Chapter 441 Settling Accounts
"Let go, I can take care of this myself," she said coldly. "I'm aware of your medical skills," he remarked dryly, giving her a look, "but bandaging with one hand? Why the act of bravado?" Lawrence, dominant as ever, leaned down to treat her wound.
Winnie's body tensed up, her delicate palms curling into fists. She glanced at him briefly but quickly averted her gaze and scoffed to herself, 'Don't be naive, Winnie. Those sweet nothings of his? Bet he's shown them to Ishara or Darcy too. He's nothing but a charming jerk.' Though he had helped her tonight, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was inextricably linked to this mess. She suspected Ishara must had a hand in it. With an icy glare, Winnie's mind wandered, suddenly flashing back to the incident with Hellen. She hesitantly asked, "Lawrence, are you familiar with Mrs. Hellen Rodriguez?" His sharp eyes met hers. "Why bring her name up?" Winnie bit back her words. She saw no reason to care about the Rodriguez family's affairs. That was his business, not hers. Yet, having witnessed that incident, and if Hellen recognized her, Winnie felt a wave of unease, realizing this wouldn't end well. "What are you trying to say? Why hold back your questions after asking about it?" Lawrence's gaze was insistent. "It's nothing," Winnie clammed up. Her hot-and-cold behavior left him feeling helpless, perhaps due to his own reasons. As Lawrence's mood cooled, he pondered whether there would ever come a moment of intimacy where she would reciprocate the warmth and affection she once showed him.. He finished bandaging her wound and let her hand go. Winnie got up and sat far from him, staring out the window at the scenery. Lawrence also gazed outside. The Rodriguez family estate was vast and beautiful, but it held no meaning to him. The fondest place in his heart remained at Jasmine Manor three years ago, during the first few months of her pregnancy. Those indeed were the most blissful days with her. He couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same. The man's deep gaze lingered on her before he collected his thoughts. "You can enjoy the view for a few more minutes. The plane will land at the Rodriguez family's front gate; I'll get off first. After tonight, you’d better steer clear of the men from Trento City. If you keep risking yourself to danger, don't expect me to bail you out again." 'Hmph, as if I owe him a big one,' Winnie snorted inwardly. She suddenly froze in her seat when she saw him stand and put on a parachute before boldly leaping from the plane mid-flight. She went pale, shock registering as she watched his descending figure. Back in Lymington, she never imagined this man had such a wild streak. Skydiving, of all things—she wouldn't dare attempt it herself. Gripping her seat tightly until the plane landed on the front lawn, Winnie steadied her breathing before stepping out, making her way back to the banquet hall.
In the hall, Carlos was visibly frantic, and Bob's expression had darkened by a shade. Eleanor turned to see that wretched woman had actually returned. Her expression changed, and she hurried toward her, exclaiming with a panicked voice, "Winnie! Why did you disappear without a word? We've been trying to call you all night, and you never answered. We've been worried sick looking for you!" Relieved to see Winnie safe and sound, Eleanor couldn't help but question where she had been, silently chastising her lack of consideration. Indeed, Bob furrowed his brow, clearly displeased, noticing that the servants of the Rodriguez family had been sent out to find Winnie, undoubtedly worn out by their efforts. "Winnie, I was so worried about you, but... why did you change your clothes?" Ishara approached anxiously; her question seemingly casual yet loaded with concern. All eyes suddenly turned to Winnie as they observed her from head to toe. "You really got changed! What have you been up to? Do you have any idea how everyone's been looking for you, and why are you coming in from the front gate?" Angela chimed in, her tone dripping with malicious delight. A flicker of bewilderment crossed Winnie's face as she innocently replied, "I'm sorry, I had no idea everyone was looking for me. I just got curious about the helicopter in the estate and took a ride. The crew even offered a parachute jump, and I accidentally landed in the water, that's why I had to change my clothes…" Eleanor's gaze darkened at the blatant lie. She forced a smile and said, "Bob Rodriguez, this estate even offers helicopter rides to guests? The Rodriguez family is truly generous." Bob's brow creased at her words. He promptly summoned the butler, instructing, "The helicopter is not available to the public. Please investigate what actually occurred." After a brief phone call, the butler reported with a resigned tone, "It seems Mr. Lawrence gave his permission. There's a gala tonight, and many debutantes were excited to see the helicopter. They all wanted a ride, and there's actually a line of them waiting on the lawn right now!" In the distinguished Camellia Mount community, only the Rodriguez family boasted their own helipad. Eleanor was unable to find a discrepancy in the account. Ishara's fists tightened imperceptibly upon hearing Mr. Lawrence's name. She was nearly certain; Mr. Lawrence had helped Winnie. At that moment, the helicopter's crew member appeared, saying, "Sir, Ms. Winnie's first parachute jump led her to mistakenly drop into the swimming pool. The servants helped her out and then assisted her in changing clothes." It was common for the Rodriguez family to host grand events, keeping spare dresses for female guests just in case. The explanation seemed plausible, and Bob cast a disapproving look at Winnie before saying, "The important thing is that she's been found."
"Look at you, keeping everyone up all night fussing over you. You're acting like you're from the middle of nowhere, never even been in a chopper," Angela jeered at her. Winnie, affecting a hick's demeanor with a grin replied, "Yeah, I've never seen a helicopter, so I just hung around a bit. When you're up in the sky, naturally, no one can find you." Lawrence walked through the hall, catching a glimpse of her feigned innocence. Quite the actress. There were helicopters in Lymington; there was no way she hadn't seen one. His lips curled slightly into a smirk. "All right, that's enough." Carlos, unable to take it any longer, stood up and offered an apology. "My daughter can be unpredictable, causing a bit of trouble for Bob Rodriguez. I'll have a talk with her. We'll be taking our leave now." The group returned to the Blanchet family home. As they got out of the car, Angela was still grumbling. "Uncle, look at her antics. Next time, please don't bring her along to embarrass us at the parties." Winnie ignored her taunts. As they stepped into the living room, Winnie abruptly halted Carlos and candidly revealed the truth. "Dad, I need to tell you what really happened tonight. I wasn't simply out sightseeing in a helicopter." "What?" Carlos frowned. "What happened?" Hearing this, Eleanor and Ishara paused, a flash of thought crossing Eleanor's mind, a grim premonition felt as she glared coldly at Winnie. Winnie spoke rapidly, "Dad, after dinner, a servant from the Rodriguez family said Leah Rodriguez wanted to see me, but instead, she took me to Sean's villa. I was pushed into the pool, and then Sean showed up... Luckily, nothing happened between us." Carlos's heart raced. Angela seized the opportunity and butted in, " Nothing happened? Who would believe that? You actually went to Sean's villa! Everyone knows he's a notorious scoundrel with a liking for divorcees like you. He must've slept with you!" Carlos frowned at Angela's words. He hated to admit it, but there was some truth to them. Sean was known to be a rogue, a fact acknowledged by everyone in the high society of Camellia Mount. If Winnie was indeed with him, it'd be scandalous. "I'm truly fine," Winnie insisted, pressing her lips together. "Dad, right when I got there, I saw Sean asleep with another man. And in less than a minute, Eleanor, along with Camila and Amy, barged in looking for me! When they couldn't find me at Sean's place, they assumed I was missing, reported to Bob Rodriguez, and the whole Rodriguez family was mobilized to search for me." Winnie gave Eleanor a mocking glance. Carlos was no fool. When the realization dawned on him, he turned a cold gaze toward Eleanor.
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