● LANDON REAL ESTATE COMPANY ●

“Am right, you are deaf” Sally said again, wondering when he will speak cause the silence is driving her crazy.

But he didn’t say a word, instead, he took hold of her hand and pull her upstairs, heading straight to his office.

With the door shut on them, he stood against the window, watching her.

“Knowing about this might put you in danger , do you still want me to tell you?” Xavier ask and she nodded.

She watch him put on the ear aid,no one ever notice it on him because his hair always covered it.

“You are right, I am deaf and I wasn’t born this way. The day I clock four, I got into an accident with my parents. An accident which took their lives and took away my hearing ability ”

“When I move in with grandma, she thought me being deaf to be a flaw and found me a doctor who can help with my recovery”

“But the operation I had restored just my left ear, we found out that my right ear has been completely damage”

“When I left the hospital,I could barely hear a thing with my left ear but I was provided with a hearing aid which sometimes help me hear people who are far away except I take it off”

“Just like when I was calling to you at the rooftop. You didn’t hear me until I touch you, you didn’t have on the hearing aid, right?” Sally ask and he nodded.

“If you didn’t have it on then how…how did you hear me?” Sally ask again.

“By reading your lips. Without my hearing aid, I can barely hear people when they talk but when I read people lips, I know what they say” Xavier explain.

“Wow. That’s… that’s huge. You must really be good if you know how to read people lips and answer without them knowing you can’t hear them” Sally said and that got him turning away from her to stare out through the window.

Sally notice the change in him, he look a bit sad.

“I was six when my grandmother got me a tutor who specialize in lips reading. It was hard at first trying to learn but grandmother made it clear to me that being deaf is my biggest flaw and that if I don’t do something to change it, people will use it against me”

“Funny how those words got me doing my best. I mastered lip reading perfectly when I was ten and have always use it as a shield” He added softly.

Sally found herself thinking of a ten year old Xavier who had to struggle to be the perfect man he is right now.

“But couldn’t you have tried sign language?” Sally ask and that got him laughing, a harsh laughter to be precise.

“Sign language? Sally, I am Xavier Landon, the only heir to the Landon fortune. What do you think people will think of me if they see me using sign language to communicate?”

“I’d be a laughing stock, I’d be ridicule and won’t be respected by anyone” He added, now starring at her.

“If I can guess, your grandmother told you that, right?” She ask and instead of answering, he turn away from her.

“That doesn’t matter. What matters now is that have come this far without anyone knowing the truth”

“So you mean that am the first to find out your secret?” Sally ask.

“Not really, they’ve been others but….” She saw him hesitate and wanted him to continue but he change the subject.

“Have been living my life like a normal person and if I hadn’t taken off the hearing aid today, you wouldn’t have find out the truth”

“I wouldn’t have” Sally agreed.

“Which is why you need to keep it a secret. No one must know that Xavier Landon has a hearing disability” He said, slowly walking towards her.

” Why do you think you being deaf is a flaw?” Sally found herself asking.

“Cause it is! ” He replied vehemently, taking hold of her arms.

“It’s a flaw which will definitely destroy me if the wrong person finds out. Landon empire has a lot of enemies who are merciless” he said with force and when he was calm, he let her go.

“So, can I trust you to keep this a secret?” Xavier ask and Sally gave a nod, not for once thinking about May.

“Good then, you can go back to work” he said, looking like the cruel heartless CEO he is.

******
● LUNCH TIME ~ CAFETERIA ●

“What do you think about this dress?” Claire, Sally’s only friend in the company ask while showing her a picture.

“Okay, let’s have it. What’s going on? You’ve barely touch your food and you keep zoning off to gawd knows where” Claire said, earning Sally’s attention.

“Am sorry. Have just been thinking”

“About what? Don’t tell me you are going to cancel your date with Adam Parker” Claire said quickly.

“Don’t you think I should?”

“Of course not! Adam Parker is…he is the most sought out guy in town. The boss did well by making him our model since he’s every girl crush and you should be lucky that he wants to take you out on a date” Claire said.

“Sounds like a playboy to me” Sally reply.

“Well, he’s rich and famous and he’s definitely meant to play around but he’s different with you”

“How is he different?”

“He asked you out first which has never happen before. Adam Parker only get invite from the opposite s*x, he never invites himself but for you, he did which makes it different” Claire explain.

“You are just exaggerating”

“Am not! You should see how the girls in my department are dying with envy right now. They’d like to be in your shoes”

“Then I will gladly give up the date for them” Sally reply.

“Sally you….”

“Adam Parker is the least of my worry, right now” Sally said, looking more lost than ever.

******
● SALLY’S HOUSE ●

“So anything new?” May ask the moment she walk in.

“What?”

“You know what am talking about. Did you find out something interesting about Xavier Landon?” May ask, joining her in the kitchen.

“I….I didn’t but don’t worry, if there’s something I will let you know. If it helps, Adam Parker will be our new model” Sally said.

“Things like Adam Parker or the company isn’t my business. What I want right now is Xavier Landon secret, just focus on that” May said.

“Alright captain. Your wish is definitely my command” Sally said playfully while berating herself for betraying her friend.

When May went back to work to help a colleague with her night shift, Sally got ready for bed.

With the lights put out, Sally was heading to bed when she got message from Xavier.

★ ARE YOU AT HOME?★

★ YES ★ She reply wondering why he’s suddenly texting her when he has never done it before.

The ringing of the bell got her heading to the door to answer.

She open the door to find two men in black just as she got a message from Xavier.

★ IF AM CORRECT, TWO MEN IN BLACK WILL COME SEE YOU, DON’T LET THEM IN. THEY DON’T MEAN GOOD ★

As soon as she read the text, she stared at the two men in front of her and force a smile on her face.

“What can I do for you?” Sally ask.

“We’ve been sent here by someone, may we come in?” The taller one said about to walk into the house but Sally shut the door on their face and went back in.

Sally first thought is to call Xavier but she remember that he might not have his hearing aid with him and so she did a video call, praying he answer since the men were knocking on her door, urging her to open or they break it down.

“Sally! Are you okay?” Xavier ask the moment he answered her call.

“Those men are here and they keep asking me to let them in. What can I do?” Sally ask, making sure she speak slowly so he can read her lip.

“Is there a back door?” Xavier ask and she nodded.

“Get out through the back door and make sure they don’t see you. Am driving to your house, am almost there” He said and she nodded, ending the call.

Sally slip out through the back door and quietly walk past the front door where the men are now trying to get in through the window.

She had just manage to get to the main street when they saw her.

Sally took to her heels when they began to pursue her, she ran as fast as she could but they caught up with her, holding onto her arm.

“Let go of me! Let me go!” Sally kept screaming as they pull her towards their car.

It was at that moment, Sally recall something Xavier said to her earlier that day.

“Knowing about this might put you in danger , do you still want me to tell you?”

He had ask her then and she had agree and now she will have to face the consequence of knowing Xavier secret…..

TBC ❤️