Chapter 8

Two days before the engagement banquet, Winona received an investigation report and video from Tristan. It was only then that she learned that Scott hadn't fallen off the building after losing his footing—Sadie was the one who had intentionally planned his murder. Not only that, but Connor had helped Sadie get rid of all the evidence after learning the truth. There were glaciers in Winona's eyes as she scanned through the report and watched the video over and over again. A day before the engagement banquet, Lucy barged into Winona's ward while crying her eyes out. "Winnie, Frank's leukemia is acting up again. He needs to have another bone marrow transplant. You have to save him after the engagement banquet is over tomorrow!" That afternoon, Connor picked up Winona from the hospital. When they returned to the villa, fireworks suddenly exploded outside the window. Connor hugged Winona from behind as they watched the fireworks bloom brilliantly in the sky. "Do you like it? Our engagement banquet is tomorrow, Winnie. I've waited for this day for a long, long time." The corners of Winona's lips curled up into a smile as she lowered her dark gaze to the ground. When Connor made a gesture with his hand, all the lights in the villa were suddenly turned on. It was then that Winona realized that the hall was packed with fresh flowers and gifts. A myriad of luxury items and jewelry were stacked like mountains atop each other. The dining table was also covered with her favorite dishes. Connor pulled Winona over to the dining table so they could take their seats. "I personally prepared all these dishes in the afternoon. Have a taste." Seeing how she continued to remain silent, he kneeled in front of her and said, "I know that you're still angry about what happened that day, Winnie. But you have to trust me—" Just then, his phone rang, stopping him from finishing his sentence. Sadie's name flashed on the screen. Connor straightened up before answering the call. His expression twisted slightly before he said, "I'll be there as soon as possible." He shot a guilty look at Winona. "I'm sorry, Winnie. Something urgent came up at the company, and I have to handle it right away. I probably won't be coming home tonight. Rest well. I'll send someone to pick you up tomorrow. I'll see you at the banquet hall." He leaned down and pressed a fleeting kiss to her forehead. "See you tomorrow. I have a surprise for you." He then turned around and left the villa in a rush. Winona didn't spare a single glance at him. She grabbed a disinfectant wipe and rubbed the spot where his lips had touched her forehead. "See you tomorrow, Connor," she thought to herself. "I have a surprise for you, too." She spent the rest of the night packing her belongings, getting rid of everything in the villa that was related to her. She threw out everything that she had once treasured, such as the couple decorations and their photos together. The next day, Winona got into the car that Connor had sent for her. However, she started feeling dizzy not long after she sat down. It was too late by the time she realized that something was amiss. Her entire body was paralyzed. … When Winona woke up, she realized that she was lying on a dilapidated bed in an abandoned warehouse. The strength had completely fled from her body. Several recording cameras were placed around the bed. Winona's chest tightened. Just as she tried to sit up, she heard the sounds of footsteps and a conversation coming from beyond the door. "Make sure to do your best later. Our client has informed us that it'll be livestreamed." "I heard that it's going to be livestreamed at an engagement banquet, boss. Apparently, the woman inside is supposed to be the star of today's banquet." "I heard that she's from a prestigious family. Our client is so ruthless." "Shut up, all of you! Since we've accepted their money, we have to do a good job. Don't waste your breath talking about anything else!" A flurry of turbulent emotions raged within Winona. She never would have imagined that Connor would hire people to humiliate her this way. He was even planning to livestream the heinous act to the guests at the engagement banquet. She immediately understood what Connor's goal was. He wanted to totally ruin her reputation so that Gerard could announce Sadie as the heiress of the Lowe family. That way, he could immediately get engaged to Sadie. Meanwhile, Winona would be left to discover the truth after she was humiliated. She would then be helpless to do anything but watch as Connor and Sadie skipped into the sunset together. She wondered if she would have been able to withstand the string of attacks against her if she hadn't accidentally overheard the truth. Connor was truly a ruthless man. Hatred roiled in Winona's heart. She mustered what little strength she had left and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She then crawled off the bed and hid herself near the door. The door creaked open a few seconds later, and a group of men swarmed in. "Where's the woman?" the leader of the men roared furiously. Winona snuck out through the door just as the men ventured deeper into the building to search for her. However, she was discovered only a few seconds later. "She's getting away! After her!" The men cursed up a storm as they chased after Winona. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for her to crumple to the ground as her remaining strength seeped out of her. She reached out and grabbed a sharp rock that was lying near her hand. "Motherfucker! Let's see where you'll run off to now!" A sharp pain shot through Winona's scalp when one of the men yanked her up to her feet by her hair. She gritted her teeth before using all her strength to drive the rock directly into the man's eyes. The man let out a pained yelp as blood flowed from his eyes. When his grip on her slackened, Winona whipped around and tried to free herself again. "Catch that bitch! I'm going to make her pay for what she did!" Winona had only taken a few steps when she was flanked by two men on either side of her. They slapped her hard across her face, making her vision turn blurry. No matter how much she struggled, she was gradually dragged back in the direction of the warehouse. A sense of hopelessness overtook her when she noticed how tall and broad the men were. Just then, a few luxury cars burst onto the scene and surrounded the group of men. A handsome man who was dressed in a black suit exited the car when the door swung open. A flicker of hope shone in Winona's eyes when she laid eyes on the newcomer. … Meanwhile, all the guests had already arrived at the engagement banquet. Connor and Sadie were also dressed to the nines. It was almost time for the banquet to start, but Winona was nowhere to be found. Just as the guests began discussing among themselves, the projection on the large screen onstage that was playing Connor's and Winona's photos on a loop suddenly flickered. The photos were replaced by an image of a dilapidated warehouse. Several bloody men were all tied up. Winona's pale but pretty face appeared on the screen. Her eyes were cold when she said, "I've already received the surprise that you prepared for me, Connor. Now, it's time for me to give you your surprise. I hope you like it."