Chapter 588 Help You Rub
Zachary clutched the money like it was a hot potato, desperate to get rid of it. "It's no big deal."
Winona shook her head. "This is the money I borrowed from you. I should pay it back."
"It's not a loan; it's a wedding gift. You married me, so it's yours."
"I don't need it right now. Just hang on to it."
Zachary was adamant. With the wedding coming up, he didn't want Winona thinking he was using the three billion dollars to keep her from divorcing him.
Winona suggested, "Then turn it into company shares. If I keep it, the bank will just lend it out, and if they lend it to some 'intern,' I might end up with nothing and still owe the bank."
Zachary nodded. "Alright, I'll have Richard bring you the contract tomorrow."
After Matthew left, Zachary walked over to Samuel with a drink in hand. "Why are you so late?"
"Got held up with something," Samuel said, noticing Zachary's grim expression as he talked to Matthew. "What's going on?"
Samuel smirked at Zachary. "Teasing the single guy?"
Matthew chuckled. "No, just talking business with Winona. She did the exterior design for the first phase of Traverse City, and it got a lot of praise. I want her to work on the second phase."
Samuel gave Matthew a skeptical look. "Is it really just business? Or are you still hung up on her and using this as an excuse to get close?"
Matthew scoffed. "The team for the second phase is the same as the first, except for Winona. Even the assistant who orders our fast food is the same. Do you think I'm trying to get close to them, too?"
Not long after Matthew's birthday, it was New Year's Day. Dreamopolis was freezing, covered in a blanket of white.
The contrast between the warm indoors and the biting cold outside made Lydia, who was already in poor health, fall ill. Evander took her to a tropical city for a vacation.
Winona, on the other hand, just wanted to stay home and relax during her rare days off. She had no relatives to visit, and apart from Frank, she wasn't close to anyone in the Turner Family.
On the 2nd, Frank invited them out for dinner.
In the restaurant, families gathered around tables, chatting and laughing. But at Winona's table, it was just her, Zachary, and Frank, making their corner seem particularly quiet amidst the lively atmosphere.
Frank glanced at the neighboring table, where several children in red outfits were playing, and then turned to Zachary with a look of disdain. "When are you planning to marry Winona?"
Zachary opened his phone's notes app, ready to discuss specific dates with Frank. They had a few options and just needed to decide which one worked best.
This was something Evander and Lydia should have brought up to make it more formal, but with Lydia's illness and the holiday season, the wedding gift list was still being sorted out. They planned to visit The Turner Family after the New Year.
But since Frank asked, Zachary decided to finalize the date and discuss any specific requirements for the wedding gifts.
Winona held her cup. "Dad, I might need to go abroad after the New Year."
Zachary frowned. "Which country? Why didn't you mention this before?"
Frank asked, "What for?"
Both voices spoke at the same time.
Winona explained, "To Aetheria. There's an international competition for artifact restoration. Caleb mentioned it a few days ago. I'm representing the country, but the participants haven't been finalized yet. I just wanted to give you a heads-up."
The thought of not seeing Winona for several days made Zachary uneasy. His voice sounded as forlorn as a puppy about to be abandoned. "How long will you be gone?"
Winona shook her head. "Not sure yet, but probably one or two months. It's an international competition, and we'll be working on foreign artifacts. We're a bit behind in this area, so we need to visit their museums and prepare in advance."
Although Winona had studied and memorized related materials before, she had little experience restoring foreign artifacts after starting work.
This was the first international competition, so Caleb and the higher-ups were very focused on it, stressing over the selection to ensure the chosen participants could bring honor to the country.
Zachary had thought it would only be three or four days, but hearing it could be one or two months, he was unhappy. "So we won't see each other for one or two months?"
Unlike Zachary's gloom, Frank was fully supportive. "This is a good thing. Young people should explore more. Don't be so lovesick, always sticking together. It's not like you'll lay an egg."
From his investigation into Winona's background, Frank knew she had given up her dreams to work as a low-level employee at Zachary's company for two years, which made him both heartbroken and angry.
Zachary retorted, "We could have a child."
Frank's loving gaze at the children at the neighboring table hadn't escaped Zachary's notice.
Frank looked at Winona. "He's good-looking, but why does he have to have such a sharp tongue? Why don't you consider the ones I found for you? I guarantee they're all sweet talkers."
"Mr. Turner, sweet talkers are usually players. Do you want Winona to live in constant fear after getting married?"
"Shut up," Frank snapped, pulling back the phone he had handed to Winona. "It's New Year's, and you're saying such unpleasant things. You're the one who'll live in fear every day."
Though Zachary's words were harsh, they made sense. Sweet talkers might use their charm on other women, which would break Winona's heart.
No, he had to reconsider.
Winona couldn't help but laugh. "Dad, you don't need to worry. Zachary just isn't good with words, but he's great otherwise." Seeing their tightly clasped hands, Frank's temples throbbed with frustration. "Yes, he's great. Not many people are as sharp-tongued as him."
Well, kids grow up and have their own ideas. You can't hold on too tightly.
The topic of the international competition was temporarily set aside, but Zachary remained sullen about Winona's upcoming trip.
Midway through, he stepped outside to smoke.
Lately, Zachary's headaches had become more frequent, and he habitually reached for a cigarette whenever they struck.
Zachary frowned, rubbing his temples hard, but his untrained hands couldn't alleviate the pain.
"Mr. Bailey?" A familiar female voice sounded beside him. "Is your head hurting again? Rubbing it like that won't help. Want me to give it a try?"
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