Chapter 524

Winnie softened her voice, though she snickered inside. "Grandpa, Grandma, I didn't mean anything by it. I just worry that Uncle Patrick, with his introverted and naive nature, might inadvertently reveal Dad's medical condition to the wrong people."

"Hmm, Carlos is still in danger. That's a fair concern," Paul acknowledged, somewhat appeased.

Patricia's countenance softened slightly as the group dispersed.

When they were gone, Carlos's aide stepped forward, looking at Winnie with both admiration and relief. "It's good to know that Carlos has a daughter like you by his side. But why didn't you tell Mr. Blanchet and Mrs. Blanchet about your suspicions of Patrick?"

"Do you think they would believe me?" Winnie asked, her expression cool and distant. "Especially Patricia, who flat-out refuses to accept that I'm her granddaughter. Patrick was the apple of their eye, the cherished son of the family. I had no choice but to set this trap and let them see the truth with their own eyes. When Patrick's true face is exposed, I'll find a way to get a paternity test between him and Ishara. Then, when my grandparents find out everything, they'll surely put a stop to Patrick and Eleanor's ruthless ambitions, right?"

The aide nodded in agreement. "You're really going above and beyond for the company."

Winnie implored him, "Until Patrick is no longer a threat, could you keep an eye on him from within the Blanchet family? If necessary, plant some informants."

The aide, knowing his position was on thin ice, nodded somberly.

Winnie's phone rang. It was Bryan. She didn't want to answer at first, but she changed her mind. She closed the hospital room door gently, and lifted the phone to her ear. "Bryan, what's up?"

"Ms. Winnie, it's nearly noon, and Mr. Rodriguez has sent someone to deliver your lunch. You're still at the hospital, right? The delivery should be there any moment."

Winnie took a deep breath, her voice tinged with irritation. "I can feed myself, thank you. He doesn't need to concern himself with it!"

Bryan couldn't help but clenched his jaw. He was just the messenger.

Winnie's tone softened a bit. "Bryan, please send me his bank account details."

"Whose? Oh, Mr. Rodriguez? Sure, I'll send it right over."

Bryan complied without resistance. Whatever Winnie was plotting, as long as she requested Lawrence's bank account, it gave him a reason to make contact.

Once Winnie received the bank information, she immediately transferred ten million to Lawrence.

She shoved her phone back into her pocket, with Olivia waiting for her downstairs at the hospital.

Yet before she could even get to the elevator, her phone vibrated. Crowded by a throng of people, she didn't check the screen until she heard Lawrence's deep, rich voice asking, "Why are you sending me money?"

Winnie took a breath and glanced at the caller ID, her grip tightening on the phone.

With a mix of politeness and distance, she replied, "Thank you for arranging Dr. Ivan for my father. I don't need you to front the consultation fee."

"I've returned the ten million to your account. If you want to show gratitude, you should thank me in person."

Winnie's temper flared at his presumptuous act. "If that's the case, I'll transfer it to your company's finances!"

"And include the remaining three hundred million for the golf course? I'll accept that."

Lawrence lowered his voice, the tenor soft and pleading.

Winnie pressed her lips together, offering no reply.

Lawrence glanced at his phone, setting it gently on the table, as if it reflected her delicate features.

He lifted an eyebrow with a subtle flair, shifting his broad shoulders, the white shirt pulling tight. With a pained expression, Lawrence said, "Winnie, about the herbal remedy you gave me, I might've messed up the dosage. It's actually feeling worse now. Could you please come here to take a look?"

Annoyance flashed across her face, but she quickly regained her cool composure and scoffed. "The Rodriguez family is rolling in money. Don't they have their own doctors?"

With that, she hung up decisively.

Lawrence lifted a finger, the finely outlined tips pressing against his forehead.

She had grown tough against him. Her heart no longer softened at ease.

Even a brief conversation with her became exceedingly difficult.

He sent a text message. "Your meal has been delivered. Make sure you eat well until your stomach heals."

Winnie stepped downstairs just in time to receive a pile of meal boxes from the delivery guy, along with Lawrence's text.

She frowned.

Olivia, who had been strolling through the hospital garden, noticed the message from Lawrence and snorted. "Is that dog trying to pose as some kind of romantic now? Jeez, with a skin thicker than a fortress wall, can't he remember he's engaged? It's weird how attentive he has been to your diet lately, hasn't he?"

Winnie sat on an empty bench, staring at the meal boxes with a frown. "Are you going to eat this?"

"That's meant for you. Why would I? Let's see. These are all soups. Does Lawrence think you're so frail that you need such nourishment?" Olivia rambled on but then suddenly remembered something unsettling Jeremy told her yesterday, to keep an eye on Winnie and to watch out for random medications.

Her gaze shifted subtly, her voice tinged with concern. "Winnie, is there something off about your health? It's just strange how Lawrence is monitoring your meals like that. Maybe you should check your own pulse?"

Olivia had a hunch, yet felt it was unlikely.

She kept her eyes on Winnie.

"What are you looking at? My last check-up said it was acute gastritis," Winnie said, placing her right hand on her left wrist to feel her pulse, "The pulse is weak, but other than that, I don't sense anything unusual."

If it were a pregnancy, Winnie would likely diagnose herself. So, it couldn't be pregnancy.

Olivia quickly dismissed the ridiculous notion that sidled into her mind.

Moreover, she figured if Winnie was pregnant, morning sickness would have shown by now. There was no way she was still involved with Lawrence, anyway.

"I'm probably just overthinking this," Olivia silently scolded herself, tongue in cheek.

"What are you thinking?"

"Oh, nothing! Aren't you meeting with Rock this afternoon? Let's head out after we eat. Might as well not let Lawrence's food go to waste."

Winnie glanced at the takeout box, not wanting to be wasteful, opened it. During the meal, she answered a call from Melanie, who had been house-hunting on her behalf and found a couple of promising villas.

"My friend Melanie is looking at a villa complex for me. But first, I need to meet with Rock. Maybe you could take a look at the villas, Olivia? I trust your judgment, and Melanie's easy to get along with," Winnie suggested.

"Sure thing!" Olivia agreed, sensing that Winnie's business with Rock might be more private, and her presence could be intrusive.

Winnie arrived at the Intercontinental where Rock was staying, heading straight to his penthouse suite. She found the butler tending to Rock's bruised shoulder.

Seeing the bruise, she frowned. "Rock, are you okay? What happened?"

When Rock saw her, he quickly stood, slipped on a pale blue shirt, and gently caught her hand. "It's nothing. The Department of Commerce unexpectedly raided that unfinished building project I bought, and let's just say I had a run-in with the law."

He gave a sardonic laugh, emphasizing every word.

"Who did this to you?!" Winnie pressed, her thoughts flashing to Lawrence's harsh words from the day before, her complexion turning sour in an instant.