Chapter 1742
The moment they left the Newsom estate, Keaton called his real estate agent. He needed to buy back his villa in the Royal Manor, no matter the cost.
Yesterday, fully convinced that Winona was in a relationship and cutting him off completely, he had impulsively sold the house at a massive loss just to escape her memory.
He had intended to disappear from her life forever.
But today changed everything. Shane was just her cousin.
Even though Winona was pregnant, she was still single. That meant nothing was stopping him from pursuing her.
Over the next few days, however, Winona stayed at the Newsom estate. She didn’t return to the Royal Manor at all.
Keaton went days without seeing her.
Even when he specifically organized a New Year’s Eve party with their mutual friends, she didn’t show up.
Driven half-mad by missing her, he found excuses to drive past her family’s house, praying for a coincidental encounter.
But luck was never on his side. He didn’t catch a single glimpse of her.
At night, lying alone in his massive, empty bedroom, he would stare at Winona’s
profile picture on his phone, completely lost in thought.
He desperately wanted to message her, but what could he say?
How have you been these past few days?
Are you in a good mood?
Are you eating well?
Is the baby behaving?
But every time he typed out a message, he would hesitate and delete the entire thing.
He wanted her to know how he felt, yet he was terrified she would find out.
He feared that if this was just a fleeting infatuation, the fallout would ruin any chance they had of even remaining friends.
He had never taken love seriously in his entire life, but this time, he was treading on eggshells.
But missing her was sheer agony. It was absolute torture.
After enduring two weeks of this torment, Keaton finally cracked. He began racking
his brain for any possible excuse to see her.
And then, an idea hit him. He could use Shane.
In mid-January, armed with the perfect excuse, he quickly sent Winona a text.
[Are you busy p>
When she didn’t reply immediately, he spent the next few minutes pacing his room, overthinking every possible reason why.
But the second her reply came through, a massive grin spread across his face.
Leaning against his headboard, the
thirty year old billionayet
his
like a lovesick t
Winona replied: [Not busy. Is something wrong p>
Keaton typed back rapidly: [Yeah, just wondering where Shane is right now p>
Winona: [He’s not home. Are you looking for him p>
Keaton: [Yeah p>
Winona: [What for p>
Keaton replied: [Can you talk on the phone right now? It’s easier to explain p>
A second later, his phone rang. Winona was calling him.
Keaton answered instantly. The moment he heard her voice, his heart began to pound against his ribs.
Despite his racing pulse, he forced his voice to sound perfectly casual. “What are you up to right now p>
“I just had a snack. I was planning to take a walk around the neighborhood to digest,” Winona answered.
“Let’s go for a walk together,” Keaton said immediately. “I’ll come pick you up p>
Winona fell silent. Keaton asked carefully, “Is that not convenient p>
“It’s fine. But are you looking for me, or are you looking for Shane p>
“I need to talk to Shane, but he’s
ignoring my messages. I need youet
help with him,” Keaton lied effortlessly.
“Are you still trying to apologize to him?” Winona asked.
“You really don’t need to,” Winona said gently. “It was just a
misunderstanding, and it’s beel
weeks. Hes over it Conte
“I know, but… can we just meet up and talk p>
“Is it something you can’t say over the phone p>
“Yeah. It has to be in person p>
Winona hesitated for a moment. Alright. Where do you want to meet p>
Keaton’s heart soared.
“Just wait at home. I’ll come pick you up. It’s freezing outside, make sure you dress warmly p>
Winona hung up the phone and stared blankly at the screen. In truth, she really
didn’t want to go out at all.