The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 412

"But isn't he famously cold and entirely uninterested in romance?" Phoebe asked, leaning in. "Plus, I heard he's a total workaholic. If you're actually with him, do you even get to see him more than once a month?"

Winona thought about it for a moment before replying earnestly. "He's actually nothing like the rumors. From what I've seen, he's incredibly gentlemanly and very gentle."

Phoebe stared at her in stunned silence. It was impossible to reconcile the image of the ruthless, iron-fisted Mr. Goddard with the word 'gentle'. She chalked it up to Winona viewing him through rose-tinted glasses.

As they finished their drinks, Phoebe pulled an elegant invitation from her bag. "My cousin, Yvette, married into a branch of the Goddard family. Today is her birthday. You should come to the party with me! It'll be a good chance to quietly scope out the Goddard family dynamic."

Phoebe hesitated, her expression turning serious. "Winona, the Goddard family is incredibly complicated. To be completely honest... if you and Stefan are just having fun, that's one thing. But if you're thinking about marriage, you need to tread carefully. I refused to marry into one of these families because I wanted to avoid being controlled. In those circles, divorce is nearly impossible because it's tied to massive financial interests. Just... keep your eyes open."

Winona had already experienced Margaret's overbearing nature firsthand, so she knew the road ahead would be brutal. But for now, all she could do was take it one step at a time.

"I know," Winona said softly. "Thank you."

That evening, as she walked out of Professor Bell's lab, her phone buzzed. It was Stefan.

"I'm going to be tied up with work for a bit longer tonight," he said. "Do you want to head back to the hotel first?"

"I actually have plans to go out with a friend," Winona replied. "Focus on your work. You don't need to worry about me."

"A friend?" His voice carried a hint of a smile. "I'm impressed you've already made friends in the Capital. Give me a call when you're done, and I'll come pick you up."

"Will do."

After hanging up, Winona slipped into Phoebe's passenger seat.

As Phoebe navigated the traffic, she gave Winona a quick rundown. "My cousin Yvette has a fiery personality, but she doesn't have a bad bone in her body. You'll see what I mean when you meet her—"

Phoebe's eyes darted to the rearview mirror, her brow furrowing. "I think there's a car following us."

"Understood," Winona said, letting out a breath.

Inside the elegant restaurant, Yvette spotted them and waved enthusiastically.

"Phoebe! Why didn't you bring the baby?" Yvette asked.

"Her stomach has been acting up," Phoebe explained. "If she saw all the sweets here, she'd throw a fit wanting to eat them, so I thought it was best to leave her home." She gestured to Winona. "This is my friend, Winona. She's the one who stood up for me on the flight."

Yvette's eyes lit up. "Oh, the woman who put Karina Shepherd in her place? My husband is part of the Goddard extended family, and we only visit the main estate once a year for the holidays. But every time we do, Karina looks down her nose at us. She's not even a Goddard, yet she struts around like she owns the place. I am so thrilled you're here!"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Karina is Margaret's niece, but she acts way too entitled. She actually tried to use her connections to get my father-in-law to accept her into his graduate program. She spoke to him like she was Goddard royalty."

Yvette lowered her voice, leaning in. "The only real Goddard daughter is Roxana, but she's always been sickly and keeps a low profile. Margaret can never bring her to social events, so she drags Karina along instead. Over the years, it's totally inflated Karina's ego."