Chapter 5

Wynona gripped the doorknob so tightly that her fingertips turned white.

She hadn't seen Yolanda since the night she overheard the truth. And now, here her enemy was, unexpectedly standing right in front of her.

She bit her tongue to keep her expression calm. "What are you doing here?"

"What kind of question is that? Your house is my house, remember? I can drop by whenever I feel like it, can't I?" Yolanda quipped, unaware that Wynona wasn't like her usual self. She laughed cheerfully as she let herself in.

Wynona stepped aside and silently watched as she headed for the fridge in search of a drink.

She had never liked crowds. Ever since she was young, she believed having one or two close friends was enough. Ten years ago, she had been neighbors with Isaac and classmates with Yolanda.

They became fast friends, and it had been a full decade since then.

Yolanda had been her only best friend since middle school. Her home and everything else had been open to Yolanda. Not only that, but Yoland even had full access to all her bank accounts and various digital wallets.

When Wynona trusted someone, she gave them everything without reservation. And how did Yolanda repay her?

She had conspired with Isaac to ruin her entire family, showing no remorse. She even felt entitled to take all her designs and all her efforts for granted. She was nothing but an ungrateful parasite, draining Wynona dry.

Wynona slammed the door shut and walked over, suppressing the fury boiling inside her. "It's late. Are you here for something, or are you planning to stay over?"

Yolanda twisted open the cap of a bottle of milk and winked at her playfully and said meaningfully, "I heard someone had a fight with her fiance. I was worried, so I came to check on you."

So Isaac had sent her to come and smooth things over.

Wynona lowered her eyes and said, "It's not a big deal. Don't bother advising me or anything."

"It's been three years, and you still haven't given yourself to Isaac? Don't you think that's a big deal?" Yolanda questioned as she took a sip of milk, sounding exasperated.

Wynona looked up at her and asked, "Did you come to speak for Isaac?"

"I'm not speaking for him. I'm worried about you," Yolanda responded.

She set down her glass of milk and walked over to grab Wynona's hand. "You're too reserved. Men don't like that. When the time comes, you need to let go. You two are practically married anyway."

Hearing those words, Wynona couldn't hold back her anger and swatted her hand away. "What goes on between me and him isn't your business. If that's why you're here, you can leave," she replied harshly.

Yolanda was taken aback. Then, she felt irritated.

Wynona had always listened to her. What was with her attitude now?

She pouted and said, "I'm only trying to help. Why else would I come all this way to talk you through this? You two are getting married sooner or later. What's the point of playing the pure virgin now?"

Wynona narrowed her eyes at Yolanda's eager, pushy expression.

Over the past three years, Isaac had never pressured her into sleeping with him. He always maintained the act of a respectful, patient lover.

But Yolanda was a different story. Back in middle school, she got involved with high school dropouts and was dumped multiple times. She had gone through a dozen boyfriends and even a few abortions.

She would constantly urge Wynona to experience "the true joys of life". For years, she'd been trying to get Wynona to sleep with Isaac to seal the deal, as she put it.

Wynona hadn't thought much of it before. But now? Now, she saw everything clearly. Yolanda couldn't wait to see Wynona lose her chastity to Isaac and then get mercilessly discarded like trash.

Yolanda was a promiscuous slut, and she wanted to drag Wynona down with her. She was a sick and disgusting person.

Wynona gave a small smile and retorted, "My family raised me to be disciplined and not to mess around with men. I'm not like some people who don't respect themselves and hop into bed with just about anyone."

Yolanda's expression soured dramatically. "Wynn… W-What did you say? Are you calling me a whore?"

Wynona arched a brow and replied, "Of course not. You and all those boyfriends of yours were in love, right? You were ready to marry each one."

Then, she smiled sweetly and drove the knife in. "Too bad none of them wanted to marry you."

"Wynn!" Yolanda's jaw dropped in shock.

More than the insult, it was Wynona's completely uncharacteristic demeanor that stunned her.

Wynona had never spoken a harsh word to her in the past. But now, she was mocking her openly.

Yolanda was livid. She took a deep breath and spat, "I came here to help because I wanted you and Isaac to be happy. I didn't expect you would treat me like this. I'm disappointed in you, Wynn!"

She spun and furiously stormed out with her head high.

But two minutes later, she was still outside.

Wynona's phone buzzed with a notification that someone was lingering at the door, as indicated by the motion sensor. She checked the camera feed and saw that Yolanda had waited for a while before stomping off, looking even more pissed.

Did she think that Wynona would chase after her like before, apologizing and begging her to come back? That would never happen again.

Wynona headed straight upstairs to sleep.

The next morning, her alarm blared. She rubbed her temples and picked up her phone.

A calendar reminder flashed, telling her that she had an 8:00 am meeting. It was already 7:00 am. She rushed to get ready and headed out.

When she pulled up to the company, a few reception staff smiled at her oddly, as if something was in store for her.

Wynona frowned slightly at this.

Just as she entered the lobby, a familiar voice called out, "Wynn!"

She turned, and a bouquet of pink roses suddenly materialized before her.

Isaac was holding the flowers, his gaze soft and gentle as he said, "I'm sorry about last night. Please forgive me, okay?"

Employees passing by gasped in surprise. The high-and-mighty CEO apologizing with flowers in public was such a romantic scene that was straight out of a drama.

Hearing the reactions around him, Isaac smiled faintly.

Wynona looked at him and noticed things she had never picked up on before.

Every time Isaac played the "powerful man humbled by love" card, it was just another performance. It was his way to control hearts and minds. He was merely fooling everyone and basking in their applause.

With a bouquet and a few tender lines, he could fix the scandal and reestablish his image. And Wynona was nothing more than a prop in that performance.

"Wynn?" Isaac prompted her. His eyes held a slightly perplexed look.

Wynona looked up and took the bouquet, just like always. "I'm not upset anymore. You don't need to keep apologizing."

"Really? That's a relief."

Isaac took her hand and walked into his private elevator without a care as to who was watching them.

The moment the elevator doors closed, Wynona pulled her hand away and clutched the bouquet. She deliberately took a step away from Isaac.

Isaac looked slightly hurt. He said softly, "Wynn, I promise I'll never force myself on you like that again. Don't be afraid of me, okay?"

Wynona responded with a cool nod.

Isaac chuckled. "I heard that Yolanda came by to speak on my behalf, but you shut her down. You've never said a harsh word to her before. What happened?"

Wynona adjusted a few loose roses in the bouquet and said casually, "I don't always have to be the one who compromises. This is a private matter. I don't want others involved. So please don't send her to talk to me again."

Isaac paused, caught off guard by her tone. It took him a while to respond. And when he did, he could only utter one word, "Alright."

The elevator doors opened. Wynona nodded and said, "I've got a meeting, so I'll head back to the jewelry department."

Her secretary, Ava Brooke, was already waiting for her.

She greeted Wynona with a smile. "Another bouquet from Mr. Zeigler? The whole company's talking about how he publicly apologized after upsetting you."

"Where's the meeting brief?" Wynona asked as she handed her the bouquet.

Ava pointed toward the office. "It's on your desk."

Wynona went in to grab the documents. "Don't bring the flowers in. Leave them in the break room."

Ava froze in surprise but didn't object.

…

The meeting focused on prepping for the launch of the limited-edition winter series. One employee had written a promotional draft for Wynona to review.

She skimmed through the flowery praise.

"Genius designer, Yolanda Johnston, presents her masterpiece! Behold a stunning visual feast reminiscent of the style of the reclusive Freya and perhaps even surpassing her."

Wynona paused at the word "Freya".

Freya was the goddess of love and beauty. According to legend, when two people in love met for the first time, Freya would appear to bless them.

Wynona remembered when she adopted the design moniker "Freya". She swore to become like Freya in the jewelry design field. She hoped that anyone who bought her pieces as a gift for their beloved would find happiness.

"Ms. Johnston didn't come in today, but she approved this draft," said an employee named Mindy Zeller. Taking note of Wynona's silence, she cautiously added, "Ms. Savill, is there anything you think that needs to be changed?"

Wynona blinked and snapped back to her senses. "Publish it."

She found the phrase "surpassing Freya" rather amusing because all those designs were indeed hers.

Yolanda loved being showered with praise and compared to Freya. However, she needed to have the talent to back her up if she wanted to be acknowledged as the sublime designer she had made herself out to be.

Wynona sat back and continued the meeting.

After it ended, she received a call.

"Hello, I'm calling from Dalton & Finch. You scheduled a meeting with one of our lawyers for 1:30 pm today. Would you be able to arrive about half an hour early?"

Wynona paused, remembering that she had made the appointment last night.

Dalton & Finch was the most reputable firm in Lonmire. And most importantly, Isaac had no influence over this firm. His legal team and PR advisors were all from a rival firm.

Hiring a Dalton lawyer to reinvestigate Shawn's case and the Savill family's downfall was the safest option.

"I'll be there early," she agreed.

At noon, she arrived at the firm. A staff member escorted her upstairs.

"I've prepared some drinks and refreshments. Please wait here. Our lawyer will arrive promptly at 1:30 pm."

Wynona frowned. She had assumed that the lawyer would already be waiting.

"You asked me to come early, but the lawyer isn't here?" she inquired.

The employee replied sheepishly, "My apologies, miss. Mr. Lambert doesn't like to wait. Clients usually wait for him. I hope you understand."

Wynona felt annoyed. Everyone had said that Rafael Lambert was the best of the best. To him, no case was too complicated, and no lawsuit unwinnable.

Thus, she decided to suck it up. She said nothing as she stepped into the room.

Wynona sat facing the clock on the wall. Minutes ticked by. She was halfway through her coffee when the time reached 1:29:59.

The door opened, followed by the chime of the wall clock.

Wynona was speechless. It seemed that the man she was seeing timed their meeting down to the second. She stood as the doorknob turned, planning to offer a biting remark.

But when the door opened, she froze.

A pair of familiar, sharp eyes met her gaze. She remembered them because they had that wild and untamable quality that made a very striking impression.

Wynona's words caught in her throat as she asked, "It's you?"

It was the man who had witnessed her quietly watching her fiance and his ex-girlfriend play push and pull at Evergreen Restaurant.