Unspoken Hearts: My Neglected Mute Wife’s Escape

Chapter 31:noveldrama

Hayden, wearing a stern expression, signed directly to Gregory without bothering to type down his thoughts. He stressed that even before Gregory had entered the industry, Kallie had already demonstrated her skills to him—impressive enough for him to take her as his apprentice right then and there.

Far from convinced, Gregory lifted his chin arrogantly, gesturing that no one else present, except for Hayden, had witnessed Kallie’s competence. He claimed this was hardly convincing for the other apprentices. Besides, even if Kallie had shown talent in the past, it didn’t mean she still possessed it now.

Casting a dismissive look at Kallie, Gregory added that her current responsibilities as a married woman might cause her to juggle between restoration work and family duties, leading to a decline in her performance due to her divided focus.

Kallie was caught off guard. She hadn’t expected Gregory to acknowledge her marriage or be so informed about her personal life. Upon observing Gregory’s attire—a seemingly modest black coat, yet likely a piece of high-end custom tailoring, akin to Jake’s style—she deduced that Gregory was part of the upper echelons of society. It dawned on Kallie that the events of the previous day might have circulated within their social circle, though she wondered how much Gregory truly knew.

Quickly composing herself, Kallie gestured to Hayden, encouraging him to keep his cool. Then, turning to Gregory, she signed her willingness to take a test and that she would leave if she failed to pass.

“Deal!” Gregory seemed to be waiting for just such a response.

Without hesitation, Gregory walked over to a nearby table, grabbed something, and returned.

A large tray was filled with what looked like powdery substances. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the shattered remnants of a vase, broken into countless tiny fragments.

“Go ahead and restore this. You have twenty minutes. Completing any section of the frame will count as a pass.” Gregory then handed Kallie several photographs. “This is the vase’s original appearance, and this is the progress we’ve made so far.”

Despite being of contemporary make, the vase had been artificially aged. The handful of people in the studio had managed to piece together about a third of it within the twenty-minute timeframe, though each person had worked on different sections—some the body, others the base.

Without hesitation, Kallie nodded. She had encountered far greater challenges during her first meeting with Hayden as a child, so she felt undaunted.

Kallie took her designated seat, arranged by Gregory, and slipped on a pair of gloves.

“I’ll start the timer for twenty minutes,” Gregory announced with a smirk. He placed the timer next to him and pressed the start button without waiting for Kallie to be fully ready.

“Hey, don’t we usually take time to observe the fragments before starting the timer for these tests?” a petite girl with bangs murmured from the corner, trying to advocate for Kallie. However, Gregory ignored her completely, dismissing the comment.

Unperturbed by the lack of time to study the fragments, Kallie picked up the tweezers and began working on the vase, showing no sign of rushing.

“Humph, you young ones today think you know everything. Just wait and see!” Hayden activated the text-to-speech function after typing out his thoughts on his phone, clearly irritated by Gregory’s attitude.

“Hey, want to make a bet? I’m telling you, she won’t make it. Bet you didn’t know she hasn’t made a public appearance since she got married. Word is, she’s done for!” Gregory brazenly remarked, his voice low enough to seem private, but still loud enough for Kallie to overhear.

As if that wasn’t enough, Gregory continued, “Her husband’s cheating on her. And how does she react? She’s too scared to confront him, just hides away at home. Do you really think she has what it takes to be a restorer? She’s going to embarrass us all!”

Kallie’s fingers froze. So, this was how the outside world saw her—not as Jake’s devoted wife, but as a has-been. Things hadn’t always been this way. How had she allowed herself to become like this?

“I’m not interested in gossip. If Kallie’s got the skills, she has a place as a restorer in this studio!” Hayden furiously typed his reply on his phone, making his stance crystal clear.

Kallie regained her composure, determined not to let their harsh words affect her. She quickly located the first fragment she needed and began her restoration work.

The room fell silent, and all chatter ceased. Every eye in the studio was now glued to Kallie’s hands as she worked with steady precision.

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