Chapter 35

Drake watched Winnie’s astonished expression without a flicker of emotion and said, “I spilled the beans to the Sanchez family about your true identity, leading them to confront the Bryant family indirectly causing you to run away from home.”

He felt it was his responsibility to make amends.

Winnie was speechless. Just moments before, she had been worried he’d found out about the little stunt she pulled, pocketing his lucky gold aura.

So this was all it was about?

Was Boss Drake really so gullible? Could he be taken in by such an obvious ploy?

Of course. Drake knew this was just a ruse cooked up by Horace to get him to back her up. But even if it was a ruse, as long as it could convince him, it wasn’t considered being hoodwinked.

Yesterday, although she hadn’t explicitly asked him to keep her identity a secret, he had indeed revealed her connection to the Bryant family without her consent. Just for that. Drake would not shirk his responsibility.

A Drake’s compulsion for order included a need to be thorough and exact in his dealings.

Winnie was about to tell him he didn’t need to take responsibility, but her gaze inadvertently fell on his left arm.

She had seen it clear as day, the moment Kathryn had accidentally bumped into this big boss. the dark aura that had been clinging to her seemed to be diminished by Drake’s gold aura.

That gold aura was like a fire that could disperse any malign presence that came too close to him.

Winnie found herself wanting a piece of that gold aura.

Thinking this, she dropped the pleasantries, “So, can I come to you if I run into trouble in the future?”

“No.” replied Drake.

Winnie fell into silent again. Wasn’t he about to take responsibility?

Reading the confusion in her eyes, Drake rarely offered an explanation, “You’ve moved back to the Bryant family. My responsibility ended the moment that happened.”

So Boss Drake’s responsibility was a one–time deal. Miscalculation!

True to his reputation, Drake, like most loners, disliked such social gatherings and quickly made his exit after speaking with Winnie.

Winnie realized that if she wanted to climb the social ladder with this influential man, she’d have to be a bit more cunning.

Luckily for her, she wasn’t in a hurry.

As she turned to leave a playful female voice caught her attention, “Mr. Patterson is notoriously elusive. You’ll regret it if you set your sights on him.”

Winnie turned to see the girl who had earlier mocked Kathryn. The girl, roughly her age, had striking features, her hair elegantly pinned to show off her graceful neck.

She looked at Winnie with a half–smile, her voice free of malice.

“Do you like Drake?” Winnie asked, knowing that those who warn other women off are usually smitten themselves.

To her surprise, the girl looked as if she’d heard a terrifying tale, her expression filled with horror. “I’d have to be tired of living to fall for that devil.”

Winnie raised an eyebrow. This was the second time she’d heard him referred to in this way.

“Thanks for the tip, but I’ll decide how close I get.” replied Winnie. Her meaning was clear- thanks, but I’ll pass on the advice.

The girl Delia Lopez gave Winnie an odd look before off her concern, “Suit yourself. I just thought you were clear–headed when you cut ties with your foster parents so neatly, so I felt like giving you a heads up.”

She then extended her hand with a smile, “Delia Lopez, by the way. Lopez Property Ventures is my family’s business.”

Winnie, never one to be standoffish with well–intentioned folks and appreciating Delia’s candidness, shook her hand warmly, “You’ve got some bad romance coming your way, watch out for those who make you feel indebted to them.”

Delia was surprised. She hadn’t expected Winnie to change the subject so abruptly. “You… really believe in this stuff?”

She thought Winnie had just been calling out the Henderson family’s schemes.

“I don’t just believe it, I study it. If you need to ward off any shady characters, you can come to me.” Winnie offered.

Delia was stunned. Ms. Bryant sure seemed a tad eccentric.

Meanwhile, at the Henderson household, the family returned home in near silence.

Throughout the ride, even with no one else around, Suzan kept her mouth tightly shut, as if fearing she might spill more secrets.

Quincy had been out for a dinner meeting and hadn’t expected his family to return so soon. As he stepped through the door, he was met by the sight of irate Barton, a tearful sister, and his mother, inexplicably covering her mouth as she entered.

“What happened here?” he began, but before he could finish, Barton, who had just come in, swung around and landed a harsh slap across Suzan’s face “Ah!” Caught off guard, Suzan was sent sprawling to the floor.

Kathryn, still wallowing in self–pity, was stunned. Quincy’s face turned pale as he rushed forward, “Dad! What are you doing?”

But Barton, ignoring son’s protests, raised his foot to kick Suzan. His face was a mask of uncharacteristic fury.

“You’re the reason our family name is dragged through the mud, Suzan! You’ve turned the Henderson legacy into a town joke! I swear, I’ll kill you right now!”

Quincy’s face turned ashen at his father’s outburst. His usually gentle father had transformed into a storm of rage. Weren’t they supposed to attend the Bryant family’s dinner party tonight to smooth things over and salvage their business partnership?

How had it come to this?

Kathryn jumped at the harsh tone she had never heard before. Her voice quivered with hurt as she spoke, “Dad! Please, you’re scaring me Her plea only fanned the flames of Barton’s anger.

“And you! I haven’t even begun with you! You and your mother knew all along that Winnie was the Bryant heiress, and you kept me in the dark. I thought you were on my side, trying to secure that deal with the Bryant family. Turns out, you two are the real culprits!”

Kathryn trembled as Barton’s thunderous voice echoed through the room.

Suzan, seeing her daughter in distress, stood up with effort and pulled Kathryn into her arms, no longer holding back.

“Barton! How dare you yell at Kathryn like that? She’s your own daughter! It’s not our fault your couldn’t deal with Winnie. And you–acting all meek and mild in public, like a well–behaved puppy, and then you throw your tantrums at home! You fucking coward!”

Even Quincy was taken aback. Could these really be the words coming from his mother’s mouth?