Chapter 1

When Katherine Wright regained her hearing, she went straight to Liam Sawyer. She had been deaf for three years. During those years, Liam, who had been nothing but kind and devoted, faithfully stayed by her side. Even though she couldn't hear anything, he would always hold her hand and mouth the words "I love you" to her. He had also promised to stay with her even if she lost her hearing for good. Every time she thought about this, she couldn't help but feel incredibly touched. After getting out of the taxi, she immediately made a beeline for the private room Liam was currently in. Once she reached the door, she paused. Just as she was about to push it open and head in, a man's leering voice rang out from inside. "Are you and your brother still messing around with that deaf woman, Liam?" the man asked. Katherine's hand jolted against the door handle. At that exact moment, she heard a click, and the door flew open. Her face instantly paled. As she stood there at a loss, the man seated in the center of the room gracefully stood up and walked toward her. The handsome man gently bent down and brought his face close to hers. Then, he slowly mouthed, "What brings you here?" "I… had a sudden urge to see you," she heard herself reply in a shaky voice. "You're such a handful," Liam said, laughing softly. "Why are you being so clingy?" Subsequently, he pulled her into his arms. The embrace felt familiar and filled her heart with warmth. Suppressing the uneasiness she felt, she convinced herself that she must have misheard the other man. Katherine took a deep breath. Before she could tell Liam that she had regained her hearing, she heard him scoff. "It's been three years. I'm getting quite sick of Katherine, but Lucas still wants to sleep with her. So he told me to just bear with her a little longer." All of a sudden, Katherine's ears began to ring. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She lifted her head and stared at Liam in shock. She was aware that he had a twin brother named Lucas Sawyer, but from what she knew, Lucas was pursuing his studies abroad. So, what did Liam mean by that? Feeling her gaze on him, Liam looked down and met her eyes. "What's wrong?" he mouthed with a gentle smile. Heartbroken, Katherine shook her head and rasped, "This place reeks of alcohol. I don't really like it here." "Can you just bear with me a little longer?" he asked as he gently brushed the stray hairs from her face. "We'll head out in a bit." Afterward, he averted his gaze and pulled her into his chest. With his arms wrapped around her, he guided her toward the couch. One of the people in the room noticed that Katherine was acting strangely. "She's acting kind of weird, Liam. Are you sure she didn't hear what you just said?" the person asked. Feeling anxious, Katherine hastily lowered her head. "That's impossible." Liam chuckled condescendingly. "I've been giving her hearing-suppressing drugs for the past three years. I even claimed it was medication that could restore her hearing." As he spoke, he led Katherine to the couch and sat down. "She's really obedient. She takes the medication on time every single day." The more Liam spoke, the more devastated Katherine felt. After a robbery one week ago, she had lost her wallet and the medication Liam had given her. To keep him from worrying, she decided not to tell him about the incident. As a result, she hadn't taken the medication for a week. When her hearing suddenly returned, she simply assumed the treatment was working. The people in the room burst into laughter. "You twins sure know how to have fun! One of you toys with her emotions during the day, while the other fools around with her at night. This has been going on for three years, and this idiot doesn't even have a clue!" Liam chuckled as he held Katherine in his arms. While he played with her hair, he smiled lightly and replied, "Lucas and I have identical appearances, but our voices sound very different." The people around him finally realized what was going on. "I get it now. You need her to stay deaf—that's why you're giving her that medicine!" one of them exclaimed. "That's not the only reason," Liam replied. He gracefully took a banana from the fruit bowl and peeled it. "Back then, Katherine and her friend, Natasha, slandered Ava and accused her of bullying them in school. They gathered evidence and wanted to send Ava to jail. Because of their actions, Ava had to flee the country and wait for everything to blow over. Robbing Katherine of her hearing was part of her punishment." At the mention of Ava, the people around him grew excited. "I heard Ava's returning to the country in three days. When are you going to dump this deaf woman and be with her instead? We're all waiting to attend your wedding!" someone exclaimed. "What's the hurry?" Liam asked. He handed the banana he had just peeled to Katherine. Then, he said in a cruel voice, "The breakup can wait. Once Lucas has had his fun and Ava has gotten her revenge, I'll dump her."