"I don't have anything I want to know about you right now." Joyce Monroe turned her head to look out the car window. She gripped her phone, wishing she could rush to Northgate and throttle that damned brother of hers.
People said he doted on his sister?
What a joke!
What kind of brother would screw over his own sister like this?
She changed the subject. "Mr. Thorne, do you want to stop by a supermarket?"
"No need. If I'm missing anything, Quentin Walsh will get it for me."
Joyce Monroe nodded. She was just about to text her brother and demand an explanation when her phone vibrated. It was a call from the police station. She answered and learned it was for a routine inquiry.
Because Ina Sutton and Julian Griffin had conflicting stories, and since she was also there tonight, they needed to ask her a few questions.
It wasn't hard to guess who was on the other end from her conversation, so after Joyce Monroe hung up, Silas Thorne asked:
"On your birthday, I took matters into my own hands on your behalf. It seems I've stirred up some trouble for you."
He was, of course, referring to the incident where he'd had Ina Sutton dumped in the middle of nowhere.
"Not really. I threw a drink on her that night. Even without your intervention, she would have come after me again. Our feud didn't just start yesterday. Besides..." Joyce Monroe looked at Silas Thorne, "what you did was actually quite satisfying."
"What deep-seated hatred does she have to target you like that?"
"Ina Sutton has always believed that I deliberately seduced the man she likes. I'm not even into Julian Griffin's type, and even if I were, I would never get involved in someone else's relationship."
Silas Thorne chuckled softly. "So what type do you like?"
"That would depend on who catches my eye."
As Joyce Monroe spoke, she looked at Silas Thorne curiously. "What about you? What's your type?"
'Just what kind of woman could be his unforgettable love, the one he could never let go of?'
Silas Thorne just glanced at her without a word.
Joyce Monroe pursed her lips.
'I seem to be overstepping.'
'When we signed the agreement, we said it was just a marriage of convenience and that we wouldn't interfere in each other's lives.'
Her grandfather had actually passed away not long after they registered their marriage.
That period of her life had been a mess. A breakup, a death in the family... their two families hadn't even had a formal dinner together. It was a secret marriage to begin with, without any ceremony...
Soon after, she went abroad to study. Everything that had happened during that time felt like a dream.
But as she led Silas Thorne into her apartment, the marriage suddenly felt real.
Another person
had truly entered her life.
Joyce Monroe's private apartment was in Graymoor New District. It was a spacious single-story flat of about 2,150 square feet, where she usually lived alone. Mrs. Zimmerman came regularly to cook and clean for her. The location was quite close to her studio.
As the car entered the apartment complex, something suddenly occurred to Joyce Monroe. "Mr. Thorne, there's something I need to tell you in advance."
"What is it?"
"You said earlier that you don't like cats and dogs?"
"Mm."
"But I have a dog."
Joyce Monroe explained, "To be precise, it's my brother's dog. He's away at a summer camp abroad, so the dog is staying with me temporarily. If you can't stand it, I can book a hotel for you!"
They were strangers, after all. It would be awkward for them to actually live under the same roof.
Putting on an act for appearances was one thing, but before tonight, Joyce Monroe genuinely didn't know he disliked cats and dogs.
"What breed is the dog?" Silas Thorne asked.
"A Border Collie."
"Then there's no problem."
"What?"
"I don't like stupid dogs. Most Border Collies are smart."
"..."
Joyce Monroe was stunned for a few seconds. 'That sounded vaguely insulting.'
When the two of them reached the apartment door, there was a slight stirring from inside, perhaps from the sound of their footsteps. The door opened, and a dog appeared in Silas Thorne's line of sight.
It ran over to Joyce Monroe and rubbed against her legs.
"Miss Monroe, you're back." Mrs. Zimmerman came out from inside and also greeted Silas Thorne. "Mr. Thorne, good evening."
Mrs. Zimmerman had taken care of Joyce Monroe for many years and was aware of their marriage.
"Dolly, did you open the door for me again today? Good boy." Joyce Monroe patted the dog's head.
She then nodded at Quentin Walsh and Felix Dalton, who hadn't left yet, as a greeting. The two men had been sitting on the sofa, watching in astonishment as the dog opened the door.
This was a dog?
It was practically a genius.
Silas Thorne asked, "What did you just call him?"
"Dolly. His English name is Dollar," Joyce Monroe replied.
"..."
'Dollar?'
'Money?'
"My brother named him. He said he hopes the dog has lots of happiness and lots of money," Joyce Monroe explained as she led him inside.
"Mr. Thorne, make yourself at home. The balcony is a bit of a mess. I'll tidy it up right away."
Silas Thorne noticed a sewing machine, stretching frames, canvases, and other items on the balcony. There were also many freshly dyed silk threads hanging up. On a piece of black fabric to the side was a half-embroidered white cat...
When she was home, she worked here, if not in the study.
Embroidery was a complicated craft, and her things were arranged in a state of organized chaos. That was why Mrs. Zimmerman never touched her work area unless specifically asked.
Silas Thorne's return had been sudden, so Joyce Monroe hadn't had time to tidy up, and it looked a little cluttered.
Quentin Walsh and Felix Dalton hadn't left because they had work matters to discuss with Silas Thorne.
Felix Dalton was extremely curious about Joyce Monroe and secretly sized her up.
'I heard that this young lady of the Monroe Family was sent to the countryside at the age of ten to study embroidery under a master and was only brought back to Graymoor when she was sixteen.'
'As for why she was sent to the countryside, there were many rumors.'
'The most vicious one was:'
'That because her father doted on her stepsister and her stepmother later gave birth to a son, she became jealous and psychologically unbalanced. She angered her father, who sent her to the countryside to be disciplined.'
'He didn't believe it, though.'
'After all, she still had her own mother and brother. How could they let her be sent away to the countryside?'
'But Miss Monroe really did have a bad reputation. She was said to be arrogant and domineering, frequently bullying her younger half-siblings. After returning from the countryside, she got entangled with an illegitimate son. That reputation...'
'...naturally got even worse!'
'But if she frequently bullied her younger siblings, would her brother leave his dog in her care?'
'So the reason she was sent to the countryside for so many years probably wasn't that simple.'
'It's just that everyone preferred to believe the narrative about rich families fighting for favor.'
'They all said she was hopelessly romantic and lacked ambition, and that she went abroad later to escape heartbreak and gossip.'
It wasn't until Silas Thorne coughed twice and called out, "Felix Dalton!"
"Sir." Felix Dalton's thoughts were yanked back to the present.
"Enjoying the view?"
"..."
He felt guilty and lowered his head, not daring to speak.
After reporting on their work, the two men left in a hurry. Before Mrs. Zimmerman left, she poured Silas Thorne a glass of water, cut up some fruit, and pointed to a room.
"Mr. Thorne, all your things have been placed in the room. Toiletries have been prepared. If you're missing anything, I'll get it for you tomorrow."
After Silas Thorne thanked her, Mrs. Zimmerman left.
Joyce Monroe was busy tidying the balcony while Silas Thorne sat on the sofa drinking tea. Dolly was squatting opposite him.
The man and the dog,
were sizing each other up.
Silas Thorne knew people who owned dogs. He had seen them before. Some dogs had a look of pure, unadulterated stupidity in their eyes. But the dog in front of him looked intelligent and seemed very wary of him.
"Mr. Thorne, you should get some rest." Joyce Monroe had more or less finished cleaning the balcony.
"Mm."
Joyce Monroe finished putting her things away. Dolly was already lying on his cooling mat, resting. She was a little sweaty and was about to go back to her room to shower, but the moment she opened the door, she froze.
Because...
Silas Thorne was taking off his clothes, apparently about to take a shower!
His white shirt was slightly open, revealing lean, toned muscle. Black suit trousers cinched his narrow waist.
Just one glance,
was so impactful that Joyce Monroe stood frozen in astonishment, her breathing becoming difficult.
He...
'Why is he in my room, and... and...'
'...taking off his clothes!'
Joyce Monroe had started learning how to separate threads and thread needles from her master at the age of ten, so her eyesight was excellent. That was why she saw at a glance that on Silas Thorne's chest...
there were scratch marks.