The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 454

Even if she had made a mistake, he was her son. He was supposed to understand her intentions. How could he actually resent her?

Stefan's bodyguards stepped forward. "Ma'am, please leave."

Utterly humiliated and unwilling to lose any more face in front of Winona, Margaret had no choice but to retreat.

Stefan's body was still recovering from the intense strain of the drugs. As his adrenaline faded, his legs gave out, and he sank to the floor.

Winona rushed over, helping him back to the bed.

He gripped her hand tightly, his voice low. "Winona, are you afraid?"

"Of what?" she asked, her eyes full of heartache.

"Of my mother. Of how ruthless she can be."

Winona smiled softly. "I'm not afraid. If she tries to bully you, I'll protect you."

She had been through enough to know that running away never solved anything. From now on, she was going to be strong. Strong enough to protect herself, and strong enough to protect him.

Stefan pressed further. "Are you disappointed in me?"

"What?" She blinked in surprise.

"Everyone expects me to be the untouchable alpha, the shield for the entire Goddard family. What if one day... I'm not strong anymore?"

Winona could almost picture the crushing weight he had carried his entire childhood. His parents seemed like the type who only cared about their own pleasure, completely oblivious to anyone else's struggles. Stefan had been forced to grow up fast just to survive them.

She was a girl who had grown up without parents herself. She knew the exhaustion of having to rely entirely on yourself, that overwhelming helplessness of having no one to catch you when you fall. She understood it better than anyone.

She knew he would never normally admit this. He was only letting his guard down because he was physically and emotionally drained.

"What is all this for?"

"I've decided to officially adopt Ophelia as my sister," he said casually. "These are the men I've selected for her blind dates. When she gets married, the Goddard Group will provide a very generous dowry. What do you think? You love her so much, surely you wouldn't object to claiming her as a daughter?"

Margaret's face turned a violent shade of purple. She slammed the folder down. "Have you lost your mind?! I want her to marry you, not be your sister!"

Stefan watched her rage with complete serenity. "Why are you so upset? If she becomes a daughter of this family, she still gets to be part of our world. And you can shower her with all the affection you want. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Unable to argue with his logic, Margaret snapped, "I refuse to agree to this! Clearly, you're still acting out of anger, so we won't discuss this any further."

She turned to storm out. His icy voice stopped her in her tracks. "I don't care if you agree. Starting tomorrow, I will notify her to begin attending these dates. As her older brother, it's my duty to look out for her future happiness."

Margaret almost fainted from the sheer fury.

He was actually turning his ruthless corporate tactics against his own mother. What a wonderful son she had raised!