The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 409

The moment Willow and Paige bolted out of the banquet doors, a little boy came tearing down the hallway, kicking a soccer ball.

He didn't see them coming and booted the ball hard—right into Willow's forehead.

A massive red welt instantly swelled up on her brow.

"Where the hell did this demon child come from?!" she shrieked.

But when they looked down the hall, the kid was already gone.

Distracted by her anger, Willow forgot to plug her nose. The second she inhaled, the rancid odor hit them again, sending both mother and daughter into another fit of violent gagging.

"Mom, we need to get home and shower now," Paige whimpered. "I'm going to lose my mind. Next time I see that bitch Winona, I'm going to ruin her."

Yulen caught up to Winona right at the entrance.

But he was a second too late—she was already climbing into Stefan's car.

"Winona!"

Yulen shouted her name.

Winona didn't even turn her head.

The car pulled smoothly away.

Yulen's face went rigid with rage.

How could she willingly get into another man's car?

He thought back to the dinner earlier that week, to the quiet, undeniable tension between Stefan and Winona.

Was she actually seeing someone else?

Grinding his teeth, he pulled out his phone and called his assistant. "Look into Winona and Stefan Goddard. I want to know if there's something going on between them."

"Understood, Mr. Locke."

Once Winona got back to her apartment, the first thing she did was scrub her hands obsessively with soap.

Even just a faint whiff of that spray was enough to knock someone out.

Rhea had said the smell would last for a week; Winona sincerely hoped she was right.

She wanted the Lockes to suffer social death for the next seven days.

When she walked out of the bathroom, Stefan had heated up dinner for her.

"Are you hungry? Lexie made eel risotto and pan-seared sea bass."

Winona changed into her loungewear and sat at the dining table.

After being ambushed by the Lockes, she hadn't managed to take a single bite of food at the wedding.

Seeing her ravenous, Stefan poured her a glass of juice.

"Didn't get to eat at the reception?"

Winona shook her head. "I was going to, but my dress got ruined, so I left."

Stefan paused. "Was that the Locke family's doing?"

Hearing him say something so wildly unprofessional in his boardroom voice made Winona laugh out loud.

Seeing that she was done with work, Stefan checked his watch. "We still have two hours before bed. Just enough time for a little workout."

He unclasped his glasses and set them on the table.

Winona knew exactly what he meant.

Her face flushed as she followed him into the bedroom.

That afternoon, Stefan had come over and changed her bedsheets himself.

He knew she'd feel awkward if Lexie did it, so he took care of it.

He had brought the sheets over from his own apartment—a sleek, minimalist gray set.

After showering, Winona sat on the bed in her slip dress, watching him take off his watch, unbutton his shirt, and unbuckle his belt.

Her heart hammered against her ribs.

Stefan caught her staring and smirked. "I'll leave the door open. You can enjoy the live broadcast."

Winona was actually a little tempted. "Really?"

"Mhm."

He stepped into the bathroom.

The sound of running water echoed into the room. As much as her curiosity nagged at her, Winona just couldn't drum up the courage to go watch.