Chapter 106 The Bride-to-Be Belongs to Another
Winona stopped her complaints and looked at Matthew.
She sighed to herself, "He just doesn't get Zachary. He's a master at playing people."
Winona didn't have the heart to burst his bubble. After all, he had grown up with Zachary through thick and thin as friends. She decided not to be the one to sow discord.
It was the afternoon, and traffic was light. Driving from the apartment to the mall only took ten minutes.
Since he'd given her a lift, she felt it would be rude to treat him like just a driver. Winona unbuckled her seatbelt and casually asked, "Want to come in and help me pick something out?"
It was a mere formality, but Matthew turned off the ignition and agreed. "Sure."
The two browsed from the first to the sixth floor, skipping the three floors dedicated to women's and children's products. They didn't find anything suitable on the other floors.
Considering her relationship with Mr. Baker, it couldn't be too expensive to avoid making him feel burdened, nor too cheap to appear thoughtless, and definitely not personal items like clothing or shoes, as they weren't that close. Eventually, they settled on a modest set of oil painting supplies.
During her time at View Studio, Winona had been fortunate enough to see Mr. Baker's oil paintings—truly masterful works.
She accepted the gift box from the clerk and expressed her gratitude to Matthew. "Thanks for today. I owe you one—dinner's on me next time."
She didn't expect Matthew to be so knowledgeable about oil painting supplies. She had thought that only insiders or older people used these things.
Matthew responded with a smile, "It was nothing."
They left the store, chatting and laughing.
From a distance, Lydia, who had seen the entire scene, quickly pulled the person beside her behind a column.
Kylie almost tripped when Lydia yanked her. She steadied herself and asked, "What are you doing? Why are you acting like a thief?"
Kylie and Lydia had been best friends for years, but Kylie had been abroad and had only returned a couple of days ago; she had just gotten over her jet lag today.
They had planned to meet at the coffee shop upstairs but stopped when they saw the art supply store because Lydia wanted to pick out something for her future daughter-in-law.
Lydia asked, "What do you think of those two?"
The floor was quiet, so Kylie easily noticed the man and woman walking side by side. Though unsure why Lydia suddenly posed the question, she answered honestly, "They look good together, well-matched in stature and temperament. They seem congenial from their appearance—a natural pair. Their kids will certainly be beautiful."
Kylie had recently embraced the joy of becoming a grandmother, and now everything she sees reminds her of the child.
Over the years abroad, she had heard of Zachary getting married but had never seen his wife, so she didn't recognize Winona.
Seeing the troubled look on Lydia's face, she asked, "What's the matter with you? Are you feeling jealous of the young couple?"
Lydia rolled her eyes at her and said, "So, do you think he's better looking than Zachary?"
Kylie sensed her old friend was seriously troubled, but faced with Lydia's intense gaze, she replied, "He and Zachary are not the same type. This man looks gentle and has a good nature, while Zachary is quite aloof and has a strong presence. But if we're talking about looks, both of them are exceptionally handsome."
Lydia, disheartened, said, "Gentle is good. Which woman would want to spend her life with a block of ice? If it were me, I wouldn't choose Zachary either. Not only is he cold, but his heart is also not focused. He's always ambiguously involved with Fiona. And then there's Matthew, who, even after all these years, hasn't been seen with a woman by his side, not even close female friends."
Kylie just listened as Lydia rambled on. "Are we still going shopping?"
"No, I'm off to find that rascal Zachary and ask him about Matthew's intentions regarding marriage," she said with a gloomy face.
It looks like things are coming to a head soon!
What a shame that her wonderful daughter-in-law is about to become someone else's!
After Lydia left the mall, she went straight to the Bailey Group.
She rarely visited the office, so when Dylan saw her, he was startled for a moment. He got up and quickly greeted her. "What brings you here?"
"Is Zachary in his office?"
"Yes, he is."
Lydia just nodded. "Carry on with your work. There is no need to come with me."
Dylan was initially going to follow and give Mr. Bailey a heads-up because Lydia looked like she was on the warpath, but after taking only a couple of steps, Lydia's cold glance rooted him to the spot!
Lydia pushed open the door to Zachary's office and saw her son buried in paperwork. This infuriated her instantly. "Are you making all this money so you can one day afford a nursing home with a caretaker who won't mistreat you?"
Even someone like Matthew, who had never been in a relationship, knew how to spend time shopping with someone, yet here Zachary was, with nothing but work on his mind.
Zachary had no clue who upset his mother this time, but seeing her this angry, he suspected it was probably his father's doing. "Mom, what are you doing here?" he asked.
He reached out to help her, but Lydia huffed and sat on the sofa. "When was the last time you took Winona shopping?"
Zachary fell silent, unable to answer.
He had never taken Winona shopping, not before their marriage, and certainly not after. But if Lydia were to find out, he could only imagine how furious she would become.
Lydia was quite aware of his silence and what it signified.
Compared to Matthew, her son was decidedly inferior.
"When is Matthew's birthday? Do you know what his views are on marriage?"
Lydia's frustrated expression and her current line of questioning prompted a rather icy look from Zachary. "Why do you ask this?"
"I'm thinking of consulting a seasoned fortune-teller to predict the compatibility between Matthew and Winona. Even if you two are going to get a divorce, she's still like a daughter to me. Although these predictions should not be taken as absolute truth, they cannot be dismissed entirely."
Zachary's irritation was evident. He reached for the cigarettes and lighter on the coffee table, but before lighting up, he remembered Lydia's poor health and put them back down. "Mom, did you hear something?"
Otherwise, why the sudden interest in fortune-telling for those two?
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