The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 463

"Ryder Powell, is this how you take care of Wynne?! How could you let her return to Riverton all by herself? It's your fault she got into this accident!"

Ryder was so consumed by thoughts of his wife fighting for her life that his mind was a mess; he didn't even register what Sylvan was saying.

Sylvan relentlessly continued his tirade, while Ophelia—Ryder's own adopted daughter—stood by, doing absolutely nothing to defend him.

Winona couldn't stand it anymore. She walked over, supported Ryder, and said to Sylvan, "Mr. Scully, with Wynne in the ER, Mr. Powell is hurting more than anyone. It's highly inappropriate for an outsider like you to stand here berating her family."

The word "outsider" ruthlessly pierced Sylvan's inflated ego once again. Yes, he and Wynne were legally divorced. Wynne's lawful husband was Ryder. Sylvan had absolutely no right to do or say anything on her behalf. His chest suddenly felt hollowed out, a gaping void where his pride had been. If he had known he was going to lose Wynne forever, he would never have made that catastrophic mistake all those years ago.

Noticing how awful Ryder looked, Winona gently helped him to a seat nearby.

Ryder stared unblinkingly at the digital display above the operating room doors until it finally indicated that the surgery was complete. He immediately stood up and stumbled toward the entrance.

The surgeon and nurses emerged. Wynne was still unconscious.

"My wife... how is she?" Ryder's voice trembled.

"The patient suffered severe traumatic brain injury from the collision," the doctor explained gently. "While the surgery was successful, her neurological recovery remains uncertain. She is currently in a deep coma, and we cannot predict when she will wake up. There is a significant risk of long-term cognitive impairment, including the possibility of a permanent vegetative state. We will continue to closely monitor her vitals, but the family needs to prepare for the worst."

Hearing that Wynne might never wake up, Ryder's eyes turned red. "Wynne... no. You can't just leave me here alone."

Given the delicate situation, Stefan decided this wasn't the right time to reveal the DNA results to Winona. It was best to wait until Wynne woke up. Otherwise, learning the truth now would only devastate Winona further.

Outside the ward, Yulen was about to go find Winona, but Camille stopped him. Grabbing his arm, she whispered, "Yulen, let me repeat what I told you before. Focus on the company for now and leave Winona alone. You just saw how coldly Margaret treated her. Winona is never going to get her happily-ever-after with Stefan. Once she hits a wall with the Goddard family, she'll come running back."

She paused, letting her words sink in. "Think about it. Winona is gorgeous, but she can't have kids. What elite family is going to accept that? Besides, after being with you and Stefan, she won't settle for some average guy. So, in the end, you will be her best option."

Camille had seen plenty of women try to climb the social ladder. Once they experienced the dazzling heights of elite society, they could never revert to an ordinary life. Very few could handle that kind of brutal fall from grace.

Yulen thought his sister made a lot of sense. Yet he was terrified that Winona might truly fall in love with Stefan—and even more terrified that they would sleep together. However, knowing how conservative Winona had always been—they had never even crossed that final line while dating—he reasoned that as long as she and Stefan weren't officially married, they wouldn't be intimate.