Chapter 541 Making a Will
Winona was on her way to Anthony's law firm when she got the message. She saw the photos and immediately tried to call back, but the other phone was off.
Matthew, sitting next to her, saw the photos too. He said, "Winona, Zachary's tougher than he looks. He might have a plan."
He was worried Winona might act impulsively and fall into Timothy's trap. Timothy definitely had a reason for sending those photos. By staying silent now, he aimed to make Winona panic, leaving her feeling helpless, with someone she cared about hanging in the balance. Over time, even the strongest defenses would crumble, and once they did, she wouldn't be able to think straight, making her easy to manipulate.
"I know." Winona forced herself to look away from the photos, turning off her phone screen to avoid seeing them. She remarked, "I won't act impulsively or rush into danger. Timothy's definitely plotting something, trying to use me to stir up trouble. I'm not strong enough to fight my way through and rescue Zachary."
The idea of a weak person turning into a superhero was something out of a novel.
Winona was weak physically. She couldn't act as well as Zachary and knew nothing about business warfare. If she went, she'd only add to the drama on the stage Timothy had set.
Winona was self-aware enough to know that acting impulsively would only mess up Zachary's plan. She said, "Zachary's cover has definitely been blown. After being played for so long, Timothy, with his level of madness, won't let Zachary go easily. Zachary didn't give in even after being beaten so badly before. Timothy sent me these photos to use me to provoke Zachary, to make him suffer, to satisfy his twisted desires. As long as I don't show up, he'll keep him alive, giving Samuel more time."
Her reasoning was clear, and she stayed calm, but the way she gripped her phone tightly showed her true feelings.
She was worried about Zachary and wished she could crawl through the phone and take Timothy down.
Matthew had been trying to think of reasons to persuade her since seeing the photos, but before he could speak, Winona had already said everything he wanted to say. He laughed helplessly. "Sometimes I wish you were a bit less rational. It'd make me feel more useful," he murmured.
Winona took a few seconds to understand what he meant. She responded, "You think too highly of me. I'm just trying to control myself. I can stay calm now because I believe in Zachary, in you, and in Samuel. I'm also worried that acting impulsively would mess things up and ruin the plan.
I've already thought it through. If something really happens to him, I'll find a way to stab Timothy to death with a knife and then pour acid on him, going down together."
Matthew fell silent.
He had no words. After a long pause, he managed to squeeze out, "Don't be so extreme. Life has to go on."
Winona smiled but said nothing. She turned to look out the window, and the forced smile disappeared the moment she was out of Matthew's sight.
Winona was deeply troubled. Everyone understood the reasoning, but understanding didn't mean she could truly accept it. What if something unexpected happened? But she couldn't drag Matthew down with her. Letting her negative emotions show would only make another person worry and feel sad, without any benefit.Matthew asked, "If you know all this, why didn't you stay at Regal Oaks?"
Winona replied, "In times like this, I need to keep busy so I don't overthink. If I sit around, I might grab a kitchen knife and go after Timothy. Trading both our lives for his isn't worth it. I can't help on the front lines, so I'll see if I can assist Mr. Lewis with cleaning up the mess at the Ramsey Group.
If public opinion keeps getting worse, and Zachary comes back only to be thrown in jail, that would be too tragic. He's a pampered rich guy who's never really suffered or fought. He even has two fewer abs than others, so he'd definitely be bullied."
Matthew tried to cheer her up. "You never thought he might become the next prison boss?"
Winona suddenly thought of Zachary fighting with Austin, holding his own against a special forces soldier. She murmured, "Maybe he really could."
The car fell silent again.
They soon arrived at Anthony's law firm. Before getting out, Winona couldn't help but ask, "Did he anticipate this situation?"
Looking into Winona's clear eyes, Matthew couldn't bear to lie and nodded. "Yes."
"I'll head up first," Winona said as she got out of the car. Seeing Matthew about to follow, she raised her hand to stop him. "You don't need to come with me. I won't act impulsively. I've just gone from being three hundred million dollars in debt to having a small balance. I haven't even enjoyed it yet, so I'll fight to stay alive. If that bastard pushes me too far, I'll call you before I act impulsively and leave a will."
Matthew smiled, knowing she didn't want him to follow. He politely retracted his leg. "Alright, call me if you need anything."
After Winona entered the building, he still called Rebecca. Rebecca had been at Anthony's law firm these days, and with her there, she was able to talk Winona down.
After an unknown period of unconsciousness, Zachary slowly opened his eyes in a rundown apartment building. The first thing he saw was the old, yellowed ceiling.
The curtains were drawn, blocking the view outside, but the light filtering through indicated it was night.
Zachary rubbed his aching head and propped himself up on the bed with his elbow. He looked down at himself; his clothes had been changed, and Timothy had discovered the tracking device. Zachary didn't show any disappointment.
This wasn't the first time he had been in such a situation. Compared to last time, he was only weak in the legs and not injured.
Zachary focused on listening to the surroundings. There was no sound. This place was far from residential areas and not near any roads. Zachary scanned the room. The curtains weren't blacked out, but the limited light from outside only allowed him to make out the basics.
The room was very old, with peeling walls, clearly abandoned for a long time.
There was a switch by the bed. Zachary reached out and turned it on. The old-fashioned bulb emitted a faint, warm light, like a ghostly glow.
Zachary then noticed that although the room was old, the bed he was on was new, and the air lacked the damp, musty smell typical of long-abandoned houses.
The old wooden door creaked open, and Timothy walked in, greeting Zachary as warmly as ever, as if they hadn't fallen out. "Nicholas, you're awake? Did you sleep well?"
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