The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 433

Emotionally shattered, Margaret fled the Goddard Manor with red, tear-streaked eyes.

It was only then that Winona truly grasped just how many people were implicated in Evander Goddard’s tragic death. Unsure of how to comfort the grieving grandmother or Stefan, she simply sat quietly by their side.

After expending so much energy, Violet was visibly breathless, her chest heaving.

Stefan poured her a glass of water, his voice low and steady. "Don't be angry, Grandma. Let's just... put Evander's past to rest."

But the grief sat heavily on Violet's chest, suffocating her. "How could I ever forget?" she wept, her voice breaking. "He was only twenty. He told me he wanted to be a pilot after graduation, so I ordered a private jet as his present. I was an old fool. I should have just given it to him early. Why wait until graduation? By the time he closed his eyes, his gift hadn't even arrived. I... I failed him as a grandmother.

"Margaret always called him weak and irresponsible. But she forgets that when the two of you were little, she favored Evander because he was sweet and affectionate, while you were so quiet. She loved those traits when he was a boy, but the second he grew up, she violently rejected who he was. What kind of mother does that? Is that how she loves her children? My heart bleeds for Evander. He shouldn't have lost his life at such a young age!"

Stefan listened quietly to her agonizing words. Seeing fresh tears spill down her cheeks, he gently wiped them away and pulled her into a warm embrace. When she had finally cried herself out, Stefan looked up at the caregiver. "Linda, do we have any more of her calming medication?"

Linda nodded. "Yes, sir."

She gently supported the older woman. "Come, let's go take your medicine and get some rest in your room."

For someone of Violet's age, massive emotional spikes were incredibly dangerous. She didn't want to fall severely ill and leave Stefan to fend off the forced marriage alone, so she cooperated and went to rest.

Once she was gone, Stefan slumped back into the sofa, looking utterly exhausted.

Winona hadn't expected to uncover so much about his family's dark history today. She reached out and wrapped her arms around him.

Feeling her warmth against him, the heavy emotions Stefan had kept locked away finally began to surface.

He remembered sitting alone in Evander’s memorial hall for an entire night. That was the little brother he had fiercely protected. When he reached out and touched Evander’s freezing hand, it felt like a hole had been blasted through his own chest. He had hated himself then, hated that he wasn't strong enough to save him.

Winona held him tighter, feeling the raw, pulsing ache of his grief. It broke her heart.

That night, when they returned to his apartment, Stefan kissed her with an intensity that bordered on desperation. She held him softly, wanting to be a safe harbor where he could release the suffocating pressure of his life. As the heir to the Goddard empire, the weight on his shoulders was unimaginably heavy.

***

Willow's chronic migraines flared up again, giving Tallulah the perfect excuse to take her son out of the house. She immediately hired two expensive maternity nurses to handle the actual parenting while she spent her days attending high-end, exclusive mommy classes.

She cornered the instructor, demanding to know the secret to making her baby endlessly cling to her and obey her every command.

The instructor, unfazed by the absurd request, used her standard script for wealthy socialites who dumped their kids on nannies but demanded unconditional affection. "That’s a highly complex issue. You’ll need to attend our daily sessions. As long as you systematically follow our curriculum, you’ll undoubtedly raise a perfectly devoted child."

Convinced that the outrageous hundred-thousand-dollar-a-month price tag was entirely worth it, Tallulah swiped her black card on the spot.

However, showing up to listen to a lecture every single day felt like a waste of her precious time. So, she sent her assistant to sit in the classes, take meticulous notes, and recite the highlights to her later. She only physically showed up once a week—just long enough to snap some glamorous photos, post them on social media, and curate the image of a flawless, devoted mother.

That afternoon, after snapping her required photos, she strutted out of the facility.