Silly Bride

Chapter 273

to collapse onto the ground.The sight of the corpse stunned Winnie, for the dead Yulissa wore a strange expression on her face.Although her eyes were wide open and brimming with indignance, she looked as if she was gloating instead.Baffled by the sight, Winnie wondered, How can she be so smug even in death?Meanwhile, Josiah and Nate had blocked the door with the metal box. At the sound of the gunshot, both of them rushed over to check.Greeted by the sight of Yulissa’s corpse, Nate stood frozen. Even though he had walked up to her with his eyebrows furrowed intensely, he couldn’t help but stagger back. Filled with disbelief, he still couldn’t accept the truth that was laid bare in front of him.Staring at the dead Yulissa’s wide-opened eyes and devious smile, Josiah could instantly feel his hair stand on end.Brows knitted, he knelt down to close her eyes but failed to wipe the smile off her face.Unable to bear the sight of her eerie expression, he took off his shirt and covered her face with it.Thereafter, he looked up at Winnie. “How are you feeling? Is your arm all right?”Upon giving her right hand a stretch, the immediate pain she felt caused her to grimace. “Not really.”She then raised her head toward the sky. “The helicopter is about to arrive. Let’s get ready to board.”At the sight of Winnie leaving, Josiah quickly questioned her, “Where’s your black badge? Did you ask Yulissa about it?”Winnie frowned at Yulissa’s body. “Prior to this, she claimed to have hidden it in a location that only she knows.”“What are you going to do now?” Josiah began feeling anxious on Winnie’s behalf. “Obviously, she isn’t talking anymore.”“I’ll have to forget about it,” Winnie flatly replied. “Even if she lives, it would be unlikely for her to reveal it anyway.”“You have a point.” Josiah nodded.In spite of his words, he frisked Yulissa’s body but didn’t find anything.As the result didn’t come as a surprise, he got to his feet and quickly caught up with Winnie.Before he had the chance to ask Winnie about what had happened to Christopher, the helicopter arrived.As its spinning rotors roared out loud, one could only speak by screaming at the top of one’s voice. Thus, Josiah decided to raise the matter with Winnie only when they were back.The moment the helicopter landed on the rooftop, Winnie and Josiah began to move the others.Despite her desire to help, Winnie was stopped by Josiah.He—amidst the deafening sound of the rotors—yelled, “You don’t have to help. Just take care of your arm.”Throwing Josiah’s bleeding leg a glance, Winnie was filled with concern. “Is your leg all right? Can you bear the pain? Remember not to force yourself.”While loading Xavier onto his back, the smiling Josiah reassured her, “This is nothing. I’m really capable, so don’t underestimate me.”With his gentlemanly look, Josiah’s smile gave Winnie a refreshing feeling.It was the first instance of warmth she had felt ever since watching Christopher fall off the building.Relishing in the sensation, she reciprocated with a slight curl of her lips.Meanwhile, amidst the gale unleashed by the helicopter’s rotors, Winnie’s jet-black hair and sleeves fluttered in the air. The beauty she exuded blew Josiah away when he caught a glimpse of her.Stunned momentarily by the sight, he quickly picked up his pace.After loading Xavier into the helicopter, he then piggy-backed Rachel in.Subsequently, it was Jacinta’s turn and then Winnie’s.However, by the time Winnie was about to board, there wasn’t enough space left.Initially, they had prepared two helicopters to carry all six of them.Nevertheless, the first helicopter had left with only Riley, causing them to be two seats short.“What are we going to do?” Josiah scratched his head before turning to look at Nate—who was still staring blankly at Yulissa’s body—and shouted, “Let the ladder down. We’ll hold onto it. As for the corpse, we’ll have no choice but to leave it here.”“No.” Lowering his head to throw Yulissa’s body a glance, Nate suggested abruptly, “You guys should go. That Horton guy doesn’t know who I am. Thus, even if he barges in, he’ll probably not harm me.”“All right then.” Given their desperate circumstances, Josiah didn’t want to waste time debating. “Remember to stay safe.”With that, he returned to where Winnie was.Since Winnie’s arm was incapacitated by her injury, Josiah tied a safety harness around her waist.When the helicopter finally lowered its ladder, he hugged Winnie tightly before grabbing onto it.Finally, the helicopter began to lift off gradually. During its ascension, Josiah couldn’t help but look down at Nate, who was watching them leave.Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the metal box being moved. As a grim expression descended upon his face, Josiah yelled, “Nate, take care!”Nate nodded in response before shifting his attention to Winnie.Gazing at her, he shouted abruptly, “I’m sorry!”As a slight crease emerged between her brows, Winnie—after a two-second delay—threw her pistol down for Nate.The sight of the pistol at his feet caught Nate by surprise. However, by the time he picked it up and looked in Winnie’s direction, the helicopter had flown far toward the horizon.From the moment the helicopter left the rooftop, Winnie’s eyes were focused down below.Despite that, their distance from the ground simply made everything look like a blur.Even the massive buildings had become nothing but black dots, let alone Christopher’s tiny figure.The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, causing her to instinctively look in the direction of her home country.All of a sudden, she recalled Christopher’s words when he requested her to leave him in the forest.He told her that in the event of his death, she should remember the location of his body and—if she had the opportunity to return—bring it back home.I might remember where it is now, but will it still be here when I return? What if Harold takes his body away? Given how psychotic Harold is and the fact that Christopher betrayed him, how is he going to treat the latter’s corpse?Overwhelmed with sorrow, Winnie didn’t dare let her mind wander any further. Instead, she couldn’t help looking downward and mumbling, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”In spite of the deafening rumble in the background, Josiah—who was watching her throughout—could guess from her expression and the movement of her lips that she was reminiscing about Christopher.At a loss at how he could console her, he hugged her tightly before loosening his grip.Inside a hospital in Avenport, Chanaea, Xavier gradually opened his eyes to see his bed surrounded by people.Rufus, Beatrice, and Louis were there, but there was no sign of the one he longed to see the most.His first reaction was to think that he was dreaming, for all these people would never appear in Jipsdale.Nevertheless, he could clearly hear Rufus and Beatrice calling out to him, whereas his attempt at moving triggered a painful sensation when the IV needle inserted in his hand was tugged.The pain in itself was evidence that it wasn’t a dream. Sitting up abruptly, he asked, “How did I come back here? Where’s Winnie? Weren’t we at the rooftop?”“Xavier? Xavier! This is the hospital, not whatever rooftop you’re talking about.” When he saw the confusion in Xavier’s eyes, Rufus immediately ordered the butler to get the doctor.In the meantime, he grabbed Xavier’s hand. “Look at us, Xavier. Do you still recognize us?”“Grandpa!” Xavier closed his eyes and gave his forehead a forceful pinch. “My head hurts like hell. Where’s Winnie? Did she return with me? I have no recollection of everything that happened before.”“Stop thinking if it hurts your head,” Rufus quickly suggested. “Don’t worry. Winnie came back with you, together with Josiah. Everyone is safe.”“Thank God!” Xavier cleared his dry throat. “I remember being struck by Christopher but nothing after that. Where’s Winnie? I want to see her!”The only thing Xavier could think of was seeing the woman he loved. Despite Rufus’ reassurance that she was fine, Xavier’s concerns would only ease when he saw her with his own eyes.Without warning, he pulled the IV needle out of his hand and got out of bed.Rufus stopped him immediately. “How can you act so rashly when your condition hasn’t stabilized? Besides, Winnie isn’t here.”“She isn’t here?” Xavier’s brows furrowed in an instant. “Since her hand was injured, isn’t she receiving treatment here? Moreover…”Xavier paused briefly. “How can she not be by my side when I’m still in the hospital? Where did she go? Is she home, or has she gone to care for her grandmother?”“Neither.” Rufus let out a long sigh. “You have been lying in bed for five whole days. Winnie was indeed by your side when you first arrived. However, she was soon taken away by some men.”“What men?” The news got Xavier all worked up. “Who took her? Grandpa, why didn’t you stop