Chapter 181 Concern
"They want me as a designer for the Crossroads Town project, offering twenty million dollars for the design fee. There's no nine-to-five; meetings are scheduled around my availability, and I can even get an advance on payment."
Rebecca nearly choked on her drink. Once she recovered, her first words were, "Are you out of your mind? With such an amazing offer, what's there to think about? Just go for it! Which boss is this generous? Crossroads Town, Crossroads Town," she repeated, then looked mischievously at Winona, batting her eyelashes, "Isn't that the Watson family's project? Did Matthew approach you for this?" "Is the design fee too high?"
Winona wasn’t well-versed in that industry. If the offer was indeed outrageously high, she'd rather not accept it. She desperately needs money, but not at the expense of her integrity.
“It’s reasonable, considering your worth. If the TV show hits it big, you’ll be a celebrity. At the grand opening, you could draw a huge crowd,” Rebecca mused, propping up her chin, “But this opportunity is once in a blue moon, especially for non-experts in large-scale, historic building projects. You can't afford to miss this.”
Watching Winona gulp several sips of wine as she spoke, Rebecca quickly snatched the glass from her hand, “Easy on the drinking. I can’t stand to see you drunk again. Message Matthew immediately and tell him you’re in before someone else snatches up the opportunity.”
With her decision made, Winona didn’t hesitate to shoot Matthew a message. He must have been on his phone, as his reply came swiftly, "Tomorrow at 1 PM, come to the office to sign the contract. Send me your bank details."
Winona: "I'll wait for the project to officially kick off before taking an advance."
Matthew insisted, "A down payment."
He left her little choice but to send her banking information. Minutes later, ten million was transferred into her account.
Rebecca Davis watched the entire ordeal, playfully jabbing Winona's arm. "Hey, ask Mr. Watson if he has a brother to set me up with. I'm available."
"Yeah, Zachary."
Rebecca laughed, a sound laced with amusement, "You're supposed to be my bestie. Why are you throwing me into the lion’s den?"
When the money hit her account, Winona didn't waste a second transferring it to Zachary. There was a transfer limit – she could only send five hundred thousand dollars at a time, so she did it in two installments, given the daily cap of one million dollars.
Regal Oaks.
Zachary's phone vibrated. Glancing down, he noticed a banking alert. Usually, he wouldn’t bother, but the amount made him frown.
Half a million dollars? Nobody sends him such small amounts.
Sure enough, it was from Winona.
He stared at the text and asked Samuel Anderson, lounging on the opposite couch, "What were you saying just now?"
"You and Matthew had a falling out; now I gotta host the New Year's party twice," Samuel grumbled.
"Did you bump into Winona at the golf course today?"
"Weren't you the one who said you had no interest in the whereabouts of insignificant people and told me to shut up? Changed your mind?"
Zachary started at the two transfer notifications. His usually stoic face turned stone-cold. "You met Matthew for golf today?"
"Are you out of your damn mind? Didn’t I call you this morning? You’re the one who bailed," Samuel frowned, noticing Zachary's fixation on his phone. "What's got you looking so down? Did Winona send you a wedding invitation for her second marriage?"
"She transferred a million dollars to me."
Samuel's expression blanked, taking a moment to realize Winona was paying Zachary back: "So she transferred it, big deal. Wasn't that your money anyway? Now she’s paid up, and you’re still unhappy?"
Zachary flatly stated, "She has no money."
It hadn't been long since she gave him that bank card with one hundred and twenty million dollars. He had been skeptical about the origin of that money and even checked her bank records and balance. The money was a loan from Rebecca Davis, and Winona only had enough left for living expenses.
And now she suddenly had a million dollars to pay him back? Especially after meeting with Matthew that morning and having cash by evening?
"She’s not allowed to make money now?" Samuel retorted. "Isn’t she a renowned art conservator? That must pay decently."
Zachary shook his head. "Do you think restoring artifacts is a walk in the park? One at a time, each piece taking months to mend. And with what she’s making at View Studio, she's barely scraping enough to feed your dog. In artifact restoration, it’s all about seniority; you can't fast-track experience. At her age, she's only slightly ahead of her peers."
Samuel, was in a foul mood today; otherwise, he wouldn't have shown up for drinks with Zachary in the middle of the night: "That's none of your business. It doesn't concern you even if she's trading her body for cash. If you're feeling lonely, go date a woman. I don't think Miss Sullivan intends to rekindle anything with you."
Eventually, Zachary shifted his gaze from his cell phone and looked at Samuel: "You can leave now. You'll pay me back tomorrow for the two bottles we drank today."
The next day.
Winona woke early and headed to the DNA testing center to retrieve the results. She had sent in the samples just before the new year, asking an acquaintance to expedite the process.
She accepted the manila envelope from the staff member but didn't open it immediately. Instead, she sat down on a bench to the side.
The testing center was almost empty, its spotless glass windows reflecting her expressionless, numb face.
She thought she was fully prepared, but when the moment arrived, she realized that no amount of preparation could leave her genuinely indifferent.
Winona unwound the string tied around the envelope in circles.
Her phone's ringtone abruptly broke the silence.
She relaxed slightly, exhaling a breath of relief.
It was Carlos calling.
"Winona, why are you still causing trouble with Zachary?" Carlos had refrained from calling because he knew Winona was stubborn and liked to come to her conclusions. Plus, couples needed a cooling-off period after a fight.
Although Zachary had mentioned paying back the money last time, there was no further inquiry, so Carlos thought it was just a lot of noise with no follow-through. Just yesterday, he had planned a vacation with his wife and daughter, but this morning, a lawyer showed up at his door.
"Are you trying to drive your father to his grave to feel content? You ungrateful girl."
Hearing the exasperation in Carlos' voice, Winona's lips curved into a slight smile, feeling a surge of courage. She was almost eager to see the results: "Dad, do you know where I am right now?"
"Where?"
"At the DNA testing center. I just got the results."
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