“It’s normal not to like him. A gifted girl like her, and Leland Burns was just a butler’s adopted son with nothing. Besides, these wealthy families always marry for status and compatibility.”
“It seems Leland Burns had a one-sided love for the young lady for a long time, then became strong and took her by force.”
“If you think that way, go write a novel upstairs.”
“Why did Miss Dawson suddenly get together with Leland Burns?”
“Miss Dawson left Peachshire Town for a year and only returned last year. I don’t know what happened during that time.”
At some point, the comments shifted focus from Leland Burns to Winifred Dawson. More and more people were curious about what had happened between Leland Burns and Winifred Dawson.
“Bang!” Winifred Dawson slammed her phone down, drawing attention from the neighboring table.
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the agitation in her chest. She pulled her hat down lower, the brim covering half her face, then put on a mask and walked out with her phone.
The people at the next table exchanged puzzled looks, wondering if she was crazy.
She covered herself so thoroughly that anyone who didn’t know better might think she was a big star.
Winifred Dawson stood thirty meters outside the courthouse and saw Leland Burns walking out.
His handcuffs hadn’t been removed, clinking with every step. He was walking fine until he suddenly stopped and looked into the distance, freezing in place.
A policeman pushed him. “What are you looking at? Move along.” The officer frowned at Leland Burns but noticed a glimmer in his usually dark eyes.
“A bird just flew by.”
“Alright, keep moving. There are birds in prison too. You can watch them while weeding.”
Leland Burns was pushed forward. He smirked and walked slowly before getting into the car.
From afar, Winifred Dawson broke into a cold sweat. Leland Burns had spotted her through the crowd.
He had definitely recognized her.
Even though she was wrapped up tightly with only her eyes showing, Leland Burns had found her immediately.
Winifred Dawson couldn’t hear what Leland Burns said to the police from such a distance but saw him smile at her direction, sending chills down her spine.
After watching him get into the car, she turned away, pressing her hand to her chest to calm herself. The situation was settled; no matter how powerful Leland Burns was, he couldn’t escape prison. She had no reason to fear him now.
Winifred Dawson took a cab back to North Bankshire. That night she had a nightmare and woke up drenched in cold sweat. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she faced another long bout of insomnia.
Gregory Dawson had left her money and some company dividends, knowing she wouldn’t manage the business well. After his death, everything that could be sold was sold and converted to cash.
Her account balance was so high she didn’t bother counting it. The daily interest notifications were just reminders of money coming in. The only time she used it after Leland Burns’s imprisonment was to pay Mrs. Protich’s salary and buy household items.
Living there brought back too many memories of the past. Winifred Dawson disliked it and hired a decorating company to renovate the house, which would take two months plus another month for airing out.
During this time, Winifred Dawson moved out and rented a seaside apartment, taking Mrs. Protich with her since she couldn’t cook.
Mrs. Protich didn’t understand why the perfectly good house needed renovating; it seemed like a waste of money.
The house still held items belonging to both Winifred Dawson and Leland Burns. She wanted to erase all traces of him completely.
Liam Burkhart still contacted her, trying to invite her out for meals after learning about her substantial funds and wanting to involve her in investments.
Winifred Dawson declined politely. She knew Liam Burkhart wasn’t a good person; one collaboration was enough-better not get involved again.
Worried about potential dangers outside, Winifred Dawson hired two bodyguards at high cost but still couldn’t shake off her concerns.
Though Leland Burns was imprisoned, those who saw him as an enemy might target her instead. She wasn’t sure if Liam Burkhart would harm her either; Wesley and Henry were still active too.
Peachshire Town felt increasingly unsafe for Winifred Dawson; she wanted to leave.
She didn’t want to go abroad; foreign countries weren’t any better than home in terms of living conditions and food habits. Besides, she didn’t know how to face Garrison Reeves again-their relationship was over for good; they probably wouldn’t meet again.
After researching various cities, she set her sights on J City as a potential new home.
While preparing to leave Peachshire Town over a month after Leland Burns’s imprisonment, Winifred Dawson suddenly received news:
Leland Burns was dead.