Christopher looked much better than he did in the video call the day before. Even the doctor considered his recovery a miracle.As soon as Winnie and Leandro entered the room, Christopher thanked the man for saving his life.Leandro had another reason for visiting Christopherâhe wanted to take the man under his wing.However, Christopher indirectly turned down the offer. âYou saved my life, so Iâm supposed to work for you in return. Sadly, Iâm of no use to you since Iâm bound to my sickbed like this.âChuckling, Leandro responded, âWhat are you talking about? The most important thing now is for you to get enough rest. I canât have you climbing out of your bed to work for me now, can I? Weâll talk again after youâve fully recovered. You and Vivian are close, and sheâs already family to us. Weâll welcome you with open arms when itâs time for you to come home.ââThatâs right.â Winnie nodded at Christopher. âAs Boss said, youâll definitely be with me. You donât need to worry about anything now. Iâll make the arrangements for you when youâre well again.âThen, the woman turned to look at Leandro.
âIsnât that right, Boss? I can still make the arrangements for him, right?ââOf course. He belongs to you, so itâs only fair that you get the final say.âIn response, Winnie simply brushed off that statement with a half-smile before voicing, âIâm glad to hear you say that, Boss. However, do you mind waiting for me outside? Chris and I have some personal matters to discuss.ââDonât let me stop you!â Leandro immediately stood up, ready to leave. âIâll get out of your hair then. Youâll have to hurry up, though. The doctor just told us that we shouldnât stay too long.âTo that, Winnie nodded understandingly before walking Leandro out of the room.As soon as Leandro left, Winnie locked the door behind her and hurried back to Christopher, whose gaze never left the woman.Christopher instinctively extended his hand to Winnie when she returned to his side.Without a second thought, the woman swiftly grabbed Christopherâs hand.She tightened her grip for but a few seconds before letting go of the man. âI donât have much time, so Iâll keep it as brief as possible.âChristopher withdrew his hand and nodded. âTell me. Is there anything I can do now?ââThere is!â Winnieâs smile instantly enlivened the atmosphere in the room. âThereâs no way Iâm going to let you lie in bed while I work my as* off.ââSure. I just so happened to be someone who canât stand doing nothing,â voiced Christopher with a chuckle.Only after that did Winnie tell the man all about how they got rescued and what happened in the past two days.âThatâs why what we have to do now is contact Xavier and my mercenaries and shake off Leandro,â concluded Winnie in the end. âHaving found our first buyer, heâs requesting that I provide a sample. On top of that, Iâve already figured out how to get out. I just need to find the right opportunity to create chaos so we can escape. However, what worries me the most is you. You canât even walk on your own, and there are so many people guarding the hospital. I have to wait until you escape first before I make my move. The alternative is we make a break for it together. If we mess this up, theyâll surely hold you hostage. We might even end up putting your life in danger.âEven though Christopher knew Winnie had a point, he still could not help but frown. âBut youâre also putting yourself in danger.âWinnie smiled nonchalantly in response to that. âDonât worry. Iâve already used up all my bad luck in my childhood, so Iâve been nothing but lucky in everything I do ever since. I believe itâll be no exception this time. You can do it too!âLooking at Winnie, Christopher nodded unconvincedly. âI donât believe in luck, but I do believe in you.âWinnie was glad that the man had unconditional confidence in her. âThatâs more like it. Seeing how youâve put your trust in me, I wonât let you down.âAfter hearing that, Christopher nodded once again with a soft smile.The man, however, was keeping something from Winnie.He wanted to tell her that he would not mind even if she disappointed him.After all, Winnie was the reason Christopher was still alive then.The woman then decided not to waste any more time. Since she could not move her right arm, Winnie extended her left arm to Christopher.âWhat are you doing?â
inquired the man, puzzled by Winnieâs action.âRemove the ring for me,â answered Winnie, wiggling her finger. âThis is our only way to reach Xavier. I tried sending him messages a few days ago, but I didnât get any response at all. Maybe he couldnât reply to my messages because he was on the move, or there could be a problem with his receiver. I donât really know what kind of situation heâs found himself in, but I believe heâs also trying to reach us. When you can do next is try to contact him again and see if you can get him to respond. It shouldnât be hard for him to find the hospital. If he can just get our messages, Iâm sure heâll be here in no time. As for us, Iâll give you a video call every day, and weâll keep in touch that way. As soon as we reach Xavier, weâll make our move. This time, weâll be sure to make it back home!âAfter nodding in silence, Christopher slowly removed the ring from Winnieâs ring finger.If the man could, he would join the fight instead of waiting to be rescued. The last thing Christopher wanted was to leave Winnie in the wolfâs den for another second.As he was powerless to turn his intention into action, Christopher chose to stay silent.Winnie could tell the man was down and why he felt that way, so she smiled at him. âYou have to make it out of here safely. Only then can you stop being a burden to me. Tell Xavier the same thing when you see him and warn him not to get in my way.ââSure,â responded Christopher.Then, Winnie nodded as she patted the man on the shoulder. âItâs getting late, so I should be going. You have to listen to the doctors and take good care of yourself.
Donât worry about me for I know what Iâm doing.âAfter the two bade each other farewell, Winnie left the room.The woman only spent less than a few minutes alone with Christopher, so when she went out, Leandro had just finished smoking a cigarette and was heading back to the room.âThat was fast. Why not chat a little longer?â Smiling, Leandro asked the woman who just came out.âWell, I wanted to keep him alive for a few more days,â joked Winnie. âThe doctor said he needed more rest, right?ââChris is lucky to have such a catch like you,â complimented Leandro before getting back to business. âWe better go back soon, then. Our buyer is still waiting for the sample. It wouldnât be nice to keep our customers waiting, would it?ââOf course not,â replied Winnie, glancing at Leandro. âDonât forget that you promised me half of the share. I expect to receive my due when you get the deposit.âLeandro was relieved when Winnie started to talk about money. âBut of course. I, your boss, will never disappoint you.âThe woman nodded in response before the two got into the car and hurried back to Leandroâs base.The manâs laboratory was much simpler than Haroldâs, and he was aware of it.In addition, Winnie could not work with her right arm, so it was unusually challenging for her to produce the sample.Leandro could see that, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had no choice but to wait patiently for Winnie to finish because he knew she would get upset if he rushed her.Just like that, two days passed in the blink of an eye.Winnie was well aware that she could not afford to take any more time, so he handed Leandro a sample that evening.The man was overjoyed when he finally got what he wanted. The buyer even allowed Winnie to chat longer with Christopher over their video call after ensuring everything was right with the sample.Leandro let Winnie have her privacy when she requested it instead of having men watch her from the side.However, Christopher was still under watchful eyes, so neither of them said anything they should not.Despite the restriction, the two had their special way of communicating, and in that exchange, Winnie heard the best news of the past few days.Christopher revealed that he had finally reached Xavier, and Winnie got so excited that she instantly broke into a big smile.It had been a while since Christopher last saw Winnie smile that happily.Even though he was glad to see the woman so uplifted, he could not stop himself from feeling depressed. Christopher could tell that he was nothing compared to Xavier in Winnieâs heart.However, the man did not want to ruin the moment. In fact, he was more than willing to make Winnie even happier, so he suddenly held his wound and grunted softly.Winnie immediately furrowed her eyebrows in concern when she saw what happened. âAre you okay? Did you tear your wound? Quickly! Ask the doctor to take a look!ââSure,â uttered Christopher weakly. âSomebodyâs doing that for me now.âWinnie nodded in response. âIâll talk to you later then. Iâve already managed to produce the sample because they gave me more time.ââNo, donât!â exclaimed Christopher abruptly. âDonât hang up just yet! The doctor can still do his thing while we talk. Iâm sureâ¦â The man was only acting that way because Leandro was still watching him. âIâm sure you want to see me for a little while longer, donât you?ââI do.
Being here alone is so boring and I donât even have anyone to talk to here.ââRight,â voiced Christopher before shifting his attention to the door. âPay attention. The physician is here.âWinnie knitted her eyebrows slightly because she did not understand the manâs words. Why should I pay attention to the doctor?When the physician Christopher mentioned appeared on screen inadvertently, Winnie widened her eyes in surprise.Even though the person was wearing a white coat and a mask, she could immediately tell who he was just by looking at his eyes.It was none other than Xavier.A glint of excitement flashed across Winnieâs eyes when she returned to her senses. Suddenly, she was in high spirits again.Xavier was just the same. Since he could not speak freely or reach out to touch Winnie, all his emotions were shown through his eyes.Christopher could not help but feel a hint of bitterness as he stared at the two.Even though Winnie promised to be with him in the next life, Christopher worried that Xavier would pursue her then too.From the looks on the coupleâs faces, it seemed he probably would not have a chance even after the next life. Winnie likely took pity on me, but itâs okay. Iâll take her word for it anyway.Xavier could not communicate with Winnie since Leandroâs men were in the room, so he only appeared briefly on screen a few times.Still, his appearance was enough to inspire powerful confidence in Winnie.As Xavier could not stay long, he said several sentences with double meanings to Christopher before leaving. âDonât worry because Iâm well aware of your condition. As long as you follow my lead, everything will be okay. Whatâs important is that you arrange your time properly to get enough rest. Iâll deal with the rest. Itâs my day off tomorrow, but Iâll be working the night shift the day after tomorrow. See you then.âWith that, Xavier glanced at Winnie through the video call before turning around to leave.âThank you, doctor!â Christopher then returned to Winnie after seeing Xavier off. âYou heard him, right? Iâm in good hands as the doctor got it all figured out.âNodding, Winnie knew exactly what Xavier was trying to say just then. He is making all the necessary arrangements, and the time is set for the night after tomorrow. As for me, Iâll have to make my escape accordingly. âIâll see if Iâm available to meet the doctor then and thank him personally.ââI look forward to that,â uttered Christopher with a nod.It was obvious that Winnie got emotional after the video call.When the woman returned the phone, she even asked for some wine.Basically, she would do that every day, so it was nothing strange to the guards.However, at that time, it was Leandro who delivered her wine.The others usually only gave her a bottle, but the man brought two cartons then. âI heard you enjoy this wine, so I brought all the bottles I have in the cellar. The buyer was very pleased with the sample. When youâre done with these two cartons, Iâll get you even better ones.âLeandro was so happy with Winnie that he opened a bottle on the spot. âThis is only but a taste of whatâs to come. Iâll throw you a feast when we get paid for the products.ââSure!â Winnie was glad that Leandro had brought her so much wine. These are all highly flammable.After grabbing two glasses, the woman began drinking with Leandro, who immediately downed his drink excitedly.Winnie, too, quickly finished her wine. âIâve been drinking alone for the past few days, and it was miserable. Today, even the wine tastes better.ââYou can really drink, canât you? I didnât believe it when they told me that you could finish a bottle on your own,â stated Leandro, laughing heartily.Winnie chuckled in response to that. âOne bottle is nothing. If it werenât for my injury, I wouldâve finished your stock already. I might drink a bottle and a half because Iâm feeling good today. Wait a second. I canât do that unless I want to lose my hand forever.ââHahaha! Iâm worried about the same for you,â voiced Leandro. âYouâre already overdoing it with one bottle and youâd better take care of your hand. Iâve already downed my glass, so feel free to enjoy the wine. When youâve recovered, Iâll build you a wine pool for you to bathe in every day.ââThat sounds fantastic! Itâs time I know what it feels like to live like a queen.ââNot a problem! Thatâs the reason we risk our lives in this business, isnât it?â
promised Leandro while patting his chest. âYou have my word.âLeandro stopped Winnie from pouring herself more wine when he thought she had had enough, so she sipped what was left in her glass savingly as she listened to his bragging.The more Leandro drank, the more chatty he became. The man told Winnie how he went from rags to riches and how Harold bullied him in his most glorious days.
In the end, he mentioned looking forward to a bright future with Winnie working by his side.Winnie simply played along as the man continued to brag.By the end of the night, Leandro got so drunk that his men had to carry him to his room.After the man left, Winnie took a walk in the garden as usual before going to bed. There was nothing to suggest that she planned to escape.In the next two days, Leandro was away while Winnie prepared to leave.The man had become less watchful of Winnie since she provided the buyer with the sample. She was granted more freedom to move about in the Zeller residence and even the right to share her opinion.Leandro did all that just to get on Winnieâs good side.Before long, the time to make her escape arrived.Even though Winnie was excited, she did not allow herself to put her guard down.She gave Christopher a video call as usual when evening came.Everything looked normal on the manâs side, so the two confirmed their operation once again before moving on to small talks.Amid their conversation, Winnie suddenly heard someone talking about her not too far away.âShe just got on a video call with the hospital not long ago,â informed somebody.Winnie knew Leandro was the only person the guards would speak so respectfully to.She immediately turned toward the voice with furrowed eyebrows, and as expected, Leandro had returned.However, the man looked different that day. His face was as grim as death, and the way he looked at Winnie was even more unusual.The woman could sense that Leandroâs sour mood was likely because of her, so her face quickly hardened.Christopher got even more suspicious when he noticed how tense Winnie was. âWhatâs wrong? Did something happen?âBefore Winnie could answer him, Leandro approached her threateningly.Winnie did not want Christopher and Xavier to worry about her.
Even if she could not make it out that day, she wished for Christopher to proceed with the escape plan.Hence, the woman smiled reassuringly at the camera. âIâm okay and everythingâs fine here. Iâll see you later!âWith that, she ended the video call and denied Christopher any chance to speak.Leandro had already sat down across Winnie at that moment.âDid you say youâre Big Black Bear?â inquired the man, gazing intently at Winnie.Winnie nodded in response to that. âYes. Whatâs wrong? Is something troubling you, Boss?ââIndeed, yes!â Leandro knitted his eyebrows tightly. âIâve met someone who claimed to be the real Big Black Bear in the past two days, and what he showed me was enough to convince me that he wasnât lying, so who are you?âWinnieâs heart almost skipped a beat when she heard that.She was ready to leave but did not expect the real Big Black Bear to appear at such a crucial moment.