They all ran in the same circles, so Ines had, of course, heard rumors about this woman.

What she hadn't expected was that the team had managed to survive all this time thanks to Jessica's financial support.

Jessica continued her gentle deception, using sign language to deliver a white lie: "I don't want Timothy to know about this, so... could you keep the money for me for now?"

Ines agreed without hesitation, promising to keep the secret safe.

As Jessica left Ines's studio, she couldn't help thinking-if, when she was a child, she and her grandmother could have sold their paper cuttings for this kind of money, maybe her grandmother wouldn't have died so young.

Back in that tiny town, they never had access to anyone from high society. They had no idea there were people out there who collected paper art, let alone paid such a high price for it.

Jessica's heart felt unbearably heavy.

Her grandmother had done everything she could to cure Jessica's voice, sacrificing so much in the process.

On her deathbed, her grandmother was wracked with guilt-not for dying, but because she hadn't been able to cure Jessica's mutism, because she would never again hear Jessica call her "Gran."

All these years, Jessica had longed to speak.

Once she started earning her own money, she'd gone to see doctors.

Every appointment ended in disappointment.

Later, she married Timothy.

and Henry most, she'd

she could talk, she would

all, that she'd never spoken those

more humiliating would it be

minutes ago, Ines had mentioned Mr. Smith's movie role, and said he could

Should she try again?

taxi pulled up. Jessica pushed her thoughts

Lawson

go in right away. She'd seen enough business dramas to know that regular people never just waltzed into a place

couldn't speak, and nobody at the company knew she was Mrs. Lawson. If she tried to explain herself to the receptionist, she'd probably be laughed right

guard had accused

about to humiliate herself

Instead, she texted Timothy:

your office. I need to talk. Could you send Secretary Allen to

to keep up appearances as Mrs. Lawson, to cover for his affair with

sure

of a meeting

out to him in a

read the message, stood up, and

boardroom was

its most

Timothy was already striding

by the main entrance-her back to the building,

figure from behind.

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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