"Zelda, your injuries aren't too serious. Take care of them yourself for now." In the end, guilt won over. Winston left her behind and strode out to chase. He ignored Zelda's loud cries behind him.
Winston subconsciously exhaled a sigh of relief when he arrived at the hospital and didn't see George in the ward. Of course, George had such high standards. How could someone like Josie ever catch his eye?
He walked quietly to the hospital bed. Josie's face was completely drained of color, so fragile that she looked like she could shatter at the slightest touch.
He unconsciously grasped her hand, but Josie frowned when he touched her as if she was in a nightmare. Winston gently kissed the corner of her lips and murmured, "It's my fault. I never thought you'd be so proud that you'd actually drink all of it. As long as you behave, I'll give you a grand wedding."
Josie slept until noon the next day. When she saw Winston for the first time, she was still a little dazed and didn't know what year it was. She dreamed of her first meeting with Winston. At the age of 15, Thomas led her into the castle-like house.
Winston was at the center of a crowd of kids his age, admired and respected like a prince. Too bad he didn't greet her like a gentleman in a fairy tale when he saw her. Instead, he frowned in disgust and snapped at Thomas, "Uncle, why did you bring this wild girl home? The second she stepped inside, the air in this house started to feel cheap."
Thomas gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. "That's just how Winston talks. Don't be scared, he actually has a soft heart. If you spend more time with him, he'll accept you eventually."
Josie believed him. Before the Carters’ downfall, her repeated attempts to approach and please Winston were met with cold shoulders and insults. It wasn't until Winston fell from grace and they both landed in the mud that he showed her some resemblance of kindness.
As a minor, Josie had taken on the burden of the Carters. She arranged the funerals for their parents, sold off their remaining belongings, rented an apartment and switched schools. She carried everything on her small shoulders. Only then did Winston start treating her with a little kindness.
At that time, she thought that what Thomas had said was true and that Winston would accept her. It just took a little more effort. Now, it seemed that no matter how much she paid, Winston would never truly see her. In his heart, Josie will always be cheap.
Winston was not just a prince but a king who only cared about power. The only truly gentle and gentlemanly prince was his uncle, Thomas.
Josie lowered her gaze, refusing to look at him anymore. Instead, she shifted the conversation to work. "The contract is still intact, right? Do you know when Mr. George will be available to finalize the details?"
Although her businesslike demeanor annoyed Winston a little, he could not express his displeasure due to her frail condition. He could only patiently continue to coax her. "Don't think about work for now. Just rest."
Josie pursed her lips. "I can't. I need to make money." Otherwise, Thomas would be in danger during her six months of isolated study.
Winston thought she was worried about his tuition fees and his heart warmed again. He took out a bank card, handing it to her. "Don't worry about money. I said I'd take responsibility and won't let you worry about these things again. There's $300000 in this card. As long as you're not so stubborn and insist on going against Zelda, I won't make things difficult for you."
Josie happily accepted the card. $300000 was just enough for half a year's medical expenses. She could go to Scotland for her studies ahead of schedule.
