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As Winnie had taken a long time before making the decision to depart, she did not falter as she walked
out of the room, and her lack of hesitation nearly crushed Xavier.
Xavier looked at Winnie’s retreating figure, and his heart clenched.
He tried to say something, but the pain in his chest was so great that he could not make a sound.
He stumbled backward and knocked into the fruit platter on the bedside table.
The sound of the platter and the fruits falling made Winnie turn around.
Her eyes were still red when she looked at Xavier.
Seeing that he was fine, she said, “Be careful. I’ll get someone to clean this up. Xavier, you have to
cooperate with the doctor and Professor White for your treatment.”
Xavier felt much better after the pain subsided, and he finally found his voice again.
“You”—he stared at Winnie with furrowed brows, his dark eyes glistening—“don’t want me anymore. Is
that it?”
“Why would you think that?” Winnie curled her lips to form a faint smile. “Didn’t I say I’m going to
Yartran to deal with some family matters? I’m only leaving for a short while. Take care of yourself. I’ll be
back soon.”
Right as Winnie said that, Xavier asked, “How soon is soon?”
Winnie paused for a few seconds before answering, “It’s been a while since I went back. It might take a
few days or it might take a few months. It wholly depends on the situation back at home. Anyway, I’ll try
to be back as quickly as possible.”
“I’ll wait for you, then,” Xavier said softly as he looked at her. “I believe everything you say. If you say
you’re coming back as quickly as you can, then I’ll wait for you.”
Winnie gazed at Xavier silently. She could see the worry and fear in his eyes as if he was afraid that
she would never return.
But how was that possible?
Winnie gave Xavier a smile. “Don’t overthink it. I still love you, Xavier. I will come back.”
Winnie’s abrupt declaration of love washed away the anxiety in Xavier’s heart.
He looked into her eyes and said, “I love you too, Winnie. I’ll wait for you to come back no matter how
long you take.”
Winnie parted her lips, but she did not know what to say to him.
His words reminded her of the way she had told him to wait for her to return and send him to the
hospital back in the forest.
Back then, he was about to give up, but to calm her down, he still promised to wait until she returned.
Later on, she did return with Yulissa’s car, but what happened after that was something he did not wish
for.
Winnie wanted to hug Xavier one more time, but the thought of Christopher stopped her from doing
that.
Instead, she smiled at him and said, “Okay. I’ll be on my way now, then.”
With that, she averted her gaze from Xavier.
When she stepped out of the ward, she was startled by the person sitting outside.
However, upon realizing that the person was none other than Josiah, she let out a sigh of relief.
They took one look at each other, and she asked, “You were outside the entire time?”
“Yeah,” Josiah said with a slight frown. “I was worried that the two of you would get into a fight, so I
stuck around for a little longer. Since you’re both all right, I’ll make a move first.”
With that, Josiah wheeled himself toward the other end of the corridor.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Wait!” Winnie hastily caught up to Josiah. “Where are you going? I’ll take you there.”
Josiah was still angry with Winnie after the argument, but amusement took over that anger when
Winnie suddenly came over and offered to push his wheelchair.
“Forget it. Why don’t you look at what state you’re in right now? You’re partially incapacitated too, you
know? Take a look at your hand. How are you going to bring me around?”
By then, the anger in Josiah had fully dissipated as a touch of laughter laced his voice.
Winnie chuckled. “The pot’s calling the kettle black. Look at your leg. You’re in a wheelchair, but you’re
saying that I’m partially incapacitated?”
“All right.” Josiah lifted his head to glance at her. “Let’s stop taking jabs at each other.”
“Okay, let’s not,” Winnie agreed before coming to a stop in front of Josiah.
Josiah looked up at her. “What’s the matter?”
Winnie pressed her lips tightly together before uttering sincerely, “I was too harsh with my words back
at the ward. I hope you won’t take it to heart. We’re friends, and I know that I have a deeply flawed
character. I hope you’ll forgive me for my mistakes.”
Truth be told, Josiah had already forgotten about it after the laugh earlier.
“You don’t need to apologize to me, Winnie. If I look at this from a different angle, I’d be happy if you
were to stand up for me when someone says something bad about me.”
Winnie nodded. “Let’s go, then. Where do you want to go?”
Josiah hummed in agreement before wheeling himself toward the elevator. “I’ll be going to the office.
What about you?”
Winnie replied without missing a beat, “I’ll be leaving the hospital.”
Josiah froze. “No, wait. Are you really going back to Yartran? I heard a little when I was outside, but I
didn’t hear everything.”
“Oh.” Winnie’s forehead creased. “Yes. I have something to settle, so I have to take a trip back. By the
way, do you have your phone with you?”
“I do. Do you need to use it?”
“No, it’s fine. It’ll be the same if it’s you who contacts Louis. Get him to clean up the ward.”
“All right.” Josiah then fished out his phone and typed a message to Louis.
As he tapped away on the screen, he asked Winnie, “When will you come back?”
This time, Winnie gave a vague answer. “I’m not sure yet. We’ll see after I go back.”
Josiah inclined his head. “Maybe you can’t see him the way you used to before everything happened,
but Winnie, remember this: no matter what happened, he didn’t mean it.”
“I know.”
“It’s good that you’re going back for a while too. Time is the best medicine for everything; it’ll wash
away all the pain.”
Right as Josiah said that, Louis responded.
Josiah waved his phone in front of Winnie. “Remember to call us when you’re there. I know you’re
feeling terrible right now, but Xavier’s feeling bad too.”
“I know, so I’ll be counting on you to watch over Xavier.”
Josiah glanced at Winnie. “Do I need you to remind me that?”
While they were chatting, the elevator doors opened, and the two of them went in.
Winnie helped Josiah press the floor button he was heading to.
However, Josiah reached out to undo it. “Let me send you to the first floor.”
Winnie made no move to reject him. There was already a car waiting for her downstairs.
“By the way,” Josiah started upon contemplation, “have the police found Christopher?”
What Josiah actually meant was Christopher’s body, but he did not wish to mention that so directly to
Winnie.
Winnie shook her head. “I’ve asked them about it, and they said they couldn’t find him.”
“Then…” Josiah trailed off.
Winnie lowered her gaze. “Just say whatever that’s on your mind. It’s not your style to keep things in.”
“All right.” A deep line appeared between Josiah’s brows. “Then be honest with me. Is it true that you’re
going back to Yartran?”
“Of course it’s true.” Winnie gave Josiah a confounded look. “Where else did you think I was going?”
Josiah studied the expression on Winnie’s face and asked, “Are you really not planning to head to
Yeringham to look for Christopher?”
Winnie tensed up for a moment before letting out a chuckle.
She raised her arm, which was still in a cast, and said, “Do I look like superwoman to you? If I go over
now, Harold’s going to beat me until I turn to mush. It’s true that I thought about that before because I
promised Christopher to bring his body back to his home country. I want to fulfill my promise to him, but
I know now’s not the time. I may not be able to bring back all of him, but even if it means bringing some
of his ashes or a bone of his home, I’ll still do it when the opportunity comes.”
Just then, the elevator doors opened with a ding.
Winnie stepped out before turning back to Josiah. “You don’t need to send me all the way out. Rest
well and recover, and visit my granny if you have the time.”
Josiah nodded. He only closed the elevator doors once Winnie was gone from his line of sight.
Right as Winnie got into the car, the driver passed her a phone.
“Ms. Garland, I’ve already gotten the reissued phone number per your request.”
Winnie hummed in acknowledgment before taking the phone.
Without missing a beat, she called Mason.
However, unable to get through to him, she called Lucas instead, for Lucas was the one who had made
the arrangements for the mercenary team Mason was leading.
Lucas told her that he had already sent the final payment to the team, but by then, Mason was no
longer the one contacting him.
It was only then Winnie recalled seeing Mason lying in a pool of blood by the time she and Josiah
rushed up to the rooftop.
She guessed that he must have been grievously injured at that time, but she had been so preoccupied
that she did not check on him. I wonder if he’s dead or alive now.
Winnie asked for another person’s contact from Lucas.
After making another call, Winnie finally found out that Mason was not dead and that he was currently
undergoing treatment in a hospital.
Winnie even asked where Greta was, as she recalled seeing no sign of Greta around on the rooftop
that day.
The other person told her that Greta had been missing since that day. They were unable to contact her
via calls, and they could not find her at her usual haunts. She did not even show up when Mason was
hospitalized.
Although Winnie found it strange, it was not something she was going to dwell on. All she did was ask
the mercenary team to help her look for Christopher’s body.
After that, Winnie returned to her condominium, where she washed up and packed some of her
documents before going to the airport.
On her way to the airport, she abruptly received a call from Nathaniel.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“My dear Winnie, it’s me, Nathaniel. Are you back?”
“Yes,” Winnie replied, sounding tired. “I just came back, and you called me almost right away. Is
something the matter?”
Upon hearing Winnie’s aloof tone, Nathaniel sighed.
“My dear Winnie, am I not allowed to call you if there’s nothing going on? Do you have another
number? I tried contacting you the other day, but I was unable to get through to you. The people in the
company said that you went on a business trip. If not for one of my business partners telling me that he
spotted you in the hospital, I wouldn’t have known that you were back. I heard that you hurt your hand.
Are you fine? Do you want me to visit you?”
“It’s fine.” Winnie could hear a voice announcing the delay of flights from the other end of the line, so
she asked him, “Are you at the airport right now? The domestic one or the international one?”
“Yes, I’m at the international airport right now. But as close business partners, I think I should cancel
my ticket and visit you instead.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m about to go to the international airport too. If you can make it, let’s meet at the airport.
What time is your flight?”
“I just transferred from the domestic airport to the international airport. I didn’t go back to the
condominium, so I’m early. My plane only takes off four hours later.”
“Are you going back to Yartran as well? What a coincidence. I’m going back there too. Let’s meet in a
while.”
After agreeing to meet Nathaniel, Winnie ended the call.
Not long after, the two of them met at the VIP lounge at the airport.
A frown instantly appeared on Nathaniel’s face the moment he saw Winnie’s injured arm.
“Oh my god, Winnie, what happened to your arm? It looks bad.”
Just as Winnie was about to reply to him, her phone rang. It was a call from Wilhelm, who was in
Yartran.
Seeing that, Nathaniel helped Winnie to the couch at the side gentlemanly.
He said considerately, “Just pick up your call and ignore me.”
As he spoke, he even took out a pair of earphones and stuck them in his ears.
Winnie nodded at him and accepted the call. “Good morning, Wilhelm.”
Only after saying that did she realize she had spoken in Chanaean, so she hastily swapped languages.
“I’ll be taking a plane back in four hours’ time straight to your place. Remember to make lunch for me
too.”
However, Wilhelm replied in Chanaean, “Okay. You can keep speaking in Chanaean. I quite like
listening to you speak Chanaean.”
“Okay. I’d like to have a mushroom soup that you make.”
“Sure, but Winnie, but Eduard the chef makes the best mushroom soup. Are you sure you’re not going
back to the manor? Everyone at home misses you. It’s been a long time since we have seen each
other.”
Winnie massaged her aching temples and muttered, “No. I’m planning to meet you first. Once I’ve
gotten enough rest, I’ll meet the others. You have to keep my trip back a secret for now.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely keep my mouth shut. If the others find out about your return, they’ll be in a
rush to pick you up. When that happens, you’ll forget about me.”
“Okay. I’m fine with just having you pick me up.” Wilhelm was not exaggerating. Her younger siblings
might actually bring flowers to welcome her at the entrance, and that was a dramatic scene she wanted
to avoid.
“Well then,” Wilhelm continued, “how many of you are coming back? Didn’t you tell me that you have
someone you love the other time? Are you planning to introduce him to us?”
“It’s… a little inconvenient for him for now, so he isn’t with me.”
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