Chapter 511 Accepting Rock?
"Lawrence, barging in on her like this will only make things worse," Jeremy cautioned.
Lawrence's eyes smoldered with anger. "She's my woman. What right does that asshole Rock have to hold her?"
Jeremy was all too aware of Lawrence's jealousy and possessive nature.
"Think about it. Will Winnie be happy to see you now? Do you really want to upset her? Think about the baby she's carrying. What's the rush? She's falling apart and she has no one by her side. Here's what we'll do. I'll contact Olivia or maybe Melanie to visit her. For now, you just come with me."
Jeremy firmly led him away. A cold shiver ran down Lawrence's spine, chilling him to the bone.
Unbeknownst to others, Rock had already caught the slight commotion at the door, the corners of his lips subtly curving into a hint of a smile.
Winnie calmed her trembling emotions and, feeling the awkwardness, promptly let him go. Swiftly wiping away her tears, she took a deep breath and shifted the topic. "Rock, I apologize but I couldn't secure that parcel of land on the golf course."
Rock sat down. "Did Lawrence give you trouble?" Her silence was as cold as her expression.
"Have all the paperwork for Harrington Group's relocation been finalized? What's your strategy? Land prices in Trento City are exorbitant," Winnie asked, filled with regret.
"Don't worry, I have my eye on an even better spot and it's almost in the bag."
Winnie looked up. "Where?"
"Adjacent to the Rodriguez family's properties, behind the Central Plaza, there's an incomplete skyscraper. With some renovations, it could become a lucrative investment. Establishing Harrington Group's new headquarters there would be ideal. Does that location ring a bell?"
The Central Business District in Trento City held immense value, and the incomplete skyscraper behind the plaza was infamous. Despite its worth, it had been deserted for more than ten years, becoming an irredeemable eyesore. Rock appeared to have discovered a means to obtain it.
Winnie was impressed. "Harrington Group's financial strength really puts Triton to shame. You're incredible for securing that elusive skyscraper everyone's been eyeing. I hadn't heard you mention it before. I didn't realize you had an ace up your sleeve."
Rock's gaze flickered as he chose to keep the details of how he acquired the property a secret. He would never refuse help when it was offered to him.
He gently rested his hand on the back of Winnie's hand. "Wait until I refurbish the building. Once Harrington Group relocates, your Triton can join us there. It's a more suitable location for a jewelry company office than that golf course could ever be."
Winnie acknowledged it was a superior choice but she hesitated because by accepting such a favor, it would only increase her indebtedness to Rock.
"It's all right, I would like to take my time. The jewelry manufacturing doesn't need to have specific location," Winnie responded.
Rock contemplated silently for a moment before smiling. "Winnie, think about your current circumstances in Trento City. Lawrence is engaged to Ishara, and with your father in his condition. In fact, you and I supporting and depending on each other here in Trento City is the ideal scenario your uncle could have wished for. Why not consider accepting me?"
Winnie's heart was in turmoil and she was incredibly vulnerable at that moment. After finding out Oscar had been kidnapped by Ishara, Lawrence was indifferent to the whole situation and chose to get engaged with Ishara instead. She doesn't wish to keep fighting a solitary battle like a fool.
She changed her tone, looked down and said, "Rock, can I think about it?"
"Thinking about accepting me? Or about moving Triton to that new piece of land I bought?"
Winnie couldn't answer.
He smiled. "Of course, I hope it's the former. But if you agree to the latter, I believe the former will come to fruition one day. Everything will get better Winnie, don't be sad."
Winnie nodded, her eyes shimmering with tears, and glanced at the time. "It's getting late, Rock. You should go back to the hotel and get some rest. Are you heading back to Lymington tomorrow?"
"No, I can't leave you like this. I'll stay a few more days."
Rock exited the room and he spotted Lawrence with a cigarette nearby, his towering figure leaning against the window, shuddering in the cold breeze. Lawrence's gaze was fierce, almost attacking Rock with its fury.
The tension was palpable but Rock smiled smugly.
As he walked past Lawrence, he raised his gaze. "You certainly have a talent for humiliating people, but you're oblivious, aren't you? Winnie is on the verge of accepting me, and you're the one who pushed her into this predicament with no way out."
Lawrence's eyes snapped open, and he swung a fist. The force of Lawrence's punch slammed Rock into the wall.
Jeremy immediately dragged Lawrence back, frowning at the situation. "He's not fighting back. If you make a scene and Winnie finds out, what do you think she'll think of you? Enough!"
Lawrence hardly calmed down, his sharp features turning icy, a sneer playing on his lips. "Rock, go ahead and delude yourself. She'll never be yours. You know why?"
Rock brushed the blood at the corner of his mouth, involuntarily frowning, but swiftly, a smirk adorned his face again. "As long as she says yes. In the end, you, Lawrence, are just a loser to me."
"Carlos is no longer here. What more are you expecting from Winnie, Rock?" Jeremy jeered icily. "Don't try to convince me that your three-year fixation is merely out of love for her? We're all men, and gentlemen at that. Let's not deceive ourselves."
Lawrence leveled him with an intense gaze, akin to that of a hawk. Rock sneered silently. Carlos's downfall was regrettable, but Rock had anticipated Winnie inheriting the entirety of the Blanchet legacy. However, what he yearned for even more now was to witness Lawrence's downfall which happened to align with the secret agenda of his silent supporter as well.
"I love Winnie better than you ever could, Lawrence." After dropping those words, Rock left the scene.
Jeremy studied Rock's dark, brooding expression and deciphered Lawrence's thoughts while letting out a sigh. "Rock and Winnie never truly had a connection. Even if they had been involved, there's no guarantee he'd outshine you. Talk is cheap. Rock's probably nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing, hiding behind a facade of innocence."
Lawrence glanced toward the hospital room, his eyes a cool abyss. "Yet, she believes in Rock. She has no idea how many times he's stirred up trouble."
Jeremy calmly replied, "It's normal. Women are fragile and seek support. When you weren't good to Winnie, Rock was there, taking meticulous care of her. From now on, don't give him any openings."
Jeremy advised, easing him back into a seat, "Take it easy. Let me gauge Winnie's mood first. Wait until she's more stable before you pay her a visit. I understand you're anxious to meet her."
He winked knowingly that Lawrence was eager to see the pregnant lady.
Lawrence averted his gaze, his previously stormy eyes now still. "Fill me in on the specifics of Carlos's shooting. By the way, Ishara and Eleanor left earlier. You're keeping an eye on them, aren't you?"
Jeremy gave a confirming nod while extracting the investigative report from the scene of Carlos' incident. He squinted and remarked, "Eleanor escorted the Blanchet elders back to the family estate and Ishara appeared a bit unwell. Our source mentioned that she coughed her way back to the Blanchet villa and called for a doctor. Interestingly, this doctor is a middle-aged man, not the woman you had arranged for her earlier."
"A new doctor?" Lawrence's brows knitted together. "Get a photo. Have our man snap a picture of this new doctor."
"Will do. He arrived with just a medical bag, nothing too suspicious," Jeremy added.
—
In Ishara's bedroom at the Blanchet villa, various medical devices filled the once-sealed room.
Ishara lay on an exam table while Leo extracted some of her spinal fluid, preserving it carefully in a hi-tech cryogenic box.
As the anesthetic wore off and her consciousness returned, Ishara's eyelids fluttered open. Weakly, she asked, "The child—how is he?"
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