Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

The moment Mari's eyes opened on Friday morning, her lips curved in a wide smile.

It was her birthday! Her twenty-fifth birthday— the day Jax was going to tell her everything and they could start their relationship officially!

She'd always wanted to have a boyfriend by her twenty-fifth birthday, and now it was happening! She was going to be deflowered unfailingly tonight! Nothing was going to stand in her way. Not even if Diva came with a full-grown child claiming it was Jax's baby.

With the smile still on her face, she sat up, reached for her phone and checked the time.

It was 7:45.

She put on her glasses and hurried into the bathroom. She freshened up quickly. She looked amongst her clothes and decided to wear the pink crop top and denim skort she'd been wearing the day she was brought here.

Once she'd dressed up, she took off her glasses and put on her contact lenses, then let down her hair and smiled at her reflection in the mirror.

Jax would not be able to resist her today. Nah! She thought with an alluring smile as she made her way out of the room.

She considered going upstairs to his room to check if he was awake, but just as she got to the doorway that led to the living room and stairs, she heard the sound of the guitar coming from the kitchen.

Immediately, she headed to the kitchen, and she froze at the door. Her heart leapt in her chest, and her hands flew to her mouth when she saw Jax and Chad seated there together, facing the doorway with a smile on their faces.

It was easy for her to differentiate them now, even without looking at their different outfits.

The beautiful sound filled the kitchen as Chad strummed the guitar with slow, careful strokes while Jax sang a happy birthday song. His voice was deep and smooth, rolling with the tune.

Mari's eyes stung. She did not want to cry, but her eyes filled with happy tears anyway.

"Happy birthday, Mari," Jax finished in a soft voice.

Chad struck the last chord and grinned widely. "Happy birthday, little mermaid."

Mari clapped her hands together. "Oh my God!" she said. "You guys!"

She walked in, her steps quick and bouncy as she looked from Jax to Chad, and back again, not sure who to hug first. "This is the sweetest thing ever."

She went to Chad first and hugged him, "Thank you so much."

Jax stood up. A smile tugged gently at the corners of his lips and his eyes stayed fixed on her face as she came to embrace him.

"Thank you for making this morning so memorable," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion as Jax's arms went around her waist.

"Alright. I'm going to head out now and leave you both to enjoy the day together. When I come back later in the day let's have a party," Chad said, winking at Jax before walking away with the guitar.

"Let's make the whole day memorable, shall we?" Jax asked as he kissed her forehead before pulling away.

"I have written out the order of the day for your birthday. First on the list is to greet you with a birthday song. Check," he said, ticking the air, and Mari grinned, her heart warm.

"What's next on your list?" She asked, grinning.

"Feed the birthday girl," Jax said as he went to the microwave to take out the sandwich and toasts he'd kept there, and he piled them on a plate and went to the coffee maker to pour them both coffee.

"Breakfast is ready? When did you wake up?" She asked curiously.

"I didn't sleep," he said casually as he set out the food on the island and held out a chair for her to sit down.

Mari grinned at him as she sat down, then he pushed the seat forward and kissed her lips before going to the refrigerator to take out a bowl of beautifully carved fruits.

Mari raised a brow when he set the bowl and a tray in front of her, "What's this?"

Jax grinned. "Carved fruits. Watermelons, apples and cantaloupes. It's a sentence. Your assignment is to organise the letters and find out what they say."

"For real? You carved these?" She asked with a grin, curious to know what it says.

"Yep. But you have to eat first. So, let's eat. After breakfast, you'll solve the puzzle," Jax said, and Mari giggled as she picked up a sandwich and began to eat.

"So, why didn't you sleep? Was it because you were busy carving these?" Mari asked curiously as they both ate.

"I guess I was too excited about your birthday to sleep. So I spent the time doing other things," he said, and she giggled.

Jax watched with amusement as Mari ate without talking much. He could tell she was eager to finish the food so she could solve the puzzle.

He chuckled when she quickly finished and poured the fruit onto the tray. It was the fastest breakfast they'd ever had together.

Mari spread the fruits out on the tray, her fingers moving quickly as she turned each carved piece around. The letters were neat, clear lines cut into soft fruit.

Some were round, some square, some shaped like hearts, and each piece had a letter cut into it.

Her brows furrowed, tongue peeking from the corner of her lips as she separated them by alphabet.

She picked up one slice of watermelon. A neat H was carved into the red flesh. She placed it carefully at the top of the tray. Next came an A, then a P Her lips moved as she sounded the letters.

Her smile grew wide. "I got it," she said, leaning close.

Jax sat across from her, elbows on the island, chin resting on his hand, watching her with a soft smile as he watched her organize the words slowly.

Mari giggled, "Happy Birthday, Mari," she said, laughing at the pieces she'd organised.

"Keep going. That's not all," he murmured, his voice low and teasing as he rose. "I'll be right back."

Her fingers brushed over the last set of letters. She set them down one by one, slow now, almost scared to see it finished.

She gasped. Her hand flew to her chest when she organised it.

I. A.M. I.N. L. O. V. E. W.I.T.H. Y.O. U.

Mari's breath caught as she stared at the words laid out before her:

"Happy Birthday, Mari, I am in love with you."

"Jax…" she breathed, surprised by the confession even though somehow she'd suspected that he had feelings for her.

She'd thought it was mostly physical. But love? He was in love with her? Since when? What about the girl he'd talked about?

When he talked about them getting to know each other and saying he wanted her to love him, she'd thought it was because he wanted them to turn their physical attraction into something more, not because he already loved her.

She glanced up at the doorway, wondering where he'd disappeared to, but she was surprised to see him standing there and leaning against it.

Jax stared at her. "I mean every word," he said softly, his hand behind his back.

Mari stared at him, not sure what to say. She had a lot of questions running through her mind.

"I know you have questions. I promised to answer them today," he said as he approached her slowly. "This should probably come last on the order of events for the day, but I wanted us to start the day without doubts or questions. And I didn't want to be distracted all day with thoughts of what to expect when I open up to you. You see, I spent the night thinking about the best way to come clean with you, and this is the best I can do…"

"What are you talking about?" Mari asked in a quiet, confused voice as he stopped in front of her.

Jax brought forward what he'd been hiding behind him. It was his sketchbook. "Happy birthday, Mari. This is my birthday gift to you. I hope it answers your questions."

Mari's brows pulled together as she took the sketchbook from him and opened it.

The first page made her gasp.

It was her. Sitting on the bed the day she first arrived, fists up, face fierce. Her wild hair framed her cheeks, her eyes sharp like she was ready to fight him.

Her heart trembled as she turned the page.

There she was again. Her mouth was wide in a laugh. The tilt of her head. The little crease between her brows when she was being bratty.

Page after page, every look, mood, and smile was well captured as it had been in all those paintings she'd received on her birthday in the last three years.

Three years?

He'd said he met the girl he was in love with three years ago. And she'd been receiving the paintings for three years.

She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes burning. "Jax…" her voice cracked as she looked up from the sketchbook to his face. "You…" her breath hitched, "…you're him?"

Jax's lips curved in a small smile as he stood in front of her, hands in his pockets, "You finally met the coward."