The Substitute Bride: Idiot Or Not?

"I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but someone has been secretly taking pictures of us!" Christopher replied.

The next thing Winnie knew, he had placed his black jacket over her head.

"Hey! What are you..."

She heard him running out of the restaurant before she could even finish her sentence.

I know Christopher covered my face to help hide my identity, but that was totally unnecessary! Does he not realize that I already have a pair of shades and a face mask on? I doubt anyone would be able to recognize me even if they got a picture of me! I was going to leave, but he left his jacket and the blood sample here when he ran off to catch that person, so I now have to stay here until he returns...

Feeling speechless at the thought of that, Winnie yanked the jacket off her head and sat down at the table.

After waiting for about twenty minutes, Winnie was starting to grow impatient when Christopher came back.

It became obvious that he ran all the way back as he was panting heavily and drenched in sweat. His shirt was sticking to his skin as he looked out of breath.

Winnie had thought she would soon be hit by a foul body odor, but what followed was a surprisingly clean scent.

She then grabbed an unopened bottle of water and handed it to him.

Christopher took the bottle over from her, but all he did was hold it in his hand and glare at her with a frown.

Feeling uncomfortable from his gaze, Winnie glared back at him and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that, Captain Bennett? Have I done anything wrong?"

"You..."

"What? Just go ahead and say it!" Winnie exclaimed impatiently with her arms crossed.

Christopher scratched his nose awkwardly and cleared his throat as he stepped in front of her, blocking the view of others around her.

Winnie leaned back against her seat in response.

She was about to say something when Christopher spoke up. "A huge chunk of your scalp has fallen off."

What? Winnie instinctively used her phone camera as a mirror, only to see that a part of her wig and silica gel had been scraped off.

It was incredibly noticeable as it was hanging loosely from her forehead.

Now I see why the waiters were all giving me strange looks! The zipper on Christopher's jacket must've gotten caught onto my disguise when I yanked it off my head!

"D*mn it!" Winnie cursed under her breath as she yanked the dangling piece of silica gel off. "I'm sorry for scaring you, Captain Bennett."

"That was indeed a little disturbing." Seeing as Winnie seemed to be just fine after yanking that skin off, Christopher sat down in front of her and continued, "You seem to be using someone else's identity." Winnie frowned. "Are you investigating me?"

"Yes. I traced your phone number after you called the police. It belongs to a woman named Paulina Houghton, who has already taken the train out of here last night, but her phone is still with you."

"It sure is easy for the police to track someone down, huh?" Winnie asked, making no attempt to deny his statement whatsoever.

"Yes, but cracking down on drug trafficking is still incredibly difficult. What you're doing is very dangerous. Lucas told me to ensure your safety, but he didn't provide me with any information on you. I don't even know your name and what you look like."

"All right..." Since a part of her disguise had already been scraped off, Winnie figured it was pointless to maintain it. She then removed her disguise entirely in front of Christopher, revealing her true actual appearance to him at last.

However, Christopher was still staring at her with a frown, even after seeing her face.

What's with that response? People usually look shocked when they see my face. This is the first time I've seen someone frown at me like he's deep in thought. How should I even respond to that? Winnie narrowed her eyes and asked, "What is it this time, Captain Bennett? My real skin isn't falling off, is it?”

"No. We recently received a report about a Mrs. Fairchild going missing. I glanced at the case files. You look almost identical to the person in the photograph."

"Haha! Be a little more confident in yourself and remove the word 'almost' from your statement," Winnie replied with a chuckle.

Christopher didn't seem very surprised as he asked, "So, you really are Winnie, the mentally challenged wife of Mr. Fairchild?"

"Correct, but we're no longer married. I hope you'll help me keep this secret of mine, Captain Bennett. By the way, does the Narcotics Enforcement Department get involved in missing people cases?" "No, but Mr. Fairchild has been putting a lot of pressure on the police force, so everyone at the station already knows about it. I went through the Fairchild family's case files after receiving your call." Winnie nodded. "I'm your informant now, so you'll help me keep my secret, right? Lucas tells me I can trust you, so I hope you won't let him down, Captain Bennett."

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

"All right. I hope you won't interfere with what I do next, Captain Bennett."

"Okay, but I hope you won't do anything rash," Christopher said after a brief pause.

"I told you, I value my life. By the way, did you manage to catch the guy you were chasing?" "No. He managed to get away."

Winnie frowned. "I think he was after me, but it should be fine. He poses no threat to me."

It's highly possible that Xavier got someone to tail me after getting suspicious of me. It doesn't matter, though. Paulina is just a temporary identity anyway. I could just get rid of this disguise if he finds out. Christopher didn't agree with her statement. "You should indeed be more careful, but it's also possible that the person wasn't after you. While the police keep an eye on criminals, the criminals are also doing the same to us."Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

Winnie flashed him a smile. "Fair enough. It sure is dangerous being a police officer! You guys are standing at the border between light and darkness. Every time you guys take a step forward, those hiding in the darkness will be forced to take a step back. Keep up the good work, Captain Bennett!"

After putting her face mask and sunglasses back on, she was about to leave when she added, "By the way, I haven't paid for the bottle of water and the food on the table. Since I placed the order while waiting for you, I think you should pay for it."

"Let me walk you out the door."

"That won't be necessary. I'm a very mysterious person, remember? I wouldn't want to draw attention to myself now!" Winnie said half-jokingly before walking off.

A smile slowly formed on Christopher's lips as he watched her leave the fast-food restaurant.

Five years ago, I was rescuing hostages alongside a very courageous girl. She said something similar too. "Keep up the hard work, officer! You drive the criminals back every time you take a step forward!" I can't believe I'd run into her again five years later. So, her name is Winnie Garland, huh?