His Mute Wife: He Can't Sleep After She Left-Chapter 7: When Did I Learn Sign Language?

When Ethan Sinclair and Kiana Sutton got married, there was no wedding ceremony, and their marriage was kept secret from the public.

Only the Sinclairs and a few of Ethan’s closest friends knew about it.

Julian Garrison always had a knack for bringing up uncomfortable topics, and as soon as Kiana Sutton was mentioned, Ethan’s already sour expression turned even colder.

"Every time Kiana, your mute wife, is brought up, you have that look on your face. It’s been three years, you haven’t touched her, have you?"

Before Ethan could respond, a glint of mischief flashed in Julian’s fox-like eyes. "Well, with your obsession with cleanliness, you won’t even let me touch you, let alone that mute girl. Is she pretty?"

Ethan frowned deeply, but an image suddenly popped into his mind: Kiana Sutton beneath him, her face flushed and tearful yet restrained, her eyes shimmering.

A certain part of him stirred, and Ethan’s face grew even darker.

"Hey, I called you out to have a chat. What’s the meaning of your silence?"

Irritated, Ethan took a sip of his drink and replied indifferently, "Aren’t there enough scandals in the entertainment industry for you to enjoy?"

"Oh please, the scandals in the entertainment industry are nothing compared to the juicy stories about you, Fifth Master Sinclair!"

In the end, Julian rambled on and on for a long time, but didn’t get a single tidbit from Ethan.

Afterwards, the two left the club together.

Besides his two secretaries, Ethan also had a full-time driver named Connor Grant.

When Connor drove up, Ethan saw an elderly mute man gesturing at another man.

The man evidently didn’t understand sign language and pushed the mute man away in frustration.

Before Julian could react, Ethan approached the mute man.

The mute man was asking for directions, and Ethan pointed him in the right way.

The mute man nodded and bowed, expressing his gratitude in sign language before leaving.

"Wow, who would’ve thought that the ever aloof Fifth Master Sinclair could be so helpful?"

Ethan watched the mute man’s retreating figure thoughtfully, "Julian..."

"What?"

"Do you know when I learned sign language?"

Julian was taken aback, realizing only then that the person who had asked for directions was mute and that Ethan understood sign language.

"Uh... didn’t you learn it while living with your mute wife?"

"No!"

"Then..."

"I already knew sign language when I met Kiana Sutton."

The first time Kiana and her mother plotted against him, Ethan understood Kiana’s gestures, though he still couldn’t recall how he knew sign language.

Julian thought for a moment and shook his head, "I didn’t hear about you learning sign language, and you don’t have any mute friends around. Why would you suddenly learn sign language? Were you born with a sign language buff?"

Ethan: "..."

Ethan rarely returned home, but recently he started coming back frequently, making the servants tense.

The next morning, when Ethan came downstairs, the servants had prepared breakfast, but there was no sign of Kiana.

Previously, every time Ethan came home, Kiana would wake up early and wait for him.

Even if Ethan ignored her as if she didn’t exist, she would wait for him.

Today, she was nowhere to be seen.

"Where’s Kiana?"

A slightly plump servant stepped forward, "We tried waking her up for breakfast early in the morning, but she didn’t come out."

Ethan remembered Kiana’s non-cooperation last night, assuming she was on a hunger strike in protest, and his temper flared.

"Get her out here!"

Seconds later, a servant stumbled from the basement, "Sir, something’s... something’s wrong, Madam... it looks like she’s... she’s dead!"

Before anyone could react, Ethan had already rushed into the basement. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

He saw Kiana lying on the ground, her breath so faint it was nearly imperceptible, her exposed skin covered in red welts, her face swollen and flush.

Ethan’s expression was incredibly grim. He didn’t know why, but panic surged through him.

"Kiana! Kiana!!"

He tapped her face and checked her carotid artery; she was still breathing. He shouted at the hesitant servants at the door, "Call an ambulance!"

...

"The patient suffered from a food allergy, combined with a cold and fever that weakened her body, causing a collapse. Luckily, you found her quickly. Had it been any later, she might not have made it."

The speaker was a female doctor in her forties who eyed Ethan up and down, struggling to align this handsome, charismatic man with a domestic abuser.

Nevertheless, with her medical ethics, she felt compelled to caution, "Sir, regardless of your dissatisfaction with your wife, you can divorce her, but you cannot resort to domestic violence."

When Ethan heard Kiana was going to be okay, he breathed a small sigh of relief, but at the mention of domestic violence, he frowned, "What domestic violence?"

The doctor assumed Ethan was feigning ignorance and sternly said, "We discovered many injuries on your wife’s body — beaten, pinched, and even kicked. Domestic violence is illegal, and when your wife wakes up, if she wants to report it to the police, we will support her and also help her contact the local women’s federation to ensure her safety."

After the doctor left, Ethan entered the hospital room.

Kiana lay there with an oxygen mask over her mouth, looking so fragile as if she might vanish at any moment.

Ethan’s eyes, as dark as ink, quietly observed her for a while, then he walked over, lifted the blanket, and pulled up her hospital gown.

Kiana had typically pale, fair skin; just yesterday at the hotel, her body was still fair and clear.

Now, her body was covered with bruises, some areas even had broken skin, an appalling sight.

However, from yesterday till now, Kiana had been at home without leaving, so there was no need to guess how she got these injuries.

Later that afternoon, Ethan, brimming with hostility, returned home and ordered Connor to gather all the servants in the living room.

The servants were unsure if Kiana had died or why Ethan had summoned them.

But upon seeing Ethan, enveloped in frost, seated on the sofa, they were all terrified.

Ethan crossed his legs, his well-fitted three-piece suit and red-soled handmade leather shoes making him appear noble yet ascetic.

His expressionless demeanor made it impossible to guess whether he was pleased or angry.

Finally, his seductive thin lips parted slightly, and his cold, icy voice reached everyone’s ears.

"You all should be very aware, I don’t like Kiana Sutton..."

Ethan’s deep eyes scanned each of the servants.

"Yesterday, who hit Kiana Sutton?"

At first, everyone exchanged nervous glances, no one daring to step forward.

But later, thinking if Ethan disliked Kiana, he might reward whoever hit her, the plump servant immediately stepped forward, "Sir, I was the one who hit Kiana Sutton."