Chapter 7 Investigating Rachelle

• Grand View Manor was ridiculously huge.
• There was no one in sight, but there were surveillance cameras monitoring every spot.
• Rachelle took the same path back to her room.
• Her phone had been vibrating in her pocket for some time. After entering her room, she shut the door and pulled her phone out. There was a text from Liam.
• Liam: Boss, someone showed up at the previous village with your photo trying to track you down. Do I need to get rid of them?
• Rachelle's fingers halted midair as Jensen popped up in her mind.
• The b*stard said those suspicious words earlier. Looks like he is starting to suspect me. He has most probably sent his men to investigate me. If I get rid of them, he'll be alerted.
• Rachelle: Just ignore them. Wipe all traces of me from the village.
• A pretty face would only invite trouble in a remote village. Thus, she would always put on a disguise before leaving her house. The villagers only knew her as a black and ugly young lady.
• After pocketing her phone, Rachelle suddenly recalled something else—the emerald pendant.
• She hurried to her luggage and ransacked through it until she found the emerald pendant hidden in a pocket.
• Jensen had previously given it to her, and it seemed pretty valuable. Initially, she wanted to sell it on the black market in Beshya. Alas, it seemed like the emerald pendant was a hot potato waiting to be dealt with.
• Soon, Rachelle realized she didn't have a chance to get rid of it.
• Jensen didn't show up, but he had planted his spies everywhere to keep an eye on her every move.
• Left with no choice, Rachelle had to hide the emerald pendant. She would have to find a chance to sell it later.
• For now, her main job was to help Lisette get back in shape as soon as possible.
• Rachelle prepared medication for Lisette three times a day. She would monitor Lisette and make sure the latter finish the medication every time.
• Bram would stand beside them and observe Rachelle silently.
• Putting on an innocent front, Rachelle shot him a shy smile before she continued treating Lisette with her needles and massages.
• Two days later, Bram proceeded to report everything to Jensen in the study. “Mr. Jensen, Mrs. Hawk didn't act out of the ordinary for the past two days. She did her very best to take care of Old Mrs. Hawk. Old Mrs. Hawk is doing much better. She can leave the bed and walk on her own now.
• Feeling bad for Rachelle, Bram added, “Mr. Jensen, you're being too wary of Mrs. Hawk. I think she's just an innocent and pitiful young lady. She's deaf and mute-”
• Before he could finish, Jensen shot him a frosty look. “Are you trying to teach me what to do?”
• “I'm sorry for saying that.” Bram trembled profusely and zipped his lips. He spun on his heels and left the study hastily.
• Jensen stared at Bram's retreating figure and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
• It only took her two days to convince Bram to side with her. Bram even had the guts to reveal his thoughts to me. Is she innocent? Or is she a cunning person?
• “Jensen!”
• Suddenly, a male voice rang outside. A man jumped in through the window and flashed a boyish smile. He was none other than Rocco.
• Jensen didn't even bother looking up. “How did the investigation go?”
• “Jensen, I asked over a dozen villages around the cave about your mute bride. When I showed them her photo, no one recognized her. If someone as pretty as her exists in such a remote area, everyone should know who she is,” Rocco revealed.
• Am I overthinking things?
• Jensen's brows snapped together.
• Rocco handed a file to him.
• “Jensen, this is all the information I got about Rachelle,” Rocco said. He handed the file to Jensen with a complicated expression on his face. “She had a tragic life. Her stepmother was so inhumane!”
• Jensen flipped the file open and scanned it quickly.
• The file showed that Rachelle had a high fever when she was nine because her stepmother abused her; consequently, she became deaf and mute. Instead of trying to treat her condition, the Cloudington family kicked her out of the house.
• For a total of eleven years, she disappeared from everyone's sight. No one knew where she went.
• It wasn't until recently that the Hawk family mentioned their engagement that the Cloudington family brought her back. There was no way the Cloudington family would risk offending the Hawk family.
• “Her stepmother, Pamela Reese, accepted a two hundred million betrothal gift from Old Mrs. Hawk but was reluctant to let her own daughter marry into the Hawk family and suffer here, so she ended up offering Rachelle as a tribute,” Rocco added.
• Jensen's expression turned icy. “The Cloudingtons are a bunch of crooks. How dare they trick me?”
• “Do you want me to teach them a lesson?” asked Rocco.
• “No need. These fools aren't worth my time,” Jensen responded.
• They were no different than pests or rodents and did not deserve his time at all.
• It was a critical moment for Jensen.
• Over the years, he had been playing the role of a useless and sickly man. He wasn't about to expose himself just because of a mute young lady.
• As Rachelle had worked hard to take care of Lisette, Jensen said, “Tomorrow is the day Little Mute will return to her family. Prepare some lavish gifts and deliver them to the Cloudington residence.”
• Lavish gifts would show that the wife was valued greatly by her husband's family.
• Rachelle was now his wife, so he wouldn't allow any outsiders to bully her.