Chapter 231 Something's Wrong Here.
Winona had to go back for her tools. Although the person said he could help her to prepare, she was used to using her own.
As soon as she left the villa, Rebecca grabbed her and whispered, "Winona, something's not right here. I went on a walk around the downstairs living room, and the nanny was watching me like a hawk. She even followed me to the bathroom and just casually glanced around. I spotted at least five pinhole cameras, maybe even some hidden ones."
The Robinson family owned a technology company, so they were sensitive to things such as cameras.
"If it's a legitimate task, why would he install so many cameras? It's not even a full coverage; even a mosquito could be distinguished as male or female if it flew in," Winona said.
Winona felt heavy-hearted. She had thought that the other party would be willing to be upfront and get to know her mother, to inquire about some past events. It shouldn't have been too difficult. However, judging by the other party's attitude, the road ahead seemed arduous.
"I understand," she replied.
The two of them drove, and as soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, they saw Austin's jeep speeding toward them. The mountain road was narrow, and he was driving fast.
Rebecca looked at the approaching car and her first reaction was that she couldn't avoid it; they were going to collide. Her foot reflexively pressed the brake, and the jeep barely brushed past their car, then came to a screeching halt. The tires made an ear-piercing sound against the concrete ground.
Rebecca sat in her seat, dazed for a moment, before realizing they hadn't crashed. The car looked somewhat familiar. Before she could even think of the name, she saw the back door open in the rearview mirror.
Austin, tall and imposing, stepped out of the car and walked toward them. He had shed his usual casual demeanor and now appeared somewhat fierce. After all, he was used to dealing with tough characters, and a gentle approach wouldn't work. He opened the passenger door and his sharp gaze scanned Winona from head to toe, making sure she was unharmed, before asking, "What kind of job is it that you have to choose such a remote place?"
Winona replied, "The owner of a private antique shop. Since they operate on a commercial route, the items need to be kept secret before they are unveiled, so they can't be seen by outsiders. That's why they require the items not to be taken out of this villa."
Indeed, that's what the other party had said. Austin turned his head to look at the white villa halfway up the mountain, surrounded by lush trees, casting no shadow. Not being able to take anything out of the villa meant that Winona would have to come here often in the future. It was a remote place, far from the city, with only this household around. His brows furrowed tightly. "Don't you watch the news about illegal activities?"
Winona remained silent. "Places with rare human presence are often used for crimes like murder, hiding bodies, and imprisonment."
Winona fell silent again. "I beg you, please stop. I already have those images in my mind."
After circling around, Austin finally revealed his purpose. "I'm resigning."
"You've already signed the contract. Breaking it means paying a penalty."
She still didn't know what secrets were hidden behind her mother's death and didn't want to involve unrelated people.
"It's just a matter of breaching the contract. I'll cover for you."
"It's several tens of millions."
The other party had advanced her a large sum of money, and the value of the contract was definitely higher than that.
Austin gritted his teeth. "I'll borrow it. I don't believe I won't be able to repay it in this lifetime."
Unlike Zachary, the Robinson family had power. They couldn't easily come up with tens of millions, at least not openly, and they didn't dare to.
Rebecca knew that Winona would definitely not breach the contract. Afraid of embarrassing her, she glared at Austin and said, "Winona will spend the rest of her life paying off the debt with you. The key is that she used the money herself and is willingly paying it back. Isn't it too unfair for someone who hasn't benefited at all and has spent her whole life working hard for others?"
"Repaying debts is a man's responsibility," Austin interrupted.
"Don't be ridiculous. Let's go for now. If the psychopathic killer catches up later, you'll be the first one pinned down."
Back in the city, the trio found a place to eat.
Rebecca drank two large glasses of water in a row. "I was so thirsty. I didn't even dare to drink a drop of water there, afraid that I would wake up in the basement. It's a pity about that popular Mexican restaurant. I'll see if I can make another reservation for tomorrow."
"Tomorrow won't work. The Watson Group is having a department team-building event, and it will last for two days," Winona said.
Austin frowned. As soon as Winona mentioned the Watson Group, he immediately thought of Matthew. "What kind of team-building event lasts for two days? Is there too much money to spend?"
"It's at a mountain resort, and the round trip takes over four hours by car. They probably want to stay overnight to have more time," Winona explained.
She didn't want to go originally. After all, she was just a part-timer, and her relationship with her colleagues didn't affect much. However, Matthew said that having a good relationship would be beneficial for the upcoming work. The less friction, the more time saved for the intense work ahead.
Rebecca was surprised. "Did the meteorological observatory mention a total lunar eclipse tomorrow night?"
A total lunar eclipse?
Austin sighed. Matthew's intentions were indeed impure. Why couldn't the team-building be on another day? They had to stay overnight.
Winona was busy every day, and she didn't have time to pay attention to these things.
Dawn arrived, painting the eastern horizon with streaks of orange and pink.
When they arrived at the mountain resort, it was exactly noon. The bright sunlight made it hard for people to open their eyes. Winona, dressed in sunscreen clothing, wearing a sunshade mask and hat, fully armed, got off the bus. The team-building was aimed at enhancing team cohesion, so they specifically hired a coach.
After lunch, everyone gathered in the lobby.
As the head of the department, Matthew gave a speech to kick off the event, followed by the coach. After an impassioned speech, today's activities officially began.
The first activity was the Straw Transport.
The employees were divided into three groups, each person holding a straw in their mouth. The first person had to place a key ring on the straw, and once the game started, no one could use their hands to touch the straw or the key ring. They could only pass the key ring to the next person by holding the straw in their mouth, until it reached the last person's straw.
Winona was the last one in her group. They didn't really care about team cohesion. After graduation, they had been working independently. It was her first time participating in such a group activity, and she found it quite refreshing. She was watching with great interest when she suddenly sensed someone behind her.
She turned around and saw Matthew standing there. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm participating in the activity."
"But you're the manager. Do you still need to participate?"
Matthew chuckled. The game had already started, and to avoid disturbing others, he slightly lowered his head and whispered, "A good department should be united. If your team has good cohesion and nobody is willing to talk to me or obey me, then I'll be all alone."
As he was speaking, the person in front of Winona turned around. It was a girl, shorter than her, so Winona had to crouch down to catch the key ring. Although it seemed a bit difficult, the result was quite smooth.
The other two groups had already been defeated, and now everyone was cheering around them.
Winona took the key ring and tilted her head slightly, facing Matthew in the midst of the crowd's teasing gazes.
At the entrance of the hall, Zachary and Samuel had just arrived, but their attention was immediately drawn by the deafening cheers. In the crowd, Winona and Matthew stood face to face, each holding a straw in their mouths.
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