Chapter 287 Get Lost, Cheating Man
Winona's hand, firmly clasped by Zachary's, was close enough that she could see her reflection in his eyes with just a glance. His light-colored long-sleeved shirt and dark trousers were half-drenched from the rain, and even his hair was slightly wet. Yet, despite his soaked appearance, he exuded an unshakable aura of nobility and elegance. The rain hadn't disheveled him in the slightest.
Zachary's cold fingertips caressed her thumb in an intimate yet non-suggestive manner. "Winona," he began, "since the day we got married, the Bailey family and I have always been your backing."
Any warmth Winona might have felt from Zachary's earlier actions evaporated with his words. She forced a strained smile. “Yeah, this backing is so immense that no one else can even see it. What great support I have.”
Except for a select few, no one knew that she and Zachary had once been married.
As he noticed the anger on her face, Zachary quietly defended himself, “You never made it known to anyone that you are my wife either.”
Otherwise, how could anyone have the audacity to treat her with such disrespect?
Winona laughed out of sheer frustration. Her rationality and decorum couldn't contain the seething fury within her, and she nearly slapped him. This man excelled only in blaming others.
"So you keep me in the dark and our marriage a secret, and now it's my fault? Blame me for not wearing a sign around my neck that declares my status.”
She had initially believed their marriage to be a misunderstanding, a fabrication whipped up by a media frenzy. But later, she discovered that Zachary had deliberately misled her that night, and he had been the one to leak the photos to the media. From the start, this marriage had been premeditated.
Yet, after they wed, he had shirked all husbandly duties, neglecting even the basic responsibilities of a spouse. If they divorced and became strangers, that would be one thing. But he persisted in haunting her life under the guise of love.
If he truly loved her, why did he treat her so coldly during the three years of marriage?
All the painful memories she had suppressed surged back, frame by frame, scene by scene: her meals being tossed away mercilessly, waiting alone in the bedroom until she drifted off to sleep.
Winona couldn’t contain her emotions any longer, and her eyes filled with tears.
Seeing her genuine anger, Zachary, heedless of being soaked, reached out to pull her into his arms to comfort her.
The elevator arrived.
The metal doors slowly opened.
Winona pushed him away, her eyes red and teary, and dashed out of the elevator. “Get lost, cheating man!”
Zachary, caught off guard, was shoved against the elevator wall, producing a thud. By the time he regained his composure, Winona was already out of the elevator.
He turned and quickly followed, reaching the door just as Winona was about to close it. He braced the door with his hand and slipped inside like a fish.
He was becoming increasingly adept at this maneuver. Had the executives at Bailey Group, who always cowered before his stern demeanor, witnessed this, they would have been speechless.
Just as Winona was about to kick him out, Zachary grabbed her hand and pressed it against his soaked shoulder. The rain in this season was still chilly, and his touch was icy cold. “Wearing wet clothes in this weather will make me sick. Dylan already went to fetch me some dry clothes. Since I gave you the umbrella, can you at least allow me to take a shower first?”
Unlike the bedraggled Zachary, Winona was completely dry, not even a drop of water on her.
Winona sneered coldly. "You were the one who said the weather was perfect and insisted a walk.
Zachary's lips turned pale as he pressed them together. "I admit I misjudged. But I'm cold now."
In that moment, he looked pitiful, a far cry from the domineering figure he had presented earlier in front of Mrs. Davis.
Winona rolled her eyes at him. "You and Dylan are in cahoots. Who knows if he's even coming back."
Annoyed by her accusatory tone, Zachary called Dylan right in front of her.
On the other end, Dylan's breathless voice came through. "Mr. Bailey, I'm on my way. The car is parked a bit far. I'll be there in ten minutes."
Ten minutes.
That was about how long a shower took.
Winona set a timer on her phone. "I'll give you ten minutes. If he's not here by then, you'll have to go out naked."
Zachary's lips curved, and his hoarse voice whispered in her ear. "Alright."
Winona couldn't help but take a step back. If Zachary went into voice acting, he would no doubt be one of those legendary actors whose voice alone could make people swoon.
Zachary headed for the bathroom, and as the sound of running water filled the air, Winona, feeling bored, went to the fridge and retrieved a glass of milk to warm up.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she cgazed at the flashing neon lights and countless homes below, like clusters of warm flames penetrating her heart.
There had been moments of excitement in her marriage to Zachary too.
Shortly after they got married, she had been so tormented by debt collectors that she stayed home for a month. One weekend, Zachary suddenly offered to take her shopping, claiming it was Lydia’s idea. For someone who loathed staying indoors and had been cooped up for a month, it was like rain after a long drought.
But whether it was bad luck or targeted harassment, she was stopped by debt collectors when she left Zachary to use the restroom.
The debt was Carlos's. He had borrowed from every source he could find, leaving Winona to shoulder the repayment. She didn’t know the amount or the creditors. The individual who confronted her demanded 300 million dollars.
At that time, Winona had no money and couldn't pay 300 million dollars. Even if she had it, she wouldn't pay without proof, especially not to someone trying to extort her with two mop handles.
But she couldn't fight back alone.
In the end, Zachary, who had waited too long, barged into the women's restroom and took down the thugs.
He had protected her that night, just as he did tonight, with his shiny leather shoes pressing the leader’s face to the ground. He threw Dylan’s business card at them. “Take the IOU to him. If you harass my wife again, I’ll make sure you can’t spend the money.”
Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening. Winona turned around.
Zachary stood at the door, wearing only a towel around his waist. Water droplets fell from his hair, sliding down his chiseled jawline and Adam's apple.
The lines of his neck were long and perfect, water droplets clinging to his pale skin. He seemed acutely aware of his allure, amplifying it unabashedly, exuding an air of temptation.
Meeting her gaze, his beautiful eyes glowed darkly, and his lips, reddened by the steam, slowly curved up. "Why are you staring at me like that? Do you really want to see me streak?"
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