Chapter 282: Silly Bride Chapter 282

Seeing Beatrice’s anxious yet expectant gaze, Xavier furrowed his brows.“Well, yes. I was the one who arranged for those private planes. However, at that time…”Here, Xavier broke off in mid-sentence.I didn’t look into the matters concerning Nate after getting back, so I’m actually not very clear on most of the details.When Josiah saw that Xavier was uncertain about what to say next, he immediately piped up, “Let me explain, Mdm. Beatrice. Xavier isn’t very clear about this matter as a matter of fact because he didn’t experience it personally, nor did he see Nate with his own eyes. Besides, some things once said may come between their relationship as cousins, or worse, the relationship between the Fairchild family and the Fraser family. As an outsider, I may be able to give a more objective account of events.”Xavier was filled with apprehension when he heard Josiah mention that what the latter was about to say might cause hurt feelings.“Josiah, my boy, nothing else matters apart from Nate’s safety.

Hurry up and tell me where he is and how to contact him.”Josiah fixed his gaze on Beatrice, his eyes glinting slightly. “The problem is that I don’t know where he is now either. The first helicopter took off because Yulissa suddenly appeared and intercepted me, and the second helicopter couldn’t carry many passengers. Xavier was unconscious, so I asked Nate to leave with us. However, Nate didn’t get on because he wanted to watch over Yulissa’s body. The situation was critical at that time. He chose to stay behind, and I didn’t insist on pulling him on board. If I’d been a little more persistent, I probably would’ve been able to bring him back. I’m so sorry. I planned everything, from making the arrangements for the helicopters to when we left. The entire time, Xavier never even saw Nate. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. Xavier has nothing to do with what happened.”“What nonsense are you talking about?” Xavier demanded. I wasn’t expecting him to say all that and then put all the blame on himself. I feel very fortunate to have a good friend like him in this lifetime. How can I let him take the fall after he has been nothing but loyal to me?“Aunt Beatrice, this has nothing to do with Josiah. Nate’s motives were questionable from the start. However, you’re right when you said that now is not the time to worry about that. Also, you don’t have to apologize so soon, Josiah. Who knows? Nate could be perfectly fine.”Regardless of whatever Nate had done, he was still Beatrice’s own flesh and blood.She was racked with worry and on the verge of dissolving into tears.“I don’t want to hear any talk about responsibility or apologies, and you don’t have to push the blame around. Just tell me where Nate is!

He’s my son, and I can’t let anything happen to him!”Frowning, Josiah replied, “I understand how you feel, Mdm. Beatrice. We parted ways in Yeringham. I thought he’d return soon as there are flights to and from Manchernius every two days.”After hearing his last sentence, Beatrice grew even more anxious.It’s easy to catch a flight back, yet he still hasn’t returned. What does that signify? That can only mean something has likely befallen him!“Okay. Yeringham, right? Got it. I’ll go and arrange for some people to search for him now.” After saying that, Beatrice suddenly sprang to her feet and grabbed Xavier’s arm. “Xavier, since you’ve been to that place, you’re probably much more familiar with the situation there than me. Will you help to search for him too? I know Nate has done many things to hurt you because of Yulissa, but at the end of the day, he’s still your cousin.”Xavier squeezed her hand. “I’ll send some people over there. Nate has always had luck on his side since he was little, so I’m sure he’s fine.”“You’re right. Before meeting Yulissa, he was clear-headed and hardly encountered any unlucky incidents. However, all that changed after he met her. I suppose the reason he went there this time must be because of her too, am I right?”Xavier nodded. “Yulissa was initially unaware of where we were retreating to. Nate was the one who checked the flight plans of Fairchild Corporation’s private planes and relayed the information to her.”Beatrice was stunned for several seconds. After a while, she muttered through clenched teeth, “I knew it! I knew Nate had done all that because of her! How could he be so foolish?”Unable to bear the sight of his aunt crying in front of him, Xavier said reassuringly, “Don’t worry too much. What’s done is done. All we can do now is resolve the issue, and worrying won’t help.”“He has a point,” Josiah chimed in. “It’ll only do more harm than good if you worry yourself to the point that it affects your health.”“I know. I’ll head back first, then.” As she walked out, she added, “Let me know as soon as you have any news.”“Of course,” Xavier answered with a nod.Josiah waited until Beatrice had left before asking Xavier, “You don’t think something has happened to that brat, do you?

We’ve been so busy after our return that I’ve completely forgotten about him.”“I haven’t the faintest clue. It’s best if nothing happened to him. Otherwise, he’ll have to pay for the foolish things he did,”

Xavier replied as he pinched the space between his brows.Josiah was quiet as he pondered for a moment. “I think he should be fine. After all, Winnie even tossed him a gun after the plane took off.”Xavier murmured an acknowledgment. “Don’t bother yourself with this for now. You should head back to the hospital first. I’ll be waiting for the lab test results.”“All right. They’ll be ready tonight.”After that, Xavier walked back to his desk without paying any more attention to Josiah. He took out his phone to call Winnie.However, upon recalling that it was the wee hours of the morning in Yartran, he hung up immediately and threw himself into his work.I’m determined to make Fairchild Corporation bigger and stronger. I want to use my capabilities to silence everyone. That way, nobody will dare to say I’m unworthy of my wife anymore.After reviewing a project proposal, Xavier led Louis to the conference room upstairs, forgetting his phone in his hurry.Over at Yartran, Winnie woke up suddenly with a jolt at two o’clock in the morning.She dreamed she was back in Yeringham, still in the basement of that building. She and Josiah were running away when someone suddenly fell from the top floor, crashing onto the car next to her and spattering blood all over her.Startled, she turned around and found herself staring at Xavier’s face. In her dream, she was stricken with terror and struggled for a long time before finally waking up.She called Xavier as soon as she was awake.His phone rang for a long time, but there was no answer.When she finally fell back to sleep, it was three o’clock in the morning.She had planned to get up at seven o’clock that morning to keep her appointment with Elisha. However, since she did not sleep well, she ended up waking an hour later.By the time she washed up and appeared for breakfast, Joshua had already left to play golf.Meanwhile, Emily was arranging some flowers, and in a rare turn of events, Wilhelm was helping her.The pair turned around at the same time when they heard footsteps.Wilhelm noticed the dark circles under Winnie’s eyes at once and frowned as he asked, “Didn’t you sleep well last night? You look rather tired.”Winnie yawned. “Yeah, I didn’t sleep well last night. I would’ve stayed in bed until noon if I didn’t have an appointment already. You’re here quite early today. It’s only a little past eight o’clock.”“Should I take a leaf out of your book, then, and sleep until this hour?” Wilhelm teased.Winnie rolled her eyes at him without saying anything, then proceeded to ignore him as she ate her breakfast.Not long after, she suddenly heard a phone ringing inside the dining room.She was absolutely sure it was not from her phone. However, the ringing continued with no one answering the phone.Finally, she turned to glance at Wilhelm. “That’s your phone. Aren’t you going to answer it?”“It’s my phone?” Wilhelm was a little surprised, but he quickly returned to his senses and turned to pick up the phone on the chair.Winnie’s sharp eyes caught sight that the caller ID showed “Journalist Helen,” and she instantly put two and two together.Curiosity and thirst for gossip getting the better of her, she abandoned the half-eaten bun on her plate and walked over to Wilhelm’s side while holding her glass of milk.Puzzled by Winnie’s behavior, Emily could not help but frown and cast the former a look.Winnie smiled and pointed at Wilhelm’s phone. Then, she mouthed the word “Helen.”Realization immediately dawned on Emily, and she subconsciously took a step toward Wilhelm.Their actions did not escape Wilhelm’s notice.Meanwhile, Helen did just what the two ladies anticipated. She confessed her feelings to Wilhelm over the phone, then boldly proposed that they start dating.However, Wilhelm rejected Helen’s feelings firmly, angering the latter to the point that she accused him of being rude.Even so, Wilhelm could not care less and hung up immediately.Winnie stared at him, momentarily dumbstruck. “Wilhelm, did you deliberately say that to her because we’re here?”He gazed at her in confusion. “Why would I do that? I was going to turn her down.”Winnie’s frown showed just how baffled she was. “If you don’t like her, why did you give her your personal number?”“I didn’t,” he answered. Holding up the phone, he explained to Winnie, “See. I left in such a hurry today that I took the wrong phone. This isn’t my personal phone. Also, I only gave her the other number that I use to contact outsiders. That’s why I didn’t respond at once when I heard the phone ring just now.”“Oh, I see. Well, whatever it is, don’t you want to experience the beauty of love? Grandma and I can’t wait to see you finally start dating,” Winnie responded.Wilhelm glanced at her, then bent down and whispered in her ear, “You should focus on your own relationship. I don’t believe for one second that there are no problems between you and that man.”His words touched a sore spot indeed.

Winnie frowned and did not say anything, then raised the glass of milk to her lips and took a sip.Emily looked at Wilhelm and said, “This is the second time you’ve turned her down. I heard she’s a proud person, and you might’ve been a little short with her. She’s also a rather famous journalist with strong backing. It’s better if we don’t get on her bad side.”The corners of Wilhelm’s lips lifted into a smile, and he answered confidently, “There’s nothing to worry about. She’s only a journalist. We haven’t done anything wrong, so why should we be afraid of what she writes?”“He’s right, Grandma. Innocence will prevail. We can’t possibly expect him to give himself to her just because of that,” Winnie piped up, reassuring Emily while poking fun at Wilhelm.Alas, Winnie and Wilhelm underestimated Helen.Although the Speiser family had not done anything scandalous, the incident caused Helen to have a target on the family’s back.She recorded every traceable detail of their social activities, including how Wilhelm had attended the Huxley family’s banquet with Winnie and many more.After two back-to-back meetings, Xavier finally returned to his office.He immediately called Winnie after seeing her missed call, but they did not chat for long. Within ten minutes, she said she had to hang up, giving him no chance to pour his heart out to her and leaving him feeling upset and helpless.Even when it was time to get off work, he was unwilling to go home because she was not there. Home seemed so cold and empty that it was utterly unlivable, so he would rather work overtime.With the calls from Josiah asking him to go to the hospital and Beatrice enquiring about the situation in Manchernius, then having to attend a scheduled international video conference, he hardly had a minute to spare.Since he was working overtime, the secretaries did not dare to leave either.Before they knew it, it was already half past ten at night, and one of the female secretaries had no choice but to approach Louis and request to leave as she had to rush home to her children.Seeing that it was getting late indeed, Louis went to speak to Xavier.Upon learning of the situation, Xavier told them to finish work for the day.Louis wanted to send Xavier home, but the latter refused.“Go on home. I’ll drive myself home later.”“But it’s already very late, Mr. Fairchild. You should get some rest,” Louis said after a moment’s hesitation.Xavier checked the time, then replied, “It’s fine. Go home. I’ll be done in half an hour.”Louis did not continue to persist, and in the end, Xavier only left at half past eleven that night.After exiting the office, he took the elevator down to the underground parking lot to get his car.There were hardly any cars left as many of the employees had gone home.In the dim underground parking lot, Xavier opened the car door tiredly and sat in the driver’s seat. However, just as he was about to start the engine, a pair of hands slammed against the car window.Immediately after that, a face leaned in.