Chapter 709 Peeling out the Lobster for Her
"Just 'cause we're not tight doesn't mean I can't drop by. You did a lot for Winnie back in the day," Lawrence said with a sly grin. In fact, he had his own reasons for being here.
When he hit up Bentley, Bentley was on a business trip and freaked out when he heard the news.
'This is weird. Who's Melanie to him? His woman? Or maybe his kid's mom?' Lawrence thought. 'Looks like Melanie's someone I gotta keep an eye on. This could help me get on Bentley's good side.'
Winnie was speechless at his nerve. "Melanie's my cousin. What's that got to do with you? She already said she doesn't know you. Take this stuff back. She can't eat right now."
"Yes, I don't want it," Melanie, as Winnie's cousin, was super annoyed that Lawrence had hurt Winnie.
Lawrence stayed cool and jerked his head to look at Winnie. "I didn't just get food for her; I got some for you, too, including cheese-baked lobster."
'Lobster.' Winnie froze, her head pounding. 'What's up with Lawrence? How does he still remember I love lobster after all these years?'
She snapped back and said coldly, "Thanks, but if I'm hungry, I can help myself. Besides, Melanie doesn't like this stuff. You just bought it to mess with her."
Melanie swallowed and said, "Winnie, actually, I kinda like it."
"Shut up," Winnie glared at her.
Melanie lowered her head.
"Really not gonna eat? You used to love it." Lawrence's deep gaze turned into a low, disappointed look after her cold rejection.
Even Winnie was momentarily stunned, feeling like she had hurt him. But quickly, she said emotionlessly, "The past is in the past. People change. I used to love you, too, but now I don't."
Melanie clearly saw Lawrence's handsome face go pale.
She took a deep breath, thinking, 'Winnie is tough, straight-up with her feelings, but she are so harsh to Lawrence. He won't get mad, will he? After all, he was once the arrogant Mr. Rodriguez.'
But Melanie only saw Lawrence gripping the edge of the food container, veins popping on the back of his hand.
He said nothing, holding back his emotions.
Melanie felt a bit relieved, thinking he had hurt Winnie before, and now it was Winnie's turn to hurt him.
She applauded in her mind.
Lawrence put on a pair of disposable gloves, and started to carefully peel out the lobster.
The aroma instantly filled the room, making both Winnie's and Melanie's stomachs rumble.
Winnie couldn't stand it anymore and said angrily, "Lawrence, if you wanna eat, can you do it outside?"
"I'm just peeling it for you. I'll leave once I'm done." Lawrence lowered his eyes and said, "You don't have to eat it. I'll just leave it here. Consider it a thank you for your kind reminder this afternoon."
His deep voice and those soulful eyes made him seem gentle and affectionate.
Winnie was flushed as she thought, 'Wasn't it Melanie who went to talk to him? How did he find out?'
She bit her lip, looking all flustered and annoyed, "Stop yapping. You're disturbing Melanie's rest."
"Alright," Lawrence nodded like a good boy and then looked up, "Winnie, do you remember anyone pushing you down the stairs?"
Winnie was caught off guard, totally forgot about that.
She quickly turned to Melanie, "Melanie, the mall railing is super high. You wouldn't have just fallen on your own."
Melanie frowned, looking a bit lost, "I think my headache took a part of my memory. I vaguely remember I was waiting in front of a cake store for the owner to slice a cake for me, and suddenly this huge dog chased me. The owner was trying to hold it back, and there were a ton of people around. I didn't see much, but I felt a push over the railing."
"Could it have been the dog that pushed you? How big was it?" Lawrence asked.
"An Alaskan Malamute, a really big and scary dog. I was freaked out and might've run towards the railing." Melanie's memory was fuzzy from the concussion.
Lawrence squinted, "Have you pissed anyone off lately?"
Melanie shook her head, "When I was at ST, I was a nobody. Now that I'm with the Blanchet Family, I keep a low profile. If I did tick someone off, it’d probably be Angela and Ishara. Now that I'm with Winnie, I've got more clout. Maybe they're jealous."
"Ishara?" Winnie frowned at the very thought that Bentley mentioned Melanie and Ishara studying abroad together, and then Melanie losing her memory.
"Lawrence, after you reported to the cops, did they find any surveillance footage?" Winnie asked.
"The footage from that time was wiped," he replied.
"This sounds like Ishara's style," Winnie snorted, "After all, she and Melanie have a history..."
She trailed off.
Lawrence saw her hesitation, stepped closer, and asked quietly, "You know something about Bentley and Melanie?"
Winnie suddenly looked up, whispered in surprise, "You know, too?"
"A bit. Bentley has a daughter," he said in a low voice.
Winnie immediately warned hushedly, "Don't say anything in front of Melanie. She doesn't know."
"Okay, I'll keep my mouth shut," Lawrence smiled.
Winnie was speechless, wondering why he was acting so sweet. She moved further away, still giving him a warning look.
Melanie saw their interaction and got anxious, "Winnie, are you talking about me?"
"No!" they said in unison.
Melanie frowned, "Then what are you talking about? No secrets allowed."
"Of course not. I'm telling him to leave," Winnie said.
Lawrence saw her trying to kick him out, and the little joy he felt from their secret faded. He took off his gloves and cleaned his fingers with a napkin, saying, "Alright, I won't bug you anymore. Eat the lobster if you want."
Just then, more visitors showed up at the hospital room.
Lawrence bumped into them at the door, his eyes instantly turning cold.
Winnie looked over and frowned in surprise. It was Mars.
Mars walked in with a bouquet of flowers and a bunch of fruits, smiling all charming and warm, "Ms. Anderson, long time no see. I heard Ms. Stewart is sick, and I happened to be nearby, so I came to visit."
"Mars, what are you doing here?" Winnie frowned, "You're overly kind to visit us."
'He better not be here to cause trouble,' she thought.