Chapter 222 Prohibited Engagement
Winnie awkwardly concealed her reddened eyes and had intended to suggest going to another store, but Mrs. Harrington had already walked in with her steward. She could only let Rock lead her and approach the old lady.
Inside the luxurious fitting room, Barbara peeked out and reported, "Rock's mother has arrived. This is a perfect opportunity for you to retaliate against Winnie. Don't you want to do something about her?"
Indeed, it was a chance to get back at her. As long as she only played a little trick, then Mr. L would protect her, resulting in a strike at Winnie's heart. But having thought, momentarily, about the matter she decided against it.
Smiling she said, "What a foolish idea. Today, I’m going to ignore her. Nothing is more important than getting engaged to Mr. L. Once I become Mrs. Rodriguez-to-be, I can deal with her and that bastard effortlessly."
Barbara suddenly understood, "Miss, you are truly cunning. No wonder you've captured Mr. L's heart so completely." Darcy triumphantly hooked her lips into a smile and began removing her clothes to try on one of the dresses.
In the reception area, Rock leaned in close to Winnie and reminded her, "Don't be nervous. I've suppressed all the slanderous pieces of news about you. Besides, my mother doesn't follow the latest trends. If she asks you something, just don't answer if you don't know."
Winnie nodded. He affectionately touched her hair. "Mother, this is Winnie. You insisted on meeting her, and now you see her, right?"
Mrs. Harrington had an imposing presence. She approached them both and sat down, her gaze directly locking onto Winnie. Winnie felt uneasy and sputtered out, "Mrs. Harrington."
"Please sit! Don't stand, it might tire the child," Mrs. Harrington's tone was odd as she glanced at her son with resentment. "So, you're Winnie? The girl who designs jewelry, I quite liked you at the time. But I heard that you had some romantic entanglements."
"Mother, you talk too much," Rock coughed.
Madam Harrington was annoyed, "Fine! He won't let me investigate you either. Although you don't come from a good background, I've accepted it. Hurry and get engaged to Rock. The sooner, the better. It would be a double celebration, and it would also settle something that has been bothering me."
Winnie raised her eyebrows in surprise. She quickly looked at Rock and finally understood the plan he had mentioned. She furrowed her brows fiercely, finding it absurd. She was about to explain.
Rock stopped her by pressing his big hand against hers, urging her in a hasty whisper, "This is the only way to make them happy. Don't leak anything, Winnie. After the engagement ceremony, I will find a way to explain everything to them. Right now, overcoming this obstacle is the priority!"
If she hadn't borrowed 1 billion dollars, the Harrington Group's shareholders wouldn't be dissatisfied with him, and the Harrington family wouldn't want to change their leader. She couldn't afford to make a mistake at this critical moment.
Winnie could only silently endure the situation, but Mrs. Harrington's kind eyes focused on her belly making her feel uncomfortable.
"Have you seen the dress? Don't wear high heels for the sake of beauty. Your child is more important," Madam Harrington grinned and took her hand, giving her some advice. Winnie felt dazed and forced a smile as she looked up, pretending to comply.
"This child is beautiful, Rock. You should treat her and let her have what she wants." Madam Harrington expressed some satisfaction, her voice becoming louder. This attracted the attention of some store employees, as well as the attention of someone who Winnie wished hadn’t noticed.
Winnie felt his cold, piercing gaze fixed on her. Looking at Madam Harrington's smile, and hearing her words, she became stiff. Rock came to her side, gathered her close, and cleared his throat lightly, "Winnie, don't mind her words."
"Mrs. Harrington must have truly lost her mind!" A malicious male voice suddenly sounded, mixed with sarcasm.
Winnie abruptly turned her head and saw Lawrence R. She felt like she was being suffocated, with her face involuntarily tensing up. Rock raised an eyebrow, stood up, and instinctively pulling her behind him. This protective action, from the one declaring their ‘ownership’, made Lawrence R's expression turn cold.
He stared at Mrs. Harrington with a smile, "Are you confused? Why don't you open your eyes when choosing a daughter-in-law? Why did you choose a woman with a dubious background?" Winnie, squeezed her palms tightly, and her face lost its color.
"Who are you? What do you mean by this?" Mrs. Harrington frowned at the handsome young man.
"Mr. L, you should behave like a gentleman who has manners. My mother is old, you wouldn't stoop so low as to disrespect her, would you?" Rock confronted him.
Lawrence R smirked, mocking, "Of course not, I am not like you and your kind. One's character and manners are not superficial but ingrained in their bones."
With a significant implication, and menacing undertone in his words, Lawrence finished his wine and coldly glanced at Winnie. Then turning around, without looking back, he walked away.
"Why are you accusing my son in such a peculiar way?" Madam Harrington was protective.
Darcy hooked her arm around the man's elbow and turned around with a slight smile. "Mrs. Harrington, Mr. L showed you respect. In my opinion, he's not particularly impressive. Do you understand?" She subtly glanced at Winnie, mocking, and smiling.
Lawrence R raised an eyebrow, he was feeling confused when he realized that Darcy had, just recently, been overly friendly with his mother and was now trying to please Madam Harrington, he found it ironic. Even still, he did not stop Darcy's mockery. His indulgence made Winnie feel even colder, as if she were frozen and suffocating.
Mrs. Harrington frowned at Winnie and pondered, "What do you mean by second-rate, Winnie? Explain."
"Mother, why bother caring about irrelevant people? In my eyes, Winnie is the best girl. Mr. L and I have had some conflicts regarding business, and he deliberately mocked me," Rock replied.
Madam Harrington naturally believed her son and didn’t investigate Winnie privately to avoid her son getting angry. Both she and her husband could tell that Rock was serious. She stood up reluctantly and turned to Rock.
"If you have conflicts in business, then don't go shopping for dresses in the same store as his family. With so many high-end stores in Lymington, the Harrington family isn't short on money."
"Yes, it's time for you to get your beauty treatment done. It's already three o'clock," Rock urged.
"You're afraid I'll bully her, huh? Let's go then. You can escort me," Madam Harrington chuckled delicately.
Rock glanced at Winnie, who nodded gently, "I just need to use the restroom."
Once the mother and son left, Winnie felt as if she could finally breathe again. Dealing with this situation had exhausted her, especially with Lawrence R's recent mockery that almost gave her away. She rubbed her temples and headed towards the women's restroom.
The restroom in the store was exquisitely secluded, tucked away in a corner. Winnie mechanically washed her hands several times, until her fingertips turned red from the hot water. Only then did she summon her strength and slowly walk out.
However, as soon as she stepped out, her eyes dimmed upon seeing him! The hint of rosy color on her fingertips instantly vanished. Lawrence R stood tall against the wall; his cold eyes not affected by the dim lighting.
From Winnie's perspective, the man's face was half-lit and half-dark, giving off a sinister and extremely dangerous vibe. She, instinctively, took two steps back. He walked towards her, the smoke from his cigarette veiling his eyes. His gaze, murky and obscured, stared at her for a moment before turning cold.
"You cannot get engaged to Rock! I don't care if you've met his parents or whatever, you can only break off the engagement, understood?"
Why only her? Winnie looked at him incredulously.
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