Chapter 41
apter 41
Winter’s drowsiness vanished in an instant. She sat straight up in bed.
Her long hair fell over her shoulders, covering most of her face. She took several deep breaths, then pushed her hair back and rubbed her face hard.
Jacob was trash. Whether he lived or died had nothing to do with her.
Before she exposed what was happening inside his club, Jacob and his group of so–called friends had ruined the lives of countless young men and women. A scumbag like him deserved no pity.
But the timing was too perfect. Steve had just offered to take care of Jacob for her this morning, and less than half a day later, Jacob was dead.
She couldn’t help linking the two together.
Murder.
A chill spread through her body.
She pulled the blanket tightly around herself, opened her contacts, found Steve’s number, and called him.
The phone rang twice before he picked up.
“Winnie p>
His voice on the other end was low and slightly hoarse with sleep. “Do you have any idea what it costs to wake a man up in the middle of the night? Do you even know what time it is p>
“I need to ask you something. Do I have to schedule it?” she replied coldly.
She took a steady breath. “Does Jacob’s death have anything to do with you p>
“Oh, him.” She heard Steve let out a quiet sigh. Then he asked slowly, “Do you want it to have something to do with me p>
“Are you insane?” Winter’s expression hardened. “Can you talk like a normal person p>
“You get angry so easily.” Steve chuckled softly. “What if I told you I did it p>
Winter pressed her fingers to her temple.
She remembered that when they were children, Steve hadn’t been like this. The older he got, the more he liked to put on an act, always speaking in riddles.
But from his reaction, it was clear he already knew Jacob was dead.
When he answered the phone, he really had sounded like someone just woken up.
If he had truly been asleep yet already knew Jacob was dead, then that meant he knew Jacob was going to die before it happened.
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Chapter 41
+25 Bonus
Or maybe he hadn’t been asleep at all. Maybe he was just very good at pretending.
“If you really did it,” Winter said flatly, “just don’t drag me into it p>
Then she hung up.
On the other end, Steve listened to the dial tone and smiled faintly. He leaned against the headboard and
lit a cigarette.
Typical Winnie. Not a shred of conscience. She didn’t even wait to hear the whole story before rushing to distance herself from him.
After hanging up, Winter forced herself to sleep. There was too much to do once the sun came up.
The group chats only said that Jacob had died in a private room at a club. The cause of death was still
unknown.
When morning came, Winter put on her bag and headed out.
“Ms. Scott p>
Four tall men in security uniforms were standing outside her door.
They were the guards she had hired from a security company the day before.
After Jacob had repeatedly shown up to provoke her, she had decided she needed protection.
These men were there for her safety.
Now that Jacob was dead, she no longer needed them.
She locked her door and turned to them. “Since you started tailing me yesterday, did you notice anything unusual? Anyone following me p>
“At around ten thirty last night, there were indeed some suspicious individuals lingering near the building. We assumed you were resting and didn’t want to disturb you. However, they vanished shortly after.” the lead guard reported.
Winter nodded. It was probably Jacob’s people.
As for why they disappeared, she didn’t care to overthink it. As long as she was safe, nothing else
mattered.
“You’re done here. I appreciate it,” she said.
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Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.