Chapter 14

On the way home, Tiffany was in a depressed mood and sat quietly in the passenger seat, acting so well-behaved that it was unreal. Outside the window, the sky was shrouded in the darkness of night, and the neon lights receded rapidly as they gave way to the silent forest on Mount Bauhinia. Tiffany glanced at the man driving with full concentration, and finally, she could not help but speak out, "Don't you have anything to ask?" "About what?" This puzzled Tiffany. "Isn’t there anything you’re curious about?" "Everyone has a past. If I were curious about everyone, wouldn’t I have too much on my hands?" "I’m not everyone. I'm your wife." "It makes no difference." Tiffany sighed. "A man’s heart is like iron." Micah took one look at her. Her face was still gray with dust, and her eyes looked lost. What a pitiful sight she was. He relented. "Are you hungry?" “I am." Micah called the housekeeper and ordered them to prepare a meal. As he was halfway through, he turned to her and asked her what she liked to eat. Tiffany named a few dishes. The housekeeper heard her and instructed the servants to prepare them, forgoing the need for Micah to relay the message. Yesterday, Micah fired a maid for her, and today, he requested to prepare her favorite dishes. What was on his mind? He shook his head. Micah’s thoughts were a deep well. He was better off not speculating. He only knew he could no longer underestimate Tiffany Young like he used to. When Grannie Blake heard that her grandson took the initiative to prepare dinner for her daughter-in-law, she was overjoyed. She pulled Yvonne Peterson, the girl attending to her, aside for a chat. "I knew that Micah was just cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He knows how to care for someone." Yvonne agreed. "Of course, he does. Sir is actually a good person." "The two children were sleeping separately. Are they still not sharing a room?" "Indeed." The old lady's eyes flashed brightly, and she asked the kitchen to make soup. Not long after, the sound of a car pulling in came from outside, and a young man and woman walked in side by side. A handsome man and a beautiful woman, they were a match made in heaven. As the couple’s biggest fan, the more Grannie Blake looked at them, the more pleased she became. "Grandma, have you eaten dinner yet?" "I’ve already eaten. Why is your face full of dust?" Tiffany said it was nothing and went upstairs to clean her face and change her clothes before coming down for dinner. She was so hungry that she ate recklessly with no care for how she looked. Grannie Blake reminded her tactfully, "Eat slowly. There's plenty to go around. No one’s going to fight you for the food." Tiffany sniffed, her nose red from the spicy chilies. Her almond eyes were misty too. "Grandma, I didn't have lunch, and I'm quite hungry, so can I please not think about the way I look and just focus on eating tonight?” When Grannie Blake heard that she had not eaten lunch, her heart ached so much that she decided to no longer hold it against her. Seeing how his grandmother accommodated Tiffany, Micah was mildly struck by surprise. Once she was done eating, Tiffany went outside to digest her food. Micah was about to go upstairs when he got held back by his grandma. "The cooks have made some soup. Have it before you go up." A servant brought over a bowl of soup, but Micah felt it was too greasy and did not want to drink it. "You just recovered. The doctor said you have to take good care of yourself." To ensure his grandmother would not worry, he decided to put up with it and drink the soup. This made the old lady happy. She waved him off, telling him to go upstairs quickly so that he could rest up. She also told him not to stay up too late. At the same time, she asked Yvonne to cut the power in Tiffany's room. When Tiffany returned to her room, she saw that there was no electricity. The lights and water heater could not be used. Just as she was about to ask the servants to look into it, she realized that they had all gone home. Yvonne emerged from Grannie Blake's room. "Miss, what's wrong?" "The wiring in the room must be faulty. There’s no electricity." Yvonne got anxious. "How could this happen? We’ll call for the maintenance man to take a look tomorrow. Why don’t you sleep in the master bedroom tonight?” Tiffany put on a reserved front. "That's improper, is it?" "What’s so improper about it? You’re husband and wife." Tiffany was shy and timid as she hesitantly let Yvonne drag her to the stairway of the third floor. The third floor was Micah's private domain, and people were usually not allowed up there. Tiffany scanned the bedroom as she walked in. When she did not find Micah, she surmised that he was working in the study. She had stayed here for a few days before and was familiar with the layout of the room, so she took her pajamas and went to take a shower. After spending so much time in that dusty and gloomy place today, she was feeling uncomfortable all over. She wanted to make sure she was sparkling clean and fragrant before she could go near Micah. … Micah felt a little unlike himself tonight. A dry heat had risen up in his body, and his forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat. He suspected that something had gone wrong with his body and shut down his computer, preparing to go have Tiffany take a look at him. Calling a doctor at this hour would alert the others, and as she was the master’s apprentice, she should know a thing or two about medicine. The study and bedroom were interconnected. When he heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom, his gaze froze. A shapely figure was reflected through the frosted glass as vapor and water mingled, creating a hazy and alluring image. Micah’s throat rolled as he felt the air becoming dry. Tiffany came out wearing her pajamas. There was a dry towelette in her hand, meant for her hair. She saw Micah and greeted him calmly, "The wiring in my room is faulty, so I'm here to stay with you for the night." Micah tugged his tie loose in annoyance as he said in a low voice, "No." "The room is pitch-black, and I'm scared." A fresh scent emanated through the room with her every move. Micah felt the air getting hotter. He turned and walked to the air-conditioning vent. He seemed a little agitated tonight, and Tiffany could not help but be surprised. "What's up with you?" Micah pulled off his tie and threw it aside. "I'm not feeling well. Please help me have a look." "Is the poison acting up?" Tiffany walked over and automatically grabbed his wrist to check his pulse. She was shocked to find that his skin was burning hot. The young lady’s fingers had a touch of coolness to them, and the moment they touched him, he actually felt some relief. When she moved her fingers away, he felt a sense of yearning. Tiffany had an odd look on her face. "What did you eat tonight?" "I ate the same things as you.” As Micah processed her question, awareness flashed across his eyes. "Save for an extra bowl of soup." Micah was so smart that he immediately realized what had happened, and his heart plunged into the abyss. His face was now horribly gloomy. The people closest to him had plotted against him and poked his inner bear. Tiffany could not help but take a few steps back as she laughed dryly. "You don't have to be so angry. Grandma only had good intentions." "Get lost." Tiffany did not dare to touch him and ran out in a hurry. As she got to the entrance of the stairway, she heard the sound of something falling to the ground. The sound came from the room. By peeking through the crack of the door, she could see there was a mess. She remembered that it was an antique vase. It was from ancient times and was worth several million dollars. It was heartbreaking, even though it did not belong to her. Late at night, Tiffany changed into clothes that were easy to move around in and quietly slipped out of Twilight Villa. When Harold Yeager discovered she was gone, he immediately reported the incident to Micah. "Leave her be." … The Young family. In the master bedroom, Avery and Braxton slept on the same bed but on separate pillows. It was as if they were separated by a river in the middle. This couple was once so in love that they disregarded all ethics and morals, but they now found their relationship worn down by the trivialities of everyday life. Avery suddenly woke up from her sleep with a start, waking Braxton as well. As soon as he turned the lights on, he saw Avery hurtle over. Her hair was a mess, and she looked like an evil ghost. "Avery, what's wrong with you?" "Yulia. I dreamed that Yulia isn't dead and that she's back. She wants to seek revenge on us." "What nonsense are you talking about? Yulia is already dead. Although we were the ones who wronged her back then, her death was an accident and had nothing to do with us." Avery fell into a hallucinatory state and did not hear his words at all. She talked to herself as if she were possessed. Braxton could not take it anymore and slapped her hard before she finally woke up. At the top floor of the Young family’s home, Tiffany took off her earphones, packed up her things, and quickly disappeared into the house. After winding down an alley, she found a black Volkswagen Santana parked there. Tiffany threw her things into the backseat and got into the passenger seat. Yasmine started the car: "How did it go?" "I can’t say." However, Braxton’s reaction was not what she had expected. She had put hallucinogenic drugs in the room, and Avery had fallen prey to them. However, Braxton was not affected in the slightest. He still had clarity of mind and heart. Yasmine got a sudden burst of enthusiasm. She sent Tiffany somewhere near the villa, then went home to instruct someone to look into the events of ten years ago.