Chapter 219


    "What? Escaped? That can''t be! They were just about to escape through the window, and I


    immediately subdued them!" Marcus was taken aback and eximed incredulously.


    Katherine gave him a sympathetic look as though she was looking at a mentally retarded person. Her


    gaze was clearly filled with fondness and pity for him. "The culprit blended into the crowd and escaped


    when you evacuated the public."


    "That…" He felt as though he had been struck hard by a heavy blow. It was the most tragic moment of


    his entire career.


    He was confident that his arrangement had been wless from start to finish. As soon as she gave him


    the address, he immediately gathered his men and rushed to the scene as quickly as possible. Where


    did my ns go wrong? When did the culprit get the chance to escape? We surrounded Unit 702


    immediately, so the culprit shouldn''t have had the opportunity to escape whatsoever!


    "Didn''t you inform the police department about your ns? The culprit had already left the building by


    the time you arrived in the vicinity." She gave him a sideways nce, further rubbing salt into his


    wounds without any mercy.


    Marcus'' expression fell upon hearing those words.


    "Don''t worry. He won''t attack the Department of State again. Besides, it''s time for me to leave."


    Katherine stood up, straightened her clothes, and then turned back to look at Joaquin.


    He immediately understood her intentions. Hence, they left the Department of State together.


    After they got into the car, Katherine turned to look at Joaquin with great interest. "JL from three years


    ago?"


    "KC from three years ago?"


    They both blurted out their respective questions at the same time. Then, after they heard each other''s


    inquiries, they couldn''t helpughing.


    During the hackingpetition three years ago, two dark horses shone brilliantly in thepetition.


    One of them was KC, who eventually won the hackingpetition, and the other was JL, the runner-up


    who almost won against the champion.


    However, both vanished without a trace after thepetition and were never seen again. It was almost


    as though they had participated in thepetition just for the sake of the generous prize money.


    Katherine had always felt slightly regretful. She had made a bet with JL at the time. Whoever lost in the


    competition would withdraw from the IT world, never to touch theputer again. Although JL


    ultimately lost the match, she knew that something must have happened to the other party that


    prevented him frompleting the final part of thepetition. Otherwise, he might not have lost the


    contest.


    Therefore, she had investigated JL''s identity over the past three years. It was a pity that there had been


    no trace of JL aside from the hackingpetition three years ago, so her investigation had been


    fruitless.


    Katherine never imagined that the person she had been trying to find for the past three years would


    turn out to be Joaquin himself.


    "I con''t believe it''s you." She looked ot him ond chuckled softly.


    "I promised you thot I would never touch theputer ogoin if I lost the bet. A mon should olwoys keep


    his word." Likewise, Jooquin smiled.


    They smiled ot eoch other without soying onything else, but their gestures were worth more thon o


    thousond words.


    "Bock then, didn''t you withdrow from thepetition ot the lost minute? I might not hove won ogoinst


    you if not for thot." Although she quickly recolled her memories of the hockingpetition three yeors


    ogo, she couldn''t help feeling sod.


    "I lost. There''s no point in moking excuses. Besides, you were very skilled." He sincerely proised her


    from the bottom of his heort.


    "Would you like topete ogoin?" Kotherine''s eyes gleomed brightly with borely conceoled


    eogerness.


    She hod wonted to find ondpete with Jooquin ogoin for o very long time, but the chonce never


    come.


    It wosn''t eosy for her to finolly cotch him in person, but how could she let such o good opportunity slip


    through her fingers?


    He glonced ot her helplessly. "Do you wont to win ogoinst me thot bodly? Con I just odmit defeot?"


    "Thot''s not the some. I wont to win ogoinst you with my own strength ond not becouse you let me win."


    She shook her heod firmly.


    "Alright, then, let''spete ogoin. Whot''s the conditions of the bet this time oround?" When Jooquin


    noticed Kotherine''s serious expression, he knew thot he could not refuse her chollenge. Thus, he could


    only nod ond ogree.


    "Whot do you wont?" She considered the ideo for o moment before she turned to look ot him.


    He unexpectedly stored ot her with o fiery goze for o long time before he loughed softly. "I wont o


    doughter."


    Kotherine wos utterly confused by his onswer.


    She stored ot him in bewilderment, ond she could not understond why he would moke such o request.


    He wonts o doughter?!


    As o result, she fell silent for some time. Then, she ported her lips hesitontly. "Dod?"


    This time oround, it wos Jooquin''s turn to bepletely boffled.


    Both of them were speechless by eoch other''s reoctions. After o while, Jooquin wos the first to burst


    out loughing. "Nooh is good enough."


    "In thot cose, you should coox her into colling you ''Dod'' next time." Kotherine''s onswer wos rother


    noncholont.


    Following this brief exchonge, the owkword otmosphere between them vonished like it wos never there


    in the first ploce.


    Jooquin drove bock to Soulin Internotionol with her.


    Nooh ron over to greet them os soon os they entered the door. She stood opproximotely one meter


    owoy from Kotherine ond stored ot Kotherine pitifully with her lorge doe-eyes.


    "Nooh." Kotherine wos utterly useless in the foce of Nooh''s pleoding look. Hence, she stretched out her


    honds toword her doughter.


    Nooh''s eyes immediotely brightened, ond she ron over to hug Kotherine.


    "I can''t believe it''s you." She looked at him and chuckled softly.


    "I promised you that I would never touch theputer again if I lost the bet. A man should always keep


    his word." Likewise, Joaquin smiled.


    They smiled at each other without saying anything else, but their gestures were worth more than a


    thousand words.


    "Back then, didn''t you withdraw from thepetition at thest minute? I might not have won against


    you if not for that." Although she quickly recalled her memories of the hackingpetition three years


    ago, she couldn''t help feeling sad.


    "I lost. There''s no point in making excuses. Besides, you were very skilled." He sincerely praised her


    from the bottom of his heart.


    "Would you like topete again?" Katherine''s eyes gleamed brightly with barely concealed


    eagerness.


    She had wanted to find andpete with Joaquin again for a very long time, but the chance never


    came.


    It wasn''t easy for her to finally catch him in person, but how could she let such a good opportunity slip


    through her fingers?


    He nced at her helplessly. "Do you want to win against me that badly? Can I just admit defeat?"


    "That''s not the same. I want to win against you with my own strength and not because you let me win."


    She shook her head firmly.


    "Alright, then, let''spete again. What''s the conditions of the bet this time around?" When Joaquin


    noticed Katherine''s serious expression, he knew that he could not refuse her challenge. Thus, he could


    only nod and agree.


    "What do you want?" She considered the idea for a moment before she turned to look at him.


    He unexpectedly stared at her with a fiery gaze for a long time before heughed softly. "I want a


    daughter."


    Katherine was utterly confused by his answer.


    She stared at him in bewilderment, and she could not understand why he would make such a request.


    He wants a daughter?!


    As a result, she fell silent for some time. Then, she parted her lips hesitantly. "Dad?"


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    This time around, it was Joaquin''s turn to bepletely baffled.


    Both of them were speechless by each other''s reactions. After a while, Joaquin was the first to burst


    outughing. "Noah is good enough."


    "In that case, you should coax her into calling you ''Dad'' next time." Katherine''s answer was rather


    nonchnt.


    Following this brief exchange, the awkward atmosphere between them vanished like it was never there


    in the first ce.


    Joaquin drove back to Soulin International with her.


    Noah ran over to greet them as soon as they entered the door. She stood approximately one meter


    away from Katherine and stared at Katherine pitifully with herrge doe-eyes.


    "Noah." Katherine was utterly useless in the face of Noah''s pleading look. Hence, she stretched out her


    hands toward her daughter.


    Noah''s eyes immediately brightened, and she ran over to hug Katherine.


    Katherine pinched Noah''s cheeks, which were getting chubbier by the day.


    For some reason, whether it was because her mood had improved drastically or something else, Noah


    had gained some weight since they returned to the country. Furthermore, she was much more cheerful


    now and no longer behaved like how she used to in the past when she would draw on her own every


    day and refuse tomunicate with others.


    Noah looked up at Katherine with a smile. "Mom, I''ve missed you."


    "Yeah. I missed you too." Katherine pinched Noah''s cheeks again.


    Noah giggled happily and stared at Katherine whose heart was melted by Noah''s look.


    "Are you back? Seriously, you brat. Why didn''t youe home sooner if you could? The phone has


    been ringing off the hook recently because of those people." Jennifer naturally heard themotion


    outside as she wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen.


    She couldn''t help giving Katherine a reproachful look when she saw Katherine and Joaquin standing


    there.


    Katherine ced Noah down and went over to hug the olddy. "I was hiding to avoid all the


    commotion."


    "You brat." Jennifer scolded in a mixture of exasperation and love. When she saw that Katherine had


    not lost any weight and maintained her healthyplexion, Jennifer finally rxed.


    She had been worried that Katherine would be bullied outside, so she was relieved to see that


    Katherine was doing well.


    "Go and wash your hands. It''s almost dinnertime," Jennifer urged.


    Katherine obediently went and did as she was told.


    As soon as she came out, she saw Keith sprawled across the table and sneaking food from the table.


    She couldn''t help raising her eyebrows at the sight. She walked over, pulled out a chair beside him,


    and sat down.


    Keith had yet to notice the danger that loomed over him. He was still busy nabbing a piece of food and


    subsequently stuffing the morsel into his mouth. To his surprise, his hand became empty halfway


    through the motion.


    He nced up at her in astonishment. "Kathy?"


    "Didn''t you promise me to go back to school? So, why are you still here?" Katherine stared at him with


    a frosty expression.


    He nearly burst into tears and stared at her pitifully. "Kathy, it''s the holidays right now. Isn''t it normal for


    me toe home? What kind of sister are you to push your little brother away in your refusal to allow


    him to return home?"


    "Hovington is not safe." However, Katherine''s expression remained cold and indifferent.


    He pouted and red at her with an aggrieved look, but he ultimately said nothing.


    She felt her heart melting under Keith''s stare. Thus, she added with a straight face, "I''ll let you stay for


    two more days. Then, two dayster, I''ll personally send you back to school."


    I guess it''s time to visit those old men at Kynd, lest they nag at me again.