Winnie was at a loss for words. It would have been more tolerable if he had only brought up Christopherâs death, but he had brought up Xavierâs name as well.Eyeing the accomplice in front of her, she scoffed, âAre you here to apologize or sow discord? If you really want me to forgive you, then donât ever appear in front of me again. Get lost.âHaving been deceived by Yulissa and having experienced Haroldâs merciless torture, Nate had become a more collected person.He would not fly into a rage even if Winnie were to chase him out of the house that instant. âOkay. Iâll leave. Just call me if thereâs anything I can do to help. Iâll do my very best.ââForget it,â snapped Winnie, watching him leave. She did not return to the room until she heard a car engine coming to life.Xavier was looking out the window when she entered.Hearing the door close, he immediately let go of the curtains and turned around.He fixed his eyes on her and asked, âIs Nate gone? How did the conversation go? Did he make you angry? Why do you look so terrible?ââNo.â Winnie walked over and hugged him, pressing her face against his chest. âItâs just that I havenât made peace with myself. He mentioned Christopher again, and it made my heart feel heavy. He said I hate you when in reality, I donât. But heâs right about one thing. I avoided you. Thatâs what I wanted to talk to you about. Weâve talked about many things and cleared up many misunderstandings, but I havenât bared my soul to you. Remember the time when I went hiking? I actually encountered an avalanche. The kind of force that can swallow an entire mountain is horrifying.
When I watched the blocks of snow fall continuously, I suddenly realized how small and weak a human life can be in the face of a disaster. I think Iâve figured it out. His death was undeniably a sad and tragic incident, but not every tragedy can be avoided. It has already happened, and thereâs nothing we can do to reverse it. What we can do now is appreciate everything we have. On top of that, we must do everything in our power to make it up to his family. I was actually feeling horrible before telling you all this. I feel much better now. Xavier⦠weâve wronged him.âXavierâs heart broke when he heard the woman he loved blaming herself. âNo. Itâs not your fault. I was the one who wronged him. Iâll do my best to make it up to his family.âWinnie nodded, the resentment she held against him slowly disappearing.The next morning, Winnie was awakened by Xavier.Having just gotten rid of her burden last night, she finally had the chance to get some proper sleep without having any nightmares.She rolled over, reluctant to get up. âWhy are you up so early? We donât have to work today.ââGet up now!â
Xavier scooped Winnie up from the bed. âWe donât have to work today, but weâre supposed to meet your grandparents, remember? Itâs not a good idea to be late. Donât tell me youâve forgotten all about it.ââHow could I? Whatâs the time now anyway?â Winnie struggled to open her eyes.Xavier quickly glanced at his phone and said, âItâs already six-fifty in the morning.ââWhat? Itâs only six-fifty. Are you feeling nervous?â Winnie asked, wanting to lie back down. Seeing she was about to lie down again, Xavier had no choice but to scoop her up again. âI am, so please wake up now.âHis words seemed to have gotten rid of her sleepiness.She sat up immediately and said, âThatâs rare. Youâre not even afraid of Wilhelm, yet youâre feeling nervous about meeting my grandparents? Well, I guess it makes sense.
Theyâre the duke and duchess, after all. Relax. My grandparents are kind and gentle people. Besides, youâve passed Wilhelmâs test yesterday. They wonât make things difficult for you. Come on. Letâs get ready. Hmm⦠Your clothes from yesterday are wet, so you canât wear that. Looks like weâve got to hurry and get you a new set of clothes.âAs he brushed her fringe, he said, âThereâs no need for that.
Iâve already prepared them, including the gifts. Help me screen through the gifts, will you? Iâm not sure if theyâll like them.ââAll right. Letâs go.â Winnie got to her feet.The moment they arrived in the living room, Winnie spotted three huge luggage on the carpet.Frowning, Winnie questioned, âIf my memory serves me right, you arrived with only one luggage yesterday. Why are there three now?ââYouâre right. I only had one luggage yesterday. It had gifts for your grandparents. The other two contain clothes. I got someone to bring it over this morning when you were sleeping like a pig.ââHmph, youâre the pig,â
countered Winnie while opening the luggage containing the gifts.As soon as she opened it, her eyes lit up. âWow, looks like someone did their research. You bought all the things they like. A high-quality coffee pot for Grandpa, the coffee lover, and a complete jewelry set made of emeralds for Grandma, who loves emeralds. Iâm sure theyâll love it. Thank you, Xavier.âHer way of thanking him was too formal that it left Xavier stunned. âWhy are you thanking me?âWinnie explained matter-of-factly, âWell, because Iâm grateful for everything youâve done for me and that youâre a thoughtful person.âXavier could not help but smile. âIsnât that a given, silly? Donât ever thank me in the future, you understand?ââWhy do I feel that youâre trying to teach me what to do?ââAre you unhappy about that?
Well, you can teach me instead.âTime flew by as they continued joking with each other.By the time they arrived at Speiser Manor, it was already nine oâclock in the morning.On their way there, Winnie had assured Xavier that they were not meeting many people that day. The main people they were meeting were her grandparents and Wilhelm.Still, Winnie realized Xavierâs palms were sweaty as they approached the living room.However, Winnie knew Xavierâs fear of meeting Joshua and Emily was because of his love for her and the fact that they were her grandparents.She held his hand tightly, not letting it go until they arrived before the elders.As Winnie said, Emily looked kind and gentle, but Joshua, on the other hand, exuded a majestic aura.After exchanging a few words with Xavier, Joshua suddenly said, âIâm glad youâve passed Wilhelmâs test, but thatâs not the end. If you really want to marry Winnie, you have to promise us a few things.â