He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 33

Nelson picked her up, his tone entirely unfazed. "A bad woman."

Josie's eyes widened, and she blew gently on his face. "Josie will blow on it, and it won't hurt anymore."

Lydia's face went pale. She stood up abruptly. "I've already spoken with the principal. Josie will be enrolled next month."

The principal shifted awkwardly. He was a grown man; he obviously knew exactly how Nelson had gotten a busted lip and a slapped cheek. Just two hours ago, Nelson had chased another woman out of this very building.

But with the child present, he couldn't show it. He could only marvel silently at how chaotic the lives of the elite were, and at Lydia's incredible composure in keeping her temper in check.

Lydia turned to the principal, offering a polite, flawless smile. "I'll leave the rest of the arrangements in your hands."

"Not a problem at all. It is our absolute honor to have Ms. Josie join our academy."

He escorted them to the main gate, wiping the sweat from his forehead as they left.

Nelson personally drove Josie and Lydia home. From the backseat, Josie was still asking, "Daddy, did the bad woman bite you hard? Does it hurt?"

Nelson kept his hands loosely on the steering wheel and chuckled. "What do you think?"

"It hurts. You're bleeding."

"Daddy doesn't think it hurts at all. It just feels a little numb."

Lydia immediately cut him off. "Nelson, don't talk like that in front of the child."

She pulled Josie onto her lap, but she gripped the little girl with such intensity that it frightened her.

Josie was a little scared of her mother right now, so she didn't dare complain.

They were all supposed to have dinner at the Saint family estate tonight. It was Nelson's first family dinner since returning, and it was also Yvonne's birthday. The bracelet from earlier had been her gift.

Lydia struggled to compose herself. By the time she looked up again, her mask was back in place. "You need to do something about that handprint before we see your mother. She's already upset about the situation with the Xavier family."

Nelson turned the steering wheel casually, keeping his eyes on the road. "I'll drop you two off. I need to head back to the office to work late."

Lydia froze, her lips pressing into a thin line. "But... fine. Do whatever you want. I'll explain it to your mother."

"Okay..."

Josie lowered her head, hiding her flushed cheeks as she stared at the ground.

*

Juniper handed the hearing aid over to a small roadside repair shop. The middle-aged owner squinted at it in his palm before quickly handing it back. "This is a high-end, custom-made unit. Internal corporate tech. It's wildly expensive—probably a thirty-thousand-dollar piece. I'm not risking opening this up. You need to contact the manufacturer and mail it in."

Fearing she couldn't hear him, he raised his voice. "Too expensive! I won't touch it! Go to the manufacturer!"

Juniper took it back, walking out onto the street in a daze.

Fortunately, she was able to look up the serial number online and discovered the manufacturer was located right here in the suburbs.

After making a quick call, the company told her she could bring it in immediately.

Relieved, she caught a cab to the corporate park on the outskirts of town. A technician carefully disassembled the tiny device and examined it. "Nothing major. Just a loose solder joint. Give me ten minutes and I'll have it re-soldered. By the way, this model is pretty old, but it was their top-tier prototype back in the day. It's still got plenty of life left in it."