The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 499

Winona looked at her with cool indifference. "I've known Wynne for a fraction of the time you have. Do you really think I hold enough power to single-handedly destroy a decades-long friendship? If I could break your bond that easily, maybe your friendship wasn't worth much to begin with."

Willow opened her mouth to argue, but paused. Deep down, she knew Wynne wasn't the type of woman to sever a lifelong tie based on office gossip.

So why the sudden cold shoulder?

Ignoring Willow's spiraling crisis, Winona walked through the front doors alongside Stefan and Forrest.

With Ryder temporarily back in the capital handling corporate affairs, Wynne was hosting them entirely on her own.

The moment Wynne laid eyes on Winona and Forrest, her vision blurred with unshed tears.

Swallowing the massive lump in her throat, she forced herself to keep it together and quickly ordered the maid to bring out some coffee.

Winona smiled warmly. "It's such a small world. I can't believe you and Forrest know each other."

Wynne's eyes darted between them, her voice impossibly soft. "You two go way back?"

"Yeah, we've been friends for a while now," Winona nodded.

A profound wave of joy washed over Wynne. The fact that her twins had somehow found each other and formed a bond on their own felt like a miracle. It certainly made orchestrating future family dinners much easier.

Wynne reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, velvet-lined box, handing it to Winona. "Congratulations on winning the Distinguished Scientific Contributor Award. I wanted to get you a little something to celebrate."

Winona accepted it with a grateful smile. "Thank you so much."

She opened the box to reveal a delicately crafted bracelet. Its elegant, understated design made it difficult to gauge its actual astronomical value, making Winona hesitate for only a second before graciously accepting it.

Wynne leaned in to personally fasten the clasp around Winona's wrist. As she did, she noticed the dazzling, high-end luxury watch Winona was wearing. "Oh, that watch is absolutely stunning. It pairs perfectly with the bracelet."

"Stefan gave it to me," Winona said, a hint of a blush rising to her cheeks.

Wynne's heart swelled with approval. She had watched Stefan grow from a serious boy into a formidable man, and she knew his character was impeccable. She had briefly worried his famously icy demeanor meant he wouldn't know how to properly cherish a wife, but seeing the quiet adoration between them put all her fears to rest.

Forrest chimed in, "Congratulations on the award, Winona."

Winona thanked him with a bright smile.

Sensing the awkward tension, Stefan seamlessly stepped in to run interference. "Don't worry about it, Forrest. Wynne has always been incredibly maternal with the younger generation. When I was a kid and caught a fever, my grandfather would quarantine me in the guest house so he wouldn't catch it. My parents were always working, so it was actually Wynne who would come over and nurse me back to health."

Hearing the explanation, Forrest instantly relaxed. He chalked Wynne's overbearing concern up to her simply being a genuinely warm, nurturing woman.

After lunch, Wynne had the staff load two massive crates of premium fruit into their cars.

"These are durian and cherries, grown right on our family's private farm. They're incredibly fresh and packed with nutrients. Please, take them all."

She was practically bursting with the urge to manage every aspect of their lives—to cook their meals, buy them estates, fill their bank accounts—but she had to lock all those desperate, motherly instincts away behind a polite smile.

Seeing it was just fruit, Winona and Forrest graciously accepted.

With afternoon meetings lined up, Forrest politely thanked Wynne and took his leave. Winona and Stefan followed suit shortly after.

Standing on the porch watching their cars disappear down the driveway, a hollow ache opened in Wynne's chest.

Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Ryder: "Did the lunch with the kids go well?"