Chapter 58
Delia was bright and resplendent in her laughter upon hearing the words.
Springer, however, looked like someone had just rained on his parade and stomped his foot at her in mock frustration.
“Come on, Winnie! We’re cut from the same cloth!”
As Delia stood up to head his way, Springer turned tail and bolted back the way he came, his sneakers beating a hasty retreat on the pavement.
Before he vanished, he hollered back at Winnie, “Winnie! Don’t forget my Guard Charm, I’ll be coming to collect it later!”
Delia had only been teasing, but now she grabbed her purse, ready to leave.
“Thanks for the Charms. If it does the trick, I may drum up some business for you.”
Delia said this with a wink in Winnie’s direction, her face betraying none of the disdain for Winnie’s entrepreneurial spirit in her mystical transaction.
Winnie offered a rare smile and tossed her another tip. “Love Charm works best when kept close. Place it in something she carries every day.”
De got it in a flash, gave Winnie a knowing blink, and then, heels clicking, she strutted away
with the poise and pride of a peacock.
It was later that Winnie learned Delia, the heiress of the Lopez family, with all her confidence and flamboyance, had once been the only child of the Lopez family. Her birth mother passed away in a twist of fate. Within six months, her father remarried, bringing home a new wife and a stepsister just a year younger than Delia. Ironically, her stepsister Yolanda was also his father’s flesh and blood.
When stepmother and Yolanda came into her life, her father became distant, and Delia watched as her birthright was slowly usurped.
Everyone expected Delia to become a timid and pitiable creature, but after spending a year with her grandmother in the countryside, Delia returned to navigate the family politics with aplomb. leveraging gossip and alliances to reclaim her agency.
Since then, anyone who dared cross her would find themselves in the midst of a whirlwind of her making, no holds barred.
Her most notorious stunt involved accusing her father Samuel of domestic abuse at the police station and streaming it live for all her relatives to witness.
In the end, a humiliated Samuel capitulated, pampering her with every luxury and strictly forbidding any provocation from her stepfamily.
In the eyes of the Lopez family, Delia lacked for nothing except perhaps paternal affection. But
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12.39
Chapter 58
Winnie figured she hardly needed that thing.
In the face of such adversity, Della had fought tooth and nail to become the best version of herself that she could be.
That evening. In the presence of Clifford and his parents, Springer showed off the Amulet he got from Winnie as if it were a badge of honor, leaving the Bryant family elders speechless.
Who would’ve guessed the earlier critic of Winnie’s work would now be proudly displaying his “token of faith“?
While Springer’s parents were pleased, there was an undercurrent of envy. They didn’t possess the handcrafted Amulet made by Winnie.
The family had never minded that only Clifford and Horace had received them, but seeing Springer flaunt his Amulet suddenly made them feel left out in the cold.
Under the watchful eyes of Terrell and Janet, Winnie quietly handed out two more protective amulets.
Hobson, just back from the hospital, arrived in time to witness the exchange, seemingly unimpressed.
“I usually don’t wear such things. If we’re talking about craftsmanship, it’s the master artisans you should emulate. If you enjoy the hobby that much, you should learn from the best.” He said this while reluctantly extending his hand, not wanting to snub Winnie in front of Clifford.
If she insisted on giving it, he’d accept, only to toss it in some drawer later.
Winnie eyed him strangely, then shrugged with a calm indifference, “Sorry, I didn’t make many. They’re all gone.”
Hobson was speechless.
Winnie continued, “After all, it’s just my hobby.”
Clearly, she was doing this on purpose.
Hobson left in a huff, and Winnie paid him no mind. She hadn’t intended to distribute her work to every family member anyway.
The two she had given away were indeed the last, and now she contemplated sourcing new materials to craft a few more.
As she headed upstairs, her phone chimed with a notification of a hefty bank transfer.
Opening it, she was dumbfounded.
Clifford had sent her ten million dollars.
Turning around, she saw Clifford, who had followed her upstairs, his eyes filled with veiled
concern.
“Mr. Sanchez told me everything.” Clifford began..
12:39
Winnie was puzzled. What exactly had Malcolm told him?
“He mentioned you treated Ms. Sanchez without charging because I had already paid you a ten–million fee.” Clifford spoke with a hint of helplessness. “Winnie, you’re a sensible kid, but that ten million was to repay the Henderson family, with a little extra for your expenses.” Clifford had indeed planned to compensate the Sanchez family but didn’t realize Winnie had preemptively cured Lucy. In doing so, Winnie had preserved the Bryant family’s reputation.
“You’ve maintained our family’s relationship with the Sanchez family, but we can’t let you be at a loss.” He continued. “Consider this ten million a payment from us on behalf of the Sanchez family. Keep it, and if it’s not enough, come to me.”
Winnie remained silent, processing the unexpected turn of events.
Ever since she parted ways with Kathryn, making money seemed almost too easy for her.
Even though she felt there was nothing wrong with representing the Bryant family and waiving the Sanchez family’s fees, she’d take the money that was offered without hesitation.
“Thanks.” Winnie softened her smile, her usual chill demeanor melting into one that was obedient and sensible.
Clifford watched her, feeling an unexplainable urge to pat her head the way he’d seen Horace do.
His hand, previously resting by his side, twitched with hesitation. He cautiously began to lift it. but before he could reach out, Winnie had already nodded slightly at him and turned to go back
to her room.
His hand, which had just begun to rise, fell back to his side, limp.
Clifford remained impassive as he silently turned and retreated to his study.
Meanwhile, at the hospital.
In the hospital room, Amber lay with her eyes closed on the bed, her pale face nestled against the stark white pillow, making her look all the more fragile and helpless.
Cutler stood beside her, watching intently, his eyes brimming with pity and–affection.
After a long moment, he couldn’t resist reaching out, wanting to touch her porcelain–like skin gently.
His fingertips trembled, but just as they were about to make contact, the person on the bed stirred, her eyelashes fluttering open.
Cutler abruptly withdrew his hand, shifting instead to tuck the blanket around her.
Amber looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion. “Cutler, what time is it? Why are you still here?”
“You’re here alone, and I was worried,” Cutler said gently. “I wanted to stay with you.”
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Chapter 58
“Thank you, Cutler.” Amber said, her face lighting up with joy, then she cast her eyes down. “Cutler, I’m thirsty. Could I have some water?”
Upon hearing her request, Cutler immediately nodded, turning to pour her a glass of water.
What he didn’t see, at the moment he turned his back, was the swift change in Amber’s eyes on the bed. The soft and gentle smile vanished, replaced by a flash of Icy coldness.
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