Chapter 161
True Tycoon Her Empire, Her Rules
Winnie, since joining the show, had rarely made waves or sought attention.
Kane had noticed that whenever she did decide to speak up, it usually meant she had spotted something important.
Following her gaze to the couple she had just addressed, Kane pondered what could be so special about them.
Surely, they werenât another pair of cheaters.
The Couple stopped by Winnie were clearly older than the typical lovebirds staying at the bed. and breakfast. Instead of looking like honeymooners, they bore the comfortable air of a longâmarried couple.
His eyes fell on the rings on their fingers, and understanding dawned on him. They were indeed married.
Technically, this didnât align with the showâs target demographic of couples in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, yet Kane didnât interject. He had a hunch that Winnie had a reason. for approaching them.
âHello,â Winnie started with a friendly smile. âWeâre shooting a paranormal investigation show. and we're looking for a couple to join us in a challenge. Would you be interested?â
The couple, unfazed by the camera swinging their way, came across as naturally at ease.
The wife, taken aback at first, quickly broke into a warm smile.
âYou mean âGhostly Guidanceâ? The innkeeper mentioned it, but my husband and | are checking out this afternoon, so,|âm afraid we can't. Sorry about that.â
She had the kind of soft intellectual charm that immediately put others at ease, and her husband, smiling gently at her side, seemed content to let her take the lead.
Their tender, caring dynamic was a breath of fresh air to the viewers who had witnessed far less wholesome interactions on the show.
Comments started pouring in from the live feed:
âFinally, some real relationship goals compared to those other train wrecks.â
âIs the B&B âcurseâ going to skip them? They're solid.â
âBut are they even the kind of couple the show is looking for?â
âWhy did Winnie invite them then?â
âKane looked like he was onto something.
When the wife politely declined, Winnie didnât press further, but her gaze lingered on the woman. Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out a small velvet pouch, causing Kane to 1/3 1349 blink in surprise.
The viewers were equally stunned.
âWait, isnât that the protective charm the crew handed out for safety?â
âWhy would she give that away? What does she know?â
Despite the viewersâ virtual protests, Winnie handed the pouch to the wife.
âIf you're not up for the filming, at least take this,â she said, holding out the velvet pouch. âItâs a protection charm from the crew, for safety. Please keep it with you.â
The wife hesitated, a puzzled frown crossing her face as she looked to her husband for guidance.
Upon seeing the charm, a fleeting shadow crossed his eyes, but it quickly passed and was replaced by a polite demeanor. âWe couldnât possibly accept that,â he said, âWe donât believe in such things.â
His voice was soft and polite, but Winnieâs sharp gaze seemed to pierce through the pleasantries.
âShe is your wife. If a simple charm can keep her safe, wouldnât you want that?â
There was an edge to Winnieâs tone, and Kane felt the tension. The husband locked eyes with Winnie for a moment longer, then relented.
Though still a bit bewildered, the wife accepted the charm and thanked Winnie before the couple left the dining area.
Once they were gone, Kane turned to Winnie, curiosity etched on his face, momentarily forgetting the camera was still rolling.
âDid you give them your protection charm because you sensed something?â
The same question was on everyoneâs minds, both within the showâs crew and among the online audience. The significance of the protection charm had been stressed that morning, and it was a lifeline, and Winnie had just casually handed hers away.
Something was off.
Online speculations ran wild, and was the couple cursed or haunted, like Mr. Henderson from the previous episode?
Winnie didnât dodge the question, âSheâs facing a severe threat soon.â Her words were calm but carried an eerie weight that settled over Kane.
He frowned, processing her words.
âYou're not going to warn her?â
Kane trusted Winnieâs intuition, but if she was so certain, why not try to warn them more directly?
Winnie glanced at him, the frustration clear in her eyes, âNo evidence.â
Kane assumed she meant there was no tangible proof of the metaphysical danger that would convince the skeptical couple.
But what the viewers and Kane didnât know was that Winnieâs reluctance was rooted in something else, and the crime hadnât happened yet.
She had no evidence.
The chat exploded with messages as viewers tried to alert the couple to the danger they might be facing.
But just like their interaction with Winnie, it seemed their disbelief in the paranormal would keep them from heeding the viewersâ
frantic warnings, ignorant of the showâs true nature and the potential peril awaiting them.
Some viewers criticized Winnie, arguing that if she was aware of the danger, she should have spoken up to warn women to be on their guard. Whether people believed the warning or not. wasnât the point, and the point was to give them a heads-up.
Failing to do so, they claimed, was akin to being an accessory to murder.
Winnie's fans fired back with snark, asking if the critics were for.real. âShe gave away her only Protection Charm, what more do you want from her?â they retorted online.
No one was going to pay attention if she started chasing strangers around, telling them they were about to die. Winnie wasnât obligated to do any more than she had.
Giving someone a Protection Charm was already going above and beyond.
Despite the drama, even after Winnie and Kane successfully teamed up with the couple for their live broadcast, the online audience couldn't stop thinking about the couple that had almost left the show.
Some netizens even took to social media, trying to track down the coupleâs family and friends in a bid to pass on the warning.
Their actions seemed less about concern and more about curiosity.
They were all dying to know, and what exactly did this âsevere threatâ look like?