Silly Bride

Chapter 275
As Winnie had taken a long time before making the decision to depart, she did not falter as she walked out of the room, and her
lack of hesitation nearly crushed Xavier.Xavier looked at Winnie’s retreating figure, and his heart clenched.He tried to say
something, but the pain in his chest was so great that he could not make a sound.He stumbled backward and knocked into the
fruit platter on the bedside table.The sound of the platter and the fruits falling made Winnie turn around.Her eyes were still red
when she looked at Xavier.Seeing that he was fine, she said, “Be careful. I’ll get someone to clean this up. Xavier, you have to
cooperate with the doctor and Professor White for your treatment.”Xavier felt much better after the pain subsided, and he finally
found his voice again.“You”—he stared at Winnie with furrowed brows, his dark eyes glistening—“don’t want me anymore. Is that
it?”“Why would you think that?” Winnie curled her lips to form a faint smile. “Didn’t I say I’m going to Yartran to deal with some
family matters? I’m only leaving for a short while. Take care of yourself. I’ll be back soon.”Right as Winnie said that, Xavier
asked, “How soon is soon?”Winnie paused for a few seconds before answering, “It’s been a while since I went back. It might
take a few days or it might take a few months. It wholly depends on the situation back at home. Anyway, I’ll try to be back as
quickly as possible.”“I’ll wait for you, then,” Xavier said softly as he looked at her. “I believe everything you say. If you say you’re
coming back as quickly as you can, then I’ll wait for you.”Winnie gazed at Xavier silently. She could see the worry and fear in his
eyes as if he was afraid that she would never return.But how was that possible?Winnie gave Xavier a smile. “Don’t overthink it. I
still love you, Xavier. I will come back.”Winnie’s abrupt declaration of love washed away the anxiety in Xavier’s heart.He looked
into her eyes and said, “I love you too, Winnie. I’ll wait for you to come back no matter how long you take.”Winnie parted her lips,
but she did not know what to say to him.His words reminded her of the way she had told him to wait for her to return and send
him to the hospital back in the forest.Back then, he was about to give up, but to calm her down, he still promised to wait until she
returned.Later on, she did return with Yulissa’s car, but what happened after that was something he did not wish for.Winnie
wanted to hug Xavier one more time, but the thought of Christopher stopped her from doing that.Instead, she smiled at him and
said, “Okay. I’ll be on my way now, then.”With that, she averted her gaze from Xavier.When she stepped out of the ward, she
was startled by the person sitting outside.However, upon realizing that the person was none other than Josiah, she let out a sigh
of relief.They took one look at each other, and she asked, “You were outside the entire time?”“Yeah,” Josiah said with a slight
frown. “I was worried that the two of you would get into a fight, so I stuck around for a little longer. Since you’re both all right, I’ll
make a move first.”With that, Josiah wheeled himself toward the other end of the corridor.“Wait!” Winnie hastily caught up to
Josiah. “Where are you going? I’ll take you there.”Josiah was still angry with Winnie after the argument, but amusement took
over that anger when Winnie suddenly came over and offered to push his wheelchair.“Forget it. Why don’t you look at what state
you’re in right now? You’re partially incapacitated too, you know? Take a look at your hand. How are you going to bring me
around?”By then, the anger in Josiah had fully dissipated as a touch of laughter laced his voice.Winnie chuckled. “The pot’s
calling the kettle black. Look at your leg. You’re in a wheelchair, but you’re saying that I’m partially incapacitated?”“All right.”

Josiah lifted his head to glance at her. “Let’s stop taking jabs at each other.”“Okay, let’s not,” Winnie agreed before coming to a
stop in front of Josiah.Josiah looked up at her. “What’s the matter?”Winnie pressed her lips tightly together before uttering
sincerely, “I was too harsh with my words back at the ward. I hope you won’t take it to heart. We’re friends, and I know that I have
a deeply flawed character. I hope you’ll forgive me for my mistakes.”Truth be told, Josiah had already forgotten about it after the
laugh earlier.“You don’t need to apologize to me, Winnie. If I look at this from a different angle, I’d be happy if you were to stand
up for me when someone says something bad about me.”Winnie nodded. “Let’s go, then. Where do you want to go?”Josiah
hummed in agreement before wheeling himself toward the elevator. “I’ll be going to the office. What about you?”Winnie replied
without missing a beat, “I’ll be leaving the hospital.”Josiah froze. “No, wait. Are you really going back to Yartran? I heard a little
when I was outside, but I didn’t hear everything.”“Oh.” Winnie’s forehead creased. “Yes. I have something to settle, so I have to
take a trip back. By the way, do you have your phone with you?”“I do. Do you need to use it?”“No, it’s fine. It’ll be the same if it’s
you who contacts Louis. Get him to clean up the ward.”“All right.” Josiah then fished out his phone and typed a message to
Louis.As he tapped away on the screen, he asked Winnie, “When will you come back?”This time, Winnie gave a vague answer.
“I’m not sure yet. We’ll see after I go back.”Josiah inclined his head. “Maybe you can’t see him the way you used to before
everything happened, but Winnie, remember this: no matter what happened, he didn’t mean it.”“I know.”“It’s good that you’re
going back for a while too. Time is the best medicine for everything; it’ll wash away all the pain.”Right as Josiah said that, Louis
responded.Josiah waved his phone in front of Winnie. “Remember to call us when you’re there. I know you’re feeling terrible right
now, but Xavier’s feeling bad too.”“I know, so I’ll be counting on you to watch over Xavier.”Josiah glanced at Winnie. “Do I need
you to remind me that?”While they were chatting, the elevator doors opened, and the two of them went in.Winnie helped Josiah
press the floor button he was heading to.However, Josiah reached out to undo it. “Let me send you to the first floor.”Winnie made
no move to reject him. There was already a car waiting for her downstairs.“By the way,” Josiah started upon contemplation,
“have the police found Christopher?” What Josiah actually meant was Christopher’s body, but he did not wish to mention that so
directly to Winnie.Winnie shook her head. “I’ve asked them about it, and they said they couldn’t find him.”“Then...” Josiah trailed
off.Winnie lowered her gaze. “Just say whatever that’s on your mind. It’s not your style to keep things in.”“All right.” A deep line
appeared between Josiah’s brows. “Then be honest with me. Is it true that you’re going back to Yartran?”“Of course it’s true.”
Winnie gave Josiah a confounded look. “Where else did you think I was going?”Josiah studied the expression on Winnie’s face
and asked, “Are you really not planning to head to Yeringham to look for Christopher?”Winnie tensed up for a moment before
letting out a chuckle.She raised her arm, which was still in a cast, and said, “Do I look like superwoman to you? If I go over now,
Harold’s going to beat me until I turn to mush. It’s true that I thought about that before because I promised Christopher to bring
his body back to his home country. I want to fulfill my promise to him, but I know now’s not the time. I may not be able to bring
back all of him, but even if it means bringing some of his ashes or a bone of his home, I’ll still do it when the opportunity
comes.”Just then, the elevator doors opened with a ding.Winnie stepped out before turning back to Josiah. “You don’t need to
send me all the way out. Rest well and recover, and visit my granny if you have the time.”Josiah nodded. He only closed the

elevator doors once Winnie was gone from his line of sight.Right as Winnie got into the car, the driver passed her a phone.“Ms.
Garland, I’ve already gotten the reissued phone number per your request.”Winnie hummed in acknowledgment before taking the
phone.Without missing a beat, she called Mason.However, unable to get through to him, she called Lucas instead, for Lucas was
the one who had made the arrangements for the mercenary team Mason was leading.Lucas told her that he had already sent the
final payment to the team, but by then, Mason was no longer the one contacting him.It was only then Winnie recalled seeing
Mason lying in a pool of blood by the time she and Josiah rushed up to the rooftop.She guessed that he must have been
grievously injured at that time, but she had been so preoccupied that she did not check on him. I wonder if he’s dead or alive
now.Winnie asked for another person’s contact from Lucas.After making another call, Winnie finally found out that Mason was
not dead and that he was currently undergoing treatment in a hospital.Winnie even asked where Greta was, as she recalled
seeing no sign of Greta around on the rooftop that day.The other person told her that Greta had been missing since that day.
They were unable to contact her via calls, and they could not find her at her usual haunts. She did not even show up when
Mason was hospitalized.Although Winnie found it strange, it was not something she was going to dwell on. All she did was ask
the mercenary team to help her look for Christopher’s body.After that, Winnie returned to her condominium, where she washed
up and packed some of her documents before going to the airport.On her way to the airport, she abruptly received a call from
Nathaniel.“My dear Winnie, it’s me, Nathaniel. Are you back?”“Yes,” Winnie replied, sounding tired. “I just came back, and you
called me almost right away. Is something the matter?”Upon hearing Winnie’s aloof tone, Nathaniel sighed.“My dear Winnie, am I
not allowed to call you if there’s nothing going on? Do you have another number? I tried contacting you the other day, but I was
unable to get through to you. The people in the company said that you went on a business trip. If not for one of my business
partners telling me that he spotted you in the hospital, I wouldn’t have known that you were back. I heard that you hurt your
hand. Are you fine? Do you want me to visit you?”“It’s fine.” Winnie could hear a voice announcing the delay of flights from the
other end of the line, so she asked him, “Are you at the airport right now? The domestic one or the international one?”“Yes, I’m at
the international airport right now. But as close business partners, I think I should cancel my ticket and visit you instead.”“No, it’s
fine. I’m about to go to the international airport too. If you can make it, let’s meet at the airport. What time is your flight?”“I just
transferred from the domestic airport to the international airport. I didn’t go back to the condominium, so I’m early. My plane only
takes off four hours later.”“Are you going back to Yartran as well? What a coincidence. I’m going back there too. Let’s meet in a
while.”After agreeing to meet Nathaniel, Winnie ended the call.Not long after, the two of them met at the VIP lounge at the
airport.A frown instantly appeared on Nathaniel’s face the moment he saw Winnie’s injured arm.“Oh my god, Winnie, what
happened to your arm? It looks bad.”Just as Winnie was about to reply to him, her phone rang. It was a call from Wilhelm, who
was in Yartran.Seeing that, Nathaniel helped Winnie to the couch at the side gentlemanly.He said considerately, “Just pick up
your call and ignore me.”As he spoke, he even took out a pair of earphones and stuck them in his ears.Winnie nodded at him
and accepted the call. “Good morning, Wilhelm.”Only after saying that did she realize she had spoken in Chanaean, so she
hastily swapped languages. “I’ll be taking a plane back in four hours’ time straight to your place. Remember to make lunch for

me too.”However, Wilhelm replied in Chanaean, “Okay. You can keep speaking in Chanaean. I quite like listening to you speak
Chanaean.”“Okay. I’d like to have a mushroom soup that you make.”“Sure, but Winnie, but Eduard the chef makes the best
mushroom soup. Are you sure you’re not going back to the manor? Everyone at home misses you. It’s been a long time since we
have seen each other.”Winnie massaged her aching temples and muttered, “No. I’m planning to meet you first. Once I’ve gotten
enough rest, I’ll meet the others. You have to keep my trip back a secret for now.”“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely keep my mouth shut.
If the others find out about your return, they’ll be in a rush to pick you up. When that happens, you’ll forget about me.”“Okay. I’m
fine with just having you pick me up.” Wilhelm was not exaggerating. Her younger siblings might actually bring flowers to
welcome her at the entrance, and that was a dramatic scene she wanted to avoid.“Well then,” Wilhelm continued, “how many of
you are coming back? Didn’t you tell me that you have someone you love the other time? Are you planning to introduce him to
us?”“It’s... a little inconvenient for him for now, so he isn’t with me.”