Chapter123 Warning
Zachary released Winona, who glared back at him ferociously, the ghost of his forceful kiss still lingering on her neck...
Zachary didn't respond, his gaze fixed on Matthew's hands... indeed, the door had been opened with Matthew's fingerprint.
As a member of a prominent family, emotional intelligence was a fundamental skill, and the first lesson was always to read the room. Without a word exchanged, Matthew caught the gist of Zachary's glare.
"Sorry, it was an urgent situation, didn't have time to remove it."
Admitting his oversight, Matthew accessed the panel and swiftly deleted his fingerprint from the system.
Zachary's demeanor was cool, formal. Without the slightest hint of an invitation, he stood at the threshold: "It's late, what brings you here?"
"Just passing by," Matthew said casually. "Heard from the security downstairs about last night's incident and thought I'd check in."
In reality, security had briefed him in painstaking detail that morning.
"Where are you going? Just happened to be passing by?"
Their gazes locked, and despite the potential deceit in his statement, Matthew's expression was one of sheer candor. A subtle standoff ensued.
Matthew mentioned a destination that did indeed lay conveniently en route.
Winona, face stern, pointed to the hallway outside and commanded Zachary, "Get out!"
"Winona..." Zachary called her name, his handsome features betraying neither joy nor anger, yet the warning in his tone was unmistakable.
Winona Sullivan's voice suddenly spiked, her emotions raw as her eyes reddened with barely restrained tears. For once, she didn't care about keeping up appearances in front of others, laying bare the festering wounds of her marriage for all to see. "Get out, just get the hell out!"
Zachary Bailey's expression turned icy, his brows knitting together in a scowl as he reached for Winona's arm.
But Winona stood her ground, either too incensed to react or unsure of his intentions. Before Zachary's hand could meet her skin, it was intercepted mid-air by Matthew Watson—
"Need a drink?"
"Matthew Watson," Zachary eyed him with narrowed scrutiny, "you're crossing the line."
Matthew, though mild-mannered, held his own, matching Zachary's intensity without wavering: "I'm not trying to meddle in your marital issues, but you staying here tonight isn't helping anything. It's only going to make things worse."
There was a silence so profound, you could hear a pin drop...
After a tense moment, Zachary finally left with Matthew. They got into Brian's car, which was already pulling away.
In the cool detachment of Matthew's voice came the offer, "Nightclub?"
"Yeah." Zachary closed his eyes, feigning sleep, clearly not in the mood for conversation.
Matthew, however, didn't let the subject drop as easily as Zachary had hoped. "You realize Winona is serious about this divorce, right?"
Zachary's response was laced with a mix of indifference and latent aggression. "So what?"
"It means that even if I wasn't here, someone else would be... like the guy you fought last night."
Zachary slowly opened his eyes, the accusation in his tone was unmistakable.
"So you're admitting you have feelings for her?" It was more a challenge than a question.
Matthew pulled over to a stop, casually drawing a cigarette from the pack and placing it between his lips—not out of addiction, but a rare indulgence. "What right do you have to question me? Whether I have feelings for her or not, I've never crossed a line. What about Fiona Clark, though? How do you plan to balance one at home and one on the side?"
Tonight, he was on edge, especially after hearing Winona Sullivan call out his name through the door. Although he hadn't raised a hand, the words that spilled from him were cutting—a stark contrast to his usual temperament and way of handling things.
But Matthew Watson knew questioning these matters was above his pay grade.
Rubbing his temples, he pushed the irritation back down and slipped his gentle facade back on. "Winona's beautiful, talented, and there's a line of guys waiting to sweep her off her feet. You might fend off one or two, but all of them? And knowing Winona, if she falls for someone, she's not the type to give in easily. What are you gonna do if it comes to that, lock her up?"
There was a flicker in Zachary Bailey's eyes as Matthew finished speaking.
"Ever considered she might be filing for divorce because she's jealous of Miss Clark?"
Exes are a delicate subject, and Zachary hadn't exactly been discreet, not to mention the media that fanned the flames for a story, easily leaving room for misunderstanding.
Gazing out at the monotonous nightscape, Zachary finally said, "No."
His cold demeanor wasn't what you'd expect from someone in love. Matthew had thought maybe Zachary wasn't as indifferent toward Winona as he seemed, but now it seemed he had been overthinking it.
"Do you... still have feelings for that girl you once chased? If you can't let go, why not end things amicably and give it another shot?"
"For a guy like you—handsome, young, wealthy, with a good build—unless someone's blind, chances are slim they'd reject you a second time."
He had been turned down before, yes, but that was years ago...
Matthew knew about Zachary's unsuccessful confession, but the identity of the girl remained a mystery to him. Then Fiona Clark had entered the picture.
Zachary scoffed, "Turns out she was the blind one."
Matthew was speechless.
"Tell me who she is," Matthew suggested. They had been friends since childhood, ran in the same circles—maybe he knew her. "Samuel and I could brainstorm some strategies."
"Samuel?" Zachary raised an eyebrow, not out of mockery but with evident doubt in Samuel's technique in pursuing women. "Let him catch Julia first."
Matthew was at a loss.
The next morning, Winona Sullivan rose early, ready to head back to work at View Studio. Her apartment was a good distance away, so she set out an hour ahead of time. Nearing her destination, her phone buzzed with a message from Rebecca Davis: a photo of someone hidden behind a massive bouquet of flowers.
Peeking out were azure forget-me-nots intermingled with blue and white roses. The person behind the bouquet was entirely obscured, not even a strand of hair in sight.
Winona replied with a couple of question marks. "A secret admirer of yours?"
Rebecca shot back, "Looks like it's from your hubby."
Before Winona could respond, another message from Rebecca came through. "They're for Fiona Clark. Everyone's blowing up the campus forum about it. Some folks here are married with kids old enough to be walking, and this chick's still posting on the school forum for attention?"
Winona didn't reply. She had just arrived at the studio entrance, where she was met by the same gigantic bouquet from the photo, now being awkwardly carried by a florist.
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