Chapter 2

I held on for another three hours, but Yvonne was still nowhere in sight. Lying on the couch, the world went black around me, and I passed out.

By the time I regained consciousness, I was lying in bed with an IV drip attached to my arm.

Yvonne had her back to me, reprimanding the housekeepers. "What the hell is wrong with you people? He's starving, and none of you thought to fix him something? If this happens again, you're all fired!"

Oliver walked in when he heard the commotion. "Don't be mad, Vonne. Come out and have some hot chocolate." With that, he pulled her out of the room.

The pale-faced housekeepers exchanged looks.

"I nearly had a heart attack. Ms. Preston hasn't been this furious in forever."

"This is all his fault! He acted all pitiful and got us chewed out."

"Let him enjoy it while it lasts. He'll be kicked out in less than two months anyway."

Right after saying that, they scampered away. I pulled out the IV needle and slowly walked out.

The first person who spotted me was one of Yvonne's friends. Obviously, she had no idea who I was. "Is he one of the new housekeepers you hired, Vonne?" she gasped. "Why did he emerge from your bedroom?"

Yvonne whipped around. The moment her eyes met mine, her pupils visibly shuddered.

Six years had passed since we'd last seen each other, yet she was still as elegant and refined as ever. I, on the other hand, looked like a weary traveler nearing the end of his journey. My brows were heavy with exhaustion and the toll of time.

Oliver let out a soft chuckle and walked over with his head held high. He carried himself like the man of the house and addressed the woman in the silk dress. "Selene, this is... a relative from Vonne's hometown. He's not a housekeeper."

I looked at Yvonne, who was silently holding my gaze. She made no effort to correct him.

I supposed she simply thought I was too embarrassing to introduce to her friends now. It made sense; after all, I was now nothing more than an ex-convict.

Besides, six years had passed since our engagement. Everything had changed since then.

As an awkward silence settled over the room, the chef announced that dinner was ready. Once we were seated, they started talking about recent events. I couldn't understand a single thing, so I simply kept my head down and focused on eating.

All of a sudden, Selene exclaimed, "Oh, right, Vonne. Isn't your boyfriend who's in prison supposed to be released soon? Since you don't even like him that much, why don't you give him some money and send him on his way? Whatever you do, don't let him latch onto you again."

In an instant, the lively atmosphere died down.

Oliver shot me a languid look, though the mockery in his eyes was impossible to miss.

Yvonne's expression remained impassive, but she didn't chime in.

Sensing that something was off, Selene was just about to pipe up when I chuckled. "He won't," I said calmly.

Intrigued, she turned to me and asked, "Why?"

I slowly chewed and swallowed the food in my mouth. Yet, before I could part my lips, Yvonne interjected. "That's enough. Let's just eat."

Multiple emotions swirled in her striking eyes as she stared at me intently. I kept my head down and continued my meal, immovable as a rock.

After dinner, Selene spotted the piano in the living room on her way out. "What an exquisite piano. Who did you buy it for?"

Oliver sauntered over to the piano, took his seat, and began playing with practiced ease.

After finishing the piece, he took in the admiration in Selene's eyes and said smugly, "I've only been learning piano for a little while, but my teacher says I'm a natural. I play it better than people who've been playing it for more than a decade."

Having said his piece, he glanced at me. It was obvious he had directed those words at me.

After all, I'd been learning the piano, violin, and all sorts of musical instruments since I was a child. The piano was by far my strongest suit. At my coming-of-age, I had even performed at a renowned concert hall.

Oliver was green with envy when he found out, and he had insisted that if he'd had the money to learn, he would've outshone me by miles.

Now that I'd spent six years in prison, he assumed I'd long lost my touch. So, he grinned at me. "I heard you've been playing for years, Mason. Why don't you show us what you can do?"

Yvonne's brows knitted together, as if she wanted to stop me. However, my fingers had already settled on the keys.

The very next second, a rich, rhythmic melody flowed effortlessly from the piano. Compared to Oliver's beginner-level playing, the difference in skill was night and day.

A flicker of awe crossed both Yvonne's and Selene's eyes. When the piece came to an end, they applauded at the same time.