Chapter 641 Give Mr. Bailey to Me for an Afternoon
Zachary noticed Winona standing still. "Hey, what's up?"
She recounted how Rebecca had seen Maeve's dad at the mall with a little girl. "I'm gonna grab a coffee. You should go check it out."
Maeve had already spotted them and was limping over.
Zachary took Winona's hand. "I'll go with you to get coffee in a bit."
"Ms. Harrington specifically called you over. She probably has something to discuss."
"There's nothing she can say that you can't hear."
He was here to keep Maeve in check. She had reached out to him, and until he was sure it wasn't a trap, he couldn't ignore her.
Maeve approached, still shaken from nearly being hit by a car. She was trembling uncontrollably, her eyes filled with fear. "Mr. Bailey, just now..."
Zachary had already heard the gist over the phone. "Did you see the license plate?"
Maeve shook her head. "The car was too fast. It came straight at me. I was so scared, I didn't get a good look."
No matter how composed she usually seemed, she was still just a college senior. Facing a life-threatening situation, she was understandably terrified.
Zachary asked, "Are you sure it was his people?"
"I'm not sure, but the driver was very calm, definitely not an accident," Maeve's eyes were red, on the verge of tears. "I think they sent someone to warn me because I haven't made any progress. They might be starting to suspect me."
As she spoke, Zachary's eyes never left her, watching every nuance of her expression.
He turned to look at Winona, who had been silent since he started talking to Maeve. If he hadn't been holding her hand, he might have forgotten she was there.
He noticed she was staring at the coffee shop across the street.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "Really want that coffee?"
"Yeah." She was a bit thirsty.
"Alright, let's get some coffee first."
Maeve's eyes widened in shock, her unshed tears now completely forgotten. She was talking about a life-and-death situation, and they were discussing coffee?
Winona shifted her weight. "I'm tired of standing. I want a latte. Can you get it for me?"
"Sure."
Maeve watched as Zachary obediently went to get coffee at Winona's request. She sighed deeply. "Mr. Bailey is such a good man."
Winona said, "I'm a bit confused. You said you were almost hit by a car, and it might be because they're starting to suspect you. But calling Zachary right after the incident would only confirm their suspicions, wouldn't it?"
Maeve had already thought of an answer when she called. She hesitated for a few seconds, then stammered, "I didn't expect him to bring you along."
Winona raised an eyebrow at her.
Maeve's emotions flickered in her eyes. She bit her lip and looked down. "They're only suspicious right now, not certain. Otherwise, they wouldn't just scare me. I don't want to die. I'm about to graduate and start working, and then I can escape this life. I called Mr. Bailey to make them think I'm still trying to complete the task they gave me, to lower their guard."
Though Maeve's words were vague, Winona understood. "So?"
"Winona, I know you're a kind person. I promise to help you and Mr. Bailey uncover the people behind this. It's also for my own sake. I don't want to be controlled by an invisible hand for the rest of my life. You and Mr. Bailey must feel the same. Who wants to be constantly watched, risking falling into their trap at any moment?"
Maeve was crying, her words flawless. "So I'm begging you, let me have Mr. Bailey for one afternoon. Just to make them believe I'm still working for them."
Seeing Winona's silence, Maeve swore, "I only feel gratitude towards Mr. Bailey. I have no unrealistic thoughts. I won't try to take him from you."
Maeve's tactics were impressive. A carrot and a stick. If Fiona had been this cunning, she would have won Zachary over long ago.
Winona had her own troubles and was unmoved by Maeve's sob story. She flatly refused such an absurd request. "I can't agree to that."
Maeve was silent.
She hadn't expected Winona to be so heartless.
"Even if it's just a boyfriend, I wouldn't lend anything of mine to someone else," Winona said coolly, her tone businesslike and devoid of personal emotion. "So I'm sorry, I can't agree to your request.
I don't know what terms you and Zachary discussed, but all your cooperation is based on your current identity. If you can't even keep that from being exposed, your cooperation won't last."
Zachary had already bought the coffee and was crossing the street.
Maeve stood up and grabbed Winona's hand, about to kneel. "Winona, I know my request is difficult, but I'm desperate. Please help me..."
Winona wasn't about to let her kneel. She had no such fetish, especially not in public. If the media caught it, who knows how they'd twist the story?
Maeve wasn't asking for help; she was putting Winona in a tough spot.
So, when Maeve grabbed her hand, Winona pulled it away.
Maeve fell, her already injured knee bleeding profusely.
Zachary arrived just then. "What happened?"
Maeve looked up, her face tear-streaked, her clothes dirty and disheveled. Even without speaking, her appearance spoke volumes, "Mr. Bailey, I grabbed Winona first. I might have hurt her. Don't blame her."
Her voice was tearful, whether from pain or grievance.
Zachary frowned, his expression dark. "I wasn't planning to blame her."
He took Winona's hand, rolling up her sleeve to check. "Did she hurt you? Are you okay?"
Maeve was silent.
Winona pulled her hand from Zachary's grasp, glaring at him. "What's going on? Let Ms. Harrington explain."
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