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Chapter_234
Robert, bruised and battered, muttered to himself as he made his way back to the Carter residence. Victor, not wanting to engage with him, quickly found an excuse to leave the car. He had no interest in listening to Robert’s complaints.
As Robert pulled up to the residence, he hesitated. Facing his nagging wife, Yulia, felt far less appealing than visiting Winona at the hospital.
In Ward 305, the clock had struck midnight, but Winona wasn’t asleep. She stood by the window in her hospital gown, her slender body only slightly rounded by the pregnancy. Her pale face was a stark contrast to the soft glow of the moon outside. She stared at it, lost in thought, her mind racing. Did Yvette get caught?
Winona couldn’t sleep until she knew the answer.
Suddenly, Robert’s voice broke the silence as he pushed the door open.
Startled, Winona quickly turned toward the sound. “You’re here,” she said, her voice tinged with relief.
Robert, not noticing her standing by the window, was caught off guard by her sudden voice. He took a step back, his heart racing for a moment. “Who’s there?”
When he realized it was Winona, he let out a sigh of relief and quickly went over to her, though his tone had a sharp edge. “What are you doing standing up at this hour? Why aren’t you asleep?”
Winona’s expression softened as she quickly masked her earlier tension, now looking sweet and innocent. “How can you yell at me?” she said, her voice a touch feigned. “I was so scared all day. Your phone was off. I couldn’t sleep, worrying something had happened to you.”
Robert’s heart softened at her words. The emotional exhaustion from Claude’s scolding had drained him, but Winona’s affectionate words helped him regain some of his confidence.
Without thinking, he pulled her into a tight embrace. She leaned into him, the warmth of his arms momentarily easing her tension. But, out of his view, a sinister smile tugged at Winona’s lips.
“I’m sorry,” Robert murmured, his voice low. “Claude scolded me, and I took it out on you.”
At the mention of Claude, Winona’s heart sank. She slipped out of Robert’s arms, her voice trembling. “What happened? Why did Claude call you back? Was Yvette arrested? Is she still at the police station? How could a girl like her have a gun? It’s terrifying.”
Robert hesitated for a moment. He knew Winona would ask about it, but he didn’t know how to explain everything that had happened. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
“Well… Yvette has been released. Let’s not dwell on the incident at the mall,” Robert said, trying to steer the conversation in another direction. “I’ll buy you those villas in Mysonna, just like you wanted. Two of them, all in your name. Let’s put this whole thing behind us. Besides, the baby is fine.”
Winona took a step back, her face visibly hardening with anger. She trembled as if deeply wronged, and her eyes welled up with unshed tears. She wanted to say something, but chose to remain silent instead.
Seeing her reaction, Robert’s heart ached, but he couldn’t help feeling helpless. Even Claude had done nothing to stop Yvette. What could he, a man without real power, do? He thought about the slap Winona had landed on Bonnie, how it had undone years of hard work from the Carter family. If it weren’t for the baby, even Claude wouldn’t have spared her.
“W-what are you saying?” Winona finally whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. “How could this be? Yvette pulled a gun on me in front of everyone and wanted to kill me. How could she just walk away like nothing happened? Is it because that guy, Jeremiah, stood up for her? Is that why the Carter family is just letting it slide? I’m carrying your family’s child, and you’re doing nothing? You won’t even stand up for me?”
Robert sighed, his patience wearing thin but his tone still calm. “Winona, this is more complicated than you think. Yvette is not just some simple girl, and her background is far more complicated than you realize. Jeremiah… he’s even more mysterious. Honestly, the Carter family cannot afford to mess with either of them. Do you know the background of the girl you hit?”
Winona was taken aback. “The girl I hit? Bonnie? What kind of background could she have? She’s just a poor student.”
Robert gave a bitter smile, a hint of reproach in his voice. “Are you sure about that? Bonnie… she’s going to be the future daughter-in-law of the Mitchell family in Betrico. Do you know the Mitchell family? They’re the most powerful family in Betrico’s high society, far beyond the Carter family. And the head of the Mitchell family is the deputy commander of the Betrico military district. You hit their future daughter-in-law, and that’s ruined all of Claude’s plans for expanding into Betrico. If it weren’t for the baby you’re carrying, I’m afraid you’d already be in serious trouble. I know my father, Winona. If you want to deliver this baby, you’d better stay out of any more trouble.”
Winona’s blood ran cold as she stood frozen, staring at him in shock. Her entire body trembled. She couldn’t believe it—she hadn’t known who Bonnie really was.
How could someone like her, with no boyfriend, suddenly be a part of the Mitchell family?
Robert, not telling Winona about Claude’s plan to quietly dispose of her after the baby was born, kept his thoughts to himself. He intended to send her away to Mysonna to hide her from everything.
Winona took a deep breath, her mind racing, before slowly calming herself. She realized now that she had no one else to rely on except for Robert and Victor.
She thought, Victor has been acting strange lately. He was excited when he first found out I was pregnant, but now… now he’s becoming more and more impatient with me. Robert… he’s still my biggest support, and I can’t afford to lose him.
Fear settled over her as she thought about Yvette. If firing a gun in public didn’t get Yvette into trouble, what else does she have to fear?
But Winona wasn’t about to give up. She knew she could use her situation to her advantage.
Every dog has its day, she thought. Once I’m accepted by the Carter family, I’ll have leverage over Yvette. What if I could get rid of Claude, Victor, Rebecca… the whole Carter family?
She smiled inwardly, the plan forming in her mind. The child I’m carrying is the only legal heir. Once I give birth, Yulia—she’ll have no choice but to step aside. She’ll lose everything—her husband, her son, her daughter. Then, I’ll take over.
A sense of excitement bloomed inside her. Her wild idea took root, and it wouldn’t fade.
She steadied herself, forcing her expression to soften. She lowered her voice, appearing fragile and innocent. “I understand. I won’t say anything more. Don’t worry about it. Please… plead with Claude for me. I’ll give birth to this child to carry on the Carter family name, and I’ll stay at home. I won’t cause any more trouble.”
Seeing her “aggrieved” expression, Robert immediately softened, guilt washing over him. “I’m sorry, Winona. I didn’t mean to upset you. To make it up to you, I’ll open an account with 15 million dollars. Buy whatever you want. I know you like handbags. Get all of them, if you want.”
Winona bowed her head, silently holding back tears. She gave a small, fleeting smile, one that disappeared as quickly as it came.
Since I couldn’t use this to set up Yvette anymore, Winona thought, I might as well take advantage of this situation to get something out of it.
She knew how to handle a man like Robert.
As long as I play my cards right, he’ll follow my lead, she thought, her mind already working on her next move. First, I’ll take over the Carter family. Then… I’ll deal with Yvette.
