Chapter 184 Trials
Silence fell after his comment, but Zachary, seemingly oblivious to the tension, continued to sip his red wine elegantly.
Winona's meal finally arrived, served by a waiter in a suit and bowtie who delicately placed the beautifully presented steak before her. His slender, well-proportioned fingers gracefully withdrew from the edge of the plate. She glanced up at him, noticing his youth and good looks, "You have really nice hands,” she remarked.
Just the day before, Director John had been searching for a male hand model. Winona wondered if he had found one yet; she might recommend this waiter.
Flattered, the waiter blushed, a warm hue spreading across his cheeks. While he had been complimented on his hands before, it was the first time a customer – especially such an attractive young woman– had done so to his face, "Thank you,” he replied.
"Would it be okay to add you on WhatsApp?" Winona asked intrigued by the thought of recommending him.
He was still on the clock, and she didn't want to discuss a potential side gig with him right there where the manager might overhear and think she was poaching staff.
"We're not allowed to have our phones on us during work hours, and we can't add customers on WhatsApp," the waiter explained.
Understanding his predicament, Winona took an opinion card from the table, quickly jotting down her phone number. "Fine, then. Add me after your shift; there's something I'd like to discuss with you,” she said, handing him the note.
The young busboy's face flushed even redder as he stared at the graceful handwriting on the note, unconsciously accepting it. As his fingers brushed the paper, he felt an intense, piercing cold gaze fixed upon him.
Looking up, he noticed a man sitting at next table. The man wasn't looking at him, and his mild features suggested he wouldn't cast such a frigid stare.
The gaze vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
He muttered a "Enjoy your meal" to Winona before hastily retreating with the tray.
Stella's focus had been entirely on Zachary until that moment when she caught sight of Winona at the adjacent table. Winona had seemed familiar at the hospital, but Stella hadn’t pieced together her identity until later, when she looked up Zachary and discovered Winona was his ex-wife.
She bit her lip, "Mr. Bailey, we should exchange numbers on WhatsApp."
Zachary just looked at the phone extended toward him, remaining silent.
Meanwhile, Winona and Matthew finished their meal and rose to leave.
As they exited, Matthew handed her a contract, "Have your lawyer look over this and sign it if everything's okay. Just get it to me by next Monday."
Winona, about to turn the page, paused and retracted her hand, "Alright."
After dropping Matthew off at the office, she texted Director John, asking if he'd found a hand model yet.
He replied promptly, "Not yet. Do you have any recommendations?"
She responded, "I saw a guy today with beautiful hands. I'll send him your way once he adds me," she messaged back.
"Sounds good."
Driving home, Winona arrived at her apartment building and saw Zachary leaning against his car, smoking. The water stains on his clothes were dry but still visible.
She turned off the engine, got out without acknowledging Zachary, and headed straight into the building.
His gaze on Winona was chilling as she texted Rebecca Davis. He noticed the background on her phone screen – a young heartthrob who had become popular due to a recent hit show, resembling the young waiter she had encountered in the restaurant.
A mischievous smile played on his lips, "Got your eye on him? Thinking about making a move?"
Winona halted in her tracks and turned, her voice firm "Mr. Bailey, we are divorced. If you haven’t grasped that yet, maybe Anthony Lewis can spell it out for you. You're stalking me like a creep, always following me, occasionally lurking at my doorstep. I can sue you for harassment."
"You think you can sue me for harassment with that lawyer?" It was still afternoon, and the lobby was brightly lit, but even this bright light couldn't dispel the darkness in Zachary's eyes. "I'm asking you, do you want to make a move on that busboy?"
Winona tilted her chin upward defiantly. "And even if that were the case, what business is it of yours? As a single woman, if I find an attractive man, whether I'm supporting him financially or dating him, that's my right. You have no say in it, nor are you entitled to. Just like it's your prerogative to be with whomever you choose—like that lady friend of yours. I haven't poked my nose into your affairs, have I?"
Zachary's eyes darkened, the shadows within merging into twin vortexes that threatened to consume and destroy. His grip tightened on Winona's hand—the same one that Matthew had held and that was currently clasping the contract. "If you wish to see him dead, by all means, keep provoking me. It's been quite some time since I've laid a hand on someone who doesn't matter. Do you fancy his hands that much?"
Winona fell silent. Her thoughts swirling with a mix of disbelief and anger.
She thought Samuel Anderson might be right; Zachary could indeed be sick—not in the head, but mentally. This had to be some kind of psychopathy.
"Whatever," she said nonchalantly, "There are plenty of men in this world. I could switch them out daily and still not get through them in several lifetimes. But you,” she continued, her eyes narrowing, “rushing over here so urgently to confront me—did you suddenly realize after the divorce that you actually have feelings for me? Get over yourself."
Dealing with a possessive ex-husband, who seemed to think he still owned her, Winona knew she had to be careful. The more attention she gave him, the more he seemed to thrive. She couldn't afford dragging in an innocent young man into a spat with Zachary out of spite.
"I'm questioning you because I'd rather not have people know my ex-wife has stooped to dating a waiter," Zachary sneered, his grip tightening on his chin. He tilted her face side to side, his eyes studying her as if she were an object on display.
Winona's semblance of a smile quickly faded, and she turned her head away. "Back off; it's disgusting."
"Blushing equates to innocence?" Zachary teased. "He had been with women in bed while you haven't even held a man's hand."
Winona shoved him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You've been investigating him?"
Otherwise, how would he know about the young man's intimate affairs?
"You're upset that I investigated him? Weren't you just provoking me to kill him a moment ago? Or was that all just a facade?"
Winona didn't manage to push him away at first, but now she struggled harder, demanding, "Let go."
In the scuffle, the contract for 'Crossing City' slipped from their grasp and landed on the floor.
The contract landed face-up, and Zachary caught sight of the bold, enlarged letters on the cover: "Employment Agreement?" He released Winona, picked up the contract, and leafed through it. Matthew's signature was already there, company seal affixed, and all; the only thing missing was Winona's signature to make the contract official.
His voice, gravely and laden with insinuation, carried a hint of menace. "You're going to work at Matthew's company and get involved in designing 'Crossing City'? And he's already advanced you ten million?"
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