Chapter 14
Matthew was in a pickle, his thumbs hovering over the keyboard as he typed out and deleted messages for what felt like an eternity.
Then, a new message from Winona flashed on his screen: [Matt, I’ve been waiting here for fifteen minutes and nothing. Are you crafting a novel or something?]
He glanced down at his chat and saw he’d only typed: [Sent the wrong messages.]
Matthew paused, his thoughts whirling. Would just sending those words upset Winona?‘ He fretted, his brow creasing as he tried to rephrase his message.
After some thought, he finally typed out a long explanation and sent it: [My bad, those messages were meant for someone else. They weren’t for you.]
Matthew held his breath, waiting for Winona’s reply. He silently wished she wouldn’t guess he was considering ending their engagement. ‘Maybe she’d wonder who the messages were for and reach out to find out,‘ he thought with hope.
Two minutes ticked by with no response from Winona. Worried she might think he was blowing her off, Matthew quickly followed up with another message. [Sorry, got caught up in something. Didn’t mean to leave you hanging.]
Still, no reply came from Winona. Matthew waited, his patience wearing thin as fifteen minutes dragged by without a peep. He fidgeted, his grip tightening around the pen he was holding.
Glancing absentmindedly at the assistant who had just brought a coffee for him, he asked with a detached tone, “What would make a woman ignore her fiancé’s texts?”
The assistant set the coffee down and responded, “Usually, it’s because she’s angry.”
“Angry?” Matthew repeated, pausing mid–sip. The coffee sloshed over his hand. The assistant quickly reached for a napkin to help, but Matthew shied away, avoiding the touch.
Remembering Matthew’s aversion to being touched, the assistant backed off and advised, “Mr. Langford, that coffee’s hot. You should run your hand under cold water before you get burned.”
Matthew dismissed him with a casual flick of his wrist. “I’ve got it. You can go.”
As the assistant left, Matthew’s composed facade crumbled. Panicking, he snatched up his phone and hastily typed a message to Winona: [I got caught up with work. I really didn’t mean to take so long to reply.]
A few minutes passed with no response from Winona, and he sent another message, his frustration and worry seeping through. [Winona, please don’t be mad. I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you.]
So engrossed was he in awaiting Winona’s reply that he completely forgot about the coffee spill on his hand. Painful blisters began to form, but still, no word came from Winona.
Matthew’s eyes turned cold and fierce, a stark contrast to the anticipation that had filled them moments before.
He radiated an icy, menacing aura as he barked into his phone, calling his bodyguard, Todd Chance. “Todd, I need you to track down Winona’s location and activities. I want a report in five minutes,” he demanded.
Todd responded without hesitation, “On it, Mr. Langford.”
Winona had just sent the teasing message to Matthew, wondering if he was writing a novel, when her phone buzzed with an incoming call.
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Chapter 14
She glanced at the screen and saw Travis’s name. Recalling her plan, she swiftly exited WhatsApp and answered the call. “Hey. Travis, is that you?” she asked.
“It’s me. Winona,” Travis responded, his voice taking on a dramatic, almost theatrical quality.
“Oh. Travis, shouldn’t you be swamped? How come you have time to call me?” Winona inquired, feigning surprise.
“Well, I miss you.” “Travis said smoothly, “No matter how busy I get, I always find time for you.”
Winona smirked, feigning innocence as she asked, “But when I was in the hospital, you never called, did you?”
Travis put on a caring acts “Winona, I didn’t mean to ignore you, I was on a film set where phones were banned.
“Even though I wasn’t there in person, I was thinking about you all the time, and in spirit, I was right by your side. You’re my everything in this world
Winona rolled her eyes, barely containing her disgust. She’d had enough of Travis’s act. “Why’d you call me out of the blue?” she asked.
I’ve got a surprise for you, Travis announced.
Winona’s voice was frosty. “What is it?” she asked.
Just close your eyes and count to five,” Travis instructed. “You’ll find out.”
Winona did as he said. “One… two… three… four… five,” she counted, her voice trailing off. She opened her eyes slowly, and there they were: a bouquet of vibrant red roses, their soft scent wafting through the air.
Winona glanced up at Travis, feigning delight as she took in the roses. “These are beautiful! Thanks, Travis,” she said.
“You outshine any rose,” Travis replied, his eyes lingering on Winona’s bandaged head and her heavy frame. He struggled to hide his revulsion as he handed her the flowers. “These 365 roses are a symbol of my love for you,” he added, his voice thick with insincerity.
Winona let out an exaggerated gasp, her hands flying to her cheeks. “Travis, you’re incredible!” she gushed. “I’m so touched.”
Travis handed the roses to Winona with a self–satisfied grin. “Go ahead, take ‘em. It’s my way of showing how much you mean to me,” he said.
He’d been warned by Morgan yesterday that Winona’s intelligence had returned, and she wasn’t as easily fooled as before.
He’d been skeptical, but seeing her now, he could tell she was indeed back to her old self. Even so, she still seemed naive, as if she’d be easy to fool.
Winona dropped her gaze, masking her disdain as she spoke softly. “This bouquet is huge. Could you hold it for me?”
Pausing, she added, “After Aunt Morgan and Felicia finish up, we can all go to Regal Heights Hotel for dinner.” She had a surprise in store for Travis there, one he’d never forget.
“Sure thing.” Travis replied, nodding. He figured Morgan and Felicia wouldn’t be much longer and didn’t give it a second. thought.
Regal Heights Hotel was the epitome of luxury and prestige in Nexland, a place where the rich and famous stayed and where state banquets were held.
In the past, the head chef was Prescott Reed, who had cooked for royalty in his day. As he aged, he saved his culinary mastery for a select few, passing the torch to his protégé.
Put simply, only the wealthiest and most elite could afford to dine at this hotel.
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Chapter 14
Even though many celebrities from the entertainment industry had visited Regal Heights Hotel, none had been lucky enough to have a meal prepared by the legendary Prescott himself, though they all longed to taste his famous dishes.
However, whenever Winona brought guests to Regal Heights Hoel, Prescott would always step out of his usual routine and insist on cooking for her personally.
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