The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 436

Walking past a high-end bridal and evening wear boutique, she spotted them—Tallulah and Yulen.

Tallulah was dressed in a stunning champagne gown, smiling radiantly up at Yulen as they stood uncomfortably close.

Winona ignored them and turned to leave. Just then, a young mother walking by dropped her diaper bag, spilling baby supplies across the pristine floor.

Winona immediately bent down to help her gather the items. The flustered woman thanked her profusely.

By the time Winona handed the bag back and stood up, Yulen and Tallulah were standing right in front of her.

Tallulah looked at her with undeniable smugness. However, wanting to keep up her delicate act in front of Yulen, she put on a sickeningly sweet smile. "Winona, we were just about to grab dinner. Want to join us?"

"No thanks," Winona replied flatly.

Seeing Winona’s usual icy demeanor, Yulen didn't bother trying to coax her. He simply led Tallulah away. In his mind, he had offered Winona an olive branch countless times. If she stubbornly refused to take it, she had no one to blame but herself.

Through Tallulah, he had recently met Glenda Shepherd and learned that Stefan’s marriage to Ophelia was practically set in stone. There was zero chance Stefan and Winona were actually together.

After finishing her shopping, Winona headed home.

Her phone buzzed with a digital invitation from Tallulah. The baby's welcome banquet was officially scheduled for Saturday.

After taking a shower, she sat down to review some files.

Stefan sent her a text saying he was tied up with family business and wouldn't be able to make it over, telling her to get to bed early.

Winona texted back a simple *Okay.*

At that very moment, Stefan was sitting in the grand parlor of the Shepherd Manor.

Glenda took a slow, deliberate sip of her tea and looked at him. "Are you truly refusing to marry Ophelia?"

"Yes," Stefan replied coldly.

Stefan smirked.

Did his mother really think he was blind? He had known since he was a child that Violet loved him unconditionally. But to Glenda, he was nothing more than an investment portfolio. If she put in one cent, she expected ten dollars back.

Unwilling to waste another breath on his mother, he turned and walked out.

Margaret stood there, her eyes red with rage. He never listened to a word she said. He was her son—why did he only ever try to break her heart?

Glenda took another slow sip of her tea, letting the silence stretch before finally speaking. "Margaret, he isn't Evander. You can't break him by forcing his hand. But I will say this: you birthed a highly capable son. He's impossible to control, but with him at the helm, no one will ever steal the Goddard empire from you. The second and third branches of the family are like vultures waiting to strike. If he were weak, you wouldn't be enjoying your luxurious life today."

Annoyed that her mother was praising him, Margaret scoffed. "But he refuses to listen to me and marry Ophelia! If Evander were here, he would have done whatever I asked."

Glenda looked at her daughter, marveling at her sheer stupidity. She had spent decades with Stefan and still hadn't figured out how to tame him.

"I might have a solution we can try," Glenda murmured.