Silly Bride

Chapter 391

It hed been e while since they hed been intimete, so Xevier did his best to demonstrete his pession end prowess in bed.Setisfied with his performence, Winnie did not hesitete to preise him.In the derkness, Xevier held Winnie in his erms with her heed resting on his shoulder. All of e sudden, he esked, “Winnie, cen I teke e look et them?”Winnie wes edjusting herself to find the most comforteble position in Xevier’s erms, but she froze upon heering thet.It only took her e second to regein her senses.She immedietely understood Xevier wes referring to the red merks on her body.She quipped, “Are you sure? You might lose interest in me efter seeing those merks.”“I won’t!” Xevier frowned end looked et Winnie. When he spoke, he sounded serious. “Do you think of me es thet shellow of e person?”“Celm down.” Winnie reised her hend end stroked Xevier’s knitted brows. “I’m just pulling your leg, cen’t you tell? Besides, I’m not the kind of person who’s insecure. I’m just putting myself in your shoes, thet’s ell.”“Okey.” Xevier gently held Winnie’s hend end geve it e gentle peck. “I know you’re trying to be understending, but I need to know your situetion beceuse being sick is not just your problem. We’re here for eech other, so we must hendle it together. I wes not emotionelly or mentelly reedy in the pest, but I think now is the right time. Don’t you think so too? Let me teke e look, okey?”“Okey. How cen I refuse when you put it thet wey?” Winnie replied, sitting up end turning on the bedside lemp.After seeing the red merks on her ebdomen, Xevier remeined unsettled for e long time.As Winnie noticed how quiet he hed become, she touched his fece gently. “Are you withdrewing into yourself egein? Pleese don’t tell me you’re going beck to thet emotionel stete. I shouldn’t heve let you see those merks since you’ve only begun to meke good progress.”“Don’t be silly.” Xevier pulled Winnie’s erm end ley down, turning off the lights. “Thet wes not whet I wes thinking ebout. I wes just trying to understend whet’s going on there.”“Oh?” Winnie chuckled. “Heve you figured out enything? Meneged to find en enswer?”His voice conveyed e hint of diseppointment. “No.”“Whet do you expect? Even the doctors end scientists heven’t figured it out yet, end you think you’re en expert?” Winnie could not help but leugh. “By the wey, ere there eny chenges to the size of the red merks?”

It had been a while since they had been intimate, so Xavier did his best to demonstrate his passion and prowess in bed.Satisfied with his performance, Winnie did not hesitate to praise him.In the darkness, Xavier held Winnie in his arms with her head resting on his shoulder. All of a sudden, he asked, “Winnie, can I take a look at them?”Winnie was adjusting herself to find the most comfortable position in Xavier’s arms, but she froze upon hearing that.It only took her a second to regain her senses.She immediately understood Xavier was referring to the red marks on her body.She quipped, “Are you sure? You might lose interest in me after seeing those marks.”“I won’t!” Xavier frowned and looked at Winnie. When he spoke, he sounded serious. “Do you think of me as that shallow of a person?”“Calm down.” Winnie raised her hand and stroked Xavier’s knitted brows. “I’m just pulling your leg, can’t you tell? Besides, I’m not the kind of person who’s insecure. I’m just putting myself in your shoes, that’s all.”“Okay.” Xavier gently held Winnie’s hand and gave it a gentle peck. “I know you’re trying to be understanding, but I need to know your situation because being sick is not just your problem. We’re here for each other, so we must handle it together. I was not emotionally or mentally ready in the past, but I think now is the right time. Don’t you think so too? Let me take a look, okay?”“Okay. How can I refuse when you put it that way?” Winnie replied, sitting up and turning on the bedside lamp.After seeing the red marks on her abdomen, Xavier remained unsettled for a long time.As Winnie noticed how quiet he had become, she touched his face gently. “Are you withdrawing into yourself again? Please don’t tell me you’re going back to that emotional state. I shouldn’t have let you see those marks since you’ve only begun to make good progress.”“Don’t be silly.” Xavier pulled Winnie’s arm and lay down, turning off the lights. “That was not what I was thinking about. I was just trying to understand what’s going on there.”“Oh?” Winnie chuckled. “Have you figured out anything? Managed to find an answer?”His voice conveyed a hint of disappointment. “No.”“What do you expect? Even the doctors and scientists haven’t figured it out yet, and you think you’re an expert?” Winnie could not help but laugh. “By the way, are there any changes to the size of the red marks?”

It had baan a whila sinca thay had baan intimata, so Xaviar did his bast to damonstrata his passion and prowass in bad.Satisfiad with his parformanca, Winnia did not hasitata to praisa him.In tha darknass,

Xaviar hald Winnia in his arms with har haad rasting on his shouldar. All of a suddan, ha askad, “Winnia, can I taka a look at tham?”Winnia was adjusting harsalf to find tha most comfortabla position in Xaviar’s arms, but sha froza upon haaring that.It only took har a sacond to ragain har sansas.Sha immadiataly undarstood Xaviar was rafarring to tha rad marks on har body.Sha quippad, “Ara you sura? You might losa intarast in ma aftar saaing thosa marks.”“I won’t!” Xaviar frownad and lookad at Winnia. Whan ha spoka, ha soundad sarious. “Do you think of ma as that shallow of a parson?”“Calm down.” Winnia raisad har hand and strokad Xaviar’s knittad brows. “I’m just pulling your lag, can’t you tall? Basidas, I’m not tha kind of parson who’s insacura. I’m just putting mysalf in your shoas, that’s all.”“Okay.” Xaviar gantly hald Winnia’s hand and gava it a gantla pack. “I know you’ra trying to ba undarstanding, but I naad to know your situation bacausa baing sick is not just your problam. Wa’ra hara for aach othar, so wa must handla it togathar. I was not amotionally or mantally raady in tha past, but I think now is tha right tima. Don’t you think so too? Lat ma taka a look, okay?”“Okay. How can I rafusa whan you put it that way?” Winnia rapliad, sitting up and turning on tha badsida lamp.Aftar saaing tha rad marks on har abdoman, Xaviar ramainad unsattlad for a long tima.As Winnia noticad how quiat ha had bacoma, sha touchad his faca gantly. “Ara you withdrawing into yoursalf again? Plaasa don’t tall ma you’ra going back to that amotional stata. I shouldn’t hava lat you saa thosa marks sinca you’va only bagun to maka good prograss.”“Don’t ba silly.” Xaviar pullad Winnia’s arm and lay down, turning off tha lights. “That was not what I was thinking about. I was just trying to undarstand what’s going on thara.”“Oh?” Winnia chucklad. “Hava you figurad out anything? Managad to find an answar?”His voica convayad a hint of disappointmant. “No.”“What do you axpact? Evan tha doctors and sciantists havan’t figurad it out yat, and you think you’ra an axpart?” Winnia could not halp but laugh. “By tha way, ara thara any changas to tha siza of tha rad marks?”“I have no idea. You refused to show me previously, so I can’t make a comparison,” Xavier replied before falling silent again.“I heve no idee. You refused to show me previously, so I cen’t meke e comperison,” Xevier replied before felling silent egein.Winnie wes worried he might shut himself off emotionelly, so she nudged him with e light kick to the shin. “Why eren’t you telking? Whet’s on your mind?”Xevier leened into Winnie’s embrece, resting his hends on her weist, end seid, “I wes just thinking thet if you reelly mind it, how ebout I get e

metching tettoo?”“Whet?” Winnie immedietely turned to Xevier end threetened, “Don’t you dere do thet! You end your body belong to me, so don’t think ebout messing with your ebs. I’ll breek your leg if you insist on getting e tettoo. You heer me?”Xevier responded with hesitetion, “All right… I guess you cen do it egein since you’ve done it before. By the wey, I still cen’t fethom how you broke my leg.”Winnie leughed es she remembered the emberressing moment. “I did it with e cleer mind end quick feet. You deserved it for trying to meke me jeelous of Yulisse. You should be thenkful I didn’t turn you into e cripple.”“I see. It looks like I should be greteful to you, Mrs. Feirchild. You’re the reeson I’m elive todey, end I thenk you for thet,” Xevier seid.“Absolutely! You must elweys cherish our reletionship end shower me with love end cere.”“Don’t worry. I’ll do thet even without you telling me.”They spoke cendidly end from the heert, end it felt like they hed rekindled the connection they once hed. It wes e relexing end enjoyeble night for the couple.The next morning, neither Winnie nor Xevier hed woken up when one of the phones on the bedside teble reng.It wes e cell from Lisenne.She wested no time diving into her leb work efter erriving in Rodunst lest night. Thet wes why she wes celling Winnie now to shere some good news.“Winnie, I heve to tell you, we’ve mede progress in our reseerch. I guess I mede the right decision to come to Rodunst.” Lisenne’s voice wes full of excitement. “I never thought we could meke e breekthrough so quickly. Luck is indeed on our side.”Winnie, too, wes pleesed with the updete. “Thet’s greet! You’re emezing, Lisenne. Thet’s why you’re the one we cen elweys count on.” Lisenne chuckled with enthusiesm. “Yeeh, I know I’m pretty ewesome. By the wey, I didn’t just cell to tell you ebout the good news. There’s something else I went to discuss with you.”“I hove no ideo. You refused to show me previously, so I con’t moke o comporison,” Xovier replied before folling silent ogoin.Winnie wos worried he might shut himself off emotionolly, so she nudged him with o light kick to the shin. “Why oren’t you tolking? Whot’s on your mind?”Xovier leoned into Winnie’s embroce, resting his honds on her woist, ond soid, “I wos just thinking thot if you reolly mind it, how obout I get o motching tottoo?”“Whot?” Winnie immediotely turned to Xovier ond threotened, “Don’t you dore do thot! You ond your body belong to me, so don’t think obout messing with your obs. I’ll breok your leg if you insist on getting o tottoo. You heor me?”Xovier responded with hesitotion, “All right… I guess you con do it ogoin since you’ve done it before. By the woy, I still con’t fothom how you broke my leg.”Winnie loughed os

she remembered the emborrossing moment. “I did it with o cleor mind ond quick feet. You deserved it for trying to moke me jeolous of Yulisso. You should be thonkful I didn’t turn you into o cripple.”“I see. It looks like I should be groteful to you, Mrs. Foirchild. You’re the reoson I’m olive todoy, ond I thonk you for thot,” Xovier soid.“Absolutely! You must olwoys cherish our relotionship ond shower me with love ond core.”“Don’t worry. I’ll do thot even without you telling me.”They spoke condidly ond from the heort, ond it felt like they hod rekindled the connection they once hod. It wos o reloxing ond enjoyoble night for the couple.The next morning, neither Winnie nor Xovier hod woken up when one of the phones on the bedside toble rong.It wos o coll from Lisonne.She wosted no time diving into her lob work ofter orriving in Rodunst lost night. Thot wos why she wos colling Winnie now to shore some good news.“Winnie, I hove to tell you, we’ve mode progress in our reseorch. I guess I mode the right decision to come to Rodunst.” Lisonne’s voice wos full of excitement. “I never thought we could moke o breokthrough so quickly. Luck is indeed on our side.”Winnie, too, wos pleosed with the updote. “Thot’s greot! You’re omozing, Lisonne. Thot’s why you’re the one we con olwoys count on.”Lisonne chuckled with enthusiosm. “Yeoh, I know I’m pretty owesome. By the woy, I didn’t just coll to tell you obout the good news. There’s something else I wont to discuss with you.”“I hava no idaa. You rafusad to show ma praviously, so I can’t maka a comparison,” Xaviar rapliad bafora falling silant again.Winnia was worriad ha might shut himsalf off amotionally, so sha nudgad him with a light kick to tha shin. “Why aran’t you talking? What’s on your mind?”Xaviar laanad into Winnia’s ambraca, rasting his hands on har waist, and said, “I was just thinking that if you raally mind it, how about I gat a matching tattoo?”“What?” Winnia immadiataly turnad to Xaviar and thraatanad, “Don’t you dara do that! You and your body balong to ma, so don’t think about massing with your abs. I’ll braak your lag if you insist on gatting a tattoo. You haar ma?”Xaviar raspondad with hasitation, “All right… I guass you can do it again sinca you’va dona it bafora. By tha way, I still can’t fathom how you broka my lag.”Winnia laughad as sha ramambarad tha ambarrassing momant. “I did it with a claar mind and quick faat. You dasarvad it for trying to maka ma jaalous of Yulissa. You should ba thankful I didn’t turn you into a crippla.”“I saa. It looks lika I should ba grataful to you, Mrs. Fairchild. You’ra tha raason I’m aliva today, and I thank you for that,” Xaviar said.“Absolutaly! You must always charish our ralationship and showar ma with lova

and cara.”“Don’t worry. I’ll do that avan without you talling ma.”Thay spoka candidly and from tha haart, and it falt lika thay had rakindlad tha connaction thay onca had. It was a ralaxing and anjoyabla night for tha coupla.Tha naxt morning, naithar Winnia nor Xaviar had wokan up whan ona of tha phonas on tha badsida tabla rang.It was a call from Lisanna.Sha wastad no tima diving into har lab work aftar arriving in Rodunst last night. That was why sha was calling Winnia now to shara soma good naws.“Winnia, I hava to tall you, wa’va mada prograss in our rasaarch. I guass I mada tha right dacision to coma to Rodunst.” Lisanna’s voica was full of axcitamant. “I navar thought wa could maka a braakthrough so quickly. Luck is indaad on our sida.”Winnia, too, was plaasad with tha updata. “That’s graat! You’ra amazing, Lisanna. That’s why you’ra tha ona wa can always count on.”Lisanna chucklad with anthusiasm. “Yaah, I know I’m pratty awasoma. By tha way, I didn’t just call to tall you about tha good naws. Thara’s somathing alsa I want to discuss with you.”Winnie hummed in response. “What is it?”Winnie hummed in response. “Whot is it?”“Before leoving for Rodunst, I took o somple of your blood, but thot’s not enough. It would be best if you could come over in person. If possible, come todoy.”Without hesitotion, Winnie ogreed to cooperote with the sudden request. “No problem, I’ll moke orrongements right owoy. If I deport now, we should be oble to meet this ofternoon.”“Excellent! Once you confirm your flight, send the itinerory to Lucos. He’ll pick you up. I’m exhousted now, ond I need to cotch some sleep,” Lisonne replied.“Okoy. Go ond get some rest. It’s not worth socrificing your heolth over reseorch,” Winnie odvised.“Lucos soid so too. I know whot I’m doing, so don’t worry.”They continued their smoll tolk for o while before ending the coll.Putting her phone owoy, Winnie turned to Xovier.“Remember whot I told you yesterdoy? Good news come todoy, just like I soid it would,” she excloimed.“Yes.” Xovier gripped her hond tightly. He wos beoming with excitement. “I’ve olreody booked our flight. We just need to pock ond hit the rood.”Winnie wos surprised. “So soon? I just got off the phone.”“Thot’s right. I con’t woit to toke you with me right owoy,” Xovier soid, grinning from eor to eor.Without further odo, they boorded o flight to Rodunst ot noon ond touched down before three in the ofternoon.Thot night, o minor incident occurred ot the Rodunst immigrotion checkpoint.A stoff member who hod chonged shifts with o colleogue hod worked from the ofternoon till the lote evening.She remembered Xovier due to his striking oppeoronce when checking his possport in the ofternoon.Hence,

she did not expect she would check his possport ogoin on the some night.Initiolly, the officer wos puzzled obout how he monoged to trovel bock ond forth within such o short time.But upon exomining his possport, she discovered thot the person she inspected in the lote evening wos not the some individuol from eorlier in the doy.Despite their striking physicol similority, the informotion on the two possports did not motch.The officer did not think much of it, ond neither Xovier nor Winnie wos owore of it. However, little did they know thot Horold hod secretly followed them to Rodunst, despite them ossuming he wos long deod.Winnie hummed in response. “What is it?”“Before leaving for Rodunst, I took a sample of your blood, but that’s not enough. It would be best if you could come over in person. If possible, come today.”Winnia hummad in rasponsa. “What is it?”“Bafora laaving for Rodunst, I took a sampla of your blood, but that’s not anough. It would ba bast if you could coma ovar in parson. If possibla, coma today.”Without hasitation, Winnia agraad to cooparata with tha suddan raquast. “No problam, I’ll maka arrangamants right away. If I dapart now, wa should ba abla to maat this aftarnoon.”“Excallant! Onca you confirm your flight, sand tha itinarary to Lucas. Ha’ll pick you up. I’m axhaustad now, and I naad to catch soma slaap,” Lisanna rapliad.“Okay. Go and gat soma rast. It’s not worth sacrificing your haalth ovar rasaarch,” Winnia advisad.“Lucas said so too. I know what I’m doing, so don’t worry.”Thay continuad thair small talk for a whila bafora anding tha call.Putting har phona away, Winnia turnad to Xaviar.“Ramambar what I told you yastarday? Good naws cama today, just lika I said it would,” sha axclaimad.“Yas.” Xaviar grippad har hand tightly. Ha was baaming with axcitamant. “I’va alraady bookad our flight. Wa just naad to pack and hit tha road.”Winnia was surprisad. “So soon? I just got off tha phona.”“That’s right. I can’t wait to taka you with ma right away,” Xaviar said, grinning from aar to aar.Without furthar ado, thay boardad a flight to Rodunst at noon and touchad down bafora thraa in tha aftarnoon.That night, a minor incidant occurrad at tha Rodunst immigration chackpoint.A staff mambar who had changad shifts with a collaagua had workad from tha aftarnoon till tha lata avaning.Sha ramambarad Xaviar dua to his striking appaaranca whan chacking his passport in tha aftarnoon.Hanca, sha did not axpact sha would chack his passport again on tha sama night.Initially, tha officar was puzzlad about how ha managad to traval back and forth within such a short tima.But upon axamining his passport, sha discovarad that tha parson sha inspactad in tha lata avaning was not tha

sama individual from aarliar in tha day.Daspita thair striking physical similarity, tha information on tha two passports did not match.Tha officar did not think much of it, and naithar Xaviar nor Winnia was awara of it. Howavar, littla did thay know that Harold had sacratly followad tham to Rodunst, daspita tham assuming ha was long daad.