"What do you mean help her?" I raised my brows at her. "Is she in some kind of trouble?" Worry evident in my voice.

"To be honest, I really thought a lot before coming to see you and talk to you about this but after my mom told me about what you went through in your younger years, I knew you'd be able to understand her. Now I finally understand why my parents forced Winter to get married to you." She went around in circles.

"Rachel stop beating around the bush and tell me what you came to."

"Winter was once in an abusive relationship when she was in high school." Rachel revealed and I gasped.

"What?!" I yelled.

"Winter was a perfect child to her parents. She was smart and she was loved by even the staffs because she was really sweet. She was in a relationship with a guy called Devon; their relationship was perfect and they even planned to get married later in life. In other words, Winter lived a perfect life that is until she met my brother; Damian." She released an exasperated sigh.

"Damian was my half brother and we lived together. He and Winter went to school together for years and they never crossed each other's paths until an assignment got them paired together." She paused.

Why does that sound familiar?

"They were doing a social experiment where everyone would be paired with someone they've never interacted with and as fate would have it, Winter and Damian got paired together. They got off on the wrong foot and my brother despised her for being rich and he felt she was trying to be a peoples pleaser. After she saved him from a group of bullies and spending some time together, Devon got jealous and he started getting physically violent with her." She explained.

My blood boiled by the mere thought of some bastard putting his hands on my wife.

"How come she didn't tell her parents? They adore her!"

"I think she wanted to live with the delusion that her perfectly structured life wasn't so structured anymore and furthermore she was scared." She answered my question.

"She tried to hide it from everyone until it was so bad he beat her till she went unconscious. So many things happened. My brother got arrested and stayed in jail while Winter was unconscious because her parents thought he was the one physically assaulting her. I warned her to stay away from him and Winter being herself really did. Devon was the son of a wealthy man so he couldn't get arrested. Winter and my brother fell in love with each other and started dating. During her birthday, Devon kidnapped her and Damian tried to rescue her. He succeeded but before they could leave, Devon tried to attack Winter with a knife but Damian stepped in instead and got stabbed."

I blinked while my mouth was widely open trying to keep up with the story.

I thought my high school was filled with so much drama but it wasn't nearly as complicated as this.

"And as you can imagine, Winter hasn't been the same ever since. In that year she lost her friends, her boyfriend and Devon who until that year she thought was perfect. She was deeply in love with Damian that she blamed herself for his death. She couldn't graduate that year and took another gap year before my parents forced her to London to study at Oxford. She went to therapy and hasn't been able to smile from her heart. Winter who was so full of life, turned depressed."

"My mom told me you lost a lover when you were also young so I don't think anyone would be able to understand her pain like you do. Which is why I asked you what you felt for her. I need you to help Winter overcome her past. Fill her with so much love that she forgets Damian and starts to love again."

It was then realization hit me, Winter carried such a heavy burden on her chest for so long, the reason she acted up at the wedding and even today is because she is being tortured by her conscience.

Winter was going through so much and I couldn't even realize it.

"I know it's insensitive to your trauma but I really feel like you can both help each other heal." Her eyes glimmered with hope.

"I had no idea she went through so much, although I'm not sure forcing her to get married to me was the best solution. I was fighting my own demons and I didn't pay attention to her. She shouldn't be forced into anythi-."

"Leo, you're good for her. The old Winter who became a workaholic took days off and she didn't need pills to sleep or anything. She's starting to smile again and she doesn't look so lonely anymore."

"I really want to help her be happy again." I smiled.

"Winter feels something for you, I don't know if it's friendship or if it's love so please," Her eyes welled up with tears threatening to spill at any moment. "Help her live the way she was before any of those things happened." She pleaded.

"I'll do my level best don't you worry. I'm a cardiologist, it's my job to fix peoples hearts and Winter won't be an exception." I assured her.

"Thank you Leo." She smiled. "You know, turns out Timothy was right." She joked causing me to remember the night I met her and Timothy said we'd end up together.

"Not quite yet." I countered.

"It's only a matter of time." She added.

The entrance door opened and Winter walked in carrying bags.

"Rachel?" Winter called with uncertainty. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I came to see you sis." Rachel answered as she walked towards her.

"What's with all the bags? You look like you bought the whole store." I commented as I also walked towards her.

"There's more in the car but the helpers are bringing it in." She sighed as she pointed towards the entrance door with shopping bags in her hands.

Don't worry Winter, I'll do my best to win your love and make you forget your painful past.

**