Leland softened his tone. Having finally located Winifred, he certainly would not leave her any chance to escape. He could not afford to repeat past mistakes; every move had to be calculated and secure.
To keep Winifred willingly by his side, he knew he had to accommodate her wishes to some extent.
Currently, Winifred was fearful of his touch and worried that Garrison would discover what had happened that night. Her concern for Garrison highlighted her vulnerability.
Leland was certain that after his words, Winifred’s resolve was weakening. She was considering the authenticity of his offer, clearly still distrustful of him.
Understandably so, since they had only just met and he had not treated her well; her distrust was justified.
If gentleness had been shown, it was time for sternness, though not towards Winifred. It was Garrison who would need to bear the brunt, ensuring Winifred’s compliance.
The man’s grip around her waist tightened, numbing her midsection.
Leland released her, saying, “Miss Dawson, I give you three days to consider. Contact me once you’ve decided, and I will make the arrangements promptly. Remember, do not block me.”
As soon as he let go, Winifred leaped away like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, maintaining a safe distance. She watched him warily, fearful of another embrace.
Being held by him felt like needles on her back.
“Do I have the right to refuse?” Winifred asked.
“Do you think you do?”
She could always tell Garrison the truth; surely, he wouldn’t mind, Winifred thought uneasily.
Sensing her internal turmoil, Leland remarked, “You have the right to refuse, but Garrison might not take it well…”
“What do you mean?” Winifred asked defensively.
With a meaningful smile, Leland advised, “Take advantage of my good mood these days, Miss Dawson. Make your plans soon, or later, when you beg me, today’s discussion will no longer hold.”
While speaking, Leland glanced at his wristwatch; he had been there for nearly an hour and it was time to leave.
This action caught Winifred’s attention. She noticed a delicate watch on his wrist, with a feminine bracelet design, uncharacteristic for a man of his stature.
Just as curiosity sparked in Winifred, Leland withdrew his hand, pulling out a necklace from his pocket, “I’m returning this to you.” He raised the necklace, then placed it on the table.
“Take your medication well, we’ll meet again.”
Leland left, sending Winifred a text message before departing.
Her phone vibrated. Reading the message, she finally learned his name.
Leland Burns, she repeated silently, a sudden pain piercing her head, that familiar sensation flooding back.
Winifred told herself not to overthink. Since he said they did not know each other, he must be an insignificant person.
Standing by the window, she watched Leland leave the building. Once sure he was gone, she quickly locked the door.
Only then did she fully relax.
She wouldn’t agree to the agreement Leland mentioned. Her instincts told her it wasn’t simple; Leland was too scheming. Believing his words was risky, dealing with someone so capricious was asking for trouble. It would be best to keep her distance, but unfortunately, she was already involved.
Winifred felt irritable as she looked at the necklace on the table and walked over to clutch it in her hand.
She then threw away the bag that Leland had brought over, along with some cold medicine, pressing it down into the trash can as if afraid of being seen.
Winifred began to prepare, planning to broach the events of that evening with Garrison when he returned.
Uncertain of when Garrison would return, Winifred felt uneasy. Alone and quiet, her mind began to race uncontrollably, often recalling the last few words Leland had said before leaving, feeling there was more to his words.
While waiting, Winifred fell asleep on the couch, the television still on. She didn’t know how long she had slept, but when she woke, it was already dark and she felt hungry. Just as she was about to check the time on her phone, she heard noises at the door.
A chill ran through Winifred, her first thought being of Leland. She trembled and moved cautiously, leaning against the wall to see who was entering. Seeing a familiar figure, Winifred no longer held back and rushed to wrap her arms around Garrison’s waist.
Garrison, startled at first, smiled tiredly upon seeing Winifred. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice hoarse from fatigue.
“I missed you today,” Winifred replied, lifting her head, her voice tinged with a hint of grievance, like a child bullied outside seeking solace from an adult at home.
Garrison, too weary to think further, had been on edge all day at work. Now, at his most exhausted, he wrapped his arms around Winifred and casually asked, “Have you eaten?”
Winifred shook her head, mentioning she had lunch but hadn’t had dinner yet and was unsure of the time.
“Is there any food left from lunch? I’ll heat it up; I haven’t eaten either.”
“There is.”
Winifred let go of Garrison and watched as he put down his things and took off his coat before heading into the kitchen.
Following him closely, Winifred pondered how to start the conversation.
As the kitchen light illuminated Garrison’s face, highlighting his fatigue, Winifred hesitated to speak.
“Are you very tired today, Garrison?” she finally asked.
“A bit, yes. I had planned to join you at noon, but an unexpected issue kept me away.”
An unexpected issue? Winifred was startled, her thoughts immediately drifting to Leland.
“What happened?” she asked anxiously.
“Just work stuff, it’s settled for now,” Garrison replied.
Winifred caught onto the words “for now”. It meant the trouble was likely to arise again.
She was now completely convinced that Leland had something to do with it, intentionally distracting Garrison so he couldn’t return, which explained why Leland had dared to visit her alone today.
Winifred suddenly fell silent, and Garrison, not noticing anything amiss, opened the thermos to find the food untouched. He turned to her. “Didn’t you eat at noon?”
Without thinking, Winifred blurted out, “I did…”
“Then why is the food untouched?”
Realizing her mistake, Winifred quickly explained, “I wasn’t feeling very hungry at noon, so I just had some soup.”