Chapter 109 Pain Without a Peep
Winona saw the flat shoes in the box and realized what Zachary intended to do. Within a few brief moments, her ankle had already been grasped by the man.
Zachary's hands were unusually warm, and she could feel it through the fabric. Not used to the contact, Winona instinctively pulled her foot away and whispered, "I can do it myself."
The sweet scene that would have filled an audience with joy in a TV drama only made her feel awkward in reality, especially with two other people watching.
And judging by their envious glances, she was sure they found the scene utterly heart-fluttering!
Winona wouldn't admit it was her issue; it must be the person who wasn't right—in this case, Zachary. His character was flawed and not suited for such romance, which was why she felt embarrassed.
The man's gaze was lowered, and Winona could see his long lashes, the contour of his nose, and his jawline. Sensing her resistance, his grip on her ankle tightened slightly. His brows furrowed, and his lips pressed into an unhappy curve. "Don't move."
The shoes came off easily. Winona's skin was soft and pale, and now the abrasions on her heels and ankles were fully exposed. The broken skin oozed traces of blood, and the surrounding flesh had reddened significantly.
"Winona, why are you so silly? Are you too dumb to even whimper in pain?" Zachary scoffed coldly.
"I'm not a dog! Why should I act like one? Why don't you let me hear how it sounds?!" Winona forcefully withdrew her foot from his hands. She had decided that if he didn't let go, she would kick him away!
But it was unclear whether she used too much strength or he simply let go, as she easily broke free.
The sales associate had chosen a pair of sports shoes for her and thoughtfully paired them with cotton socks. The only issue would be when taking them off later, as the socks might stick to the wound.
As Winona was about to put them on, Zachary held her hand and asked the sales associate, "Do you have any band-aids?"
The two, barely holding back laughter, immediately straightened their backs and nodded, promptly turning to fetch the band-aids from a drawer at the counter.
Winona intended to apply it herself, but Zachary took the band-aid. She watched as he skillfully opened the packaging and stuck it on her wound, stirring a complex emotion within her. "You seem to know quite a bit. You must have studied up in advance."
Besides her, the only woman close to him was Fiona, so it wasn't hard to guess who taught him these things.
Winona assured herself that her comment was spontaneous, with no hint of sarcasm.
Zachary, without finesse, slipped the socks onto her feet. "If only you knew a little about the products, you wouldn't be mocking me here."
Winona rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Zachary changed out of the green suit Winona had chosen and picked out a more usual style to purchase. He then drew several bills from his wallet as a tip for the sales associate who had helped him with the shoes.
Just as Winona tried to get up, Zachary bent down and lifted her into his arms as if it was the most natural thing to do.
He carried her down to the basement level and called Brian to come pick them up.
While waiting, Zachary suddenly said, "I haven't."
Winona, puzzled, asked, "Haven't what?"
"I've never applied a band-aid to anyone else, nor have I bought shoes for anyone before."
Upon hearing that, Winona fell silent.
That was the end of it. Zachary dropped her off at her apartment complex and left after watching her enter.
The next day, after Layla was ousted from Mean Company, the news soon hit the trending searches.
Ordinarily, someone like her shouldn't have such an impact, but her recent scandals had created such a stir that Mean Company, now needing a resurgence, had to make a statement as loud as possible, letting everyone know that Layla had no ties with Mean Company anymore.
In the video, Layla was kicked out of the Mean Company building by the security, and her belongings were scattered all over the ground. She looked like a bedraggled, drowned rat, devoid of her previous arrogance.
Winona glanced at the news and exited the page.
She wasn't afraid of Layla causing trouble. After the last incident, it didn't matter if the security guard downstairs decided to let people in or not because when it came to one-on-one, she could easily pin Layla to the ground with one hand alone.
Thanks to the many opportunities to practice. After all, proficiency comes from experience.
The spot on her foot that was rubbed raw yesterday still hurt, so Winona wasn't planning to go out today. She was almost done repairing the ceramic vase and planned to finish it within a couple of days before resuming her work at View Studio.
Unfortunately, around five in the evening, she received a call from Carlos.
His voice was exceptionally gentle and kind. "Winona, I've returned to the country. Let's have dinner tonight."
Winona knew the reason behind his sudden return. He didn't inform her of his arrival beforehand, but he was quick to invite her to dinner.
"I'm busy."
Carlos asked, "Are you so busy that you don't even have time to meet me?"
His tone was accusatory.
Winona felt annoyed. His scumbag nature was exposed right after her stepmother entered the picture. It wasn't like she hadn't experienced fatherly love. When her mother was alive, all his love was directed at her. But whenever he spoke to her in that tone, she felt disappointed and upset.
She replied affirmatively, "Mhm."
Carlos must have been infuriated by her response because he remained silent for several seconds. "Then go on with your business. Meeting Zachary is just as important."
Winona was about to hang up but frowned when she heard Zachary's name. "Did you invite Zachary?"
"Zachary is my son-in-law. Of course, I want to have dinner with him now that I'm back in the country."
Winona clenched her teeth. "Give me the address."
She wasn't worried that Zachary would suffer under Carlos's influence; no one was that simple, after all. Her concern was that the two of them would team up to set a trap for her!
Carlos wanted to obtain money to save Layla, and if Zachary complied, he would undoubtedly place the blame on her, giving him another reason to keep dragging his feet in the divorce suit, making it even harder for her to win!
Winona hurried over after getting the address. Just as the waiter led her to the table, she overheard Carlos fabricating lies. "Winona and Layla have always been close. She would be devastated to know that the sister she cherished and doted on since childhood is being bullied like this!"
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