The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 394

Stefan arrived at the international school with an icy authority.

He turned to his assistant. "Samantha, go speak with the principal and the P.E. teacher. Find out exactly what escalated this. I'll go find Greta."

"Understood," Samantha said. She quickly pulled a small bag of cookies and premium candies from her purse and handed it over. "Mr. Goddard, little girls are usually easier to coax when they're upset if you have some snacks."

Stefan took the sweets with a nod of thanks.

Samantha couldn't help but smile to herself. Trying to picture her ruthlessly efficient boss comforting a crying elementary schooler was wild. But the fact that he was willing to go to these lengths for Ms. Jowett proved just how deeply he had fallen for her.

Stefan approached the heavy door of the equipment room. He knocked gently. "Greta? It's Stefan. Can you let me in?"

Silence.

Stefan didn't push. He just stood by the door, waiting patiently.

A few minutes later, the lock clicked. The door cracked open, revealing Greta's tear-streaked face and puffy red eyes. She swallowed hard, trying to look brave. "Stefan... I promise I'm not a bad kid. Do you believe me?"

Looking down at her, Stefan suddenly saw a ghost of a young Winona. He wondered if Winona had spent her childhood hiding in dark rooms crying alone, too.

"Of course I believe you," Stefan said softly. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Greta nodded and stepped back, letting him inside the dim, dusty room.

She limped over to a low bench and sat down, staring at the floor.

Stefan's brow furrowed instantly. "Greta, you're hurt. Why didn't you tell your mom or Winona? Come on, let's get you to a doctor."

Greta wiped her eyes furiously. "Last month in gym class, some kids grouped up and started throwing basketballs at my head. I didn't want to play with them anymore, so I faked a twisted ankle. Someone told the teacher I was lying, and he yelled at me in front of everyone. Today, I actually twisted my ankle, but the teacher said I was faking again. He tried to force me onto the court. It hurt so much I couldn't walk, so I hid in here."

A dangerous, protective fury ignited in Stefan's chest.

Stefan felt as if a physical blade had just slipped between his ribs. The sharp, suffocating ache in his chest made it hard to breathe. He forced his voice to remain steady. "Don't copy your cousin, Greta. That is a terrible habit to have. If you hurt, or if someone is mean to you, you speak up. Do you understand?"

"Okay," Greta whispered.

She knew the teachers and the kids hated her. It was a school for the ultra-rich, and the other kids constantly mocked her, saying she must be the daughter of a maid and asking if she was training to scrub their toilets when she grew up. When she had fought back, the teacher had punished her for having 'no manners.'

She had just stopped talking after that.

Stefan turned his back to her. "Climb on. Let's get out of here."

Stefan pushed open the heavy equipment room doors with Greta on his back. Waiting in the hallway was the principal, the homeroom teacher, and the P.E. teacher, all looking deathly pale.

"Mr. Goddard..." the principal stammered, his voice shaking.