The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 417

Winona was stunned. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Miss Shepherd, I said congratulations on becoming the heir to the Chase family," the old man repeated, his face beaming.

"Sir, there's something I haven't told you. I no longer go by the name Shepherd. I changed my surname ten years ago…"

Just then, her phone rang. Thinking it was the private investigator, she glanced at the screen and saw Mia's name. There was a significant time difference between Italy and her home country; if it was mid-afternoon here, it must be the middle of the night there. A call from Mia at this hour had to be an emergency.

Winona answered immediately. "Mia, what's wrong?"

Mia's voice was choked with tears. "Nona, Grandma had a cerebral hemorrhage. She's in the hospital."

Winona's blood ran cold. "What happened? How could she have a hemorrhage?"

Without waiting for an answer, she said, "I'm booking the next flight. I'll be home as soon as I can."

After hanging up, she looked at the old man with a grave expression. "Sir, as I was saying, I haven't used the name Shepherd in a decade. My name is Perkins now. As for being the Chase family heir… is that an inheritance contract in the envelope? This is far too significant for me to simply accept Ms. Chase's fortune. My grandmother is ill, and I must return home immediately. Once she's stable, I'll fly back to discuss this with you properly. Is that all right?"

The old man nodded. "You're a good woman, Miss Perkins. I've already taken the contract out of the safe deposit box, so you might as well keep it."

By the end of the next day, Xander had made some progress. He discovered that Frank had been married to an Italian woman who had passed away just four months ago.

Frank's wife had died?

Could this be connected to the Italian woman Winona had mentioned, the one she said had recently passed away?

Xander tried calling Winona while Felicity was away, but the call went unanswered. What was she so busy with?

At that moment, Winona was at the hospital, sitting by her grandmother's bedside. Old Mr. Shepherd had been relentlessly trying to divorce Old Mrs. Shepherd, but she refused. He had dragged her to city hall, but just as they were about to enter, she managed to slip away. She was in her seventies; how could she bear the thought of divorcing the man she'd spent her life with? The shame would be unbearable. But the stubborn old man, as if bewitched by that woman from the country, was hell-bent on leaving her.