Chapter 155 Do You Remember the Details of That Night?
The Bailey Group.
Zachary Bailey noticed his new secretary’s hesitance and raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"
He was a man who seldom used apps like WhatsApp—preferring direct phone calls over social media scrolling. So even as Facebook buzzed with the scandal, he was out of the loop.
The secretary paused, then placed a tablet in front of him, highlighting Winona Sullivan's replies in a glaring red.
Some matters are too delicate for words.
Zachary Bailey skimmed the content quickly, his eyes finally resting on the line: "Male partner has erectile dysfunction and fails to fulfill the basic marital duties."
His secretary stood to the side, barely daring to breathe. He couldn't see Zachary's expression, but he could feel the heavy air of tension emanating from him.
One minute...
Five minutes...
Ten minutes passed without Zachary uttering a word or taking his gaze off the tablet, even though the screen had already dimmed automatically.
The secretary could barely keep it together and ventured cautiously, "Mr. Bailey, the PR department called. Should we squash this?"
They had already tried, but the public interest in Bailey's personal issues was unusually high, so the efforts didn’t amount to much. Ultimately, it would depend on Mr. Bailey's own attitude.
A smirk played at the corners of Zachary’s mouth, but his eyes were icy cold. "Suppress it? And have everyone online think I'm just denying the obvious?"
The secretary was taken aback, replying, "But we can't directly prove it either."
Zachary Bailey snapped, "Get out!"
...
After sending her message, Winona Sullivan tossed her phone in her bag, oblivious to the storm it had unleashed.
After grabbing a bite downstairs and going to pay, she noticed a flood of notifications and missed calls on her screen. A quick scan revealed that her Facebook post had gone viral.
Discussions about whether Zachary Bailey could actually "perform" were all over the internet.
She sifted through the missed calls and dialed back Rebecca Davis.
Rebecca's voice brimmed with excitement, "Winona, you really did it! Watching that scumbag Zachary Bailey squirm, and Fiona, that duplicitous person, trying to grab the spotlight in such times—doesn’t she fear the backlash?"
Winona Sullivan switched her phone to speaker and clicked into Fiona's Facebook profile to read her latest post.
It was a long, emotional statement that essentially claimed she was not a mistress, had not disrupted Zachary and Winona's marriage, and as a friend, wished them happiness and harmony. She expressed regret over their divorce and even mentioned how Zachary was injured and hospitalized, and instead of caring for her husband, Winona was tending to his brother. She left out specifics, but her evasive attitude sparked widespread curiosity.
Several people in the comments section were talking about having family working at the hospital, and they were planning to inquire further.
Rebecca Davis texted, "Are you still at my place?"
Winona Sullivan replied as she sat at a diner downstairs, "Nope, just about to finish up my meal before heading back."
"Send me your location. Wait for me there; I've got something for you."
Winona shot over the address, and by the time Rebecca arrived, she was just about to ask for the check.
"Here's $13 million," she said, sliding a card across the table to Winona, "the PIN is your birthday. I could only scrape together this much for now. We'll figure out the rest later. Let's pay back Zachary Bailey first."
It had taken days of borrowing from every friend and family member she knew to gather the sum.
Winona didn't expect Rebecca, who was fresh out of college and without a hint of clout, to be so fixated on repaying the debt. A hundred million wasn't astronomical for them but it was still a hefty amount. Without asking, she knew the lengths Rebecca must have gone to.
Staring at the card extended towards her, Winona felt a lump in her throat and it was several seconds before she could speak normally, "Thanks, but I can't accept this. Pay back your loans."
While she was desperate to settle the debt with Zachary, she couldn't let Rebecca go into debt because of her problems.
That much money wasn't easy to repay, and borrowers would certainly get upset, possibly even turn against her.
Rebecca shoved the card into Winona's hand, "You finally got free of him. Don't let money be the reason he gets a grip on you again. Take it. You're my cash cow; why wouldn't I take care of you? I need to get back, the store's busy."
She dashed off before Winona could protest, her high heels clicking rapidly on the pavement. Winona, left holding the card, couldn't help but smile.
Taking a cab back to her apartment, Winona stepped out of the elevator to find Zachary Bailey smoking by her door, several butts littering the ground - he'd clearly been there a while.
The man stood in the shadows, his sharp features obscured by swirling smoke. As the elevator doors opened, his gaze locked onto her.
Winona frowned, "What do you want?"
Zachary gestured to the locked door beside him, "Let's go inside to talk."
"We can talk right here."
She didn't fancy being alone with him; the hallway had cameras, and even if Zachary was up to no good, he wouldn't dare strike a woman in public.
Zachary Bailey snuffed out his cigarette, making his way over to Winona Sullivan. With each step, he unfastened the buttons of his shirt, casually tossed his cufflinks—with their looped diamonds—onto the floor, and said, "Let's just see if I have any 'impediments.'"
Winona pressed her lips tightly together. "You should be proving that to Fiona. We are divorced, Zachary. Whatever impediments you have or don't have, they don't change the way I see you."
"What way is that?" Zachary's eyes darkened as he stared at her, then he cracked a smile, stepped forward, and pinned the retreating Winona against the wall with a slight lean. "An impotent image?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but Zachary cut her off. "Still hung up on the fact that I never touched you when we were married, Winona?” he asked. “Just how badly do you want me? But of course, our first time was quite memorable for you, wasn't it?"
In the bedroom, even the most dignified men, like Zachary, reveal their true colors with crude remarks.
Winona's face turned ice-cold. "You're a beast."
"And isn't that exactly what you like?" he whispered, lowering his head. "Remember the details of that night? Shall I refresh your memory?"
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