Chapter 5 The Matching Emerald Pendant

• Clara pulled out her notebook and hunched over the table, starting to figure out a plan to help Mason.
• Matt had no clue Mason was staying here, and seeing this living environment stirred up his emotions.
• "Tyler has crossed a line, Mr. Smith. He was the one who gave Old Mr. Smith a heart attack!"
• Mason gestured for Matt to keep his voice down. "Don't come around too often. I'll reach out to you."
• "Sure thing, Mr. Smith. Oh, and I've already got in touch with Don Turner."
• "Alright." Mason nodded. "Got it. You can head out now."
• As Matt reached the door, Mason stopped him. "Matt."
• "I'm listening, Mr. Smith."
• "On the day of my grandfather's funeral, I want to be there to see him off."
• "Sure thing, Mr. Smith. I'll make the arrangements."
• After Matt left, Clara stayed at the table writing all night, while Mason remained seated throughout.
• As the notebook filled up with Clara's notes, she rubbed her tired eyes.
• Mason had suddenly gone blind, but Clara was sure she could help him. Her grandfather's medical books had similar cases.
• Mason stayed awake all night too. Clara went to help him lie down, but he asked, "Is the sunshine nice today?"
• Clara glanced at the sunlight pouring in and squeezed Mason's hand.
• "Let's go to the garden and soak up some sun," Mason suggested.
• Clara assisted Mason out of the room.
• Leslie snuck in from outside and saw Clara with Mason in the garden.
• Mason still had a radiant face under the sun, and Leslie stood under a tree, captivated.
• She scolded herself, "Why am I still thinking about him? He looks like a beggar."
• Yet, she couldn't resist slipping into Mason's room.
• Covering her nose with a silk handkerchief, she muttered, "Thank goodness I didn't marry him. How can anyone live here?"
• As she was about to leave, she noticed a notebook neatly tucked under the pillow.
• Leslie recognized it as Clara's. It was her close posession, and it had never left her sight.
• Why's it hidden under the pillow?
• Leslie took out the notebook and flipped through it, growing more excited.
• It was all about curing Mason. Leslie knew Clara's family were skilled alternative medicine doctors.
• Leslie had seen it firsthand. One day, Jane Carter suddenly got sick at home, with foam coming out of her mouth and her body shaking. Clara stepped in and used two silver needles to save her.
• Following that, Clara regularly gave Jane acupuncture treatments. To everyone's surprise, within a month, Jane made a full recovery and never had an episode again.
• Leslie's heart raced with hope. Could this mean there's still a chance for Mason?
• Out of the blue, she caught the sound of a cane tapping outside the door, and Leslie spun around to spot Mason entering.
• Since Mason lost his sight, Leslie hadn't met with him. All she'd heard was Tyler booting him from the Smiths and dumping him here. She figured he'd become a messy beggar.
• But even without sight, he still exuded dignity. Despite wielding a cane and feeling his way into the room, he maintained a graceful air.
• Leslie was so engrossed in watching him that she forgot to hide.
• As Mason strolled past Leslie, he suddenly sensed her and asked, "Leslie?"
• Taken aback, Leslie feared she'd been discovered, but Mason reached out and clasped her hand.
• "I thought you headed out to buy herbs. Why are you still here?"
• Then it dawned on Leslie: Mason mistook her for Clara, who had wed him using her name. Now he thought Leslie was Clara.
• Quickly, Leslie grasped Mason's hand too, gazing up at him, lost in thought.
• If Mason can be cured, I believe he can reclaim all he's lost, and we can be together again!
• Leslie harbored love for Mason. Otherwise, she wouldn't have feigned muteness before him for six months.
• Mason brushed Leslie's cheek and noticed the emerald pendant around her neck. Leslie seized the moment to retrieve it from her collar.
• Caressing the smooth emerald, Mason mused, "I didn't notice you wearing this emerald yesterday. I thought you'd taken it off. Without this emerald, I might not have recognized you."
• Mason also sported an identical emerald pendant. Leslie had snatched it from Clara's neck, finding it exquisite and valuable. Later, she discovered it was a gift from Mason to Clara when they were young.
• Thanks to this emerald, Mason identified Leslie as the mute girl he'd met at the clinic years ago.
• Leslie leaned against Mason's chest for quite some time before reluctantly pulling away.
• She feared Clara might return suddenly and find them. Besides, she had important matters to attend to.
• She dashed out hurriedly, and Mason assumed she went to the pharmacy to buy herbs.
• Descending the stairs, Leslie bumped into Sandra, who was munching on melon seeds and spitting out shells everywhere. Sandra's eyes widened at the sight of Leslie.
• She had seen Leslie before at the Smiths, but the person who married into the family that day didn't resemble the face she remembered.
• But it made sense. Leslie looked like a pampered young lady, and she couldn't possibly marry a blind man. It seemed they had swapped Leslie for someone else behind the scenes.
• Sandra wasn't naive. With some thought, she grasped the situation.
• "Sandra, you're sharp. I don't need to say much, right?"
• Sandra was still checking Leslie out when she suddenly spoke.
• Sandra was surprised. Leslie was mute before, but now she's speaking?
• However, when she saw Leslie pull out a thick wad of bills from her wallet, Sandra's eyes widened, and she eagerly accepted them.
• Money talks. Having witnessed many twists and turns in these family matters, she was aware that it wasn't wise to ask too many questions. If she was paid, she could naturally keep quiet.
• "Don't worry, Ms. Davis. From now on, if anyone asks, you're the Mrs. Smith that Mr. Smith officially married."