Chapter 598 Competition Candidates
Rebecca was sipping her coffee when she noticed Winona's troubled expression. "What's up?"
Winona, looking serious and frowning, replied, "Caleb booked me a flight to Aetheria. I think he messed up. I'll call him."
"Winona," Rebecca quickly grabbed her hand, "maybe it's meant to be. Why don't you just go? It won't take too long, and I can handle things with Zachary..."
She initially wanted to say she'd keep an eye on Zachary, but realized halfway through that even as a best friend, watching over Winona's boyfriend wasn't appropriate.
So she smoothly changed her words, "I'll ask Anthony to keep an eye on him. He'll call you if anything comes up."
If Winona were the type to be blinded by love, Rebecca would let her go as long as she was happy. But Winona wasn't like that; she was passionate about her career.
Rebecca feared Winona might regret it later. After all, it was just a competition, lasting only a month or two.
And she could tell Winona wanted to go.
Winona, unable to free her hand from Rebecca's grip, smiled helplessly. "The participant list has already been submitted. Even if I go now, it won't matter."
Just then, Winona's phone rang. It was Zachary. "Winona, did you get the flight info?"
"Did you ask Caleb to book the ticket?"
"Yeah, I ran into Caleb a few days ago during a meeting. We talked about the competition, and he mentioned you declined. This is a rare opportunity and a great experience for you, so I took the liberty of signing you up."
Zachary lied. It wasn't a chance meeting. After Winona declined, Caleb felt it was a pity and called Zachary to understand why.
Not knowing Winona's reaction, Zachary joked, "I know you'll miss me, but we're young. We have plenty of time."
Winona was initially touched, but then laughed angrily. "Who was the one sulking a few days ago, begging me not to go? Now you're acting all noble. You're getting shameless."
"Winona, I want to support you, not hold you back," Zachary's deep voice was full of indulgence, shattering Winona's resolve.
A warm feeling surged through her, making her eyes well up. Afraid she might cry in public, she quickly lowered her head, hiding her face with her hair.
Rebecca, sensing the moment, had already gone to the counter to pay, chatting animatedly with a handsome bartender.
Zachary continued, "Go. You should aim higher and farther. This is what your grandpa and mom would want. I don't want to be the one holding you back. I'll come to Aetheria to pick you up after the competition."
"Zachary..."
Zachary responded but didn't press her to continue.
For a moment, neither spoke; only the faint background noise remained.
After a while, Winona steadied her emotions and spoke, pretending to be fierce, "These words, you can only say to me."
She didn't like the idea of others benefiting from her hard work.
God knows how much effort it took to hear such words from Zachary.
Zachary laughed, "Of course, only to you."
Shortly after ending the call, Caleb called. "Winona, did Mr. Bailey talk to you about the competition?"
"Yeah, he just did."
"I'm really sorry, Windy. This was your decision, and I should respect it, but I think it would be a shame if you gave up..."
Winona interrupted, "I know, Caleb. Thanks."
Caleb confirmed again, "So, about the competition?"
Though it seemed settled, he needed Winona's definite answer to feel assured.
Winona replied, "I'll be at the airport on time."
"Great, I'll add you to the group chat. We can discuss details on WhatsApp."
Rebecca, though not hearing Caleb's side, could guess from Winona's responses. "So, the competition is set?"
"Yeah, Zachary signed me up."
Rebecca raised an eyebrow.
After finishing their coffee, they went to a luxury store to buy a watch for Howard.
Winona looked skeptically at the second-hand store. "You're getting him a used one?"
Given the Davis family's wealth, they could afford new items, so she was surprised.
Rebecca complained, "He's picky and wants a popular model. The store requires a bundle purchase, and I just want the watch, not a bunch of junk. Plus, there's no stock right now. Who knows how long the wait will be? Howard might graduate by then."
Winona laughed, "It's not that bad."
"I'll see if I can find a new one."
This was the largest luxury store in Dreamopolis. Rebecca knew the owner and greeted him, then gave him the watch model. "Do you have a new one?"
The owner, delighted with the big business, smiled brightly. "Ms. Davis, you're in luck. We just got one in, tags still on. I'll get it for you. Feel free to browse."
Rebecca had nothing else to buy, and Winona didn't need anything. She couldn't use such expensive bags for work, and Zachary sent her new season items directly.
So they leaned against a table, chatting while waiting.
A man in his fifties entered, heading straight to them. "Do you buy clothes?"
The clerk replied, "We do, but it depends on the condition. What brand is it? Clothes have a high depreciation."
The man pulled out a coat from his pocket. "Not sure. You check. How much can I get?"
The clerk glanced at the logo. "Is this yours?"
"What do you mean? If it's not mine, are you accusing me of stealing?"
"No, it's just a routine question. We need to know the item's origin before buying."
The man, unfamiliar with their process, impatiently waved his hand. "It's my daughter's boyfriend's. He didn't want it. Just tell me how much."
Winona glanced at the coat. It looked familiar, like one Zachary had. "Excuse me, can I take a look?"
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