A Vow of Deception, A Vow of Revenge novel Chapter 48

After several days in the hospital, Winona finally convinced Mr. Ford that she was truly fine; only then did he agree to let her leave.

The car came to a stop in front of a stately, old-fashioned manor. As she stepped out, Winona turned to Mr. Ford, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Mr. Ford, whose place is this?"

He smiled. "President Thorne arranged this for you. In fact, he bought it years ago, but he could never quite bring himself to tell you."

Dad...

Winona gazed at the meticulously maintained house, warmth softening her eyes.

Her bedroom had already been prepared—everything she could need was in its place, ready for her return.

A vase of lilies sat on the windowsill.

For some reason, the sight reminded Winona of the bouquet Elvis had brought when he visited her in the hospital.

She approached the window, raising a hand to gently trace the petals.

Just then, her phone chimed with a new message.

It was from Elvis.

"Do you still like lilies?"

Her eyes brightened. She typed back: "The lilies in my room—did you send those too?"

"Yes. Lilies are calming and soothing, so I thought you'd appreciate them."

"Thank you. I really do like them."

"I'm glad."

The conversation drifted, and Winona found herself staring at the chat window, unsure what else to say. She watched the screen until it faded to black, and in the reflection, she noticed the faintest smile tugging at her lips.

Honestly, it would've been easier if Mr. Goodwin had just called Ms. Thorne himself. Why insist on having someone else do it? Was it guilt over what happened—what Ms. Goodwin had done to Ms. Thorne? Maybe he just couldn't face her.

After lunch, Winona arrived at the office. Her colleagues seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief the moment they saw her.

They hadn't realized before, but after the past few days, it was clear: Ms. Thorne was the linchpin holding the executive office together.

She'd barely set down her bag when the intercom buzzed.

"Ms. Thorne, come in for a moment."

She ignored it.

She wasn't staying at Goodwin Enterprises to be Tyson's secretary anymore. She was here for the project—nothing else.

When Tyson realized she wasn't coming, he grew impatient. Eventually, he left his office, crossed the floor, and stopped at her desk, face grim. He rapped his knuckles on her desktop, his gaze fixed on her.