The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 546

When she first married Stefan, she had hoped they could just be a normal couple, free from all the twisted strings of corporate interests.

But now, her perspective had shifted.

There was no such thing as a perfect, isolated fairytale romance.

She needed to grow alongside him and face the brutal realities of life together.

Living inside the protective bubble he had built for her was easy and carefree, but she didn't want to exist in a vacuum. She wanted to stand by him in the messy, ruthless real world.

Seeing her absolute resolve, Stefan finally gave in and told her the truth.

"The first time I got hurt was indeed because my mother barged into my office causing a scene. She threatened me with a knife, and I got cut when I tried to disarm her."

Winona frowned deeply.

Why were the people around him so emotionally unhinged? The moment they snapped, their only move was to threaten others through self-harm.

"Was she trying to force us to break up?" she asked.

Stefan grabbed a tablet, pulled up a corporate organizational chart, and handed it to her. "Not this time. This is about corporate greed. Goddard Group operates across real estate, energy, infrastructure, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, biotech, and food. Within all of that is a beverage subsidiary called Cirrus Beverages, which my grandfather founded when he was young.

"It's currently run by Mr. Harrison, an old business partner of his. Because their marketing and management are archaic, and the company is choked with old-timers protecting their own interests, the brand has been bleeding money for over twenty years. But before my grandfather passed, he made it clear that this brand was where he made his first fortune. He called it the roots of the Goddard family, and ordered us to never let it die.

"Because of that mandate, Goddard Group pumps eight hundred million into it every single year just to keep it afloat, despite the massive losses.

"Three months ago, Mr. Harrison was diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer. He has to step down. Now, my uncles from both sides of the family, along with a pack of other shareholders, are circling like vultures for the general manager position.

"An annual eight hundred million budget with zero pressure to actually generate revenue—how could they not fight to the death over it? Even my mother couldn't resist the temptation and is trying to secure the spot for my uncle."

Winona was confused. "If they want to fight over it, let them fight. Why would that result in you getting attacked?"

Stefan sighed. "My original plan was to freeze them out. Let them exhaust all their resources tearing each other apart, and then quietly install my own candidate when the dust settled. But my uncle seemed to catch on to my strategy. He sent people after me, hoping that if I was hospitalized, he could bribe the board and swallow Cirrus Beverages whole before I could stop him."

She let out a breath, realizing for the first time that being Mrs. Goddard was going to be an incredibly heavy burden.

Stefan pinched her cheek gently. "It's really not a big deal. Stop spiraling. I'm going to take a shower."

When he came out dressed in loungewear, she wasn't in the bedroom.

He walked out to the living room, didn't see her, and finally checked the study. She was sitting at the desk, deeply engrossed in a book.

He walked over. "Still have work to finish?"

His gaze dropped to the cover, and he let out a soft laugh. "Why are you suddenly reading up on corporate management?"

"Because I want us to have more in common," she said seriously. "If you're dealing with a nightmare at work, I want you to be able to talk to me about it. Maybe I can actually help you strategize."

Stefan chuckled. "My wonderful wife, does this mean I need to start reading up on pharmaceutical R&D so we can debate lab protocols?"