Chapter 533

Winnie's cold gesture had Jeremy and Olivia pause their tasks, both turning to look her way.

"Sidney, let's go pack up." The woman proceeded past Lawrence with a solemn demeanor, reaching out to hold Sidney's hand.

"Winnie!" Lawrence hastened to catch up with her slender form, extending his hand to halt her. "Regarding Oscar, let's have a discussion."

She shrugged off his hand, striding into the villa.

The dim lighting couldn't hide the pale hue on her face against the blue and white walls. She looked drained as if she hadn't slept the entire night.

Lawrence frowned with concern. "Didn't you get any rest last night?"

In response to his statement, Winnie chuckled spontaneously. "I imagine I'm not the only one who endured a sleepless night. Were you too preoccupied, Mr. Rodriguez? Do you genuinely possess any viable leads on Oscar, or are you merely leading me on with fabricated hints?"

Lawrence's eyes narrowed. "What are you implying? If I didn't have a lead, why would I lie to you?"

Winnie scoffed lightly. "Who knows what you're really thinking? Weren't you spending the night at Ishara's? How could you have the time to worry about Oscar?"

"I..." Lawrence was at a loss.

"Ms. Winnie, you're mistaken. Mr. Rodriguez went to the Blanchet family's estate last night in an attempt to get close to the doctor associated with Ishara." Bryan tried to defend Mr. Rodriguez.

Olivia noticed the dark circles under Winnie's eyes and couldn't hold back any longer. She stormed over, facing Lawrence.

"Stop making excuses. Winnie called you in the middle of the night, and it was Ishara who answered. Who would believe that you weren't together? Lawrence, you have no idea how long Winnie cried last night. Go ahead and get engaged to your mistress, but why persistently revisit and torment Winnie? Continuously exploiting Oscar's case to inflict emotional distress upon her is simply insensitive and unkind."

Lawrence's gaze darkened as he looked at Winnie. "You called me?"

"You were with Ishara. She must have deleted the call history," Winnie said with a bitter laugh.

Lawrence's throat felt tight as he grasped her shoulders. "Winnie, let me explain."

"I don't want to hear it. Whatever happened between you and Ishara, it's expected," Winnie stated, her voice detached and cold against her will.

Lawrence felt a pang of hurt from Winnie's apparent indifference. She didn't care at all.

His Adam's apple bobbed with a strained movement, a shadow of desolation lurking in his eyes as he offered a faint, joyless smile. "If you prefer not to discuss that, then allow me to share something else. I haven't misled you regarding Oscar's leads. Last night wasn't without results. Winnie, I've come to inform you that the individual I suspected, he's encountered Oscar. I utilized his asthma as a lure, and he revealed crucial information. It's Ishara. She's the connection to reach Oscar. By monitoring him closely, we might ascertain Oscar's whereabouts safely."

Lawrence's explanation caught Winnie's attention

Her façade of indifference faded as she abruptly looked at him. "Are you lying to me?"

Lawrence met her gaze with a self-deprecating stare, his eyes icy and devoid of warmth. "Why would I deceive you when it comes to my feelings for you?"

"Wait for my news," he said, his tone as cool and mysterious as his departing figure striding away from the place.

Clearly, she was solely concerned about updates regarding Oscar at the moment. She seemed indifferent even to the possibility of him and Ishara being intimate.

A feeling of helplessness surged in Lawrence's heart. She resembled a kite slipping from his grasp, a kite on the verge of breaking free due to the wounds it bore, wounds he had unintentionally caused.

All he could do now was to protect the child she was carrying fiercely.

Meanwhile at the Blanchet family's old mansion, Eleanor hurried to Ishara's bedroom early in the morning.

"So, did you manage to seduce Mr. Rodriguez last night?" Eleanor asked with anticipation.

However, her daughter's expression was far from bright.

Ishara's voice carried a chilling tone as he spoke, "I administered hallucinogens to him, persuading him in his altered state that I was Winnie, but he remained unconvinced. Attempting to push him onto the bed proved futile."

"What happened?" Eleanor was crestfallen. "What about Mr. Rodriguez when he woke up this morning?"

As Ishara narrowed her eyes, she replied, "Of course, when he woke up, I was in bed with him, and I insisted that we had slept together."

The disappointment on Eleanor's face faded, replaced by a gleeful smile. "Mr. Rodriguez won't be able to deny it now. All I need to do is bring this to old Mr. Rodriguez's attention, and how could Bob not make his son take responsibility for you?"

Ishara didn't share the optimism. She pulled out the insulting check, a chill in her gaze. "Useless. Mom, this is the check Lawrence gave me. He told me straight up that even if he actually slept with me, he wouldn't take responsibility."

Eleanor froze.

Taking a deep breath, Ishara continued with palpable anxiety, "I can fabricate the appearance that he slept with me. However, we never actually did, and there's no possibility of me being pregnant. But here's the real issue, Mom. If I didn't conceive this time, I'll never have another opportunity to get close to him. Without a child, I lack the leverage to secure a marriage into the Rodriguez family."

"Right," Eleanor said, her head throbbing. "We need to clutch at this chance, get pregnant. But you can't just single-handedly conceive. Maybe find a way to get Lawrence's... you know?"

Ishara shook her head, her face pallid. "He's so on guard, it'll never happen."

Elanor whispered, "Maybe you could be like your mother, find a man."

"No way," Ishara interjected.

Ishara expressed disgust, dismissing the idea. "Do you really think Lawrence is foolish enough not to demand a paternity test before the baby is even three months old? He'd expose the truth and terminate it! I cannot afford to lose this opportunity. You fail to grasp the seriousness of the situation. That witch Winnie might be pregnant. Lawrence mumbled in his sleep last night, mentioning something about him and Winnie being together the night she was abducted."

"Damn it!" Eleanor's face turned cold. "Why does that tramp get all the breaks? If only we could transfer what's in her belly to yours."

Ishara froze, her mother's complaints interrupting her thoughts. Neurons in her brain fired rapidly, sending her into deep contemplation. Calculating the timeline, if Winnie conceived on the night of the abduction, it had been approximately two weeks. Although uncertain how Lawrence deduced Winnie's pregnancy, her assumption seemed accurate. Winnie was in the early stages of pregnancy. A zygote typically takes around two weeks from conception to implantation.

Rising slowly, Ishara stared blankly at her mother, her dark eyes flickering.

"What's going on? What are you thinking about, Ishara?" Eleanor asked, puzzled.

A cold, dark glint shot through Ishara's eyes as she smiled and embraced Eleanor. "Oh, Mom, you've just given me an idea. If Winnie is really pregnant, it might not be such a bad thing after all. I just remembered Leo. He's made quite an achievement in the field of IVF."

"What are you talking about?" Eleanor was puzzled, only noticing the smile in her daughter's eyes.

Ishara spun around, beckoning Claire with a slight smirk. "Arrange a meeting with Leo immediately; I have urgent matters to discuss with him!"