And the worst part? The maid acted like she'd been given some kind of order to remain silent. No matter what Tao Yu asked, she was met with a smile. After a few attempts, Tao Yu gave up and retreated into silence herself.

She had to find a way to get this chain off her wrist. At this rate, before Yue Linze's psychological issues were resolved, she'd develop her own.

She somehow managed to make it to evening, but Yue Linze still hadn't returned. She stopped a cleaning maid. "Do you know when Mr. Yue will be back?"

The maid smiled at her, offering no answer.

Tao Yu, now accustomed to this treatment, sighed and tried a different approach. "Where's my phone? Could you please give it to me? I need to call Mr. Yue."

The maid started to smile again, but Tao Yu quickly warned, "Mr. Yue may have told you not to speak to me, but he didn't say anything about not speaking to me himself. If he finds out you're preventing us from communicating, do you think you'll still have a job here?"

The maid hesitated. Coupled with Tao Yu's continued prodding, she quickly fetched the phone, but remained hovering nearby, watching.

Tao Yu's lips twitched. Pretending not to notice the surveillance, she pulled up Yue Linze's number and called.

The phone was answered after only one ring. Yue Linze's magnetic voice filled the line.

He picked up so quickly, it was like he'd been waiting for her call. Tao Yu's lips curved upward just as he said, "Speak."

Tao Yu glanced at the maid, who immediately stared straight ahead, pretending not to pay attention.

Slightly more relaxed, Tao Yu fought the inexplicable heat rising in her cheeks and tried a touch of playful coaxing. "When are you coming home? I'm all alone in the room with no one to talk to. I miss you so much."

This jerk had forbidden anyone to speak to her, likely hoping for this exact outcome. If she played along, maybe she could coax him into removing the chain.

In the conference room, Yue Linze glanced at the shareholders below. They immediately busied themselves with their phones or documents, pretending their meeting hadn't been interrupted by a phone call.

He curled his lip, his voice softening. "I'll be home in ten minutes."

The shareholders exchanged glances. Had they lost their minds? The meeting had just begun. And wasn't it true that the drive from the company to the CEO's home took exactly ten minutes?

Though she was partly putting on an act, Tao Yu brightened at his words. Even though he was the one who'd chained her up, having someone to talk to would at least alleviate the boredom.

"Hurry back then. I'll wait for you so we can have a late-night snack," Tao Yu said cheerfully, completely forgetting she'd just finished dinner two hours earlier.

Yue Linze gave a soft affirmation and hung up. He immediately stood, leaning on his cane as he walked out, calmly announcing, "Meeting adjourned."

The shareholders, who had been told he wouldn't be home until early morning, were speechless.

In the car, the butler in the passenger seat glanced at Yue Linze through the rearview mirror and gently instructed the driver, "A little faster, please."

"Certainly, sir," the driver replied, pressing the accelerator and somehow managing to shorten the ten-minute drive to eight.

So, before Tao Yu, who had just handed back her phone, could even process what was happening, Yue Linze was home.

"That was quick!" Tao Yu rushed to the door to greet him. She nodded to the housekeeper before focusing her attention on Yue Linze, seemingly unfazed by the chain around her wrist being visible.

Yue Linze glanced at her. "I was already on my way when you called."

"So we're on the same wavelength?" Tao Yu smiled. When Yue Linze stepped inside, she gave him a long hug, burying her face in his chest. "I was dying of boredom here all alone."