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Chapter_117
As Winona entered Seacrity Airport, she unexpectedly ran into Nellie and Zeke at the entrance. They exchanged a few casual greetings before heading toward the airport lobby together. The slight awkwardness between them was palpable, but it was clear they were putting on a façade of civility for the moment.
As they walked, Nellie subtly nudged Victor, her voice dropping into a tone of caution. “Victor, you should keep a respectful distance from Winona, especially before marriage. Don’t act impulsively. Relationships take time.” She smiled lightly, though the edge in her words betrayed her true feelings.
Victor, unsure how to respond to her veiled suggestion, simply nodded with a strained smile. “Understood, Mrs. Chambers,” he replied, but it was clear from his expression that he didn’t fully grasp the weight of what Nellie was implying. Nellie, for her part, wasn’t sure if he really understood either, but as the elder, she didn’t push the topic further.
Winona, silently walking beside them, kept her eyes on the ground. Zeke, however, fell a step behind to walk next to her, his voice laced with sarcastic amusement. “Look at how much Mom worries about you, Sis,” he sneered. “She’s afraid Victor might take advantage of you, but I think she’s overreacting. Honestly, if you don’t sleep with him, there are plenty of women who’d be more than happy to step in. Heh.”
Winona glanced sideways at Zeke, her expression unreadable. She had grown accustomed to his jabs—after all, their relationship had always been strained. “You don’t need to worry about me,” she replied coolly. “But you might want to keep an eye on your own future. With Dad spoiling Yvette like that, are you really sure you’ll inherit the Chambers family as the rightful heir?”
Zeke’s smirk faltered for a moment as he shot her a glare, his tone suddenly venomous. “Watch yourself, Winona,” he warned. “If you ever backstab me, I’ll have Mom deal with you. You know whose side she’s on, right?”
Winona’s gaze never wavered. She knew her place in this family, and while she couldn’t fight Zeke head-on with Nellie in the equation, she wasn’t about to back down either. “I don’t have time to bother with you,” she retorted, her voice low but sharp. “But you’d better not mock me again. Our real enemy is Yvette. If we don’t do something about her, will we even have a place in Dad’s heart or in the Chambers family? Think about that.”
Zeke fell silent, his eyes narrowing as he considered her words. His desire to inherit his father’s wealth and status was obvious. Winona could see that the mention of Yvette had hit a nerve. She knew she had planted a seed of doubt in him, and she allowed herself a small, quiet satisfaction. Let them fight it out, she thought. I’ll just sit back and watch.
When Richard arrived at Seacrity, he was accompanied by two men, both fifth-level members of the Art Association who had benefited from Richard’s mentorship. They were around thirty years old and had risen to their positions largely due to his influence.
Winona immediately spotted him. It wasn’t because Richard stood out in any particularly noticeable way—after all, his suit with a morning coat was a signature look—but his position in the art world made him an easy person to identify. He exuded an air of distinction, though his appearance was that of a typical elderly man, his features lined with age.
“Mr. Griffin, over here!” Winona called out, waving. Her voice broke through the crowd, and Richard’s gaze immediately shifted to her.
Nellie glanced over too, noticing Richard in his navy suit, followed by the two men carrying suitcases. Over the years, Nellie had seen Richard a few times, mostly in passing when accompanying Winona to art lessons. Their interactions had been limited, mostly due to Richard’s age and their lack of common ground. She was, however, well aware of the enormous influence Richard held in the art world.
“Hello, Mr. Griffin,” Nellie greeted him warmly, flashing a smile. “It’s been a while. How have you been?” She then introduced Zeke with a practiced gesture, “This is my son, Zeke. Winona’s brother. Please, look after him in the future.”
Zeke, ever the opportunist, took the chance to hand Richard a bouquet of flowers he had purchased at the airport. His greeting was polite but just short of being obsequious. “Hello, Mr. Griffin,” he said, his tone smooth.
Richard smiled approvingly as he accepted the flowers. “Not bad, young man. You’ve got a bright future ahead of you,” he said, his words meant to flatter. However, his gaze soon flickered back to Winona, noting the heavy dark circles under her eyes. Surely it can’t just be the pressure of becoming my apprentice that caused this, he thought, confused.
Winona, noticing his gaze, lowered her head and made no effort to hide the dark circles. She had her reasons for not looking well, but she wasn’t about to go into detail in front of him. She remained silent as Richard finished speaking.
Victor, however, couldn’t contain his indignation. He stepped forward, his voice thick with concern. “Mr. Griffin, Winona’s been bullied by her sister. You have no idea what her sister—”
Before he could say more, Winona tugged at his sleeve, her voice barely above a whisper. “Victor, please don’t say it,” she pleaded, her eyes imploring him to stop.
Victor hesitated, but his concern for Winona was clear. “Why not? I’ll say it,” he insisted, his voice rising. “Yvette has bullied you so much, and you’re still covering for her.”
Richard, still confused, furrowed his brow. “Yvette?” he repeated, trying to make sense of the situation. “Who’s Yvette? And who are you?”
Victor, bowing slightly in respect, introduced himself. “Hello, Mr. Griffin. I’m Winona’s fiancé, Victor Carter.”
Richard’s eyes scanned Victor carefully, taking in the young man before him. He had heard of Victor and the Carter family, one of Seacrity’s four major families. His reputation preceded him. “Ah, so you’re Winona’s fiancé. She’s mentioned you often. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Richard’s gaze shifted back to Winona, a mixture of concern and curiosity in his eyes. “So, are you telling me that Winona’s problems are related to her sister?”
Before Victor could respond, Winona politely addressed Richard. “Mr. Griffin, you must be exhausted after such a long flight. Don’t worry about us—let us take you to the hotel first. My mother has prepared a meal for you. Since you have a sensitive stomach, it would be best to have dinner without delay.”
Richard’s expression softened at her genuine concern. “Alright, let’s do as Winona suggests,” he said. “We’ll head to the hotel first. Once we’re there, you can tell me everything that’s been going on. Don’t hold anything back. You’re my apprentice now, Winona. I want to see who dares to bully you!”
Nellie, privately pleased, allowed a small, satisfied smile to cross her face. With Richard standing up for Winona, tomorrow’s plans will go more smoothly. Everything is falling into place.
“Yes, let’s head to the hotel,” Nellie added with a bright smile. “Mr. Griffin must be famished. We can’t have him go hungry.”
Ethan and Zeke stepped forward to take the suitcases from Richard’s two assistants. The men hesitated for a moment, but eventually allowed them to take the bags.
As they arrived at the hotel, Winona’s phone rang, breaking the moment of calm.
