Silly Bride

Chapter 273

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 them?”In the midst of helping Xavier to sit, Rufus explained, “They were police officers, and I was there when they escorted her away. When I wanted to find out what was going on, they just told me that it was classified. Nonetheless, Winnie did tell us not to worry. Thereafter, I sent men to fish for information but heard nothing at all. Now that it