Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Person for a Lifetime

"What’s this about the property deed?" Yvonne Sutton immediately asked Wyatt Shaw.

"You saw it?"

"What’s going on?"

"Just a response."

"I’m asking what my name is doing on the property deed. When was this villa transferred to my name?"

"The day you agreed to marry me, I had Mr. Webb start preparing the contract to transfer this villa to your name. Remember that time you got drunk and had Mr. Webb pick you up? He gave you the prepared property contract to sign, but you probably blacked out."

Reading this sentence, Yvonne Sutton tried to remember. She had a vague memory of Mr. Webb giving her a stack of papers and telling her to sign her name in the designated spots.

’I signed a property transfer contract?’

"You didn’t discuss this with me, and I never agreed!" Yvonne Sutton furiously typed out her reply.

"Did we need to discuss it?"

"Did we not?"

"I didn’t think so."

"Ha, Mr. Shaw, what do you take me for?"

"My wife."

"No, you’re treating me like a product with a price tag!"

"You’re angry?"

"Have I already sold myself, so I don’t even have the right to be angry anymore?"

After she sent that message, Wyatt Shaw didn’t reply.

Yvonne Sutton threw herself back on the bed. She had just taken a few breaths to calm down when the doorbell rang again. She went downstairs to open the door and found Vincent Reed standing outside, his face dark.

"What is it?" Yvonne Sutton asked.

Vincent Reed took a deep breath. "Wendy and my mom are back. They’re fine."

"Of course I know they’re fine. I have no reason to poison them and ruin my own life."

"You shouldn’t pay any attention to those rumors online."

"You only say that because you’re not the one being attacked. No, wait, because it’s not Wendy Winters being attacked, so you don’t give a damn."

Vincent Reed ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Even so, you shouldn’t have posted a fake property deed. If the actual owner of this villa sees it, you could be sued!"

"Fake? Ha, you think I photoshopped a fake deed?"

"It’s obvious."

"You’re that certain?"

"The owner of this villa is surnamed Rong. Don’t tell me your so-called fiancé is him!"

"Who my fiancé is is none of your business. Go on, hurry back and lick the boots of your Great Princess Winters!"

Yvonne Sutton was already furious, and Vincent Reed showing up to pick a fight only made it worse, so she didn’t hold back. After speaking, she turned and went back inside.

"I’ll buy you a house. You can move there!"

"You’ll buy me one? Do you even have the right?"

Yvonne Sutton scoffed, slammed the door shut, and locked it, ignoring Vincent Reed completely.

Back upstairs, her phone buzzed twice. Guessing it might be Wyatt Shaw, she first composed herself before opening it.

He had already sent her many messages.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t consider your feelings."

"But it was never out of disrespect. From the moment you agreed to marry me, I’ve actually been cautiously trying to figure out how to be with you, afraid of making you uncomfortable."

"I still did the wrong thing."

"I thought that sharing everything I have with you, including my money and property, was the kind of trust a husband and wife should have."

"Isn’t that how ordinary couples are? What’s mine is yours?"

"Yvonne Sutton, from the moment you agreed to marry me, you became my wife. The person who will be with me for a lifetime."

Reading this, Yvonne Sutton was deeply shaken. She had thought of it as a partnership of convenience—if it worked, they’d continue; if not, they’d part ways. But Wyatt Shaw was talking about a lifetime.

"Don’t be angry with me. Teach me, slowly, okay? I will seriously learn how to love you."

’He even said he would learn how to love her.’

Yvonne Sutton’s heart swelled. She read the messages over and over. She hadn’t realized Wyatt Shaw was treating their relationship with such seriousness and sincerity. Moved, she also felt a little ashamed.

’It was undeniable that when she first agreed to marry him, there was an element of spite involved. She wanted to show Vincent Reed that she wasn’t unmarriageable.’

’Therefore, she needed a fiancé, and it didn’t really matter who he was. And Wyatt Shaw needed a wife, and it seemed it didn’t really matter who she was either.’

’She thought it was a fair exchange, but while she had remained detached from the role of a fiancée, Wyatt Shaw had slipped into his role from the very beginning.’

"It’s my fault," Yvonne Sutton replied. After a moment’s thought, she added, "But I need some time to get used to this new identity: Wyatt Shaw’s wife."

"As Yvonne Sutton’s husband, I’ve been adapting just fine."

Yvonne Sutton let out a laugh. "Are you up now?"

"Actually, I’m booking a flight back home?"

"You’re coming back?"

"Coming back to beg you not to be angry with me."

Yvonne Sutton was stunned for a moment. She hadn’t expected Wyatt Shaw to rush back just because she was angry.

"Cancel it. I’m not angry anymore."

"I’ll be back as soon as I can."

"Okay."

After finishing her chat with Wyatt Shaw, Yvonne Sutton went online to look at the property deed picture he’d posted. As expected, it was being flooded by Wendy Winters’s fans. They were asking what kind of loser he was. It was bad enough he was pretending to be Yvonne Sutton’s fiancé, but to also pose as an eligible billionaire? Did he have any idea how much a villa in Seacliff cost? There had to be a limit to showing off.

Yvonne Sutton tagged Wyatt Shaw and posted: I’ll wait for you.

Four simple words. Anything more would be pointless.

「The next day」

Yvonne Sutton went to Vincent Reed’s villa as usual. When she arrived, Ms. Young was already making breakfast.

"Let me help," she said, rolling up her sleeves.

"Miss Sutton, please don’t. The madam said you’re not allowed in the kitchen anymore," Ms. Young said, looking frightened.

Yvonne Sutton shrugged. "Then what should I do? Clean the house?"

"I suppose that’s fine."

Yvonne Sutton nodded. She walked into the living room and, after looking around, her eyes landed on a deer-shaped lamp placed next to the TV wall. Vincent Reed had bought it. He called it a work of art, and a rather expensive one at that.

She walked over and shoved it straight to the floor.

CRASH! The deer’s body shattered into pieces, and the lampshade broke.

Hearing the noise, Vincent Reed and Wendy Winters came downstairs. Seeing the fragments on the floor, they both turned to look at Yvonne Sutton.

"Yvonne Sutton, you’ve gone too far!" Wendy Winters said angrily.

Yvonne Sutton spread her hands. "It was an accident."

"Do you have to be like this?"

"Aren’t you the ones who insisted on making me a nanny?"

Wendy Winters’s face darkened with anger. She looked at Vincent Reed. "Vincent, she did it on purpose."

Vincent Reed rubbed his forehead. "From now on, you don’t need to be responsible for any chores around the house. Just give Wendy a check-up when she needs one."

"In that case, please call me Dr. Sutton from now on," Yvonne Sutton said.

"Dr. Sutton," Vincent Reed said through gritted teeth. "Are you satisfied now?"

Yvonne Sutton nodded, then looked at Wendy Winters. "Miss Winters, as your personal doctor, allow me to give you a piece of advice: during your pregnancy, you should scheme less and rest more."

"Call me if you need anything."

With that, Yvonne Sutton turned and walked out.

Yvonne Sutton’s mood lifted the moment she left Vincent Reed’s villa. She had always believed in taking a step back to find peace, but some people just take a mile when you give them an inch. So from now on, if she didn’t like something, she’d fight back.

Her phone rang. It was Claire Lawrence.

"Yvonne, come get me at the gate! The security guard won’t let me in!"

"You’re back?"

"Damn right I am! I’m here to back you up!"