The Substitute Bride: Idiot Or Not?

Winnie flashed Josiah a faint smile in response. She simply couldn't bring herself to like the elegant-looking gentleman standing before her, especially when he was eyeing her from head to toe through those

gold-rimmed glasses of his.

It felt just like the time she met him at Xavier's Lagune Mansion.

She then pretended to be surprised as she said, "Did you get it all mixed up, Dr. Houghton? My previous patient wasn't an old teacher. He's a retired soldier, and his surname is 'Ward,' not 'Wood.' It wasn't easy getting along with his children. Thankfully, his daughter has returned from overseas with housekeepers and caretakers to look after him, so our services are no longer required."

Josiah froze when he heard how natural yet precise her answer was.

"Oh, I see... I've been so busy lately that my memory is all jumbled up. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that it has all been taken care of. Mr. Fairchild recently lost someone very important to him, so his mental state can be quite unstable. You need to be extra careful when taking care of him."

Someone very important to him? Who could it be? Dumbo? Heh... Winnie nodded. "Got it."

"Here, have some tea. Your eyes have been swollen lately, right? This will help with the swelling," Josiah said while handing her a cup of tea.

Winnie smiled at him as she reached for the teacup. "Thank you, Dr. Houghton."

Josiah stared briefly at the palm of her right hand before standing up. "I need to head back to the hospital. Just give me a call if anything happens."

"Don't worry; I will. Here, I'll walk you to the door."

After sending Josiah off, Winnie closed the door and returned to her room before removing her hidden earpiece.

Good thing I decided to have Paulina listen in on the conversation. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to answer Josiah's questions earlier. I could get exposed if I answer even one of them wrongly! Winnie added a strong sleeping pill into the milk and watched Xavier finish it before going to bed.

At about one in the morning, Winnie snuck into Xavier's bedroom and got him into his wheelchair.

She then pushed him toward his desk and swiftly unlocked the drawer with his fingerprint.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

However, she couldn't find her badge even after rummaging through the drawers and every corner of the room.

Even so, she had yet to give up as there was a study in the condominium unit.

As Xavier used his birthday as the password for the door, figuring it out was a piece of cake.

After going through the study, Winnie eventually set her eyes upon a safe in the corner of the room.

Unfortunately for her, the safe required a ten-digit password, which was too complicated for her to figure out.

As such, she had no choice but to stop the search and go back to sleep.

Winnie was woken up by a phone call from Christopher at about seven in the morning.

She had promised to deliver Yulissa's blood sample over to him when they spoke on the phone yesterday.

After taking care of Xavier's breakfast, she told him she needed two hours off.

Xavier didn't seem to care and approved of her request without even looking at her.

It wasn't until Winnie had left that he wheeled himself back to his room.

I made sure to pay attention to "Paulina's" hand when we were having breakfast earlier. What Josiah said last night was right. Her palm was smooth and had no scars whatsoever. A family member of a patient had attacked the real Paulina with a paring knife and slashed her palm open. That incident left a nasty scar on her palm, but this "Paulina's" palm was as smooth as a baby's bottom. What really puzzles me is how she looks almost like the real Paulina. Apart from having a slight difference in their voice and hairstyle, the two of them are practically identical! Paulina doesn't have a twin sister or anything, so what exactly is going on here?

With that in mind, Xavier retrieved another phone from his drawer and pulled up surveillance camera footage.

He had installed a hidden camera in "Paulina's" room after getting suspicious of her, and it captured everything that happened last night.

"Paulina" had snuck into his bedroom at about one in the morning, unlocked his drawer with his fingerprint, and searched his entire bedroom.

However, she didn't seem to be after any secret documents or encrypted files on his computer.

What is she looking for? Curious, Xavier made a phone call and said, "Have someone tail my caretaker, Paulina Houghton. She just left my house a while ago."

Winnie went into a clothing store shortly after leaving Aqua Moana and changed her disguise.

By the time she stepped out of the shop, she had gone from being a caretaker to an ordinary-looking civilian dressed in sports attire.

Christopher had originally wanted her to deliver the blood sample to the police station, but Winnie didn't want to go there as it had tons of surveillance cameras.

As such, the two of them met up at a fast-food restaurant near the police station instead.

Christopher was already waiting there by the time Winnie arrived.

As soon as she stepped through the door, her eyes lit up when she saw how handsome he was. Christopher looked like he was in his late twenties, had thick eyebrows, a tall nose, thin lips, and a firm look in his eyes.

Whoa... So, this is the captain of the Narcotics Enforcement Department? Lucas had sent me a picture of his ID card, but he looks at least a hundred times better in person!

Winnie felt her mood improve significantly after seeing his handsome face.

"Hi, are you Captain Bennett?" she asked politely after making her way toward his table.

Christopher quickly stood up and shook her hand as he said, "Hello, my name is Christopher Bennett. Please, have a seat."

Winnie sat down and placed the ice box on the table. "Here's the blood sample. I don't have any physical evidence or witnesses at the moment, but I'll inform you as soon as I obtain any further information. The Fairchild family is a tricky one to investigate, Captain Bennett. I'm afraid you're in for a tough time."

Christopher frowned as he eyed the woman in front of him, who was wearing sports attire, a huge pair of shades, and a face mask.

"This is a very serious case, and your life is constantly at risk. I have no idea how you managed to obtain this blood sample and the pictures from yesterday, but I hope you will work closely with the police at all times. Please do not attempt anything on your own," he said sternly.

"Thanks for the kind reminder, Captain Bennett. I value my life, so I won't do anything crazy. Anyway, I have to get going now," Winnie replied with a chuckle.

"Wait! At least let me fill me in on your true identity and show me your face. That way, we'll be able to protect you if necessary."

Winnie frowned slightly. "I don't find it necessary, though."

She then turned around and prepared to leave, only to have a warm, calloused hand grab her by the wrist.

"What's the meaning of this, Captain Bennett?" Winnie asked while arching an eyebrow at him.