In the living room, Winifred found Rosalind fighting to keep her eyes open.
Gently lifting her daughter, Winifred carried her to bed, gave her back a soothing pat, and nestled the pink bunny into her arms.
While packing her daughter’s schoolbag, she paused at the drawing of a cream–colored puppy. She sighed softly before deciding she would visit the pet store tomorrow.
*****
Humbert tossed his phone onto the nightstand, the gray towel draped around his neck as he ran his fingers through his damp hair.
Jessica hovered nearby, firing off questions. “Was that a patient? She sounded young and attractive. Is she single? You should be more considerate. Is this little round furball hers?”
“Jessica,” Humbert said, his voice lowering as he lowered his gaze, nosy?”
“when did you
“Don’t be like that. I’m just concerned about you,” Jessica shot back.
become so
A faint smirk played on his lips as he threw the towel onto the couch, his hair slightly tousled over his forehead.
“Do you have some kind of superpower?” he said casually. “You can picture someone’s face just from hearing their voice over the phone? With skills like that, you’re clearly overqualified for the Pierce Group. Maybe you should be working for intelligence services instead.”
“She must be pretty, though,” Jessica said, her curiosity immediately piqued.
“Not even close,” he said flatly, settling onto the couch and opening his laptop to review medical records without glancing up. “Shut the door behind you,” he added coolly.
“Which means she’s absolutely gorgeous,” Jessica countered, knowing her brother always said the opposite. She crossed the room and dropped onto the couch beside him. “Winifred… that’s a lovely name. You must have a photo. Show me.”
“Jessica, since when did you inherit Mom’s nagging gene?” Humbert raised his hand, indicating height with his long fingers. “Her daughter’s about this tall now. She was one of my cardiology cases–congenital heart condition.”
“She’s married?” Jessica paused, momentarily thrown. “So she actually was a patient? I had
assumed…”
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Chapter 8
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Though Humbert remained impassive, Jessica pressed forward with their parents‘ request. “You should at least meet the Linton girl. Our grandfathers were close, after all.”
“We did meet.” Humbert handed her his phone. “We exchanged numbers and had a conversation. Tell Mother I’ve fulfilled the obligation.”
Jessica recognized that blank expression–something was off. She took the phone and scanned Humbert’s message history with Sylvia, her frown deepening with each terse reply.
Sylvia: [Humbert, are you free today? I have two tickets to the music festival.]
Humbert: [Booked solid.]
Sylvia: [A friend of mine has a heart condition. Could I ask your advice?]
Humbert: [Schedule a consultation.]
Sylvia: [I heard you’re free this Saturday. Would you like to see a movie?]
Humbert: [On duty.]
Jessica scrolled through the sparse chat history, each of her brother’s terse replies making her head throb with a fresh wave of frustration.
“So what is your type, then?” she asked, exasperated. “If the Linton heiress isn’t good enough, what about Mr. Yates’s daughter? Or the Duncan girl, from that family of artists?”
His dismissive attitude was infuriating. She never expected a real answer, but then Humbert actually gave her a list.
“I like a curvy figure, a slim waist, long legs, and delicate skin. But not too thin, or too flashy. And she can’t be short. Around five–foot–six is perfect.”
Jessica hesitated, a certain profile suddenly forming in her mind. She looked over at Humbert. “You mean Claire?” she ventured.
A dark, intense look was the only answer she got. He snapped his laptop shut, the sharp crack echoing in the sudden silence. “Get out.” The two words were cold, flat, and left absolutely no room for argument.
Even though Jessica was six years his senior and had served as the CEO of the Pierce Group for years, there were still times when she found herself utterly unable to handle this younger
brother.
Humbert inherited his father’s formidable temper. He would have been the one to run the family business if he hadn’t chosen medicine to keep the peace with his older brother.
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Chapter 8
He had a powerful presence and a sharp, strategic mind–a natural leader.
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As Jessica left the room, Margaret, who had been waiting by the door, took her hand and asked what was wrong.
After Jessica explained, Margaret sighed. “Is he looking for a girlfriend or a model? Why does the height need to be such an exact number?”
After a pause, Margaret added, “Don’t tell your father about this yet. With his old–fashioned views, he’ll just say Humbert has terrible taste.”
“Mom,” Jessica began, her voice hesitant, “do you remember that girl Humbert dated in college?”
“How could I forget?” Margaret said. “That was the reason he sent Cheryl overseas.” The whole affair had been a major scandal, but there was no doubt that Cheryl was the one to blame.
Margaret had almost overlooked Winifred as an option. Then an idea surfaced in her mind. ‘Maybe we can try to find her again. If she’s still unmarried, perhaps they could have another chance at romance.‘
Jessica knew exactly what Margaret was hinting at, but she remembered all too well how Humbert’s face had clouded over the moment that name was mentioned.
Though Jessica wanted to discourage the notion immediately, she held back when she saw the eager look on Margaret’s face.
Jessica knew the story all too well. Seven years ago, not long after Humbert had gone overseas, his girlfriend had broken up with him and sent a large parcel to their family home.
When Humbert returned for the holiday season and opened the package, he discovered she had returned every single item from their three–year relationship.
She had completely disappeared after making this clean break, even going so far as to repay every minor expense, including the cost of bottled water.
That was the first time Jessica had ever seen her brother appear so profoundly angry.
The week passed by in a flash. Winifred spent her time attending the Sonisburg Fabric Expo, gathering plenty of new material and inspiration.
Nearby, a few coworkers whispered among themselves.
Linda grabbed Winifred’s hand and said excitedly, “Have you heard the news? Ms. Linton is in a relationship—it’s an arranged marriage between families. They say his family is incredibly
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Chapter 8
wealthy, one of the most powerful in all of Sonisburg.”
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Winifred rarely paid attention to gossip about the city’s elite families. But this mention of old money and high society made her think of the Pierce family, who were firmly positioned among the uppermost circles of Sonisburg.
There were certain things about Sylvia’s behavior at work that Winifred didn’t care for, but she had no intention of judging Sylvia’s personal affairs.
“If some young, powerful CEO would just fall for one of my friends, I could finally live the easy life,” Linda said before shaking Winifred’s arm playfully. “Winifred, why don’t you put that gorgeous face to good use and go catch one?”
Winifred gave a soft smile and replied, “My daughter is already six years old.”
Besides, she never considered herself attractive, even after her weight loss transformation. Despite receiving regular compliments from colleagues and appreciative glances from strangers, she remained unconvinced of her own appeal.
The lingering insecurity likely stemmed from the constant criticism she’d endured about her weight in earlier years. It created a deep–seated self–doubt that felt ingrained in her very being.
“Since when does being a mother matter? In today’s world, beauty trumps everything,” Linda remarked while gently lifting Winifred’s chin. “If I were a man, I’d be completely captivated by your delicate features.”
She gave Winifred’s waist an approving squeeze. “How do you maintain such a slim figure anyway?”
Winifred brushed Linda’s hand away with an amused smile, dismissing the comments as good–natured teasing. “Let’s focus on documenting these fabrics for tomorrow’s meeting review,”
While she was photographing the extensive fabric collection in the crowded exhibition hall, she ignored the phone buzzing in her pocket.
Later that evening, while settling into a spaghetti shop with Linda, she finally noticed the missed call from earlier that afternoon.
She stared at the number on her screen, her appetite for spaghetti completely vanishing as she recognized Humbert’s number.
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Chapter 9
C
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
