Chapter 27
The necklace box slipped from her gasp, tumbling to the ground and striking the edge of a stone trough nearby
The necklace popped out of its case, bouncing once before landing inside the trough.
Her childhood home was a cozyinle courtyard house. Right inside the front dooc beneath the caves, sat a long stone basin where her grandmother used to plant pennywort. Kept under the overhang the trough would fill with rainwater on stormy days, and even though Jessica rarely visited over the years, the pennywort coll thrived, lush and green
Unfortunately, hidden behind the diamond pendant was a tiny speaker–on electronic device. Herbert had wamed
Now that it had fallen into water it was sure to be ruined.
Tears stung at the comers of her eyes as she stared at Timothy in despair!
her, it mustn’t get wet
She only had six months left. There was
way she could travel to Zurich for treatment for her aphasia
For someone trapped in a silent world, that necklace meant everything. At the very least, it helped her communicate with others
Timothy must have noticed how much it mattered to her, because his hand shot out, gripping her chin.
“I’d remind you, you’re still Mrs. Lawson. How could you an casually accept jewelry from another man??
Jessica wanted to say she was done being Mrs. Low con. But no sound came from her throat, not even a whisper.?
Timothy seized her wrist and dragged her outside, shoving her into the car Ho yanked the seatbelt across her and snapped it into place Finally, her hands were free. She signed frantically, Timothy, what are you doing? You never cared about anything I did before.”
“You really don’t know what you’ve done?”
Jessica realized he must have seen Herbert give her the Voice Emitting Necklace just now.
He’d thrown it away night in front of her
That meant he was furious.
But Jessica was even angrier
Not that she wanted to explain herself.
Timothy slammed the car door shut and slid into the driver’s seat, His features remained cold and impassive
“Who was that man?”
Jessica’s hear squeered tight. She was dying anyway–she didn’t care what Timothy might do to her
But Herben. She didn’t want to drag him into this. He’d given her the Voice Emitting Necklace out of pure kindness, knowing she couldn’t speak.
“He’s my neighbor. He’s been living abroad for years. He just came back and brought in a gift, thats all-
Timothy cut her off, eyes icy. “You’re good at changing the subject
Jessica frowned, frustrated.
He pressed on “You’ve refused to come home these past days. Were you staying with him?
Jessica signed quickly, it has nothing to do with him. If you have a problem, take it out on me.”
Timothy snorted, then fell silent, turning his gaze away and starting the call
Jessica didn’t want to explain anymore.
She’d planned to wait until he retumed from Dakwood, then takk to him about a divorce!!
The car ride was oppressively quiet.2
Before long, exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep!
When she opened her eyes again, Timothy had parked the car
They were at The Gilded Whisper Estates
It was deep into the night–almost two–thirty in the morning
Jessica headed for the master bedroom
Timothy followed, beading straight for the bathroom
A minute or two later, the Sound of running water echoed from inside.
He was taking a shower
Jessica leaned quietly against the headboard, lost in thought
When Timothy emerged, he wore only a white towel slung low around his hips. Damp black hair clung to his forehead, droplets tracing paths down his sculpted chest and defined abs. As his Adam’s apple bobbed, shadows deepened in the hollow of his collarbone. The lines of his hips–sharp and unmistakable pecked out from beneath the towels folds, and a haze of steam clung to his skin, adiating heat and the scent of aftershaveX
With a body like that, Jessica had once been utterly captivated
After their wedding, their physical relationship had been passionate–almost overwhelming. If anything, it was Timothy who always seemed to crave more. But ever since the got pregnant, their intimacy had dwindled. He was away on business trips more and more often
Timothy rubbed a towel through his hair then strode over to her voice cold and clipped. “Why are you just sitting there? Its late–go shower and get some sleep. “We’re going to my parents place tomorrow
Chapter 27
Jessica stood and walked into the bathroom.
She was only halfway through her shower when the door opened.
Timothy appeared in the doorway.
