Chapter 1

Being engaged to Madison was something I'd never even dared dream of before.

In our social circle, she was the textbook example of perfection—beautiful, brilliant, the kind of daughter every family bragged about.

As for me, although our families were considered equals in status... I was mute.

Madison had never liked me. I knew that.

The front door suddenly slammed open. Madison was home.

"Miss Clarke, dinner's just ready. Would you like to eat now?"

I hesitated in the stairwell, listening to the housekeeper speak to her.

Tonight's dinner had been cooked by me.

Even though our engagement was still a week away, my parents had already impatiently sent me over here.

They were terrified the Clarke family might back out of the marriage alliance.

"This seafood stew tastes pretty good."

The frown on Madison's face eased slightly as she gave rare praise to the housekeeper.

"Your cooking's improved lately."

The housekeeper, Bethany, chuckled awkwardly but said nothing, silently claiming credit for the meal I had made.

Then again, I was only a mute. Even if I felt wronged, I couldn't exactly defend myself.

Maybe she sensed my gaze, because Madison suddenly looked up. Her expression immediately turned impatient.

"If you're eating, then come eat. Why are you just standing there?"

I waved my hand, signaling that I'd already eaten.

I had just turned to head back upstairs when I heard her play a voice message.

[AutumnWind, hurry and log on! I'm not using LeoWinter's account anymore. I switched to a smurf so I can keep playing with you!]

LeoWinter?

Wasn't that my game ID?

Madison instantly lost interest in the porridge. Her voice softened with unmistakable warmth as she immediately picked up her phone.

Frowning, I walked downstairs and stared at her screen.

AutumnWind...

It really was her.

The same AutumnWind who had been my in-game partner for three whole years.

No wonder her voice had always sounded vaguely familiar whenever I heard it. My impression of Madison had always been too rigid—I could never have guessed someone like her would play games.

And not only play them, but become my in-game partner.

The revelation hit me so suddenly that my mind spun. I moved closer, trying to sign to her that I was LeoWinter.

The match had already started. Irritated by my tugging at her sleeve, Madison shook my hand off.

"What are you doing? Can't you see I'm gaming?"

I kept signing beside her, but her impatience only deepened.

Right. She couldn't understand sign language at all.

I lowered my hands, pulled out my phone, and quickly typed a sentence.

[I'm LeoWinter. The one whose ID has been linked with yours in the game.]

My heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

Gaming was the one place where I could truly relax. And meeting AutumnWind had been the biggest reason I'd kept playing all these years.

Would she be as excited as I was?

Unable to stop myself, I looked toward Madison expectantly.

But there was no excitement. No joy.

She merely glanced at my message coldly before curling her lips into a mocking smile.

"I'd heard your family was full of schemers. Looks like the rumors were true. Using every possible method to force my parents into making me marry you wasn't enough, huh? You even investigated LeoWinter? Too bad. I already found the real LeoWinter."

Found him?

Found what?

I froze where I stood.

Still unwilling to give up, I quickly opened my game profile and showed her my ID.

[It really is me. Look—my ID, and all the matching items we customized together.]

Every single thing there carried our memories.

But she suddenly shot to her feet, her voice turning even colder.

"LeoWinter's account was stolen half a year ago. Stop pretending! A mute guy like you sure has a lot of schemes!"