The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 654

But then again, given Winona's background, what kind of taste could she possibly have?

Still, the fact that Stefan just let her do whatever she wanted really showed how much he spoiled her.

Karina hung out in the living room until eleven o'clock at night. Winona hadn't emerged from the study, and Stefan wasn't home yet either. Bored out of her mind, she pulled out her phone to play a game.

But then she remembered that an academic like Forrest Kane probably wouldn't like a girl who played games, so she restrained herself and pulled up an academic journal instead.

By eleven-thirty, reading the dense articles had put her to sleep.

Stefan happened to walk in right then. Seeing Karina passed out on his couch, his brows instantly furrowed.

"Karina Shepherd."

Hearing that commanding, authoritative voice invade her dreams, Karina violently jolted awake and tumbled right off the sofa.

Rubbing her eyes and seeing Stefan, she offered a sycophantic smile. "Stefan."

Stefan looked repulsed. "What are you doing here?"

Karina scrambled to explain, "I came to beg Winona for a job! I want to do R&D in her lab."

Stefan scoffed, showing absolutely no mercy. "Drop the act. Don't even think about causing trouble for Winona. Plus, with your IQ, you'd never make the cut anyway."

Despite being completely insulted, Karina didn't get mad. She kept up the sweet act. "Stefan, I know I've done some stupid things in the past, but I've turned over a new leaf! I promise I'll never do anything to hurt Winona again."

Stefan knew her personality was just like her uncle's—she was a total opportunist who blew whichever way the wind favored her.

He asked sharply, "What's your real reason for wanting into her lab?"

Karina fidgeted for a long time before mumbling, "I heard they have an upcoming collaboration with Riverton University. If I work there, I'll have a reason to see Forrest Kane all the time."

Stefan replied flatly, "He has a girlfriend. Give it up. Once your volunteer stint at the orphanage is over, you're going back to the Capital."

Karina got angry. "I'm not going back! If you guys won't help me, I'll figure it out myself."

Stefan stepped out of the study and called Jasper Shepherd, telling him to come collect his daughter and take her back to the Capital.

Jasper pleaded, "Stefan, just give Karina one more chance. She's not an inherently bad kid. If Winona is willing to show her the ropes, she could actually be a great asset to her later on.

"I know you want to protect Winona and keep her entirely out of the Goddard family drama, but let's be realistic—she can't avoid it forever. Sooner or later, she's going to have to deal with the mess that is our family, unless the two of you break up.

"Karina is full of terrible ideas and has a million flaws, but having an insider on your side is always better than having another enemy."

Stefan wasn't swayed by the argument.

"How do you know she'll be an asset and not a massive liability?"

Jasper knew full well how problematic his daughter was, but he desperately wanted to find a solid backer for his clueless kid.

Taking a step back, he compromised, "Then how about you talk to Winona and just let Karina be an assistant? Give her grunt work. Once she passes Winona's tests, you can decide whether or not she's worth trusting."

Stefan thought for a moment. "I'll consider it."