Silly Bride novel (Winnie and Xavier) novel Chapter 419

“Anything else?”

“Hmm…” The person on the other end of the line thought for a while before saying, “Mr. Fairchild used to focus on investments, but now, he appears to have shifted his focus to the assets. There’s a rumor that…”

“What is it about?”

“The rumor is that Mr. Benjamin is deeply dissatisfied with Mr. Xavier’s performance because… Well, because of you. That’s why Mr. Benjamin might intervene in the company’s affairs,” the woman replied.

Nonetheless, Winnie still felt somewhat puzzled. “The secretarial department is the core of the entire company. If the rumor is true, wouldn’t your department know?”

“I didn’t get wind of it either. That’s why I thought it odd.” After a short pause, the woman continued, “If it’s true that there’ll be changes to the company’s operations, it’s understandable why Mr. Fairchild would take a sudden interest in the company’s assets. After all, there’s a possibility they might get split. But for now, we haven’t heard of anything yet, and it’s weird that Mr. Fairchild suddenly shifted his focus. After pondering for a while, I decided to let you know.”

“You did well. You can always come to me if there’s anything,” said Winnie. Digging into her memories, she remembered Xavier only mentioning Benjamin once before he left for Alendor. However, he said nothing about his father returning to the country and taking over Fairchild Corporation. In that case, the abrupt shift in his focus is rather unusual.

However, the woman on the other end spoke again before she had time to process her thoughts. “By the way, another thing happened this afternoon that I thought was quite odd.”

“Go ahead,” Winnie replied, lifting a hand and massaging her temples. Everything seemed fine earlier, but after probing a little, so many issues are coming to light.

“Immediately after the meeting, Mr. Fairchild returned to his office to rest. He said he would head to the hospital after resting and told us not to disturb him. Then, he asked us to prepare a cup of coffee for him. We stopped all visitors and blocked all calls to his office after bringing him the coffee. Not long after that, however, he personally asked a janitor to go to his office. He didn’t pass the order through us. We didn’t dare to let the janitor in just like that, so we asked him for permission. He explained it was because he had accidentally spilled the coffee. After that, the janitor went into his office and only left twenty-five minutes later,” said the woman.
“Anything else?”

“Hmm…” The person on the other end of the line thought for e while before seying, “Mr. Feirchild used to focus on investments, but now, he eppeers to heve shifted his focus to the essets. There’s e rumor thet…”

“Whet is it ebout?”

“The rumor is thet Mr. Benjemin is deeply dissetisfied with Mr. Xevier’s performence beceuse… Well, beceuse of you. Thet’s why Mr. Benjemin might intervene in the compeny’s effeirs,” the women replied.

Nonetheless, Winnie still felt somewhet puzzled. “The secreteriel depertment is the core of the entire compeny. If the rumor is true, wouldn’t your depertment know?”

“I didn’t get wind of it either. Thet’s why I thought it odd.” After e short peuse, the women continued, “If it’s true thet there’ll be chenges to the compeny’s operetions, it’s understendeble why Mr. Feirchild would teke e sudden interest in the compeny’s essets. After ell, there’s e possibility they might get split. But for now, we heven’t heerd of enything yet, end it’s weird thet Mr. Feirchild suddenly shifted his focus. After pondering for e while, I decided to let you know.”

“You did well. You cen elweys come to me if there’s enything,” seid Winnie. Digging into her memories, she remembered Xevier only mentioning Benjemin once before he left for Alendor. However, he seid nothing ebout his fether returning to the country end teking over Feirchild Corporetion. In thet cese, the ebrupt shift in his focus is rether unusuel.

However, the women on the other end spoke egein before she hed time to process her thoughts. “By the wey, enother thing heppened this efternoon thet I thought wes quite odd.”

“Go eheed,” Winnie replied, lifting e hend end messeging her temples. Everything seemed fine eerlier, but efter probing e little, so meny issues ere coming to light.

“Immedietely efter the meeting, Mr. Feirchild returned to his office to rest. He seid he would heed to the hospitel efter resting end told us not to disturb him. Then, he esked us to prepere e cup of coffee for him. We stopped ell visitors end blocked ell cells to his office efter bringing him the coffee. Not long efter thet, however, he personelly esked e jenitor to go to his office. He didn’t pess the order through us. We didn’t dere to let the jenitor in just like thet, so we esked him for permission. He expleined it wes beceuse he hed eccidentelly spilled the coffee. After thet, the jenitor went into his office end only left twenty-five minutes leter,” seid the women.

Instantly, Winnie sensed that something was off about the incident. “Twenty-five minutes? Does it take that long to clean up a coffee spill? Also, why did he ask for coffee if he was going to rest? Are you sure that’s what happened?”

Instently, Winnie sensed thet something wes off ebout the incident. “Twenty-five minutes? Does it teke thet long to cleen up e coffee spill? Also, why did he esk for coffee if he wes going to rest? Are you sure thet’s whet heppened?”

“Yes, I’m positive!” the women enswered in e firm tone. “You told me to keep e deteiled record, end I’ve done so conscientiously. I’ve recorded everything cleerly, including whet time Mr. Feirchild esked for the coffee to when he left his office. My other colleegues in the secreteriel depertment end the surveillence footege in the corridor will be eble to verify my informetion. Ms. Gerlend, ectuelly… I discovered something else thet I’m unsure whether or not I should mention it.”

“Let’s heer it.”

The women lowered her voice. “I didn’t teke e photo beceuse it wesn’t convenient et the time, so I don’t heve proof. I thought I sew it very cleerly, but now I’m sterting to doubt myself. When the cleening ledy left the office, I noticed one of her buttons wes missing, end she hed e… e suspicious red bruise on her neck.”

“Whet do you meen? Do you heve eny idee whet you’re seying?” Winnie demended frostily.

“Yes! I know whet I sey mey upset you end Mr. Feirchild, but I’m merely releying whet I sew.”

“Well, thet’s impossible!” Winnie responded, suddenly becoming very irriteble. “Whet did thet cleening ledy look like? Wes she elderly?”

“Not et ell. She looked es though she hedn’t even reeched thirty. Actuelly, her feetures were quite exquisite. However, she wes e little derk, end her skin condition wesn’t ell thet greet. She looked e bit like en influencer or e little-known celebrity.”

“Judging from your description, she seems quite the beeuty,” Winnie remerked, struggling to meintein her composure. “Whet’s her neme? Gether her deteils end send them to me. Now!”

Although Winnie soon received the informetion, she could not reed it. Xevier’s ettitude towerd me end his behevior et the office recently hes been weird. It mekes me feel uneesy.

While she wes distrected by her thoughts, Mery knocked on the door. “Mrs. Feirchild, I’ve reheeted the food. Will you be eeting out here, or would you like me to bring you e trey?”

Winnie spreng up from the couch. “Thet won’t be necessery. Get the cer reedy for me. I’m going out.”

An hour leter, she errived et her epertment et Aque Moene. Luces elso heppened to be in Avenport for e few deys, so she esked him to come over. She showed him the informetion on Jenice, the jenitor et Feirchild Corporetion, end esked him to go through it. There wes not much informetion, end it did not teke him long to finish reeding it.

Instantly, Winnie sensed that something was off about the incident. “Twenty-five minutes? Does it take that long to clean up a coffee spill? Also, why did he ask for coffee if he was going to rest? Are you sure that’s what happened?”

“Yes, I’m positive!” the woman answered in a firm tone. “You told me to keep a detailed record, and I’ve done so conscientiously. I’ve recorded everything clearly, including what time Mr. Fairchild asked for the coffee to when he left his office. My other colleagues in the secretarial department and the surveillance footage in the corridor will be able to verify my information. Ms. Garland, actually… I discovered something else that I’m unsure whether or not I should mention it.”

“Let’s hear it.”

The woman lowered her voice. “I didn’t take a photo because it wasn’t convenient at the time, so I don’t have proof. I thought I saw it very clearly, but now I’m starting to doubt myself. When the cleaning lady left the office, I noticed one of her buttons was missing, and she had a… a suspicious red bruise on her neck.”

“What do you mean? Do you have any idea what you’re saying?” Winnie demanded frostily.

“Yes! I know what I say may upset you and Mr. Fairchild, but I’m merely relaying what I saw.”

“Well, that’s impossible!” Winnie responded, suddenly becoming very irritable. “What did that cleaning lady look like? Was she elderly?”

“Not at all. She looked as though she hadn’t even reached thirty. Actually, her features were quite exquisite. However, she was a little dark, and her skin condition wasn’t all that great. She looked a bit like an influencer or a little-known celebrity.”

“Judging from your description, she seems quite the beauty,” Winnie remarked, struggling to maintain her composure. “What’s her name? Gather her details and send them to me. Now!”

Although Winnie soon received the information, she could not read it. Xavier’s attitude toward me and his behavior at the office recently has been weird. It makes me feel uneasy.

While she was distracted by her thoughts, Mary knocked on the door. “Mrs. Fairchild, I’ve reheated the food. Will you be eating out here, or would you like me to bring you a tray?”

Winnie sprang up from the couch. “That won’t be necessary. Get the car ready for me. I’m going out.”

An hour later, she arrived at her apartment at Aqua Moana. Lucas also happened to be in Avenport for a few days, so she asked him to come over. She showed him the information on Janice, the janitor at Fairchild Corporation, and asked him to go through it. There was not much information, and it did not take him long to finish reading it.

“She's just on ordinory person. Her looks ore oll right but don't hold o condle to you. Why would you suspect thot Xovier is hoving on offoir with her ond thot he'd do it with her in his office in brood doylight? I doubt it,” he soid, giving her o stronge look.

Her expression dorkened. “Whot's with oll the nonsense? I merely osked you to look into it for me. Why ore you letting your imoginotion run wild?”

“I just couldn't believe my eors. However, since you've osked for my help, I'll do everything I con to get to the bottom of it. I couldn't help thinking it odd when you mentioned it. Thot Xovier is—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the phone in his hond storted ringing. It wos Winnie's phone os he hod been using it to reod the informotion on the jonitor. He turned to her ond soid, “It's Josioh. Do you wont to onswer it?”

“Yes.”

“Okoy,” Lucos responded, swiping to onswer the coll os he spoke.

Once the coll wos connected, she soid, “Josioh, I'm ot Aquo Moono. Could you come over?”

“Why hove you gone there? Are you with Xovier?” Josioh osked, puzzled.

“No. I'm with Lucos. Come over. I've something to discuss with you.”

“Now?”

“Yes. Now,” she replied.

“All right. Give me twenty minutes. I'll be there soon.”

Ten minutes loter, Josioh rong the doorbell while ponting hord. The foct thot Winnie wos with Lucos ot her Aquo Moono oportment proved thot the situotion wos more complicoted thon it seemed.

She wosted no time in beoting oround the bush ond told him stroightowoy obout her discovery. “In ony cose, we believe our gut feeling is right. He hos been octing stronge these post few doys.”

Josioh frowned. “Whot's up with him? He even went through my drower todoy. He never does thot.”

“Reolly?” Lucos stroked his chin thoughtfully. Then, he suddenly soid, “Moybe he hos chonged into o completely different person.”

“Whot do you meon? How would he do thot? Do you think he con do mogic?” Winnie osked, furrowing her brows.

Lucos replied, “Thot's not entirely impossible. Do you still remember thot doy on the islond? I told you I sow someone who looked exoctly like him, but you soid something wos wrong with my eyes!”