The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 403

Yulen and Winona were both visibly surprised to see each other.

Winona quickly recovered her composure and casually took another sip of her juice. Whatever Yulen was doing here, it was none of her business.

Yulen, however, clenched his jaw. He was here to apologize to Stefan.

The thought of Winona witnessing him bowing down to another man made him want to evaporate on the spot.

Sensing his hesitation, Sylvan lowered his voice. "Stefan is flying back to Capitol City in a couple of days. We can't delay this apology. The Locke Group screwed up first, so don't even think about backing out now. It's just a toast and an apology. Swallow your pride for the sake of your company."

Swallow your pride.

That was a novel concept. Yulen had never imagined his smooth-sailing life would ever require him to swallow his pride.

Grinding his teeth, he suppressed his mounting irritation and walked over with Sylvan to greet Stefan.

"Mr. Goddard."

Stefan gave a cool, barely perceptible nod.

Knowing Yulen couldn't bring himself to suck up, Sylvan took the lead, making polite small talk.

Winona sat to the side, acting as if they didn't exist, quietly sipping her drink.

Stefan glanced at Mr. Gage. "Where's the food? Could you go check on that, Gage?"

"Right away," Mr. Gage nodded.

Before he could even stand up, waiters entered carrying the first courses.

"Perfect timing," Mr. Gage chuckled. "Saved me a trip."

Sylvan and Yulen were left standing awkwardly on the sidelines, treated like invisible air.

Yulen felt completely humiliated.

At every dinner he attended, people waited for him to arrive before ordering. He was always the center of attention. Being blatantly ignored like this felt like a massive slap to his ego.

Once the food was set, Stefan finally seemed to remember they were there. He turned to Sylvan. "Almost forgot. What would you like to eat, Mr. Scully? The menu is right here. Feel free."

Sylvan nudged him under the table, whispering, "He seems in a slightly better mood now. Hurry up and apologize. If this price war drags on, our companies don't have the deep pockets to fight Goddard. One word from him can save us a fortune. I have some history with him; he'll give me face and let this go."

Swallowing his humiliation, Yulen forced a self-deprecating smile. He stood up, raised his glass toward Stefan, and adopted a humble tone. "Mr. Goddard, earlier, our staff acted out of line and did some foolish things that affected Goddard Group's reputation. I take full responsibility for the poor management. I hope you can be the bigger person and forgive us."

Stefan leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes devoid of emotion.

He didn't say a word, leaving Yulen standing awkwardly.

In the past, Yulen was the one sitting in Stefan's position, treating everyone else like ants. Now, the tables had turned, and the suffocating pressure made it hard to breathe.

After a long, agonizing silence, Stefan let out a quiet chuckle. "You think one glass of wine is enough to bury the hatchet?"

He glanced at Sylvan. "What do you think, Mr. Scully?"

The respectful address made Sylvan breathe a sigh of relief.

He acknowledged their past connection, meaning there was still room to negotiate.

Sylvan laughed nervously. "One glass definitely isn't enough. Yulen is young; mistakes in management happen. But since his people acted foolishly, I think three glasses would be more appropriate."