Chapter 93

Winnie lowered her head, trying to hide the flutter in her heart. "I didn't mean it like that..." Van's voice was clearly composed. "Which meaning?" At that moment, staff called from outside, and all her reactions were almost instinctive. She immediately hung up the phone and, as she turned around, her cheeks flushed slightly. She felt like a teased Venus, suddenly embarrassed. "Winnie, we still have three people ahead of you." The staff gently reminded her. Winnie nodded, took a deep breath, and said with feigned calmness, "It's hot." "It might be because you're wearing boots," the staff member kindly responded. Winnie gave a slight nod, took a few steps, and finally regained her signature composure and elegance. At this moment, Fiona was talking with the recently arrived Ivy when suddenly a staff member hurried over and whispered in Fiona's ear, "Evelyn won't get out of the car." Fiona raised an eyebrow, and her expression immediately became displeased. "I'll go check on her." Evelyn had been scheduled to appear second to last, but she refused to leave the car out of spite. Fiona had to use some persuasion to get her to the waiting area. Although there was no live broadcast here, the sound of camera shutters continued to click. Evelyn wore a blank expression, forcing a smile, but her face clearly showed her displeasure. Her red carpet appearance should have been dignified, but Winnie cutting in line had made her quite upset. A few days ago, her fiancé had mentioned the difference between her and Winnie, with an underlying tone of mockery. For Evelyn, winning the title of Best Actress meant the world, but today, she felt unprepared to face everything that came with it. 'And now, let's welcome the acclaimed actress and Star River Award Best Actress, Evelyn…" the host announced enthusiastically. In that moment, Evelyn made up her mind. She halted midway down the red carpet, her gaze sharp and her stance unyielding, like an immovable mountain. Fiona's expression faltered as she quickly stepped forward, attempting to defuse the brewing tension. 'Evelyn, if you're not feeling well…" she began, her tone steady but cautious. Before she could finish, Winnie appeared beside Evelyn, a warm smile on her face as she gracefully linked arms with her. 'Evelyn, is your back bothering you? Here, let me help you walk," she said with effortless charm. Evelyn's body trembled slightly, the cold sensation transferring from Winnie's arm, but Winnie didn't give her a chance to refuse. She bent down to adjust Evelyn's dress and said, "Let's go." At this moment, the red carpet, which had been paused for three minutes, finally resumed. Evelyn and Winnie's figures appeared together in front of the cameras. Evelyn was still wearing the elegant black velvet evening gown, walking with composure and grace, while Winnie, beside her, appeared even more aloof and striking, like a mysterious sculpture, breathtakingly beautiful. Van was in Tanzania at the time. Though the internet signal was poor, he still found the correct livestream link and quietly watched Winnie's red carpet walk. Seeing her figure, he almost didn't dare blink, each frame of her image vividly etched in his mind. The livestream chat room was flooded with messages, fervently discussing Winnie's beauty, while Van took a deep drag from his cigarette, remaining silent for a long time. After the photos were taken, Evelyn left first, while Winnie stayed by the autograph wall. The host seized the opportunity, smiling warmly as they shifted the focus to her. "Winnie, your outfit today is truly unique. It reminds me of Greece, of the Parthenon, and of mythological figures like Athena. It's both bold and elegant," the host genuinely complimented. Winnie nodded slightly and responded gently, "I'm especially grateful to Viktor and the design director, Jeffrey. He gave me a lot of guidance on the styling." "You've always been bold on the red carpet. I remember that braless outfit from two years ago—it was one of the most talked-about red carpets of the year, and people still mention it often," the host added with a smile. "But as a public figure, it's inevitable that people worry. If you have a partner in the future, and if they're possessive, how would you handle that?" Winnie maintained her graceful, commanding presence, her tone light and confident, "I wouldn't handle it. I'd wait for him to figure it out himself." In that brief moment, two people almost simultaneously logged off from the live broadcast. One was Wendy, her face unusually somber, her eyes full of concern. The other was... Van.