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Xavier threw Josiah a pitiless look. “There’s no stopping the car here. I advise you to put up with it for
the time being.”
Rendered speechless, Josiah could only complain to Winnie. “Did you hear that, Ms. Garland? Is that
even something someone with a conscience would say?”
Following his interruption, the initially tense atmosphere in the car instantly eased significantly.
Unbidden, a faint smile bloomed on Winnie’s face. “He might not have a conscience, but he has a
lover. You, on the other hand, are single and available.”
At that, Josiah couldn’t help rolling his eyes. “What? How foolish of me to hope you’d seek justice on
my behalf! I only ended up with double the blow as you both teamed up against me. Ah, I was too
hasty.”
Giggling, Winnie played along with him and teased, “In that case, I wish you all the best in getting a
partner to team up with as well.”
Even Xavier chimed in, “Yeah. All the best, Jo!”
Amused, Josiah glanced at him. “Hmph! You’re making fun of me? The only reason I’m not mocking
you is in consideration of your dignity.”
Verily, he felt that his best friend had changed.
His personality wasn’t like this in the past. Earlier, he was evidently suspicious of Jacinta, but he
lowered himself to almost the lowest degree possible in consideration of Winnie’s feelings. To him, it’s
no exaggeration to term such a great compromise as servility. But there are no two ways about it since
he just had to fall in love with her. Perhaps he doesn’t even realize it himself, but whenever he looks at
her, his gaze will turn unbelievably tender the instant it alights on her, no matter how cold and ruthless it
was in the previous second.
He knew that he resembled a clown when he said all that earlier, but he only did so to ease the
atmosphere in the car.
After all, if Xavier and Winnie got along well, he would be happy for them from the depths of his heart.
Thus, he was willing to be a cat’s paw, observing Xavier’s expression and taking note of Winnie’s
demeanor before making some harmless jokes.
However, as he alternated his gaze between the couple, he discovered something strange—Jacinta
wasn’t really asleep but was merely feigning sleep.
She was obviously wide awake and had heard Xavier’s question earlier, but she pretended to be
asleep. Judging from this, there is certainly something fishy about her!
Subsequently, the car drove into Aqua Moana and came to a stop below the condominium.
The driver immediately climbed out of the car and swung open the rear door. Meanwhile, Winnie woke
Jacinta up.
“We’ve arrived so quickly? Did I fall asleep just now?” Squinting drowsily, Jacinta lifted her hand and
massaged her shoulders.
“Yes, Granny, we’ve arrived, so let’s get out of the car.”
Jacinta murmured an acknowledgment. Then, she climbed out of the car with the driver supporting her
from outside.
On the heels of that, Winnie made to alight from the car as well, but Xavier stopped her.
“I won’t be seeing you both upstairs this time, Winnie.”
In response, Winnie nodded. “Go and get busy. Don’t forget to take good care of Grandpa Rufus. At the
same time, take good care of yourself, too.”
“Okay. Phone me if you miss me.”
Hearing that, Winnie chortled. “That isn’t necessary. I’ll make time to go over and seek you out this
afternoon. Oh yes, what are your plans later?”
“I’m going to make a trip to Uncle Stuart’s place first to see whether I can pry any information about
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtZyon out of him. Then, I’m going to the hospital to visit Nate.”
At the mention of Nate, Winnie inexorably frowned.
“He’s a ticking time bomb, so it’s a bit troublesome. Now that he has undergone this operation, he has
to recuperate in the hospital for a month at the very least, so he definitely can’t go to Alendor anymore.
That aside, he took a shot from Zyon. I reckon the Fairchild and Fraser families are even this time.”
“True enough, but with Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Jonathan keeping an eye on him this time, he probably
won’t do anything unbecoming under our noses again.”
“Be that as it may, you can’t let your guard down. Be careful when you go to the hospital later.”
Xavier kneaded Winnie’s palm, not all that concerned about the matter. “Don’t worry. What can he do to
me when he’s currently laid up in the hospital with a tube in him?”
On the contrary, Winnie disagreed with him. “Don’t underestimate your enemy, especially when he’s a
scoundrel who always stabs others in the back!”
Xavier gazed at her with affection brimming in his eyes. “Got it. In light of your concern for me, I’ve
decided to listen to everything you say. How about you? What are you planning to do later?”
“I’m going to escort Granny upstairs first. Then, I’ll seek Old Mr. Xander out and learn from him.
Although many things happened, I can’t neglect my studies.”
At her remark, Xavier’s brows furrowed slightly. Self-recrimination flooded him. “You only have to work
so hard because of me.”
“Not at all.” Lifting her hand, Winnie caressed his head, adding, “Learning makes me happy! Whenever
I come into contact with a new field, I always feel like a sponge, ready to soak up all that information.
Additionally, the constant process of upgrading myself gives me a sense of accomplishment. I believe
you understand such a feeling!”
In truth, Xavier was all too aware that this was one of the traits that attracted him to her. “You know
what, Dumbo? I’m really proud of you. You make me ashamed of myself. It’s been a long time since I
last learned a new field of knowledge systematically.”
Winnie merely chuckled. “That’s understandable. After all, you’re an exceedingly busy man. It’s already
impressive that you’re managing Fairchild Corporation so well.”
“That’s nothing. Winnie, I’ll become even better.” Grasping her hand, Xavier held it against his face.
“That’s for sure since one’s character is influenced by the company he keeps! All right, let go of me.
I’ve got to get out of the car now. Besides, I can’t keep you from your business.”
When Winnie had climbed out of the car, the driver promptly closed the car door.
Shortly after, the car drove off.
In the car, Josiah asked Xavier, “Is there something off with Mdm. Sumner? You’re also suspecting her,
right?”
A frown marred Xavier’s countenance. “Yeah. However, I don’t have any evidence. It looks like I’ve got
to investigate her thoroughly. But for now, this matter has to be kept a secret from Dumbo.”
“That goes without saying. Wasn’t I doing my best to smooth things over for you earlier? Just be careful
yourself. I’m definitely tight-lipped.”
After Winnie had settled Jacinta in, she changed and went to the Xander residence.
Before her car had even come to a stop, she spotted Yolanda hurrying out the door.
The woman was frantic, looking as though there was something awfully urgent.
Behind her was Sebastian.
The man seemed to be dissuading her from leaving, but Yolanda acted as though she didn’t hear him,
leaving the house without a backward glance.
Even when he tripped and fell behind her, she didn’t have the time to care about him. She sped off in
her car as though the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels.
Worried that he might have sustained an injury from his fall, Winnie swiftly got out of the car and
dashed into the Xander residence.
“How are you feeling, Old Mr. Xander? Where are you hurt?” By the time she reached him, Sebastian
was already in such pain that he couldn’t get up.
He touched his calf. “I might have suffered a fracture here. As one ages, one’s bones become brittle.”
He was a traditional medicine practitioner himself, so his diagnosis couldn’t be wrong.
It was no joke for an elderly person to suffer a fracture. Hence, Winnie helped him up at once. “I’ll bring
you to the hospital right away to have you checked out.”
As she supported him carefully, she inquired, “Where is Yolanda going? Why didn’t she even turn back
when you took a fall?”
Sebastian couldn’t help heaving a sigh at the mention of his granddaughter. “It’s all because of that ill-
fated relationship! That ill-fated relationship is the root of it all!”
“What ill-fated relationship?”
Sighing once more, Sebastian admitted, “The relationship between Yolanda and Nate.”
In all honesty, Winnie was rather curious about their relationship. “What exactly is going on between
them? As far as I know, Nate loves someone else.”
“Yeah. He doesn’t even like Yolanda, but she’s obsessed with him. What else is this, if not an ill-fated
relationship? Speaking of that, it was also my fault back then. She only ran away from home because I
placed too much pressure on her. At that time, she was still young. Just after having graduated, she
was naive and got picked on by a few ruffians. He was the one who saved her by coincidence. She’s
obstinate in nature, and he just had to have good looks. Consequently, she’s determined to marry him.
Never mind if they’re mutually in love, but he has long since fallen in love with someone else. She’s
merely someone whom he confides in when he’s drunk. He’s absolutely despicable, for not only does
he flirt with her, but he even asks her to do heinous things. Just a while ago, she received news that he
was in the hospital. That was why she was in such a hurry to visit him. What exactly is so great about
him? She’s a smart cookie, so how did she get bewitched by him?”
After hearing all that, Winnie frowned imperceptibly. “In this aspect, both are equally stubborn, perhaps
because of their personalities.”
Sebastian sighed, looking all glum. “I don’t want to see Yolanda falling deeper into this mess! How
about this, Nini? I’ll take a taxi to the hospital by myself. Can you please help me look for her? She
undoubtedly won’t answer my calls, for she knows I object to her visiting Nate.”
“There’s no need to go to such trouble, Old Mr. Xander. I know which hospital Nate is in. In fact, I even
performed a minor operation on him last night. I’ll bring you over directly. You can then visit the
orthopedic department there.”
Surprise inundated Sebastian. “Wow, what a coincidence! That’s great! Bring me there quickly, then.
Thank you so much, Nini.”
“Don’t mention it, Master. It’s nothing.”
In a hospital room, Nate was lying on the bed with a tube down his throat.
Likely because he was still young, he could already breathe by himself then, so he didn’t need the
assistance of a ventilator.
Beside the hospital bed, his mother, Beatrice, was peeling apples.
Upon seeing that, Nate exhaled roughly. Then, he picked up his phone and typed a series of words in
the memo application.
It read: Why are you peeling apples, Mom? I can’t eat them.
Beatrice chuckled. “You might not be able to eat them, but your brother and I can.”
“Exactly! I love apples.” Kevin chortled as well.
Utter despondency deluged Nate.
But in no time, he typed another series of words on his phone screen.
It read: Where are Xavier and Winnie right now?
Beatrice leaned over for a look at his phone screen, after which her brows instantly knitted together.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Why are you asking that? What are you planning to do? Are you still unwilling to give up? Why on
earth are you so obstinate? You almost had someone kill Xavier, but still, he forgave you. That goes
double for Winnie, who isn’t at all related to you. If it weren’t for her saving you last night, you might
have died ages ago.”
“That’s right, Nate. Mom is absolutely right. She’s pretty incredible. Unexpectedly, she’s also skilled in
surgery. She didn’t shun you, let alone seize the opportunity to exact revenge upon you. Instead, she
helped to suck your phlegm and blood out. You should really quit while you’re ahead.”
Nate didn’t quite remember the events that transpired last night, so he typed again: What phlegm?
Beatrice answered solemnly, “The phlegm and blood in your trachea. Even I might not necessarily be
able to bring myself to go to such lengths for you. Winnie is truly an amazing person. Today, I want to
ask something of you both. When you’re looking for a life partner in the future, find someone like her.
What in the world is with that Yulissa woman you like, Nate? Do you want me to burst a blood vessel!”
Nate couldn’t speak, so he could only frown deeply.
His fingers flew over his phone screen, and he typed: That woman, Winnie, is best at putting on an act!
This must be a pretense! Don’t be fooled by her!
At that, Beatrice shot daggers at him. “What utter nonsense! You’ve truly got no conscience. She could
have left you to die last night. In my opinion, she has really wasted her efforts!”
“Don’t be angry with Nate, Mom,” Kevin coaxed when he saw Beatrice blowing up at his brother.
Subsequently, he advised Nate, murmuring, “Don’t view Winnie through colored lenses. Perhaps she’s
really not as bad as you think. Did you know? A fire broke out at the Fairchild residence last night.
Xavier charged into the fire to save Granddad. But when Granddad came out, Xavier was still in there.
Right there and then, Granddad promised the bodyguards a hundred million each if they would go in
and save Xavier. Alas, not a single one of the many men there dared to risk death. She was the only
one who charged into the fire with just a wet blanket draped over her. Besides, she’s an outstanding
person, having both beauty and brains. She’s far better than Yulissa—who was a drug addict—in all
aspects! Would she need to sabotage an insignificant person like Yulissa? You’re convinced that Xavier
and Winnie harmed Yulissa, but think about it. Do you think she’s worth them wasting their time? Xavier
was the one truly harmed. He was the victim in this entire matter. Why are you so mulish that you can’t
understand it?”
Regretfully, everything Kevin said fell on deaf ears. Nate emotionally typed out a series of words on his
phone screen.
It read: You’ll never understand my feelings when the person you love most didn’t die at their hands!
Despite those words, the scene whereby Winnie bent down to operate on him and suck out his phlegm
last night gradually turned distinct in his mind.
At that time, he was semi-conscious and thought that the person crouching before him and helping him
to breathe again was an angel.
Never had I thought that it was that evil woman, Winnie! Would that d*mnable woman really save me
out of the sincerity of her heart? What exactly is her motive?
Kevin had no idea about Nate’s thoughts right then, but he almost went off the deep end after glimpsing
the words the latter typed.
“Why can’t I get through to you, Nate? I think you’ve been bewitched by Yulissa! You could’ve fallen in
love without any other woman, but why did it have to be her? I’m not going to care about you anymore!
I’m going back to the office.”
Livid, he spun on his heel and swung the hospital room door open.
No sooner had he done so than he caught sight of a figure darting into the distance. From the look of
things, that person had been eavesdropping at the door for a long time.
“Who’s there? Stop! Stop right there!”
At the same time, Winnie arrived at the hospital with Sebastian.
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