Chapter 171
My Mute Bride
In the summer villa, the Burtons were seated at the dining table for a meal, and Justin came back holding Charlotte in his arms. Seeing his return, Sue stood up and greeted, âJustin, you must be exhausted after the long trip. Here, let me hold you, Charlotte. Donât cling on to Daddy.â
âNo!â Charlotte said, jerking her face away as she tightened her arms around Justinâs neck.
âTake a seat, Aunt Sue. Iâll hold her,â Justin said calmly.
âForget it, Madam Parham,â Amber said. âThis girl wants nobody but Justin.â
âWhat a spoiled little girl. Youâre still so clingy to your daddy. Looks like weâll need to get you a mommy soon,â Sue said thoughtfully. Then, she held Amberâs hand and added, âItâs about time we fix the date for your wedding with Justin.â
Amber blushed, and Arthur nodded in agreement. âThatâs true. We should pick a date for the wedding.
After all, Amber has been by your side for so many years. What do you think, Justin?â
Justin was expressionless. âWhatever you say, Grandpa.â
âMe too,â Amber added.
âThen, weâll ask Amberâs father out for a meal one day and speak about the details of the wedding.â
Right after the words left Arthurâs lips, a scream of surprise echoed from Justinâs arms. âAh!â
âWhat happened?â Justin asked, concerned.
âDaddy, my leg hurts! Itâs so painful!â Charlotte cried, her face crumpling in pain.
âWhy is your leg hurting all of a sudden?â Sue asked and wanted to take a look at her leg, but she covered it firmly and refused to show it to her.
Crying loudly, Charlotte forced out two drops of tears from the corners of her eyes. âOww! It hurts so much!â
Heartbroken, Justin asked, âDid you fall in the airport earlier? Iâm bringing her to the hospital for a checkup.â
âBut we havenât even discussed the wedding yet,â Sue pointed out anxiously, but she quickly changed the topic. âI mean, Justin, you just came back and havenât even had a bite yet.â
âI can eat anytime,â he answered unhappily as he sprang up from his seat holding Charlotte. âGrandpa, Iâm going now.â
As Arthur loved his great-granddaughter to bits, he immediately nodded and urged, âHurry up and go.
Her health is more important.â
After Amber sent him out the door, she stood there watching with an ashen face as the car drove off into the distance and left a trail of smoke behind.
Behind her, Sue came up and said, âThis girl is full of ideas. She has used the same trick so many times, and it works every single time.â
âSheâs his daughter, after all. Itâs only natural that he dotes on her.â
âItâs one thing that he dotes on her, but if even the both of us can see through her trick, what do you think about Justin and the old master?â
The sarcastic tone she was using made Amberâs face freeze. âMadam Parham, what do you mean by that?â
âI donât have to spell out everything, but itâs been five years, Amber. You have to put in some effort yourself and not just depend on our help. Everything I say is nothing compared to that girlâs cries.â
Patting her shoulder gently, Sue said softly, âItâs cold outside. Letâs go in and eat.â
However, Amber continued to stand at the door with a crestfallen look. It had been five years since their engagement, but Justin didnât seem interested in marrying her at all, which had turned her into the biggest joke amongst the socialites of Riverdale. And now, even Sue was mocking her!
The MPV rolled out of the compound of the summer villa, and Justin instructed the driver, âGo back home.â
Startled, the driver asked, âArenât we going to the hospital?â
Peering at Charlotte in his arms, he asked, âDo you want to go to the hospital?â
Immediately, she shook her head and giggled. âNo.â
âWhy did you lie?â
âIf I donât, Great-grandpa and Great-aunt Sue will make you marry Miss Amber.â
âIs it not a good thing if I marry her?â
âNo, itâs not. I donât like her.â
âIs she mean to you?â
Shaking her head, she answered, âThatâs not the reason. There are too many women who want to marry you, and actually, all of them treat me quite well. But are you going to marry all of them because of that?â
The look in Justinâs eyes fell as he hadnât thought about this before. âBut Charlotte, you need a mommy as you grow up, and I canât be by your side all the time because of my busy schedule.â
As though she hadnât heard a thing he said, Charlotte burrowed into his embrace, curled up into a comfortable position, and snuggled in it. âI have a mommy, and I want to wait for her return,â she mumbled.
Lowering his head, Justin saw that she had already fallen asleep with her tightly shut eyes. After they reached home, the servant carried her back to the room to rest for the night. Her bedroom was massive with all sorts of dolls in a corner, and even the ceiling was painted pink. The servant carried Charlotte into the canopy bed and put her to sleep.
Before closing the door, Justin couldnât help but linger to look at her, a warm glow glimmering in his cold eyes. Suddenly, the phone in his pocket vibrated.
âHello?â
âI heard that youâre back from your business trip. Wanna have a drink? My friendâs club is open tonight.â
As he descended the staircase, Justin asked, âAs my family doctor, do you think itâs appropriate to invite your client out for a drink?â
âDear Mr. Burton, itâs after work now.â
âSend me the address.â
âSure thing!â
The night was young, and it happened to be the busiest time of the club right now. When Justin arrived, a voice echoed from a booth on the second floor, shouting, âOver here!â
With his charming eyes, Rudy winked, and the girls on the dance floor gushed out loudly.
âCan you please keep it down?â Justin shot him a look of disgust as he took a seat across from him.
After waving at the girls downstairs, Rudy turned back and faced him. âKeep it down? Why? The point of coming to a club is to have fun. So, what do you wanna drink?â
âAnything will do.â
âYou donât seem to be in a good mood today. Whatâs up?â
âHow could you tell?â
Shrugging, Rudy said, âWell, itâs written all over your face. Iâve known you for five years, and thereâs only one reason you come out for a drink every time. Your fiancée is rushing you to tie the knot again, isnât she?â
âYou sure talk a lot.â
Rudy sighed. âItâs difficult to be caught between your daughter and fiancée.â Clinking his drink on his glass, he added, âMy heart goes out to you, my brother.â
With a frown, Justin replied, âThatâs not the reason.â
âWhat else could it be, then?â
âI canât put it into words.â The more Justin thought about it, the more frustrated he became. Then, he picked up his glass and took a gulp to suppress his thoughts.
âThere you go again. Even though I donât really like that fiancée of yours, I have to admit that sheâs rather unlucky to be stuck with you. I wouldnât marry you if I were in her shoes. Also, research shows that ninety percent of sexless marriages are miserable.â Judging him with a thoughtful look, Rudy asked, âAre you sure you donât have any problems in that area?â
Casting him a warning glare, he asked, âWould you like to give it a try?â
Waving his palm in terror, he answered, âForget it. Iâm doing fine in that aspect. But Iâm serious, though.
Just annul the engagement if you really donât like her and try it with another woman. How about if I arrange a little something for you tonight?â