The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 524

Stefan couldn't hold back a laugh.

"Who knows," he murmured, "maybe one day we really will have a baby to help with that."

***

On Thursday evening, Winona went over to Wynne's house for dinner.

The door swung open to reveal Giselle, wearing a beaming smile. "Mom told me you were coming over! I'm so glad you're here."

She immediately reached out, looping her arm affectionately through Winona's.

Winona maintained a perfectly polite smile. Though she internally recoiled at the physical contact, she allowed Giselle to drag her inside.

When Wynne saw Winona, her eyes instantly softened with genuine warmth. But seeing Giselle clinging to her real daughter immediately put her on high alert. She had to make sure this imposter didn't try anything insidious.

"Mom, it's so funny how much our tastes align," Giselle chirped. "You adore Winona, and honestly, I felt an instant connection with her too."

Wynne forced herself to play the part of a doting mother. "Well, you just moved back. You don't know many people here, and I was worried you'd have trouble adjusting. If you and Winona can become close friends, that would be wonderful."

"Don't worry about me, Mom. I adapt quickly!" Giselle said brightly.

At the dinner table, Wynne consistently placed the choicest cuts of meat and Winona's favorite dishes onto Winona's plate.

Conversely, every time Wynne served Giselle, it was a vegetable or side dish Winona detested.

Giselle looked at Wynne with a perfectly manufactured expression of concern. "Mom, you need to eat more. You've barely touched your food."

Wynne just smiled and nodded.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Giselle volunteered eagerly.

Standing on the porch was Sylvan, clutching a massive bouquet of red roses.

"Dad! You're here," Giselle greeted him warmly. "We're just having dinner, come join us."

Sylvan stepped into the foyer, his grip tightening nervously on the flowers when he spotted Wynne at the dining table. "Wynne."

Wynne slowly set her silverware down, her smile cold and sharp. "Giselle, I believe I told you he wasn't allowed in this house."

Giselle immediately looked distressed. "Mom, please. He's my father. I know you two have your history and misunderstandings, but could you just tolerate him for one meal... for me? I just want my parents to be together."

They finished their meal in comfortable peace. Afterward, Wynne had the housekeeper pack up several boxes of expensive fruit for Winona to take home. Since it was too much to carry, the housekeeper helped load it into her car.

As Winona backed out of the driveway, she noticed Sylvan's car was still idling down the street.

She let out a scoff. Sylvan really thought he could use Giselle to emotionally manipulate Wynne into taking him back. It was pathetic.

Down the street, inside Sylvan's car, he looked over at Giselle. "Wynne didn't suspect anything, did she?"

"Not at all," Giselle reassured him. "She's been treating me great. She really cares about me."

Sylvan sighed heavily. "All these years, I've put her needs above everything else. I never remarried. And yet, she treats me like a stranger."

"Don't worry, Mr. Scully. I'll keep working on her. I'll get her to forgive you."

"You're a good kid," Sylvan praised, feeling somewhat validated. He reasoned that once he found the real twins, they would naturally want their parents to reconcile too. What child didn't want a whole family?

He pulled out his phone and transferred a hefty sum to Giselle's account.

"You managed to get me face-to-face with Wynne today. Consider this a bonus. Keep putting in a good word for me, understand?"

Giselle watched the $15,000 deposit hit her bank app, her smile becoming entirely genuine. "Absolutely. You can count on me."