His Muted Bride

5 The Necklace

Pulling out her notepad, Megan started to write down the treatment plan for Ivan.

Cody didn't know Ivan had been living in a place like this. He sounded indignant as he gritted out, ''Jason Hendrix is such a bastard. I'm pretty sure he was the one who caused your grandfather a heart attack...''

Ivan raised one hand, making Cody lower his voice, ''I know. But you shouldn't show up here too frequently. I'll try to keep in touch with you on the phone.''

''Okay. By the way, sir, I've contacted Brian.''

''Thank you,'' Ivan nodded.

''I have to go if nothing else, sir.''

''Wait, Cody,'' Ivan called out.

''Yes?'' Cody turned around.

''Grandpa's funeral will be two days later. I must be there to see him.''

''Yes, sir,'' Cody nodded, ''I'll see to it.''

Cody left the room, but Megan was still writing the plan. Ivan sat beside, hugging her gently from behind all morning.

Ivan's blindness was sudden and temporary. Megan remembered several similar cases in her grandpa's notebook. She was 100% sure that she could make him recover. When Megan looked up from her notebook, she finally realized that she spent the whole morning writing the plan while neglecting Ivan. She deeply regretted it, hugging him back.

''Is the sun very bright today?'' Ivan asked, smiling.

Megan looked out of the window and squeezed his hand, yes.

''Would you mind taking me out so I can enjoy the sunshine a little bit, my beautiful wife?''

Beautiful wife...

Megan blushed as she took his arm.

… …

When Stacy sneaked into the old house, she saw Megan and Ivan sitting on a bench, bathing in the sunshine. Ivan looked a bit paler than before, but he still looked like a Greek God. Stacy swallowed as she saw his perfect side profile.

What a gorgeous man. If he hadn't lost his power or become blind, that he would be my man.

Just forget about it... He is no better than a beggar right now. He is not that powerful business tycoon anymore, but a disabled man. I deserve someone better. Stacy tried to persuade herself.

She stopped herself from staring at the man but she still sneaked into his room in the end. Covering her nose and mouth with her sleeve, Stacy frowned in disgust. How can anyone even survive in this shitty place? Gladly, I am not the one who ended up marrying him...

Before she turned around and left the cold room, a notebook caught her attention. It was under the pillow and Stacy could recognize it belonged to Megan. Megan cherished the notebook. She always carried it with her. Stacy had always wondered what her sister had scribbled on it.

Pulling the notebook out, Stacy flicked through from page to page. Her eyes widened at the content. The notebook was all about curing Ivan's eyes… Stacy saw Magen saving people's lives before. She knew her little sister was a great doctor. If Megan said his eyes could recover, there was definitely hope. Stacy was so excited as she realized the fact. Her thoughts were interrupted by the clacks of cane tapping against the floor. She turned around only to see Ivan exploring his way inside the room.

Stacy had stopped seeing Ivan since he was kicked out of his family. She thought he would be sagging and defeated after falling from grace. But he looked fine for a man who just went through all sorts of difficulties.

Ivan sensed the existence of someone else in the room. So he frowned as he asked, ''Stacy?''

Stacy was startled as she heard the man calling out her name. She thought she was busted, but Ivan grabbed her hand, his eyes warm and gentle, ''I thought you went to get the herbs you need. Why are you still here?''

Stacy suddenly realized that in Ivan's mind, his wife was still Stacy Dunn. Of course, Megan was just a mute. She couldn't explain it to Ivan anyway. A new plan suddenly generated in her brain as a wide smile broke her face. If Ivan's eyes could be cured, surely he could take back what had belonged to him. He would become that powerful man he used to be. And that would make him her dreamy husband again. Besides, Stacy did have a crush on this beautiful man before her, or she wouldn't have pretended to be a mute before him for half a year.

Ivan grabbed Stacy’s arms gently. His cold hand travelled up to her neck as his finger touched her necklace. Stacy deliberately pulled the necklace out and let Ivan feel it.

A gentle smile played across Ivan's lips as he felt the unique shape of the exquisite pendant, ''You didn't wear the necklace yesterday. I thought that you took it off. Thanks to the necklace, I eventually found you half a year ago.”

Ivan was also wearing the same necklace. When Stacy had taken away the necklace from Megan, she only had thought it was lovely. She had never expected it to be a token of love between these two. Ivan had given the necklace to Megan when they were both kids. And that was why Ivan had mistaken Stacy for his childhood sweetheart in the first place. So Stacy decided to play the little mute in front of Ivan.

She didn't want to be caught by Megan, so she grabbed Ivan’s hand, hinting at him with reluctance. Ivan didn't ask questions as he felt she wanted to leave. He thought she finally decided to find herbs.

Stacy ran into May when she went downstairs. May widened her eyes in surprise as she saw the familiar face before her. This girl used to be Ivan's girlfriend, but she was not the bride. It hadn't taken May too long to realize the bride had been replaced at their wedding.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were unwilling to marry Mr. Hendrix, so you found yourself a substitute. When Mr. Hendrix call that mute girl Stacy yesterday, I was shocked. ”

''May, I believe you're a smart woman and I don't need to waste my breath with you.'' Stacy retorted subconsciously.

“Oh my god! You can talk?! So you are not a mute at all? Why did you pretend to be mute? You rich girls in the big families are really hard to read.”

Hearing that, Stacy fished out a pile of dollars from her bag and threw it on the table before May. “Keep my secret and keep your big mouth shut! Or else, I won't let go of you.” Stacy threatened her viciously.

Taking the money, the maid was beaming at Stacy, ''Don't worry, Miss Dunn. I didn't see anything today. Your secret is safe with me.''