On My 18th, I Escaped To Yu’s Group

Chapter 5

Marcus froze. The calm, indifferent expression he always wore vanished in an instant.

It was the first time he had seen Winona show such quiet determination.

The unfamiliarity of it left him momentarily stunned.

But the shock only lasted a few seconds before it faded.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"It doesn't matter. Rosie is the only person I need."

His reaction was exactly what Winona had expected. She simply nodded. Then she turned around and walked away.

Marcus remained where he was, watching her retreating figure.

Instinctively, he wanted to call her back. He even moved forward. But in the end, he forced himself to stay where he was.

God sounded slightly surprised.

'You handled that much more decisively this time.'

She had just ended her friendship with Marcus completely.

It felt as though a piece of herself had been torn away. Her heart felt empty. The pain was suffocating.

Her eyes red, Winona whispered, "Maybe... I've wanted to do this for a long time."

Her family and the person she trusted most had hurt her again and again.

They had gone too far that she had no choice but to let go.

She never wanted to feel that kind of pain again.

God gave a soft laugh, his voice filled with approval.

'It seems you've truly grown a lot.'

Those words eased some of the pain weighing on Winona's heart.

Once she had calmed down, another problem surfaced.

"Where am I supposed to stay tonight? Should I get a hotel?"

Winona had never lived outside the Eastwood family home on her own.

Just moments ago, all she had wanted was to leave.

It hadn't even occurred to her what would happen afterward.

Now that the anger had faded, anxiety slowly crept in.

God answered casually, 'Go north. I've already prepared a place for you to stay. A villa.'

Winona's eyes widened in surprise and delight.

Then she quickly realized it made sense. In her eyes, God could do anything.

Finding her a place to stay was probably nothing at all.

The residence God prepared for her was located in a quiet neighborhood far from the city's noise.

The surroundings were peaceful and beautifully maintained, with cleaning staff and a housekeeper already waiting.

God's steady voice echoed in her mind, 'You can stay here without worry. In nine days, someone will take you to the group's headquarters.'

After washing up, Winona lay down on the bed without fear.

It was probably the most peaceful night she had experienced in a long time.

Early the next morning, not long after Winona woke up, the housekeeper arrived to style her hair and help her select an outfit.

The preparations took nearly an hour.

When Winona looked into the full-length mirror, she froze. The woman reflected in the glass looked completely unfamiliar.

She had delicate features, bright clear eyes, and naturally rosy lips.

She wore a beautifully tailored crimson dress embroidered with butterflies.

Ever since Rosie entered the Eastwood household, Winona had stopped wearing anything so bright or elegant.

Everything she wore had been old clothes Rosie no longer wanted.

Like most young women, Winona had always loved beautiful clothes.

She couldn't help asking God in her mind, "Does it look good?"

God was silent for several seconds before replying.

'It does.'

After breakfast, Winona left the residence and headed to Maison Yara.

The elegantly decorated jewelry store was a private business her mother had specifically left to her before her death. It was also the only thing Rosie had never managed to take from her.

In a few days, Winona would officially begin working at the group's headquarters.

She might rarely have the chance to visit the store again, so she wanted to take one last look around and say goodbye.

As she stood on the second floor, lost in thought, a loud argument downstairs pulled her back.

Winona immediately went down.

The moment she reached the first floor, she saw Rosie standing there with tear-filled eyes.

Nathan was angrily confronting the store manager, Cole Lockhart.

After listening for a while, Winona understood what had happened.

Rosie had bought a pearl hair clip from Maison Yara.

Yesterday, while she wore it at Freya's gathering with friends, the pearl had fallen off in front of everyone, making her the subject of ridicule.

Then Rosie noticed Winona. The next second, tears welled up in her eyes. She immediately pointed at Winona.

"Winona, this store belongs to you, doesn't it? Did you deliberately make the hair clip defective so everyone would laugh at me?"

Winona stared at Rosie thoughtfully.

Although Rosie appeared fragile and innocent, Winona could clearly see the calculation hidden beneath that expression.

She understood immediately. Rosie had set this up on purpose.

She wanted to destroy the last thing Winona still cared about.

Before Winona could respond, Cole stepped forward.

"This has nothing to do with Miss Winona Eastwood. Your accusation has no proof. If I remember correctly, you personally checked the hair clip before purchasing it, and there was nothing wrong with it then. Since the damage appeared days later, it's more likely you broke it by accident."

Cole's explanation was reasonable.

Rosie had no way to argue.

But she quickly returned to her usual strategy. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Why would I accuse someone without proof? Besides, this isn't the first time Winona has tried to hurt me."

Cole wanted to explain further, but Nathan had already lost patience.

He stepped forward and kicked Cole with all his strength.

The force sent Cole flying several yards away.

He hit the floor heavily.

Grabbing his chest, Cole coughed up blood.

Winona's expression changed.

She immediately rushed over and helped him up.

"Cole, are you okay?"

Nathan had undergone combat training.

That kick had carried nearly all his strength.

Seeing that Cole still couldn't recover after so long, Winona tried to go outside, asking for help.

But Nathan reached out and stopped her.

"He spoke against us. If something happens to him, he brought it upon himself. We haven't even settled what you did to Rosie yet."

Winona looked up at him. Anger and disappointment filled her heart.

Cole was an old employee her mother had left behind.

He had watched both Winona and Nathan grow up.

When Nathan still cared about Winona, he knew how important Cole was to her and always treated him with respect.

But now...

Nathan did not even care about Cole, as if he meant nothing.

Winona clenched her fists, forcing down her anger.

In a hoarse voice, she asked, "What exactly do you want? Cole could die."

Nathan looked down at her arrogantly.

"There is a way for you to save him."

Then he stated his condition, "From now on, you are no longer allowed to run Maison Yara."