I Pretended To Be Deaf And Exposed Their Plot

“Ever since you retired, you haven’t answered a single one of my emergency calls from the underworld!”

Arthur looked genuinely puzzled, then his expression shifted like he’d suddenly remembered something.

“No, wait! It must be that punk Nolan causing trouble. I’ll go beat some sense into him right now!”

“Enough. We don’t have any proof yet.”

When I’d decided to marry Nolan, I chose to retire. I was afraid my line of work would affect our little family.

I’m also a kid who grew up in an orphanage, though not the same one as Nolan.

Unlike Nolan, who stayed until he aged out, I was adopted by my foster parents when I was sixteen.

That time of my life felt like a beautiful dream. But it didn’t last long. The year I was about to turn eighteen, my foster father died in an accident.

After hearing the news, my foster mother’s mental state never recovered. The day after she stayed up to celebrate my eighteenth birthday with me, she left me forever.

After that, I drifted through life in a daze—but life doesn’t stop just because you want to.

I went to college while working part-time, and somehow I actually landed a high-paying gig. Thanks to the lip-reading I’d been able to do since I was a kid, I became an assistant at a private detective agency.

Maybe I really did have a talent for it. After graduation, relying on my ability to read lips, I was directly promoted to leader of the company’s Sixth Unit.

The Sixth Unit handled lip-reading and translation. We didn’t have to run around on fieldwork like the other teams, and there were only five of us.

Then, when I was twenty-five, I met Nolan. That’s when my life took a turn. I submitted my resignation.

When the company found out I wanted to quit, they sent everyone in my unit to talk me out of it. But I didn’t want any potential enemies from my work putting Nolan at risk, so I still left.

After I resigned, the position of “Mira from the Sixth Unit” stayed vacant all the way till now. Arthur and the others would drop by to chat with me every now and then. I knew the company was quietly allowing it—they still hoped I’d come back.

Once I fell in love, all I did was ask around a bit about Nolan’s personality and character. I never dug deeper into his background.

Looking back now, I realize I walked straight into a trap called love.

And now I have no choice but to investigate him.

“Arthur, help me look into Nolan.”

What kind of reason could he possibly have, that he’d want to divorce me, yet still put on such a loving act with Reid, acting like he adored me, making me believe our family was perfect and happy?

Two days later, I received a message from Arthur.

In those two days, I kept pretending I didn’t know anything. It gave me an even clearer picture of just how much they despise me. Nolan’s acting is fucking impeccable.

Two in the morning—the time when they’re usually dead asleep. I moved quietly, picking up the canvas bag I’d prepared in advance, and slipped out the door.

As soon as I reached the bottom of the building, I spotted Arthur hiding behind a big tree outside the complex gate, poking his head out now and then. Luckily there were no cameras in that spot, or he really would’ve been arrested as a thief.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you stealing something or what?”

Arthur winked at me. “I’m just trying to match the vibe.”

I gave him a thumbs-up. The company’s resident clown never disappoints.

Thirteen years had passed since I last set foot in the company. It looked almost exactly the same, yet something about it felt subtly changed.

We slipped in through the back door, and when I glanced toward the lobby, I saw the boss sitting there.

“Welcome home, Mira.”