, but under his cold and emotionless gaze, she could only feel her chest getting


    tighter.


    As he watched her gaze grow dull, rk spoke abruptly.


    "Take it off."


    Is he¡­


    Does this mean he wasn''t kicking her out?Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Her initial joy was soon washed away by anxiety over what''sing next. Her palms were sweating


    slightly due to how nervous she was.


    rk took her hesitation as a form of refusal and said lightly, "Although I am extremely unhappy


    about the swap, you''ve already married into the family. So, you should carry out the duties of a


    wife."


    She bit her bottom lip and forced herself to gradually take off her clothes.


    Afterward, she suppressed her embarrassment and lied on the bed, with her head facing the other


    way.


    A shallowugh rang out from beside her.


    "I meant for you to undress me and help me with my bath."


    Her pale face flushed red in an instant. She shot up and immediately began dressing herself.


    rk cruelly watched as she made a fool out of herself. Upon noticing this, mild anger poured into


    Judy''s eyes.


    Was it amusing to toy with her like this?


    The man narrowed his eyes slightly.


    "What are you still standing there for?" He said with a deep voice.


    She suppressed her emotions and slowly approached him. Then, she started taking off his clothes.


    When it came to the trousers, she bent down and identally grazed him.


    His hand immediately flew to her wrist. "Are you trying to seduce me?" He threatened her.


    Judy froze, then shook her head. Her bright and clear eyes reflected confusion.


    rk stared at her as memories of another pair of bright eyes flooded his mind. Then, he thought of


    the ke family who was responsible for destroying them.


    With a sinisterugh, he spoke, "I wasn''t nning on touching you tonight. However, if you''re


    feeling too lonely, I suppose I can indulge your desires."

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    After a restless night, Judy awoke with soreness guing her entire body.


    The man she had spent the night with was nowhere to be found, leaving behind only the faint trace


    of his woody musk lingering in the air.


    Dragging her weary body to the bathroom for a much-needed shower, Judy then made her way


    downstairs. There, she was met with a middle-aged woman. Her arms were crossed and a frosty


    re fixed upon Judy.


    Recognizing her from photos her father had shown her, Judy realized it was rk''s aunt, Sally


    Hebert.


    ording to what Judy had heard, rk had lost his parents at a young age and had been raised


    single-handedly by Sally. Later, Adam Reid had brought them both back to live in the manor.


    rk had gone on to build his own business empire and had treated Sally like his own mother ever


    since.


    Sally eyed Judy from head to toe as she spoke sharply, "That old fox Matthew ke didn''t keep his


    word. He knew we wanted Jenna, but he still sent a mute like you over anyway.


    "Did he think the Reid family was a dumping ground? I don''t know why rk let you stay, but since


    you''re here now, you''d better know your ce. Don''t think you''ve hit the jackpot just because you''ve


    married into the family¡ªour family is no fool."


    With a dismissive wave, Sally ordered, "Alright, go get breakfast ready now. You should y the


    role of a dutiful wife now that you''re here!"


    Despite the Reid manor having plenty of maids and servants, Sally insisted on having the newlywed


    bride prepare their meals.


    Under Sally''s piercing stare, Judy lowered her eyes, recognizing the futility of arguing with someone


    like her. With no power or authority, she knew she couldn''t match Sally''s influence.


    Resigned to her fate, Judy turned and made her way to the kitchen. It was just a meal, after all¡ª


    nothing worth making a fuss over.


    Yet, her acquiescence only seemed to fuel Sally''s disdain, reinforcing her belief that Judy was


    weak.


    Sally let out a scoff, her lips pursed in contempt. "Truly embarrassing and shameful!"


    Judy paused for a moment before walking away as though nothing had happened.


    Not long after, rk returned home.


    Sally beckoned him with a smile to join them for dinner. He turned his head and immediately saw


    Judy with an apron around her waist, bustling about in the kitchen.


    He frowned at the sight.


    Sally, noticing his reaction, chuckled. "She insisted on preparing the meal. Maybe she wants us to


    try her cooking?"


    He simply nodded and didn''t say anything more.


    Judy, raised by her grandmother, was adept at all sorts of household chores and cooking.


    She soon presented them with a full-course meal, impressing even the maids, though they harbored


    little respect for the new Mrs.


    From their perspective, only those of a lower ss knew how to tend to people¡ªthose from high


    society were only ever tended to. Throughout the meal, the servants focused their attention on


    rk Reid, seemingly ignoring Judy''s presence.


    Feeling increasingly uneasy, she took a few bites of her food, nodded at the pair and got up to


    leave.


    After she left, Sally''s lips curved in contempt. "How rude. Does she think she can act so arrogantly


    just because she''s mute?"


    Without lifting his head, rk picked up a document and began reading it.


    Sally rolled her eyes and continued when he didn''t reply.


    "The kes have no idea who they''re messing with. Did they think giving us a mute was


    eptable? This is crossing a line!


    "And they still expect you to fund their family business? They can dream on!"


    Familiar with her nephew''s methods, she wasn''t too concerned about being taken advantage of by


    the ke family. Rather, she was just bothered by the fact that he married such an embarrassment


    for a wife. The other wives would surely ridicule them for it.


    However, rk remained silent, his expression unchanged.


    It was clear he wanted no part in the conversation, so Sally attempted to lighten the mood.


    "Dom is finally returning after years of medical school in Fulguria. You can''t expect him to introduce


    a mute as his sister-inw, can you? It''ll be a joke to anyone who catches wind of this."


    She suggested, "Why not let her go after a while? I''ll find another suitable Mrs. Reid for you."


    Finally, he responded.


    With a nk expression, he said, "I have my own ns. Don''t worry, Aunt Sally."


    Sally''s face froze at his cold tone.


    After he left, Lora approached her, offeringfort in a hushed voice.


    "Mr. Reid only said that to ease your worries. Try not to dwell on it, ma''am."


    Sally sighed, troubled. "How can I not? Ever since we rescued him from the human traffickers, his


    personality has changed. He''s not as approachable as he once was.


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    "Though he brought me into the family and provided afortable life, I know he still harbors


    resentment. If only I had been more careful, he wouldn''t have suffered so much."


    The housekeeper struggled to find words. rk had dominated the industry for a decade, but his


    demeanor had grown more distant. It was no wonder Sally was prone to overthinking.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    At the ke mansion,ughter upied the building.


    Jenna was yfully clinging onto Matthew''s arm. "Can''t you just get me that Masaretti, dad? With


    the 10 million dors we''re getting from the Reid family, we don''t need to worry about money in the


    future anyway!"


    Matthew sat in his chair, engrossed in the newspaper. When Jenna made her request, he turned


    sharply, his gaze piercing.


    "How can you still ask for a luxury car? Turning down that marriage was foolish. The Reids are


    wealthy beyond measure. They could have given you anything you desired."


    Jenna scrunched her nose, clearly displeased.


    "Dad! rk Reid is hideous, and his personality is as odd as theye. The thought of marrying


    him repulses me. Why would I want that?"


    She added, "And besides, that mute Judy married him on my behalf anyway."


    Jenna paused, her eyes rolling before a devious smile spread across her face. "I''d dly marry


    Dominic, though. He''s a doctor in Fulgaria, handsome, and sessful. Men like that are more to my


    liking."


    Matthew had always indulged Jenna, but her upbringing had made her unreasonably spoiled. He


    sighed deeply before gently tapping her on the nose. "Dominic Helps is Sally''s son, not an heir to


    the Reid family. What good is he?


    "And rk is no fool. If it weren''t for Judy, where else would we find a recement for you?"


    Jenna lifted her chin defiantly. "If not Judy, then someone else. Maybe she desired to marry into the


    family. Joining a wealthy family like that would be a stroke of luck for a mute like her!"


    Matthew chuckled but said nothing. Only he knew that he had used Judy''s grandmother''s medical


    expenses to coerce her into taking Jenna''s ce. But such matters were of no concern to his


    princess.


    Although Judy was also his biological daughter, a mute he''d onlye in contact with recently was


    nothing inparison to the one he''d spent years coddling.


    Moreover, Judy couldn''t possibly bring honor to the family like Jenna could.


    Their conversation was interrupted by a call from the office.


    Matthew''s expression turned grave as he spoke into the phone. "What do you mean the capital


    chain from the Reid family is null? This can''t be happening!"


    After that call, his expression remained grim, leaving everyone wondering what had been said on


    the other end of the line.


    Jenna, standing nearby, overheard the conversation about the missing money and looked visibly


    distressed.


    "Dad, what are we going to do now?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.


    Matthew furrowed his brows, a glint of anger in his eyes. "That bastard rk Reid!" he eximed.


    "How dare he betray me like this? He''s reneging on our deal after I sent my daughter to marry into


    his family?"


    "He''s such an eyesore!" Jenna chimed in, her expression a mix of irritation and relief. "Thank


    goodness I didn''t end up marrying him. A man who can''t keep his word is worthless!"


    Then, turning back to her father, Jenna asked hesitantly, "What''s our next move, Dad?"


    Matthew took a moment topose himself, his mind racing with ns for revenge. "I''ll teach him a


    lesson he won''t forget. And let''s not forget, Judy is still with him," he replied with a determined tone.


    Jenna smiled, reassured by her father''s confidence. She knew he was resourceful and cunning, and


    rk wouldn''t know what hit him.


    Meanwhile, Judy was busy mopping the floor in the Reid household.


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    Sally sat on the sofa, sipping her tea, her gaze critical as she watched Judy work.


    "Make sure it''s spotless. A Reid family wife should be diligent, always tending to the house. You


    should clean the rooms daily," she instructed, her toneced with judgment.


    "Lora is our senior housekeeper. We shouldn''t overburden her. You should assist wherever needed.


    The Reid family doesn''t toleratezy daughters-inw."


    Sally''s disapproval of Judy was palpable, but she couldn''t outright dismiss her from the household.


    Her priority was upholding the Reid family''s reputation, so she aimed to make Judy''s stay as


    ufortable as possible, hoping she would leave voluntarily.


    "And if you find this treatment uneptable, you''re free to leave," Sally added before grabbing her


    purse and exiting the house.


    Once Sally was gone, Judy let out a long sigh of relief. Dealing with Sally was exhausting, to say


    the least.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    After doing chores for the entire afternoon, Judy was feeling thirsty and decided to get some water


    for herself. As she passed by the staircase, she overheard two housekeepers secretly talking about


    her.


    "I heard Jenna ke has a doctorate from a university overseas. She''s not just pretty, she''s good at


    dancing too. She just won first ce at the Lakecity White Swan Dance Competitionst year."


    "Right?" Answered the other. "Look at the one Mr. Reid married. She''s mute and can''t stand up for


    herself.


    "They even brought her into the family without a wedding. How cheap, what kind of a wife is this?"


    "Although there''s a scar on his face, Mr. Reid is such a sessful man. With the amount of


    influence and money he has, I don''t think he deserves a wife that can''t speak."


    "I know right. I heard people like her who can''t talk are considered severely disabled."


    Judy''s eyes flickered briefly at the mention of ''severe disability''.


    She wasn''t born mute. A devastating fire injured her throat when she was ten years old, but her


    father didn''t want to spend an enormous amount of money to send her for treatment overseas.


    Hence, the dy led to irreparable damage.


    She didn''t quite understand when she was younger. Now, she knew that it was because she wasn''t


    the beloved daughter that grew up beside him, but an outsider that was brought back to the


    household midway through her life.


    These discussions didn''t affect her in any way. She smiled nonchntly and turned to leave.


    Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the air.


    "Who gave you permission to specte about Reid family matters like this?"


    The two women turned their heads and were met with the icy expression and cold stare of rk


    Reid. He narrowed his eyes at them and they instantly started panicking.


    "We''re so sorry, Mr. Reid! We won''t do it again!" They pleaded. "We won''t throw out words like that


    anymore! Please spare us!"


    His expression didn''t waver at all. Jeremy Mills, his assistant who followed closely behind,


    approached the pair and said, "Both of you. Don''te in from tomorrow onward."


    They were devastated.


    Then, rk''s attention turned to Judy. He noticed the stains on her hands and the apron around her


    waist. He furrowed his brows in confusion.


    "You''re my wife. Why are you doing these chores?"


    She felt slightly puzzled at his question. Sally had instructed her to do so, she wasn''t sure why


    either.


    Furrowing his brows deeper at her silence, he said, "There are maids around the house. You don''t


    have to do these things next time."


    Thoughts ran through her mind but she didn''t let it show on her face. She merely nodded in


    response.


    Judy took off her apron and put down the broom before casting a quick nce at the fired women


    who were on their knees. Then, she headed upstairs.


    Her heart raced as she processed the situation.


    This man wasn''t being kind to her. He was only concerned about the Reid family''s reputation. It felt


    like something out of a fairytale, but it wasn''t genuine help. So, she couldn''t bring herself to feel


    grateful. That would be too naive.


    As she reached the bedroom upstairs, her phone suddenly rang. It was her father. She hesitated


    before answering.


    Meanwhile, downstairs, rk received a message from Jeremy.


    "The ke family called Mrs. Reid."


    His expression shifted, betraying nothing of his thoughts.


    Unaware that her call was being monitored, Judy listened to her father''s urgent request.


    "Judy, I need your help. Go to rk Reid''s study and take photos of a business contractbeled


    ''Real Estate'' in red. Snap every page, and don''t let him catch you."


    Matthew''s tone was casual, but the request was significant. Judy remained silent.


    Anticipating her refusal, her father''s tone turned colder. "I know you''re a good daughter. Don''t forget


    about your grandmother."


    The mention of her unconscious grandmother startled her. Her father had stooped so low as to use


    her grandmother''s condition to manipte her.


    Feeling conflicted, Judy made a decision.


    Later that night, after the housekeepers had retired, she stood outside rk''s study, hand poised on


    the doorknob.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Her palms grew damp with anxiety as she hesitated at the door.


    With a deep breath, she pushed it open, revealing the dimly lit room. Using her phone as a


    shlight, she made her way to the desk, her eyes fixed on the drawer below. Finding the document


    she sought, she picked it up, puzzled by its easy essibility.


    Her expression shifted¡ªshe realized what was going on.


    The lights flicked on suddenly, revealing rk''s presence. He was holding an identical looking


    document in his hands.


    "What are you searching for?" His voice cut through the silence, causing her to drop the document


    in surprise.


    As it fell, the file opened to reveal its emptiness, leaving Judy stunned.


    rk''s gaze bore into her, unreadable and intense. "Matthew put you up to this, didn''t he?"


    Her heart raced at his revtion. How did he know? And why was he here waiting for her?


    As he advanced towards her, panic gripped her, each step feeling suffocating.


    Finally, he stood before her, his expression condescending. "You''re bolder than I thought," he said.


    Judy wondered if he was mocking her or actually giving her apliment.


    Her smile was forced¡ª he didn''t know that she had no choice in the matter. In the face of a clever


    man like him, she didn''t try to exin herself. Any form of exnation would only feel like a cover-


    up, and would lead to more mistakes. The best thing she could do right now is stay quiet.


    But his tone shifted sharply. "I could report you for stealing confidential information from my family


    as my legal spouse. Then, you can rot in jail for the rest of your life."


    Fear shot through her as he reached for his phone.


    His threat left her speechless. What would happen to her grandmother if she went to jail?


    rk''s expression remained cold as he offered her a choice, his phone poised to dial.


    She couldn''t hide her fear any longer. Would he really follow through?


    The man''s expression, however, remained unchanged. "Now you''re afraid?"


    She pursed her lips forcefully as the color drained from her face.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    But then, he took in her flustered demeanor and scoffed, "Do you want me to let you off the hook?"


    Hope flickered within her, but his mocking smile dashed it. "You''re obedient to Matthew ke. Why


    do whatever he says? Don''t you realize this is illegal?"


    He continued, "Alright, since you follow orders so well, take off your clothes and pleasure me!


    Maybe I''ll let you go if I end up in a good mood."


    Judy froze.


    In front of a powerful man like him, she felt as small and helpless as an ant, scrambling to survive.


    She shut her eyes aggressively. After reopening them, she started undressing with shaky hands.


    rk was slightly taken aback. He tried to demean her like this on purpose. He hadn''t expected her


    to actually go through with it.


    Very well, he might as well see how far she can go!


    Jacket¡­


    Shirt¡­


    Maybe God was on her side¡ªshe was about to take off her undergarments when his phone rang.


    "Everything has been arranged, Mr. Reid. Matthew ke took the bait." It was a call from Jeremy.


    rk gave him a brief sound of acknowledgement and hung up. He then turned to look at Judy who


    stood in front of him.


    Her thin body was trembling. Her bloodshot eyes wereced with vulnerability and despair as she


    tried her hardest to conceal it.


    He suddenly lost the urge to continue this. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed her.


    "Alright, your sour expression is irking me. Get out."


    rk''s sudden change of tone left her frozen in ce. Her hands were still on her buttons.


    He prompted impatiently, "Why are you still standing there?"


    She suddenly became aware of what was happening.


    Was he actually¡­ letting her go?


    Judy didn''t dare to stay for even a moment longer. She immediately headed out.


    As she returned to her room, her uneasiness remained¡ªshe was terrified that the man would


    suddenly change his mind again. Finally, when there was no sign of him even as the clock struck


    twelve, her mind gradually eased.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Tension hung heavily in the air at the ke Mansion.


    Matthew''s furious pacing betrayed the gravity of the situation. Jenna, who had just returned home,


    couldn''t help but question her father''s agitation.


    "Dad?"


    With a violent crash, he shattered a cup in rage.


    "That idiot Judy! The photos she sent were fake!" He roared, his frustration palpable. "rk Reid


    must''ve caught on, and now our stocks are plummeting. We''re bleeding money!"


    Jenna dropped her purse in shock, her mind racing with worry. "How could this happen? Can we fix


    it?"


    Matthew''s expression darkened as he pondered their options. Then, he turned to Jenna with a


    determined look.


    "Only you can help me now."


    "Me?"


    He nodded. "Yes. rk''s out for revenge because we reced you with Judy. But I won''t let him


    win! Don''t you fancy Sally''s son, Dominic? If you can seduce him, I can ensure he inherits


    everything from rk. Then, we''ll have it all."


    He sneered, "I''ll make rk pay dearly for crossing us."


    "Do you really have a n to take him down, dad?"


    His cold smile sent shivers down Jenna''s spine. "Of course. With Judy as our pawn, there''s nothing


    to fear. You need to get to the Reid Manor immediately. We can''t afford to waste any time."


    Jenna immediately hesitated at the mention of heading over to the manor.


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    She expressed, "Dad¡­ seducing Dominic won''t be a problem, I wouldn''t mind it since he''s so


    sessful. But what if that ugly thing rk tries to¡­ make a move on me?" She dreaded the


    prospect of facing rk.


    She continued, "I''ve heard rumors that he likes me a lot, I''m just afraid he will try and take


    advantage of me, dad."


    Matthew was aware of her concerns. He patted her hand tofort her and said, "Don''t worry, just


    go and try to win Sally over first. If rk tried to do anything to you, use Judy as a shield.


    "Judy wouldn''t not help you out. Besides, you can use her to aid you with your ns regarding


    Dominic too."


    Jenna bit her lip hesitantly. For the sake of the family business, she agreed eventually.


    Meanwhile, Judy woke to find rk absent.


    She breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the reprieve. But as she began her morning routine, a


    maid barged in unceremoniously, packing up her belongings without exnation.


    Confused, Judy sought answers, only to be met with a patronizing smile. "Mr. Reid said you''re to


    move to the smaller rooms. No more ess to the master bedroom."


    Her heart sank. She had hoped rk would let it slide, but his actions spoke otherwise.


    Determined to keep her distance, Judy silently gathered her things and retreated to her new


    quarters.


    News of her eviction from the master bedroom spread like wildfire through the manor, drawing


    mocking stares wherever she went.


    Even Sally took pleasure in her misfortune, taunting her with thinly veiled contempt. "Had enough


    yet? You can still leave, you know."


    Every sentence Sally spewed was telling Judy to get lost, but she stuck to her own ways¡ªshe


    acted as though she didn''t understand her words and merely stayed silent.


    Judy remained stoic, refusing to dignify Sally''s words with a response.


    Infuriated by her silence, Sally''s threats grew sharper. "Stubborn as a mule, aren''t you? Let''s see


    how long you can keep this up!"


    Judy hadn''t received a single visit nor check-in of any form from the ke family ever since she''d


    arrived at the Reid Manor. It was evident that she wasn''t important to the kes. This also became


    the reason why the woman constantly picked on her.


    Judy didn''t have the energy to put up with her. She stayed in her room quietly and minded her own


    business.


    But her solitude was shattered when Jenna arrived unexpectedly, only to be promptly escorted out


    by a steely-eyed Sally.


    "How dare you show your face here? Leave, now," Sally demanded.


    Jenna''s first order of business was to get her affection.


    Undeterred, she pressed on, feigning innocence. "I''m sorry, Mdm. Hebert. I only agreed to let Judy


    take my ce because of what she said. Please don''t be angry."


    Sally picked up on whatever she was trying to imply and demanded with a re.


    "Exin yourself."

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Jenna told her the entire story in feigned innocence. She pinned a maniptive, materialisticbel


    on Judy''s forehead.


    Judy stood to one side, her gaze fixed and unyielding as she observed the charade. Her face


    remained impassive, offering no defense against Sally''s piercing stare.


    She knew it was futile¡ªSally harbored no fondness for her and was unlikely to lend an ear to her


    side of the story.


    As expected, Sally''s face twisted into a mask of disdain as she spat at Judy, "No wonder you''re


    clinging on here like a leech, you''re just after the Reid family''s wealth. What a gold-digging wretch!"


    A satisfied smirk yed on Jenna''s lips as she approached Judy, whispering, "Dad told you to y


    nice with me, remember?"


    Judy shot her a sharp look, signing, "What do you want?"


    Jenna, who understood signnguage, chuckled softly in reply, "You don''t need to worry about that.


    Just y your part. Or else... I''ll tell Dad."


    Observing their exchange, Sally turned to Jenna with a quizzical expression. "What did she say to


    you?"


    Feigning distress, Jenna sighed, "Judy seems to despise me now. I was only trying to apologize, but


    she''s being hostile."


    "The audacity!" Sally scoffed. "I''ve encountered my fair share of gold-diggers, but never one as


    brazen as this mute."


    Judy had long grown ustomed to such barbs.


    Afterward, Sally warmed up to Jenna and the pair soon began conversing pleasantly. After all,


    Jenna striked her fancy more than speech-impaired Judy did. She was good with her words too,


    and won the woman''s affection almost instantly.


    As evening fell, rk returned to the manor.


    Dressed in a crisply tailored suit, his hair slicked back to reveal a striking forehead, rk entered


    the room, exuding the aura of a business tycoon.


    The scar on his face lent an air of intimidation, but the firm set of his lips exuded a rugged


    masculinity, adding to his refined appearance.


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    Jenna froze at the sight.


    Word on the street was that rk Reid was horrendous, and she''d believed them. She never


    expected him to be so handsome despite the scar on his face!


    Regret gnawed at her. If she had known of his allure, she wouldn''t have let Judy seize this


    opportunity.


    But then, she remembered her father''s instructions...


    Her heart wavered, torn between conflicting desires. Yet, in the end, her ambition prevailed.


    She wanted both Dominic and rk for herself!


    If she could ensnare both men in love with her, her father''s scheme would be realized.


    "You''re back, rk," Jenna greeted, adopting a coy, demure demeanor as she approached him.


    The notion of such a sessful man once seeking her hand in marriage filled her with pride.


    However, to everyone''s astonishment, rk remained impassive as he regarded her.


    It wasn''t just Jenna who was puzzled, even Sally couldn''t hide her disbelief. Hadn''t rk proposed


    to her? Shouldn''t he harbor some affection for her? Why the detached response?


    Was it because Judy had been inserted into the equation? Was he resentful over that maneuver?


    The thought brought Sally immediate relief.


    "I need to speak with you urgently, rk," Jenna announced, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.


    Aware of the woman''s presence due to the incident involving Matthew, rk paused before


    responding, "Follow me."


    Jenna''s face lit up with excitement as she trailed after him.


    Meanwhile, Judy remained by the sofa, her gaze fixed on rk throughout.


    Without so much as a nce in her direction, rk ascended the stairs to the second floor.


    Sally shot a look at Judy, who''d been ignored the whole time, andughed coldly.


    "See? rk likes Jenna, there''s no ce for you here. If you''re smart, you''d leave before the


    situation gets worse for you and you make a fool of yourself."


    Judy had heard too much of Sally''s mockery at this point, and waspletely numb to them.


    There was one thing she didn''t understand though.


    Initially, before they got married, the Reid family assumed that Jenna was the one marrying into the


    family. If so, why wasn''t there a wedding, let alone guests? It was rk Reid himself that asked to


    marry her too.


    It was strange, but it didn''t really concern her. She didn''t want to analyze the situation.


    Back in her own room, she noticed a couple of missed calls on her phone. She took a closer look


    and realized it was from Admiralty Hospital.


    She called them back.


    "Ms. ke? There''s been a situation with the patient, please make your way to the hospital as soon


    as you can."


    Did something happen to grandma?

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Judy immediately started panicking. She hurried downstairs and bolted for the door. The maids


    were about to stop her when Sally stopped them from doing so.


    From her point of view, Judy''s sudden flight stemmed from distress over seeing Jenna and rk


    interacting with each other. Hence, she''s running away in despair.


    "Leave her be, it''s better if she leaves!" Sally sneered.


    Judy wasted no time to get into a cab and headed toward the hospital quickly.


    Fortunately, her grandmother, Lilly''s condition had stabilized, thanks to the new specialist who


    operated on her.


    Inside the hospital room, Lilly, with her gray hair,y still on the bed. Her shallow breaths were a


    reassurance that she was still alive. Judy knelt beside the bed, sping Lilly''s hand tightly. Tears


    began streaming down her face.


    She didn''t cry when her father forced her to marry rk or when Sally picked on her. She didn''t cry


    when the servants disrespected her either.


    The only thing that could tug on her heartstrings was Lilly Dean, who treated her better than anyone


    else in her life did.


    If anything happened to her emotional support system, Judy would break.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    There was a knock on the door. She turned her head and was met with a handsome young man in


    a white coat.


    "Hello, I''m the patient''s primary doctor, Dr. Dominic Phelps. You must be the patient''s family. I have


    a few things regarding her condition that I''d like to talk to you about."


    Judy felt extremely grateful toward the doctor that helped Lilly. She wiped her tears and shed him


    a genuine smile of gratitude after signing a few things.


    Dominic was charmed by this woman''s smile. Her eyes that were previously filled with tears


    reminded him of a rainbow after the rain¡ªthey looked extremely beautiful.


    He cleared his throat and said, "Don''t worry about it." He didn''t understand signnguage, but


    somehow managed to understand what she was trying to express.


    "Her condition is only stable for now, we''ll need to perform a bigger operation in the future. Until


    then, please keep herpany and talk to her whenever you can. Soothing her emotions and


    keeping her at ease will aid the oue of the operation," he exined.


    Judy bit her lip and nodded lightly. She knew that he didn''t understand signnguage. As he


    exined, she listened attentively and shot him a polite smile every now and then.


    Dominic was exceptionally entranced by this beautiful woman from the moment heid eyes on her.


    He paid extra care in telling her a few precautions to take note of before preparing to leave.


    She stopped him. Subsequently, she fished a pen out of her bag and jotted down how much she


    owed him, along with her name and phone number. Then, she handed it to him.


    The man took one nce at her neatly written words before turning to look at her face. He then


    shook his head with augh.


    "There''s no need."


    He knew of her current financial difficulties, so he wasn''t nning on asking for any form of


    compensation.


    Judy refused. She stubbornly tried to shove the note into his hand.


    After failing to turn her down multiple times, he took the note from her. His perception of her


    changed and he felt even more drawn to her now.


    Judy only sighed in relief after he left.


    There was a tumor in Lilly''s brain. Due to her old age, no one dared to operate on her. She was


    unconscious for the longest time and needed a huge amount of money to keep her alive.


    Based on what the nurses said, the ke family stopped funding her treatment. Without someone


    to pay the bills, she naturally couldn''t receive any medication¡ªthat''s why she was in such a critical


    condition.


    Without the aid of Dominic, she''d probably had to prepare for the worst case scenario today.


    It was clear how cold-hearted Matthew ke was.


    Now, she was on rk''s bad side due to the contract mishap, and her father had retracted the


    funds for her grandmother''s medical bills. Because of this, she didn''t see a point in returning to the


    Reid Manor.


    If her father wasn''t going to help with Lilly''s treatment, she didn''t see a point in returning.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Judy remained at the hospital. At around 10 pm that night, Matthew called her again.


    She ignored it for half a minute, but the phone kept ringing persistently. In the end, she gritted her


    teeth and answered.


    His voice was unusually cold. "Jenna said you left the manor in the morning, so I guessed you''d be


    in the hospital with your grandmother. I assume you know why I revoked the funds?"


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She pursed her lips. She knew¡ªit was because she didn''tplete what he''d asked of her.


    Heughed, "You don''t want to go back to Reid Manor anymore, do you? I''m telling you, Judy, you


    better go back! Else, I''ll make it so no hospital within the city will admit your grandmother.


    "You know I can do it if I wanted to. However, if you don''t believe me, you''re free to test out that


    theory. If your grandmother ends up dead, it''ll be all your fault."


    Judy''s expression shifted.


    She gripped her phone tightly and her breathing quickened from rage. Right now, she wished she


    could speak and express all the things she hated about this father of hers.


    Matthew smiled in satisfaction as he aplished his goal.


    "You''d better be obedient, you can''t afford to bear the consequences if you don''t."


    After he hung up, her gaze fell on Lilly on the hospital bed.


    "If I were more sessful, I wouldn''t be subjected to my father''s ckmail. Grandma would''ve been


    able to get the treatment she needs sooner too." She thought dejectedly.


    At 11 pm, she drew a deep breath and called a cab to Reid Manor.


    The maids were all asleep by the time she got back.


    Judy hadn''t had anything to eat or drink the entire day. So, she discreetly headed toward the kitchen


    to look for something to eat.


    She''d just reached the living room when she was spooked by a shadow in the corner. Evidently, the


    man also spotted her.


    Why was rk here? Where is Jenna?


    "What are you looking for?" rk asked as he watched her survey their surroundings.


    She pulled out her pen and paper and wrote, "Sister."


    His gaze darkened and he stared at her. "Are you not afraid that I''ll have her take your ce?"


    Stunned by his question, she didn''t know what to say.


    He lightly tapped on the edge of his burning cigarette. The ashes fell onto the ground and he lifted


    his eyes to look at her.


    "Jenna ke will be staying at the manor," he said. "From now on, I hope you understand what can


    or cannot be said in her presence."


    She froze for a brief moment. Was he warning her not to get on Jenna''s nerves?


    She thought about how determined Jenna looked to get with rk during the day and gradually


    lowered her eyes. All these years, it had always been Jenna who was picking on her. Why would


    she go and look for trouble on her own?


    If it were possible, she''d wished she didn''t have to interact with her at all.


    Unfortunately, things were rarely the way she wanted them to be.


    The next morning, Jenna proceeded to knock on Judy''s door.


    "Judy, I heard from Mdm. Hebert that the pond in the garden is pretty nice. Would you like to go take


    a look with me?"


    She looked like a bright and harmless child as she stared up at her in anticipation.


    Judy casted a quick look around them. Lora and the maids were all looking in their direction. There


    was no telling what they would say about her if she turned Jenna down.


    Therefore, she nodded in agreement.


    The pair walked toward the garden together. The Reid family manor was extravagant to say the


    least, even Judy was in awe.


    Adam Reid had apparently stepped down from his position ten years ago and had been living at the


    main house since. Under rk''s management, the business was even bigger than the peak of


    Adam''s career.


    In the industry, no one could take advantage of him. At the same time, there were also countless


    people who wanted to get on his good side.


    The rich and wealthy Reid family had a pond that was the size of an entire swimming pool. The


    water was filled with all types of expensive fish. Judy apanied Jenna as she watched the fish


    from the top of a vintage bridge.


    They spent an hour or two admiring the scenery in peace. But just as they were about to leave,


    Jenna suddenly pushed Judy from behind.


    However, Judy turned around only to be met with a huge ssh¡ªJenna had fallen into the pond.


    "Help! Help¨C"


    Judy froze.


    Jenna had obviously put on a show. How can the enormous Reid Manor not have surveince


    cameras? She''d be exposed as soon as they checked the footage.


    Jenna had always been smart, did she not think of that?

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Not even a momentter, the sound of Jenna''s cries attracted a crowd.


    After Jenna was rescued from the water, it was no surprise that the first thing she did was to use


    Judy of pushing her.


    "Why did you push me, Judy!" She cried in feigned despair.


    Judy watched as everyone stared at her with judgmental eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows. There


    was quite an audience, but she still had to exin herself.


    She shook her head as she signed, "I didn''t push her."


    As the only one who understood signnguage, Jenna smirked. Then she eximed dramatically,


    "You said you hate me? Judy¡­ Why do you hate me¡­ We''re sisters¡­ How could you?"


    Judy''s gaze darkened at this. The woman was intentionally twisting her exnation. Based on the


    expressions of those around them, they clearly bought her lies.


    Due to the rumors she was spreading, everyone in the manor now knew that rk likes her, and


    was under the impression that Judy yed tricks to marry rk in her ce.


    Hence, everyone detested Judy and sympathized with Jenna instead. Moreover, her sweet words


    also aided in winning everyone else over.


    "She probably did it because she envied Ms. Jenna," someone said.


    "What a vile woman, how could she do that to her own sister," another chimed in.


    "She looked so pitiful, who would''ve thought she was this evil?"


    The discussions they were having secretly pleased Jenna. On the surface, however, she put on a


    sad expression and looked at Sally.


    "It''s not what you guys think, Mdm. Hebert. My sister didn''t do it on purpose!"


    Sally''s gaze was sharp like a knife.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "We have no business keeping a wicked woman like you in the family!" Sally berated Judy.


    Jenna continued adding fuel to the me. "Please have mercy on my sister, Mdm. Hebert. I


    understand where she''sing from. If it wasn''t for my sudden arrival, she wouldn''t have been so


    triggered to the point where she would do this."


    Judy''s face fell even more after listening to their words. How could others not see what their goal


    was?


    Jenna wanted to get Judy out of the Reid family, and her goal also coincided with Sally''s. The pair


    were using each other to put on a show. They got along splendidly.


    But how could she bear the me for this?


    She took the pen and paper from her bag and wrote: "I want to check the surveince footage to


    prove my innocence."


    Jenna wasn''t nervous in the slightest. "I really don''t me you, Judy. Just admit it. You''d look even


    worse if you don''t, even if we pull out the footage."


    Lora interjected. "Ma''am, the cameras are broken."


    Sally shot her a look and nodded. She was tantly lying.


    "That''s right, it''s been broken for quite a few days now. The handyman will only drop by to repair it


    tomorrow."


    Judy felt the sudden urge tough.


    This was the oldest trick in the book. These women were so cunning it was impossible not to realize


    it. Yet, they chose to ignore the truth anyway.


    Maybe the cameras had been shut off beforehand, that''s why they were so nonchnt and


    unfazed.


    Jenna didn''t seed in framing her in front of everybody. Instead, no one here epted her in the


    first ce. To them, the truth didn''t matter. What mattered was that only Jenna ke deserved to be


    with rk Reid.


    As for a mute like her?


    She simply wasn''t good enough!


    She''d originally assumed this was a set-up by her sister. She didn''t expect the entire household to


    gang up against her.


    Was it premeditated?


    Judy was right. As expected, Sally promptly followed up.


    "Since there''s no use in exining. You should apologize to Jenna for making a mistake like this!"


    Judy''s fists tightened subconsciously.


    An apology would mean an admittance.


    As she endured their nasty stares, it felt as though she was the wicked woman they all made her


    out to be.


    Judy drew a deep breath and was unyielding as she casted them a nce. She wrote her stance


    down on the paper.


    "Why should I apologize for something I didn''t do?"

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Displeased, Sally furrowed her brows. There was no end to this speech-impaired woman!


    "You pushed her into the water and all the maids witnessed it. Do you still want to deny it?"


    These people were all the way at the front of the manor when she fell into the water. Just how good


    were these people''s eyesight?


    The lie wasn''t convincing at all.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Judy clenched her jaw. She obviously did not buy these ridiculous excuses. But she couldn''t go


    against their ims and insist on viewing the surveince footage either. The atmosphere turned


    stiff.


    Then, a gentle and familiar voice rang out from behind them.


    "I can prove that she didn''t push her."


    Judy froze at the sight of the man who appeared.


    It was¡­ Doctor Phelps?


    The tall and slender young man approached them and upon reaching Sally''s side, said, "Mom, I''m


    home."


    Sally broke into a blinding smile and reached for her son''s arm lovingly. "Weren''t you onlying


    backter in the afternoon, Dom? Why are you home early?"


    Dominic smiled. "I''ve actually returned half a month ago, but I''ve been interning at the hospital. I


    wanted to surprise you today. I didn''t expect to run into this scene."


    As he spoke, his gaze fell onto Jenna. The smile on his face faded slightly as he continued.


    "I clearly saw you falling in on your own. Why did you use Ms. ke of pushing you?"


    Everyone was stunned as the words left his lips.


    Jenna''s expression in particr shifted mildly. She bit her lip and said, "I-I clearly felt her pushing


    me, maybe¡­ maybe I was mistaken?"


    Lora was about to interject when Sally shot her another look. The housekeeper immediately stayed


    quiet.


    Her son was firm. Since he''d already seen it, any other attempts at convincing him otherwise would


    only result in unpleasantries.


    As Sally thought of this, she looked toward Judy and said half-heartedly, "The pair of you are


    biological sisters, not acquaintances¡ªa misunderstanding like this is nothing."


    Jenna took the exit that Sally was handing to her and promptly nodded along. "Yeah, Judy, maybe I


    was mistaken. I¡¯m sorry, don''t hold it against me."


    Judy didn''t want to ept her half-hearted apology. She didn''t spare a single nce at Jenna, but


    focused her attention solely on Dominic.


    This man had helped her once again.


    She made a gesture of gratitude at him. She was genuinely thankful for him.


    He understood what she meant and shot her a series of nods.


    He was also surprised at the start.


    The woman that captured his interest at first sight was his brother''s wife?


    For reasons unknown, he felt an unexinable feeling inside him. It seemed like pity but also wore


    a face of regret. He didn''t dwell on it, and proceeded to direct his gaze back to Sally.


    "Let''s just let this go, mom."


    She understood that her son wanted them to discontinue this debacle. He''d always been like this.


    He''d always intervene if he felt like something was unjust¡ªthe man had a strong sense of justice.


    She didn''t want to upset her son over a trivial issue, so she nodded with a smile. "Let''s go, I haven''t


    seen you in ages. Let''s go and have a nice conversation."


    Everyone gradually dispersed. Soon, only Jenna and Judy remained.


    Jenna picked herself off the ground and looked at her sister quizzically. "You and Dominic know


    each other?"


    Judy ignored her.


    Then, she continued sarcastically, "You''re really your mother''s daughter, Judy."


    She then walked off, leaving behind a cold-faced Judy.


    Ever since she first stepped foot into the ke mansion more than ten years ago, Jenna had


    always called her a vixen''s daughter. She imed that she was only born because her mother


    seduced her father.


    A younger Judy wanted to tell them that her mother was not that type of person. Her mother was


    gentle and knowledgeable, and was the best mother in the entire world!


    She realized how stupid her ideas were after she grew up.


    A bunch of leeches who didn''t know right from wrong wouldn''t care about the truth.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    After rk returned, Sally exined the entire incident and threw in a couple of fabricated details.


    The man nonchntly looked over at Judy who was in a corner. He didn''t say anything.


    Judy wasn''t dejected, she had predicted this oue long ago.


    Jenna however, was silently snickering. This meant that he didn''t care about that mute at all.


    She approached him with a smile stered on her face. She then handed him the coffee she


    brewed earlier.


    "Have some coffee, rk. Something to soothe your throat after a busy day."


    She didn''t expect the man to refuse.


    "No need," rk refused tly. "It''s gettingte, you should be heading back."


    Her smile stiffened on her face.


    She pretended like she didn''t understand that he was kicking her out. "I''d like to learn from you,


    rk. That way I can help my father with thepany in the future, is that okay?" She tried to


    sound adorable.


    A regr man wouldn''t have had the heart to reject the requests of a dainty woman like her.


    rk, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes at her. "If you don''t leave now, you won''t need toe


    back in the future."


    When his gaze is void of emotion, the scar on his face would make him look extra menacing.


    Jenna''s expression shifted before she promptlyughed it off to ease her awkwardness. "Oh alright.


    You must be afraid my dad would worry about me, right? I know you only want the best for me.


    "I''ll head home first then. I''ll visit again soon, goodbye!"


    Jenna''s smile immediately vanished as soon as she stepped out of the manor. She turned to look at


    the doors with grit and determination.


    After her departure, Judy made him a cup of tea.


    She knew he always enjoyed a cup of tea after work, that''s why he refused the coffee Jenna offered


    him. She could feel his eyes on her even as her head was lowered. Her body stiffened


    subconsciously.


    "What are you doing here?"


    She pursed her lips and met his gaze. She then ced her palms together in between her neck and


    shoulder to make a sleeping gesture.


    "Are you not going to bed?" She signed.


    It was a casual question, yet he seemed to have misunderstood it.


    He lifted a brow and asked, "You want to sleep with me?"


    She froze before shaking her head.


    "Then don''t disturb me." He marched away.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Judy stayed frozen in ce before leaving.


    None of them noticed Dominic standing by the window.


    His expression wasced with shock. He initially wanted to catch up with his cousin, he didn''t


    expect toe across this.


    As it turned out, rk wasn''t nice to her.


    Upon realizing this, his previous confusion had been cleared as well. No wonder Lora also had the


    gall to pick on her.


    ording to the nurse who was in charge of the old woman''s care, someone initially funded her


    grandmother''s treatment, but it had been revoked all of a sudden.


    Dominic''s guess was that rk put a stop to the funding, and Judy was stressed out over it.


    He''d heard the things that Lora said to her. He''d also seen the way his mother treats her.


    What else was there to understand?


    A speech-impaired mute was cast aside by her husband. Having no power within the Reid family


    was a difficult position for anyone, let alone a weak, helpless woman. How was she supposed to


    afford her grandmother''s medical bills?


    She was a random woman he''d only seen twice, but she¡¯d invoked a strange feeling inside him.


    Maybe he should help her out.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Judy woke up and was ignored by the entire manor, as per usual. After she was


    barred from doing chores by rk Reid, Sally didn''t force her to do anything anymore.


    She finished her meal under the demeaning gaze of the maids. She got up and Dominic called after


    her.


    "Ms. ke."


    He never referred to her as his sister-inw and called her by that title instead. This made her feel


    less awkward as well.


    She shot him a puzzled expression.


    He continued, "The director of the hospital told me your grandmother is awake. I''m on my way to


    give her a check-up, I can bring you along."


    At first, she was overjoyed by the news of Lilly regaining consciousness. Then, she hesitated and


    gestured, "Is that okay?"


    He was aware of her reservations and smiled as he shook his head. "It''s alright."


    In the end, she gave in to the urge to see her grandmother.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Dominic''s car was a gray Infinity. The exterior had a subtle design. It gave her the same vibe he did


    ¡ªmellow and gentle.


    He was the exact opposite of rk Reid.


    rk often drove around in a ck Maybach. It was an eye-catching luxury car worth two million


    dors.


    Why did she suddenly think of him?


    Judy bit her bottom lip out of frustration and nced out the window.


    The car had just left the manor as Sally and Lora coincidentally returned. The housekeeper stopped


    in her tracks.


    "Ma''am, wasn''t that Mr. Phelps'' car?"


    Sally nodded. "Why?"


    Lora was hesitant. "I just saw¡­ Mrs. Reid in his car."


    Sally''s face darkened immediately. "Are you sure?"


    She nodded solemnly. "Yes. Mrs. Reid sat in the passenger seat. They seemed like they were


    getting along."


    The woman went silent as she nced in the direction of the gate. Her gaze darkened. "Find out


    how they met."


    Back at the hospital, the pair headed toward Lilly''s room as soon as they arrived.


    Judy heard her grandmother''sugh as she reached the door. Through the ss door, she spotted


    the nurse telling her jokes.


    Her heart warmed at the sight of Lilly¡¯s gentle smile.


    She pushed the door open and Lilly lifted her head. Her eyes lit up as she saw her. "Juju!"


    Lilly was extremely excited. Judy rushed over to help her as she shook her head and signed, "You


    just recovered, you can''t get out of bed. You should rest."


    Upon her nagging, Lillyy back on bed. She smiled and said, "My body is still tough, I feel like I''m


    brimming with energy."


    Judy smiled softly. She then peeled an apple and dug out pieces of it into a bowl with a spoon.


    Afterward, she set a fork in the bowl and handed it to Lilly.


    Lilly was incredibly old. The corner of her eyes were aged with wrinkles. Her eyes welled up with


    tears as she saw how mature her granddaughter had be.


    "My darling granddaughter, sorry for being a burden to you."


    Judy shook her head slowly and signed.


    "We''re family, you can''t call yourself a burden. You need to rest and make a full recovery soon,


    grandma. I still want to bring you on trips in the future. Didn''t you say you adored the snowy


    mountains up at Yonnam?"


    Lilly replied with a teary smile, "Alright, alright, I''ll make sure to recover soon."


    This heartwarming scene left Dominic feeling extremely touched. Although he grew up without a


    father, his mother showered him with huge amounts of love and material goods.


    However, the rtionship between the pair had still moved him deeply.


    Dominic gently spoke up,"I just asked the nurse and she said her condition looks good. I''ll go ahead


    and prepare the documents rted to the check-up. You cane to my office with her in a short


    while."


    Judy just remembered that he was present as well. It felt like she''d been ignoring him. Her face


    flushed slightly in embarrassment.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    "Thank you, Dr. Phelps. You''ve been a tremendous help during thest few days. You''re a good


    person." She signed.


    Dominic couldn''tprehend herplicated gestures, but Lilly exined.


    "No worries, it''s the least I could do." He shot her a smile and left.


    Afterward, Lilly began teasing her. "My dearest granddaughter, is this handsome young man your


    boyfriend? How could you not tell me after I''ve been unconscious for so long?"


    Judy was startled. She didn''t expect her to misunderstand their rtionship.


    Since Lilly had been unconscious for a while, she was unaware of the things that recently took


    ce. Judy didn''t want to tell her that she was already married, lest she has one more thing to


    worry about. Hence, she shook her head and signed again.


    "No, grandma. He''s the doctor that helped us. He''s a very kind person."


    Lilly felt slightly disappointed but she got over it swiftly. Her granddaughter was a great catch, she''d


    find a partner that adores her eventually.


    After sitting with Lilly for an entire afternoon, Judy finally left the room and headed toward the


    director''s office. She was nning to ask about the money required for the next major surgery.


    To her surprise, Dominic replied with a smile.


    "You don''t need to worry, Ms. ke, the bill has already been paid for. The operation is scheduled


    for next Monday. You don''t need to pay for anything else."

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Judy was shocked.


    Who was helping her?


    She frantically scribbled on a piece of paper.


    "Could you tell me who paid the money, sir? I''d like to thank them personally." She wrote.


    The man thought of Dominic''s repeated request to keep his identity a secret and turned her down


    with a smile.


    "I''m sorry, Ms. ke. The donor doesn''t want to be named, I hope you understand."


    Disappointed, she nodded. The incident lingered on her mind her entire way back.


    Out of all the people she knew, none of them would''ve helped her with this bill. She racked her


    brains and still couldn''te up with a possible name.


    She might not have known why they wanted to help her, but the favor was too big for her to not


    repay!


    There was no rush¡ªshe¡¯d definitely find a way to find this benefactor of hers.


    Soon, the car reached the manor.


    The sky gradually darkened. Judy had just stepped into the manor when Dominic coincidentally


    returned as well. The pair ran into each other again in the main hall.


    "Ms. ke. I was nning to give you a ride home, but I couldn''t find you anywhere in the hospital.


    I only knew that you left after asking the nurses."


    Dominic greeted her with a smile. His mood brightened at the sight of her bright and beautiful face.


    It was like his exhaustion from a full day of operations had vanished.


    She shot him an apologetic smile. "Thank you, Dr. Phelps. I took my leave as I still had prior


    engagements." She jotted down on her notepad.


    The man dismissed her with a wave. He then said with a bright smile, "No need to thank me, it''s no


    big deal. If you''re heading to the hospital next time, feel free to hitch a ride in my car."


    She genuinely felt like he was an extremely good-natured man. He was also the only person who


    was kind to her in the entire manor.


    Despite being Sally''s son, he was nothing like his mother. Compared to Sally''s harsh demeanor,


    Dominic was extremely easy to approach. He had the ability to make people feel at ease.


    She wrote again. "The director said my grandmother''s operation is next Monday. Will you be the


    operating surgeon?"


    He smiled and shook his head at the sight of her dainty handwriting. "Mhm. Don''t worry, after the


    surgery, she''ll make a full recovery."


    Judy shot him a slight but rxed smile.


    The pair chatted for a while before she headed upstairs.


    Upon entering the room, she was met with rk, who sat on the sofa with a box of cigarettes and a


    lighter in hand. He lit a cigarette with practiced movements.


    Shrouded in white smoke, his expression was hard to see.


    The atmosphere in the entire room felt extremely eerie.


    She was slightly surprised. It was a coincidence when they ran into each other outside the kitchen,


    was this a coincidence as well?


    If it was, why would he show up in her room?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    The man stood up and approached her. He lowered his head and said, "You went out with Dominic


    the entire day. Then, you proceeded to flirt with him downstairs for an extended period of time after


    you got back.


    "You''re quite ambitious for someone who looks weak and helpless, Judy ke. Are you going after


    Dominic now?"


    Her expression changed and she scrambled for her pen and paper to exin.


    "Dominic is my grandmother''s operating surgeon," she wrote. "We were talking about her. It''s not


    what you think."


    He took the paper from her and skimmed through the written words. Then, he ripped it in half and


    threw it on the ground.


    He furrowed his brows and his expression darkened. "Do you think I''m blind?"


    Ever since this woman came to the Reid Manor, she''d neverughed or smiled once. However, she


    shed the brightest smile he''d ever seen at Dominic earlier downstairs. And Dominic looked at her


    with a loving gaze in return.


    Only a fool would think that nothing is going on!


    "You''re going after him because you can''t get anything out of me. Do you honestly think he''d


    actually like you?" He demanded. "You think he''d like a mute who''s a faded beauty like you?"


    Judy''s face suddenly paled.


    There was nothing going on between her and Dominic, why would he misunderstand?


    Did he enjoy humiliating her like this?


    She couldn''t be bothered to make sense of the situation. He could do whatever he pleased.


    Her expression turned cold and she walked around him to get away. She didn''t feel like arguing with


    him. But rk suddenly reached for her wrist!

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    After tussling about, he pressed her onto the sofa.


    His gaze felt like it could pierce through her heart as he demanded, "You could''ve gone for anyone,


    yet you chose Dominic. Was your goal to drive a wedge between us, or was it to humiliate me?


    "Or perhaps, did you do it to spite Sally? Because you hate her?"


    Her wrists were pinned down and she couldn''t move an inch.


    Judy started to panic¡ªwhat was he after?


    His thumb gently ran along the frame of her face.


    "What a pair of clear, beautiful eyes," he said. "Unfortunately, it''s tainted with malicious intent and


    dirty tactics. After all, a daughter of the ke family couldn''t possibly be innocent."


    There was a strange hatredced in his voice.


    Judy didn''t quite understand where his hatred stemmed from.


    She wanted to break free from his grip. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to form the


    words: "Let me go¡­ Let me go¡­"


    The man''s grip was too strong and it physically hurt her. She thought about the events that took


    ce since she arrived at the Reid Manor, as well as the things he was using her of. Suddenly,


    she felt incredibly wronged and upset.


    Halfway through her struggle, a slip from the hospital fell out of her pocket¡ªit was her


    grandmother''s medical records.


    rk picked it up and froze once he read it.


    She wasn''t lying after all.


    He looked down at the woman under him. Her face was already flooded with tears.


    This was the first time she''d ever cried in front of him. She didn''t make a single sound as she wept.


    Teardrops just kept streaming down her cheeks.


    For reasons unknown, his initial anger vanished just like that.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "I''ll let you go this time. If I ever catch you being extra cozy with Dominic again, I''ll. Lock. You. Up."


    Thest three words made her shudder.


    After he left, Judy picked up the medical record with trembling hands and kept it away.


    At longst, she shut her eyes tightly and a strangled sob escaped her mouth. If it were up to her,


    she''d want nothing more than to stay far, far away from the Reid Manor. She never wanted to see


    rk Reid ever again!


    The next morning, she woke up with eyes puffed up from crying.


    Afterst night, she tried her best to avoid bumping into rk. If she did end up running into him,


    she''d pretend to not see him. Additionally, in order to prevent other problems, she waited until


    Dominic was out of the house too before heading downstairs.


    Upon noticing Dominic''s dejected demeanor, Sally got even angrier. She stormed toward Judy and


    warned,


    "I don''t care what intentions you have, but do not go near my son from now on. You hear me!"


    Judy wasn''t nning on arguing with her. She merely nodded and wanted to leave.


    "Stay there!" Sally barked again.


    Judy froze in her tracks with her back facing Sally. A coldugh rang out behind her.


    "If you have any ill-intent, I''ll make sure to make your life a living hell," Sally said.


    Judy turned to face her and exined with pen and paper: "I met Dr. Phelps by chance, the intent


    you have in mind doesn''t exist. I''ll stay far away from him and not talk to him from now on."


    Upon seeing her promise on paper, Sally''s expression rxed slightly.


    "I don''t care if you''re lying or not, but if you go against your words, I won''t let you off that easily!"


    She tucked away her notepad and dragged her exhausted body away.


    After she departed, Lora stepped forward and said to Sally, "I don''t think we can trust her, ma''am."


    Sally raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"


    Her face turned grim. "Mr. Reid likes Ms. Jenna, so it''s only a matter of time before he divorces Judy


    ke."


    She continued, "She must''ve predicted this. That''s why she''s redirecting her attention to the kind-


    hearted Mr. Phelps¡ªShe wants to use him for his money. The promise she wrote down was just a


    temporary means to get you off her back."


    Sally''s face darkened as she listened. "Then how do you suggest I deal with her?"


    The housekeeper considered for a moment before speaking again. "I think there are two things we


    should consider. One, we should stop Mr. Phelps from meeting up with her.


    "Secondly, we should have Ms. Jenna remove Judy from the picture as soon as possible. We can''t


    possibly keep this nuisance around, it''ll only cause more problems in the long run."


    Sally fell into deep thought as she thought about Lora¡¯s words.


    Afterward, she called Jenna on the phone.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Jenna, on the other hand, was admiring her fresh manicure. She had her phone wedged between


    her shoulder and her jaw. "Mdm. Hebert?"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "It''s me, Jenna. I have something to talk to you about."


    She straightened herself and said, "Go ahead, Mdm. Hebert."


    After the conversation ended, Jenna hung up the phone and stared nkly at the floor.


    Matthew returned from the office and paced in front of her for a bit. "What''s wrong with you, Jen?"


    She snapped out of her trance and immediately grabbed onto his arm.


    "Dad!" She eximed. "You have to help me with what I told you aboutst time!"


    The man froze before furrowing his brows. "Stop messing around! I still have a use for Judy in the


    Reid family. Do not mess things up."


    Jenna was evidently dissatisfied.


    "Dad, if I could get both men to like me, that could help you just as much. Why must you count on


    that mute, Judy? What can she do?"


    Matthew adored Jenna, but he was also aware of how stubborn she was. "Alright, Jen. You just


    need to get Dominic''s affection. The best thing you could do is get him to listen to your every beck


    and call.


    "That''ll make my ns run smoother. Don''t worry about everything else. People like rk Reid are


    devoid of emotion, you''re better off staying away from him," he warned.


    The woman shook her head. "No, no, no, you''ve got it all wrong. rk treats me so well. He likes


    me, and I''m confident that I can make him fall in love with me. As for Dominic, he''ll end up being


    mine eventually too."


    She continued, "So just do me this favor, dad. Get Judy out of the Reid family manor, then my n


    would be half-way there. Please, dad!"


    No matter how much he adored her, he didn''t want to watch her do anything absurd.


    "Alright, that''s enough. I won''t help you with this no matter what. You should give up on any ideas


    about rk as soon as possible¡ªI won''t let him get away with what he did, let alone let you crush


    on him.¡±


    Unsatisfied by her failure to convince him, she red at his departing figure angrily.


    Not even her father could stop her if she was adamant about something.


    "I''m going to marry rk Reid no matter what!" She dered. "He should''ve been my man in the


    first ce. Judy is just hogging what''s mine!"


    Subsequently, she gritted her teeth. "If dad won''t help me, I''ll do it myself!"


    Jenna dialed her sister¡¯s number on the phone.


    Judy was watering the nts. She picked up the call from an unknown number, only to find out that


    it was Jenna when her voice rang out.


    "It''s me, Judy."


    Jenna''s maliciousughter rang from the other end, sending chills down Judy¡¯s spine.


    Jenna stated her demands arrogantly, "I''m not going to beat around the bush, Judy. I want rk


    Reid. Please leave on your own. And, because you''re my sister, I won''t make things too difficult for


    you. How does that sound?"


    Judy wanted tough.


    One of them was forcing her to stay in the family, yet the other one was now threatening her to


    leave. Did she look like some pushover?


    Judy wasn''t fazed by Jenna¡¯s threat in the slightest¡ªMatthew had Lilly''s life as a bargaining chip,


    whereas Jenna ke was just a self-centered, stubborn and immature girl. After Jenna was done


    with her outrageous request, Judy hung up on her.


    Jenna red at her phone. Her facial expression soured and she was boiling with rage. All of a


    sudden, something crossed her mind and the corners of her lips curved upwards.


    "You forced my hand, Judy ke."


    The smirk on her face was viinous.


    She then swiftly called another person. "Jack, I need you to help me look for a high school PE


    teacher. Use any method you can to force him to meet with me."


    ¡­


    To no one''s surprise, a video started trending the following day.


    It was a statement by a bald, middle-aged man. He talked about how he dated a student during his


    years as a PE teacher some years back, as well as the crude events that followed after the pair


    checked into a hotel room.


    Judy ke''s picture was stered at the bottom of the video.


    Subsequently, people started digging up information about her. Her name, address, her identity as


    an illegitimate daughter¡ªpeople online dug everything out.


    Everything escted quickly.


    Soon, an article titled "The Hidden Story of a High School Teacher and The Mute Wife of Reid Inc.''s


    CEO" was published. It immediately started trending online.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    "My goodness, how exciting! That''s Mr. Reid''s wife! What a cheater!" Onement wrote.


    "But why did the high and mighty Mr. Reid marry a mute? That makes no sense," said another.


    "That woman looks quite pretty, what kind of horrible taste in men must she have to like that bald


    teacher? That''s disgusting!"


    An endless row ofments shot into rk Reid''s vision like an eyesore.


    He shot up abruptly and marched out of the office after grabbing his jacket.


    Jeremy followed closely behind and thought to himself, "It''s over for Mrs. Reid¡­ "


    Shortly after, the Maybach pulled into the manor.


    rk chucked his phone in front of Judy as soon as he entered the manor.


    Judy was taking a nap, and was groggily woken up by his abrupt actions. She sat up hurriedly and


    picked up the phone in a daze. Then, she clicked on the link that was disyed on the phone.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her face gradually darkened as she scrolled down.


    Who posted these things online?


    Quite a few people knew about the incident in highschool, but nothing has ever happened all these


    years. Why is it blowing up now?


    The man''s cold voice rang from above her. "What is the meaning of this?"


    Judy pursed her lips tightly. She felt extremely stressed. She hurriedly jotted her exnation on


    paper.


    "I don''t know what''s going on either." It read.


    The bald teacher''s crude statement, as well as the disgusting rumors of her seducing her teachers


    were all false and made-up!


    He didn''t get a chance to reply before Sally stormed in with Jenna in tow.


    The older woman was fuming. She pointed a finger at Judy and started yelling, "You shameless


    woman! The Reid family''s reputation ispletely ruined because of you! Look at all those


    scandals of yours on the Inte right now!"


    Jenna stood behind her. A hint of triumph shed across her eyes at the sight of her sister''s pale


    expression.


    She pretended to be concerned for her and asked, "What''s going on, Judy? Isn''t that man your high


    school gym teacher? Why would he say such a thing? Is he trying to get back at you for breaking up


    with him?"


    Jenna intentionally emphasized the words "high school gym teacher" and "break up."


    Sally blew up upon hearing this. "Even Jenna knows about this, how are you supposed to exin


    yourself now!"


    Judy turned toward Jenna and wrote: "You''re lying. Can you swear I broke up with that PE


    teacher?"


    Jenna didn''t care for details like these. She put on an aggrieved expression and said, "How could


    you say that to me, Judy? I''m just worried about you."


    She was somitted to the act that Judy thought her sister should''ve be an actress¡ªher


    talents would''ve been wasted otherwise.


    Hence, she turned to look at rk instead. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed as he eyed her with


    an analytical expression. She thought for a moment before writing again:


    "I didn''t do any of those things, please believe me."


    Sally pointed a finger at Judy''s nose and said, "You mute, this was clearly something you did out of


    your own free will, now you''re iming that you''re being set up?


    "I''ll have you kicked out of the manor by today. We don''t want women with no self-respect like you!"


    Judy knew that she rified everything that needed to be exined. It didn''t matter if Sally Hebert


    believed her or not, what mattered more was whether or not rk believed her.


    Only rk has the ability to help her prove her innocence! That''s why she kept eyeing his


    expression.


    Upon being ignored, Sally was fuming. Her words became more demeaning by the second.


    "Why would they talk about you in particr instead of others? The way you behave is the problem!


    I''d advise you not to defend yourself anymore.


    "This incident has been spreading like wildfire¡ªEveryone knows about it. Don''t me me for being


    heartless, but there''s no room for you here at the Reid family!"


    Sally abruptly shoved her.


    Judy was taken aback by her sudden push and struggled momentarily to regain her bnce.


    She subconsciously looked toward rk, only to be met with cold and unfeeling eyes. His gaze


    didn''t waver at all.


    Judy''s heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    "Mdm. Hebert, don''t me Judy since that''s all in the past. She was young and naive back then.


    That''s why she was confused¡­"


    Jenna pretended to plead for Judy, but she was actually adding fuel to the fire. Sure enough, Sally''s


    anger erupted instantly.


    She grabbed Jenna''s hand and interrupted her, "Jenna, why are you still speaking up for her? She


    schemed to ruin your marriage, yet she''s shameless enough to act like this. Such a scheming


    woman would only tarnish the reputation of the Reid family!"


    The more Sally spoke, the more agitated she became.


    Pointing at Judy, she continued, "You, get out of here now! You¡ª"


    She wanted to say more, but rk stopped her with a gesture.


    Lowering his gaze, he firmly grasped Judy''s wrist and ordered, "You,e with me."


    He did not even give Judy a chance to react.


    rk''s grip was strong as he crushed her wrist in his hand, making her feel like it was going to


    snap. He pulled her all the way to the room before forcefully closing the door and throwing her onto


    the bed.


    Judy fell awkwardly, feeling a sudden weightlessness that made her dizzy. She tried to get up from


    the bed, but rk pinned her down firmly.


    What did he want to do?


    Panic shed in her eyes. She instinctively tried to shrink back, but under his restraint, she had


    nowhere to escape.


    The man was emanating an aura of danger, making her very uneasy.


    "Why are you trying to hide? Feeling guilty?" he sneered coldly, his sarcasm bing more


    intense.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    After Judy noticed his expression and heard his words, she widened her eyes in response.


    A prelude to his fury, rk stared at her and said from above with an icy voice, "You''re indeed a


    well-trained and obedient dog raised by Matthew ke."

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Judy froze for a moment as she held tightly onto the bedsheet. She shook her head and gestured, "I


    didn''t do it."


    She was not Matthew''s dog. She despised the ke family. She had to marry into the Reid family


    because of her grandmother.


    "What? Do you expect me to believe you when you''re just shaking your head?"


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    rk''s voice grew deeper. He raised his palm and acted as if he could snap Judy¡¯s neck at any


    moment.


    He was outraged. Since this mute girl came to the house, there had been no peace in the Reid


    family, and she had caused such a huge scene now.


    She was just a mute, but he had underestimated her.


    Judy''s face flushed red as she struggled against his strength. She did not want to die. She would


    not allow herself to die because her grandmother was still waiting for her.


    "It seems that without some punishment, you won''t confess!"


    Seeing her stubborn resistance, rk snorted coldly and suddenly exerted force to lift her entire


    body.


    She screamed in fear. Even though she could not speak, her throat made a dry, raspy sound of


    terror, which only disgusted the man even more.


    He carried her straight into the bathroom and threw her into the spacious bathtub,manding in a


    cold voice, "Take off your clothes!"


    Judy froze. What did he want to do?


    She lifted her head, only to meet rk''s steely eyes that were devoid of any warmth. At this


    moment, any exnation from her seemed powerless.


    She closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip. After some hesitation, she resigned herself to her fate


    and slowly began to undress. She removed her clothes one by one, until finally, she was left with


    just her underwear.


    Her body was exposed in front of the man, and at that moment, she felt like nothing but a ything


    without dignity.


    In the next moment, rk turned on the faucet. The icy water poured down from the pipes,


    ruthlessly washing over her entire body.


    Instantly, her body warmth dissipated with the water, and Judy shivered violently, her face devoid of


    any color.


    The water was freezing.


    "I shall ask you again. Is the news true?" he questioned with a lowered voice, each word striking


    fear into her heart.


    Shuddering, she shook her head. Even her teeth were ttering due to the cold. She had not done


    anything, and she would not admit to it.


    "No, it''s not true," she signaled while trembling all over from the cold water, a sight that would move


    any man, including rk.


    After he turned off the tap, Judy hugged herself. She was still shivering, her face already bruised.


    "As long as you admit it, I''ll let you go," he said coldly, giving her onest chance.


    However, she continued to shake her head.


    Forcing herself to move through the pain and cold, she gestured, "I haven''t done anything. Can you


    believe me?"


    rk did not understand signnguage, but he could see her efforts to deny it. If she was not from


    the ke family, he would not have continued like this.


    He had other ways to find out the truth. There was no need for this, but she was indeed a member


    of the ke family and she refused to stay put until she caused such trouble.


    What good coulde from the kes?


    Driven by these thoughts, his anger red up again, and he turned on the faucet once more.


    "You''re still being stubborn, huh? Then stand here until you admit it."


    The water rushed down again, and Judy''s shoulders tensed up. rk stepped back and checked


    the watch on his wrist, expressionless. He wanted to see how long she could hold out.


    Time passed, second by second¡­


    Still standing in the bathtub, Judy was almost delirious from the cold water. Her legs were shaking


    uncontrobly. Several times she nearly lost her bnce as her body swayed.


    But even so, she showed no intention ofpromising. She would not admit to something she had


    not done!


    It was just cold water. She was not afraid.


    Not sure how long had passed, but amidst the rushing sound of water in the bathroom, rk''s


    expression grew increasingly grim as he nced at his watch.


    Unable to hold on any longer, Judy copsed into the water. With a loud bang, her knees fiercely


    collided with the edge of the bathtub, and her vision darkened as the intense pain hit her. She fell


    and passed out.


    rk furrowed his brows, his expression bing even moreplex. His tall figure made the


    entire bathroom feel extremely cramped.


    Judy had refused to say anything until she fainted. There must be something else to this matter.


    Finally, he scooped the petite woman out of the bathtub, wiped her down with a towel, and carried


    her back to bed.


    ¡­


    Her head was pounding, and her throat was itchy. When Judy woke up, she felt weak all over,


    breaking down with waves of cold sweats.


    Suddenly, the door was forcefully pushed open with a bang, startling her.


    Lora looked at her with disgust and disdain before casually tossing a ss in her direction.


    "Mr. Reid wants you to drink this."


    The drink sttered everywhere, making a mess on the bedside table. Judy silently pulled out two


    tissues and wiped up the spilled water.


    It smelled¡­ like lemon and honey.


    "How unfortunate. You just got married not long ago and now you''re ill. A disabled person will


    forever be a handicap," Lora snorted coldly before turning to leave.


    Judy''s head was throbbing. It was too painful for her to pay any attention to the housekeeper''s


    spiteful words. She mustered up the strength to lift her hand and toss the tissues into the trash can


    nearby.


    As for the honey lemon tea¡­ she had not taken a single sip. Who knew if someone had tampered


    with it? Too many people in this house would wish for her death, so she had to be cautious.


    Not long after she put down the honey lemon tea, the door opened again, and in walked rk.


    As soon as she saw him, she couldn''t help but shiver, remembering everything fromst night.


    Every pore on her body exuded a chill as if she had been submerged in icy water again. Fear was


    all she felt.


    "I was framed," she gestured desperately while forcefully suppressing the fear in her heart.


    Unfortunately, rk couldn''t understand.


    With an indifferent tone, he said, "There''s no need to sign. Since you don''t admit it, then prove it to


    me that it has nothing to do with you."


    Judy froze. What did he mean?


    "Put on your clothes."


    Leaving these words behind, rk turned away while saying, "I''ll be waiting for you downstairs."


    He then drove her directly to the private high school she had attended before. In the teacher''s office


    stood the principal and the P.E. teacher who was involved in the incident.


    "Mr. Reid, there may have been some misunderstanding about what happened back then," the


    principal said to rk with a deferential attitude.


    He was afraid of offending the Reid family because of an old incident.


    rk raised his hand to interrupt the principal. He looked at Judy expressionlessly and asked, "Is it


    him?"


    Separated by rk and the principal, Judy nced at the bald P.E. teacher, Max, and memories of


    the unpleasant experiences from high school flooded her mind. She instinctively hid behind rk.


    rk saw her reaction and his heart tightened inexplicably.


    "Yes," she gestured while nodding.


    "Exin everything from the beginning until the end directly in front of me," said rk with a cold


    voice.


    There was no trace of husbandly warmth in his gaze toward Judy. The men in the office exchanged


    nces. It seemed that the rumors were true. What position could a mute woman have in the Reid


    family?

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    rk brought a signnguage teacher in to help trante Judy''s signs to facilitatemunication.


    Judy gritted her teeth and faced Max¡¯s gaze.


    "The person in the video is not me. Tell them," she gestured.


    "How could it not be you?" said Max who insisted, "Back then, you were the one who came and


    seduced me."


    "You''re talking nonsense," Judy quickly gestured. "Why would I seduce you?"


    After hearing the trantions, rk fell into contemtion. Despite the fact that she was mute, she


    was still the eldest daughter of the ke family.


    It was rather unbelievable that she would try to seduce such an unattractive P.E. teacher.


    Max confidently refuted, "You needed excellent scores for all subjects including P.E. for your college


    application, but your P.E. sucked, so you resorted to seducing me andter threatening me with the


    clip. That was why I had to change your score."


    Judy''s face turned pale as she anxiously gestured in response to deny the allegation. She would


    never seduce a teacher for better scores.


    The gaze rk had on her changed.


    As the two continued to argue over the matter, rk said coldly, "Dig up the school records."


    All the subject scores could be found in the school records. A look into it would reveal the truth.


    Soon, the school records were presented in front of them.


    Unexpectedly, Judy, though a mute, had achieved flying colors in all subjects, all except for P.E. in


    the second semester of 11th Grade.


    The originally failing score was struck out and reced with another that was excellent. It was


    obvious to anyone that something fishy was going on.


    Instantly, rk''s already cold gaze became even more chilling.


    Coldly, he questioned, "What else do you have to say?"


    Her face now grew paler than the white walls which surrounded them. Judy helplessly shook her


    head.


    With a bang, rk mmed the table with the school records and dered, "From today onward,


    you''re no longer my wife."


    The room fell silent at his words.


    Judy was panicking now. She could not believe that he had so easily trusted the words of others


    without hearing her argument.


    No, she could not let him detest her! She needed to exin herself. She could not be driven out of


    the Reid family as her grandmother''s life was still in Matthew''s hands.


    In a haste, she came in front of him to block his way and hurriedly gestured, "Let me find a


    ssmate from back then to testify for me."


    "No need. The Reid family is embarrassed enough!" rk uttered coldly and nced at her with


    disgust before striding off without hesitation.


    "Mr. Reid, I''ll see you off."


    The principal quickly followed behind, and the other teachers also left.


    Judy''s mind went nk as she watched rk leave.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Amid themotion, somebody had bumped into her, not knowing whether intentional or not,


    causing her knee to knock onto the coffee table nearby. Crouching down, she winced in pain.


    "Are you okay, Judy?" said a man¡¯s voice behind her.


    Snapping out from the pain, she turned around instinctively. Before she could get a hold of her


    footing, she immediately stepped backward when she saw the bald man in front of her with terror.


    Everyone in the teacher''s office was gone, except for her and Max.


    "Stay away from me," she gestured.


    "When rk Reid came looking for me, I thought I was in trouble." Max sneered and continued,


    "Who knew it''d be this easy to settle the matter? Judy, it seems you''re having a tough life after


    marrying into the Reid family, right?"


    She found the direction of the exit from the side of her eye and rushed toward it, but Max was more


    agile.


    He grabbed her arm, pulled her back forcefully, and pushed her onto the sofa, scolding, "We haven''t


    finished our conversation. Why are you leaving so soon?"


    Judy could see stars from the fall, and her heart dropped.


    "Don''t touch me! Somebody help me!" she mouthed, trying her best to scream for help, but no


    matter how hard she tried, only hoarse whimpering came out of her throat.


    "Don''t be afraid," said Max, shifting his gaze downward and staring at her heaving chest with a


    lecherous grin.


    "If you had been obedient back then, I wouldn''t have had to find a way to cover it up just in case you


    made a scene about it. Now that rk no longer wants you, you might as welle home with


    me¡­"


    Judy hopelessly shook her head and cowered in one corner of the sofa, her whole body trembling in


    fear.


    The truth back then was in and simple.


    A lustful P.E. teacher wanted to take advantage of a mute girl but failed. To cover up the truth, he


    used her first of seducing him.


    The school went into an uproar, but nobody bothered about the truth since everyone only enjoyed


    spectating the bustle.


    Today, even rk refused to believe her.


    As Max''s hands reached toward her again, Judy desperately widened her eyes which were filled


    with terror.


    "Don''te near me," she screamed inwardly.


    Suddenly, the door to the teacher''s office mmed against the wall with a loud bang. The force was


    so immense that it shook the room.


    In the next second, Max yelled in pain as he was thrown to the ground.


    When she finally came to her senses, she saw a shiny leather shoe stomping on Max''s perverted


    face, crushing it like a piece of rag.


    "Ah¡ª!" he yelled as his face was crushed into distortion.


    Judy looked up from the shoe and was taken aback.


    Amidst the flying dust in the room, a huge shadow towered over her, enveloping her entirely. The


    man''s stern face appeared somewhat blurry.


    With a voice that was not so loud but resolute, he said, "Whichever hand that he just used to touch


    my woman just now, render it useless."


    It was rk. Didn''t he leave?


    rk''s assistant, Jeremy, retrieved a pinhole camera from behind a painting in the office and said,


    "Mr. Reid, it''s all recorded."


    It wasn''t until Max was dragged out that Judy regained her senses.


    She stared nkly at the man in front of her and gestured, "You''ve been here all along?"


    Seeing the woman before him in such a sorry state, rk furrowed his brows slightly.


    There were too many loopholes in the reported news that it was utterly unbelievable. However, it


    was difficult to capture substantial evidence since the incident had happened a long time ago.


    That was why he used this trick to ensnare his prey, but Judy had to suffer a little during the


    process.


    Suffer? The moment this word shed through his mind, the frown on his face deepened.


    Judy had no idea what rk was thinking. When the truth of the matter came to light, she could


    finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    She struggled to support herself by grabbing a corner of the sofa, but suddenly the pain in her


    knees struck, causing her to fall.


    Amid her low, startled cry, a pair ofrge hands promptly caught her.


    Seeing the bruises on her knees, rk''s eyes darkened and he asked, "Did you get injured just


    now?"


    Judy felt uneasy, afraid that she might cause trouble for him again.


    While leaning on the sofa, she carefully gestured, "I can walk on my own."


    The tears in Judy¡¯s eyes had not yet dried. Her face was pale and haggard. Clearly in pain, she


    gritted her teeth to feignposure, appearing increasingly pitiful.


    rk''s heart tightened. As she was about to get up, he firmly pressed her shoulder, removed his


    suit jacket, and draped it over her.


    Without a word, he picked her up and they left, under the gazes of the onlookers.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    When rk carried Judy into the car, she felt like she was in a dream. She no longer felt the pain in


    her knees. For the first time, she thought that the man was not as cold and heartless as he


    appeared on the surface.


    Sitting in the car, she looked at him and gestured, "Why are you helping me?"


    He had yet to answer the question she asked in the teacher''s office. He seemed out of character to


    go to such lengths to set up this trap for her.


    rk frowned at her signs. Although he could not understand signnguage, he could tell from her


    grateful gaze what she meant.


    "You don''t need to thank me. I''m not doing this for you."


    His tone as cold as his expression, he continued, "I investigated this matter only for the sake of the


    Reid family''s reputation. Once you marry into the Reid family, you''re part of it. It''s best to stay in


    your ce. If you cause any more trouble, don''t me me for being ruthless."


    His icy voice echoed in the car, instantly extinguishing the warmth in her heart.


    Of course, why would he bother to do anything for her sake?


    Thinking back on his attitude toward her the night before, Judy couldn''t help but shiver, feeling a


    chill down her spine. rk would definitely kick her out if something like this were to happen again.


    Nobody said another word on the way home.


    After dropping her off at the Reid residence, rk instructed the driver to take him to thepany


    directly.


    The car sped along the city''s main roads.


    "Mr. Reid, everything concerning the school has been taken care of. There won''t be any more


    rumors about the incident from years ago. The media has retracted all their articles and are issuing


    their apologies."


    rk was leaning back in the backseat for a break. His strong features reflected on the car window,


    appearing even more stern and serious.


    "It''s unlikely that a mere P.E. teacher could stir up such trouble after all these years."


    "Are you saying that someone has orchestrated all this?"


    "Investigate thoroughly before handing the case over to the police."


    "Yes, sir."


    ¡­


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    The next morning, the news of a P.E. teacher molesting a female student made the headlines.


    Following that, several other victims of his also voiced out.


    Their news soon overshadowed the previously trending article mentioning "Mrs. Reid", and public


    opinion online became overwhelmingly one-sided¡­


    "Waters, the P.E. teacher, has been handed over to the police for further investigation. Regarding


    the suspect''s multiple sexual assault attempts over the years, our reporters will continue to follow up


    and update the public on the progress¡­"


    On therge television screen, news reporters were solemnly reporting the legal news of the day.


    "Nowadays, you really can''t trust the news. It changes every day," Sally muttered discontentedly as


    she turned off the TV while seated on the living room sofa with her arms folded.


    She initially thought she could use this news to drive away the annoying mute, but she had not


    expected her to be the victim. What surprised her even more was that rk had personally


    investigated the matter.


    "Could it be?" she pondered as she frowned.


    How would that be possible? rk was raised by her own two hands. How could he have any


    feelings for a handicap?


    However, she couldn''t understand why he was still keeping Judy in the Reid family.


    "Ma''am, Ms. ke is here."


    The housekeeper''s voice brought Sally back from her thoughts.


    "Jenna is here?"


    She quickly stood up to wee Jenna, saying, "Why have youe so early in the morning? Did


    you¡­ see the news?"


    "News? What news?" Jenna asked as she sat down on the sofa, looking at Sally with confusion.


    "It''s about the mute¡­ your sister''s previous news. It''s now been found out that she was falsely


    used. The P.E. teacher at your high school was reported, and now he''s been arrested by the


    police."


    "What? How is that possible?"


    "Why are you asking me? You previously imed adamantly that your sister was involved with the


    P.E. teacher, didn''t you? How did the situation turn around so dramatically? rk will probably call


    me a nderer now!"


    Sally was clearly implying that this was all Jenna''s fault.


    Slightly taken aback, Jenna wore an astonished look as she said, "Mdm. Hebert, that incident


    caused an uproar in the school, and everyone knew about it. Howe everything settled down


    after rk went to the school?"


    Hearing this, Sally''s expression froze.


    "Anyway, the reporter who wrote the news has some guts. They published the article even when


    knowing that my sister was Mrs. Reid. They seriously aren''t afraid to offend the Reid family."


    Reminded by Jenna''s words, Sally was shocked.


    "Are you suggesting that rk did this for the sake of the Reid family¡­"


    Jenna lowered her head to sip her tea and forced a smile, absolving herself of any responsibility.


    "Mdm. Hebert, let''s just pretend nothing happened. After all, my sister is now rk''s wife. We''re a


    family now. We rise and fall together."


    Thatst sentence carried deep implications.


    Sally''s face fell at the sudden realization.


    With Judy''s history of deceiving Jenna and recing her to marry into the Reid family, she did not


    doubt Jenna''s words, especially considering rk''s strange behavior.


    How could he go to such lengths to clear the name of a mute girl? It must be for the sake of the


    Reid family''s reputation.


    That damn mute woman!


    With that thought in mind, Sally put down her teacup and said impatiently, "Lora, where''s that mute?


    Where did she run off to? Doesn''t she know there are guests at home? Shouldn''t shee out to


    wee them? She has absolutely no manners!"


    "I''ll get her toe down right away."


    Meanwhile, Judy was resting in the bedroom.


    Despite being drenched in cold water the day before, she did not dare to drink the honey lemon tea


    rk had prepared for her.


    She began to shiver all over after returning home in the morning, so she wrapped herself tightly in


    the nket while still trembling.


    Suddenly, a loud m on the door woke her from her nightmare. She opened her eyes only to see


    Lora standing at the door.


    She said, "Mrs. Reid, why are you still sleeping?"


    Judy reached out from under the nket and feebly gestured, "Is there something wrong?"


    "Stop with the signing. I can''t understand," said Lora, her tone full of disdain. "Ma''am asked you to


    go downstairs. Ms. ke is here."


    "Jenna is here?" Judy¡¯s heart sank.


    After struggling for a while, she got up with gritted teeth.


    The incident from high school had suddenly resurfaced, and Jenna was most probably involved.


    After all, the person who wanted to drive her out of the Reid family the most was Jenna.


    Her threats had been unsessful, so this was most likely her retaliation.


    Although she did not want to get too entangled with Jenna, she had to handle things carefully


    because rk disliked her causing trouble for the Reid family. At the very least, she could not afford


    to go head-to-head with Jenna anymore.


    She changed into a in white dress and went downstairs. There was not a trace of color on her


    face, and her steps were somewhat unsteady as she descended.


    If she hadn''t held onto the staircase railing, she might have stumbled down easily.


    "Judy, why do you look so unwell?" Jenna asked as she looked up at Judy, pretending to be


    concerned.


    Sally, on the other hand, gave Judy an impatient nce and scolded, "Who are you pretending to


    be sick for? Are you trying to let your family know you''re not doing well in our family to tarnish our


    reputation? You''ve brought this upon yourself."


    Judy stood at the staircase, too drained to even argue back.


    "What are you standing there for? Go get some refreshments for Jenna. A bastard is always a


    bastard whocks even the most basic hospitality. What an ill-bred peasant!"


    Listening to Sally''smanding tone, Judy silently clenched her fists, but she could only nod


    reluctantly and head to the kitchen.


    Jenna''s gaze shifted and she asked, "Mdm. Hebert, it seems like Judy is not feeling well. I''ll go help


    her."

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    In the kitchen, Judy was carefully arranging some snacks on a te.


    Suddenly, Jenna came in and said, "Judy, let me help you."


    Judy''s back stiffened, and she instinctively took a step back, keeping a safe distance away from her


    sister.


    Jenna cocked her head to one side and looked at her, saying, "What''s with your expression? Are


    you afraid that I''ll eat you?"


    "Don''t pretend to be nice to me. Weren''t you the one behind the news about me and Max?" She


    signed.


    Although Judy had a mild temper, she was always clear-headed.


    "What you did had nothing to do with me," sneered Jenna with her arms crossed. "With this


    incident, you should realize that you''re not wee in the Reid family. You''re just making trouble for


    yourself by staying."


    Calmly, Judy looked at her and exined, "It was you and Father who made me marry into the Reid


    family in the first ce."


    "Yes, that''s right. But back then, I didn''t know what kind of person rk was. Now, it''s clear that


    Dad has made a huge mistake. As his daughter, I should help him correct it," Jenna retorted.


    "Then you should talk to Father about it," Judy gestured, her gaze firm.


    If Matthew asked her to leave the Reid family, she would leave without hesitation. As long as it


    wouldn''t endanger her grandmother''s safety, she didn''t want to stay on pins and needles in the Reid


    family all the time too.


    However, Jenna misunderstood what she said, and her face fell instantly.


    "Are you using Dad to pressure me? Who do you think you are? Do you really think Dad sent you to


    the Reid family because he valued you?"


    Judy frowned. What kind of logic was Jenna''s thinking based on? Had she be a fool after


    studying abroad?


    Back then, they were the ones who despised rk''s ugly appearance but had to rely on the Reid


    family, so they schemed and pushed her into this pit. What did she mean by Matthew valuing her?


    "Judy, let me tell you, I''ve set my eyes on rk. The title of Mrs. Reid was originally mine. You


    better give up on him now or don''t me me for being heartless. I''ve been considerate this whole


    time!"


    Considerate?


    ring at Jenna, she wanted to argue back badly but didn''t want to escte the situation.


    "What do you want from me?" she gestured instead.


    "I want you to go to rk yourself and ask for a divorce. After that, leave the Reid family."


    "That''s impossible," Judy gestured while shaking her head.


    "Then don''t me me for hurting you, Judy. Don''t forget that I still have other leverages over you


    other than your involvement with the P.E. teacher!"


    Judy''s frown grew deeper.


    "I heard that Roy is back. If rk finds out about that incident¡­"


    Jenna''s eyes were full of mockery.


    "Don''t talk nonsense," Judy gestured.


    Her face suddenly turned even paler at the mention of Roy''s name. Her hand that was resting on


    the table trembled slightly.


    "I haven''t been in contact with Roy for a long time."


    Seeing Jenna''s persistence, Judy clenched her fists.


    Her gaze gradually calmed down when she continued, "If you insist on being like this, I promise,


    even if I leave the Reid family, you won''t be able to enter the Reid residence''s door."


    "What did you just say?" Jenna said.


    Judy then retrieved her phone from her pocket in front of Jenna.


    "Have you been recording?"


    Jenna''s face turned grim. She never expected that the usuallypliant Judy would have this trick


    up her sleeve.


    If rk heard her threatening Judy from earlier, the consequences would be disastrous, especially


    considering that the scandal involving the P.E. teacher had tainted the Reid family''s reputation.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "I don''t want to argue with you. As long as Father agrees, I''ll leave the Reid family immediately, but


    you better don''t provoke me!"

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Even a rabbit would bite when it was cornered. With a calm yet powerful gaze, Judy stared at


    Jenna.


    Matthew couldn''t control Jenna, and the pressure from both sides fell on her. Judy couldn''t just sit


    by idly. If she caused trouble again, rk would definitely kick her out!


    In a fit of rage, Jenna reached out to grab the phone.


    "Give me the phone!"


    She only now realized that she had kept her guard down. She needed to destroy the recording.


    Judy quickly dodged her, but still couldn''t avoid Jenna''s attack entirely and identally knocked


    over the te of snacks. With a loud crash, it shattered into pieces on the floor.


    "Jenna, what happened?" Sally asked from the living room.


    Seeing that, Jenna became even more frantic. When Judy was still in a daze, she snatched the


    phone and threw it directly into the sink where the rushing water instantly submerged it.


    Jenna wrestled with Judy in the struggle, and they both fell to the ground.


    "Ah¡ª!"


    Their screams echoed in the kitchen.


    "What''s going on?" a cold, male voice echoed from the kitchen doorway.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Somehow, rk had returned home and stumbled upon their altercation.


    Right then, Judy was pinned underneath. She winced in pain as she lifted her head, only to see


    Sally and rk walking in one after the other.


    rk''s tall figure stood behind Sally, exuding an imposing presence like a majestic mountain.


    Judy trembled subconsciously at the sight. Before she could exin, Jenna, who was sitting on the


    ground now, started crying first.


    "rk, my hand is bleeding!"


    "Oh my!" Sally yelped and asked, "What happened here?"


    Blood was seeping from Jenna''s palm and dripping onto the floor after it was cut by the shards of


    the porcin te.


    "Judy was feeling unwell, so I wanted to help her, but she pushed me away just like that. rk, it


    hurts so much¡­" she sobbed.


    This¡­ wasplete nonsense. Jenna was distorting the truth and telling lies!


    Judy''s face turned pale, and she subconsciously shook her head while looking up at rk. She


    believed that he would not easily believe Jenna''s poor acting.


    Furrowing his brows, rk strode past Sally and squatted down in front of the two. He gave Judy a


    cold nce before reaching out to Jenna the next second and said, "Let me see."


    Jenna was still crying and trembling as she extended her delicate hand toward him.


    "Ouch, it really hurts. I just wanted to help my sister, but she said she didn''t like me being around all


    the time because she''s the mistress here. rk, should I not havee¡­"


    The mistress?


    rk''s expression darkened as he looked coldly at Judy.


    "This is the Reid residence. It''s not up to you to decide who gets toe here, is it?"


    Judy''s heart sank. She looked at him in disbelief while slightly shaking her head in denial, her face


    so pale as if she had lost a lot of blood.


    "I didn''t say that," she gestured.


    She hadn''t done anything. Why wouldn''t he ever listen to her exnation?


    In front of her eyes, rk helped Jenna up and instructed a housekeeper to fetch the first-aid kit.


    Jenna leaned into his embrace, and he didn''t push her away.


    As they left the kitchen, Jenna''s eyes gleamed with smugness.


    She cast a warning look at Judy as if saying, "The phone''s gone now. If you dare say a word about


    what happenedjust now, you''re dead."


    Seeing Judy still on the floor, Sally red at her with disgust.


    "What are you still sitting there for? Clean this up quickly. I seriously don''t understand what''s wrong


    with the ke family. Both of you are daughters of ke, yet you, a disgrace, end up marrying into


    the Reid family. What shitty luck we have!"

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    "Clean up the mess and pour me another cup of tea," Sally instructed before she left.


    Judy quickly retrieved her phone from the sink. It was definitely ruined after being submerged in


    water. She hadn''t expected Jenna to be so brazen in the Reid residence.


    Thinking back to her coquettish behavior toward rk earlier, Judy suddenly felt a pang of


    bitterness. Not because of how he reacted, but because she had grown up with Jenna.


    No matter what she wanted or desired, she could always get it as long as she acted coy with the


    people around her.


    As for herself¡­ Well, everyone had their own destiny.


    Judy set the phone aside and silently cleaned up the broken porcin before preparing some more


    snacks and tea to be brought to the living room.


    By now, the housekeeper had already attended to Jenna''s injury. In truth, the wound wasn''t serious.


    It was just a small cut from the broken porcin. It had stopped bleeding when it was bandaged,


    but she still had tears in her eyes.


    "rk, it hurts so much. Is the bandage not done properly?" she whimpered.


    rk held her hand and examined it carefully before saying gently, "It''s nothing serious. If you''re


    still worried, I''ll get someone to take you to the hospital."


    "Would it get infected? Maybe I need a tetanus shot."


    Hearing this, Judy almost burst outughing. Jenna was studying medicine, yet she pretended to be


    naive and clueless.


    "Judy, why are you still standing there?"


    Noticing hering out from the kitchen, Sally suddenly said, "If you can''t speak, that''s fine, but


    you''re also clumsy and dumb-witted. Hurry up ande over to apologize to your sister."


    Judy was stunned. Why would she apologize when she hadn''t done anything wrong?


    After setting down the snacks and tea, she retreated to the side silently.


    Not letting her off the hook, Sally said, "Didn''t you hear me asking you to apologize? Are you both


    dumb and mute now?"


    "Forget it, Mdm. Hebert," Jenna interrupted while leaning against rk, pretending to be forgiving.


    "I''m sure she didn''t hurt me on purpose."


    Upon hearing this, Sally took her hand andplimented, "My child, you''re being too kind. No


    wonder you''ve been taken advantage of by some heartless people. How I hope you were my


    daughter-inw instead."


    The housekeepers of the Reid family exchanged weird nces with each other when they heard


    this.


    Judy clenched her fists in embarrassment. The main reason she had no standing in the Reid


    residence was because of Sally''s attitude toward her.


    "It''s gettingte. I only came back to get something. I have to go to thepanyter. You guys


    carry on."


    rk''s voice interrupted the conversation.


    He stood up from the sofa and cast a nce at Judy before saying, "Come upstairs with me."


    Surprised, Judy looked at him with confusion. Was he helping her out of the situation?


    As the two went upstairs, Sally''s expression darkened.


    Angrily, she said, "This mute really knows how to y her cards. Just look at how rk is trying to


    protect her!"


    Jenna shrugged it off and replied, "Mdm. Hebert, rk is just pitying her. If he was really protecting


    her, why didn''t he refute what you said?"


    In her view, not only did rk not protect Judy, but he also seemed to dislike her. Perhaps he was


    nning to give Judy a scolding for hurting her.


    At the thought of his concern for her earlier, she became even more full of herself.


    Meanwhile, rk closed the door to his study. Judy took out a piece of paper and pen from her


    pocket and wrote a line before handing the paper to him.


    "Thank you for helping me just now."


    He nced at it and scoffed. "Helping you? You''re thinking too much."


    Judy was slightly taken aback.


    "What happened in the kitchen just now?" rk asked.


    "I didn''t do anything."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "If you didn''t do anything, how did Jenna get hurt? What were you two arguing about?"


    His gaze was stern as he looked coldly at her and continued, "Did Matthew send you here to find


    something for him again?"

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Jenna was over the moon after returning from the Reid residence. As soon she entered the house,


    Matthew stopped her.


    "Jenna, where have you been?" She hadn''t noticed her father sitting on the sofa when entering, so


    she jumped in surprise.


    "I-I went to the Reid residence. Didn''t you want me to get close to rk?"


    "Nonsense!" Matthew mmed the table and stood up abruptly, saying, "I did ask you to get close


    to the Reids, but did I ask you to cause any trouble? What''s the deal with the news?"


    Feeling guilty, she replied, "What news? I-I have no idea."


    "Stop pretending," he scolded, his expression filled with anger. "You''re my daughter. I''d never let


    you marry someone like rk Reid.


    "You haven''t seen his methods, so you don''t know how treacherous he is." Having had multiple


    encounters with rk, Matthew knew well what kind of person he was.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have risked offending him and married Judy off to him.


    However, Jenna didn''t think so.


    Seeing Matthew''s expression softened slightly, she immediately took advantage of the situation and


    held his arm while saying coquettishly, "Dad, don''t worry. rk treats me really well.


    "Today, he even stood up for me against Judy. No matter what I say, he believes me. In my opinion,


    Judy will not be useful staying in the Reid family."


    Exaggeratedly, Jenna told him about what happened at the Reid residence. Matthew became more


    uneasy as he listened.


    "Jenna, listen to me. He''s not a simple-minded person. Do you think he couldn''t see through your


    tricks?"


    As someone experienced in the business world, he had seen all kinds of cruelty. Could he be easily


    yed by a woman?


    "Oh, Dad, just rest assured. I promise that if I marry into the Reid family, rk will definitely help our


    family business."


    "Jenna ke!" shouted Matthew, his expression changing instantly into a stern look.


    He reprimanded, "Let me tell you for thest time, this will never happen. If you insist on getting


    involved, I will send you abroad to continue your studies, and you can forget all about Dominic too."


    Surprised, Jenna looked at her father''s intimidating appearance and swallowed back all the words


    she had intended to say, her smug expression frozen on her face. Reluctantly, she nodded in


    agreement after some time.


    Seeing her aggrieved look, Matthew''s heart softened and he kindly advised, "I''m doing this for your


    own good, Jenna. Don''t get upset. Cheer up because rk wille for a visit tomorrow."


    "rk ising over to our house?" she asked, her eyes all lit up with excitement. Was heing


    to see her because she got injured?


    Matthew''s reply in the next second shattered her fantasy. "If Judy is as useless as you said, rk


    wouldn''t have apanied her back for a visit."


    "Apany Judy? She''sing too?"


    "Of course." He warned, "Jenna, I''ve said what needs to be said. Your affairs with rk end here.


    Tomorrow, you absolutely must not cause any trouble."


    Her heart was overwhelmed with dissatisfaction, but she dared not defy her father''s wishes. In her


    mind, Judy was not even worth mentioning as an opponent. rk must have decided toe and


    see her.


    As for Dominic, she had already figured out a n. She would firmly grasp the hearts of both men.


    ¡­


    The next morning, rk apanied Judy to the ke mansion for a visit. Piles of gifts were


    stacked in the living room, astonishing the housekeepers of the ke household.


    Didn''t everybody say that Judy had a lower standing than a housekeeper in the Reid family?


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    And rk who was rumored to be ugly was unexpectedly handsome. Even with a scar on his face,


    it didn''t affect his appearance at all. Instead, it added to his manly and resolute vibe.


    Seeing this, Jenna became insanely jealous and said sourly, "rk, you''re so good to my sister.


    How lucky of her to marry into the Reid family."


    "Jenna, mind your words," said Matthew as he shot a warning nce at her.


    "Mr. ke," rk greeted with a faint smile, "Apart from these presents, I''ve prepared a special gift


    for you and Jenna."


    At the mention of this, Jenna''s eyes lit up as she eximed, "Really? You got me a gift too?"


    rk nced at Judy.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Judy immediately reacted and handed the bag she had been holding to Jenna. rk had given her


    the bag before getting out of the car, and she had no idea what was inside.


    In front of everyone, Jenna opened the bag and eximed, "I''ve been fancying this ne for the


    longest time. rk, how did you know!"


    It was thetest design from Tiffany. The diamonds on the ne sparkled brightly in the sunlight,


    clearly indicating its considerable value.


    Judy was also surprised to see the ne.


    It was not unusual for rk to be generous, but people couldn''t help but wonder why he was giving


    his sister-inw such a valuable ne at their first meeting.


    Matthew''s expression was grim as he said, "Jenna, the ne is too expensive. Quick, give it


    back to rk."


    "It''s just a ne. It doesn''t cost that much," said rk casually before he took Judy''s hand and


    continued, "Judy picked it personally for you. She wanted to give you something as a sister, isn''t


    that right?"


    Being held by rk who had an ambiguous smile on his face, Judy felt a chill run down her spine.


    She quickly forced a nod.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jenna knew for sure that Judy hadn''t picked the ne. She assumed that rk had made up


    that excuse so that Matthew would allow her to ept the gift. So, she felt extremely pleased.


    Then, they all sat down to chat, mostly about some casual topics.


    Judy sat quietly on the side while cutting fruits. Just as she was about to hand an apple to rk,


    Jenna suddenly said, "rk, you haven''t seen my house yet. Let me show you around."


    "Jenna."


    "Oh, Dad, you always talk about business even among ourselves. It''s so boring. I''ll take rk on a


    house tour." With that, she squeezed in between rk and Judy to separate them and pulled him


    away while ignoring Matthew''s calls.


    When Matthew''s gaze shifted away from the two figures and finallynded on Judy, his eyes turned


    cold as he questioned, "Were you the one who bought the ne?"


    Judy ced the sliced apple down and shook her head.


    "You better watch rk closely and not let him have any ideas about Jenna."


    Judy remained silent for a moment before gesturing. "Jenna likes him and approaches him


    voluntarily. I can''t do anything about it."


    "She''s young and na?ve. She knows nothing. Are you just going to let her make a mess of things?"


    Matthew said while ring at her, not bothering to hide his annoyance.


    "You''re her sister after all. Are you going to stand by and watch her jump into the fire pit?"


    Upon hearing this, Judy felt a sudden pang in her heart. She and Jenna were only a year apart in


    age.


    While Matthew cared for Jenna, he had pushed her into the fire pit of the Reid family without


    hesitation, and now he was even morally pressuring her.


    Sister? When had Jenna ever truly recognized her as her sister except when she was putting on a


    show in front of others?


    "You''ve not paid for what you did with the documentsst time, so you betterplete the task I


    give you now." Hearing this, Judy''s heart dropped.


    What was he going to ask her to do this time? She dared not provoke rk again.


    Suddenly, Matthew''s tone softened as he said, "Judy, you''re also my daughter. It''s hard for me to


    see you suffer in the Reid family, so I''ll help you establish yourself there."


    She was slightly taken aback.


    Looking at her, he handed her a paper package and continued, "As long as you get pregnant with


    rk''s child."

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Matthew''s voice was low, but to Judy, it rumbled.


    What kind of man was rk? Other than that night of revenge on their wedding night, he always


    looked at her with undisguised indifference. Now, Matthew wanted her to get pregnant with rk''s


    child.


    That was harder than impossible!


    "No way." Judy shook her head.


    Matthew remained unfazed. "Nothing is impossible. As long as you feed him this. Put it in his drink,


    try it a few times, and don''t let him find out. You''ll get pregnant eventually."


    Judy was shocked. Was this what a father would say to his daughter?


    When she was first returned to the ke family, she also had longed for a father''s love. Her


    expectations had dwindled with each day of indifference from Matthew.


    Even so, she never thought that Matthew would sell her like amodity to the Reid family. After


    all, even a tiger doesn''t eat its cubs.


    "Father, have you ever thought of me as your daughter?" Judy looked at Matthew, trying to find a


    trace ofpassion in his gaze.


    "Of course, you''re my daughter. As the oldest in the ke family, these are the responsibilities you


    have to bear, Judy.


    "As long as you give birth to rk''s child, the Reid family will be yours! I''m doing this for your good."


    Matthew selfishly exined his ns. The greed in his eyes could not be concealed, chilling Judy''s


    heart.


    "I can''t do it." Judy gritted her teeth and refused. rk had already warned her, and she had no


    wish to y with fire.


    Matthew''s face quickly darkened. "You still have to do it."


    Judy wanted to say something, but she heard Jenna and rk approaching.


    Matthew quickly stuffed the package into Judy''s hand, warning her, "Remember, your grandma is


    still in the hospital."


    With her fatal weakness held in someone else''s hands, Judy had no choice but to grit her teeth and


    endure it.


    "What are you guys talking about?" Matthew''s voice echoed from behind.


    Judy stiffened as she tightly gripped the package and hid it in her sleeve.


    "It''s nothing. Judy hasn''t been back for a while. We just chatted for a bit." Matthew stood up, looked


    at rk calmly, and forced a smile. "Judy said she''s well taken care of by the Reid family. She''s


    happy there."


    "Really?" rk nced at Judy meaningfully. Meeting his gaze, Judy suddenly felt uneasy, her face


    turning a bit pale.


    "Oh, Dad and Judy haven''t seen each other for a long time. Let them be, rk. I''ll show you


    around." Jenna disliked rk''s attention on Judy, grabbing his arm.


    "No need, Judy can show me around," rk said.


    Hearing this, Judy''s expression froze, looking at rk in surprise.


    "rk¡ª" Jenna reached for rk''s hand.


    "We agreed on this beforeing. I want to see where Judy lived before she got married." rk


    pulled away his arm and cast a cold look at Judy. "Right, Judy?"


    The way he called her sent a shiver down Judy''s spine. What exactly was rk trying to do?


    Jenna watched rk and Judy ascend the stairs, her anger rising. She stomped her feet in


    frustration.


    "Jen, sit down," Matthew said, his face grim. rk was not someone to be trifled with. Somehow he


    had made Jenna smitten with him. If this persisted, there would be trouble.


    On the other hand, Judy led rk into her bedroom.


    The room faced north and hardly received sunlight. She closed the door, appearing awkward. She


    pulled out the chair in front of her desk and gestured for rk to sit.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Is this where you stayed?" rk gave her aplicated look.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Judy nodded at rk''s question, causing him to frown.


    The room resembled a shabby study rather than a proper bedroom for ady. A wall of bookshelves


    filled with books, an old desk, and a folding single bed in the corner made up the entire room.


    Considering the ke family''s wealth, who would have thought that Matthew would let Judy live in


    such a ce?


    However, Matthew could allow Judy to marry into the Reid family. This already indicated that this


    mute illegitimate daughter of his truly held no ce in his heart. Judy was just a tool to him.


    Judy looked at rk anxiously, unsure of how he would react.


    But rk merely stood in front of a shelf, casually pulling out a book. He asked nonchntly, "What


    did Matthew say to you when we were downstairs?"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Judy''s heart sank, and she shook her head hesitantly.


    "Nothing?" rk raised his head, his eyes extremely cold. "Then, what are you holding?"


    The moment these words fell, Judy''s mind buzzed, and she involuntarily took a step back. The


    package clutched in her palm was almost soaked with sweat.


    He''d seen it.


    rk didn''t approach her, but the way he stood still made him even more terrifying. Those


    unperturbed eyes were like an abyss, a deathly gaze to doom anyone.


    After remaining locked in a stalemate., Judy finally stretched out her hand. Her shoulders trembled


    slightly as she slowly opened her palm to show him.


    This was her instinct to survive.


    With a creak, the door suddenly opened.


    Jenna opened the door and entered, her face stered with a sweet smile. "rk, I brought you


    some fruit."


    A trace of impatience shed across rk''s face. "Thank you," he calmly responded.


    "You''re wee. Make yourself at home," Jenna said, carrying the tray in.


    She shot Judy a cold nce as she passed her. "Judy, why don''t you help out in the kitchen? The


    helpers don''t know rk''s dietary preferences."


    Judy nodded, her foot imperceptibly nudging the small white package that had dropped earlier


    under the bed.


    "I''ll go get busy then while you guys chat."


    The moment the door closed, Judy was able to breathe again. Her back was already soaked with


    cold sweat. She absolutely could not feed rk the drug.


    Through the door, she could hear rk and Jenna talking inside.


    "Do you like the ne?"


    "I do. As long as it''s from you, rk."


    A moment of silence followed.


    "I remember you studied pharmacology abroad, right?"


    "Yes, my family is in that business."


    "The ke Medical Group has the medicine form. Why do you need to go abroad for further


    studies?"


    "Yeah, I don''t know what Dad is thinking. We have the medicine form patented. It''s more than


    enough to continue the legacy. Why bother learning from others?"


    "Oh? Well then, Jenna, I assume you''ve seen the medicine form."


    Jenna couldn''t find her voice.


    rk suddenly apanied her back to the ke mansion. Now, she seemed to understand why


    he approached Jenna.


    The ke family had a century-long history in medicine. The most valuable asset of the ke


    Medical Group was not the family name, nor Matthew''s business acumen. Instead, it was that


    unknown medicine form.


    rk came for this.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    In the bedroom, Jenna suddenly felt guilty when faced with rk''s question. "O-Of course... I''ve


    seen it. It''s a family heirloom."


    rk had met countless people. From Jenna''s hesitation, he knew that she didn''t know.


    Matthew, a sly fox, even hid it from his daughter. Yet, he sent Jenna to study medicine. He must


    have prepared her to inherit ke Medical Group.


    So, rk didn''t expose her.


    Jenna quickly changed the subject. "rk, I''m not very interested in managing the family business.


    I studied modern medicine, so I want to learn to be independent. Can you help me with something?"


    rk looked up from the book. "What''s the matter?"


    "I want to work in a hospital."


    "Which hospital?"


    "The Hippocrates Hospital," Jenna assessed rk carefully, afraid of revealing her true intentions.


    Hippocrates Hospital? A meaningful glint appeared in rk''s eyes.


    "Alright." His cold voice echoed, a hint of intrigue detected if a person listened attentively.


    ¡­


    During lunch, Jenna kept serving dishes to rk.


    rk only thanked her, then picked up his cup to drink water, not touching his fork.


    Judy observed this and shook her head silently.


    Having spent some time with the Reid family, she knew rk''s eating habits. He wouldn''t eat food


    that others picked for him. It looked like Jenna''s efforts were in vain.


    Yet, Judy wondered if rk would make an exception for Jenna since they were closed.


    rk noticed how distracted Judy was out of the corner of his eye. He ced his bowl directly in


    front of her. "The ke family''s chef has good culinary skills. Judy, have some more."


    Judy heard rk''s unexpectedly caring tone and came back to her senses. She saw Jenna''s face


    turn livid across the table.


    If looks could kill, Jenna''s gaze would have killed Judy ten thousand times over.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Judy couldn''t help but tremble. She strongly suspected that rk was purposely stirring up Jenna''s


    discontent by using her.


    "I can''t eat that much." She gestured, pushing the bowl back. "You eat more."


    The bowl was ced awkwardly between them.


    Meeting rk''spelling gaze, Judy''s hands felt heavy, unable to push any further.


    After a while, she forced a smile and put the bowl back in front of her. "Thank you."


    During lunch, Matthew subtly chatted about business dealings. rk seemed to be in a good mood


    and even revealed some internal information about the project.


    "Did Mr. Patel from the Securities Regtory Commission say that?" Matthew''s eyes lit up.


    rk stayed calm and collected as ever. He replied, "It was my assistant who overheard Mr. Patel


    during a negotiationst week.


    "However, the financing risk is still significant. I heard that severalpanies, including the Wilson


    Group, are still observing."


    "A financing project that the Wilson Group is eyeing must be promising," Matthew said with a smile.


    "Ava, it''s such a good day. Pour us some wine."


    Looking at Matthew, Judy couldn''t help but secretly worry for him.


    Although she didn''t understand much about business, what rk said earlier was uncertain.


    rk used the name of a well-respectedpany to make the project sound more credible.


    Matthew blindly believed in the project''s huge returns, despite no guarantee of sess.


    Considering the current huge losses in ke Group, if Matthew invested in the project, the liabilities


    would reach their peak. ke Group would likely go bankrupt if a small mistake were to happen.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Judy kept her many thoughts to herself as she remained silent.


    The meal was like sitting on pins and needles until it was finally over. rk had to go to a meeting


    at thepany in the afternoon, so he didn''t stay long. He took Judy with him when he left.


    Matthew and Jenna came out to see them off.


    "rk,e to my house more often," Jenna coquettishly said as she clung to rk. Her voice was


    so coy that Judy got goosebumps.


    "It''s gettingte, we have to go. Mr. Reid, you need to go home and change." Sebastian coughed


    subtly, reminding them of the time.


    "Yeah." rk nodded slightly and nced at Judy beside him. "Get in the car."


    Only then did Judy snap back to her senses. She hurriedly nodded, following suit.


    rk frowned, looking impatient. To him, Judy was like a zombie. She was listless with unfocused


    eyes. Now, she was staring nkly without any reaction while he talked to Jenna.


    When Judy passed by Jenna on the way to the car, Jenna deliberately lowered her voice just


    enough for Judy to hear.


    "Don''t take it seriously that rk came back to visit with you. He''s here to see me. Did you notice


    how much rk cares about me?


    "I''m afraid you haven''t received any gifts from rk yet. You''re no different from a maid to him."


    Judy felt embarrassed, but she still forced herself to put on an indifferent expression. She gestured.


    "Then, why are you still so eager to be a maid?"


    She had a good temper, but she was not a pushover.


    After leaving these words, she turned and got into the car.


    As the car slowly drove away, Jenna stomped her feet, acting coquettishly. "Dad, look at her acting


    all high and mighty now. If she continues to stay in the Reid family, she will walk all over us!"


    Matthew frowned. "Enough, stop making a fuss. Did you tell rk what I told you to say?"


    Jenna paused for a moment before she replied, "Yes."


    "What did he say?"


    "He agreed right away." Jenna couldn''t help but feel smug when she mentioned this. "rk said I


    can start working at Hippocrates Hospital anytime. That way, I can see Dominic every day."


    "That''s good," Matthew nodded thoughtfully. "In the future, you should avoid rk. Focus more on


    Dominic."


    Although Jenna was reluctant deep down, she still nodded and yed the well-behaved daughter.


    She linked Matthew''s arm as they entered the house.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, moving on to Judy and rk. Their car drove out of the mansion to the street slowly.


    The rearview mirror reflected the beautiful couple in the back seat.


    "You haven''t answered me just now. What did Matthew give you?" rk''s cold and emotionless


    voice echoed in the car.


    Judy had prepared herself and replied cautiously, "He didn''t give me anything. He just asked me to


    remind Jenna not to get too close to you. He wants to avoid gossip."


    "Is that so?" rk''s hand suddenly gripped Judy''s chin, and the sharp pain made her gasp.


    Her voice became hoarse as she groaned in pain.


    He didn''t buy it?


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    rk sneered, the strength in his grip increasing, looking like he was holding a small bird. "Is


    Matthew afraid of gossip? Or is he afraid that his precious daughter will be letting the wolf into the


    house"


    Judy was stunned. The movements of her patting rk''s arm slowed.


    Letting the wolf into the house? Was he admitting that he had ulterior motives for the ke family?


    Was he really aiming for the medicine forms?

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    rk''s grip was so hard that it hurt, but Judy could only whimper. Her voice was hoarse.


    Even Sebastian couldn''t help but take a second look through the rearview mirror, feeling sorry for


    her.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "What did Matthew give you?" The cold voice echoed in the car. rk saw Matthew give Judy


    something, but he was interrupted by Jenna at the ke mansion.


    Judy''s eyes welled up with tears as she shook her head repeatedly. The sight of her meek and


    submissive appearance caused rk to loosen his grip.


    It had been a while, even if Matthew had given her something, she likely had hidden it. Why would


    she wait until now to hand it over?


    "Keep in mind. As long as you''re in the Reid family, you are one of us. Don''t try to be a spy and sell


    us out. Or else, don''t make me do this the hard way."


    rk looked at Judy huddled in the corner of the car, looking terrified. He let go of his grip.


    rk was well aware of Judy''s ce in the ke family. Even if he doubted before, today''s trip to


    the ke mansion made it very clear.


    If it weren''t for the leverage that Matthew held over her, she probably wouldn''t have been so


    compliant with him. Thinking about the hospital incident, rk had a clear understanding.


    Judy looked at rk in panic, one hand covering her sore chin, her back firmly pressed against the


    car door. Only after confirming that rk had let her free did she dare to take a breath.


    That moment felt as if she were on the verge of death. Being around rk was truly a test of the


    heart.


    After dropping Judy off at the Reid manor, rk went straight to thepany.


    His assistant, Jeremy, came in with a cup of tea. "Mr. Reid, the hospital has made arrangements.


    Ms. ke can start her internship tomorrow."


    "Have you informed Dominic?" rk didn''t look up. After taking a sip of tea, he turned the page of


    the book in his hand.


    "Not yet. Dr. Phelps wasn''t at the hospital today. But the hospital director, Mr. Pendleton, will inform


    him."


    rk nodded slightly, "Is Judy''s grandma in that hospital too?"


    "Yes." Jeremy nodded. "Dr. Phelps is the chief surgeon, but..."


    Hearing Jeremy''s hesitant tone, rk raised his head. "What else?"


    "The hospital records show that Dr. Phelps paid for Mrs. Dean''s surgery."


    This puzzled Jeremy as well. Why did Dominic do that?


    rk frowned slightly.


    Seeing rk flipping through the book, Jeremy hesitated for a moment. "Mr. Reid, you seem to be


    quite concerned about Mrs. Reidtely."


    The book in rk''s hands was a signnguage book, something Jeremy had never seen in rk''s


    office before. rk had brought it with him when he came in today, and he hadn''t stopped reading it


    since.


    Jeremy felt uneasy thinking about Judy''s situation. "Should we inform the hospital to have a more


    experienced doctor perform the surgery?"


    rk was lost in thought when he heard this. He nced at Jeremy coldly.


    Jeremy shivered and realized he had made a slip of the tongue. "That was out of line."


    After Jeremy left, the office became quiet.


    rk''s slender fingers turned the pages of the book and turned to thest page. He found words


    written on thest nk page. The handwriting had faded but the words were still legible. It was a


    copy of the poem "To the Oak Tree".


    "If I love you, it will never be like the spineless vines, unting myself on your high branches¡­"

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    As rk looked at the beautiful handwriting, Judy''s soft and innocent eyes came to his mind. How


    could such a submissive woman have a liking for this poem?


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Judy returned to the Reid manor.


    Lora was the only one in the living room, wiping the table. When she saw Judye back, she


    acted as if Judy was invisible.


    Judy didn''t get angry either. "Where is Mdm. Hebert?" If she wasn''t home, Judy could rx and rest


    in her room for a while.


    Lora frowned. "Mrs. Reid, what are you gesturing about? I don''t understand."


    Judy was stunned. The gestures she made were not entirely signnguage. Anybody could


    understand based on her expression.


    Just as she was about to take out a notebook to write, a familiar voice suddenly came from the


    back. "Mom went out to socialize. Why are you asking for her?"


    Judy turned her head and saw Dominic smiling at her.


    Judy nodded at him as a greeting and wrote in the notebook. "It''s nothing. I brought some things


    from home. It''s meant for Mdm. Hebert."


    The things Judy brought back were prepared by Matthew. After all, she was the daughter of the


    ke family. Even if she was not favored, the ke family still had to rely on her for certain matters.


    The ke family couldn''t neglect this courtesy so they prepared some gifts.


    "She should be backter. Just give it to Lora."


    Judy nodded, indicating that she understood. "Why are you at home? Don''t you have to go to


    work?"


    "I have a day off today," Dominic exined. "By the way, I''m going to the hospitalter. Do you want


    to go with me?"


    Judy hesitated. Then, shook her head, politely declining. "I''m not going to the hospital today. I''ll go


    tomorrow."


    Thinking of rk''s bad attitude towards her when she met Dominic before, she shivered. It would


    be better not to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings. Keeping it this way was beneficial to


    all.


    Then, Judy pointed upstairs and made a sleeping gesture, indicating that she was going upstairs to


    rest.


    Dominic''s eyes shed with a hint of sadness that was almost imperceptible, but he still nodded.


    "Okay, go ahead."


    Watching Judy''s meek figure from the back, somehow, Dominic''s desire to protect her intensified.


    ¡­


    As night fell, the south-facing bedroom on the second floor of the ke mansion was still brightly lit.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    "Okay, thank you, Mr. Pendleton. I''ll report to the hospital on time tomorrow morning." Jenna held


    the phone, her voice filled with undisguised joy.


    After hanging up the phone, she looked at the job offer notification on her phone screen and


    immediately sent a message to rk. "rk, I received the hospital''s notification. I didn''t expect


    you to help me so soon. Thank you."


    She waited for a long time but received no reply.


    It was already 11:00 pm. Thoughts of rk back at the Reid manor at this hour, lying in bed with


    Judy, flooded Jenna''s mind. The smile on Jenna''s face gradually froze.


    No, Judy and rk didn''t sleep in the same room at all. Sally had told her that.


    But Matthew''s intentions...


    Jenna quickly rummaged through the drawer, her mind a mess. She reached for the white paper


    package she had picked up by Judy''s bed when she left the room that morning.


    Majoring in modern medicine, Jenna could tell from a nce and by smell what the powders were in


    the white paper package.


    Having grown up exposed to medicine forms, she had acquired the ability to identify them


    quickly.


    If she guessed right, this was what Matthew had given Judy. Did Matthew instruct Judy to give rk


    this medicine?

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    The next day, the weather was fine and sunny. Sally got up early to have breakfast with Dominic.


    Dominic sat at the table and couldn''t help but nce at the stairs. "Where''s Juju?"


    Logically, he should address Judy as "Mrs. Reid", but thinking of rk''s attitude towards Judy,


    somehow, he couldn''t bring himself to call her that.


    "Why are you bringing her up so early in the morning? She''s jinxed." Sally put a peeled egg on the


    te in front of Dominic. "Dom, eat the egg."


    Dominic frowned. "Mom, please treat Judy nicer in the future. She''s not having an easy time."


    Hearing this, Sally''s expression turned unhappy. "You just came back from abroad, you don''t know


    the situation here. rk was supposed to marry the second child of the ke family, Jenna.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "It was Judy''s scheming that had tricked Jenna. That''s how she married into the family. Do you still


    want me to y nice to a woman like that? I think rk should divorce her and kick her out."


    Dominic''s frown deepened, surprised by this revtion.


    Just as they were talking, the sound of footsteps came from the living room. It was Judy, getting


    ready to leave.


    Sally heard it and took a look. Her face immediately fell. "Everyone is up, you''re thetest. You''re a


    good-for-nothing who can''t do anything right! Such azy bum!"


    Judy stood silently, gesturing. "Sorry."


    "Who can understand what you''re saying?" Sally snapped.


    "Where are you going so early in the morning?"


    "Hospital." Judy wrote in her notebook.


    Sally looked annoyed. "You always go to the hospital. Do you know how many germs you bring


    back?"


    She said this without realizing that Dominic was a doctor, spending much more time in the hospital


    than Judy. He encountered more patients and was exposed to more germs.


    Seeing Judy being scolded, Dominic immediately stood up and intervened. "Mom, I''m done eating."


    "You''re done? Have some more, Dom."


    "No, thanks." Dominic picked up his coat draped over the back of the chair and casually said, "Judy,


    I happen to need to talk to you about your grandma''s surgery. Let me drive you to the hospital."


    Judy nodded hurriedly. The top priority was to get away from Sally, or else she might get scolded all


    day long and wouldn''t be able to make it to the hospital.


    "What¡­" Sally couldn''t stop Dominic. She couldn''t be too harsh on Judy in front of him, so she was


    forced to watch them leave one after the other.


    "That damn mute! Dom must be crazy to stand up for her."


    Lora, setting the table nearby, said, "Ma''am, you''ve to be on alert. Mr. Reid doesn''t care about Judy


    but Mr. Phelps is a good-natured and kind-hearted man. It''s hard to say if this mute will harbor other


    thoughts."


    Upon hearing this, Sally skipped a beat. "How dare she! If she dares to seduce my son, I''ll chase


    her out from the Reid manor!"


    But thinking about her son''s temper, Sally was indeed a bit worried.


    ¡­


    On the way to the hospital, Dominic brought out a bag of cookies from the back seat. "You didn''t


    have breakfast, did you? Eat some to make do. When we get to the hospital, there''s a cafe nearby.


    We can grab somethingter."


    Judy took the cookie and wrote in her notebook. "Thank you."


    Dominic nced at it and praised, "Your handwriting is very beautiful."


    Judy continued to write. "I appreciate your help just now."


    "It was my mom''s fault. Don''t take it to heart." Dominic apologized while driving, holding the steering


    wheel.


    "My mom is a bit stubborn, she can be harsh to non-family members. If she offended you in any


    way, I apologize on her behalf."


    Judy looked at the man in front of her. Dominic was handsome and gentle. It was a far cry from


    Sally''s sharp and bitter demeanor. It would be hard to imagine that he was Sally''s son.


    "By the way, I heard that it was your sister who was supposed to marry rk?"


    Judy was slightly taken aback and nodded slowly.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    "How did you end up marrying rk instead?" Judy fell silent. The truth wasplicated. It couldn''t


    be exined in a few sentences.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    She couldn''t reveal to Dominic that it was because Jenna found rk ugly and wanted to pass him


    off. Judy wasn''t the type to talk bad behind someone''s back.


    Seeing her silence, Dominic felt a pang of regret. "Sorry, I shouldn''t have asked."


    "It''s okay." Judy shook her head. "I''ll tell you slowly when I have a chance."


    "Alright." Dominic smiled. "If you ever feel wronged at home, or if rk treats you poorly, you can


    talk to me. I''ll talk to him for you."


    "No need." Judy quickly waved her hand, rejecting Dominic''s offer.


    If Dominic spoke to rk on her behalf, she couldn''t imagine how rk would do. It might make


    things even worse.


    Dominic suddenly felt helpless. The girl next to him, though unable to speak and seemingly frail,


    possessed a hidden strength. Her gentle gaze carried a sense of strength that made it hard to look


    away.


    Wasn''t a girl like her more worthy of love than Jenna? Dominic couldn''t understand what rk was


    thinking.


    Soon, they arrived at the hospital, where Dominic had to go to the outpatient clinic for his shift, so


    Judy went straight to Lilly''s ward.


    During the preoperative recovery period, Lilly''splexion had improved. When Judy arrived, Lilly


    was chatting with the patient in the next bed.


    Seeing Judy, Lilly smiled. "Speaking of the devil, I knew you woulde to visit me."


    Judy gently smiled and held Lilly''s rough hand. "How are you? Are you okay?"


    "I''m doing very well. Why have you lost so much weight in the past few days? Are you not eating


    well because you''re worried about me? Or is Matthew not treating you right?" Lilly had never liked


    Matthew.


    "It''s nothing, Grandma. I''m doing fine."


    "That''s good. By the way, isn''t the surgery expensive? I don''t think there''s anything wrong with me. I


    feel like I can be discharged tomorrow."


    "No." Judy squeezed Lilly''s hand, looking serious. "The surgery must be done. You don''t have to


    worry about the money. It''s already been taken care of."


    "How was it resolved?"


    Judy pursed her lips. "Dad took care of it."


    Lilly looked at Judy skeptically. "Really?"


    "Yes." Judy nodded solemnly.


    Judy had to say that to reassure Lilly. If Lilly found out that she had married into the Reid family to


    pay off her medical expenses, Lilly would refuse the surgery.


    Sure enough, Lilly breathed a sigh of relief. "That nasty Matthew still has some conscience. But I


    don''t think he wants to help us. He just wants our family''s forms."


    Medicine forms?


    Judy was slightly taken aback. "What forms?"


    Lilly looked around and whispered. "I haven''t told you before. Matthew wanted to take you back to


    the ke family for the sake of our form. That form¡ª"


    "Judy..." A familiar voice suddenly came from the door, interrupting Lilly.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Upon hearing the familiar female voice, Judy immediately felt a chill down her spine. She turned


    around to see Jenna standing at the door in a white coat, looking at her arrogantly.


    "What are you doing here?" Judy was stunned.


    Lilly frowned too, subconsciously gripping Judy''s hand. She held back what she was about to say.


    "Oh, I''m here for an internship. I''m not like you. You''re unemployed, only know how to freeload off


    others," Jenna mercilessly mocked Judy.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Internship? Judy looked at Jenna in astonishment.


    Indeed, Jenna was dressed in a white coat from Hippocrates Hospital. Holding a patient record as


    she walked over to Judy and Lilly. "It just happens so that on my first day of work, I get to examine


    your grandma."


    Judy instinctively shielded Lilly, her expression hesitant.


    "Judy." Lilly patted Judy on the shoulder and looked at Jenna. Then, she said unyieldingly, "I didn''t


    expect the youngest daughter of the ke family to give up on her family business and choose to


    work at the hospital. Your future looks promising."


    Jenna looked smug. "It''s always better to listen to the elders. Unlike someone who is mute and


    lacks manners."


    She had arrived early today and the hospital director had personally weed her. Everyone in the


    hospital treated her politely.


    Upon hearing this, Lilly sneered, "Unfortunately, medical skills are useless in the hands of someone


    with bad intentions. Jenna, I don''t need you to examine me here. Please ask the hospital to send


    someone else."


    "What did you say?" Jenna''s face changed. "Who are you using of having bad intentions?"


    "The rabid dog who is barking." Lilly''s temper had always been bad, developed from years of


    enduring while raising Judy alone. Moreover, she had witnessed what the ke family had done


    over the years.


    If it weren''t for the sake of Judy getting a good education, she wouldn''t let Judy stay in the ke


    mansion.


    Jenna had never been treated with such disrespect before. She snapped, "Old hag, don''t insult me


    just because I''m ying nice. You''re lucky that I''m examining you. How dare you use me of ill


    intentions?


    "You and your dead daughter are the ones with bad intentions! She was so proud of being a slut. It''s


    her fault that she gave birth to a mute!"


    "You!" Lilly, pale with anger, clutched her chest, unable to speak.


    Judy, worried, tried to calm Lilly down, repeatedly gesturing for Jenna to stop.


    "What''s the matter? Did I hit a sore spot? Are you embarrassed? Judy, your mom, and your


    grandma are all the same!


    "You guys think highly of yourself. I''m warning you, stay away from Dominic. Don''t get your hopes


    high!"


    Judy was afraid that Lilly would be provoked again, so she pushed and shoved Jenna to drive her


    away.


    "Don''t touch me! Let go! What are you doing?" Jenna pushed Judy with full force.


    Judy lost her bnce and fell to the ground, hitting her back on the bed frame. She was in so much


    pain that she could barely breathe.


    "What''s going on?" A male voice came from the entrance.


    "Dominic." Jenna''s expression shifted. She had wanted to humiliate Judy further. But, she put on a


    look of grievance as soon as she saw Dominic. "Dominic, she pushed me first!"


    Dominic ignored her and approached Judy. He helped her up, inquiring, "Are you okay? Are you


    hurt?"


    Tears streamed down Judy''s face due to the pain. Judy shook her head and looked towards Lilly on


    the bed.


    Dominic understood her concern. He assisted her up before going over to check on Lilly.


    Using a stethoscope to examine Lilly, Dominic instructed her. "Mrs. Dean, rx. Lie down and rest.


    Deep, long breaths. Don''t think about anything for now."


    Seeing this, Jenna started toin, "Dominic, I¡ª"

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    "Shut up!" Dominic, holding a stethoscope, turned his head and gave Jenna a stern look. "Who told


    you toe here? Get out!"


    She was an intern on her first day of work. Without any training or permission from the attending


    physician, she had intruded into the ward. She even spoke rudely to the patient.


    Once this was over, Dominic would have to find out who let her work in the hospital.


    After some time, Lilly calmed down and her heart rate gradually returned to normal. She leaned on


    the hospital bed to rest, and Judy sat beside her, holding Lilly''s hand tightly.


    "Mrs. Dean is fine. Don''t worry too much." Dominic reassured Judy.


    Judy nodded. "Is Jenna working here? Can you please not put her in charge of Grandma?


    Dominic''s face darkened slightly. "I''ll handle this. You don''t have to worry."


    After saying this, he immediately turned and walked out.


    Jenna was still waiting outside. When she saw Dominic, she immediately stepped forward to


    exin, "Dominic, it''s not what you think! She pushed me first."


    Dominic''s face darkened, and he revealed a rare cold expression. "Jenna, what did you say to Judy


    and Mrs. Dean? Do you think everyone else is deaf?"


    There were other patients in the ward. The truth could be revealed with just a few inquiries.


    Jenna''s face turned pale. The arrangement to work in the hospital by rk had been too easy, so


    much so that she had just gotten carried away and only wanted to give Judy a warning.


    Who would have thought that it would turn out like this?


    But seeing the way Dominic defended Judy, Jenna felt a surge of anger. She gritted her teeth and


    said, "Dominic, why are you so protective of her? Don''t forget that she is your sister-inw."


    Dominic remainedposed. "This is a hospital. She is a family member of the patient. What you''re


    saying is irrelevant."


    Jenna was speechless. In her frustration, she stomped her feet. "I''ll tell Mdm. Hebert!" After saying


    that, she ran off in a huff.


    Dominic stood in the hallway impatiently, frowning as he watched Jenna''s retreating figure.


    The two daughters of the ke family were so different. Judy couldn''t even afford Lilly''s medical


    expenses. So it was imaginable how much hardships she had suffered since childhood.


    Speaking of Judy, after coaxing Lilly to rest, she followed Dominic to his clinic to treat the wound.


    Judy scraped her ankle when Jenna pushed her. Though the bleeding had stopped and wasn''t a big


    deal, Dominic insisted on taking care of it.


    "Okay, avoid contact with water for the next few days."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Thank you." Judy wrote the words and handed them over.


    As Dominic looked at the elegant handwriting in Judy''s notebook, he suddenly asked, "I heard from


    Mrs. Dean that you weren''t born mute. Have you ever thought of getting it treated?"


    Judy was slightly startled and shook her head. She was indeed not born mute. The fire that year


    had damaged her vocal cords.


    The doctor had assured her that it was treatable, but years had passed, and she realized she


    missed the optimal window for treatment.


    Moreover, she could not afford the medical expenses, so she had never considered it.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll tell you about thister. Is your back injured too? Let me take a look."


    At this moment, the door of the clinic where Dominic worked remained slightly ajar. No one noticed


    that there was a phone that happened to snap a picture of both of them.


    With a "click", a scene that was easily misunderstood was captured.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    While at Reid Incorporated, rk looked at a project blueprint in his office.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Mr. Reid, our biggestpetitor for East tinum is Freeman Incorporated," Jeremy said


    worriedly. "They''re already done with the negotiation of thend they bid. It will be difficult for us to


    recover from this."


    "Nothing''s easy in the business world, Jeremy," rk said.


    Jeremy was deep in thought. The opponent wasn''t an average Joe to be able topete in a bid


    with arge corporation like Reid Incorporated. After all, an insignificant foe would not dare to face


    rk, to begin with.


    Suddenly, rk''s eyes widened as he stared at the monitor.


    "What''s wrong, Mr. Reid? Did something happen to the blueprint?" Jeremy asked. He was


    concerned for the people in the engineering department.


    rk turned the monitor toward Jeremy. What Jeremy saw jolted him.


    It was an email from an anonymous sender sent half a minute ago. It was attached with a photo and


    nothing else.


    Jeremy''s face turned pale. "Mr. Reid, this photo¡­"


    The photo depicted Judy and Dominic in a doctor''s office. He was holding and inspecting carefully


    at her hand.


    rk gazed at the holding hands in the photo and ordered coldly, "Check the IP address. Find out


    who sent this."


    "Y-Yes, sir," Jeremy shivered as he replied.


    rk tapped his finger on the table with his eyes fixated on the photo. His eyes widened again


    when he remembered the things that had happened recently.


    It appeared that the ke family wasn''t content with the oue they got in return for marrying


    Judy to the Reid family, despite they were the ones substituting it with a mute.


    ¡­


    Judy felt uneasy as she had a bad feeling the whole afternoon. She had been in the hospital the


    entire day and met Dominic, who just finished his work. He kindly let her tag along for their way


    home.


    As they arrived at the Reid''s manor, Sally called for them. She looked at Judy disgustingly and said,


    "Dom, why was she with you?"


    Judy took out her notebook and was about to write something, but Dominic quickly exined, "I just


    finished work and saw her on the way. So I let her tag along to return home.


    "It''s just a small favor. We''re family anyway, right?"


    "What family? We have nothing to do with her." Sally gave Judy a side-eye. "She won''t be staying


    with us for any longer. I¡ª"


    "Mom." Dominic stopped Sally. His face turned sour.


    Seeing Dominic''s expression, Sally bottled up what she was about to say. "Alright, alright. I''m not


    going to say anything. Since you came back early today, let''s have a chat."


    While considering Judy''s ce in the Reid family, Dominic nodded and said, "Judy, why don''t you


    go get some rest? I''ll let you know when dinner is ready."


    Judy looked at Sally with hesitation.


    "It''s okay, you can leave." Sally shooed her away. She only wanted to talk with her son and had no


    time to deal with Judy.


    Judy felt relieved and went upstairs.


    Sally''s repulsive look disappeared when she heard the sound of the door closing upstairs. She


    peeled an apple for Dominic and asked, "Dom, I heard Jenna started interning at your hospital, is


    she?"


    "Yeah," Dominic replied while looking distracted.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    "I''ve met Jenna before. She is the second daughter of the ke family," Sally said. "She''s pretty,


    kind, educated, and came from a well-off family. You better look after her since you''ll be working


    together."


    "She doesn''t work with me," Dominic replied calmly.


    He still remembered how harshly Jenna treated the patients earlier in the hospital. Dominic would


    never take such a person as his assistant intern. Regardless of how she got the job, he would


    request a recement.


    "What did that Judy tell you?" Sally frowned. "That stupid mute. She can''t even speak, but she''s


    somehow good at badmouthing, isn''t she? Is she jealous of her sister because she''s not as good in


    comparison?"


    Dominic''s face turned straight. "Mom, could you not judge a book by its cover?"


    Dominic knew Sally was unkind toward Judy. Adding that to rk''s attitude, he felt pity for how


    badly Judy was treated in the Reid family and couldn''t stand for it.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    "I wasn''t. I''ve done my investigation," Sally exined. "That mute''s mom was a mistress. She was


    the one responsible for the death of Jenna''s mom. That Judy, she''s bad news!"


    Dominic''s forehead furrowed. "Who told you that?"


    "Of course, it''s Jenna," Sally answered and sighed. "That poor child came to me crying this


    afternoon.


    "She said something terrible happened in the hospital, and you''ve misunderstood her. She took a


    long time to exin the whole thing to me.


    "Her life was not easy. Losing her mom at such a young age, of course, she would have a bad


    childhood!"


    So it was Jenna.


    Dominic massaged his temple. He couldn''t believe that Jenna would turn the table around. "Mom,


    you couldn''t just listen to one side of the story," Dominic said.


    "What is wrong with you, Dom?" Sally scowled. "Did that mute drugged you? Why are you speaking


    for her?"


    "I''m not speaking for her. I''m just being realistic," Dominic answered with a stern look. "Also, please


    leave rk''s family matters alone, Mom. They live their own life, and so do we."


    "What do you mean to leave them alone? You¡ª" Sally said.


    "I''m tired, Mom. I''m going back to my room." Dominic interrupted Sally and went to his room.


    Sally''s eyes widened as she looked at Dominic leaving.


    Judy was reading in her room when she heard cracking ss from downstairs. Surprised by the


    sudden noise, she leaned at the door to eavesdrop and heard Sally throwing a tantrum.


    "I''ve given all I have to raise him a better man. Now that he''s all grown up, he started criticizing


    me?" Sally shouted.


    "Calm down, Ma''am. I''m sure Mr. Phelps didn''t mean it." Lora consoled.


    "Didn''t mean it? I know he''s embarrassed because I''m staying with the Reid family and not leaving.


    His cousin rk didn''t even say anything. Why is he loathing so much about?" Sally howled.


    "Don''t be mad, Ma''am. Here, have some tea," Lora said.


    Suddenly, there was the sound of another ss breaking.


    Judy held her book tightly and was confused. She couldn''t understand that despite the Reid family


    being arge family-owned business, even if rk had lost his parents at a young age, there


    should''ve been other family members to raise him instead of Sally.


    Judging from Dominic''s attitude, he seemed to be against Sally staying with the Reid family.


    Soon, themotion subsided downstairs. Feeling relieved, Judy continued reading her book. She


    had no reason to care anything about the Reid family.


    But the calm didn''tst long. Before Judy could finish a page, the door mmed open without even


    a knock.


    Judy looked up in surprise and saw Sally standing at the door, eyes burned with anger. "You stupid


    mute, pack your shit up and leave the Reid manor now!"


    Judy was scared and held her book tight.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Sally looked down her nose at Judy. Her arrogant face emitted a strong contempt toward Judy.


    Sally yelled, "You''ve seen how rk treated you. I don''t care if you''ve reced your sister and


    married into the Reid family. A disabled like you is not worthy of the title of ''Mrs. Reid''!


    "And now you''re trying to get close to my Dominic? Stop your daydreaming!"


    "I never thought about getting close to Dominic. He''s the doctor in charge of Grandma!" Judy


    quickly wrote in her notebook to exin.


    "Nonsense!" Sally pped the notebook away in anger. Judy scurriedly picked it up off the floor.


    "Lora, call a cab. Send her back to the ke family right now! Tell them she''s never allowed into the


    Reid manor again. Otherwise, they''ll pay for this!" Sally snarled.


    Sally''s face glowed red from disdain as she ordered Lora to pack Judy''s stuff and throw it out.


    Lora had always wanted Judy out of the Reid manor. She hastily stuffed all of Judy''s belongings into


    a suitcase, then dragged it toward the entrance.


    Judy didn''t have a lot of belongings to begin with. They barely filled the small luggage by the end.


    Judy turned pale when she saw the luggage wasn''t zipped tight. She stumbled toward the luggage


    in an attempt to take it from Lora.


    Inside the luggage was the memento from her deceased mother.


    Judy tried to say something but could only make illegible squeaks. She also tried signing, but no


    one could understand what she was doing.


    The scuffle continued to the entrance of the house.


    "Leave! Now!" Sally pointed at Judy''s nose, veins pulsing on her temple.


    Judy hurried to take her luggage, but Lora thought she didn''t want to leave and pushed her out.


    "Ma''am already told you to leave! Why can''t you listen to her?"


    Judy slipped from the push and lost her bnce. She screamed as she fell backward to the opened


    door.


    She was expecting a sharp pain from falling, but a strong arm cradled her back and stopped the fall.


    "What is going on here?" A cold voice asked.


    Judy looked up toward the voice and saw rk''s stoic face under the flickering street light.


    Someone was being expelled from the house, evident from the scattered luggage on the floor.


    "The audacity you got. Who told you to do this?" rk helped Judy up and asked in a gravelly


    voice.


    "I-It''s..." Lora trembled in fear while peeking at Sally for help.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Sally didn''t expect rk to return unexpectedly and felt a bit guilty. But she said, "rk, this woman


    should not stay with us!


    "The ke family was fooling us by giving us this mute. We should never back down from this!"


    "I''ll decide if she should stay or not. No one else has the right to interfere," rk replied. His voice


    wasn''t loud but firm without any space for negotiation.


    Sally was rarely in an awkward situation like this. Although everyone in the Reid family respected


    her because she was the one who raised rk, her only weakness was also rk, who she dared


    not to say much in front of.


    Sally quickly lost her momentum and switched to persuasion. "Calm down, rk. Marriage is not a


    child''s y. Since you two haven''t officially registered, technically, it still doesn''t count."


    Judy clenched her fist as a sliver of hope shined onto her.


    The marriage between the Reid and the ke family was unexpected. Although Judy herself


    couldn''t get away from it, if rk himself rejected the marriage, even Matthew couldn''t say


    anything. And then, Judy could finally end the days of living anxiously with the Reid family.


    rk saw Judy''s eyes lit with hope and frowned in anger. Was she looking forward to leaving the


    Reid family? How na?ve!

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Judy''s skin turned ice cold after hearing what rk said. Yet it was not as cold as his words. Judy''s


    mind went nk as she stared at rk in terror.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    rk slowly released his grip and sat back on the sofa. He looked down condescendingly at Judy


    and said, "At first, I thought you were lying. But now it seems like you could do anything for your


    grandmother''s illness."


    Judy remained petrified for a few seconds before regaining consciousness and started gasping for


    air. But she choked on her breath, causing her to cough while leaning against the wall.


    Tears filled her eyes as she kept coughing. She scribbled on her notebook with her shaking hand.


    "What do you want?"


    rk took a deep breath and folded his arms on his chest. He leaned over and said, "I have a trade


    offer for you."


    Judy stared at rk, waiting for a reply.


    "I want a medicine form from the ke family," rk continued.


    Judy knew it! Of course, his aim would be the ke family''s medicine form!


    Judy''s face went nk. She shook her head and wrote, "What medicine form? I don''t know what


    you''re talking about."


    The ke family''s medicine form was a trade secret, the lifeblood of ke Medical Group. Even


    Jenna, the heir of the ke family, didn''t know much about the form, let alone a neglected


    illegitimate child like Judy.


    "Easy now," rk said. He certainly knew Judy wouldn''t have the capability to get it. "I know the


    ke family has a lot of forms. But I only need one. The one inside Matthew''s safe."


    "That''s impossible. That''s no way I can do that." Judy shook her head and wrote. Regardless of the


    form that rk wanted, she could never get her hands on any of them.


    "Impossible?" rk looked at the beautiful handwriting deeply carved into the notebook and said.


    His eyes grew even colder as he looked at Judy. "Yes, I''m asking for the impossible. That''s what


    you and your family owe me!"


    The ke family was the one responsible for causing Sapphire''s death in the fire. So, they should


    pay for what they have done.


    "Matthew will be celebrating his birthday by the end of the month," rk said coldly.


    "If you can''t get it by then, I will deal with your grandmother. That way, you will never be ckmailed


    by anyone ever again." The cold voice echoed in the room before striking Judy.


    What was rk nning to do with Lilly? Judy would never allow it to happen!


    "So? Have you made your decision?" rk asked.


    Judy wrote. "Give me some time." Judy had to negotiate with him.


    There was no way Judy could do as rk ordered. She didn''t even know where the safe rk was


    talking about, let alone get the form.


    "Are you negotiating with me?" rk scoffed.


    Judy gritted her teeth and wrote. "Grandma will be having surgery next Monday. Until Grandma is


    safe from the surgery, I can''t carry out this n."


    Looking at the stubborn look of Judy, rk was aware that he shouldn''t keep forcing her further.


    After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Okay."


    rk had waited for many years. He could wait for another few days.


    "Don''t you ever try to fool me," rk warned before he left. "Remember, if anything happens, you''re


    on your own."


    Judy shivered as the door mmed shut. She slowly sat down while holding onto the chair as her


    legs were weak from the confrontation.


    She could not stay in the Reid manor or Tocham any longer. She had to leave with Lilly as soon as


    possible.


    ¡­


    The next morning, rk saw Dominic at the entrance when he was about to leave.


    "Good morning, rk," Dominic greeted.


    rk nodded in return. "Are you waiting for someone?" he asked as he looked past Dominic at the


    car behind him. It looked like Dominic was waiting for someone.


    Dominic answered honestly without hiding, "I''m going to work, also taking Juju to visit her Grandma


    at the hospital."


    "Juju?" the name felt like a grate to rk''s ears. His already stoic face hardened.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Judy came out of the house holding a cream-colored tote bag. She was shocked as she saw rk


    and Dominic looking toward her.


    Judy purposefully left the houseter to avoid rk and Dominic. But what were the odds of


    meeting them both at the same time?


    "Good morning, Juju!" Dominic greeted Judy over rk, who stood between them.


    Judy subconsciously smiled toward Dominic, but her eyes saw rk''s cold stare, causing her smile


    to quickly faded.


    Instead, she nodded lightly and stood by the door awkwardly.


    "Come, I''ll send you to the hospital," Dominic said. His voice was warm and kind, like the morning


    sunshine.


    "No need to trouble you. I''m going to the office. I can send Judy along the way," rk said. His cold


    voice weirdly made the warm morning chilly.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Judy went poker-faced.


    "Juju..." Dominic looked with concerned eyes.


    Judy avoided Dominic''s eyes, held her tote bag tightly, and slowly walked toward rk''s car under


    thetter''s frightening gaze.


    rk did not say a word from start to finish.


    Dominic looked at Judy entering the car and felt dejected.


    rk walked past Dominic and ced his hand on Dominic''s shoulder. He said coldly, "You should


    call her Mrs. Reid."


    Dominic was startled slightly.


    rk''s car drove out the front gate of the manor. The courtyard felt oddly chilling despite it being


    midsummer.


    Judy felt increasingly guilty as she saw Dominic''s figure slowly disappear from the rearview mirror.


    "What''s wrong? Are you that unwilling to sit in my car?" rk asked. His emotionless voice startled


    Judy, and she quickly shook her head to deny it.


    "Are you disappointed because you''re not in Dominic''s car then?" rk asked again.


    Judy again shook her head and wrote. "No, I don''t want to sit in his car. Even if I''m not sitting in your


    car right now, I wouldn''t go with him."


    "Is that so?" rk questioned.


    "Aunt Sally doesn''t like me getting too close with Dominic. I will keep my distance with him," Judy


    wrote.


    Judy had learned the hard way to survive living with rk. She needed to take the initiative and


    exin herself. That way, she could avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding.


    rk humped and replied, "That''s thoughtful of you."


    Sally had always thought highly of Dominic''s marriage. She would not ept ordinary women, not


    to mention someone like Judy.


    rk nced at Judy before looking out the window and said, "Stay away from Dominic. Don''t


    bring trouble to yourself."


    Judy nodded in acknowledgment.


    rk was bored by Judy''s dull expression, so he leaned back and closed his eyes to rest.


    The scenery outside the window quickly moved past them.


    The car remained silent, and Judy''s heart soon calmed down following a steady breathing from


    rk seated next to her.


    Judy timidly turned toward rk. The scar on his face looked terrifying usually, but now that he was


    asleep, it was strangely shallow.


    Judy observed for some time until she noticed Sebastian, the chauffeur, was looking through the


    rearview mirror and was shocked.


    She quickly bent over and tried to hide the awkwardness by picking up her tote bag, which fell


    underneath the seats. But as she picked up her tote bag, her arm was grabbed by a big hand.


    Judy was staggered. She thought rk had woken up, but she looked up and saw his eyes were


    still closed.


    Cold sweats rolled down his forehead along the scar. It seemed like rk was having a nightmare.


    A nightmare could even haunt a powerful, serious man like him. Judy couldn''t help but care for him


    a little.


    After regaining herposure, Judy tried to withdraw her hand carefully.


    "Sapphire," rk muttered and shot open his eyes. His sharp gaze was like a pair of cold knives


    stabbing into Judy''s soul, sending a shiver down her spine, almost taking her breath away.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    As if time had stood still. the atmosphere in the car fell into an awkward silence.


    rk''s hand remained grabbed onto Judy''s hand as if he hadn¡¯t woke up from the dream. His cold, sharp eyes slowly wandered, and despite staring


    at Judy, a different face showed in front of him


    Judy was petrified, terrified to make any move.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    "Mr. Reid, we''ve arrived at the hospital." Sebastian''s voice brought rk back to his senses. His eyes focused and he saw Judy''s face. He ordered


    with a cold face, "Get off.¡±


    Judy dared not to say anything, quickly grabbed her tote bag, and exited the car.


    She was relieved when the car finally left the hospital. With fear still lingering in her thoughts, she checked her arm that rk grabbed and moved it


    around to confirm it wasn''t fractured.


    That rk... he was equally terrifying even when he was asleep and dreaming.


    But, Judy recalled he was calling a name earlier. Was it Sapphire?


    In the car that just left the hospital, rk was still in a trance.


    Sebastian asked worryingly, "Did you have the nightmare again, Mr. Reid?¡±


    rk massaged his temple. His forehead was deeply creased from his brows drawing together, causing him to look even colder.


    It had been many years since hest dreamed of the fire. Memory faded over time. Despite how hard rk had tried to retain his memory, his


    memory about Sapphire slowly vanished as time passed.


    He couldn''t tell when was thest time he could remember her face clearly. All he could remember was his eyes blurred by tears as he was trapped in


    a burning fire with another woman. When rk got closer to her, he would wake up as the dream stopped.


    But strangely, Judy''s face ovepped with the face he saw in the fire.


    rk clenched his fist. It was impossible for Judy to be Sapphire.


    "To the cemetery, Sebastian,¡± rk said caldly.


    Sebastian was surprised. But when he saw rk''s cold stare through the rearview mirror, his hand trembled a little and said, "Yes, sir."


    rk leaned back into the seat and remained silent.


    Judy had spent the whole day in the hospital taking care of Lilly.


    It would be Monday tomorrow, and.


    Lilly''s surgery was scheduled early¡¯ in


    the morning. So Judy would be


    staying in the hospital with Litly


    tonight. >


    7


    Dominic managed to squeeze out the time for this surgery only because it was for Judy''s sake.


    He came into the ward in person to


    take Lilly''s temperature and said,


    "Mrs. Dean''s temperature is normal.


    The surgery should be able to~


    prog¨¦ed if there''s no emergency


    happened."


    -


    Dominic turne¨¦-to Judy and


    reminded het. "Just remember, Mrs.


    Dean hasto? start fasting in the = <>


    afternoon: She''ll have an enema at


    about 3.C 00 pmter. It may be


    uncemfortable for her. Let her know


    tobe ready for it." Content. belongs


    to os


    Judy nodded. "Okay, I''ll tell herter.¡±


    "Oh yeah, you haven''t had your lunch, have you?" Dominic looked at his watch and said. "Come, let''s go have lunch together.¡±


    Judy shook her head to decline. She signed, "It''s okay, I have to stay with Grandma."


    Dominic was about to say something but heard a woman call for him. "There you are, Mr. Phelps. I''ve looked around for you for so long."


    Both Judy and Dominic drew their brows together when they heard the voice. They knew who the voice belonged to. It was Jenna


    "I''ll be in the ward, Dr. Phelps. You should get to work," Judy signed.


    Dominic grabbed Judy''s arm and said, "At least eat something. Come join me.¡±


    While Judy was surprised and halted her movement, Jenna arrived before them.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Jenna''s expression dulled as she saw Dominic holding Judy''s hand. "Mr. Phelps, what are you guys doing?


    Judy realized and quickly withdrew her hand. Her brows puckered slightly in panic.


    Dominic nced at Jenna and said coldly, "We''re about to have lunch. What do you want?¡±


    "The two of you?" Jenna''s eyes burned with anger. She continued, ¡°Isn''t it a little inappropriate for the two of you to have lunch together?"


    Judy was about to deny it, but Dominic said, "There are so many people eating together in the hospital canteen. What''s inappropriate about us eating


    together? Looks like your family has weird rules, Ms. ke.¡±


    "No, that''s not what I meant. I mean... never mind,¡± Jenna gave up on exining. ¡°Mr. Phelps, I''m here to ask you something. For this case¡ª"


    "I''m on lunch break right now." Dominic interrupted. He sounded polite yet distant. "We can talk after I have my meal. Let''s go, Judy."


    Judy had rarely seen Jenna this deted. And she certainly had never seen the usually kind Dominic treat Jenna this coldly.


    Judy was stunned by Dominic''s attitude. And before she came to her senses, Dominic had dragged her away for a distance.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Wait." Judy tugged Dominic''s sleeve and signed.


    "What''s wrong?¡± Dominic stopped and asked.


    "Dr. Phelps, you go ahead and have lunch yourself. I''m not hungry." Although it was satisfying to see Jenna deted, she still declined the offer to


    have lunch with Dominic.


    Dominic''s forehead creased in confusion. He asked patiently, "Are you avoiding me? Is there any trouble I can help you?"


    Judy shook her head and smiled. "I have to be with Grandma." Judy turned around and returned to the ward.


    As she turned away from Dominic, her smile immediately vanished. With her current situation, she shouldn''t anger Sally any further.


    Dominic felt depressed as he looked at Judy leaving. He had never had this feeling before in his life


    Lilly was shocked when she saw Judy entering the ward. She asked, ¡°Why did youe back? Aren''t you having lunch with Dom?"


    "How did you know?" Judy signed.


    "Of course, I know. I asked him to have lunch with you.¡± Lilly said proudly. "Dom is a nice guy. And he¡¯s handsome, too.


    "He''s perfect in every way. Oh, not to mention, I can tell he''s interested in you. Juju, this is a once-in-a-lifetine opportunity! You must hold onto it.¡±


    Judy rushed to cover Lilly''s mouth.


    "Stop it, Grandma. You shouldnt.uin


    Dr. Phelps¡¯ Ss reputation like this¡±


    Nothing i is going on betweenus,


    Grandma. Don''t overthink. i¡±


    What was Lilly thinking? She was mismatching her with Dominic!


    Lilly stopped when she saw Judy >


    panickedBut she still advised, "Juju,


    don''t think too low of yourself. TO


    me you re better than Jenna both


    inside and outside."


    t6  7


    Judy shook her head in resignation. It''s not about if she was better. It was because she was already married to rk.


    Lilly held Judy¡¯s hand andmented, "My girl Juju had grown up. You look exactly like your mom. You''re both beautiful women.¡±


    Judy had no recollection of her


    mother. Lillyhad told her everything


    about henmother as farasshe =>


    could recall. Based on Lilly, her >


    mothenwas an educated, gentle,


    andthe most wonderful woman in


    theworld. Content belon gs to


    a


    "Grandma, can I know how Mom passed away?" Judy signed.


    Lilly turned pale and went silent.


    When Judy thought Lilly wouldn''t say a word like usual, Lilly suddenly whispered, "It''s because of a medicine form.¡±


    Medicine form? Why was it always about the medicine form? Judy stared nkly at Lilly.


    "Do you remember about your childhood, Juju?" Lilly asked.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Judy looked perplexed and shook her head.


    She had no recollection of anything from her childhood. She always thought it was because she was ate bloomer and began to remember things


    muchter than others.


    Her earliest memories were when she was brought to Tocham by Matthew and lived there ever since.


    Lilly tucked Judy''s fringe behind her ears, revealing her beautiful features. As if talking to herself, Lilly said, "It''s because you''ve forgotten it. If you


    could remember it, you wouldn''t havee to Techam with Matthew."


    Judy was confused. "Why so? I thought Father brought us here because our old ce wasn''t safe?"


    Judy lived in the mountains with Lilly and her mother as a kid. But her mother passed away in a bushfire. And it was because of this incident that


    Matthew brought her and Lilly to live in Tocham.


    "Of course not! That bastard brought us here because of¡ª" Lilly stopped abruptly.


    "Because of what, Grandma?" Judy signed.


    Lilly frowned when she talked about the incident. Her eyes clouded with sadness.


    Judy tugged Lilly''s sleeve. "What''s wrong. Grandma?¡±


    Lilly came to her senses and answered, "No, it''s nothing.¡± Lilly patted Judy''s hand and continued, "My dear Juju, you must live happily.


    "We just have to feel no qualms about what we do. Your mother will certainly be your guardian angel.¡±


    Judy nodded in reply.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Oh, by the way, do you still have the box your mother gave you?" Lilly asked.


    "Yes." Judy nodded


    "Make sure to keep it safe," Lilly reminded.


    "Grandma, what''s in the box?" As far as she could recall, Lilly always told her to take good care of the box.


    From what Judy could feel, it was a square box with no opening. To her, it felt like a piece of carved wood. But Lilly kept telling her it was a box.


    "You''ll find-out when you can open


    the box," tilly said. She sounded SO


    profound that Judy felt confused.


    Judy thought that Lilly had been


    hiding something from her for many


    years. ...


    -


    The surgery started early in the morning, so Judy only took a short nap for the whole night.


    But because Dominic was the chief surgeon of the operation, Judy felt more relieved.


    The red light outside the operation.


    theater, remained lit for the whole~


    night. Judy had waited outsidethe


    theater alone until the operation was


    over at sunrise.


    -


    The theaterdoor opened, and NS


    Dominic-same out while taking off


    his surgical mask. ''The surgery was


    a sess. Mrs. Dean is safes¡±


    Daiinic smiled as he said. ¡ê0 Judy.


    Judy was finally relieved and sat wearily onto the chair.


    "Are you okay?¡± Dominic quickly moved to support Judy.


    Judy shook her head. "I''m okay. Thank you for performing the operation.¡±


    "No worries. It''s my job as a doctor," Dominic said. "You, however, should go to sleep now. You had been awake for the whole night.


    "Mrs. Dean''s anesthetic hasn''t worn off yet. She won''t be awake any soon."


    Judy nodded. But she was unable to move her body.


    She was tense throughout the whole operation. Now that she was rxed, she was so exhausted that she couldn''t move her legs.


    Dominic sympathized with Judy and said, "Here, let me help you."

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Judy waved her hand. "I''ll just sit here and rest for a bit. I might have to trouble you to take care of Grandma."


    Dominic sensed that Judy was purposefully distancing herself from him. He wanted to ask her about it but stopped after seeing her exhausted look.


    "I''ll go get you some food then.¡± Dominic said


    Before Judy could decline, Dominic stuffed a water bottle in her hand and quickly left. Judy was left alone in the empty hallway.


    She couldn''t help but feel unnerved when she remembered that after the operation, she would have to face rk and his request.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At dawn in the Reid manor, rk and Sally were having breakfast.


    ¡°You should cut out of coffee, rk. They''re bad for you," Sally said as she put a ss of juice before rk. She nced at the second bedroom


    upstairs and said, "That Judy. She was gone for the past two days.


    "What was she so busy with? Was she so busy that she didn''t have the time to care for her husband? What kind of wife is this?"


    "She was taking care of her grandmother at the hospital," rk said coldly without looking up from the newspaper.


    ¡°Aren''t there nurses and care workers in the hospital? Why did she need to be there for 24 hours?¡± Sally asked. "Dom also hasn''t returned for two


    days. He said he was busy every time I called him. I guarantee it is because Judy is bothering him."


    rk looked up from the newspaper and red at Sally in annoyance.


    "rk, I''m just being honest. so don''t get mad at me,¡± Sally said. "I know you felt pity for that mute Judy. But the Reid family is not a welfare home


    that gives shelter to anyone


    "I''m fine if she knows her ce and behaves herself. But look at her. You could tell she''s a scheming woman. The kind that would cause trouble.¡±


    Feeling more agitated, Sally continued, "Dom is always speaking for her and protecting her. He''s not even listening to me, his mother, anymore. You


    know that Dom is a soft-hearted man. I''m sure it''s because that mute had seduced¡ª"


    With a loud clink, rk mmed the cup heavily on the dining table,pletely cutting off Sally.


    Startled by the loud noise, Sally looked up and saw rk''s cold, hardened expression. Sally quickly said, "Sorry, rk. I said too much. B-But, it''s all


    for your sake¡ª"


    rk interrupted. "Aunt Sally if you have that much free time, why not think about Dom''s marriage?¡±


    Sally was stunned.


    "I''m done with the meal. I''m going to the office." rk took his coat and left the dining room.


    Sally could finally rx as she heard


    the sound ofa car engineing


    ~~


    from the sourtyard. She snapped, =>


    ¡®That mute truly is a scourge. rk


    doesnt want me to intervene ithis


    busidess. Looks like we wont ¡é get rid


    ofthat eyesore Soon. Content


    ?


    Lora, who was clearing the table, consoled, "Actually, Ma''am, you shouldn''t worried about her too much. She''s just a mute. What is she even capable


    of doing?


    ¡°How about the second daughter of the ke family? Master Phelps isn''t interested in her, but that doesn''t mean you''re also not interested, no?"


    "That Jenna?¡¯ Sally scoffed. "The


    kes arenothing to me. They¡¯ re


    just a family with a failing medicine


    business. If it wasn''t for rk =


    req vesting the marriage, they have


    no-business with our family¡±


    Lora was confused, "Then why did you..."


    I just want to see the two sisters fight, preferably both of them suffer,¡± Sally said. "But if we don''t get rid of that mute as soon as possible, how do I


    exin to the Decker family?"


    Lora was surprised to hear about the Decker family and asked, "You''re still thinking about the Decker family¡ª"


    Before Lora could finish, Sally''s eyes shed and recalled something. "Come to think of it, I haven''t seen Adam for a while.¡±


    Lora nodded and said, "Each summer, Adam will stay at his summer resort at Tocham for vacation. He should be there around this time."


    Sally pondered and said, "rk got married for a while now, yet Adam hasn''t seen his bride. I should visit him and tell him to be mentally prepared.¡±


    At first, Lora was confused. But she


    quickly caught Sally''s drift and said


    happily, "Of Course. After all, you''re->


    the one Who raised Mr. Reid, anc


    everyone in the Reid family respects


    you for this. So Adam will listen to


    whatever you say. " ¡¯


    As if a weight was off her shoulders, Sally said delightfully, "Then it''s decided! Prepare me some gifts, Lora. We''re visiting Adam this weekend."


    "Yes, Ma¡¯am," Lora replied

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    The scent of the scented candle filled rk''s office at the Reid Incorporated headquarters. Combined with the aroma of boiling tea leaves, they


    created a soothing environment.


    Although rk was a young man, he had a modest sense of living. Added this to his stoic, no-nonsense look, these had given him a much-respected


    spot in thepany and made him the sessor at a very young age.


    "Mr. Reid, the discussion for the tinum East project had gone pretty well. Here''s thetest update of it," Jeremy said.


    rk took the documents from Jeremy and flipped through them while seated on the sofa. "Any news from the hospital?"


    "The operation was sessful," Jeremy quickly answered. "Mrs. Reid has been personally taking care of Mrs. Dean. She''s recovering very well and


    will be discharged in a week.


    "I found that Mrs. Reid has also been looking for houses too."


    "Looking for houses? For what?" rk asked.


    "I think it''s for Mrs. Dean when she is discharged,¡± Jeremy said. "They lived in the ke mansion previously.


    ¡°But since Mrs. Reid is married, Mrs. Dean will have no rtives left at the kes. So I believe she wouldn''t want to return there."


    Jeremy''s exnation was usible. After all, considering Judy''s status in the ke family, Lilly would never live a day in peace in the ke mansion.


    rk pondered and said, "Try to arrange something for the house, Jeremy. But do it secretly.¡±


    Jeremy was confused but still replied, "Yes, sir."


    Wasn''t rk always unconcerned with Judy? He was very unpredictable.


    At the hospital, Judy had been apanying Lilly for a few days. Seeing Lilly getting more energetic day by day, Judy felt relieved.


    Dominic came for a ward visit early in the morning. To prevent her from getting a postoperative infection, they transferred Lilly to a single-bed ward,


    which was quieter than previously.


    "You''ve recovered very well, Mrs. Dean. Considering your performance, you might be able to discharge even sooner." Dominic smiled as he kept his


    stethoscope in hisb coat pocket.


    "Thank you so much, Dr. Phelps. I truly appreciate it,¡± Lilly said


    Although her head was wrapped in


    bandages, Lilly was lively, unlike a


    typical post-surgery patient. She-


    kept holding Dominic''s hand, and the


    more sshe observed him, thegnore


    interested I in him she got. Content


    b¨¦longs  ~


    "There''s something I''ve been wanting to ask you.¡± Lilly said.


    Dominic smiled. "Sure, ask away."


    "Dr. Phelps, what do you think about Judy?" Lilly''s question startled Judy, who was peeling an apple and almost cut herself.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Dominic, however, didn''t find the?


    question inappropriate and replied


    while Isoking at Judy, "Judy''s anice


    girl. She''s pretty, easygoing, _and


    most importantly, very kinds¡±


    "Do you not mind that she¡¯s mute?" Lilly asked.


    Dominic was puzzled. Now he got what Lilly meant.


    Before Dominic could answer, Judy stopped Lilly. "What are you talking about, Grandma? Stop it!"


    ¡°Look at you. What are you being shy about?" Lillyughed. "You see, Dr. Phelps, you and Judy are around the same age.


    ¡®Although she doesn''t have an


    education ¡®level as high as you, she


    still has ¨¦ a Master''s degree. Also, she


    has 2 stable job at the Tocham


    Library as an admin." Content


    ~~


    Lilly talked so much that it felt like she was selling Judy on a blind date. Judy couldn''t stop her and was so embarrassed that she felt like hiding


    herself.


    "What I''m saying is that Judy is a good girl. You should seriously consider her, Dr. Phelps," Lilly said.


    Dominic felt awkward and looked toward Judy. But she lightly shook her head as if asking him for help.


    Judging from her look, Dominic knew Lilly was unaware of his rtionship with Judy. She probably didn''t even know that Judy was already married.


    After a few chats, Lilly urged Judy toa send Dominic out of the ward, obviously giving them a chance to spend time together.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Phelps. Please don''t take what Grandma said to heart." Judy signed to Dominic as scon as they left the ward.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Dominic looked at Judy''s troubled look, and his brows drew together. "Do you have any difficulties that you had to marry rk?"


    Judy was startled by the question


    "rk had always been an introvert. I was surprised when I heard he was getting married," Dominic continued.


    "I thought it was a business marriage between the Reids and the kes because I''ve heard something happened at the ke Medical Group. Judy,


    did you marry rk for the sake of the ke family?"


    Judy was touched when she felt Dominic¡¯s warm concern. But at the same time, she also felt aggrieved


    After all, this was the first time since her marriage that someone had cared and asked about her well-being, even though Dominic wasn''t 100%


    correct in his guess.


    Everyone told her she had struck gold for marrying into the Reid family. She should be grateful for marrying a respected person like rk, given she


    was just a mute


    However, Judy shook her head and denied it.


    Suddenly, Judy''s phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Judy looked at the phone, which showed an anonymous number. She picked up the


    phone and a man''s voice came through


    "Hello, is this Ms. ke? I''m Franklin Magee from Prime Properties," the man said. "I''ve heard that you''re looking for an apartment. I have a property


    which might suit you. We can arrange an apartment tourter in the afternoon.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Because Judy couldn''t speak, she was about to hang up the phone and text back instead. But Dominic held his hand out and said. ¡°Here. I''ll talk to


    him."


    Dominic could hear what Franklin said on the phone since he stood close to Judy. Also, he was aware that Judy was looking for a new ce.


    Judy gratefully passed the phone to Dominic.


    "Hello, I''m sorry, but Judy couldn''t talk. You can talk to me about the house.¡±


    "This afternoon?" Dominic looked at his watch. "How about around 12:30 pm? I''ll be having my lunch break. We can drop by and have a look at that


    time."


    "Okay, thanks!" Dominic hung up the phone and gave it back to Judy. "I can bring you to the apartment tourter at 12:30 pm."


    Judy quickly shook her head. "No, it''s okay. I can go by myself.¡±


    "Please, leeme go with you. The


    realtors wall know you''re a sitting?


    duck just! by your look,¡± Dominic Said


    with akind smile. "Don''t worry: I had


    nothing nned for the afternoon


    anyway. I can go with you... ¡®Content


    b¨¦longs  ~


    "Thanks, Dominic." Judy couldn''t refuse his kindness. Also, she was slightly afraid of looking at the property alone.


    In the afternoon, Dominic drove Judy to the agreed ce with Franklin.


    Franklin, who wore a suit and leather boots, passionately gave them an apartment tour. "This unit is a loft-style apartment, about 1600 square feet.


    ¡°Every unites with its own elevators, convenient for the elderlies to travel around the house. Perfect for someone like Ms. ke.¡±


    Judy looked around the apartment as she followed Franklin. She couldn''t find any demerits of the unit.


    The unit sat in a 15-story apartment with a spacious kitchen and ensuite bathroom, fully fumished and ready to move in.


    Most impoftantly, the location was.


    perfect.as it was only ten minutes~


    away from Tocham Libary. If c¡ã


    something happened to Lilly, Judy


    could return immediately. Content


    ~


    But something about the unit was bugging Judy.


    "What''s wrong? Did you not like the unit?" Dominic asked. "I think this ce is great, personally."


    "How much is the rent of this ce?" Judy wrote.


    Franklin looked at the question and smiled. "Don''t worry, Ms. ke. This unit is very affordable. The rent is only 500 dors per month.¡±


    500 dors per month?


    Judy was jtdisbelief. Even if she ~


    had never rented a house, she knew


    based¡®on the location and quality of


    the unit, 500 dors could only rent


    her the unit''s bathroom. Content


    ~~


    How could this apartment be so cheap?

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    When Franklin saw the look on Judy''s face, he quickly changed tactics. "We can further negotiate the price if you think this is too expensive. I think


    250 dors will do."


    Judy''s eyes widened. She couldn''t believe her ears. She hadn''t even said anything, yet the property agent had halved the price. This was just absurd.


    Dominic thought this odd too. So, he quickly cut to the heart of the matter. "Is there something wrong with this property?¡±


    "What makes you say that? You can''t get anything better than this for miles around. This unit is perfectly fine. It''s a brand-new unit. No one has lived


    here before. Cheap, to boot.¡±


    "From what you said and what we''ve seen, the rent is the problem.¡±


    Franklin''s expression turned stiff. He then turned to look at Judy in curiosity. "You think it''s too cheap?¡±


    Judy nodded.


    "Well..." Franklin scratched his head. "250 dors is still okay, right?¡±


    Judy took out her phone and pulled up the rent prices for a few areas nearby. All of them were several times higher than this unit. Mentally, she


    sucked in a breath.


    She then tugged on Dominic''s sleeve and shook her head. Dominic understood her. "Let''s take a look at some other units. We''ll think about this one


    later."


    With that, he prepared to leave with Judy.


    Franklin chased after them, anxious. ¡°Why don''t you name your price then? I''ll let you have the apartment if you name it!" he called out


    As she sat in the car, Judy looked at the other properties that Franklin had sent her as well as their rent. She frowned in confusion.


    Judy was unsure if the rental market was weak or if Franklin was an ipetent property agent. At any rate, none of the 4-bedroom apartments that


    he had sent her cost over 700 dors in rent.


    "I''m sorry, but none of the units that you''ve suggested are to my liking," Judy politely texted back.


    "Please tell me what kind of apartment you''re looking for. I have several different units," replied Franklin.


    Judy didn''t answer his text message. She simply stared at their chat and sighed. She didn''t have much money with her. She''ll only be able to rent a


    small room.


    Dominic nced at the text


    message omher phone. "That


    property agent was a little strange,


    Seems th that there are oddballs out


    there ortunately, I came withyou.


    Who.Rnows what he was tting


    otherwise.¡±


    6This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Judy nedded in agreement. She then blocked Franklin.


    "No need to rush into renting an apartment. Don''t worry, I''ll help you with this.¡±


    It''s alright; thanks. Icandothis


    myself.¡± ¡®After thanking him, Judy


    went right back to searching fara


    ce t to rent. She didn''t wantto


    keep bothering Dominic.   ~


    Meanwhile, rk was looking through some papers in his office.


    After receiving a phone call, Jeremy gingerly approached him. "Mr. Reid. the n with the property agent went slightly awry. Your wife blocked him.¡±


    rk frowned. "Why couldn''t he handle such a simple matter?"


    Sweat beaded Jeremy''s forehead. "It was mainly because your apartment really is unfit to be rented out. And its price doesn¡¯t quite match the


    market''s, so..."


    Jeremy''s eyes met rk''s cald gaze. He quickly changed his tune. "I''ll think of another n."


    rk then averted his eyes.


    Jeremy sighed. This was difficult. ~


    Was rk trying to drive him up the


    wall? rk was already married.


    There \ was nothing wrong with being


    coricerned for his wife, Judy,


    Couldn''t he just settle the housing situation for her directly? Why would he go through all this trouble?


    "By the way, Mr. Reid, your grandfather called earlier while you were in a meeting.¡±


    "I see.¡± rk acknowledged. "And what did he say?"


    "He said that he''s gone to his vacation home. He wants you to have lunch or dinner with him this weekend.¡±


    "And what else did he say?¡±

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    "He... wants you to bring your wife along,¡± Jeremy replied


    rk furrowed his brows at that.


    After dinner with Lilly, Judy returned to the Reid manor. It was alreadyte by the time she arrived. and everyone had already gone to bed.


    Judy let out a sigh of relief at that. Quietly, she returned to her room to change her clothes.


    As she put away her clothes, Judy caught sight of the small, ck box that her mother left her. As she recalled Lilly''s words, Judy''s instincts tald her


    that there was a secret hiding inside this box.


    Just as she was turning the box this way and that to study it, Judy heard a door open nearby. rk''s study was next to her room.


    Was he at home?


    Startled, Judt hastily shoved the box back into her closet.


    After a while, rk''s study went quiet. But Judy was still uneasy. After hesitating, she opened the door, only to see that the kitchen lights were on.


    She could see someone''s figure cast a shadow on the wall.


    This wasn''t Judy''s first time seeing rk make tea in the middle of the night. They had house staff to attend to their needs, but rk rarely called


    them.


    "Is spying also something that Matthew asked you to do?" a frosty voice asked from the kitchen.


    A shiver went through Judy as she was pulled back to the present. As she stood there with a hand on the rails, she wondered if she should go


    downstairs or head back to her room


    "Bring the tea up to my study once you''ve finished making it.¡± Having said that, rk ced an opened container of tea leaves on the table before


    heading upstairs.


    Judy stood there for a bit before going to the kitchen to do as she was told.


    rk often had a cup of tea when he was working in his study at night. This was the first thing that Judy learned about him after she married him.


    The lovely, delicate scent of tea spread through the study when Judy entered.


    "I heard that your grandmother has had surgery?" Judy was about to leave after she had brought the tea, but rk''s voice stopped her in her tracks.


    She looked up, shaking her head with an uneasy look in her eyes.


    "Have you thought about the task I asked you about?"


    Judy clenched her fists, a lost look on her face.


    "Matthew said that he''ll be hosting a birthday party at the end of this month. Here''s the invitation."


    rk pushed a gray envelope across his desk over to Judy. His fingers remained on top of the envelope even after that.


    ¡°It''ll be held in the Scarlet Garden, toward the west of the ke mansion. If I recall correctly, Matthew''s safe should be there.¡±


    Judy''s hands shook as she picked up the invitation. How did rk know this much about the ke family matters?


    "How do you know this?¡±


    rk n¨¦ed at her but didn''t N


    answer, her question. "All you''ll ne¨¦d


    to do is. avoid the guests and sn¨¦ak


    into Matthew¡¯ s study to gett to the


    safe. " .


    Judy felt uneasy. "But even if I find the safe, I can''t open it. I don''t have the password."


    "You don''t have to worry about that."


    Judy didn¡¯ Eunderstand rk''s


    words. Why didn''t she have to warty


    about the safe¡¯s password? There


    was ne Y point if she couldn''t open the


    safesBut for Lilly''s sake, all gdidy


    catld do was nod. Content-belongs


    to¡° ¡°This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "Take this." rk said as he handed her a card. "There''s no password.¡±


    Judy froze before staring at rk, surprised. Was he helping her?


    Without waiting for Judy to take it, .


    rk tossed the card onto the desk


    Itnded with a soft "thud", butit


    was ¡®still loud enough to unnerve her.


    "The next time Matthew threatens you, I want to be the first to know."


    Judy bit her lip. The gratitude that she had felt just a moment ago was now doused.


    So, it all boiled down to this.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Judy had no way to refute Adam''s words.


    Everyone in the Reid family knew that rk was supposed to marry Jenna. However, she was the one who ended up marrying rk instead that


    night.


    "Wasn''t that the case?" Sally butted in before Judy could form a reply. "You heard that someone was threatening your sister, saying that we''re a den


    of wolves and that rk is ugly, uncouth, and weird. So, you pretended to be a martyr and married him in her ce instead..."


    Judy''s expression shifted. "I never mentioned that."


    "Still denying everything?¡± Sally said.


    But before she could continue, Adam stopped her. "Alright, there''s no need to keep bringing up something that has already happened."


    Adam then gazed at Judy.


    He looked very much like rk, and it sent chills down Judy''s spine.


    He said, ¡°Since it was all a misunderstanding, then let''s settle this like adults. No one should be forced into something they never wanted to be in in


    the first ce. And besides. you and rk are indeed not a good match.¡±


    Judy''s fingers curled as she stared at Adam in surprise.


    "Hardly anyone knew of this marriage anyway. It''s better to mitigate the damage to both our families as soon as possible. We shallpensate the


    kes, and this marriage wille to an end,¡± Adam said


    Judy stared at everyone around her and could see them celebrating this awkward situation


    She had dreamed of leaving rk and the Reids. But if she left like this. would Matthew let her go? Would rk?


    Judy knew what the consequences would be if she did. So, with this weight hanging over her, she shook her head.


    Adam''s expression darkened. "You don''t agree? Even your sister wasn''t worthy of marrying into our family. Moreover, you''re an illegitimate child too.


    To us, that''s..."


    The words ¡°illegitimate child" echoed in Judy''s head, and she nearly dug her nails into her palm


    "Grandpa," an icy voice called out, shattering the oppressing atmosphere.


    Judy whipped her head up and saw rk step into the room. He emanated a frosty air as he made his presence known.


    "You''re here." Adam looked at him coolly. ¡°Perfect. We were discussing your divorce.¡±


    "Grandpa,¡¯ rk said as he nced.


    at Judy. ¡°Judy is my wife in every


    sense of the word. Marriage isnot


    something to be taken lightlysand I


    have never thought of divarcing her.¡±


    ¡®Nonsense:¡°Adam $ expression


    darkenedvand his tone was heavy.


    ¡°You were supposed to marry the


    other-daughter, but the kes


    swapped her out for this mute


    instead... ". ito


    <


    But before Adam could finish, rk cut him off. "I never said exactly which daughter I would marry."


    At these words, the room fell silent. Even Judy was shocked as she turned to look at rk.


    "I wanted to marry the apple of the ke family''s eye. But I never said that it was Jenna."


    rk''s answer further reinforced his previous words.


    Adam was perplexed. "You''re saying that you''ve wanted to marry Judy from the beginning?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    rk remained silent, causing Sally


    to speak Up and say, "rk, stop


    fooling around. How could your


    willingly marry a mute... " Content


    =~


    ¡°Aunt Sally, perhaps you don''t quite understand me." rk nced at her, his frosty gaze enough to shut her up.


    rk had no intention of bringing Judy to see Adam, and he knew exactly who it was that nted the idea in Adam''s head.


    Suddenly, the atmosphere turned tense.


    Both rk and Adam had tempers to match. So, upon seeing this, Adam''s butler quickly stepped in


    ¡°Dinner is ready. Shall I serve the food then?"


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