The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 153

"Your moves today, Mr. Fan… I can't keep up," Winona said, catching her breath. "I'm going to take a short break."

Stefan watched her quietly, then nodded and walked over to a nearby bench.

Seeing him so persistently silent, Winona's curiosity got the better of her. She went and sat down beside him.

"Are you in a bad mood today, Mr. Fan?" she asked softly.

His mask hid his expression, but she could feel a wave of melancholy coming from him.

Wanting to cheer him up, she suddenly said, "How about I tell you a joke?"

Stefan didn't respond.

She went on anyway. "What do you call a fake noodle?"

Still, silence.

Winona answered her own question. "An impasta! Cheesy, right?"

Stefan remained quiet.

Winona chuckled to herself for a moment, then felt a flush of embarrassment when she realized he wasn't laughing. As the silence stretched, she was debating whether to escape to the restroom to diffuse the awkwardness when Stefan's long fingers gently patted the top of her head.

"Mm."

Winona froze. The sound of his voice was familiar, but she told herself it couldn't possibly be him. There was no way Stefan would be here, teaching her how to fence.

She shook the thought from her head, scolding herself for such a wild idea.

*

Tallulah Shipley had been on leave for a while now. Winona saw from her Twitter that she was feeling down, which was affecting her health, so she was resting at home. Of course, Yulen Locke was right there with her.

As soon as she stepped inside, her eyes landed on a man's bare back. His waist was lean and powerful, the lines of his muscles perfectly defined—trim and incredibly sexy.

Winona paused for a few seconds before her senses returned. She looked down, her face flushing red, mumbled an apology, and quickly shut the door.

Stefan glanced back at the closed door, his brow furrowing.

Winona stood outside for a moment, her mind a complete mess. For some reason, that back looked incredibly familiar.

She quickly suppressed the thought once again. It was probably just a coincidence. After all, she mused, handsome men are often cut from the same cloth. Nothing to be surprised about.

The door opened, and Stefan emerged, fully dressed. He was still wearing his mask.

Winona fought the urge to pull it off, managing an awkward greeting instead. "Mr. Fan, just now… I'm so sorry, I didn't do it on purpose. But don't worry, I didn't see anything."

Stefan remained silent and walked toward the practice floor. Winona figured he hadn't given it a second thought and followed him.