Chapter 357
Winifred frowned, but before she could speak, a knock came at the door.
“Sir, sorry to bother you. We’re looking for a woman in a crimson dress. Have you seen her come in here?”
Sean started to say, “She’s right he-” but a sharp cry was forced from his lips.
Before he could finish, Winifred kicked him to the floor. In one swift motion, she tore down the nearby curtain, wrapping it tightly around him and pressing the fruit knife from the table to his throat.
Her gaze was as cold as the blade against his skin. “Answer them carefully,” she warned.
Sean, shocked by her hidden strength, swallowed hard. “I haven’t seen anyone,” he called out. “Try somewhere else.”
“Alright. Sorry for the trouble.”
Winifred waited until the footsteps faded completely before pulling the knife away. “Behave,” she said. “I don’t want to kill anyone.”
Sean, who had been wriggling to get free, froze. Okay,’ he thought, she’s definitely not one of the good guys.
“Can you untie me? I swear I’ll be quiet. You can hide here,” Sean said.
Winifred shot him a disdainful look, taking in his ingratiating smile. “It’s not that tight,” she said dismissively. “Get yourself out.”
Faced with her utter impatience, Sean gave a weak smile and tried to free himself. After struggling for what felt like an eternity, he was drenched in sweat, exhausted, and still tied up.
He looked at her, panting.
Winifred took a few sips of her drink and glanced at him. “Useless,” she said coldly.
With that, she grabbed one end of the curtain and yanked. Sean tumbled across the floor a few times before scrambling to his feet, rubbing his back.
“So, who did you piss off?” Sean asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Winifred answered casually, “You want to know? Everyone who knew my business is dead. If you’re that eager, I can tell you.”
“No! No, I’m good! Don’t need to know, really!” Sean laughed nervously, waving his hands in frantic refusal.
“Go on. Have someone bring up some food,” Winifred ordered, toying with the knife.
Sean had no choice but to comply—she was clearly in a position to make demands. “Yeah, send it up to my room,” he said into his phone.
The Umbrella Organization’s people hadn’t lost her for a second. Fay Santos knew exactly where Winifred was. He ran a finger along his glass. “Sean Lecter. From the Lecter family. They’ve been having some… internal problems lately. This is perfect.”
“Sir, you mean…”
Fay downed his drink in one go. “Keep an eye on things. Don’t let anyone hurt Winifred.”
“Yes, sir. If I may ask, who is this Winifred?”
A smile played on Fay’s lips. “She’s the Boss’s sister. We can all die here, but she can’t. Understand?”
“Understood, sir, absolutely.” The man broke out in a cold sweat. No wonder she was a high-priority target. The Boss’s sister… if anything happened to her, they’d all be dead.
“She hasn’t eaten all day. Get a proper meal sent up,” Fay ordered.
“Right away.”
Back in Sean’s room, Winifred ate the food.
It tasted decent—passable, at least. The aroma made Sean’s stomach rumble.
He couldn’t help but swallow, finally breaking the silence. “That’s a lot of food. You’re not going to finish it all, are you? Maybe we could… share?”
Winifred shot him a look that shut him up instantly.
He seethed internally. So cheap. And rude. Doesn’t she know I just saved her ass? No thank you, just threats.
After she finished eating, Winifred stretched her long legs out and leaned back on the sofa. “How long until we dock?”
“Soon. Twenty minutes,” Sean replied.
“I’m leaving with you,” Winifred stated.
Sean shook his head. “No. You can’t come with…”
He had his own battles to fight tonight. This girl was obviously capable, but he didn’t want to drag an innocent person—relatively speaking—into his mess.
“Hmm?” Winifred stared at him, her displeasure obvious.
“I’m serious,” Sean said. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I’ve got my own problems. I don’t even know what kind of danger is waiting for me.”
“Don’t worry,” Winifred retorted. “You’ll die long before I do.”
Sean was speechless. Couldn’t she be a little nicer about it?
In the end, they left together. Just as he reached for the car door, a powerful force yanked him back by the arm.
He turned, stunned, to hear Winifred yell, “Run! Now!”
Her urgency sent a jolt of fear through him. There was no time to think; he just turned and sprinted after her.
Their footsteps hammered against the pavement.
If he had opened that door, he’d be nothing but ash right now.
A deafening explosion erupted behind them. Sean glanced back to see a massive fireball engulfing his car.
The once sleek car was now twisted and deformed in the inferno—glass shattered, metal melted, and thick black smoke billowed up, blotting out the air.
Sean stared at the inferno, his face pale with shock.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Th–thanks. If it weren’t for you, I’d be…”
“We’re even now,” Winifred replied, her face impassive. “You don’t owe me anything!”
Sean was about to say something else, but Winifred was already walking away—she only took a few steps before abruptly changing direction and breaking into a run toward a nearby park.
Confused, Sean looked back and saw why: a large group of men in black were charging toward them.
“There’s Lecter! Get him!”
Sean’s eyes widened in terror. Shit, they’re here for me!
He took off after Winifred.
At least with her, I might live a little longer, he thought desperately. “Hey, wait for me!”