The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 411

"Tanner, when exactly are you going to fix the development issues with HSV-121?" Tallulah Shipley snapped into the phone. "If you keep dragging your feet, the Locke Group is going to hemorrhage money! Don't think you can just take our funding and slack off. I'm not someone you can easily push around."

Tanner Yates sighed, his irritation palpable. "This project was always going to be highly complex. I need time to figure out a solution. If you think I'm not up to the task, feel free to hire someone else. I'm not here to be your servant."

Having interacted with Tallulah multiple times, Tanner had already deduced she was entirely incompetent. He had no idea who had drafted such a flawless initial proposal for her, but he had zero respect for her and didn't bother hiding it in his tone.

Tallulah was already anxious, and being talked down to by someone she considered beneath her only ruined her mood further. Still, she didn't dare push him to the point of actually quitting. Muttering a few choice complaints, she hung up the phone.

The next day, Shirley Maddox had a day off and came by the villa to visit.

Seeing Tallulah's sour expression, she asked, "Tallulah, what's wrong?"

Tallulah rubbed her temples. "It's all because of Winona Jowett."

The mere thought of her own career hitting a wall while Winona basked in success made her skin crawl.

At the mention of Winona, Shirley had her own grievances to air. Zack Charlton was completely obsessed with Winona, and no matter how hard Shirley tried, he wouldn't look her way.

"I overheard Zack on the phone with Winona earlier," Shirley grumbled. "He was trying to ask her out to dinner, but she said she's flying to the Capital next week for a business trip. Zack actually said he'd wait until she was free. I just don't get it. What's so great about her? Why is he so captivated by her?"

Tallulah perked up. "Wait. You said Winona is going to the Capital?"

Shirley nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

Hiding the dark gears turning in her mind, Tallulah gave a light laugh. "Oh, nothing."

If Winona wasn't in Riverton, Tallulah could easily hire someone in the Capital to make a move on her. If anything happened, she could just pin the blame on the Goddard family. After all, the Goddards despised Winona just as much as she did. They would probably be thrilled if she met with an unfortunate accident.

*

On Wednesday, Winona and Stefan Goddard took a private jet to the Capital, settling into a luxury hotel owned by the Goddard family.

Winona had meetings lined up at Professor Valor Bell's laboratory, while Stefan had his own business to attend to. They went their separate ways for the workday.

On their way out, they bumped into several students heading to lunch, all of whom politely chimed, "Hi, Ms. Phoebe."

Phoebe immediately slipped into her authoritative teacher persona, giving them a firm nod. Once the students were out of earshot, her bright smile returned.

She turned to Winona. "Some kids are natural rule-followers, so you can afford to be laid-back with them. But others are little troublemakers who just want to goof off. If you aren't strict, they'll never focus. Being a teacher really teaches you how to handle different personalities."

Winona smiled, touched by her dedication. It was hard to imagine a wealthy socialite like Phoebe choosing a career in teaching, but she was clearly thriving in it.

Once they settled into a cozy cafe, Phoebe brought up the latest gossip. "Karina Shepherd has been hanging around my house a lot lately, though my dad flat-out refuses to see her."

She looked at Winona with genuine curiosity. "I heard her complaining the other day, which is how I found out you know Stefan Goddard. What's the deal between you two?"

Winona took a sip of her coffee. "We're dating."

Phoebe's eyes widened. Although her family wasn't at the very top of the social hierarchy, everyone in the Capital knew about Stefan Goddard. He was the most sought-after bachelor among the elite, and Phoebe had heard endless rumors about him.