Chapter 47
My Mute Bride
Chapter 47 Do You Remember?
The sky was already bright when Rachel regained consciousness. She didnât know when the man next to her left, but the residual warmth of his body was still on the bed. When she tried to move, she could feel the soreness and pain all over her body as if she was crushed last night.
Rachel tried her best to sit up while she held her blanket. After a moment of dizziness, she stared at the light shining through the curtains and thought about what Justin had said to her last night.
âI want you to remember this. Once youâve joined the Burton Family, only I can decide when you can leave.â
Rachel then tightly held the blanket. Am I destined to be under the control of someone for the rest of my life? No. For Grandmaâs sake, I must change my current situation. I canât let it continue.
As she thought about it, her phone suddenly rang. On the other side, Jeffereyâs cold voice was heard. âI want you to come home immediately as I need to talk to you.â
As she looked at her phone, Rachel furrowed her brows. Heâs definitely calling me over to ask about what happened that day at the banquet. It just so happens that I have something to ask him too.
When she arrived at the Hudson Residence, the housekeeper informed her that Jefferey was waiting for her in the backyard.
âIâve told you before that Iâm only having her by my side for a purpose other than placing someone near Justin.â
âWhat purpose does she have? That mute whom you raised for many years is always bullying Amber.â
When Rachel came to the entrance of the backyard, she could hear the voices of two men through a screen. One of whom was Amberâs uncleâJosh Steward.
Since Josh had doted on his niece, Amber, he was now infuriated with Jeffereyâs decision. âJefferey!
Donât forget that Amberâs mother suffered from depression then because of that mute! Do you want to see Amber going down the same path?â
âThat wonât happen. Amber is my precious daughter; otherwise, I wouldnât have allowed Rachel to marry Justin. Donât you know what kind of a person Justin is?â
As she listened to their conversation, Rachel froze on the spot as she suddenly felt empty in her heart.
Heâs right. Everyone knows what kind of a person Justin is. He knew that sending me over would be a torture, but he still did it. It is a fact that I was never well-liked in the Hudson Family.
Then, she heard Joshâs response. âSince she has married him, you should just sever your relations with her. Overall, I donât want Amber to see her ever again. Even I feel infuriated whenever I see her.â
âI canât do that. Even if she isnât married to the Burton Family, I still canât afford to cut off my relations with her.â
âWhy?â
âHave you forgotten that she is our only clue to the formula?â
The formula? Rachel felt a thump in her heart. Iâm sure that he mentioned that Iâm the only clue to that formula.
However, she didnât dare to continue eavesdropping on their conversation anymore, so she went to wait for him in the living room. At the same time, she carefully thought about their conversation and felt that something was wrong.
Not long after, Jefferey sent Josh off and saw her in the living room. âWhen did you return?â Jeffereyâs expression looked strange.
Rachel calmly explained, Iâve been here for a while. Rosa told me that you are meeting a guest, so I chose to wait here.
Now that she had explained to him, she nodded her head at Josh, who was behind Jefferey, to greet him. However, Josh let out a grunt and glanced at her with disdain before leaving without saying a word.
After Jefferey had sent the man off, he returned to sit down while the maid served them with some tea.
Dad, what did you want to ask me about?
âAmber told me everything. You were the one who pushed her at the banquet, right?â
Jefferey had a somber expression and his eyes were staring at Rachel in a way that he wouldnât even use on strangers.
However, she remained calm. The truth depends on who you believe in. No matter what I say, youâll always believe Amberâs words. Am I right?
It was always the same ever since she was a kid. There was one time when they went to the vineyard in the outskirts where she had been pushed by Amber into a waterless pool. It had resulted in Rachel knocking her head on the ground, but no matter how much she had accused Amber, it was all brushed off by Amberâs simple reply. âIt was Rachel herself who tripped.â
Amber never bothered to apologize.
Upon listening to Rachelâs words, he was infuriated as he bellowed, âWhat are you saying? You are Amberâs older sister, so you should always tolerate her.â
So, if she commits murder in the future, are you going to frame me for her crime as well if you have the chance to do so?
It was what Jefferey had done when he forced her to marry into the Burton Family.
Rachel was usually calm and she had hardly ever been this aggressive, so Jefferey was taken aback for a moment. After a while, he was enraged and slammed the table in front of him. âDo you really think you can say anything you want now that you have the Burton Familyâs backing? Donât forget that you are still a member of the Hudson Family.â
While she looked at his angry face, she became calmer instead. Dad, I have dreamed of Mom for the past two days.
He was stunned for a moment as the rage faded from his expression, but no one knew whether it was from guilt or something else. âYour mom passed away many years ago. Didnât you forget everything after a bout with that serious illness?â
She wore a gentle expression. My memory has become better recently.
Jefferey was stunned as he looked at her in shock. âDo you remember anything?â
Rachel tentatively explained, I keep having the same dream of Mom bringing me up to the mountains to collect the herbs. At the same time, she kept telling me to memorize theâ
âWhat?â
The formula.
He immediately jumped from the couch and looked at her in joy. âThe formula? Have you remembered it?â
As Rachel looked at him, she was stunned as her eyes were filled with mixed emotions. Before she arrived, she had already prepared what she was going to tell him so that she could find out the cause of her motherâs death from him. Actually, she wasnât sure whether the formula had anything to do with her motherâs death, but she gambled with her chance. By the looks of it, her suspicions were correct.
The car drove all the way to the Hudson Vineyard in the outskirts.
While he sat on the back seat, Jefferey continued to comfort Rachel. âItâs fine if you canât remember it.
Iâll take you to see something thatâll definitely spark your memory.â
She gently nodded her head and thoughtfully looked outside the window. What is this formula? What does it have anything to do with me? Why would Jefferey, who loves her daughter a lot, stop interrogating me to hurriedly bring me to this vineyard as soon as I mentioned the formula?
While they were on the road, those words echoed in her mind. She is the only clue to the formula. Iâm the only clue? Does this mean that Jefferey raised me up in the Hudson Family all these years because of this?
The moment they arrived at the vineyard, Jefferey immediately brought Rachel to the same study room as their previous trip. As she looked at the direction of the bookcases, she suddenly became gloomy while resisting the urge to question him about the tablet and geomancy located behind the bookcase.
âRae, come here.â Jefferey immediately opened the safe under the desk in front of her and removed a letter before handing it over to her. âOpen it and have a look.â
What is this? Rachel silently guessed something in her heart.
âThis is the secret formula of the Hudson Family that has been passed down from generation to generation.â
She clenched her hands. This is the thing that Justin is trying to locate.