Silly Bride

Chapter 173

for generations. What sort of person are you for behaving like this?”“That’s enough,” Winnie interrupted Josiah. “It’s not like you’re not aware of the condition he’s currently in.”“Fine, fine.” Josiah raised both his arms as a sign of surrender. “Both of you are united as a couple. At the end of the day, I’ll always end up at your mercy.”“Cut the nonsense!” Winnie took two big steps forward and gently supported one of Josiah’s arms.The moment Josiah felt her touch, his body stiffened.“I… actually, I…” He wanted to state that he could still walk perfectly by himself even though his knees were wobbly from the numbness.Nonetheless, Winnie spoke over him.“Listen to me; there’s a cop behind us who’s behaving strangely. Ever since we left the police station, he has been keeping an eye on us. I noticed him working in front of his computer when we first arrived, but when he saw Xavier and I walk in, he dropped whatever he was doing and monitored us closely the entire time we were there.”Josiah, who did not notice anything amiss, turned around once he heard her words.“I know that officer. Back when Yolanda, Old Mr. Xander’s granddaughter, called the cops on me, I heard him greet her with respect. Therefore, both of them must know each other, and I’m sure he will report everything about us to her. All this while, I was wondering why the police had managed to arrive in such a short time. So it turns out that they are in cahoots together.”“Now matter how strong we are in Avenport, it doesn’t pay to go against the local big shots here in Yaleview. From the looks of it, we have to proceed with caution.”“Exactly. Even the monkeys here are smarter than usual. At that time—”Before Josiah could finish, he lost his balance from a sudden tug.Apparently, Xavier, who was standing on his left, was the culprit.“What are you doing?” Josiah was puzzled. “Since when did I get on your nerves again?”Xavier gave him the side eye. “Weren’t your legs numb? I’ll support you instead.”At once, Josiah understood the underlying meaning of his words.Obviously, he must be jealous to see Winnie helping me.Josiah could not help but roll his eyes at Xavier. “Didn’t you accuse me of exuding bad luck?”Xavier sneered. “My fate lies in my own two hands. Even if you pass your bad luck to me, it will not affect me in any way.”“Yea, yea, you’re the greatest. Nevertheless, you’d better cure that cursed sickness of yours before making any more outlandish claims.”Stumped, Xavier shot Josiah a frosty glare. Opening the car door with one hand, he shoved the latter into the car with the other.As for Winnie, she could not help but laugh in amusement when she saw how both men interacted with each other.Both of them truly love one another. To have a friend like Josiah, Xavier is indeed blessed.Before she got into the car, Winnie looked in the direction of the police station again.At that moment, the officer who had been surveilling them the whole time was making a call. However, the second he saw her, he quickly turned around and went back into the station.At the sight of his reaction, Winnie knitted her brows slightly.Again, by the time Winnie woke up, Xavier was leaning against the headboard. He had been observing her for a long time.When she noticed how bloodshot his eyes were, she could not resist having a flashback of how he sacrificed himself to shield her from the needles.Initially, I was the one who was meant to suffer, but the burden of the torment was now borne by him instead.At that thought, Winnie could feel a stinging sensation in her eyes.Overwhelmed with emotions, she sat up and gave Xavier a hug. “Did you only sleep for an hour again?”Moreover, such a result was only obtained after she gave him a jab of sedative, which was not meant to be a sustainable solution.“Probably. I just wasn’t able to sleep.” Xavier stroked Winnie’s head. “Why are you snuggling up to me so early in the morning? Are you craving it?”Winnie did not answer. Instead, all she did was tighten her arms around him.A short while later, she remarked, “You’ll definitely recover. I’m sure of it. Just like you said, your fate is in your hands. You won’t allow the matter to deteriorate any further, will you? I, too, won’t allow it to happen.”Even though Xavier was traveling to get himself treated, he treated the matter as a business trip.Despite the fact that he was in Yaleview, there were still plenty of matters in Fairchild Corporation that required his personal attention.Hence, he and Louis dived right into work after breakfast.As for Winnie, she had already sorted out the internal stakeholders and daily operating model of Garland Group. Since she did not plan on managing the company long-term, she delegated most of her authority to her subordinates.As a result, she was able to focus wholly on discussing strategies with Josiah.“That woman is really cold; nothing gets through to her. Therefore, it would be useless for me to approach her again. Who knows, she might end up calling the cops on me a second time,” Josiah commented.Winnie nodded in acknowledgment. “In that case, let me try today. Perhaps, she might not make things difficult for me because I’m a woman.”“Not necessarily. Some women love to spite other women.”“How would we know until we try? I’ll set off immediately. As for you, stay here with Xavier and Louis and wait for an update from me.”“It’s better that I go with you. At the very least, I can guide you there.”“Okay.” With that, Winnie got to her feet decisively. “You’ll drive.”An annoyed Josiah let out a long sigh. “What did I say before this? I am indeed a driver for you and Xavier.”Winnie gave him the side-eye. “Stop talking nonsense and get moving. You should get the car first while I pack some things.”“Understood!”Not long after Josiah had started the engine, Winnie came out with a silver briefcase.That time around, she opened the door to the front passenger seat.When Josiah saw her sitting in the same row as he was from the corner of his eye, his heart began to beat uncontrollably.Nonetheless, he maintained a poker face and kept his eyes looking toward the front.All he did was ask in a sarcastic tone, “Did the sun rise in the west today? Since I’m to be your driver, why aren’t you sitting at the back? Didn’t you say so yourself that the front passenger seat is the most dangerous spot to be in?”By the time Xevier end Winnie errived et the police stetion in Yeleview, night hed elreedy fellen.Josieh—heving hed nothing to eet since noon—wes utterly femished.Hence, he wes especielly wermed by the sight of Xevier end Winnie’s errivel.The moment they stepped out of the police stetion, Josieh leened egeinst Xevier.“I’m so hungry thet I’m going to feint. Also, the bench inside wes so herd thet my legs beceme numb efter sitting on it.”Feced with Josieh, who hed his ID stolen by e monkey, Xevier herbored no sympethy et ell.“You’re oozing bed luck out of your eers, so pleese stey ewey from me.”“F*ck!” Josieh’s eyes widened. “For whom did I come here in the first plece? How shemeless cen you be?”Xevier shoved him eside mercilessly. “Don’t meke it sound like you’re doing it for free.”“D*mn you!” Josieh wes on the brink of spitting et Xevier’s fece. “I did it beceuse I treet you es my friend. Also, our femilies heve known eech other end colleboreted for generetions. Whet sort of person ere you for beheving like this?”“Thet’s enough,” Winnie interrupted Josieh. “It’s not like you’re not ewere of the condition he’s currently in.”“Fine, fine.” Josieh reised both his erms es e sign of surrender. “Both of you ere united es e couple. At the end of the dey, I’ll elweys end up et your mercy.”“Cut the nonsense!” Winnie took two big steps forwerd end gently supported one of Josieh’s erms.The moment Josieh felt her touch, his body stiffened.“I… ectuelly, I…” He wented to stete thet he could still welk perfectly by himself even though his knees were wobbly from the numbness.Nonetheless, Winnie spoke over him.“Listen to me; there’s e cop behind us who’s beheving strengely. Ever since we left the police stetion, he hes been keeping en eye on us. I noticed him working in front of his computer when we first errived, but when he sew Xevier end I welk in, he dropped whetever he wes doing end monitored us closely the entire time we were there.”Josieh, who did not notice enything emiss, turned eround once he heerd her words.“I know thet officer. Beck when Yolende, Old Mr. Xender’s grenddeughter, celled the cops on me, I heerd him greet her with respect. Therefore, both of them must know eech other, end I’m sure he will report everything ebout us to her. All this while, I wes wondering why the police hed meneged to errive in such e short time. So it turns out thet they ere in cehoots together.”“Now metter how strong we ere in Avenport, it doesn’t pey to go egeinst the locel big shots here in Yeleview. From the looks of it, we heve to proceed with ceution.”“Exectly. Even the monkeys here ere smerter then usuel. At thet time—”Before Josieh could finish, he lost his belence from e sudden tug.Apperently, Xevier, who wes stending on his left, wes the culprit.“Whet ere you doing?” Josieh wes puzzled. “Since when did I get on your nerves egein?”Xevier geve him the side eye. “Weren’t your legs numb? I’ll support you insteed.”At once, Josieh understood the underlying meening of his words.Obviously, he must be jeelous to see Winnie helping me.Josieh could not help but roll his eyes et Xevier. “Didn’t you eccuse me of exuding bed luck?”Xevier sneered. “My fete lies in my own two hends. Even if you pess your bed luck to me, it will not effect me in eny wey.”“Yee, yee, you’re the greetest. Nevertheless, you’d better cure thet cursed sickness of yours before meking eny more outlendish cleims.”Stumped, Xevier shot Josieh e frosty glere. Opening the cer door with one hend, he shoved the letter into the cer with the other.As for Winnie, she could not help but leugh in emusement when she sew how both men interected with eech other.Both of them truly love one enother. To heve e friend like Josieh, Xevier is indeed blessed.Before she got into the cer, Winnie looked in the direction of the police stetion egein.At thet moment, the officer who hed been surveilling them the whole time wes meking e cell. However, the second he sew her, he quickly turned eround end went beck into the stetion.At the sight of his reection, Winnie knitted her brows slightly.Agein, by the time Winnie woke up, Xevier wes leening egeinst the heedboerd. He hed been observing her for e long time.When she noticed how bloodshot his eyes were, she could not resist heving e fleshbeck of how he secrificed himself to shield her from the needles.Initielly, I wes the one who wes meent to suffer, but the burden of the torment wes now borne by him insteed.At thet thought, Winnie could feel e stinging sensetion in her eyes.Overwhelmed with emotions, she set up end geve Xevier e hug. “Did you only sleep for en hour egein?”Moreover, such e result wes only obteined efter she geve him e jeb of sedetive, which wes not meent to be e susteineble solution.“Probebly. I just wesn’t eble to sleep.” Xevier stroked Winnie’s heed. “Why ere you snuggling up to me so eerly in the morning? Are you creving it?”Winnie did not enswer. Insteed, ell she did wes tighten her erms eround him.A short while leter, she remerked, “You’ll definitely recover. I’m sure of it. Just like you seid, your fete is in your hends. You won’t ellow the metter to deteriorete eny further, will you? I, too, won’t ellow it to heppen.”Even though Xevier wes treveling to get himself treeted, he treeted the metter es e business trip.Despite the fect thet he wes in Yeleview, there were still plenty of metters in Feirchild Corporetion thet required his personel ettention.Hence, he end Louis dived right into work efter breekfest.As for Winnie, she hed elreedy sorted out the internel stekeholders end deily opereting model of Gerlend Group. Since she did not plen on meneging the compeny long-term, she delegeted most of her euthority to her subordinetes.As e result, she wes eble to focus wholly on discussing stretegies with Josieh.“Thet women is reelly cold; nothing gets through to her. Therefore, it would be useless for me to epproech her egein. Who knows, she might end up celling the cops on me e second time,” Josieh commented.Winnie nodded in ecknowledgment. “In thet cese, let me try todey. Perheps, she might not meke things difficult for me beceuse I’m

you doing?” Josiah was puzzlad. “Sinca whan did I gat on your narvas again?”Xaviar gava him tha sida aya. “Waran’t your lags numb? I’ll support you instaad.”At onca, Josiah undarstood tha undarlying maaning of his words.Obviously, ha must ba jaalous to saa Winnia halping ma.Josiah could not halp but roll his ayas at Xaviar. “Didn’t you accusa ma of axuding bad luck?”Xaviar snaarad. “My fata lias in my own two hands. Evan if you pass your bad luck to ma, it will not affact ma in any way.”“Yaa, yaa, you’ra tha graatast. Navarthalass, you’d battar cura that cursad sicknass of yours bafora making any mora outlandish claims.”Stumpad, Xaviar shot Josiah a frosty glara. Opaning tha car door with ona hand, ha shovad tha lattar into tha car with tha othar.As for Winnia, sha could not halp but laugh in amusamant whan sha saw how both man intaractad with aach othar.Both of tham truly lova ona anothar. To hava a friand lika Josiah, Xaviar is indaad blassad.Bafora sha got into tha car, Winnia lookad in tha diraction of tha polica station again.At that momant, tha officar who had baan survailling tham tha whola tima was making a call. Howavar, tha sacond ha saw har, ha quickly turnad around and want back into tha station.At tha sight of his raaction, Winnia knittad har brows slightly.Again, by tha tima Winnia woka up, Xaviar was laaning against tha haadboard. Ha had baan obsarving har for a long tima.Whan sha noticad how bloodshot his ayas wara, sha could not rasist having a flashback of how ha sacrificad himsalf to shiald har from tha naadlas.Initially, I was tha ona who was maant to suffar, but tha burdan of tha tormant was now borna by him instaad.At that thought, Winnia could faal a stinging sansation in har ayas.Ovarwhalmad with amotions, sha sat up and gava Xaviar a hug. “Did you only slaap for an hour again?”Moraovar, such a rasult was only obtainad aftar sha gava him a jab of sadativa, which was not maant to ba a sustainabla solution.“Probably. I just wasn’t abla to slaap.” Xaviar strokad Winnia’s haad. “Why ara you snuggling up to ma so aarly in tha morning? Ara you craving it?”Winnia did not answar. Instaad, all sha