Chapter 173: Chapter 173: If You Can’t Do It, I’ll Look Down on You

Tristan Lawson didn’t make a move.

Perhaps he only wanted to threaten The Little Mute into coming back.

Noelle Sutton signed, "You’re getting more and more impressive. I’m so happy for you."

But Wyatt Yates couldn’t feel happy at all. The Yates family loomed behind him, and he was still constrained by others.

The Little Mute refused to drag him into her troubles, so he couldn’t protect her openly.

He gave a bitter smile. "I’m not as impressive as you say."

"To me, you’re already wonderful. Don’t overthink everything else. I understand."

Noelle Sutton’s signs were gentle as she comforted him.

She knew the reasons all too well. Tristan Lawson’s methods were cruel.

By threatening Wyatt with the Yates Group, Tristan had put him in a passive position. In a man’s world, it was inevitable that he would feel he’d lost to Tristan.

None of this would have happened if he hadn’t been trying to help her.

They had known each other since childhood. For things to turn out this way in front of her... he must have felt humiliated.

But Noelle Sutton didn’t care about any of that.

Wyatt didn’t say anything more. Once Noelle divorced Tristan and severed all ties, none of this would be an issue anymore.

The most important thing now was to get her throat treated. Now that she was finally away from Glenwater, he would have more time to be with her during her treatment. He could schedule the minimally invasive surgery quickly, which would aid her rehabilitation exercises.

After Wyatt took Noelle for a detailed examination, it was confirmed that her throat had indeed been injured by external force. It had even bled.

They had just returned to Wyatt’s office when he pulled Noelle into a hug.

If he hadn’t seen the cut on her lip and the finger marks on her cheek, he would never have known what she had gone through, even with the results from the throat exam.

His heart was bleeding for her.

’That bastard Tristan Lawson... how could he do this to her!’

Wyatt cherished The Little Mute and couldn’t bear to see her in pain, yet he held her so tightly. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The woman in his arms winced in pain and struggled a few times before Wyatt frantically let her go.

Noelle signed, "What’s wrong?"

Wyatt’s eyes, rimmed with red, trembled. He quickly lied, "I saw how red and swollen your throat is. It just makes me so sad to think you’ve been in pain for so long."

But Noelle just smiled gently.

For her, escaping the past was a good outcome, even if it came with a great deal of pain.

"It’s okay. I took the medicine you sent over. It’s much better. It barely hurts anymore."

Wyatt watched her calm signing and said in a low voice, "Wait for me a minute. I’m going to the restroom."

His director’s office was large and fully equipped.

The moment he turned, a tear slipped from the corner of his eye, fogging his glasses.

He strode into the restroom, shut the door, and leaned back against it.

He closed his eyes, and with his control gone, tears streamed down his face.

He raised a hand and pounded his fist against his chest, over his nearly suffocating heart.

’Why did I believe her text message?’

’Why did I believe she could handle it herself?’

’Why didn’t I burst into Westhill Villa to save her, just because Tristan threatened me with the Yates Group and I was afraid of worrying her?’

’I wasn’t like this before.’

’I used to fight like my life depended on it.’

’But going from a street punk to a wealthy young master has tied my hands.’

’If this is the price, then I’m done being Young Master Yates!’

’Seeing The Little Mute hurt like this... it makes me want to die.’

’Tristan Lawson...’

Wyatt clenched his fists, knuckles cracking.

’The Little Mute is so fragile and shy.’

’After going through that, how scared, helpless, and heartbroken she must have been!’

’She must have been fighting him off frantically, so agitated she tried to scream, causing her vocal cords to be damaged and infected again.’

’But when I saw her, she was still smiling so gently.’

’Swallowing all the pain on her own.’

Wyatt felt like he was going insane.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—

A knock came from the other side of the door.

Wyatt quickly took off his glasses, turned on the faucet to wash the tears from his face, then dried it and came out.

Noelle was standing at the restroom door, signing worriedly, "You were in there so long. I was starting to think something happened."

She looked at his eyes and paused. "Why are your eyes so red?" she signed.

He could wash away the tears, but not the redness.

He gave a slight smile. "I was trying to put in contacts. I don’t think I’m used to them. They’re a little irritated."

"Then don’t wear contacts," she signed. "I think you look handsome in glasses."

They concealed the ferocity of his youth, completely changing his aura.

This was what Noelle wanted to see.

She really didn’t want him fighting with people. No matter how good a fighter he was, he would still get hurt from time to time.

"Alright, no contacts then."

He had, in fact, been planning to switch to contacts. He didn’t want to wear a mask, to live as the Wyatt Yates his parents wanted him to be.

But if The Little Mute said he looked handsome in glasses, then he’d keep them.

The two of them sat down, and Noelle, still worried, signed to ask if the injury to her throat would affect her ability to speak.

"Don’t worry, it’s just superficial trauma, nothing serious. It’ll heal in a few days. You just arrived in Aridia, so Smith probably won’t rush you into working. I’ll schedule the minimally invasive surgery for you tomorrow. You’ll need time to recover from that, too. That way, by the time the trauma to your throat heals, you can begin your rehabilitation exercises. It’ll save time, and your progress in rehab will be much faster after the surgery."

Hearing this, Noelle was finally able to relax. Only then did she ask him if Tristan had done anything to the Yates Group after that day.

"No. He probably just wanted to take you home. Going after the Yates Group would have been a costly, messy affair. Once he had you back, there was no reason to waste those resources. The Little Mute, you don’t have to worry about any of this. My father and older brother are at the Yates Group. They won’t let anything happen to it."

Noelle nodded.

"I’ll go with you to get your prescription."

Now that he’d seen her in person, the diagnosis was more accurate. He needed to add some medication to aid her rehabilitation.

After picking up the prescription, Wyatt took Noelle back to her apartment and told her to get some rest.

After he left, he got into his car and made a call.

"Weren’t you always worried Dad would give the Yates Group to me? You must have plenty of dirt on me by now. I’ve never wanted to fight you for anything; I don’t care about any of it. I’m giving you a chance. Drive me out of the Yates family. I won’t fight back at all. If you can’t even manage that, then I’ll truly look down on you!"

With that, Wyatt hung up.

His mother was the woman his father loved most, but they were forced to separate due to the vast difference in their family backgrounds. His father then obeyed his family’s wishes and entered into an arranged marriage.

If Shawn Yates had been born full-term, he might have been younger than Wyatt.

Shawn Yates’s mother was in poor health and gave birth prematurely at seven months, which is why Shawn is two months older than Wyatt.

Tristan Lawson was recovering in the hospital, scrolling boredly through his phone, when he saw a front-page gossip headline.

Shawn Yates, Eldest Young Master of the Yates Family, Named Heir to Yates Group. Second Young Master Yates Ousted and Expelled from the Family.