Chapter 636 Is There a Reward?
Ten seconds...
Half a minute...
A minute...
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Maeve's eyes were glued to one spot, but no one showed up. Just as her tense body began to relax, there was a sudden loud banging on the door.
"Who's there?"
She quickly stashed the photo, grabbed the iron rod she kept behind the door for protection, and stared at the door with a wary expression.
"It's Maeve."
Recognizing her neighbor's voice, Maeve hurriedly put down the rod and opened the door. A middle-aged woman stood there. "Maeve, we've had a break-in. You should check if anything's missing from your place."
"What?"
"Several homes around here were hit. You should check and report to the police."
Maeve didn't have any valuables at home. Her main concern was that it might not have been a thief, but something else.
The police arrived quickly. Since nothing was stolen, they took statements and left.
The next day.
When Winona woke up, she was alone in the room again. Zachary had been swamped with work since returning from his trip abroad, leaving early and coming home late.
She touched the cold sheets beside her and buried her face in the pillow, lingering in bed until hunger finally drove her to get up and head to the bathroom.
Just as she reached the door, she heard a heavy thud from inside.
"Zachary?"
In her panic, she didn't care about privacy and pushed the door open. Seeing the scene in the bathroom, Winona froze for a moment before rushing over. "What happened?"
She reached out but hesitated to help, afraid of causing further injury.
Knowing Zachary's temperament, if he could get up, he would have done so when she called out.
But even as Winona knelt beside him, he remained seated on the floor, his brows furrowed. "I was replying to Dylan's message and didn't watch my step. I slipped."
Winona held his arm but didn't dare use force. "Can you get up? Or should we wait a bit?"
Zachary started to say "Yes," but when he saw Winona's concerned face, he changed his answer. "It hurts."
Winona carefully examined his leg, confirming there were no broken bones. It seemed to be a ligament strain. She half-knelt beside him. "I'll help you up. Bear with it."
"Okay." Using all her strength, Winona helped him up. Though she wasn't short, she seemed tiny next to Zachary's nearly 6'3" frame.
Helping him up was a struggle, far from the romantic scenes often depicted in dramas. Winona knew she must look strained and grimacing.
Worried that Zachary might strain his injured leg, she said, "Lean on me. Don't use your leg if it hurts too much."
"Alright." Zachary relaxed, leaning heavily on her, almost causing her to collapse under his weight.
He quickly caught her, pulling her into his arms and stealing a kiss on her cheek.
Faced with the reality, Winona had to relent. "Forget what I just said."
Zachary chuckled softly and steadied himself.
After helping him to the bed, Winona, out of breath, glared at him. "No more phones in the bathroom."
"Okay," Zachary agreed, then added, "Is there a reward for that?"
His eyes drifted to her collarbone and then lower, to her soft, pale skin. Her nightgown had loosened during the struggle.
It was the weekend, but Zachary had to go to the office for an urgent matter. Bored, Winona sat on the couch scrolling through her phone.
She accidentally opened her messages and saw the photos from the mysterious number again.
Staring at the photos for a while, she called Maeve. "Hey, Maeve, you busy?"
Maeve's voice was weak. "Not really, what's up?"
"It's the weekend, and I'm bored at home. Want to grab a coffee?"
"Sure." They agreed on a meeting place and hung up.
Winona glanced at the bright sun outside and chose a Bohemian-style dress she had bought with Rebecca. The matching bag and shoes completed the look.
It wasn't a luxury brand, so even someone as envious as Maeve wouldn't feel pressured.
When Winona arrived, Maeve was already seated, holding the cheapest lemon honey water on the menu, looking expectantly at the door.
Seeing Winona, Maeve quickly stood up, looking nervous. "Hey, Winona."
Winona nodded and smiled, walking over to sit across from her. "I hope you don't mind me calling you out like this."
Maeve smiled shyly. "Not at all."
"Good." Winona ordered coffee and a few of the café's signature desserts. "Maeve, to be honest, I wanted to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"I heard you work as an assistant to a top neurologist. I was wondering if Zachary has any health issues?"
She had checked the hospital records but found nothing on Zachary. This could mean either his condition wasn't serious enough to warrant a visit, or it was serious, and he didn't want her to know, so he erased the records. That's why she was asking Maeve.
Maeve's eyes flickered, and she took a sip of water to hide her expression. "Mr. Bailey didn't tell you?"
"He mentioned a bit but probably didn't want me to worry, so he didn't go into detail."
"Winona," Maeve looked troubled, "you should ask Mr. Bailey. It's his private matter."
Winona raised an eyebrow. This sounded like an attempt to sow discord.
Zachary's private matters, which she, as his fiancée, didn't know, but an outsider did.
But Maeve's face showed no awareness of any impropriety in her words, her big eyes full of innocent wisdom.
Winona feigned sincerity. "Zachary hasn't been well lately. He's a workaholic and tends to endure things. I'm worried that something minor could become serious if left unchecked. That's why I wanted to ask you. In the last news photo, he looked unwell. Were you helping him with a massage?"
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