The Mute Bride's Dead Groom Came Back To Life

When Katherine Evans was dragged out of the trunk, her once-pristine white wedding gown was already torn into a ragged mess.

Rain poured from the sky without mercy. She sank to her knees, her body soaked through as the relentless storm raged on above her.

In front of her stood the funeral home, surrounded by darkness and an unsettling silence.

A moment later, footsteps approached from behind. Under the cover of a black umbrella, her half-sister Hayley Evans slowly made her way over. She looked down at Katherine kneeling in the rain, a faint, mocking smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Katherine, just look at yourself. You really do look like a bride," she scoffed disdainfully.

Katherine kept her head lowered, her drenched hair hanging in heavy strands across her face, hiding most of her features.

Dropping into a crouch, Hayley seized her chin and forced her to look up at her.

"What? You're not going to say anything?" Hayley leaned closer, a cruel chuckle escaping her lips. "Sorry. I forgot. You're mute."

She released Katherine's face and rose to her feet. "The Dales are looking for a living bride to be buried alongside Wyatt Dale. I'd never throw my life away for that."

Hayley's lips curled into a wicked smile, a vicious gleam flashing in her eyes. "But you're not like me. Dad never cared about you anyway. You're nothing but a burden wasting air. At least now your life can give the Evans family something in return. Isn't that a good deal?"

Katherine refused to give her even the slightest response.

Hayley soon grew bored waiting for a reaction. With a look of disdain, she turned away-only to swing her foot forward a second later and slam it into Katherine's chest.

The impact sent Katherine rolling down the steps, crashing onto her back. Still, she didn't even flinch.

"Take her inside," Hayley commanded sharply.

At once, two men dressed in black stepped forward. They seized Katherine by both arms and dragged her toward a building without giving her a chance to resist.

A coffin rested in the center of the hall. Surrounding it were extravagant bouquets and arrangements from the mourners, every piece seemingly priceless.

Inside the coffin lay a young man.

The bodyguards grabbed Katherine and threw her in beside him before slamming the lid shut.

Hayley's final words slipped through the coffin's cracks. "Rest in peace, Katherine."

A moment later, the sharp pounding of nails echoed through the coffin as the lid was sealed closed.

Katherine remained perfectly still in the suffocating darkness.

Only after the footsteps outside had completely disappeared did she slowly open her eyes.

Even in the pitch-black coffin, her gaze held a piercing clarity.

She slowly turned her head and reached out, her fingertips finding the side of the man's neck.

His skin was cold-almost unnaturally so.

But then, out of nowhere, she felt a pulse, weak and faint yet undeniably present.

The slightest curve appeared at the edge of Katherine's mouth.

With her free hand, she reached beneath the inner lining of her wedding gown, where a concealed pocket had been carefully stitched into the fabric.

The zipper slid open silently, and her fingers closed around the syringe and a small vial tucked inside.

Even without sight, she drew the medication into the syringe, then gave it a quick flick to clear out the air bubbles.

Every movement was steady, as if she had repeated the process countless times before.

In fact, she had, only never with someone who was still alive.

Katherine turned onto her side, planting one knee firmly against the coffin wall to steady herself. Her left hand moved across the man's chest, searching through the layers of clothing until she located the artery closest to his heart.

Hidden in the darkness, a faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.

Under her breath, she murmured, "Well, aren't you lucky? I haven't found a suitable test subject for my trials yet. You'll have to do."

Once the medication had been injected, she withdrew the needle and carefully stored everything away.

From the information she had pieced together, Wyatt had never truly been beyond saving. She had taken a gamble-that if she could get close enough, she could pull him back from the edge. And she had been right.

But before she could even process her victory, a hand shot out without warning and locked around her throat.

The force behind it was brutal.

Katherine's breath vanished in an instant. She fought back on instinct, twisting and kicking with all her strength, but every attempt at resistance was useless in the cramped space.

Her vision blurred as the pressure tightened, her lungs burning as the last traces of air were forced out of them.

"Trying to get yourself killed?" A deep, rough voice broke through the darkness.

The moment the words fell, the hand around Katherine's neck tightened even further.

He had only just awakened. His voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper, yet the threat behind it sent a chill crawling through the darkness.

Then, all at once, frantic voices erupted from outside the coffin. "There's movement inside. That's Mr. Dale's voice. Hurry! Open it!"

A thunderous bang echoed through the room as the heavy lid was ripped away. Light and fresh air poured into the suffocating space.

The bodyguards froze the moment they saw what was inside.

Wyatt, a man everyone believed had already crossed into death, was awake.

One hand gripped the edge of the coffin for support, while the other remained locked tightly around the throat of the bride who had been sent to be buried alongside him.

His face was drained of color, but his eyes burned with a terrifying, savage fury.

"Mr. Dale really came back to life?" gasped one of the bodyguards.

They surged forward, reaching into the coffin and carefully pulling Wyatt out.

Wyatt knocked their hands away and staggered slightly as he steadied himself.

His cold, dangerous eyes locked onto the woman still inside the coffin.

Only moments earlier, while trapped in that darkness, he had felt a sharp sting against his chest.

Something had been injected into his body-something that had pulled him back from the edge of death itself.

Could it have been this woman?

Katherine was climbing out of the coffin.

Her wedding dress was drenched and stained with mud, her head lowered as she moved.

Her soaked hair clung to her face, completely concealing her expression.

She looked fragile and miserable.

Within three minutes, the news that Wyatt had returned from the dead had reached every one of the Dale family.

The entire funeral home erupted into chaos.

Before Wyatt even had the chance to demand an explanation, a sorrowful cry tore through the air outside the building.

"Wyatt!"

The desperate voice echoed through the hall. A graceful figure rushed inside, forcing her way past the bodyguards who attempted to block her path.

The woman who stepped inside wore a perfectly fitted black dress that hugged her figure, while a small white flower rested against the brim of her matching black hat.

Before arriving at the funeral home, Katherine had thoroughly studied every file related to the family. She recognized the newcomer at once.

Her name was Brenna Dale, Wyatt's adopted younger sister. As the only girl of her generation, she was cherished and spoiled by everyone in the family.

Tears streamed down her face, but the moment her eyes landed on Wyatt standing before her-alive and breathing-her entire body went still.

He was really alive. The man everyone believed had already died had truly come back.

A flicker of disbelief crossed her eyes. Then, slowly, her gaze shifted away from Wyatt and settled on the woman standing beside him in the wedding dress.

She couldn't make out the woman's features clearly, but the moment she saw her pathetic appearance, she dismissed her as a nobody.

A bitter mix of jealousy and regret suddenly twisted inside her chest.

If she had known Wyatt would survive, she never would have let that useless Evans woman take the bride's place.

Brenna buried those thoughts, replacing them with a bright expression of joy. Then, she ran straight to him. "Wyatt, thank goodness you're all right! You have no idea how scared I was. I thought I lost you..."

Wyatt instinctively tried to step away, but he had only just regained consciousness. Before he could get away, Brenna had already thrown herself into his arms.

The unexpected force knocked the breath from him, and he could only clutch his chest as a few painful coughs escaped. The little color left in his face vanished completely.

"Wyatt, is your chest hurting again?" Brenna's expression changed at once as she reached out anxiously. "I've studied medicine. Let me take a look..."

As she spoke, her fingers moved toward his chest.

She pressed down several times, but instead of easing, Wyatt's condition only seemed to worsen. His coughing grew more violent, as though each cough was tearing him apart.

Katherine was only a few steps away, close enough to see every move Brenna made.

Before Brenna could make another move, Katherine's hand shot out, locking firmly around her wrist and halting her attack mid-motion.

Pain shot through Brenna's arm. She let out a sharp cry and instinctively turned her head.

That was when she finally got a clear look at the person standing in her way-the bride, who was still completely soaked from the rain.

"What the hell are you doing? Let go of me!" Brenna snapped, her voice rising in rage.

Katherine only looked at her with a detached expression. Then she flung Brenna's hand aside.

The pressure points Brenna had already touched weren't enough to take Wyatt's life. But the final point she had been about to strike-that one would have killed him instantly.

And Katherine had no second dose of the medicine that had pulled him back from death.

Seeing Katherine refuse to respond, Brenna clutched her wrist, her fury burning hotter by the second.

She couldn't believe this bitch had actually dared to touch her.

"I was wondering who had the nerve to stop me. So it's the mute from the Evans family." She deliberately raised her voice, making sure everyone in the hall heard, while her eyes dragged over Katherine from head to toe with undisguised contempt.

A flicker of something unreadable crossed Wyatt's eyes at her words, then disappeared before anyone could catch it.

"The Evans family actually sent someone like you to become Wyatt's bride?" Brenna sneered, her voice growing sharper. "They must be trying to get themselves killed."

Though Katherine kept her head lowered, the cold glint in her eyes revealed her displeasure.

Brenna really did have a vicious tongue.

Still, there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with Brenna later. Right now, she had no interest in wasting her energy.

Wyatt remained silent, his piercing gaze never leaving Katherine.

The faint ache still throbbing at his chest served as a constant reminder-his escape from death had everything to do with the woman standing before him.

But that only raised more questions. How could a mute woman, someone cast aside by the Evans family, possess such abilities?

A shadow passed over Wyatt's face.

The woman they had all dismissed as nothing more than a sacrifice was clearly far more complicated than she appeared.

As Brenna noticed Wyatt's attention was fixed on Katherine, her heart tightened. She rushed over, stepping between them and blocking his view.

"Someone, get this jinx out of here! Don't let her filthy presence ruin Wyatt's sight!" she bellowed.

The bodyguards exchanged uncertain looks, then glanced toward Wyatt for confirmation.

Seeing their hesitation, Brenna yelled, "What the hell are you waiting for? Do I need to repeat myself?"

"She's staying," Wyatt declared with quiet authority.

"What?" Brenna stiffened, unable to believe what she had just heard.

When she saw Wyatt's eyes remain fixed on Katherine, a surge of jealousy burned through her.

She stepped closer and reached toward him. "She's just a mute. Keeping someone like her around will only bring you trouble."

Just then, a sudden rush of footsteps echoed from outside the hall.

"Wyatt!"

The instant Raymond Dale received word that his grandson had returned from the dead, he didn't waste a second. Despite his old age, he hurried over, his face filled with overwhelming excitement.

His second son, Matthew Dale, followed closely behind him.

Raymond pushed through the crowd and crossed the hall in only a few hurried strides before grabbing Wyatt firmly by the shoulders with trembling hands.

"You're really alive? They told me you came back to life, but I couldn't believe it. Thank heavens!"

Having lived for more than eighty years and witnessed countless things, Raymond still found his eyes turning red in that unforgettable moment.

"Grandpa, I'm alright now." Wyatt forced the words out, his voice still weak and hoarse.

Raymond's head bobbed repeatedly, his emotions surging beyond his control. After taking a moment to steady himself, he turned toward the crowd in the hall. His gaze swept over everyone before finally settling on Katherine. "So this is the bride the Evans family sent?"

Brenna seized the opening at once. She stepped forward and complained, "Grandpa, that's her. The Evans family never had good intentions. They sent over a mute to brush us off. I was just about to have someone remove her from here."

"That's enough!" Raymond snapped as he shot Brenna a hard look.

Brenna went still, and her face quickly lost its color.

She couldn't understand why Raymond was this furious with her. Was he seriously taking that mute's side over hers?

Raymond walked over to Katherine and gave her a long, careful look.

Her clothes and appearance were a mess, but her eyes remained calm and clear. Nothing about her gave off the nervous or meek impression he would've expected from someone raised in a less powerful family.

"Good!" Raymond slammed his cane against the floor. "Now this is the kind of woman Wyatt should marry. The fortune-teller was right. She hadn't even been here long before Wyatt woke up. This girl is the Dale family's lucky star!"

The mood inside the hall changed almost at once, and no one seemed to know how to react.

Their lucky star?

The Evans family had thrown away a mute, only for her to somehow become the lucky star of the most powerful family in Slecson?

Brenna shook with anger and bit her tongue before she said something she couldn't take back.

She refused to accept what was happening.

For years, she had stayed by Wyatt's side. How could some damn mute who had shown up out of nowhere suddenly take all the attention?

"Grandpa's right." Wyatt looked at Katherine as he spoke. "If she's really our lucky star, then she should stay right beside me from now on."

His voice grew heavier toward the end, making the meaning behind those words impossible to miss.

Katherine caught the warning and lowered her eyes before he could see the amusement in them.

She knew exactly what he meant. There was more behind his words than concern. He was warning her.

Rumors said Wyatt trusted almost no one. Keeping her close had nothing to do with believing she brought him luck. He simply wanted her where he could watch her until he figured out how she had managed to save him.

That arrangement worked perfectly well for her.

"If Wyatt's fine with it, then it's settled. From today on, she stays," Raymond said without hesitation.

"Father, don't decide this so quickly." Matthew, who had been standing quietly to the side, finally spoke up. He wore a well-fitted black suit with gold-rimmed glasses, and there was a slight smile on his face.

He came over and reached out to pat Wyatt's shoulder. "Wyatt, you have no idea how relieved I was when I heard you'd woken up."

Wyatt moved aside before Matthew could touch him, and his eyes turned cold.

He had only just woken up and wasn't in the mood to argue, but he knew damn well that Matthew's name had been attached to every arrangement involving his medical care.

Was Matthew really that relieved to see him alive? He seriously doubted it. His uncle was probably more upset that he hadn't died.

"Sorry I worried you so much, Uncle Matthew. I guess seeing me alive wasn't what you expected."

There was no mistaking the meaning behind Wyatt's words.

Matthew's smile slipped for barely a second, but he quickly put it back on.

He looked at Raymond and spoke with convincing concern. "Father, I'm so glad Wyatt made it. But are you really going to let him marry a girl the Evans family already cast aside?"

Raymond's brows pulled together, as he was confused why Matthew would say something like that.

Matthew let out a sigh and gave Katherine a dismissive look. "Wyatt is one of the most respected men in Slecson, and everyone knows he'll eventually lead this family. Do you really think people won't talk if his wife can't speak? If word gets out, we'll become a joke all over the city."

He made it sound as though he only cared about the Dale family's reputation, but every sentence was meant to put Katherine beneath them.

There was no chance he would willingly let a woman with such a questionable background stay close to Wyatt.

Wyatt should've died this time. Somehow, he opened his eyes not long after Katherine's arrival. He had no idea what she'd done to save Wyatt, and that alone was enough to make him suspicious of her.

Several of the extended relatives started whispering to one another.

"How could a mute possibly be good enough for Wyatt?"

"The Evans family must have no respect for us if this is who they sent."

Once Brenna heard the others agreeing with her, she quickly chimed in, "Uncle Matthew's right. Someone like her doesn't belong with Wyatt."

Raymond's expression turned grim.

The family's reputation was important, but it meant nothing compared to his grandson's life.

A fortune-teller had once warned him that Wyatt would face a deadly crisis. If he survived it, nothing would be able to hold him back afterward.

Raymond hadn't taken those words seriously at first. The Dales were too powerful for him to believe something like that could really happen. Now, however, he had no doubt left in his mind. This girl from the Evans family had saved Wyatt's life.

Before Raymond could respond, Wyatt gave a cold scoff. "Since when do you get to decide how I live my life, Uncle Matthew?"

He looked straight at Matthew, and the hostility in his eyes was impossible to miss. "I don't care if my wife is a mute or if everyone here thinks she's useless. She's still part of the Dale family. So if anyone thinks she's an embarrassment to us..."

He stopped for a moment and looked around the hall. "Then they can cut ties with the Dales."

Silence fell across the hall at once. Not one person dared to say anything else.

Even Katherine hadn't expected him to go that far.

No one had ever defended her like that before. Strangely enough, she didn't hate the feeling.

Matthew's face turned pale, and his hands gradually curled into fists at his sides.

Wyatt had just gotten out of his coffin, yet he was already acting as if no one could touch him.

Matthew forced down his anger and managed a stiff smile. "Fine, Wyatt. If you really want her to stay, I'm not going to stop you."

After saying that, he lowered his eyes. The reflection on his glasses concealed the hatred in his gaze.

He wasn't worried about running out of chances. One sickly invalid and one mute wouldn't be difficult for him to deal with.

Raymond struck his cane against the floor and brought the argument to an end. "We're done talking about this! Katherine saved Wyatt, and she stays. From now on, if I hear anyone talking behind her back or treating her badly, you'll have to answer to me!"

Wyatt looked over at Katherine. "Come on, dear. Help me back to my room."

The way he said the word "dear" made it clear he was mocking her.

Katherine looked back at him.

He had only just started breathing again, and he was already bossing her around. Clearly, there was nothing wrong with him anymore. She really shouldn't have stopped after one shot earlier. She should've jabbed him a few more times and left him half-paralyzed.

She complained about him silently, but her expression stayed completely neutral as she walked over and took hold of his arm.

As soon as her fingers touched him, Wyatt stiffened from head to toe. Even so, he didn't pull away.