The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 562

Winona's jaw dropped. "Your Aunt Renie is that ruthless?"

"Very," Stefan replied coolly. "She was convinced he was keeping mistresses and caught something lethal."

Winona suddenly remembered the medical waste incident she had orchestrated against Orion Goddard. "Wait, so does he actually have HIV?"

"Of course not. I just had the doctors alter his medical records to put the fear of God into him."

Winona sighed, feigning disappointment. "What a shame."

*

The next morning, Stefan headed to the Goddard Group offices while Winona paid a visit to Professor Bell's residence.

Valor Bell greeted her with a warm smile. "Jericho mentioned you took the lead on the ADC project. How are the clinical trials progressing?"

Winona gave him a detailed update on the lab work and pitched a few of her own innovative theories. Mr. Bell offered some brilliant insights before standing up. "I actually have two of my personal research notebooks that cover this exact topic. Let me grab them for you; they might spark some inspiration."

Winona was deeply moved. Being handed his personal notes was a massive honor, and she thanked him profusely.

By noon, Mr. Bell insisted she stay for lunch. They were just sitting down when the doorbell rang. The housekeeper opened it to find Karina Shepherd standing on the porch.

Seeing the door about to shut, Karina desperately shouted into the house, "Mr. Bell, please! Just give me one more chance! I brought a new paper, just take a look at it!"

Mr. Bell didn't even glance toward the hallway. He simply turned to Winona and said, "Eat up, don't let the food get cold."

The housekeeper firmly shut the door in Karina's face.

Mr. Bell sighed in distaste. "She brought me a paper last time that was actually quite good. I was prepared to give her a chance and asked her a few foundational questions about the methodology. She couldn't answer a single one. It became blatantly obvious she had hired a ghostwriter. I refuse to take on a student like that. Science isn't a game for spoiled brats. If someone with zero integrity makes it into a research team, it's a disaster waiting to happen."

"You're absolutely right," Winona agreed.

"You arrogant bitch!" Karina yelled after her. "Let's see how high and mighty you act when Stefan dumps you for a woman with actual class!"

Later that afternoon, Winona visited a high-end antique boutique to pick out a beautiful jade pendant for Violet's birthday. Just as she was leaving, she bumped into Cheryl Goddard.

Cheryl, who was also shopping for a gift, flashed a perfectly polished smile. "Winona! You came all the way to the capital for Grandma's birthday? The banquet isn't until the day after tomorrow. You must be bored out of your mind. Why don't you come horseback riding with us tomorrow?"

Before Winona could answer, Cheryl continued smoothly. "It's settled then. I'll text you the address. Just have Stefan's driver drop you off."

Winona actually did want to get a read on the Goddard family dynamic, so she didn't decline.

That night, when Stefan heard about the plans, he frowned. "My cousin plays nice, but she's the most elitist snob out of all of them. If you don't want to deal with it, I'll shut it down right now."

Winona stood in front of the mirror, holding up outfits for the next day. "No need. I want to go."