Chapter 377 There Are Aftereffects
Frank finally managed to shoo away the woman Zachary had sent, and he was boiling with rage, no outlet in sight. "Wait, who did you say got bit by a snake? Zachary?"
Winona kept her lips zipped.
This was starting to feel like some twisted kind of joy.
Frank probably realized he was being too obvious, which wasn't a good look. As an elder, he should be more chill. He cleared his throat, "How's he doing now?"
"He's gotta stay in bed and chill for a bit," Winona cut to the chase. "Yesterday it was acid, today a venomous snake. Tomorrow, you might get an invite to my funeral."
Frank said, "You said the snake was in a package? Sent to Zachary?"
Man, being that careless, no wonder you got bit.
"It was sent to the Bailey Mansion. I didn't catch the exact recipient, but it was either his mom or dad." She laid out the key points.
Frank frowned, something felt off.
But he kept his suspicions to himself. Instead, he jumped on the chance, "I'll send you abroad."
"You think I can just lay low in this mess?"
"You can. I'll get Rodolfo to protect you, and there'll be others to watch your back over there. You can roam free without worrying about someone coming after you."
Winona had zero plans to go abroad. She wasn't calling for protection. In a few days, it'd be June 16th, and Grace would head to Pomegranate Hill to pay respects. But if she didn't spill the beans, even if she found her, it wouldn't help.
To figure out her identity in the Turner Family or who she was linked to, finding Frank was the quickest shortcut.
Though she didn't fully trust Frank, his connection with her mom made it a bit different.
Frank's voice was heavy, "I didn't protect your mom back then. Now I gotta protect you for her."
It was his way of making up for past screw-ups.
Winona was taken aback.
She never asked why they split back then.
If they hadn't broken up, her mom wouldn't have married Carlos, wouldn't have been forced to restore that painting, and wouldn't have died. But then again, wasn't that painting from the Turner Family? If they hadn't split, she might've died even sooner.
Frank said, "Winona, your mom loved you a lot. She wouldn't want you risking your neck for her."
Frank only dated her mom, but he didn't owe her anything. Helping her was probably out of old feelings, and since she was asking for help, acting all entitled would be ungrateful and annoying.
So, she decided to play the good daughter card to get some sympathy, "I've been digging into my mom's death since I was eighteen, knowing it might've been on purpose. The struggles are real. I've been on this for years, and I'm not giving up easy. As her daughter, I'm not dropping everything to go abroad."
Frank was quiet for a bit. When he spoke again, his once firm tone had softened, "You've seen what's gone down these past couple of days. Aren't you scared that one day you'll be the one getting hurt?"
"I'm pretty freaked out, but that dude's a total nutjob. More than being scared, I'm more worried about having a ticking time bomb around, putting everyone in constant danger."
Frank stayed quiet for a bit, maybe her words hit home.
After swatting away a bunch of mosquitoes, Frank finally spoke, but it was a curveball, "Why come to me? You could go to Zachary. It might take longer, but it's less risky."
It'd definitely be safer than coming to someone she barely knew and had awkward chats with.
Winona's exposed skin was covered in big mosquito bites. She added,"This is too dangerous. I don't want him caught up in this. If he gets hurt, it kills me."
"You don't want him hurt, so you drag me into this?"
Frank almost burst out laughing.
Winona didn't seem to get what was wrong with her logic and asked, confused, "Aren't you already involved in this?"
Frank remained silent, realizing she had a point, and found himself unable to argue.
Was there no other way?
Winona didn't say, "I trust my mom's judgment. If she dated you, you must be a good guy."
"I'm a good guy? What about the one in prison?"
Winona clammed up.
Frank said, "I'll think about it."
After hanging up, Winona turned and headed back to the villa. In just a short while, she was drenched in sweat.
Inside the room.
Zachary snapped a pic of the leftover food and posted it on WhatsApp, captioning it: [Just a little injury, and my wife insisted on feeding me.]
He set it to be visible only to Matthew.
He regretted not adding Frank on WhatsApp.
When Winona walked in, she saw him staring at his phone, lost in thought, and casually asked, "What are you looking at?"
Zachary quickly put away his phone and looked at her with puppy-dog eyes, like a dog left home alone all day by its owner, "Who were you on the phone with for so long?"
Winona initially wanted to say Frank, but knowing he always got jealous, she changed her answer, "The doctor. I was asking if the bite being so close to that area would have any long-term effects, like premature ejaculation or infertility, since the snake was venomous. There are bound to be aftereffects."
Zachary looked serious, "What did he say?"
"Quite possible. They haven't seen such a weird snake before, so there's no data. You're the first case," Winona lowered her head, trying hard not to laugh.
"Impossible, I..."
Halfway through his sentence, he stopped abruptly, almost giving himself away.
As Winona walked closer, Zachary noticed the big mosquito bites on her arms and legs and frowned, "Did you have to go to the garden to call the doctor?"
There was no accusation or distrust in his tone, just concern seeing her bitten like that.
"I'm afraid if others hear it, it'll mess with your rep." Winona replied smoothly.
Zachary's face darkened, and he stiffly changed the subject, "I need a shower."
"Aren't you too weak to even hold a bowl? The poison isn't fully cleared, and the wound can't get wet. If you don't want an infection and amputation, stay in bed."
"It's summer. If I don't shower, I'll stink."
After teasing Zachary, Winona was in a great mood. She grabbed her pajamas, smiled at him, and headed to the bathroom, "It's okay; it won't bother me anyway. I'm sleeping on the couch tonight."
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