Chapter 5 Paramour

• An hour later, at the entrance of City Hall, Winona stared blankly at the small red book in her hand.
• It felt surreal as if she was in a dream. She had actually gone and gotten married.
• Moreover, it was with the man whom she had once saved from a sea of fire. Could it really have been fate? No, no, no, what am I thinking? This is merely a temporary solution to placate Mom. Otherwise, there was no telling what dangerous actions Mom might take. Now, we're the only ones each other could rely on...
• “What's the matter, daydreaming?” Franklin asked softly.
• “I... I just can't believe it!” Winona subtly shook her head.
• Regarding marriage, she held no expectations. Back then, she had only intervened to save Franklin because she couldn't bear to see him being burned alive.
• Since Franklin wanted to put his mind at ease by repaying her, she decided to play along because that was how her life was going to turn out.
• “Winona.” Franklin said seriously, “There are many things in this world that you wouldn't dare to believe. I'll tell you about them gradually.” One day in the future, he planned to share all his secrets with Winona.
• Of course, he could be honest with her about his first identity. “Oh yeah, actually, I am...”
• Before Franklin could finish his sentence, a repulsive voice suddenly intruded.
• “Huh? Isn't that Franklin? The simp? Why are you with this freak? Come here! My shoes are dirty, hurry up and clean them. If you do a good job, I might just give you a chance to come back to me.” Rebecca stood in front of a luxury car, addressing Franklin as if she were calling a dog.
• Upon seeing Rebecca, Winona felt both inferior and fearful, instinctively lowering her head and hiding behind Franklin.
• Back in the day, before Winona's disfigurement, her beauty was unparalleled within her family. Rebecca could only silently admire and envy her. However, after Winona's disfigurement, Rebecca began to give her a hard time in every way possible.
• At that moment, seeing Franklin showing no reaction, Rebecca impatiently said, “Franklin, you simp, didn't you hear me? If you don't come over here right now, you'll miss your chance to be a cuckold!”
• Franklin shook his head slightly, his voice steady as he said, “Rebecca, I've told you before, there's no connection between us anymore. Besides, Winona and I are now legally married. Do you still think you have the right to order me around?”
• In his eyes, the present Rebecca was no different than a stranger.
• The past five years were nothing more than a grand illusion!
• Rebecca was taken aback, disbelief in her voice as she said, “Franklin, have you lost your mind? Marrying this hideous creature? Aren't you afraid her toad-like skin will give you nightmares?”
• As she spoke, Rebecca almost found herself on the verge of throwing up.
• At the same time, she was consumed by a wave of embarrassment. She was certain that Franklin had discovered her secret affair with Samuel and, in a bid for revenge, had chosen to marry the ugly freak.
• She genuinely believed it was a deliberate attempt to make her feel uncomfortable.
• As soon as Samuel stepped out of the car, he overheard Franklin's words. Immediately, he pinched his nose, expressing his disgust, “D*mn, I heard this ugly freak is all burnt up, and you still dare to marry her? Aren't you afraid of having nightmares?”
• As he spoke, he couldn't help but smirk. “You must be desperate, settling for such an ugly frog. I bet you'd be scared to death if he rolled over in his sleep, haha...”
• Observing Samuel's unceasing manic laughter, Franklin's expression darkened.
• Winona's selfless act of saving others shaped who she was.
• Even though she had suffered burns covering most of her body, she never sought repayment for her kindness. That noble character trait was something that even if one combined Rebecca and Samuel, they couldn't compare in the slightest.
• How could they have the audacity to humiliate Winona? With a cold laugh, Franklin sharply flicked his hand. “You're asking for it!”
• Bang!
• The laughter of Samuel abruptly ceased, replaced by a cry of “Ouch.”
• He stumbled and fell to the ground, a clear handprint visible on his face.
• “You dare hit me?” Samuel was taken aback.
• He could hardly believe it. Franklin, the spineless simp, actually had the audacity to raise his hand against him.
• “Sam! You're not hurt, are you?” Startled, Rebecca quickly reached out to steady Samuel.
• At the same time, she yelled at Franklin, “How dare you hit him! Are you seeking death? Kneel down and apologize to him right now, or I won't let you off!”
• As she spoke, she rushed forward, intent on slapping Franklin across the face.
• Rebecca's hand was abruptly seized in mid-air by Franklin. “Rebecca, considering the five years we've spent together, I'm only teaching Samuel a lesson this time. If you provoke me again, don't blame me for being merciless.”
• A hint of cold severity suddenly flashed in his eyes.
• Immediately, Rebecca felt a chill envelop her body, so startled that words were stuck on the tip of her tongue.
• Even Samuel, who was on the ground, couldn't help but shudder. He had only ever seen such a gaze in the eyes of high-ranking and influential individuals. How could Franklin, this good-for-nothing, possess such a gaze?
• At that moment, Winona gently tugged at Franklin, speaking timidly. “Franklin... stop... causing trouble... let's... let's go...”
• Franklin nodded slightly, shrugged off Rebecca, and briskly walked away with Winona.
• After a long while, Rebecca finally snapped back to reality, swearing vehemently, “Franklin, you d*mn good-for-nothing! You bloody bootlicker!”
• “Indeed, he deserves to die!” Samuel's face was clouded over, his eyes filled with murderous rage.
• Had it not been for the arrival of the legendary Lord Empyrean in Jacaster, and his father's orders to avoid trouble recently, he would have definitely sought someone to beat Franklin and that hideous freak to death.
• In the end, Samuel managed to suppress his anger.
• “Let's go. We need to figure out how to get the invitations for the succession ceremony of the new Lord Empyrean. That's the real issue at hand!” Samuel said with a stern expression.
• No matter what, nothing was as important as Lord Empyrean's succession ceremony to him.
• After all, that would determine the future of the Webster family.
• “Sam, I've heard that all the affluent families in the city are going head-to-head trying to get an invitation, even money can't buy one... Could you possibly find a way to secure one for our Leaven family too?” asked Rebecca.
• “Well, it depends on how you perform tonight.”
• “Oh, you tease...”
• On the way back, Winona, as if a true wife, earnestly advised Franklin, “I know you're strong and skilled, but in today's society, brute force alone can't solve everything... Moreover, the Webster family is powerful. If you hit him, he certainly wouldn't let it go...”
• “Yes, yes, I'll listen to you!” Franklin responded with a laugh.
• Of course, he, as the Lord of Empyrean, wouldn't be afraid of the Webster family.
• “Ah, off to work I go.” Winona sighed softly.
• “Honey, with me around, you don't need to work anymore. You can just relax at home. If you need anything, just let me know, and I'll take care of it for you.” Franklin shook his head.
• Given his status, there was no need for Winona to work and earn money.
• “We're both just ordinary people. Without money, what would we eat or wear?” Winona frowned, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. Franklin, she thought, clearly had never been roughed up by life's harsh realities and seemed somewhat naive.
• Franklin paused for a moment. Had I ever claimed to be just an ordinary person?
• “It's fine. After the ceremony, you'll understand the kind of man your husband truly is.” Once Winona had left, Franklin muttered to himself.
• Suddenly, his expression turned cold. He pulled out his phone and dialed Desmond. “I need you to look into someone called Mr. Newt...”
• “Yes, Lord Empyrean,” Desmond respectfully said.
• “By the way, are there any more Regeneration Herb in the storage room of Empyrean?”
• Franklin thought back to the burn marks on Winona's body, and Regeneration Herb was primarily used for treating burns.
• Generally speaking, burns of that severity were considered incurable. The pain would linger for a lifetime. After all, even with the advancements in modern medicine, there were limits to what could be achieved. It was impossible to heal a burn covering eighty percent of the body.
• However, while modern medicine was unable to save them, Franklin was indeed capable of doing so.
• It simply required some specific medicinal herbs.
• “During the last forest fire in Nuthana, tens of thousands of civilians were burned... All the Regeneration Herb in the storeroom were donated, depleting our stock, which has yet to be replenished,” reported Desmond after checking the facts.