All Chapters of No Longer Theirs: The One They Can't Replace: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Back in Joshua's office, Sean braced himself and said, "Mr. Stroud, the whistleblower… It's Mrs. Stroud.""Winter?" Joshua's eyes widened in shock. The next moment, his statuesque face darkened."I sent someone to look into it," Sean said cautiously, watching Joshua's reaction. "In the two years Mrs. Stroud has worked in the R&D department, it seems she's faced no shortage of bullying from Connie. Connie often assigned her impossible tasks, including the incident last time when she was made to clean the car in the hall. That was on Connie's orders."Joshua's expression turned stormy. "No matter how useless or incapable Winter is, she's still my woman. What gave Connie the guts to mess with her?"Sean looked resigned. "Mr. Stroud, no one in the company knows her identity. You've never made it public."Joshua froze. He realized it was true—he'd never announced his and Winter's relationship. In five years, he hadn't once allowed her to visit him at the company. And even when she'd de

Winter's heart jolted. She narrowed her eyes as she opened the link Michelle had sent her. The video showed Connie publicly bowing and apologizing to her, followed by the police taking her away.The comment section was buzzing."Who's this gorgeous woman? She's so brave for reporting her own boss!"Suddenly, a comment with over ten thousand likes caught Winter's gaze. "This courageous lady is the wife of Stroud Group's CEO, Joshua Stroud. This is legitimate news."It sent a shockwave through the comment section."What? She's Mrs. Stroud? Who is Jessica Lynch, then?""Everyone says Jessica Lynch is Mr. Stroud's true love, and they're always seen together at major events. If she isn't Mr. Stroud's girlfriend, what's with their intimacy? Mr. Stroud's never denied claims of them being an item, and he's never shown his real wife in public.""Is Jessica Lynch a mistress? Is she knowingly a homewrecker? She's disgusting!""My impression of her as an intellectual goddess has gone down

Winter turned around to see the door of a luxurious Mercedes-Benz MPV glide open. A mother and son sat inside.The woman was dressed in an expensive, custom-made wine-colored dress, and a striking emerald necklace hung around her neck. Her jaw was sharp, and her brows were tweaked to perfection. Her overall appearance was sharp and aggressive—she resembled Heather closely.She was Joshua's sister, Jasmine Stroud.Terence had actually seen Winter almost instantly. Her skin gleamed under the sunlight, and she exuded a natural tenderness. Her striking looks made her stand out among the crowd.However, because he was still mad at her, he ignored her and waved at Jasmine. "Aunt Jasmine!"Jasmine stepped out of the MPV and strutted arrogantly to Winter, who was dressed plainly. She sized Winter up contemptuously and said, "I can't believe you're dressed like this when picking up the Stroud family's heir. Don't you think you're too tacky and embarrassing for our family?"It had been fiv

Florence frowned.Meanwhile, Winter lowered her gaze and tightened her grip on her teacup.Terence asked anxiously, "Has something happened to Aunt Jessie, Grandma? Is she okay?"His apparent, genuine concern for Jessica was identical to Joshua's.Jasmine also looked worried. "Mom, Jessica has always been kind, gentle, and well-behaved. Why would she suddenly be swarmed by reporters? Has someone framed her for something? She's never been in the best of health. Think about how awful Joshua would feel if they were to frighten her and make her fall sick."She was only saying this to provoke Winter, but the latter didn't even flinch.Heather sighed. "The details will have to wait until Joshua's back.""Is that Lynch woman some frail puppy who was born defective? It's not like she hasn't been exposed to the outside world. Why would a few reporters scare her? She's not that weak, is she?" Florence slammed her teacup on the table and looked at Heather. "Call Joshua now and tell him to

Winter's eyes snapped up and locked onto Florence's dignified face."What's wrong, Florence?" Heather immediately softened her tone."Win," Florence said, turning to look at Winter beside her. Her voice was warm and kind. "From now on, you don't need to fuss in the kitchen or serve us dishes, whether it's for a family meal or a casual gathering."Winter's eyes widened slightly. "Florence, I…"Florence leaned in and patted her hand. "Just enjoy the meal comfortably, my dear. I had the kitchen make several of your favorite dishes tonight, so make sure you have more."A wave of warmth surged in Winter's heart, and her eyes reddened slightly. In this family, Florence was her only source of kindness.Jessica pursed her lips and glanced at Joshua beside her. He was still poised and stoic; he showed no reaction.Heather was visibly upset. She took a deep breath, her voice tinged with displeasure as she said, "Every Stroud daughter-in-law, including you and me, has followed this traditi