The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 174

Tallulah, however, was seething, her fists clenched in anger. What did Winona have that she didn't? Why would Nolan give the leadership role to her?

“I’ll do my best, Nolan. You can count on me,” Winona replied calmly.

“Mr. Goddard, Mr. Locke, and I have another meeting,” Nolan added. “Join us for lunch afterward.”

“Alright,” Winona agreed and headed for the elevator.

Tallulah hurried after her, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “That was quite a show. Did you just make up all that data on the spot?”

Winona spun around, her eyes sharp. She delivered three sharp, stinging slaps to Tallulah’s face in quick succession. The sharp sounds echoed in the quiet hallway, leaving Tallulah stunned.

“Winona, you hit me!” Tallulah shrieked, outraged.

“And I’d do it again,” Winona retorted coldly. “Don’t play dumb. I know you deleted my presentation.”

“Where’s your proof? You can’t just accuse me without any proof.”

“Ha! Do I look like I need proof to deal with you?” Winona sneered. “You’re the only one in this office pathetic enough to pull a stunt like that. No one else is that stupid.”

Tallulah gritted her teeth. “I’m going to tell Yulen!”

“Go ahead,” Winona said with a chilling smile. “You think I don’t have proof? What do you think your precious Yulen will say when I show it to him? This project is crucial to Locke Group’s interests, and you keep pulling these idiotic stunts. Do you really think he loves you enough to ignore that? Are you not afraid he’ll kick you out of the company?”

Just then, the door to the private room opened. “Nolan, I knew it was you,” said a handsome, elegantly dressed young man who clearly came from a privileged background.

Nolan’s face lit up. “Mr. Hartley, what a surprise!” He shook Julian Hartley’s hand before introducing him to the others. “Everyone, this is Julian Hartley, our former VP of R&D. He left to start his own company and is now the CEO of Juno Biotech.”

Yulen’s father recognized him as well. “Mr. Hartley, you’ve been too modest. If I hadn’t run into your father at a dinner party the other day and heard him singing your praises, I’d have never known you once worked so quietly at Goddard Group.”

“You’re too kind, Mr. Locke,” Julian replied with practiced humility. “Juno Biotech’s position in Riverton can’t compare to Locke Group’s. I still have much to learn from you.”

“Not at all,” Yulen interjected smoothly. “Locke Group isn’t my achievement; I’m merely benefiting from my father’s legacy. I’d much rather be like you, Mr. Hartley, and build something of my own from the ground up.”

Winona listened to Yulen’s polished words and could barely contain her scorn.