The Mute Wife of the Billionaire

Part 3

“Aish!” the driver exclaimed as he suddenly slammed the brakes. The body of the man in the dark black suit was thrust forward slightly. The driver quickly glanced at the rearview mirror, noting his master’s reaction.

A sharp glare made him tense up. This master was indeed known for being very cold and easily angered when things didn’t go his way.

“Sorry, Sir. There was a woman crossing the road in an inappropriate place,” the driver said hesitantly.

Lysander didn’t say anything. He only moved his lips slightly before trying to focus again on the work displayed on the tablet in his lap. But just before his gaze settled on the screen, the corner of his eye caught the silhouette of a woman who somehow managed to divert his attention, even though Lysander usually didn’t care about such things.

There was nothing special about the woman. Just a woman wearing a white shirt and a black skirt, with dark hair tied in a ponytail. Yet there was an inexplicable interest stirring within Lysander. The man, usually indifferent to unimportant matters, even turned his face for a moment to look at the woman who seemed to be wiping sweat from her brow before her image faded from view.

Lysander furrowed his brow for a moment.

Not wanting to dwell on it, he considered it just an intermezzo to refresh his focus before returning to stare intently at the tablet in his lap.

“Boss is coming! Quickly gather!” The loud voice echoed in the lobby of a multinational company.

Everyone there immediately formed a perfect straight line. Some of them did their best to fix their appearance. The lobby, which had been bustling with activity, suddenly fell silent; even the sound of a pen dropping felt like a disturbance. Their boss disliked noise, as if he were very much against commotion.

They grew even tenser when they saw the latest Rolls-Royce Phantom stop in front of them, with some of them even holding their breath. The company manager immediately opened the door. A man in a sleek, perfectly wrinkle-free black suit emerged. It seemed as if any dust that touched him would simply slide off the surface of his suit. This indicated just how perfectionist the man was.

“Welcome, Sir.” The manager slightly bowed to the owner of the company.

Lysander walked in with firm, swift steps, not sparing a glance at the manager. As he entered the lobby, a cold aura enveloped the employees, causing them to shiver. The only sound heard was the echo of his polished shoes. Everyone bowed their heads, too afraid to look at him, despite his perfectly handsome face.

“Don’t you understand what I’m saying?!” a shouted voice shattered the silence that filled the lobby. All the bowed heads shot up in surprise at the source of the voice.

The sound made Lysander stop in his tracks and turn toward it. Everyone there held their breath. They were done for, many thought.

Lysander squinted at the sight of a security guard confronting a woman.

That woman?!

Lysander's brain quickly processed the information.

Yes! She was the one who had delayed his journey. What was she doing here?

“Sir, I’m sorry. She’s new, so she doesn’t understand the rules here. I’ll make sure to reprimand her,” the manager’s voice trembled. Lysander’s flat expression made it hard for anyone to gauge his emotions.

“I told you that you wouldn’t be able to work here!” The guard’s voice boomed again, causing the employees to wince. They knew they would likely have a lot of extra work today. Lysander always did this when he was in a bad mood.

Lysander’s eyelids twitched as he watched the woman respond to the guard’s words.

She raised her hand, forming a sign language gesture. This made him furrow his brow. It was intriguing.

“But she says that she works here and that she will help me.”

Lysander translated her words in his mind.

“Ah! I don’t understand what you’re saying! Just leave!” the guard yelled, instantly changing the manager's expression to one of deep sadness. If things went this way, his career at the headquarters could be over; he had to prepare for a transfer.

“Please! I really need this job!” Lula desperately pleaded with the guard blocking her path. The pain in her legs from ten kilometers of travel was forgotten. She had to get this job; otherwise, there would be nothing left for her. Therefore, Lula appeared a bit insistent with the fierce-looking guard.

"Ah! You're making me angry! Go away!" yelled the security guard. It was still early in the morning, and he was already troubled by a mute woman whose words he couldn't understand. He only knew that this woman was looking for someone named John, as she had shown him a name and seemed to be searching for the man. But as far as he knew, no one named John worked here. He had told her politely, but the woman insisted.

The security guard pushed Lulu, whose body immediately went limp. The combination of not eating and walking such a long distance made her legs feel weak. Her body collapsed right there.

Lysander, seeing this, widened his eyes.

"What are you doing?!" Lysander shouted, moving quickly, turning toward the side entrance of his company’s lobby. The guard's eyes were immediately drawn to the sharp-eyed man striding toward him, followed by several people, most of whom wore sour expressions. They knew this was serious, very serious.

"Sir!" the security guard greeted him, giving a salute. The oppressive aura that Lysander exuded even made the guard too afraid to meet his gaze.

Lysander shifted his attention to the woman, who was now back on her feet, a pained expression on her face with reddened elbows. When Lulu realized the man's presence, she cast her eyes toward him. Her sunflower petal-like pupils, blooming in the height of summer, narrowed as she looked at the woman before her.

A porcelain-skinned woman, untouched by makeup. Lips as fresh as a peach, but what captivated Lysander the most were her dark eyes, like black diamonds. They reflected his face, which appeared frozen. The rest of her appearance was honestly a bit disheveled—her hair damp with sweat, sticking to her skin, which looked as soft as a baby's.

"Why did you push her?" Lysander’s voice was cold, making anyone who faced him tremble.

"I apologize, Sir. But this lady kept insisting. She said she wanted to meet someone named John in the finance department. I've repeatedly told her that there’s no one named John in finance here, but she wouldn't believe me!" The security guard's voice trembled, tinged with fear but also falling into frustration. He felt like his career was now hanging by a thread. Everyone knew that Lysander wasn’t known for being lenient. He didn’t care about anything. For him, if there was a problem, termination of employment was the solution.

Lysander rolled his eyes toward the girl who had been struggling, perhaps also enduring the scorching sun that burned her pale skin.

"There's no one named John here." Lysander began moving his hands, forming words through sign language.

Everyone around was shocked. They couldn’t believe that their boss—whom they often thought to be heartless—was fluent in sign language. The staff following him exchanged glances, stunned. Some even had their mouths open in disbelief.

"But he said he works here," the girl responded, signing back with a mix of enthusiasm and frustration. Finally, someone understood what she was saying.

"What do you need with this John?" Lysander signed back, making the conversation private between them. The others just watched, their faces puzzled.

"He said I could work here. He asked me for $300. And I gave it to him."

Everyone held their breath as Lysander's previously calm expression shifted to one of shock and anger. His jaw tightened. The onlookers did their best to appear invisible, not wanting to become the focus of Lysander’s fury.

"Confirm that we have no employee named John in the finance department," Lysander said, stepping back slightly, addressing Jeff, his assistant, who was always ready for orders from his perfectionist boss. Jeff said nothing. Knowing his boss’s temperament, he immediately went to work, rather than giving a verbal reply. It didn’t take long before he approached Lysander again.

"None, Sir."

"There is no John in our finance department," Lysander signed firmly in front of the woman.

She fell silent, observing the man whose face looked so stern. His sharp gaze softened slightly as he noticed the woman’s expression shift into sadness, her eyes glistening with tears.

"That was my savings, our food money for two months," the woman signed weakly, turning her gaze away from Lysander. For Lula, that money was lost forever. She took a deep breath. How could she have been so foolish, lured by the promises of that scammer?

Ah! Stupid Lula! she thought, hitting her head as tears threatened to spill from her aching eyes. A heavy weight settled on her chest.

What about Jojo's school fees?

Lysander felt strange. For some reason, he was uncomfortable seeing the sadness etched on the face of a woman whose name he still didn’t know. It was odd, especially for Lysander, who had seen countless employees beg in front of him, often with tears and excuses, but had never been moved. Dion had once said that Lysander’s heart had died with Adelia’s passing. But why? Why did those sorrowful eyes make his heart feel so uneasy? Lysander didn’t like it.

"Jeff, give her $300 and make sure she doesn't come back here," Lysander ordered, his gaze lingering briefly on the woman’s bowed head before he turned and walked away from the commotion he had stirred. The employees, always eager to please him, quickly followed.

Jeff immediately handed over the money as instructed. Lula looked at him with a confused expression. It wasn’t this man who had scammed her, so why was he the one replacing the money?

"Miss, take it," Jeff finally spoke. The assistant, whose demeanor was almost identical to his boss’s, looked into Lula's shocked eyes. She hadn’t expected the money to be returned to her. But... she had no business with the man who had just hurried away. In fact, his figure had already disappeared behind the glass doors of the company, now firmly shut.

Jeff sighed. Lula’s hesitation was delaying his work. He knew that if he didn’t hand over this money—no matter the reason—his boss would be furious. So, without hesitation, Jeff took Lula's hand and placed the money in her palm, despite her bewilderment.

In a flash, the man in the gray suit left her standing there.

Ah! Stupid! Why didn’t she refuse it? How was she supposed to return it?

This wasn’t her money. She shouldn’t accept it.