Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Why Don’t You Want It?

"Tristan, listen to me. This is serious. If you don’t come back soon, your wife is going to leave you!"

Tristan Lawson’s long fingers curled slightly, his dark pupils tightening.

After a moment, he said slowly, "She’s a mute. Where could she possibly go without me? Don’t make a big deal out of nothing."

"No... Tristan, she’s..."

"Enough. I’m busy. I don’t have time to discuss her. We can talk about it when I get back."

Tristan Lawson hung up the phone.

Tessa Lawson listened to the dial tone, then angrily threw her phone onto the sofa.

’Every single one of them is so frustrating!’

’Especially Noelle Sutton.’

’Tristan ran off to Sophie Hughes, and she thinks getting close to some other man will make him change his mind and come back to her?’

’And that Sophie Hughes...’

’Absolutely shameless!’

’Is she trying to ruin Tristan Lawson?’

Tessa Lawson bent down, picked her phone back up, and booked a flight to Zentha.

Their mother had passed away right after giving birth to her and Tristan Lawson, and their father and his new wife had another son and daughter.

Although he treated her and Tristan Lawson well enough, he spent far more time and effort on his new wife and children.

She and Tristan Lawson were twins, the closest relatives they had.

She couldn’t just ignore what was happening with Tristan.

After leaving Tessa Lawson’s place, Noelle Sutton booked a hotel room and checked in.

When she got out of the shower, Wyatt Yates had sent her a message.

"The Little Mute, Tessa Lawson didn’t give you a hard time, did she?"

"I’m fine."

She was used to it.

Tessa Lawson had always been like that.

Wyatt Yates continued typing on the screen, writing and deleting, before finally settling on a simple follow-up.

"Glad you’re okay. Get some rest."

"Good night."

Noelle Sutton had just put her phone away when the doorbell rang.

She got up to open the door. It was Tristan Lawson.

Her pupils constricted. ’Isn’t he abroad?’

’Even if Tessa Lawson complained to him, there’s no way he could have gotten back to the country so quickly.’

While Noelle Sutton was still frozen at the door, Tristan Lawson grabbed her wrist, pulled her inside, and shut the door.

A hint of exhaustion was visible on Tristan Lawson’s refined features, but it did nothing to diminish his handsome appearance.

Tristan Lawson pushed her down onto the sofa, then sat beside her with an elegant posture.

He reached into his suit jacket and took out the sound-emitting diamond ring, pinching it between his fingertips.

Noelle Sutton’s face remained expressionless.

’It had been days since she returned it.’

"Why did you refuse it?"

The man’s hoarse voice carried a hint of anger.

Noelle Sutton turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

But he yanked her over, and she fell into his arms.

Her senses were filled with the familiar scent of agarwood on him.

His embrace was broad and warm, once the safe harbor she longed for most.

’Now, though... Hah.’

’He’s probably held someone else in it many times.’

’She didn’t want it anymore.’

She struggled to get up.

But Tristan Lawson held her tightly, pinning her in his arms so she couldn’t move.

"If you don’t talk, don’t even think about moving."

Noelle Sutton grew anxious and began to sign.

"I can’t talk in the first place."

"Still being stubborn? So you know how to play with words now?"

With that, Tristan Lawson took her hand and carefully slid the ring onto her ring finger.

Noelle Sutton’s heart skipped a beat.

’They say the ring finger is closest to the heart.’

’That’s why wedding rings are worn on the ring finger.’

’That must be why her heart was racing.’

Noelle Sutton quickly reined in her emotions.

Just as she raised her hand to take off the ring, Tristan Lawson grabbed both of her hands, his long fingers weaving through hers and lacing them together.

His deep eyes stared intently at her.

"Wear it. You are not allowed to take it off."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was still a command.

Noelle Sutton’s hands were restrained, and she couldn’t answer him. She could only be forced to accept his ridiculous charity.

Her face remained expressionless.

Tristan Lawson remembered once passing by a mall and spotting a pair of pearl earrings. He’d thought they would suit her perfectly, and when he came back and gave them to her, her eyes had shone like starlight.

He moved closer to her and said in a low, husky voice, "Don’t you love it when I give you gifts? I bought this sound-emitting diamond ring at auction, especially for you."

Seven years. They had been married for seven years.

’With his shrewdness and perception, there was no way he didn’t know she loved him.’

’He was an expert at toying with her emotions.’

’He’d say the cruelest things to hurt her.’

’Do the cruelest things, nearly killing her.’

’Then in the blink of an eye, he’d act as if nothing had happened.’

’He’d slap her, then offer a sweet.’

’To him, she was just a cheap, disposable presence.’

Tristan Lawson suddenly let go of her hands. She took the opportunity to get up, but he wrapped his arms tightly around her slender waist and pressed his face against her chest.

"Don’t move. Let me lean on you for a bit. I’m exhausted. I haven’t slept in thirty-six hours."

Noelle Sutton didn’t stay still out of pity for him; she was simply held too tightly to move.

He fell silent, and the room became quiet.

A moment later, she heard his even breathing.

She frowned.

’Tristan Lawson fell asleep that quickly?’

She didn’t dare to move. After about five minutes in that position, she shifted her body slightly, preparing to gently disentangle herself from him.

"Don’t go... Mmm, let me hold you for a little longer."

Noelle Sutton froze, not daring to move. She looked down. His eyes were tightly closed, and she couldn’t tell if he was talking in his sleep or had sensed her trying to get up.

’He probably wasn’t deeply asleep yet.’

Resigned, Noelle Sutton let him continue to rest his face against her chest.

Perhaps he really was that exhausted, to fall asleep just sitting there like that.

The crucial part was, Noelle Sutton had also drifted off in a daze, and at some point, her arms had ended up wrapped around Tristan Lawson’s neck.

When Noelle Sutton opened her eyes again, she found she was in the marital bedroom she shared with Tristan Lawson.

She saw the time on the wall clock: it was already two in the afternoon.

’I can’t believe I slept so deeply!’

She had no idea how she had even gotten back here.

’Is my condition getting worse?’

Also, today was Director Ford’s exhibition in Glenwater.

It was already two o’clock, and the exhibition closed at five.

Annoyed, Noelle Sutton got out of bed and hurried to wash up.

She saw the ring on her hand and took it off.

’This thing has a speaker. It can’t get wet.’

’Besides, she didn’t want it anyway.’

She placed the ring on the vanity.

After washing up and changing, she opened the door, only to be blocked by the same two bodyguards from before.

’Tristan Lawson!’

’He was going to lock her up at home again!’ 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Just then, Tristan Lawson’s voice came from somewhere.

"Be good and stay home. Remember to arrange dinner. We’re having guests tonight."

Noelle Sutton looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

Under the eaves outside the villa, directly facing the main gate, a security camera had been installed.

Tristan Lawson’s voice was coming from the camera.

She gave a helpless smile and turned back into the villa.

When Mrs. Miller saw her, she didn’t quite dare to speak.

Mr. Lawson had carried Mrs. Lawson back in his arms late last night, then arranged for bodyguards first thing in the morning and even installed a security camera outside. She had a vague feeling that something was seriously wrong between them.

Noelle Sutton had just sat down on the living room sofa when she received a text from an unknown number.

From the content, she knew it was from Tristan Lawson.