Chapter 468 Strike a Pose
Nicholas was already on edge, but Matthew just had to butt in, like Nicholas wouldn't get it: "The president's spot at the Bailey Group is open, so there's no president's assistant either. Evander's health is shaky, and the doc keeps telling him to take it easy, so Winona's handling everything."
Nicholas sat there nursing his drink, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. "If you keep quiet, no one will think you're mute," he snapped.
Matthew shot back, "Why's Mr. Ramsey been so cranky lately?"
Seeing the two about to go at it again, Winona sighed, feeling a headache coming on, and got up. "I'm stepping out for some air. You two can bicker all you want."
Before leaving, she gave them a warning look. "Don't break anything, or you'll be paying for it."
Austin, watching this, clicked his tongue in disdain. "You guys are so old, yet you argue like kids. How childish."
Nicholas stood up. "I'm going to the restroom."
Timothy, who was pretty drunk and out of it, tried to stand up too. "Are we leaving?" he slurred.
Nicholas replied, "No, just hitting the restroom. You stay put. I'll get the waiter to bring you some tea."
Timothy's face was flushed from drinking, his skin a rosy hue. He looked unsteady, and when Nicholas tried to guide him back to his seat, Timothy accidentally grabbed Nicholas's clothes.
After leaving the private room, Nicholas noticed Winona wasn't in the hallway. He glanced around and headed to the open-air garden at the end of the corridor.
That was the only place in the garden good for getting some fresh air.
As he walked, he reached into his pocket, which Timothy had touched earlier, and found a button in the corner.
It looked like a button, but it was thicker, like a decorative one on a coat.
Nicholas examined it closely. It was covered in fabric and didn't seem special. He brought it to his ear and shook it gently.
The button was hollow, and there was something inside. He could hear a faint rattling sound.
Nicholas wasn't sure if it was originally in his pocket or if Timothy had slipped it in when he grabbed him, but either way, it was definitely related to Timothy.
To avoid raising any alarms, Nicholas didn't open it but put it back. To get to the terrace, he had to pass by the restroom, so he took off his coat and hung it on a hook.
In the open-air garden, Winona sat on a swing.
She hadn't eaten much, but the vibe in the private room was so off-putting that she had no appetite. Not only was there the mysterious Timothy, but also three childish men ready to argue at any moment.
There was no sun today, the sky was overcast, and the wind carried the chill of winter, biting into Winona's skin.
Bored, she chatted with Rebecca on WhatsApp. Winona: [Why are those three so childish?]
Rebecca: [As the one being fawned over, don't you have any thoughts? Like who you're going to invite to stay over tonight?]
Winona was speechless. Winona: [How about you?]Rebecca: [Sure, give me the address. I'll be washed and waiting in bed. What position do you like? I'll get ready.]
Winona couldn't help but laugh at the screen. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her, blocking the light. She looked up to see Nicholas standing behind her, his eyes on her phone screen.
From this angle, the bangs covering his forehead didn't obscure his face at all. This face overlapped completely with her memories.
Her lips moved slightly, and she almost blurted out "Zachary," but she held back and changed her words. "Mr. Ramsey, what are you doing here?"
Nicholas's expression darkened. "It's one thing with men, but now you're even bringing women into..."
Winona was furious at his attitude and stood up from the swing. But being shorter than Nicholas and facing his anger put her at a disadvantage. She said, "Does Mr. Ramsey really have no friends? Isn't it normal to joke around during late-night chats in college dorms? You and Samuel..."
Nicholas chimed in, "Samuel and I never talk about such things."
Stripping naked and waiting in bed, getting into positions.
Two grown men talking about that, how disgusting.
"That's because you guys..." Winona instinctively wanted to retort, but she stopped halfway.
He and Samuel?
Winona's mouth hung open as she looked at Nicholas in surprise.
Was he admitting he was Zachary?
Thinking of this, Winona let out a sarcastic smile and said, "Oh, I forgot—Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Anderson aren't exactly close. Of course, you wouldn't talk about things like that."
No matter how much she had pressed Nicholas about his identity before, he had never admitted to being Zachary. Now he wanted to?
No way.
Winona was already upset, and now her frustration only deepened. She decided it was time to leave, knowing that Austin and Matthew were still in the private room and it wasn't right to leave them there for too long.
Yet Nicholas grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Where are you going?"
Winona replied, "I'm going back to the private room. The others are still there, and I can't just leave them."
"They can leave when they're done eating."
Winona retorted, "Do you think this is a buffet? When you eat with friends, do you just leave when you're full? If a friend goes out for some air and doesn't come back for a while, do you just ignore them?"
Nicholas's lips pressed into a thin line, and he spat out each word. "They clearly have ulterior motives. If you don't like them, don't get so close. Don't give them the wrong impression."
Upon hearing this, Winona looked at him, a deep chill running through her.
Austin was her high school classmate, known for his straightforward and honest nature. Ever since he mentioned that he wouldn't like her anymore, their encounters had become infrequent. The only time they had crossed paths since then was when he was with Nicholas. Today, however, Austin had invited her to dinner, this time because of Abigail.
As for Matthew, that was purely business.
Winona had never experienced any ambiguous moments with them. Her stance was clear, and everyone was well aware of it.
However, in Nicholas's eyes, sharing a meal together seemed like an invitation to intimacy and could easily lead to misunderstandings.
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