Chapter 634 Truly Ruthless
Maeve had just left for barely two minutes when Rebecca showed up. She was rocking a white off-the-shoulder sweater and floor-length pants, looking sharp and confident. "Winona, congrats!"
Winona found herself wrapped in a big hug from Rebecca. Once she realized what was happening, she patted Rebecca's back, half-laughing, half-crying. "How many times are you gonna congratulate me?"
"I can't help it! You're so awesome, I feel like I gotta praise you at least once a day."
"Rebecca, thank you."
Winona hadn't switched careers right after graduation. Besides her personal interests, a big part of the reason was Rebecca's constant praise. The confusion she felt during job hunting was nothing compared to the endless compliments.
Rebecca let go of her, glancing sideways at Zachary, who was chatting with Anthony. With an exaggerated expression, she whispered, "What's up with him today?"
Winona followed her gaze to Zachary. Apart from looking a bit pale, he seemed fine. His pallor was due to an all-night meeting, only catching a brief nap in the morning. "Nothing's wrong."
"I hugged you, shouldn't he be jealous? He even gets jealous of his own kids!"
Winona was amused by her words. "You're talking about a control freak, not a psycho."
"By the way, I saw Maeve earlier. Why is she here? Did Zachary invite her?" Rebecca frowned instinctively at the mention of Maeve. "I'm telling you, that woman is definitely up to something. I bet she has ulterior motives for Zachary."
Otherwise, how could there be so many coincidences? You save me, I save you—it's like a novel plot.
Winona replied, "No, I invited her."
"You?" Rebecca looked at her like she was crazy, adopting a persuasive tone. "What were you thinking? Is your life too boring, so you want to add a competitor to spice things up?"
Winona didn't explain, leaving Rebecca to sigh in frustration.
Winona said, "I'm going to the restroom. Can you keep an eye on Ms. Harrington for me?"
She had drunk too much earlier.
"How should I take care of her?" Rebecca rolled her eyes.
"Treat her like you would a friend."
On her way to the restroom, Winona was stopped by Lydia and had to play the role of a human flower vase for a few minutes.
After using the restroom, she was about to open the stall door when she heard a group of people walk in, chatting and laughing. "Did you see that woman in the white dress? Isn't she Mr. Bailey's savior?"
"Yeah, that's her. I think her name is Maeve. She was dubbed the 'most beautiful angel' by netizens. She saved Mr. Bailey, and coincidentally, the government was promoting positive energy, so she became a typical example. Her news was everywhere recently, almost surpassing top-tier celebrities."
Someone lamented, "She's so lucky. Why didn't I encounter something like that? If I could get close to Mr. Bailey, I'd be willing to get dozens of stitches, even lose a leg."
"You're really harsh on yourself. If it were me, I'd think twice."
"You don't get it. I saw Mr. Bailey follow her to the balcony earlier. Alone, no one is watching. What do you think will happen? Soon enough, the title of Mrs. Bailey might change hands."
"Can't be. Didn't Mr. Bailey propose to Winona?"
"So what? Proposals don't mean much. Even marriages can end in divorce. They've been engaged forever without tying the knot. It's probably not gonna happen," she laughed, her voice grating. "Men always go for younger women. It's been three years. He's probably not into Winona anymore, even if she stood naked in front of him."
Today's party was officially to celebrate Winona's award, but the setup clearly indicated it was also to announce her as the future Mrs. Bailey. Yet, Mr. Bailey invited an unrelated outsider and left his fiancée to be alone with her on the balcony. Isn't that obvious? I bet he proposed to Winona just because his mom likes her."
"True. In our circle, wives are for pleasing the family, lovers are for pleasing oneself."
Winona stepped out of the stall. The group was engrossed in their conversation, her presence unnoticed. "Did you say Zachary and Maeve went to the balcony?"
"Yeah, they're probably kissing by now..."
The speaker turned and saw Winona, her face turning pale. "Ms. Sullivan."
Winona calmly washed her hands, dried them with a paper towel, and smiled at the speaker. "Thanks, but I suggest brushing your teeth more thoroughly in the morning."
The group, who had been chatting animatedly, now stood silent, not daring to respond.
On the balcony.
Zachary lit a cigarette, leaning against the railing, his expression cold. "What's up?"
"Mr. Bailey, that person contacted me. He praised my recent actions and wants me to ruin your relationship with Ms. Sullivan, make you two break up. If we follow his instructions, we'll surely lure him out soon."
Maeve's voice sounded urgent. Rebecca had made her drink quite a bit earlier. Though not drunk, her face was flushed.
Zachary raised an eyebrow. "Contacted you? Did he show up?"
After Timothy's death, Zachary had been investigating the person behind him. That person seemed non-existent, leaving no trace until Maeve appeared, providing a new lead.
Initially, Zachary hadn't suspected anything. He helped Maeve when he saw her being bullied. But frequent encounters raised his suspicions. Maeve, a regular college senior, could alleviate his headaches with massages, claiming she learned it at school with some tips from Violette. Yet, Violette's massages didn't have the same effect.
Maeve's resemblance to Fiona and her personality similar to Winona made her even more suspicious.
Unexpectedly, Maeve revealed her identity, saying someone instructed her to approach Zachary and strengthen their relationship, leading to the rescue scene.
It was a setup to verify her words and prove she wasn't lying.
Maeve said, "No, he sent a text."
She showed Zachary a message on her phone, its content matching her words. The number was virtual, untraceable.
Zachary looked at the message, smirking. "He went to such lengths just to ruin my relationship with Winona? What's his goal?"
It seemed he was asking Maeve, but also talking to himself.
The balcony door suddenly slid open, warm air from the hall rushing out, cooling before reaching Zachary. Winona stood at the door, her expression colder than a thawing Dreamopolis. "What are you doing here?"
Zachary was surprised by Winona's sudden appearance, momentarily stunned, then straightened up like a spring-loaded toy. "Winona!"
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