Chapter 403 Get Married First
Regal Oaks.
The moment Winona walked in, Zachary pulled her into a hug and blurted out, "Is Frank really your dad?"
Winona's eyes went wide with shock. "You didn't know?"
Zachary shrugged. "I wasn't sure."
"Then why'd you call him your father-in-law?" Winona was at a loss for words. She thought he had some solid proof with how confidently he said it.
"He's about to set you up with a new boyfriend. Shouldn't I get ahead of things and take control?" Zachary's voice was tinged with frustration. "When he mentioned introducing you to someone, you didn't say no."
Winona sighed. "I was just about to talk you up, and then you barged in."
Hearing that, Zachary's mood lifted instantly. He buried his head in her shoulder, nuzzling against it.
He was tall, and the position was awkward for him. "Winona, I talked to an astrologer, and the 18th of this month is a super lucky day for marriage. How about we get the marriage certificate first, keep evaluating things, and if you think I'm good enough, we'll have the wedding?"
He wanted to lock things down before Frank officially acknowledged Winona as part of The Turner Family. She already drew a lot of attention from guys; with the Turner Family name, she'd be even more sought after.
Having been in the business world for years, he knew he had to act fast.
Winona went quiet.
Even though it wasn't the best time for marriage, she didn't feel turned off by his calculated proposal. She didn't reject it outright like she usually would.
Sensing her shift, Zachary kept pushing, laying out his reasons one by one, almost convincing Winona to give in.
She wondered if Zachary saw her more as a business partner than a lover. How else could he be so convincing?
Winona cupped his face and gently pushed him off her shoulder, regaining some clarity. "It's not the right time yet."
"Then when?" Zachary pressed.
His gaze was so intense that Winona felt like he could see right through her. She turned her head away. "After my mom's matters are taken care of. If you haven't been fired by then, we'll talk."
Winona clearly lacked confidence.
Feeling somewhat satisfied, Zachary looked at Winona's rosy lips and felt the urge to kiss her. Just as he leaned in, Quinn, who had gone to take out the trash, walked back in. Seeing them, she nearly jumped out of her skin. What were the odds? She didn't want to get fired!
Just as Quinn was about to backtrack, Winona pushed Zachary away.
Though a bit disappointed, Zachary didn't have a thing for public displays. He straightened up. "It's not mealtime yet. You got up early today. Go upstairs and get some rest. I'll handle some stuff in the study."
"Okay."
Winona was indeed tired.
Back in her room, she took a shower and then lay down on the bed. She set a two-hour timer on her phone. Just as she finished, Frank called. "We've found Grace. She's at the police station now. I'll have someone bring her out later, but she's not in a good mental state, so we might not get anything useful."
After hanging up, Winona couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing with questions she needed to ask later. She even jotted them down, branching out different questions based on possible answers.
Grace was Kyle's lover, and the painting came from The Turner Family. Could Kyle be the mastermind behind all this?
But with so many people in The Turner Family and all the schemes in wealthy families, could there be someone else pulling the strings? Maybe Kyle was just a pawn, and Grace another piece in the game?
It felt like a plot straight out of a TV drama.
Winona had been chasing this lead for so long, and now that she was close to the truth, she felt a wave of anxiety.
Unable to sleep, she got up, changed clothes, and went downstairs.
Zachary was still in the study. Downstairs, only Quinn was cooking. Seeing her come down, Quinn said, "Winona, there's some thick soup in the pot. Would you like a bowl?"
Winona glanced at her watch. It was almost lunchtime, but she had snacked too much in the tea room and felt too full. "No, I'm heading out for a bit."
She bought some flowers and drove to her grandfather's grave. This was the Bailey family cemetery, cleaned daily. The black tombstone was spotless and reflective.
"Grandpa," Winona squatted down and said, "I found Grace."
Afraid her grandfather might not know who Grace was, she recounted the whole story. "Mom's death will soon be resolved, and you can rest in peace."
Winona placed the flowers for the memorial. "Don't blame Zachary for moving your grave. He couldn't stand seeing you alone in the wilderness. Knowing you love company, he moved your grave here. Even though he took matters into his own hands, his heart was in the right place."
The cemetery was very quiet, and any sound would travel far.
"Grandpa's soul in heaven will surely be pleased with how I handled this."
In such a quiet environment, a voice that didn't belong to her suddenly appeared, scaring Winona so much that she jumped up. Although she believed in science, she wasn't so unwavering that she could rationally analyze the situation at this moment.
Seeing that he had scared her, Zachary quickly walked out from behind a tree. "Winona, it's me."
Seeing him, Winona felt both aggrieved and angry. The aftereffects of the fright showed as she felt weak all over. Not caring about her image, she plopped down on the ground. "Zachary, are you crazy? Scaring people like that can be deadly. Do you think I've lived too long and want to kill me off for a second marriage?"
Zachary helped her up and bent down to brush the dust off her pants. "No need to be so roundabout. If you agree to remarry me, it would also be a second marriage for me."
Winona fell silent.
She angrily pushed him, but her limbs were weak now, and the push had no effect on him.
"Why are you here?"
"Afraid something might happen to you, so I followed."
Winona said, "Grandpa, I'm leaving now. I'll come see you next time."
Seeing that she had calmed down, Zachary let go. "I haven't even paid my respects yet. It would be rude to leave now. What if he visits you in a dream tonight to say he doesn't agree with our remarriage?"
"You never paid respects during our marriage, so it doesn't matter now."
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