The Mute Bride's Dead Groom Came Back To Life

"That's enough!" Raymond snapped as he shot Brenna a hard look.

Brenna went still, and her face quickly lost its color.

She couldn't understand why Raymond was this furious with her. Was he seriously taking that mute's side over hers?

Raymond walked over to Katherine and gave her a long, careful look.

Her clothes and appearance were a mess, but her eyes remained calm and clear. Nothing about her gave off the nervous or meek impression he would've expected from someone raised in a less powerful family.

"Good!" Raymond slammed his cane against the floor. "Now this is the kind of woman Wyatt should marry. The fortune-teller was right. She hadn't even been here long before Wyatt woke up. This girl is the Dale family's lucky star!"

The mood inside the hall changed almost at once, and no one seemed to know how to react.

Their lucky star?

The Evans family had thrown away a mute, only for her to somehow become the lucky star of the most powerful family in Slecson?

Brenna shook with anger and bit her tongue before she said something she couldn't take back.

She refused to accept what was happening.

For years, she had stayed by Wyatt's side. How could some damn mute who had shown up out of nowhere suddenly take all the attention?

"Grandpa's right." Wyatt looked at Katherine as he spoke. "If she's really our lucky star, then she should stay right beside me from now on."

His voice grew heavier toward the end, making the meaning behind those words impossible to miss.

Katherine caught the warning and lowered her eyes before he could see the amusement in them.

She knew exactly what he meant. There was more behind his words than concern. He was warning her.

Rumors said Wyatt trusted almost no one. Keeping her close had nothing to do with believing she brought him luck. He simply wanted her where he could watch her until he figured out how she had managed to save him.

That arrangement worked perfectly well for her.

"If Wyatt's fine with it, then it's settled. From today on, she stays," Raymond said without hesitation.

"Father, don't decide this so quickly." Matthew, who had been standing quietly to the side, finally spoke up. He wore a well-fitted black suit with gold-rimmed glasses, and there was a slight smile on his face.

He came over and reached out to pat Wyatt's shoulder. "Wyatt, you have no idea how relieved I was when I heard you'd woken up."

Wyatt moved aside before Matthew could touch him, and his eyes turned cold.

He had only just woken up and wasn't in the mood to argue, but he knew damn well that Matthew's name had been attached to every arrangement involving his medical care.

Was Matthew really that relieved to see him alive? He seriously doubted it. His uncle was probably more upset that he hadn't died.

"Sorry I worried you so much, Uncle Matthew. I guess seeing me alive wasn't what you expected."

There was no mistaking the meaning behind Wyatt's words.

Matthew's smile slipped for barely a second, but he quickly put it back on.

He looked at Raymond and spoke with convincing concern. "Father, I'm so glad Wyatt made it. But are you really going to let him marry a girl the Evans family already cast aside?"

Raymond's brows pulled together, as he was confused why Matthew would say something like that.

Matthew let out a sigh and gave Katherine a dismissive look. "Wyatt is one of the most respected men in Slecson, and everyone knows he'll eventually lead this family. Do you really think people won't talk if his wife can't speak? If word gets out, we'll become a joke all over the city."

He made it sound as though he only cared about the Dale family's reputation, but every sentence was meant to put Katherine beneath them.

There was no chance he would willingly let a woman with such a questionable background stay close to Wyatt.

Wyatt should've died this time. Somehow, he opened his eyes not long after Katherine's arrival. He had no idea what she'd done to save Wyatt, and that alone was enough to make him suspicious of her.

Several of the extended relatives started whispering to one another.

"How could a mute possibly be good enough for Wyatt?"

"The Evans family must have no respect for us if this is who they sent."

Once Brenna heard the others agreeing with her, she quickly chimed in, "Uncle Matthew's right. Someone like her doesn't belong with Wyatt."

Raymond's expression turned grim.

The family's reputation was important, but it meant nothing compared to his grandson's life.

A fortune-teller had once warned him that Wyatt would face a deadly crisis. If he survived it, nothing would be able to hold him back afterward.

Raymond hadn't taken those words seriously at first. The Dales were too powerful for him to believe something like that could really happen. Now, however, he had no doubt left in his mind. This girl from the Evans family had saved Wyatt's life.

Before Raymond could respond, Wyatt gave a cold scoff. "Since when do you get to decide how I live my life, Uncle Matthew?"

He looked straight at Matthew, and the hostility in his eyes was impossible to miss. "I don't care if my wife is a mute or if everyone here thinks she's useless. She's still part of the Dale family. So if anyone thinks she's an embarrassment to us..."

He stopped for a moment and looked around the hall. "Then they can cut ties with the Dales."

Silence fell across the hall at once. Not one person dared to say anything else.

Even Katherine hadn't expected him to go that far.

No one had ever defended her like that before. Strangely enough, she didn't hate the feeling.

Matthew's face turned pale, and his hands gradually curled into fists at his sides.

Wyatt had just gotten out of his coffin, yet he was already acting as if no one could touch him.

Matthew forced down his anger and managed a stiff smile. "Fine, Wyatt. If you really want her to stay, I'm not going to stop you."

After saying that, he lowered his eyes. The reflection on his glasses concealed the hatred in his gaze.

He wasn't worried about running out of chances. One sickly invalid and one mute wouldn't be difficult for him to deal with.

Raymond struck his cane against the floor and brought the argument to an end. "We're done talking about this! Katherine saved Wyatt, and she stays. From now on, if I hear anyone talking behind her back or treating her badly, you'll have to answer to me!"

Wyatt looked over at Katherine. "Come on, dear. Help me back to my room."

The way he said the word "dear" made it clear he was mocking her.

Katherine looked back at him.

He had only just started breathing again, and he was already bossing her around. Clearly, there was nothing wrong with him anymore. She really shouldn't have stopped after one shot earlier. She should've jabbed him a few more times and left him half-paralyzed.

She complained about him silently, but her expression stayed completely neutral as she walked over and took hold of his arm.

As soon as her fingers touched him, Wyatt stiffened from head to toe. Even so, he didn't pull away.