Chapter 549 Winnie Comes to Know
Winnie looked up, the news broadcast clearing her mind with a thunderous silence as if a formidable force dragged her into an abyss of darkness.
She froze, her body trembling slightly, as her face turned ashen uncontrollably.
On the screen appeared Eleanor's face, crying without her usual poise of the elite, "My daughter Ishara is carrying Lawrence’s child.
"The Rodriguez family is the most prominent in the country, the Blanchet family can't compare. I'm desperately looking for help with nowhere to turn.
"I'm so worried. Where did Lawrence take my Ishara?
"The bodyguard at my place said that Lawrence took my Ishara.
"Heaven help us, she's pregnant. I can't fathom what Lawrence is plotting. Could he force Ishara to abort their child?
"I'm worried sick. I'm pleading with the media to spread the word. Help me find my Ishara."
The camera cut away, other reporters firing questions, but Winnie had lost interest.
She remained still for what seemed like an eternity, barely aware of her fading breath, until a wave of agony shattered her composure, dismantling all her burgeoning faith.
Her heart fractured with a numb, unbearable pain.
‘Ishara was pregnant?’
She staggered backward.
"Winnie!" Olivia burst out, Steadying her as she swayed like a leaf in the wind, her grip tightened with the unfolding narrative of the news, becoming increasingly cold and forceful.
She had seen the broadcast and witnessed Eleanor pleading tearfully into the camera.
She couldn't see Winnie's face but could imagine her turmoil.
She too was staggered, with the entire family unable to comprehend the truth.
"Winnie, stop watching." Olivia tried to control her tremulous, angry voice, her eyes reddening, as she reached to shield Winnie's eyes.
Two seconds passed.
Winnie gave a faint laugh, "I'm fine."
"How can you be fine!" Olivia roared, her face contorted with rage. "Lawrence, that despicable scoundrel!
"Did he ever tell you the truth? Why doesn't he drop dead?
"Acting cold as ice to Ishara in front of you, promising to handle Ishara.
"I thought after all the trouble you took revealing the truth about Madam Rodriguez's illness to him, he'd see through that malicious woman.
"It was all for an act.
"Oscar could have been saved.
"When did he get Ishara pregnant? When did they even sleep together?
"I'm going insane; I just want to stab him."
Winnie listened to her rage, each word lacerating her already wounded heart.
Her fingers grew colder as she gently pried away Olivia's hand, her expression blank as she gazed back at the news, even letting a self-mocking chuckle slip. "Olivia, you've said everything I wanted to say. What's left for me?"
"Winnie, don't be like this!
"I know you're hurting. Nothing could sting more than Ishara carrying his child!" Olivia tried to console her.
Winnie shook her head, her pale face eerily calm. "I'm not hurt."
"How can you possibly not hurt? Don't pretend anymore. Lawrence betrayed you. He said he'd deal with Ishara, but he's a liar, as cold-hearted as they come."
Olivia's tears fell in anger.
Winnie watched the tears at the corners of her eyes as though they were the very droplets spilling from her own heart.
She blinked her frosty lashes, a hollow laugh escaping her. "He didn't lie. He's been sharing a bed with Ishara, hasn't he? They're intimate. They're engaged. Isn't it just a matter of time before they have a child? I'm not sad. I'm just upset. My Oscar, can he still be saved? My heart aches for him, abandoned time and again by his father, forgotten amid fleeting pleasures."
She finally let her tears fall.
Olivia embraced her with a heart weighed down by pain, wrapping her arms tightly around her, "Winnie, I understand your grief. That man continuously crushes your hopes right before your eyes. He deserves to be cursed. But then, I started to think clearly. Surely Lawrence wouldn't betray his own mother's vengeance to sleep with Ishara. Could there be some scheme at play here? Or is Eleanor lying, and Ishara isn't pregnant after all? They might be trying to trap Lawrence. This way because Ishara is definitely looking out for herself. She knows that after donating to Madam Rodriguez, she'd lose her value, and Lawrence would settle scores with her later. So, she spreads seductive lies, claiming she's pregnant."
Winnie knew Olivia was still trying to console her.
She shook her head in bitter irony, her gaze cold and deep. "It's not a lie. Olivia, my dad's assistant, told me Ishara hasn't been going to her job at the Blanchet family estate recently, spending these days resting at home. I finally understand why she do so. It’s because she’s pregnant."
"But that doesn't necessarily mean the child is Lawrence's." Olivia held onto a sliver of hope, her calm returning.
“Does it even matter anymore?”
Winnie's expression was soaked in icy waters, void of any ripples, her eyes fixed on the television screen. "Our reporters have learned that business tycoon Bob Rodriguez of the Rodriguez family has stepped forward to negotiate with Mrs. Eleanor. They are reaching out to Mr. Lawrence to confirm whether there has been any mistreatment of Ishara. We will follow up on this report and provide answers to our viewers, who are righteously outraged. "
Winnie lowered her eyes, a hint of amusement touching her gaze. "Eleanor really put on a show. Whether it's his kid or not, Bob's stepped in, and we'll soon have our answer."
Olivia shifted uncomfortably, at a loss for what to say next. In the harsh light of reality, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Lawrence
‘Where was that jerk anyway? Was he too scared to come explain himself to Winnie?’
‘How did things get so out of hand?’
Meanwhile, at the Camellia Mount, the sprawling estate of the Rodriguez family.
In the grand living room of the estate, Kathy sat in the seat of honor. Her eyes landed on Ishara, whose reddened gaze contrasted sharply with the flatness beneath her clothing. Kathy thought of Sidney, the adorable great-grandson, and her brows furrowed deeply.
The entire public relations team for the Rodriguez Corporation had arrived in full force.
Bob watched the unfolding news with a morose expression, the online frenzy escalating, and the media's relentless coverage. His visage was dark and authoritative, a pressure emanating from him.
Eleanor stood from her chair, positioning herself in the center of the room, her face pale with regret. "Bob, dear matriarch, it's all my fault. I couldn't find Ishara today, and out of desperation, I turned to the media.
"In my haste, I've accidentally exposed Ishara's pregnancy.
"I've made some rash accusations against Mr. Lawrence, but I'm ready to set the record straight with the media as long as Mr. Lawrence is willing to take responsibility for Ishara and her child.
"If our families unite in marriage, the media scrutiny and public criticism against Mr. Lawrence will crumble.
"They will see that Mr. Lawrence loves Ishara, that he doesn't want to abandon the child, nor Ishara."
Eleanor voiced her demands, both overtly and covertly.
Facing the situation, she knew that Bob had no choice.
The bigger the family, the more they feared public opinion. Public sentiment could lift them up or capsize them, and the fall could come swiftly.
Bob was blinded to Eleanor’s schemes.
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