When she stopped to look at her phone, the shadow dodged to the side and hid in a dark corner, watching her every move.
The wind was loud, so Winnie was oblivious to the person’s presence.
She continued to walk while sending a voice message to Xavier.
“I’ve already talked to Granny, and I’ll be there soon. Are you done taking a bath?”
In no time, Xavier replied with another voice message.
Just as Winnie put the phone to her ear to listen to the message, a dark figure leaped in front of her and shouted, “Hey!”
The yell sounded especially jarring in the dark yard. Though Winnie managed to suppress her scream, she jolted and almost threw her phone away.
While she stood in place and took deep breaths to get ahold of herself, the figure walked out from the dark spot and showed himself before her.
Under the light, Nate’s handsome face looked pale. “You’re much calmer than I thought, Winnie! I’m surprised this didn’t scare you.”
Winnie inhaled deeply. After seeing that it was Nate, she calmed down.
Although her heart rate returned to normal, she felt extremely pissed off.
She frowned and narrowed her eyes, questioning, “Nate, do you know what you’ve just done?”
Nate leaned against a pillar in the courtyard and crossed his arms. “Of course I do. I saw you hanging around in the courtyard all alone at such a late hour, so I couldn’t resist giving you a surprise,” he answered casually.
“Surprise, huh?” Winnie clenched her fingers so tight Nate could hear her knuckles cracking. “I’ll make you experience the surprise of a lifetime!”
Ever since she returned to Chanaea, she hadn’t gotten a chance to practice with the people from the club. Now, the insolent Nate standing before her was the perfect punching bag.
She first gave him a punch to the stomach before sweeping his leg and sending him crashing to the floor.
Although her movements were smooth, the strength she used was nothing compared to those burly men’s.
However, Nate was too weak. He had some muscles, but they were only there for the visual enjoyment of his female fans.
Therefore, he couldn’t defend himself at all when Winnie attacked.
Staring at Nate on the ground, Winnie curled her lips into a mocking smile.
“You’re much weaker than I thought, Nate! I’m surprised at how easy it is to beat you,” she teased, echoing Nate’s words earlier.
Nate curled into a ball on the floor, covering his stomach with his hands. “Winnie, you sly woman! How dare you sneak an attack on me!”
Winnie couldn’t help but laugh. “Sneak attack? If this is considered a sneak attack, then I suggest you donate your eyes. It seems they are of no use to you.”
She continued, “Nate Fraser, you better stop messing around. If it weren’t for the fact that you’re going to Alendor, you’d be a cripple now. I believe there is something you need to know. Xavier and Old Mr. Fairchild keep their hands off you because of your families’ close ties and cooperation throughout the generations. However, I don’t have that sort of relationship with the Fraser family. Even if I beat you half to death or send you to rot in jail, I’m afraid of nothing. Do you understand? If you can’t remember this, it’s fine. I can record it and send it to you. I recommend you listen to it at least thrice before bedtime, all right?”
Nate fixed his glare on Winnie. “You evil woman! Was this how you treated Yulissa before?”
Winnie was about to leave, but Nate’s ridiculous question held her back.
After giving it a thought, she responded, “To tell you the truth, I usually don’t hit women even though I’m good at fighting. As for Yulissa, I think she’s actually different from you. Although you’re despicable, there’s still some humanity in you. On the contrary, she’s like a disgusting cockroach that hides in the dark. I don’t think I ever got the chance to confront her face-to-face. What a shame it is. When I see her next time, I’ll surely squash her with my foot as if she’s a cockroach!”
“Shut your trap! I won’t allow you to speak of Yulissa like that. You’re the disgusting one. You’re the cockroach!” Nate struggled to his feet and looked at Winnie with a vicious expression.
Winnie simply glanced at him and countered, “It’s not strange for you to think of me like that. Suit yourself. I don’t really care.”
She then went on her way, but Nate would not stop following her.
Turning around, Winnie warned, “If you insist on walking the same path with me, I can send you flying with one kick right now.”
The look in her eyes made it clear that she was not joking.
Out of reflex, Nate covered his stomach and took a step back.
Despite that, he refused to admit his fear as he said, “It’s easy to make me leave. Just answer my question. You’re required to tell me the truth.”
“Required?” Winnie chuckled. “I’m being nice enough by not kicking you. How dare you make a request like that?”
“Of course I dare to! Why wouldn’t I? Maybe you’re the one who’s scared of answering my question,” Nate taunted.
His words were met with silence.
Winnie narrowed her eyes, studying Nate. Her calm gaze sent chills down his spine for some reason.
However, he did not cower. “Why are you staring at me? Just tell me if you’re scared!”
Winnie laughed again. “How old are you? You’re so immature.”
“You’re the immature one!” Nate hated it when people used that adjective on him. “You’re only in your twenties. Stop acting mature in front of me!”
Winnie ignored him. As if speaking to herself, she mumbled, “I remember now. You must be twenty-two this year, just like my stepsister. It seems like you two not only have the same age, but also the same stupidity.”
“Who are you calling stupid? Don’t compare me to that foolish Kylie!”
Nate’s every word sounded amusing to Winnie.
“Why can’t I compare you two? Don’t you feel that you are similar in many ways? Since you know my sister’s name, you probably know about the beef between us. She once pushed me off the mountain here in an attempt to kill me. Of course, Yulissa was in it with her. Kylie was just Yulissa’s pawn in that murder attempt. I’m sure you know what happened afterward. Kylie went to jail, while Yulissa continued her evil doings. Kylie is just a pawn of hers, and you are no different. Wait, no. Let me correct myself. You’re worse off than Kylie, because Yulissa played with your feelings.”
Nate was aware of what Yulissa had done to him. At times, he hated her, but that sentiment was overwhelmed by his love for her and his desire to please her.
He had never truly won her heart, so he badly wanted everything she had to offer.
Winnie knew exactly what was going on in the mind of the conflicted and obsessive Nate.
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