Chapter 230: If I Don't Want to See You, I'll Force You to See Me
"Just because the media is spreading rumors that you're his girlfriend, does it move you so much that you're willing to offer yourself?" The man's voice grew lower with each word, carrying a gritty sensation as if it were grinding on a person's heart. "Winona, you're not the kind of girl in her teens who is still immersed in CEO romance novels. Is this kind of low-level seduction worth your admiration?"
"Sorry, I'm a clown, and I enjoy this act," Winona said as she pulled his hand off her arm. "I'd rather be like this than be like some people. We've been married for three years, and nobody even knows I'm his wife."
Zachary pursed his lips. "If you want to go public, you can."
Winona knew what he was going to say just from the first half of his sentence and interrupted, "No need. It's common knowledge now that we're divorced. So, it would be impolite to linger any longer. Let me remind you, not long ago, you said, 'Only a fool would mention reconciliation again.' So, Mr. Bailey, have you had enough of being a fool?"
Zachary's handsome face alternated between pale and blue, his jaw clenched tightly. Anger surged through him, wishing he could crush this woman who was so difficult to understand right in front of him.
Taking advantage of his inflated ego, Winona reopened the car door and sat inside, starting the car and driving away, leaving Zachary with a face full of exhaust fumes.
At the entrance, Lydia snorted and turned, getting into a Rolls-Royce with the door already open.
On the weekend, Winona and Rebecca made plans to go to a newly opened trendy Mexican restaurant. But halfway there, Winona received a call from the mysterious boss. "Come to the villa. We need to talk."
"Now?" Since signing the contract, the person had disappeared completely. Winona had tried to contact them to inquire about her mother, but all her messages and calls went unanswered.
"Yes."
"Can you..." It was already noon, and Rebecca had waited three days to finally get a reservation at the trendy Mexican restaurant. Winona didn't want to disappoint her, so she wanted to ask if they could go after having a meal. But before she could finish her sentence, the call was disconnected.
Winona took a deep breath and apologetically said to Rebecca, "Rebecca, they called me. Something came up, and I have to go."
Rebecca frowned. "To that villa halfway up the mountain?"
"Yes."
"I'll go with you." Without waiting for Winona's agreement, Rebecca turned the car around and headed towards the villa. "I've inquired. Nobody has lived in that villa for many years. If they can't fix the artifacts, why insist on you going there? If something really happens, nobody will hear even if you scream. I have a feeling that person has ulterior motives."
"If it were all above board, they wouldn't be afraid to show their face. They claim to be interested in your skills, but they didn't come sincerely to invite you. First, they let two men who know nothing about the matter scold you, then they showed a photo of Winona's mother, which was so blurry that even her face couldn't be seen clearly, to lure her in. And then they started sweet-talking, but he still covers up like a mummy, afraid that someone might see his face."
All these tactics, it's clear that they are not the actions of a good person.
Rebecca's concerns were also Winona's concerns. But without taking risks, there would be no rewards. Winona had prepared herself for this when she chose to expose herself in the first place. "You don't have to go. If something really happens, we both will be in trouble, and there won't even be anyone to help us call the police."
"I'll just go in this once, scout the place. If something really happens in the future, being familiar with the geography can help us run faster with the police, gaining a few extra minutes for rescue."
"Although it makes sense, I can't help but feel like you're cursing me. Just scout the place, can you please keep your jinxed mouth shut? What if it actually works?"
The car stopped at the entrance of the villa. Because it was halfway up the mountain and the vegetation was lush, combined with the fact that nobody had lived there for a long time, it felt eerie. The last time they came, it didn't feel like this. This time, Winona was probably influenced by Rebecca's words.
Before getting out of the car, Rebecca sent the location to Austin. "If I haven't contacted you in twenty minutes, call the police. I'm accompanying Winona to see her new workplace."
After saying that, she took a few photos of the villa and sent them over.
Within a few minutes of ringing the doorbell, a servant came to open the door. The interior of the villa was no different from the last time they came. "The master is waiting for you in the study on the second floor."
Winona thanked the servant and prepared to go upstairs with Rebecca.
The servant stopped them and said, "The master doesn't like to meet strangers. Miss, please wait in the living room for a while."
Rebecca was worried, but she respected the other person's quirk before tearing down her face. "If there's anything, just give me a call or shout."
She paused. "If you don't come out in ten minutes, I'll come up to find you."
The villa had good soundproofing. If someone had malicious intentions, they might have even installed a signal jammer. She had been looking at her phone the whole time, full signal, able to send and receive messages normally, but she didn't know what was happening upstairs.
Winona was touched. "Alright."
In the study on the second floor, she knocked on the door. The room was pitch black, with thick blackout curtains tightly drawn. Only because of the light seeping in from the corridor could she barely make out the figure standing in the shadows behind the curtain.
It was so dark, and they were disguising themselves so well. Either they had some kind of psychological trauma or they were planning something sinister, afraid of leaving any evidence behind.
"Where is it?"
"On the desk." The man's voice sounded clear, but it was hard to tell if it was his original voice or altered.
Without caring whether he agreed or not, Winona reached for the switch on the wall and turned on the light. On the desk, there was an early Qing dynasty painting, moderately damaged, something any skilled restorer could easily handle.
"I want to see the task my mother took before she died."
Although Winona didn't know if her mother's death was related to the painting, the coincidence of the painting appearing and then suddenly disappearing easily aroused suspicion.
"Not for now."
"When will it be possible then?" She had signed the contract solely based on the mention of her mother and the other party's seemingly thorough knowledge of her past.
"Mrs. Sullivan, let me remind you that we are only in an employer-employee relationship. You have no right to demand these things from me. As for the painting, you will see it when you are qualified."
Winona sneered, refusing to back down. "What do you mean by 'qualified'? I can't possibly wait until I'm old, can I?"
"Don't worry, you can wait that long probably because you almost let something slip. There's a suppressed annoyance in your voice. We can't wait that long. If you want to see the painting sooner, show your abilities and reach the level of your mother's skills. Even if you don't want to see it, we'll make sure you do."
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