Chapter 65: Chapter 65: She Actually Hid It From Him for Seven Years

Tristan Lawson and Sophie Hughes both stood up to welcome Director Ford.

Noelle Sutton thought of the phone call Tristan Lawson had just taken.

She didn’t know he had invited Director Ford. If she had, she would have done everything in her power to avoid coming to dinner with him and Sophie Hughes.

Now...

She was in a bind!

Her tutor was here. She had to see her, whether she wanted to or not.

If she didn’t stand up, she would seem disrespectful.

Since it had come to this, maybe fate had arranged for her and her tutor to meet again.

Noelle Sutton collected herself and took a deep breath.

She stood up and turned around.

"Director Ford, this way, please."

Tristan Lawson made an elegant "please" gesture.

However, Director Ford stopped in her tracks.

Her gentle gaze met Noelle’s slightly misty eyes.

The two of them, tutor and student, locked eyes.

Noelle suddenly covered her mouth and nose and started to cry.

Sophie Hughes was a bit bewildered, completely unsure of what was happening.

As for Tristan Lawson, his pupils contracted, his gaze dark and inscrutable.

"Noelle."

Director Ford called out softly, her eyes filled with nothing but kindness.

Noelle could no longer control her emotions. She stepped forward and threw herself into Director Ford’s arms.

She couldn’t make a sound. She wanted to call out "Tutor," but nothing came out.

’I’m so useless.’

Director Ford patted Noelle’s back. Although she was smiling, her own eyes were brimming with tears. "You silly child, why are you crying so much?"

Noelle pulled away from Director Ford’s embrace. The director quickly took a handkerchief from her bag and wiped Noelle’s tears. "You’re a mother now, and you’re still sniffling. Stop crying, come and sit down with us."

Director Ford took Noelle’s hand, led her to the table, and had Noelle sit beside her.

Sophie Hughes lowered her voice and asked curiously, "Tutor Ford, have you and Noelle known each other for many years?"

Director Ford nodded, her gaze sweeping over to Tristan Lawson. She smiled. "CEO Lawson, I truly never expected that the man Noelle married was you. At the first stop of the comic convention, I unexpectedly gave that comic-style version of A Renaissance Cityscape Painting to your son. It turned out to be a wonderful case of the item returning to its rightful owner."

"Returning to its rightful owner? Tutor Ford, you mean..."

Sophie Hughes’s face turned pale, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Tristan Lawson’s profound gaze fell upon Noelle.

Noelle’s eyes were red-rimmed as she sat there quietly.

She knew that with Director Ford’s sudden appearance, some things could no longer be hidden.

She couldn’t speak, so she couldn’t immediately express what she wanted to say. Even if she wanted to stop it, she couldn’t.

Director Ford explained, "Yes, returning to its rightful owner. Because that was Noelle’s work."

Instantly, Sophie Hughes’s mind went blank. Her hands, hidden under the table, clenched into tight fists.

’I don’t believe it! Noelle is a mute, a housewife who can’t do anything. How could she possibly have designed such a brilliant piece of work? The moment I first saw it, I could tell the original designer had formidable animation skills. That’s why my gaze remained fixed on that drawing. There’s no way I can believe it’s Noelle’s work.’

’If that work is Noelle’s, doesn’t that mean she’s the student Director Ford once valued most—the one who married for love!’

Tristan Lawson also found this incredible.

He and Noelle had first met at Glenwater Media University. A teacher at the school had said she was a recent graduate who knew sign language. Because there were some deaf and mute students at the school, she was asked to be Tristan Lawson’s sign language interpreter for his speech at the event.

He never knew Noelle had studied animation.

He vaguely recalled that after they got married, Noelle had said she wanted to get a job, that her college major was...

So many years had passed that Tristan Lawson couldn’t quite remember.

However, judging by Director Ford’s attitude toward Noelle, it all started to make sense.

Director Ford was an animation advisor at Glenwater Media University, and Noelle had also graduated from that same school.

That comic-style version of A Renaissance Cityscape Painting...

Tristan Lawson clenched his fists. ’My little mute wife really has some nerve, hiding this from me for seven whole years!’

No wonder Director Ford had said that her decision on whether or not to accept Sophie Hughes as her final disciple was related to Noelle.

Tristan Lawson spoke slowly, "Director Ford, did you know for a long time that Noelle was my wife?"

"Not that long. A while back, Lawson officially released a photo of your marriage certificate, and I happened to see it online. That’s how I found out Noelle had married you. When I visited your home last time, I was actually hoping to see her and give her a surprise. It was a shame she wasn’t there."

Director Ford glanced sideways at Noelle, her eyes full of admiration.

Noelle met Director Ford’s gaze, feeling a pang of guilt.

Back when she chose to give up her career, her tutor had been heartbroken.

Not long ago, her tutor, thinking her family life must have stabilized after seven years of marriage, had extended an olive branch to her again, but she had still refused.

She had thought that when they met again, her tutor would be angry with her.

But she wasn’t. When she looked at her, her gaze was still full of appreciation.

Tristan Lawson rubbed his fingertips together.

No wonder. On the day Director Ford visited, he had clearly notified Noelle, and she hadn’t left the house. He just didn’t know where she had hidden.

After Director Ford left, when she finally reappeared, the corners of her eyes were red.

Just then, Noelle looked at Director Ford and signed, "Tutor, I’m sorry..."

Director Ford patted the back of Noelle’s hand and smiled. "There’s nothing to be sorry for. After I learned you married CEO Lawson, I could understand why you chose marriage over your career back then. CEO Lawson is a rare young talent. He’s worthy of you entrusting your life to him."

Tristan Lawson sat up a little straighter.

Director Ford’s words left him feeling rather refreshed and pleased.

The irritation and anger Noelle’s recent troubling behavior had caused him seemed to vanish in an instant.

But Noelle dared not offer another word.

’Her tutor seems to have a very good impression of Tristan Lawson. If she knew that my marriage was about to end, she would surely be very worried and sad. That’s not a result I want to see.’

Sophie Hughes, however, said in surprise, "Director Ford, you can understand sign language?"

Director Ford smiled. "Yes. Back then, I wanted to mentor Noelle, so I specifically learned sign language to make communication easier. Miss Hughes, did you also understand Noelle’s signing?"

Sophie Hughes clenched her fists.

’Director Ford really values Noelle far too much. She knew Tristan Lawson was trying to find a way to get Director Ford to take her on as a final disciple. Now, it was looking a little precarious. She didn’t want to lose to a mute.’

So she said, "It’s quite a coincidence. You haven’t seen Noelle in seven years, and I also had an accident seven years ago that damaged my vocal cords. I went through several surgeries and, for a while, I thought I’d never be able to speak again. I was despondent for a long time before I started learning sign language about half a year later."

Hearing this, Noelle’s fingertips curled.

After she and Tristan Lawson got married, they communicated by her writing things down or typing on her phone.

Until, half a year later, he suddenly said he wanted to learn sign language.

Noelle had taught him almost all the sign language he knew...

Noelle’s gaze uncontrollably drifted to Tristan Lawson.

Tristan Lawson happened to look over at her at the same moment, and their eyes met.

Tristan Lawson’s expression was calm and unruffled.

’I’m so ridiculous. It seems I’ve never understood Tristan Lawson at all.’

Just then, Tristan Lawson suddenly spoke up. "Noelle, you said the other day that you knew paper cutting, and... animation too, right? Do you want to get a job?"