Chapter 659

He'd always been a clean-cut, elegant guy. Probably hadn't slept since getting back from the island.

But that wasn't her problem.

Winnie's eyes turned icy.

"Winnie, you came here to..." Lawrence's voice was rough, cautious. Before he could finish, Winnie cut him off, her tone cold. "I'm here for Olivia. Why didn't you keep your word and let her go? Are you trying to force me to come here? Don't be so low, Lawrence."

Lawrence's breath hitched, his dark eyes showing a hint of a bitter smile. "I didn't force you to come. I didn't hold Olivia back. After we went to where Jeremy disappeared, she left today. I get you're worried because you couldn't reach her, but she really has gone back."

Winnie was stunned, her lips pressed together. "But I couldn't get through to her phone. I called you, and you didn't answer."

Lawrence stood behind his desk, his long fingers sorting through messy files to find his phone buried under documents. He saw the missed calls. "Sorry. There was some company business, as you can see."

His voice was low and cold, with a hint of self-mockery, making Winnie feel awkward.

'So, he really did let Olivia go? Just now, that Mr. Scott was bragging about acquiring the Rodriguez Group, so his company must be in chaos.'

Winnie stayed silent and took a step back. "I'll go back and see if Olivia's returned."

She clutched her bag tightly and turned to leave. His presence filled the office, too overwhelming, making her feel suffocated.

"Winnie." Lawrence's deep voice stopped her. His intense gaze was fixed on her. 'Was she really going to leave?'

He quickly found something to say, "You've seen Oscar, right?"

Winnie frowned. "Of course, I've seen him. Lawrence, I'm taking him away. You're too busy to take care of him, right?"

Bringing up Oscar, Winnie decided to address it head-on.

Just thinking about Oscar reminded her of the island. If he hadn't used Oscar to threaten her, she wouldn't have had to submit to him for a month for Oscar's sake.

Winnie's voice turned cold again. "You rescued Oscar but didn't tell me. I don't care why, but you've tormented me long enough. Oscar's been raised by me since he was born. He's basically my son. You don't need to fight for custody. And Sidney would definitely want to live with me. I want to raise both boys by my side."

"Okay." Lawrence looked at her deeply.

Winnie didn't expect him to agree so easily. She turned to look at him, his eyes dark and intense.

'The Rodriguez Group had so many problems now; he probably really didn't have time to take care of the kids.'

"You can take Oscar to live with you for a while. I agree. You can raise them alone."

But Lawrence wasn't done. "But I will never agree to you raising them with Rock."

Winnie froze.

That night, she had already agreed to Rock's proposal to move into his new villa in a few days.

Winnie's panicked expression didn't escape Lawrence's notice, and his gaze darkened.

He walked around the desk, his long legs bringing him right in front of her, his eyes like a hawk's, locking onto her. "Are you really going to be with Rock?"

Winnie bit her lip.

Lawrence knew the answer and was suddenly furious, incredulous. "You slept with me on the island every day. Every inch of your skin has my scent. You still won't divorce him, or is he unwilling to let you go?"

"Shut up."

Winnie was embarrassed by his brazen and straightforward words. 'Did Lawrence have no sense of ethics?'

A surge of anger rose in her chest, and she said coldly, "Lawrence, who I choose to be with is my own business! In the past, Rock and I were afraid of you, and couldn't deal with you. But now, look at the Rodriguez Group behind you."

Winnie didn't care anymore, pointing angrily at the office. "The Rodriguez Group's market value is probably about the same as my Triton Jewelry. You've fallen to the bottom of the Trento City companies. I am now entering the Blanchet family and may become the heir to the Blanchet family in the future. As I couldn't compare to you before, you could toy with me like a plaything. Now, do you think you still deserve me? I no longer fear you, and look up to you."

Her eyes were cold, with no trace of fear or his presence.

'She no longer looked up to me, implying she now looked up to Rock, right?' Lawrence's handsome face turned dark and ugly. 'I was no longer the same. A crisis had brought me down from my pedestal; I was no longer the top man of Veridiania. I could bear Mr. Scott's mockery or anyone come to acquire my company. But her cold sarcasm felt like a slap in the face, making me feel a deep sense of humiliation. My pride and dignity, the hardest things in his bones since childhood, But my social status is now no higher than Winnie's. Not to mention to compare to the recently skyrocketing Rock.'

Lawrence's long fingers dug into his palm, filled with bitterness. He had heard about her driving Patrick out of the company and taking control of the Blanchet family. His woman, he hadn't misjudged her strength. But he hadn't expected to fall to a point where even she surpassed him.

Lawrence smiled bitterly. "Winnie, maybe I treated you as a possession, but it wasn't playing; it was my reluctance to let you go."

"Stop it! Isn't it boring to say this now?"

Winnie couldn't erase the days on the island from her mind.

She looked at him coldly. "I don't need you to tell me whether to divorce or not. Get this straight, even though Ray bailed you out, your kidnapping of me isn't over. The police want me to give a statement. If I tell them you kidnapped and forced me, do you think you could still stand here? Even if you have connections, you'd still have to serve a few years in prison! By the time you get out, the gap between us will be even more significant, maybe a huge difference. Lawrence, clear the situation before you talk to me."

"You want to send me to prison yourself?" Lawrence's strong body trembled, his face full of pain.

He hadn't expected her to be so ruthless. The people who once depended on him had left or betrayed him, and she was one of them?

Winnie hesitated for a moment, ignoring the hurt in his eyes.

She clenched her small hand, her lips unyielding. "You dared to treat me as a prisoner, so why fear my exposure? I hate you. Is it wrong for me to report you?"