The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 392

Staring at his darkened phone screen, Yulen couldn't help but think of Winona. When she had been around, she always understood how demanding his career was. She never threw tantrums when he was busy. Even though Tallulah was carrying his child, he was starting to realize how painfully immature she could be.

***

Riverton had been battered by torrential rain for days. Twice that week, Winona had been caught in a downpour after working late, and she could feel a fever creeping in. She swallowed some over-the-counter medicine and crawled into bed.

Stefan had flown to the capital a few days prior to handle business at headquarters. When his video call lit up her phone, Winona hit decline. She didn't want him to see her looking so rough and worry about her. Instead, she texted: *Swamped with work right now. Let's talk tomorrow.*

Knowing how fiercely protective she was of her focus, Stefan simply replied: *Okay.*

The next morning, Winona tried to drag herself out of bed, but her limbs felt like lead. Every step was an agonizing effort. She checked her temperature, cursed under her breath, and decided she needed to get to a doctor for a shot.

She barely made it out the front door. Just as she lifted her hand to hail a cab, the world tilted, her vision blacked out, and she collapsed.

When she opened her eyes, the harsh fluorescent lights of a hospital room greeted her. Rhea was sitting by the bed, her face tight with worry.

"God, Win, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Rhea exhaled, leaning forward. "The owner of the breakfast place near your apartment found you passed out on the sidewalk. Thank God he used the emergency contact on your lock screen to call me. Why didn't you tell me you were running a fever? I would have driven you! And where the hell is Stefan? You literally live across the hall from him."

"He's out of town on business," Winona rasped, her throat dry. "And I knew you were swamped with meetings today. I thought it was just a mild fever..."

"A mild fever?" Rhea cut her off. "You hit 104 degrees! The doctor said you're malnourished, too. Have you been skipping meals for work again?"

Winona sighed, feeling thoroughly scolded. "I'm fine, really. And please don't tell Stefan. A good nap and I'll be back to normal."

Her immune system had taken a massive hit after the miscarriage, and she hadn't given her body the proper rest it needed to recover. Paired with her grueling work schedule, the moment a bug caught her, she crashed hard.

Rhea fed her some soup, made sure she took her meds, and ordered her back to sleep.

Winona blinked at him, completely lost.

Stefan was too angry to even look at her. His voice was hard. "Go back to sleep. I'm making a call."

He strode out of the room, leaving Winona staring after him in bewilderment. Stefan was impossible to read sometimes.

Despite his foul mood, he stayed by her side all night. By the next morning, her fever had broken, and the heavy fog in her head had cleared.

Stefan drove her home and laid down the law at her front door. "You are staying in bed today. No work. I'll be right here if you need anything."

"You don't have to do that," Winona said instinctively. "I'm perfectly fine now. You should go to the office."

Stefan's face turned to stone. "Are you genuinely oblivious to how angry I am right now?"