Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Holly Winslow’s Preemptive Strike
Her pre-emptive strike left Wyatt Winslow silent for a mont. He started the car, backed out from the school gate onto the main road, and asked, "What do you want?"
Holly Winslow giggled. "I want Dad to praise ."
Hearing this, Wyatt Winslow froze for a mont and turned to glance at her. The pale yellow coat made her small face look even fairer. She revealed a row of perfect teeth, and for an instant, her brilliant smile was the spitting image of a young Yvonne Lewis.
Whatever lecture he had been preparing seed to vanish from his mind.
After a long pause, he managed a few words. "Keep up the good work."
Holly Winslow pouted, a little dissatisfied. "Dad~ that’s not how you praise soone. You’re supposed to say, ’My daughter is amazing!’ or ’You’re your dad’s pride and joy!’ or ’Dad is so proud of you’..."
Wyatt pursed his lips awkwardly and grunted. "I’ve found a tutoring center. It’s the Keystone Tutoring Center, near the Andor Community. Your Saturday classes will be from 9 AM to noon, 1 PM to 5 PM, and then 6 PM to 9 PM."
"On Sundays, class is from 7 AM to 12 PM."
"Okay, thank you, Dad."
Holly stared at his profile, which clearly showed the marks of ti, and a pang of sorrow welled up inside her.
’In her past life, she hadn’t cared enough for him and had overlooked how much he’d always cared for her.’
’When it ca to her, he had actually done everything he could to be a good father.’
Wyatt didn’t bring up the topic of her dating all the way ho.
He stood at the door and said to Holly, "You stay ho and do your howork. I have so business to take care of, so I need to head out. I might be back a little late tonight..."
As he said this, sothing seed to occur to him. He pursed his lips and changed his mind. "You’re coming with
to the mill."
Holly was speechless.
’She couldn’t help but feel like Wyatt was trying to keep her from going on a date with Mortir.’
"Okay."
She grabbed two workbooks and a pen from her bag and went with Wyatt to the mill.
Veridian Steel Mill.
The mill had been passed down from her grandfather, Walter Winslow. When Wyatt first took over, it was tiny, with only a dozen or so workers. Now, the steel mill employed two or three hundred people, and its grounds had expanded several tis over.
She recalled that by the ti she was in college, Veridian Steel Mill would have expanded another two or three-fold.
Wyatt was, by all accounts, a successful man. Coupled with his handso features, a man like him would never lack for female admirers, yet she had never seen him get too close to any other woman.
’It’s as if he has no intention of ever remarrying.’
’She couldn’t understand why Yvonne Lewis would have an affair with a man who was inferior to Wyatt in every way except money, or why she would abandon her own daughter for soone like that.’
Wyatt led her to his office and pointed to his desk. "You can do your howork here. Call
if you need anything."
"Go on and get to work, Dad."
Once he was gone, Holly sat down in Wyatt’s black leather chair. Her gaze landed on a photo fra beside the computer. It was a picture of her on stage for a performance when she was six years old.
In the photo, she had her hair in two little pigtails, her cheeks were rouged, and she was wearing a puffy red dress, looking just like a little chihuahua.
The mory was distant and hazy, but she rembered that Wyatt had been away on a business trip that day and hadn’t co to see her perform.
She had whined to Yvonne Lewis, demanding to see her dad.
’Yvonne Lewis must have sent this photo to him. Wyatt really had been trying his best to be a part of her life. His love for her as a father was so much deeper than she had ever imagined.’
Just then, her phone vibrated. Snapping out of her reverie, she pulled it out to see a text from Scholar Quincy.
*Are you ho? What did your dad say?*
*He just told
about the tutoring center. I’m at the mill doing howork now. Dad’s busy with work.*
The mont she sent her reply, a call ca in from Scholar Quincy.
The boy’s low, husky voice ca through the phone. "Which tutoring center?"
"Keystone."
"Okay, babe."
They exchanged those few brief words and then hung up.
Holly started on her howork, saving the math for last.
After finishing the last math problem, Holly rolled her neck and glanced at her watch. It was already six o’clock, and the sky outside was growing dim.
By this ti, the mill should have closed for the day, but the machinery was still running.
’They’re working overti.’
She stepped outside, glanced around, and started walking toward the conference room on her left. Half a minute later, she heard Wyatt’s furious voice. "This is the crap you rushed to get out? Is it up to spec?"
"If you don’t want to do the job, then get the hell out right now!"
This was followed by the sound of a fist slamming on a table. He was clearly furious.
’Compared to this, Wyatt was actually much more restrained with her.’
The conference room had glass walls, and she could clearly see Wyatt’s thunderous expression under the fluorescent lights. She had almost never seen him like this.
She was just about to slip away quietly when Wyatt looked over. She gave him a quick smile and then hurried off.
A second later, a voice called out, "Holly."
Wyatt stepped out of the room. "I’ll take you to dinner."
Holly knew he was busy, so she shook her head. "It’s okay, Dad. You’re busy. I’ll just grab a bite to eat outside. Is there anything you want
to bring back for you?"
"I’m finished. Let’s go. Grab your bag. We’ll head ho after we eat," Wyatt said, already starting to walk away.
After dinner, they went ho.
At ten o’clock that night, Holly was still doing her howork when she heard the door to the adjacent bedroom open and close softly, followed by the faint sound of the front door.
’He was probably trying not to wake .’
She stood up and looked out the window. A minute later, a figure appeared beneath the pale yellow glow of a streetlight, its shadow stretching longer and longer as it strode away.
...
「The next morning」
Around eight o’clock, Wyatt returned, looking utterly exhausted. After taking off his shoes, he leaned against the shoe cabinet and rubbed his aching temples.
Hearing the noise, Holly ca out of the kitchen carrying a dish. A look of concern crossed her face when she saw him. "Dad, you’re back! I was just about to call you."
Wyatt lowered his hand, the exhaustion on his face receding as he adopted his usual expression. He took the dish from her, saying, "I had to step out."
Holly hurried back to the kitchen and brought out two bowls of congee, setting them on the table. She then playfully tugged on her earlobe and grinned. "Dad, eat more at. You’ve gotten thinner."
"Mm." Wyatt lowered his head to eat a spoonful of congee, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
After breakfast, it was already 8:30. It was ti for Holly to head to her tutoring class. She gathered her first-year high school textbooks and put them in her bag.
Wyatt, who had been leaning back on the sofa, sat up straight when he heard her moving about. "Do you have enough money?"
His voice was hoarse, heavy with exhaustion.
"I have enough, Dad. I probably won’t co back for lunch; there isn’t enough ti to go back and forth."
Holly paused, then added, "Dad, you should get so sleep."
...
As she walked out of the community, she saw Scholar Quincy standing under a tree near the bike racks. A black trench coat was wrapped around his tall, slender fra, the dark color accentuating his silhouette. He had a delicately pointed chin that was strikingly handso.
With one hand tucked into a pocket of his coat, he glanced up, the corners of his eyes lifting. His voice was impossibly smooth. "Holly."
’I have absolutely no resistance to that.’
Holly’s heart skipped a beat. "What are you doing here?"
"Tutoring," Mortir Quincy said, reaching out to take her schoolbag from her.
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