The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 497

Julian stood motionless, the invitation a dead weight in his grasp. Everything up to this point had felt like body blows, but this... this was the finishing strike that crushed it completely.

Winona and Yves were already in their car, heading to the construction site. After a long moment, Julian, as if possessed, got into his own car and followed them.

He watched as Winona, wearing a hard hat, moved with an effortless authority, giving clear, concise instructions to the engineers on how to clear the debris, repair the damage, and improve the structures. In this element, she was sharp, decisive, and exuded a commander's presence. There was not a trace of the timid housewife he once knew.

For the first time, Julian was forced to admit that Winona's understanding of architecture far surpassed Felicity's. Even he, a layman, had to marvel at her ingenuity. How had she ever devised such a brilliant method to protect her designs from theft?

That afternoon, Winona held a press conference. A reporter asked her how it felt to have her design stolen and why she had built in such an effective defense mechanism that caused the stolen version to collapse without her guidance.

Facing the crowd of journalists, Winona explained the core of her design.

"I didn't actually build in any specific defense measures," she began. "My design wasn't intended for the wealthy elite. It was designed for ordinary, even poor, elderly people. To be precise, it's a solution for seniors who are left alone, without anyone to care for them."

"As our economies grow, our populations are aging. What happens to the elderly parents of children who have moved far away for work, even to other countries? What about people like my grandmother, who has spent her entire life without family to care for her and can't afford a caregiver?"

When Winona finished speaking, the room was silent for a long moment. Then, a thunderous applause erupted.

Standing in the distance, listening quietly, Julian was dumbfounded. A wave of profound regret washed over him.

So that was it. Who could have ever imagined? The true designer's vision was to help the poor and lonely, while the thief had twisted it into a luxury product for the rich. It was no wonder it had collapsed. It was destined to fail.