The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 414

"Just a young woman your mother befriended in Riverton," Ryder replied evenly. "Your mother is going to be in a dark place when she gets back, so I invited her over to keep her company."

Ophelia felt a sharp sting of resentment. "I'm perfectly capable of keeping Mom company. Why bring an outsider into our home?"

Ryder had navigated the cutthroat corporate world for decades; he wasn't blind to his adopted children's ambitions and insecurities. He had spent years trying to groom them to take over the Powell empire, but neither had risen to the challenge.

Lachlan was only interested in partying and living off his trust fund. Ophelia, meanwhile, was entirely obsessed with marrying into old money.

To Ryder, Ophelia's path was the most disappointing. She was vastly more intelligent than Lachlan, but she had let herself be corrupted by the shallow vanity of high-society wives. If she had even an ounce of real ambition, she could have shattered the glass ceiling, dominated the boardroom, and taken over the company herself. He would have gladly handed her the reins.

But that wasn't what she wanted.

Pushing his disappointment aside, he looked at Ophelia. "Your mother is very fond of her, so Ms. Jowett isn't an outsider. Speaking of which, I need to remind you of something: since Stefan clearly has no interest in you, stop hovering around the Goddard estate."

Ophelia, already sensitive about her status, felt a flush of humiliation burn her cheeks.

Did he think she wasn't good enough for the Goddards because she was adopted? Other billionaires moved mountains to arrange marriages for their daughters, but Ryder refused to lift a finger for her. At the end of the day, she realized bitterly, he didn't truly love her as a father should.

She forced a tight smile. "Dad, you've misunderstood. Margaret invited me over to keep her company. Stefan barely even stays at the Manor, so it's not like I see him often."

Seeing that his advice was bouncing right off her, Ryder sighed. Regardless of her flaws, he had raised her. He tried one last time. "A one-sided match never ends well, Ophelia. A woman should strive for her own independence and power. You need to focus on your career. I told you to take an executive role at the regional branch to gain experience, but you keep refusing. I want you to seriously reconsider it."

Ophelia stared at the floor, refusing to speak.

If she went to the regional branch, far away from the Capital, she'd lose any chance of marrying into the Goddard family. She wasn't about to exile herself to some corporate wasteland. If Ryder really wanted to groom her, why didn't he just hand her a cushy C-suite title at the headquarters?

Seeing her stubborn silence, Ryder dropped it.

He had offered both of his children the exact same path: go to a regional branch with a handpicked team, prove their worth, and then return to headquarters in a senior role to command genuine respect. But neither of them wanted to put in the actual work.

It seemed he would have to leave the Powell Group in the hands of professional executives after all.

*

"Brace yourself!" Ezra shouted, slamming on the brakes. "Ms. Jowett, we're abandoning the vehicle now!"

Winona tore off her seatbelt. The second the SUV skidded to a halt, she shoved the door open and bolted after Ezra.

The attacker realized they had bailed and violently jerked the steering wheel, aiming the speeding car straight at them.

Reacting on pure instinct, Ezra grabbed Winona's arm and hurled them both over the curb, tumbling hard into the landscaping.

Before Winona could process the pain, Ezra yanked her to her feet, pulling her into a sprint. The car hopped the curb, tearing through the grass in pursuit.

Just as the headlights bore down on them, a black Maybach tore out from the cross street and T-boned the attacker's car with a deafening crunch of metal.

Winona froze at the violent impact, her ears ringing. She whipped around, her eyes locking onto the shattered Maybach. Her blood ran cold.

"Stefan..."