Chapter 627 Close the Door and Release the Dogs
Rebecca was floored by his words and trailed after him, completely baffled. "What ten million dollars?"
"Mr. Bailey gave me ten million bucks to keep an eye on you tonight," Anthony said.
Rebecca scoffed, shaking his hand off her shoulder and turning to leave. If Anthony was willing to stall her for ten million, what would he do if someone offered him twenty million? Sell her out?
Anthony grabbed her arm. "Didn't you want Zachary to explain things to Winona? Do you think it's better for you to tell her, or for him to do it?"
Of course, it was better for Zachary to explain. He was the one who messed up, and he owed the apology. Even though she and Winona were best friends, it wasn't her place to meddle in Winona's relationship.
She glanced at Zachary and Winona talking outside. Despite her dislike for Zachary, she had to admit they looked good together.
Rebecca huffed and threw out a stiff demand, "Five million dollars."
Anthony blinked. "What?"
"You got ten million to keep me here. As the victim who's stuck watching my best friend in trouble without being able to help, don't you think I deserve five million?"
Since she couldn't intervene, she might as well make some unexpected cash and buy Winona something nice tomorrow.
Anthony was silent for a moment, surprised at how quickly Rebecca's attitude had changed.
He chuckled. "Account number?"
Rebecca sent him her account number, and not long after, she received a transfer from Anthony, with a string of zeros following the one.
She counted several times to make sure it was indeed ten million dollars. "Are you blind or something?"
Anthony shrugged, unconcerned. "Consider the extra as compensation for the victim."
Rebecca stared at the transaction record, muttering to herself, "You're stalling me for Zachary? When we book rooms later, the hotel won't just happen to have only two rooms left, right?"
Once they were back in their rooms, she could do whatever she wanted. If she wanted to sneak out to find Winona, it would be easy. Unless Anthony planned to guard her door all night, he'd have to share a room with her.
Anthony poked her forehead. "Stop reading so many novels. Quit imagining things."
Rebecca frowned, rubbing the spot he poked, and gestured towards the two people standing outside in the wind. "Aren't they cold?"
Anthony didn't care if they were cold. He wasn't cold, and the hotel lobby was comfortably air-conditioned.
He led Rebecca to a sofa. "I don't know. If they're cold, they'll come inside."
Rebecca was silent. This brotherly bond was something else, completely self-centered.
Zachary wasn't cold. In fact, he was sweating. He hadn't been this nervous even when signing his first billion-dollar contract.
He pressed his lips together. "Winona, I'm sorry. I didn't have food poisoning. Rebecca never bought me a meal. The person who got hurt and ended up in the hospital was Ms. Harrington."
He recounted the events of the previous day when Maeve saved him. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to affect your competition today."
Winona tucked her windblown hair behind her ear and rubbed her cold hands. "I get it. Let's go inside. It's freezing."
She showed no surprise or anger, which was the opposite of what Zachary had expected.
Samuel had told him that the calmer a woman appeared, the angrier she was inside. If she had yelled and screamed, it would have been less serious.
Zachary held her hand, preventing her from opening the door. "She got hurt saving me. I couldn't just leave her at the hospital. I only took her there and hired a nurse. I didn't do anything inappropriate."
Winona, unable to open the door, turned to look at him. "I'm not angry because I knew you were lying."
"What?" Zachary was stunned. He thought her calmness was due to anger, not that they had failed to deceive her.
But her expression didn't look like she wasn't angry.
"Rebecca can't cook," Winona said.
What did Rebecca's cooking skills have to do with this?
"The Davis family spoils her. She's practically helpless in daily life. How would she know that undercooked red kidney beans are poisonous?"
Zachary's face stiffened. "She ate them once and got poisoned."
"Yes, she was in the hospital for days. After that, she never ate that dish again," Winona explained. "I've known Rebecca for years. She's never made me a meal with red kidney beans."
Zachary was silent. He hadn't expected to slip up there.
"If you had said you bought the meal, I would have believed you," Winona said.
She tugged her hand free. "Can I go inside now? It's cold."
As they entered the hotel lobby, Rebecca quickly approached Winona, whispering, "Did he tell you everything?"
"Yes," Winona replied.
Rebecca glanced at Zachary's pained expression. He looked like he had confessed but was still miserable. Was Winona mad at him for lying and planning to break up?
That would be worth celebrating.
"Winona, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lie. I just didn't want to distract you from winning the competition. It was a big deal for the country. If you got distracted, it would have been a loss."
"I know. I don't blame you," Winona said, genuinely not upset. She even gave Rebecca a reassuring smile.
Zachary watched, feeling jealous. He wanted Winona to smile at him like that. But she only gave him forced smiles.
"Winona," Zachary said, trying to take her other hand.
Rebecca saw and mockingly raised an eyebrow at him, then dragged Winona to the front desk. "Let's book our rooms. After a long flight, I'm exhausted. I need a good bath and maybe a massage from a hot, six-foot-two guy with abs."
Zachary, feeling confident, said, "I have abs too."
Rebecca retorted, "You're too tall. Maybe you should chop off the extra height?"
Zachary couldn't argue with her. He knew if he upset her, Winona would be mad at him. "Anthony."
His status was lower than her best friend's. How humbling.
Before Anthony could respond, Rebecca snapped, "Don't call him like you're calling a dog."
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