The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 472

Thinking of the heated, breathless nights they'd shared recently, Winona's cheeks flushed crimson. She lightly slapped his hand away. "Stop it. Overindulging is bad for your health."

Stefan's eyes crinkled with amusement, his tone completely unapologetic. "I thought I was being incredibly restrained. I wouldn't call it overindulging."

Not wanting to continue a conversation that made her heart race, Winona quickly retreated from the dining room.

On Sunday morning, Winona woke up early and slipped into her new dress, pairing it with a tailored blazer. Lexie had washed and ironed everything the night before. Having Lexie around was a godsend; Winona could focus entirely on her career without drowning in household chores. She didn't know how much Stefan paid Lexie, but given her meticulous work, Winona mentally noted that she deserved a raise.

Seeing her looking more radiant than usual, Stefan smiled. "You look beautiful today."

Winona grabbed her car keys and teased him. "Bought with your money, Mr. Goddard. Does it hurt your wallet?"

Stefan raised an eyebrow, walking over to press a soft kiss against her hair. "Spending money on you is my greatest honor."

Afraid she'd be late if they kept flirting, Winona hurried to the entryway, changed her shoes, and drove to the TV station. She checked into the makeup room and found Gavin Reed, her primary contact.

Gavin handed her the latest interview outline. "Ms. Jowett, this segment is highly technical. We'll need you to answer the questions off-script. Are you comfortable with that?"

"Not a problem," Winona nodded, sitting down to review the material.

Suddenly, a group of people walked in. Leading the pack was Tallulah Shipley.

Winona clicked the link Rhea sent and saw that Tallulah's account now boasted over fifty million followers. Her feed was a curated highlight reel: posing at exclusive galas, rubbing shoulders with business tycoons, sipping afternoon tea in luxury mansions, working out, and taking selfies with her kid. Every post had hundreds of thousands of likes, flooded with comments praising her for being "so inspiring and perfect."

Winona watched the spectacle with cold indifference. The Locke family obsessed over maintaining a quiet, old-money aesthetic. They never flaunted their wealth online. Tallulah's desperate need for attention was bound to piss them off eventually.

Just then, Stefan texted her. "8 PM. The Pinnacle Hotel, Private Room 7."

"See you there," Winona replied.

As it neared seven o'clock, she was just grabbing her coat when her phone rang. It was her aunt, Helena Jowett. "Winona, there's a situation at the salon. Can you come help me?"