Chapter 424

Carlos looked over and shook his head. "No one's living there; it's just filled with various items. We sealed the doors and windows to prevent the pet dogs from chewing on things."

"Is that so?" Winnie furrowed her brows. Her gaze couldn't help but drift back to the villa several times. It was as if there was a strange pull on her heart, perhaps originating from the villa's uncanny aura of antiquity and neglect.

Carlos's actual intent wasn't to show her the small villa, but to find a quiet place to talk to his daughter. His voice carried a hint of helplessness, and his eyes reflected complexity. "Winnie, tonight's situation was unexpected. Ishara and Lawrence are in a relationship, and I had no idea. But I can see that you're heartbroken. Is there something between you and Lawrence that I don't know about? I've only just known you, and I'm not well-versed in your past life. I feel so guilty... It seems that the union between the Rodriguez and Blanchet families is a done deal, and I'm afraid I can't change that..."

Listening to his apology, Winnie's heart turned bitter, and a frosty, derisive laughter escaped her lips as she shook her head disapprovingly. "Dad, you don't have to blame yourself. It's not your fault. At the end of the day, it's because I met Lawrence. I just chose the wrong person. The marriage between the Blanchet and Rodriguez families? I don't care for it at all."

"This is all so sudden. I will get to the bottom of it," Carlos said, squinting his eyes at her. "Aren't you staying here tonight?"

Winnie urgently needed to leave, to catch her breath. She was well aware that she was just putting on a brave face. When she found herself alone in a corner, she would crumble, facing her most genuine emotions.

Tears slightly welled up in the corner of her eye as she forced a smile and replied, "No, I'm leaving right away. Sidney is waiting for me at home."

"If Lawrence weren't of such a high status, one that I couldn't provoke, I'd like to give him a beating," Carlos said with a resentful shake of his head.

Winnie returned to her room, grabbed her bag, and was driven back to the hotel by the driver arranged by Carlos.

Bathed in the soft glow of the villa's porch light, the elongated silhouettes of a man and a woman intertwined, giving the illusion of an embrace. Their figures, meticulously aligned, conjured an atmosphere of intimacy and connection.

Ishara stood very close to Lawrence. They were whispering to each other, showing off their love as if no one else was around.

Winnie's steps halted abruptly when she saw the scene before her.

Observing the man bows his head to accommodate the girl, the very same profile that had once captivated her with its attractiveness, Winnie couldn't help but grip with jealousy as he now affectionately attended to someone else. This was the very profile she had gazed upon countless times three years ago, each glance igniting an irresistible allure that sparked a rapid flutter within her heart.

Now, the irony of him doting on someone else was almost too much to bear.

"Lawrence, you're so tall. Doesn't it tire you to bend down and talk to me like this?" Ishara's voice was sticky sweet with laughter.

"Not tired."

"Do you think I'm short?"

"Not short," the man replied patiently, though his attention seemed elsewhere.

"I'm a bit shorter than Winnie..." Ishara glanced inadvertently at the shadow approaching and said, "Winnie is so beautiful. The first time I saw her today, I was stunned. She's much prettier than me. Ah, I don't have the energy from being sick so often. Seeing someone like Winnie all the time, would you come to like her?"

Lawrence fell silent, his affection was more than just liking; he had already fallen for Winnie, but it was an impossibility now.

Noticing his distraction, Ishara lowered her head and pitifully said, "I'm boring you with my talk, aren't I? Sorry, I guess I'm just feeling insecure because of my illness."

The man furrowed his brows, eventually offering words of encouragement, "Don't be discouraged; it's bad for your health. Ishara, you're no less than anyone else. You look beautiful to me. Remember to check your blood pressure early tomorrow, okay?"

The girl caught sight of the still, rigid figure and started to smile, nodding in agreement.

The man turned to leave, but Ishara held onto him reluctantly. "Lawrence, instead of the dietitian you assigned to me, I'd rather you supervise my meals every day. Get me healthy and chubby faster."

Lawrence's primary concern was undoubtedly her reaching a weight healthy enough for a transfusion. He nodded faintly. "Sure, I'll have meals with you every day from now on."

"Really? That makes me so happy."

"Excuse me." A sudden voice came from the side.

Lawrence turned abruptly, only to be met with the sight of Winnie. She was clutching her bag so tightly that her knuckles turned white and her eyes were looking through him as if he wasn't there.

With decisive steps, her slender legs carried her forward, brushing past him without a pause.

"Winnie, why are you leaving? Aren't you staying at home... Ah!" Ishara stepped forward with a smile, wanting to speak, but her body suddenly tilted, weakly about to fall to the ground.

Lawrence, not quite seeing if it was Winnie who had bumped into her, instinctively caught the girl. "Ishara, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Winnie just accidentally bumped into me," Ishara gasped, her smile troubled. "I don't know why, but I feel like Winnie doesn't like me much, Lawrence. Is it just my imagination?"

The man's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on the departing woman's silhouette, her figure appearing even more slender and fragile against the backdrop of streetlights and darkness.

His heart sank.

Ishara, noticing his longing gaze, felt a shadow pass over her doe eyes.

Inside the Blanchet family's study.

Carlos looked up at Eleanor, his expression somber. "Ishara was recuperating abroad, and she had returned to the country half a month ago, not coming back to Trento City. Don't you, as her mother, know where she is? And how did she meet Lawrence in private? Do you really have no idea?"

Eleanor feigned innocence and replied, "Carlos, Ishara is twenty-one now. She doesn't need to report everything to me. After she returned to the country, she had Claire take care of her, so I didn't ask every day. Maybe she fell in love with Lawrence at first sight during her travels."

Carlos's gaze sharpened as he couldn't help but scrutinize her closely. "Isn't it too coincidental? I bring Winnie back today, and Ishara just happens to bring Lawrence to meet the parents? Was it merely a chance encounter? You knew about the marriage proposal between the Rodriguez and Blanchet families as soon as it was suggested by the old Mr. Rodriguez. Did you orchestrate Ishara's meeting with Lawrence in advance to secure this marriage?"

Eleanor's heart skipped a beat. However, she put on a pitiful face and defended herself, saying, "Carlos! How could you think of me like that? I didn't know Ishara's boyfriend was Lawrence, and she said she didn't know either. It's all just a coincidence. You know Ishara is not competitive; she doesn't have that many tricks up her sleeve."

"She might not be scheming, but you, as her mother-" Carlos paused, his tone deepening with a hint of coldness. "I remember the plot your family hatched against me back then. You thought Winnie was dead and you were not threatened. Now that Winnie is back, don't you-"

"Carlos! I was also a victim of that incident. I didn't want to separate you and Irene... All these years, my love and devotion to you, doesn't that prove my heart? I love Winnie just the same. But you... don't think I don't know you went to see the old Mr. Rodriguez this afternoon, trying to arrange for Winnie to enter into the marriage. Ishara is so pitiable; you should love her selflessly. I'm not comfortable with it either."

Carlos stiffened at her words and fell silent.

After a moment, he spoke up, "If I didn't love Ishara, I wouldn't have given her 8% of the shares. Anyway, Winnie will move into this house from now on. Be more tolerant. I don't want to see her wronged. Anyways, you've worked hard today."

Carlos left the study.

Eleanor reached out from behind, her tone gentle, her hand moving down from his waist. "Carlos, can I wait for you in the bedroom?"

Carlos pushed her hand away, his expression cold, his voice calm. "I'm not used to sleeping with someone by my side, Eleanor. You should rest early."

He patted Eleanor's hand and walked away.

In the room, Eleanor's expression darkened. She and Carlos hadn't had a sexual relationship for nearly ten years, and even before that, it had been infrequent. She knew that Carlos had always harbored feelings for Irene. Now that Winnie was back, with a face so similar to Irene's, it undoubtedly served as a constant reminder to Carlos.

In the end, men were unreliable. The only things that could be depended on were the power and wealth in one's hands.

Eleanor went to her daughter's room. Ishara was sitting at the dressing table, getting her hair blown dry by Claire.

As soon as Eleanor entered, she gave a signal, and Claire tactfully left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Mom, did Dad come to see you?" Ishara asked softly after taking a sip of milk.