“Do you dare, Winifred?” The man’s icy gaze fixed on her, his lips curled with evident mockery.
She… of course, did not dare.
As if Leland had read her mind, Winifred took a small step back, clutching her phone tightly, her face filled with wary vigilance as Leland entered the room. She kept her eyes fixed on the door behind him, and the next second, Leland waved his hand gently on the door.
With a “click”, the door closed, and instantly, Winifred’s ears buzzed, a reaction to extreme fear, and silence enveloped everything.
She stared at Leland, stepping back, her eyes reddening. She was like a delicate yet easily broken porcelain doll, tempting him to destroy her.
Winifred didn’t know how to handle this situation. She watched the sudden intruder with alertness and fear, like a hedgehog bristling its spines outward.
Leland seemed oblivious to her guarded gaze. He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes hiding all his emotions.
“What are you really here for?” Winifred asked with a trembling voice. “I have no grudge against you, why are you disrupting my life? Please, let me be. That night was just an accident. I don’t know why I ended up in that hotel, nor why in your bed. I too am a victim. I was drugged. You should be looking for the person who drugged me, or the one who drugged you. Please, let it go as if nothing ever happened…” Tears stained her eyes and her voice shook terribly, making her look pitiable.
But the man did not soften at her plight. He arrogantly entered her house, his eyes casually scanning the surroundings, as if he belonged there. He did not seem to take in any of the words Winifred had said.
As he stepped closer, Winifred retreated fearfully to the dining area.
Leland also noticed the soup on the dining table she hadn’t finished, a creamy white broth still emanating the aroma of bone soup. He sat down.
“How can something that happened be treated as if it didn’t?” Leland mused to himself, picking up the bowl of soup and smelling it. “Is this what you had for lunch?”
A harsh interrogation from Winifred was met with only a casual remark from the man, leaving her frustrated and choked up. Winifred bit her lower lip, watching him disdainfully eyeing the half bowl of soup as if it were garbage.
He not only barged into her house, but also got disdainful and judgmental, very much wanting in manners.
Despite her discontent, Winifred could only suppress her feelings. She knew she couldn’t confront this man; the farther away she could stay, the better. She hoped he was merely acting on a whim, or perhaps still had a shred of conscience, and would leave soon. Unfortunately, she thought too optimistically; the man showed no intention of leaving.
Winifred was visibly distressed, her legs trembling ever since Leland had entered. She was terrified, her entire being uneasy, feeling as if the air around her had thinned, making it uncomfortable to breathe.
Leland set down the items he was carrying on the dining table, opening a bag that contained a box of medicine and an insulated lunch box. He opened the lunch box to reveal a well-prepared meal-meat, vegetables, fried rice, soup, and even a dessert for after, all well-balanced and appetizing. As soon as he opened the lunch box, a delicious aroma wafted out.
Winifred’s attention was briefly caught, she glanced over and then looked away.
She belatedly noticed he had brought such a large bag of things.
What was this man thinking, bringing a lunchbox to eat here? Couldn’t he choose somewhere else to eat?
The man’s actions were incomprehensible to Winifred; the stranger they were, the more cautious she became.
In any case, this man was too dangerous, and it was always good to be careful.
As Winifred was thinking, she suddenly heard the man say, “Come and eat.”
As he spoke, he served the dishes from the lunchbox, quickly occupying half the table.
Winifred looked at him warily, not only did she not go over, but she also took a small step further away.
Her slight movement made Leland laugh mockingly, “What, do I need to bring it to your lips and feed you personally?”
“I’ve already eaten, I don’t want what you’ve brought.”
“You mean the small bowl of unfinished soup?” He had been worried that he arrived too late and Winifred had already eaten, but it seemed he was just in time. Winifred, just like Wayne, procrastinated about eating, was picky with food, and didn’t eat properly at meal times.
He didn’t believe that the oily soup she had was filling.
Winifred felt oddly transparent under his gaze, she averted her eyes and turned her head, muttering, “Who knows if it’s poisoned?”
“If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t need to go through such trouble.” Knowing that Winifred tended to yield under threat, Leland hardened his expression and said coldly, “Come and eat, if you won’t eat, I’ll take it to Garrison.”
He was threatening her with Garrison again! Winifred stamped her foot in frustration, she wanted to ignore him, but Leland had hit her weak spot, making it impossible for her to disregard him.
How could there be such an annoying person in the world?
Prodding her pain points time and again, touching on the people she cared about the most.
Winifred walked over, clearly compromising.
Her compromise only fueled Leland’s irritation more because he knew the reason Winifred yielded was Garrison; this showed she cared deeply about him, enough to listen to the words of the person she despised the most, even eating potentially poisoned food.
Winifred stared at the dishes in front of her. It was undeniable that up close, the food looked even more appetizing. Even the simple fried rice was cooked to perfection, each grain distinct and golden, emitting a fragrant aroma.
“Try it.”
Winifred pursed her lips and, bracing herself, picked up a spoon. Seemingly ready to face death, she scooped some fried rice. It was delicious, much as she hated to admit it, given her dislike for the man, the dishes he brought were exactly to her taste as if made just for her.
Winifred had thought she would only ever love the food made by Garrison. No matter what he cooked, she liked it. But now, it seemed that she just enjoyed good food.
With Leland watching, Winifred couldn’t show much reaction; she quietly ate a few more bites of rice without taking any side dishes, until Leland spoke up, “Don’t just eat the rice, have some vegetables, drink some soup.”
Only after Leland’s prompting did Winifred begin to eat more of the food he brought. She even finished the dessert, her stomach fuller than it had ever been before.
“I’m full now.”