Chapter 5

After returning to her room, Katherine took a hot shower and changed into clean clothes. Outside the bathroom, Liam was sitting at her desk, holding the handwritten sheet music of a piece she had been working on recently. She frowned as she walked over and snatched the score from his hands. "What are you doing?" The coldness in her voice made Liam frown slightly. He suppressed the impatience in his eyes and deliberately softened his expression as he reached out to rub her head. "You've been working on this piece for over half a month now, haven't you? Why isn't it finished yet?" Katherine raised an eyebrow. So that was it. She had dragged it out for too long, and Ava was getting anxious. "I just haven't been in the mood lately." She lowered her gaze, straightened the sheet music, and set it back on the desk. "Since when did you start caring about the songs I write?" Liam smiled softly. He cupped her face and turned it toward him, forcing her to read his lips. "You said composing helps calm you down. The doctor also said writing music stimulates your brain and helps with your hearing recovery." He looked at her, his expression softening. "Be good, and keep writing." Liam reached out and gently tucked the loose strands of hair by her temple behind her ear. "Hurry up and finish this piece. Didn't you say you wanted to meet my younger brother? Once you're done, I'll take you to see him and his friends, alright?" If it were the Katherine of the past, she would have been overjoyed to hear this. Back then, she loved him and regarded him as the most important person in her life. She wanted to meet his family and earn their approval. Now, all she felt was disgust. Still, to keep him from noticing anything unusual, she put on a bright smile. "Alright." She narrowed her eyes at Liam as a plan took shape in her mind. "Give me a few days to finish it. I don't want anyone disturbing me." "No problem." After getting her promise, Liam visibly relaxed. "That works out perfectly. I have a friend who just returned to the country, so I'll be spending time with her. You can focus on your music these next few days." Katherine looked up at him and smiled obediently. "Okay." Her clear eyes and delicate, sweet features made Liam lose focus for a brief moment. He cupped her face and instinctively leaned down. Just before his lips touched hers, Katherine pushed him away hard. "I'm still feeling a bit unwell. I want to rest for a while." Liam snapped out of it. The frustration of her rejection slowly melted into relief. Luckily, he hadn't kissed her. "Rest well." With that, Liam turned and strode out. … Over the next few days, neither Liam nor Lucas came to see Katherine. Even so, she could still catch their latest updates through mutual friends' social media posts. Liam took Ava on the Ferris wheel, attended concerts with her, bought the largest and most expensive piece of jewelry at a charity gala just to give it to her, and set off fireworks across the city for the sake of a single smile. Lucas took Ava on drives and mountain trips, chartered the most luxurious cruise ship to celebrate at sea with her and her friends, and even organized a singing competition in her name. Yet none of it stirred even a flicker of feeling in Katherine. Two days before Katherine was set to leave Eldington, she pushed open the door to Liam's office. Liam and Lucas sat on either side of Ava, each holding a box of cake in a different flavor, feeding her bite by bite. "Liam, your strawberry cake is way too sweet. I can't eat another bite!" Ava complained. "And Lucas, after all these years, you're still so clumsy. You got cream all over my face!" Ava's playful complaints echoed through the office, joined by Liam's and Lucas' indulgent laughter. "I really can't eat anymore…" Just then, Ava spotted Katherine standing in the doorway. A hint of mockery flickered across her eyes as she said, "Well, well, if it isn't the ever-determined deaf composer." Both Liam and Lucas frowned instinctively. For some reason, hearing Ava address Katherine like that always unsettled them. After a moment, Lucas raised an eyebrow at Liam and smirked. "Daytime duty's yours." Liam frowned in displeasure, then reluctantly rose from Ava's side and walked over to Katherine. "Kathy." When he reached her, he slipped into his usual gentle demeanor and turned with a smile to introduce her. "Didn't you always say you wanted to meet my younger brother?" He pointed to Lucas. "This is my brother, Lucas. You probably don't need an introduction for the one with him—she's the hit singer-songwriter, Suzy Robertson." He leaned in and slipped his arm around Katherine's shoulder. "Meet my girlfriend, Katherine Wright." Katherine swallowed the wave of nausea and gave a calm, polite smile to the two on the couch. "Hello." Lucas smirked, wearing his usual nonchalant expression, and carefully shaped his words for Katherine to read on his lips. Katherine hid her scorn behind a smile. "How thoughtful of you. Since I can't hear, you let me read your lips the first time we meet—just like Liam." The office fell into silence. Lucas' expression soured, and he quickly turned his face out of sight. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "Old habits almost gave me away." Seeing this, Liam quickly changed the subject and asked gently, "Kathy, what brings you here?" Katherine calmly handed over the sheet music she had been holding. "I've finished it." "Let me see!" Ava jumped up from the couch and snatched the score from her hands. After flipping through it, she couldn't hide her admiration. "This is amazing! It's even better than the ones before!" Katherine sneered inwardly. Of course it was good. She had spent days adapting it from one of Rosalie's famous early hits. "See, Liam? You didn't need to worry," Ava said with a smug smile. "Her hearing loss doesn't stop her from composing at all." She let out a cold snort. "Trust me. In a few days, just pretend you're taking her in for treatment and have the doctor make her completely deaf. I don't like relying on medication to suppress her hearing—it's too risky. If she ever stops taking it and can hear again, there's no way we'd be able to cover up the fact that we've been stealing her music."