《Our Billion-Worth Twins》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡°It is this court¡¯s decision that the defendant, Ezekiel rk, is found guilty of the charges of murder and fund-raising fraud, and will be sentenced to death two years from now.¡± Thunk! Following the sound of the gavel striking against the sound block, Ezekiel¡¯s fate was sealed. Catelyn stood up abruptly from the audience stand. Tears gathered in her amber-colored eyes but stubbornly refused to fall as she stared anxiously at Ezekiel. ¡°Dad¡­¡± She went up in an attempt to speak to Ezekiel, and it felt like there was a lump in her throat. Dressed in the prisoner¡¯s white uniform, Ezekiel was dragged along the way by a few prison guards. He looked worn, without a trace of his previous spirit. He appeared as though he had aged, and even his sideburns had started to turn gray. ¡°Cat, believe me¡ªI am not a murderer. All these are false usations; my enemies are framing me!¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart ached at this. She believed with all her heart that her kind father could not possibly be a murderer. With tears pooling in her eyes, she hoarsely croaked, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad, I¡¯ll find a way to overturn your case and get you out!¡± When the guard saw Catelyn in his way, he pulled her away impatiently. ¡°This isn¡¯t time for your visit. The prisoner needs to return to the prison.¡± As though all strength was drained from her body, Catelyn stumbled and fell to the ground. The skin on her wrist tore, but despite the pain, she could not shed a tear when she still had to find a way to save her father. ¡®I¡­ That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll go find Jamie Mason! He¡¯s my fianc¨¦, and he must have ways to handle this!¡¯ She thought to herself before dialing Jamie in tears like he was her lifeline. ¡°You¡¯re begging me to save your dad? Don¡¯t be so na?ve, Catelyn. The arrangement between us was based on your father¡¯s financial status. Now, with him going to prison and the rk family announcing bankruptcy, why should I help him?¡± Though they were physically apart and only connected by a phone call, Jamie¡¯s words stabbed Catelyn in the heart like countless knives. She bit her lower lip so hard that she could draw blood. With a trembling voice, she asked, ¡°The entiremunity knows about the union between the rks and Masons, and even if you want to withdraw from the arrangement, you still need to at least act your ce! Aren¡¯t you afraid of ruining the Mason family¡¯s reputation?¡± ¡°Well, that is something I need to pay attention to,¡± Jamie responded carelessly. ¡°Since you asked nicely, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Come to the Four-Seasons Hotel tonight at nine, and if you can satisfy me, I might consider your proposal.¡± Catelyn gritted her teeth as blood rushed toward her head. ¡°You¡¯re rubbing salt into our wound!¡± He sneered in contempt, ¡°The ball is in your court now.¡± The tears Catelyn tried so hard to keep at bay the whole day finally cascaded down her cheeks, her defenses finally crumbling at that moment. Jamie made it clear that he would not be marrying her yet still asked her to keep himpany in a hotel, which meant that he wanted her to be his secret lover. Regardless, what would happen to her father if she refused to go? All her fair-weather friends pretended to not know her with what was happening to her father, and amid her despair, Catelyn decided to dance with the devil. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. When she arrived at a specific room in Four-Seasons Hotel, she knocked on the door and realized the door was not locked. She pushed the door open with a trembling hand and stepped into the darkness. Catelyn pursed her lips, hershes fluttering as she feebly called out, ¡°Jamie? I came as you asked. You¡ªmmpfh!¡± Before she could finish, a shadow ran by before her. The man grabbed onto Catelyn¡¯s wrists with both his hands before she had the chance to react and pinned them on each side of her head against the door. ¡°No. Jamie, calm down¡­¡± Terrified at the abruptness, she shivered uncontrobly, but the man had completely lost his senses. ¡­ Beep, beep! An unknown period had passed, and Catelyn was woken by the sound of notification from her phone. She struggled to move her body and slowly clenched her fists. For a moment, she desperately wanted to kill that wretched fianc¨¦ of hers, even if it would cost her life. s, Catelyn then remembered that her father was still in prison, waiting for her to get him out. She took her phone miserably, and a message popped into her sight that read, [Cat, hurry back. Your dad got into a car ident on his way back to prison, and we don¡¯t know if he¡¯s going to live!] Her blood froze the moment she saw the message, and she immediately sat up. Without a care for anything else, she frantically put on her clothes before stumbling outside. ¡®Why would he be in a car ident? He was fine just now!¡¯ fretted Catelyn anxiously. As she was leaving, a breeze lifted the curtains, and the pearl white moonlight shone onto the bed through it, bringing light to the man¡¯s face. He had an aquiline nose, seductively thin lips, and stern features. Everything was put together delicately like the work of God himself, and even when the man was asleep, his brows furrowed out of habit. It was a face that resembled Jamie in some way, but he was not Jamie Mason. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Two monthster, in a hospital¡­ ¡°Congrattions.¡± The doctor handed the ultrasound scan result to Catelyn. ¡°You¡¯re eight weeks pregnant!¡± Catelyn paled as though she had been struck by lightning. Refusing to ept it, she asked, ¡°Could there be a mistake, Doctor?¡± ¡°The sample of your urine shows that you are positive, and there couldn¡¯t possibly be a mistake,¡± the doctor answered firmly. ¡°Besides, your insomnia and postponed menstruation couldn¡¯t be faked, could they?¡± Catelyn¡¯s mind went nk, her hands shivering as she grabbed onto the scan result. She got pregnant, under the circumstances of her family¡¯s decline and the Mason family¡¯s withdrawal from the arranged marriage. It was from that time with Jamie two months ago¡­ It was Jamie¡¯s child. The doctor seemed to be used to this sort of situation and reminded her kindly, ¡°If you choose to do an abortion, I suggest that you do so as early as possible. Nheless, you¡¯re having twins, which rarely happens, so it¡¯s best to discuss with the father whether to keep them or otherwise.¡± ¡­ Catelyn did not even remember how she left the hospital. Two months ago, her father was involved in a car ident, and the car fell into the river with him in it. Jamie took her that night but did not help the rk family afterward. Instinctively, she knew that Jamie¡¯s response to this would be to have her get an abortion, but she was responsible for two lives. Hope, however frail, rose within her as she was reluctant to take away these two lives. However, when she arrived on the cruise ship Jamie was on and saw all the beautiful women on deck clinging onto the men, her heart froze. ¡°Master Jamie, herees your fianc¨¦,¡± one of the men teased inside the private room. Jamie shoved the young model in his arms away as his lips curled into a sarcastic sneer. ¡°Catelyn rk?¡± ¡°Mason,e outside for a bit. There¡¯s something I need to talk to you about.¡± Catelyn forced herself to look away from the filthy sight before her and stood there expressionlessly like a statue. Jamie lifted an eyebrow and teased, ¡°Say whatever you have to say here!¡± Catelyn bit her lip wordlessly and stared at him. Jamie smirked and mused to himself, ¡®This woman was so aggressive that night from two months ago, and now she is ying innocent?¡¯ The man next to him, who was enjoying the drama, whistled in Catelyn¡¯s direction with a mysterious smile. ¡°Miss rk, are you trying to borrow money from Master Jamie because your family went bankrupt? It¡¯s okay if he doesn¡¯t want to, I will. But let¡¯s get those clothes of yours off, huh? It¡¯s just a hot day to wear so manyyers¡­¡± As he spoke, he came over to tug at Catelyn¡¯s clothes. The horrifying memories from two months ago shed before her eyes, and she was instantly overwhelmed by the urge to vomit. ¡°Uurgh¡ª!¡± As the man¡¯s hand moved toward her, Catelyn vomited at his chest with no regard to her appearance and instantly caused a mess. ¡°Was that on purpose?!¡± Furious, the man moved to p her. Catelyn was already weak from the pregnancy and had no means to dodge the assault. She closed her eyes to brace herself for the p, when Jamie stood up abruptly to stop the man before dragging Catelyn toward the deck angrily. When they arrived on the deck, he flung her toward the handrail, which shot sharp pain up her back. ¡°Are you pregnant?¡± Jamie nced at Catelyn¡¯s stomach and gritted out. Catelyn felt as though he was crushing the bones on her wrist, yet she managed to squeeze a stubborn reply, ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± He narrowed his eyes, before continuing in a sarcastic, cold tone, ¡°You¡¯re just ady without a penny to your name, and my wife has to be ady from a powerful family. If I find out that you are secretly pregnant with my child, you should know the consequences.¡± ¡®Consequences?¡¯ she scoffed. ¡®I must have been blind to have agreed to marry him in the first ce!¡¯ Regret, anger, and frustration rose within her, and she took out a hundred-dor bill before throwing it at Jamie¡¯s face furiously. ¡°Have you ever seen a client who hires a prostitute to keep the baby? Here¡¯s your tip, and keep it! That¡¯s all you¡¯re worth! You disgust me, Jamie Mason!¡± When she was done, Catelyn left the cruise ship without a second nce at Jamie¡¯s darkened expression before starting to wander on the street. What could she do from here onward? Should she truly get rid of the twins? Crystal-like tears slid down her cheeks, knowing she did not have the heart to even do that. She did not grow up with a mother, her father having raised her on his own. Though her stepmother treated her fine, it was not the same. At this moment, the gods ironically saw fit to make her pregnant when her father went missing. Catelyn sat on a branch in the square dazedly for a long while. As she stared at the moving crowd walking past her in joy, anxiety, or no emotion at all, she slowly came to a decision. As she got up, amercial popped up on therge screen in the square. The female anchor held the microphone, and in a clear voice, she said, ¡°This just came in: Mason Group hasunched their newest gardenia perfume named No. 520! ¡°Regarding the concept behind it, the designer ims that it was specifically designed for a woman who appeared in Room 520, who also loved the scent of gardenias¡­¡± Following the anchor¡¯s introduction, the screen switched to a demonstration of No. 520, the gardenia perfume, and the package was incredibly glorious. ¡®No. 520. It¡¯s a date that symbolizes ¡®I love you¡¯ in some cultures. How romantic¡­¡¯ pondered Catelyn. She thought back to the time when she was still the princess of the rk Family. She would have bought this perfume for the creative concept behind it, because she had loved gardenia flowers since she was young. The symbolism of the flower was to stay strong and be patient, and her father even went the length to collect all kinds of perfume made with the gardenia scent from around the world. At this moment, however, she could no longer afford her favorite GrandExtrait Gardenia perfume, and could only use a cheap shampoo that smelled like it. She wiped her tears away miserably before getting up and heading to the closest clinic without hesitation. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. The sun shone through the branches of the trees. Her shadow stretched underneath the light, and each step she took felt draining. ¡­ By the time she was out of the hospital, Catelyn¡¯s face was already as pale as a ghost. She dragged her exhausted body and headed toward home. The sky was turning dark, and as the cold wind blew, she could barely stand. Screech! A ck Bagatti Veiron stopped abruptly at the side of the road. Jamie¡¯s face appeared before her, and the rage on his face showed how much he wanted to swallow Catelyn alive. With a copy of the medical record in his hand, he took a few strides before he stood right before her. She widened her eyes and subconsciously moved to run. ¡°Catelyn rk! You¡¯re pregnant with my child!¡± Jamie grabbed her wrist from behind furiously. ¡°How dare you lie to me?¡± Catelyn could not breathe for a moment, but she then retorted callously, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you; I got an abortion.¡± ¡°W¡ªWhat?¡± Jamie stared at her in disbelief. Catelyn gritted her teeth and took out a receipt for the surgery from her purse, before handing it to him despite the pain in her chest. ¡°Here¡¯s the proof. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go ahead to check with the clinic stated here!¡± Jamie looked at the name on the receipt and the surgery stated on it, and was instantly stunned. ¡®Isn¡¯t she supposed to threaten me with the child?¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡°Jamie Mason, the rk family might have gone bankrupt, but my family doesn¡¯t owe you anything, and neither do I! We¡¯re going to go our separate ways from now onward, so don¡¯te looking for me ever again. Goodbye!¡± Steeling herself while Jamie was still dazed, Catelyn fought back her tears and ran away, leaving him standing alone, unable to recover. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Four yearster, in BrightGene Group¡¯s design department¡­ Thepany fell into mayhem as everyone fought over the chance to design the mansion for the Mason family¡¯s young master. The Mason family was the head of the top four families in Sapphire City, and as the young master¡¯s four-year-old birthday approached, many of his rtives sent him gifts. Some gave him cruise ships, some putpanies under his names, and others offered stock or funds as gifts. Naturally, there were a few who bought him grand mansions. The order that BrightGene Group received this time was to design the interior of the young master¡¯s mansion. ¡°Enough!¡± Anne, the manager of the design department, mmed her palm onto her desk. ¡°What¡¯s the point of all this arguing? Look at Catelyn doing her job: designing whatever she has been assigned to and never fighting over anything! Does fighting make this more interesting to you people?¡± Everyone quieted down, and Catelyn felt speechless, so she was merely spacing out. It was the day her son started going to kindergarten, and she was worried that he might not be able to handle it. ¡°Don¡¯t think that this is an easy task,¡± Anne continued. ¡°The young master of the Mason family has never shown his face before in public, so who knows what he likes? If he doesn¡¯t like the design, there might even be a chance that he destroys your career path altogether out of rage!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone realized that taking the opportunity meant that they would be working with a sleeping tiger. ¡°I¡¯ll be submitting a list to the client. Anyone who wishes to join can apply for it with me over here.¡± The crowd that was arguing earlier scattered, leaving behind only a few designers who were confident with their skills. Anne nodded and ced those people¡¯s names to the list. When she saw Catelyn sitting still, she added, ¡°Catelyn, why don¡¯t you try this out as well?¡± Catelyn was slightly hesitant. ¡°I have quite a lot of things to deal with at hometely, so I¡¯m afraid I might drag everyone down¡­¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be the head designer, so you¡¯ll just be in the team for the headcount.¡± Anne moved her hand and added Catelyn¡¯s name to the list as well, before submitting it to the butler that served the young Master Mason. Catelyn did not doubt what Anne said because she had never been assigned any great task throughout her four-year employment in BrightGene. Suddenly, her phone on the desk started ringing. Catelyn noticed that it came from the kindergarten and, thinking something must have happened to her son, hurried over to Anne to ask for the day off, before rushing toward Golden Sun Kindergarten, where she found out that her son, Miles rk had run out. Anxious, Catelyn was about to call the police when¡ª ¡°Big kitty!¡± an innocent, cool voice came from the caf¨¦ located across from Golden Sun Kindergarten. Dressed in a charming denim jacket with ck pants and shoes, Miles¡¯s delicate features were enhanced by his short hair, and his dark eyes were glittering as he appeared with a backpack on his back. He was waving at Catelyn excitedly, and when she finally spotted her son, Catelyn sighed in relief. She went over to take Miles¡¯s backpack from him before pursing her lips and lecturing him with resignation, ¡°This is your first day at school. Didn¡¯t I tell you to listen to the teacher? Do you know how worried we are if you run off like that?¡± Miles immediately puffed his cheeks and said, ¡°You can¡¯t say that. You promised to send me off to school, but in the end, it was Grandma who came with me!¡± Catelyn smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m busy at work and went to the office at seven in the morning, but your school doesn¡¯t start until nine¡­¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t want to go to school. I want to be with you.¡± Miles stared intently at her, doe-eyed. ¡°I already know all the stuff they teach in kindergarten, anyway. It¡¯s like eating something, spitting it out, and eating it again. It¡¯s meaningless.¡± As he spoke, Catelyn flicked her finger at his forehead. ¡°Ouch!¡± Pained, he puffed his cheeks and sulked. ¡°You made everyone worried by running off, and you still think you¡¯re in the right? Do you prefer I send you to a boarding school?¡± Miles sighed a long breath and said, ¡°Fine, I agree to go to kindergarten, but you have to drop me off and pick me up every day, or I won¡¯t stay put. You know those teachers won¡¯t be able to keep me in check.¡± ¡®This troublemaker is negotiating with me now?¡¯ Catelyn thought. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. However, she had to admit that her son was indeed very intelligent. There were countless ideas in that little head of his, and his innocent-looking face only helped him get his way, so she did not doubt he would be able to run from kindergarten. Four years ago, she bribed the nurse into forging a fake receipt for abortion to fool Jamie, but she did not anticipate that she would fall and go into earlybor when she was eight months pregnant. Because of that, her other child never made it to the world. A lump formed in her throat and she felt bad for Miles. ¡°Deal. Can youe back to the school with me now?¡± Meanwhile¡­ On the roadside, a Bens was parked quietly under a tree. The dark-body car was stylish and unique, and inside the car window, a young boy sat quietly with a stern expression. The boy could not be over four years old, but with his lips pursed, he appeared mature and cold in ways that could not have been possible for his age. He happened to spot Catelyn and Miles, and when Miles turned around to make faces at Catelyn, the boy narrowed his dark eyes. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡°I want buffalo wings,¡±manded the boy in the Bens to his chauffeur. A troubled expression appeared on the chauffeur¡¯s face, as the order he received was to wait for Master Cedrick with the young master. ¡°But Master Cedrick said he¡¯ll be here soon, Young Master. You ¡ª¡± ¡°Five minutes.¡± The boy raised his arm and pointed at his watch. ¡°If I don¡¯t see the buffalo wings, you¡¯ll go to Grandpa Albert to get yourst sry.¡± The expression on the man¡¯s face instantly transformed from troubled to fear. He knew that the young master never went back on his word. ¡°Stay here, Young Master, and don¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll be back right away!¡± the chauffeur reminded him hastily before he carefully locked the door and rushed toward the nearest restaurant. What he did not realize was that the boy in the vehicle had unlocked the car with ease after he was gone, and stared intently at the mother and son who walked past him. His heart throbbed as though something was about to happen. The boy followed them quietly and maintained a suitable distance until he saw them entering a ce called Golden Sun Kindergarten. He desperately wanted to follow them inside, but he noticed the guards at the gate, and his eyes narrowed with his fringe canopying his brows. After looking around, he swiftly found a corner to hide. ¡­ Five minutester, at a corner two streets away from Golden Sun Kindergarten, the driver finally got the buffalo wings his young master wanted. ¡°Young Master, here¡¯s you¡­¡± Thuck! Before he could finish his sentence, a crack formed on the chauffeur¡¯s expression as he internally panicked, rambling, ¡®What am I looking at? Why is there no one inside the car, when the young master is supposed to be here? Oh, no¡­ Where is Young Master?!¡¯ Dropping the buffalo wings, the driver frantically searched around. Time ticked by, and despite looking everywhere in the street, he could not find the boy. Coincidentally, the phone in his pocket rang. Despair overwhelmed him when he saw the number on the screen and trembled when he stammered, ¡°Master¡­ Master Cedrick?¡± ¡­ Screech! A ck Porsche arrived at the spot where Ollie had gone missing. The engine was turned off, and the door was pushed open. A pair of expensive leather shoesnded on the ground before a man¡¯s majestic figure appeared. His features were defined and impressive with undeniably sharp, brooding eyes. He was dressed in a slim- fitting suit without a single crease on its surface, and following his appearance, even the air seemed to thin out. ¡°Where is he?¡± Cedrick questioned coldly, his voice seductively hoarse like the sound of a cello. ¡°F¡ªForgive me, Master Cedrick.¡± The man gave himself a punch on the head and exined with a pale face and shivering arms, ¡°Young Master asked me to get buffalo wings, and he was gone by the time I got back¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°Could he have been abducted?¡± one of the bodyguards suggested. ¡°But the young master¡¯s whereabouts have always been confidential!¡± Noticing that he was being suspected, the driver shook his head frantically. ¡°It¡¯s not me! I really don¡¯t know anything¡­¡± Cedrick nced at the car and noticed that the car door was undamaged without any trace of being forced open. All the items and Ollie¡¯s belongings in the backseat were in ce tidily, true to the boy¡¯s habit. It was very likely that he got out of the car on his own. Beside Cedrick, his private bodyguard, Eason scrawled worriedly. ¡°Master Cedrick, I¡¯ve done my inspection, and this spot happens to be a blind spot for the local surveince, so Young Master could have gone in any direction¡­¡± Cedrick¡¯s eagle-like eyes darted everywhere before spotting a piece of candy wrapper on the road toward Golden Sun Kindergarten. It belonged to the luxurious candy that Ollie enjoyed, and it was rarely found in Sapphire City. Cedrick narrowed his eyes. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Meanwhile, Catelyn brought Miles back to the kindergarten and fretted he would try to provoke the teacher on purpose. To her surprise, however, Miles¡¯s performance was perfect. He addressed all the teachers as ¡®prettydies¡¯ with a smile, his behavior as elegant as a high-born gentleman. Because of that, he enved the hearts of many easily, leaving all the teachers with nothing to say but praise him for how adorable he was. Miles sneakily winked at Catelyn with a smug look on his face, as though trying to tell her that he was fully capable of making people like him as long as he wanted to. Catelyn remained quiet with resignation. As soon as she settled the admission procedures, she hurried back to the office. She had only been out for an hour, and she might still be able to convince Anne to consider her working for a full day. With that thought in mind, Catelyn sped up, only to run into someone¡¯s warm, strong chest around the corner at the end of the street. Thump! She lost bnce and stumbled to the side as her bag fell to the ground. She held onto the handrail to steady herself before she turned to look. It was a tall man with an athletic build. He strode away without stopping and even seemed to be moving faster. It was not that big of an issue to begin with, but the fact that he ignored her had provoked Catelyn. Her body acted before her brain, and she grabbed onto his wrist before he left. ¡°Stop right there! You¡¯re just going to leave?¡± What she meant was that he at least needed to say something for bumping into others. Cedrick slowly turned and caught a whiff of the familiar scent of gardenias. His dark, brooding eyes instantly shone in response to it. Ever since he had the perfume department in hispany manufacture a perfume with gardenia scent four years ago, countless women approached him smelling like gardenia flowers to get close to him. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. On the other hand, the scent on the woman before him was not as intense and smelled more like shampoo. It was faint, but it was still pleasant. Cedrick scanned the face before him and realized she resembled Maia in some ways. Instinctively, and not liking to be touched by random women, he spoke, ¡°Let go.¡± When Catelyn saw the man¡¯s face, her mind went nk. The features and especially the lips of the man looked dangerously simr to that of Jamie. More precisely, he looked more like her son, Miles. If Miles shared 50 percent of Jamie¡¯s look, then this man definitely shared over 60 percent of this man¡¯s features. Countless thoughts raced through Catelyn¡¯s mind as she stared dazedly at that face before muttering, ¡°You look so much like this friend I used to know.¡± ¡°Are you going to say that it¡¯s your ex-boyfriend now?¡± Cedrick looked at her mockingly. ¡°How do you know?¡± It was only after Catelyn had asked the question that she realized something was wrong. She was suspected of flirting with him. She bit her tongue in frustration and added, ¡°You do look like my ex. It¡¯s the truth, but don¡¯t take this the wrong way! Whatever, just ignore what I said.¡± With that, Catelyn moved to leave when the man reached out his long fingers toward her and lifted her chin. With a smirk on his face, he bent down, and his wlessly handsome face got closer to her. Catelyn stared at the face that inched closer toward her, hershes fluttering as she probed her hands against his chest nervously to put some distance between them. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t¡ª!¡± The two were so close to one another that they could feel each other¡¯s breaths. Catelyn¡¯s longshes quivered even more. Just when she thought that Cedrick was about to do something out of line, she heard his devilish, mocking voice from above, ¡°If you want to seduce me, remember to change your perfume to No.520. I prefer that one.¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened and she shoved him away. ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± She told him that she was not flirting! Cedrick looked away with a sneer and continued looking for his missing son, all while pulling out a piece of wet tissue from his bag to wipe each and every finger she touched, before throwing it into the bin. Catelyn¡¯s impression on the man went down the bin as he did so as well. Catelyn stared at him, gawking at him. ¡°Is he a clean-freak or something?¡± she grumbled. ¡­ Ollie, who remained hidden in the corner, witnessed the interaction between Cedrick and Catelyn, and pursed his lips. For as long as he could remember, he had been referred to as the boy whose mother was unknown, and all of a sudden, there was a child who looked exactly like him. Was it a coincidence, or was there something else? Ollie dazedly thought about all the possibilities with a piece of candy in his mouth. Just when he was about to swallow it, he was picked up by the cor. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The candy was stuck in Ollie¡¯s throat. Instantly, Ollie¡¯s face turned a bruising red as his eyes frantically roved around. Cedrick picked Ollie out of the bush and ced him back on the ground. ¡°Ahem!¡± Ollie coughed vigorously and opened his mouth to breathe, before finally swallowing the piece of candy. As soon as he looked up, he saw Cedrick¡¯s stern, cold expression. Ollie immediately put away any trace of childishness and lowered his head politely. ¡°Father.¡± Cedrick rarely disciplined Ollie and felt more responsibility than love toward the child. He lifted an eyebrow and questioned coldly, ¡°Do you know how much time and energy I¡¯ve wasted looking around for you?¡± Ollie lowered his head further. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te looking to hear that you¡¯re sorry. Why did you sneak out?¡± Ollie bit his lip while facing the towering figure before him, but he remained silent. ¡°I¡¯ll take it that you simply did so for fun, but there won¡¯t be a next time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ollie kept quiet. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Cedrick stared at Ollie¡¯s depressed state and scowled, before pulling at his own necktie. He could not stand seeing Ollie with his head bowed like all energy had been drained from him, because that made the boy appear nothing like Cedrick¡¯s kin. ¡°What are you standing there for? Do you not know the way back?¡± ¡°I do¡­¡± Ollie clenched his fists and silently started walking toward the direction where the Bens was parked. When he got into the car, he nced back in the direction of Golden Sun Kindergarten once again. He had taken note of the ce and would find another chance toe back once again. Inside the car, the boy sat upright at the backseat with the mannerism of a high-born. Eason noticed the awkwardness in the atmosphere and rolled his eyes, before handing an iPad to Ollie. ¡°Young Master, the mansion that Old Master gave you is ready for renovation. Here; these are the designers and the styles they are good at. Take a look and see which one you like.¡± Ollie epted the tablet with ack of interest¡­until his face brightened up at the sight of the photo of one of the designers. ¡°Uncle Eason, I can pick from any of the designers here?¡± He narrowed his big, doe eyes seriously. Eason nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then, I want thisdy!¡± Ollie passed the iPad over with his finger on the photo of a beautiful woman. When Eason went through the portfolio of the designer, he was troubled and went to Cedrick for permission. ¡°Master Cedrick, the designer that the young master has chosen seems quite inexperienced¡­¡± ¡°Let him do as he pleases,¡± Cedrick replied emotionlessly. He did not care much of how the interior of the mansion was designed. He simply saw this as an opportunity to train his son to think independently. ¡­ Back in BrightGene Group, Catelyn felt like she had been struck by lightning when she received notification that the young master of the Mason Family had assigned her as the head designer for the mansion. For a moment, she even doubted her ears. ¡°Me?¡± Her eyes widened with disbelief. ¡°Anne, stop teasing me¡­¡± ¡°Who has time to tease you? Here, this is the contact number of the person in charge on the client¡¯s side. Starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll be responsible for this project, and I¡¯ll assist you,¡± said Anne, the manager, straightforwardly and did not appear to be provoked by the fact that Catelyn had taken the ce of the head designer. Seeing that she was not joking, Catelyn did not proceed to refuse. After all, she was confident in her designing skills. Nheless, a few of her colleagues were envious. ¡°I guess a barking dog never bites. She took over the position of the head designer without so much as saying a word. How many years does she think she has been working for BrightGene?¡± ¡°The young master probably didn¡¯t know much and simply picked out a face that he liked from the list.¡± ¡°Hah! Well, then Catelyn got it because she¡¯s pretty. Otherwise, why didn¡¯t the young master pick you?¡± ¡°Hmph! Just wait and see! Who knows if there might be mistakes when she designs the mansion? Let¡¯s hope that she won¡¯t need Manager Rossi cleaning up after her and end up causing more harm than gain!¡± Catelyn paid no mind to the gossiping of her jealous colleagues. The Mason family was the wealthiest family in Sapphire City, and the pay for designing the interior of one of their mansions was bound to be high. If she managed the project well, both Miles and she would not have to worry about money for the following year. With that in mind, determination set her aze as she immediately contacted the mansion¡¯s butler to arrange for a viewing session the next day. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 The next day¡­ A beautiful day it was as the sun shone brightly, but Catelyn felt slightly distracted somehow. She got into a taxi and went to the address provided by the butler. The enormous mansion was situated north of the city near a national park. There were not many residential estates open for sales around the area as the policies had limited the selling prices and had caused most developers to opt for retaining their real estate. The mansion before Catelyn ranged for over 300 meters with beautiful greenery, a football court, and even an outdoor swimming pool. It was the very definition of a grand mansion. Just as Catelyn looked around with the butler¡¯s supervision, the door to the second floor of the mansion was pulled open, and a tall figure stepped toward the balcony. Cedrick¡¯s attention was instantly drawn toward Catelyn, who was standing by the swimming pool, and he immediately frowned. ¡°Why is she here?¡± Eason followed Cedrick¡¯s gaze and exined, ¡°That¡¯s Miss Catelyn rk, the designer Young Master has picked for the interior design of this mansion. Do you know her, Master Cedrick?¡± Cedrick rubbed his fingers thoughtfully with a cold expression. ¡°Bring me her portfolio.¡± 15 minutester, Catelyn was informed by the servants that Mister Mason wished to see her. She froze for a brief moment beforeing to realization. The ¡®Mister Mason¡¯ they referred to must be the Young Master Mason¡¯s father, the most talented member of the younger generation of the Mason family, Cedrick Mason. Rumors had it that he was ruthless, aplishing the highest sales amount on a single day throughout the history of Mason Group. He was also known to be the person with the highest potential to be the next head of the Mason family. As far as bloodline went, Jamie was supposed to call him his uncle, but the Mason family ced distinct lines between their main bloodline and other coteral lines. The family that Jamie belonged to was merely one of the many coteral branches of the enormous Mason family tree, so he was hardly considered significant. Catelyn followed the servant to the second floor anxiously and pushed open the door, before stepping in slowly. She saw a lonesome, tall figure standing by the window with his back facing her. Though she could not see his face, she could sense the intimidating aura oozing from the man. At the same time, she felt somewhat familiar with him. ¡°Catelyn rk, female, twenty-four of age. An elite student that majored in architecture in Sapphire University, minored in jewelry design. You¡¯ve once won the prize of the architectural designpetition on campus and obtained a full schrship two years in a row. Your professor referred to you as the female architect with the most potential amongst that intake, but you withdrew from school during the second semester of your second year for an unknown reason,¡± the man¡¯s cold, husky voice echoed inside the room as he went through Catelyn¡¯s academic background. Catelyn bit her lip and the color began to fade from her face. She could havepleted university with the help of her schrship, but with the twins and all sorts of pressures she had to encounter, she could only choose to withdraw. Four years had passed, and all of a sudden, this man had brought it up once again. ¡°Is there a problem, Mister Mason?¡± Catelyn asked politely, though she already had an idea of what was about to happen. ¡°Why would I let a woman, who hasn¡¯t even graduated from university, design a mansion that¡¯s worth over a billion?¡± The man still had not turned around, but his towering height was intimidating enough to scare people. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Catelyn clenched her fists and said, ¡°Academic qualification isn¡¯t everything; I¡¯m confident that I have sufficient experience. Besides, BrightGene is supported by the Atherton Family with countless brilliant designers. We¡¯re all about teamwork, and I believe that we¡¯ll be able to deliver a design that satisfies you.¡± ¡°I trust BrightGene. However¡­¡± The man paused. Shortly after, Catelyn saw the man turn around steadily, revealing a face that shocked her senseless. It was the man she bumped into on the streets the day before! That man was Cedrick, the father of Young Master Mason! Chapter 8 Chapter 8 ¡°I don¡¯t trust you,¡±mented Cedrick, opening his thin lips while staring at her with his eagle-like eyes. He could still smell the faint scent of gardenias from her body, and he had to admit that he was drawn. The few words had Catelyn clenching her fists to the point that her knuckles were turning white. ¡°I get it, I¡¯ll withdraw from this project. Don¡¯t worry about it, Mister Mason.¡± She forced herself to straighten up her back, knowing perfectly well that there was no point to argue. Cedrick was surprised that she agreed that quickly. ¡°It¡¯s my son who chose you, and it¡¯s me who fired you. I trust that you know how to exin?¡± Ollie had already been distant, so he did not wish to create conflict with his son over such small matters. Catelyn did not look away and stared directly into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Young Master that I¡¯m not feeling well and, therefore, will not be able to manage the project.¡± ¡°You may go now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Catelyn turned to leave without hesitation, but she soon realized that she felt wronged when she arrived at the door. She summoned her courage and gritted her teeth before saying, ¡°Mister Mason, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too shallow to judge a person¡¯s talent by their academic qualification?¡± Eason instantly started sweating at her words, thinking, ¡®Is Miss rk here ursing Master Cedrick for discriminating those who didn¡¯t achieve much academically? How bold!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not shallow with others, just with you,¡± sneered Cedrick. Catelyn clenched her fists as anger rose within her. Was it because she said that he resembled Jamie the day before? It was just the truth! What possessed him that made him so narcissistic, thinking that anyone should want to approach him on purpose? Rage overtook her face and she was about to explode, but at the same time, she realized why her son, Miles looked so much like this man before her. Jamie was his rtive, so it made sense that they resembled one another. Right after she left, Cedrick¡¯s phone rang. He picked it up to realize that it was the head butler of Mason Estate, Albert. Albert¡¯s voice was both calming and polite. ¡°Master Cedrick, Young Master has been depressed ever since he was brought home today.¡± Albert had worked in the Mason Estate for years and had long surpassed the status of an ordinary servant. Naturally, he saw the young master as his own family as well. ¡°Ignore him, he¡¯s just throwing a tantrum.¡± Cedrick did not think much of his son¡¯s behavior. After a brief pause, Albert added gingerly, ¡°But during meal time just now, Young Master has suddenly started asking about her mother again¡­¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression instantly darkened, and Albert could even sense his intimidating aura through the phone. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that no one is allowed to mention that woman in Mason Estate?¡± ¡°Young Master is still a young boy. It¡¯s natural for him to be curious when he sees that other kids have mothers.¡± ¡°If he asks again, tell him that his mother died during childbirth. There isn¡¯t such a woman in this world anymore.¡± Cedrick tugged at his necktie impatiently and hung up. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. On the other end of the line, Albert was rendered speechless. He sighed in resignation and ced the phone back in ce with a conflicted mind. The young master was abandoned outside the doors of Mason Estate. His background was a mystery, and no one knew who his mother was. Throughout the years, Cedrick had satisfied all material needs of his son, but in the end, children were sensitive beings that neededpanionship and love from their parents. Because he could not figure out whoid out the trap that resulted in an illegitimate child, Cedrick had been frustrated, along with the fact that hecked patience toward children. The young master, in the end, had never been truly happy. Thump! Inside the spacious yroom, Ollie, amid eavesdropping on the entire conversation with his head against the door, identally bumped his forehead and immediately scowled in pain. The old phone that Albert used had a severe issue of sound leakage, so he left the door unlocked on purpose and heard the entire conversation between Albert and his father. As he had anticipated, his father did not intend on telling him his mother¡¯s true identity and even plotted to lie and tell him that his mother was dead. Why would they lie to him? Albert heard the sound that came from the yroom and anxiously turned around. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Ollie steadily returned to the wooden desk and sat behind it. There were even a few essential oil diffusers that oozed a pleasant scent capable of calming a person¡¯s nerves. When Albert opened the door, he happened to see Ollie bending to pick up a ss from the floor. The boy had soft, pale skin, but always pursed his lips in a manner that did not match his age. When he saw Albert walking in, he simply asked in a calm tone, ¡°Something you need, Grandpa Albert?¡± Albert felt defeated, because Ollie had learned from the best and was as intimidating as his father. ¡°Nothing, just wanted to check with you to see what you¡¯d like for lunch, Young Master.¡± ¡°Whatever you arrange,¡± replied Ollie with his lips pursed, still from hearing what Cedrick had said. Albert seemed to have sensed something and looked at the boy endearingly. ¡°Young Master, Eason told me that you¡¯ve assigned a female designer to renovate your new mansion?¡± Ollie¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile at the mention of Catelyn. ¡°Mmhm.¡± If his father would not tell him where his mother was, he would start from Catelyn and get to the bottom of it. Ollie was dead-set on this matter. ¡°Then let me take you there in a few days to check on the progress.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you, Grandpa Albert.¡± Albert felt touched at how understanding and obedient Ollie was. At the same time, he wondered what kind of mother would be so heartless to abandon the boy for four years without even visiting afterward. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡­ Catelyn did not mourn over the fact that she had lost the project. After work, she carried on and went to pick Miles up from school. As soon as Miles saw her, he puffed his cheeks and hurried over to stiff her. Catelyn watched Miles in confusion and asked, ¡°Miles, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Checking!¡± Miles moved around swiftly and said, ¡°Grandma said you epted a big project to design a mansion for some other kid. I¡¯m checking if you¡¯ve hugged or kissed that kid!¡± Catelyn could not decide if she wanted tough or cry. She knew that her child did not like it when she came into contact with another man, but she did not expect him to be this possessive. ¡°Well, then, have you found anything?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Miles did not smell the scent of other children on her and crossed his arms at his chest, shaking his head. Catelyn decided not to tell him about losing the project to avoid making him worry. The two took the bus back home, and when Catelyn changed her shoes at the porch, she saw Ste coming out of the kitchen wearing an apron and winked at her. ¡°Well? Was Young Master Mason¡¯s mansion enormous? How will they calcte the designing fee? Is it per square meter, or will there be a full price? The Masons are famous, so they have to be generous. Once we climb our way up¡­¡± Ste paused to wink at Catelyn again with a smile. ¡°Oh, right, have you met with Master Mason? Is he handsome? See if you can get into a rtionship with him, and we might just be wealthy again.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Catelyn gave her a look. She did not want to talk about work and could only warn Ste not to mention this in front of Miles. However, Miles had already overheard their conversation, and his expression instantly darkened in response. He mmed his palm against the table with a stern expression and deadpanned, ¡°What rtionship? I haven¡¯t got to inspect that old Mason guy yet, so I can¡¯t be sure if he is worthy to be with Big Kitty. Grandma, stop trying to matchmake senselessly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ste quieted down and thought, ¡®Master Mason isn¡¯t even thirty yet, and that¡¯s the golden age of a man! Why is Miles calling him an old guy?!¡¯ Chapter 10 Chapter 10 After a moment of awkward silence, Ste hurried over to hug Miles and attempted to convince him, saying, ¡°Miles, think about it: If Mommy marries into a wealthy family, you¡¯ll be a high-born! Not only can you stay in a big house, but you¡¯ll have a lot of toys, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a three-year-old anymore. I don¡¯t need a big house nor a lot of toys.¡± Miles wiggled his way out of Ste¡¯s arms before moving the chair across Catelyn, gesturing her toe with a ttering expression on his soft, round face. ¡°Sit here, Big Kitty, I want a hug.¡± ¡°Tsk! This little troublemaker is so hard to impress. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m the one who kept youpany when it was thundering a few days ago when your mom was away on a business trip!¡± Ste pretended to be offended. Catelyn bent down to hold Miles and rubbed her cheek against his. Miles had always been afraid of thunder and would always need someone with him to calm down when the sky rumbled. ¡°Were you scared that night during the thunderstorm?¡± An awkward yet slightly frustrated expression appeared on his face. He would not fear any longer once he grew up, so he replied smugly, ¡°Soon, I¡¯ll be a man!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Catelyn rubbed his hair. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s only a matter of time. Come eat, and once you¡¯re done, Mommy will bathe you.¡± ¡°Remember to send me off to school tomorrow, or I¡¯m going to be mad.¡± Miles wanted to be with his mother every hour of the day, but with him going to school and her working, they shared less and less time together. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill my promise. Let¡¯s go shopping for some clothes tomorrow as well. Since you¡¯ve started school, you ought to dress better.¡± Miles lifted his chin smugly. ¡°My presence is what makes the clothes better.¡± Catelyn could not help butugh. ¡°This kid really is nothing like his dad.¡± The sudden remarks jogged Catelyn¡¯s memories about Jamie. Despite not seeing him for four years, Jamie¡¯s yboy mannerism had caused him to appear in entertainment magazines every once in a while, with gossip between him and different actresses. Recently, Catelyn even heard that he was getting close with a certaindy from the Atherton family. Catelyn chuckled but did not say anything in response. When Ste saw Catelyn¡¯s expression, she realized she had misspoken. ¡°Buy me something when the two of you go shopping for clothes tomorrow. I need to go y poker, and those friends of mine said that I look too old-school. They don¡¯t know that I used to be Missus rk who can get whatever she wants, and they should consider it an honor that I¡¯m even ying with them!¡± Ste was not Catelyn¡¯s mother; she was, in fact, the second wife Ezekiel had married. She could not get used to the change after the rk family dered bankruptcy, so she helped Catelyn take care of the child and go out shopping, or even y poker when she had the time. Catelyn could empathize. After all, Ste had enjoyed her life for so many years. It would have been unreasonable to ask that she start over again. ¡­ The next day, Catelyn informed Anne ahead of time and got off work to take Miles shopping, and the two went straight to a shopping mall with a grand interior. The lights were blinding with countless things for the eyes to feast upon. When a set of racing car models caught Miles¡¯s attention, Catelyn bought it without hesitation. She had not been able to give her son aplete family, so she could only make up for it with all her love. The saleswoman in the mall was enved by how adorable Miles was and gave him a pair of free sunsses. Miles was wearing his denim jacket, and under the light, the denim and sunsses created a brilliant contrast. With his chubby cheeks and silky, white skin, he appeared even more adorable. The mother-and-son pair walked hand in hand and were instantly the center of attention inside the mall. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Catelyn arranged the model she had bought for Miles to be sent and patted her son on the head. ¡°Wait here for Mommy, and don¡¯t wander around. I need to go to the washroom.¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty!¡± Miles did not want to take off his sunsses and simply curtsied his mother. Amused, Catelyn turned and went to the washroom, only to bump into someone around the corner. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ª!¡± An overwhelming scent of Grand Extrait Gardenia perfume attacked her, and because her nose happened to feel itchy at the time, she could not help but sneeze while apologizing. Though she managed to cover her mouth in time, she could not stop the stter of her saliva. She blushed awkwardly and apologized once again, hershes fluttering as she did. It had been so long since she smelt this perfume. Before the rk family went bankrupt, this was her favorite because of how extravagant it was. At present, however, she preferred something more natural. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Can¡¯t you see where you¡¯re going?¡± Maia looked at the stain on her dress and barked mercilessly, ¡°Do you know how much this dress¡ªwait, Catelyn?¡± Catelyn pulled out a wet tissue to wipe her mouth and realized the woman before her was Maia. Dressed in thetest Gi dress with her hand on a limited-edition purse from Hermis, her high heels made with crystal, Maia looked glorious covered in luxury brands. The rk family was also one of the most powerful families in Sapphire City. Catelyn belonged to one of the coteral bloodlines, and Maia was ady of the main bloodline. The two of them studied in the same ss back in university. Though they were rtives, their rtionship had been distant. Ever since Ezekiel disappeared, she had never seen anyone from her past social circle, knowing that no one would help and that most would rather rub salt onto her wound. Regardless, Catelyn did not expect to see Maia in this mall. Maia scanned Catelyn from head to toe, noticing that she was dressed incredibly in with not one luxury item on her person. If Catelyn was to stand in a crowd, she would not stand out at all apart from the fact that she had a face that looked better than most. Maia instantly toned down on her aggressiveness and smiled graciously, before reaching out to hold Catelyn¡¯s hands. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you. I¡¯ve lost touch with you for the past four years! I heard that Jamie canceled the arrangement between you two. Are you doing alright?¡± Her tone was light as a feather, but though she did not make any sarcastic remarks about Catelyn¡¯s situation, her words were said with a sense of superiority. Catelyn had already gotten used to all thesements; she had heard things far worse than what Maia had said. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear carelessly and said, ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, thank you.¡± ¡°If you need help in any way,e find me. I won¡¯t turn you away!¡± ¡®Tsk! Speaking like I¡¯m going to live like a stray dog without the help of the rks,¡¯ Catelyn mused to herself before her lips curled into a perfectly confident smile. ¡°Sure. You cane to me for help as well, if you need anything.¡± The smile on Maia¡¯s face froze. ¡°You¡¯re funny. What could I possibly need your help with?¡± ¡°So do you need me topensate for this dress?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, this only costs around a million. Even the amount I casually give off to charity will be more than that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice that you¡¯re doing charity. The old master of the rk family must be overjoyed.¡± Catelyn pointed at the washroom and continued, ¡°I¡¯m kind of in a hurry, so I¡¯ll go in first. Let¡¯s keep in touch.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Maia watched as Catelyn left and snorted. Disgust filled her face instantly when she lowered her gaze at the dress she was wearing, thinking, ¡®How unlucky. It¡¯s kind of funny to see Catelyn rk, the girl once referred to as the prettiest girl on campus, turning into a joke.¡¯ Chapter 12 Chapter 12 While Catelyn and Maia ran into one another, Miles also happened upon a man he had not seen in years. Getting bored while waiting for his mother, he went over to the child department for a walk, but then he overheard a cringy conversationing from past the rack. ¡°Darling, do you think our baby is going to be a boy or a girl?¡± The man wrapped his arm around the woman¡¯s waist and in a seductive voice, he endearingly cooed, ¡°I¡¯m happy with either, as long as you¡¯re the mother.¡± ¡°That sweet tongue of yours!¡± The woman said while hitting the man¡¯s firm chest yfully. ¡°The Mason family is developing swiftly right now, so my future mother-inw would probably prefer a boy to inherit the family business¡­¡± Miles shivered and thought, ¡®Ew, grown-ups are so gross.¡¯ He curled his lips into a pout and moved to leave, only to identally see the faces of the couple through the gaps between clothes. He tripped and came close to losing bnce. That man was Jamie Mason, his biological father. Ever since he could remember, he had asked about his father. Catelyn did not intend on lying to her, and with how intelligent Miles was, it did not take long for him to find out about Jamie. When he found out that Jamie had abandoned him, he bit his lip and decided he did not need the man either; Catelyn was enough for him. Miles rolled his eyes and pouted in contempt before trying to leave. All of a sudden, however, his phone started ringing. He slid open the screen and saw that it was a spam message, but the sound of the notification had caught the attention of Jamie and Loue Atherton. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Jamie, thinking someone was trying to take pictures of them, shoved the rack away to grab Miles by the arm, only to realize that it was a child. Miles¡¯s limbs were hardly that long to begin with, and despite the pain of being grabbed, he could not escape. ¡°Let me go!¡± He was beginning to resent Jamie. ¡°Jamie, this child¡­looks so much like you.¡± Loue walked over slowly and felt dazed when she saw how much Miles resembled Jamie. Jamie seemed to have noticed as well and asked, ¡°Whose child are you?¡± Miles clenched his fists as he thought back to Jamie¡¯s betrayal and abandoning Catelyn. He immediately put up an innocent expression like he had been wronged and said, ¡°Daddy, you haven¡¯t given us any money for four years. Mommy is running out of options, so she sends me to find you¡­¡± ¡°Money?!¡± gasped Loue as her eyes widened in shock. Jamie tightened his grip around Miles¡¯s arm. ¡°Say that again!¡± ¡°Mommy might only be a maid working for your family before, but do you have to be so heartless? You chased both of us out without caring to check on us, only to be together with this prettydy. Now, I can¡¯t even afford to go to school! Prettydy, we really can¡¯t survive like this¡­¡± whimpered Miles in a choked, soft voice while looking at them with tears in his eyes, not realizing the storm his words had raised between Loue and Jamie. The expression on Loue¡¯s face stiffened as she realized that this child could be Jamie¡¯s illegitimate child. She was one of the offspring of a coteral bloodline of the Atherton Family, but she had been in a position with wide influence in recent years and plenty of eligible bachelors were after her. She had picked Jamie out of her many pursuers, only to find out that he had an illegitimate child. ¡°Loue, don¡¯t listen to him. I don¡¯t have a son this old nor did I screw around with maids.¡± Jamie red daggers at Miles and said, ¡°This boy was sneaking around and is probably up to no good.¡± As the veins on Jamie¡¯s head began to pop, he questioned Miles viciously, ¡°Spill: who¡¯s your mom? What is she trying to aplish by making you follow me to take pictures?¡± ¡°I said let go! You¡¯re hurting me!¡± Miles¡¯s wrist was hurting as his face stiffened coldly. He decided not to y the innocent card anymore. His resentment toward Jamie deepened as he internally growled, ¡®How frustrating! To think that I¡¯m this old trash¡¯s son!¡¯ He lowered his head and bit down on Jamie¡¯s wrist. ¡°Argh!¡± Jamie gasped and flung Miles to the side. Losing bnce, Miles stumbled backward and Loue subconsciously moved to help him, but someone else beat her to it. It was Catelyn, who had juste back from the washroom. She held Miles steadily in her arms, concern etched onto her fair-skinned face as she checked her son. ¡°Miles, are you hurt?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Her faint flowery scent surrounded Miles as he shook his head awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Catelyn?¡± When Jamie saw her, everything finally began to make sense, and he pointed at Miles furiously. ¡°This is your kid? You never Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Catelyn never expected to run into Jamie once again after avoiding him for four years. She subconsciously tightened her arms around Miles and said, ¡°He¡¯s my son. He has nothing to do with you at all.¡± ¡°Hrious! You plotted to give birth to my son in secret, and now you have him here to take photos of me out of the blue. Who knows what you are after? Are you after money or status? Just get it over with already.¡± ¡°Miss rk, am I right?¡± Loue stood forward, her eyes filled with motherly love as she stroked her belly gently, as though dering her ownership. ¡°I can give you money but probably not the position as Missus Mason. I¡¯m also pregnant with Jamie¡¯s child, you see.¡± She then nced at Miles sincerely and continued, ¡°The child is innocent, so please stop using him as a tool to hurt Jamie. We won¡¯t me you for what happened today, but hopefully, you¡¯ll be more mindful in educating your son so that he doesn¡¯t step foot on the wrong path. As for the alimony, we¡¯ll make up for it without missing a buck.¡± She spoke with a graceful tone, as though Catelyn was the one who had done something unforgivable. ¡°I¡¯ll say this onest time: this is just a coincidence. My child is a rk, and we don¡¯t need your money.¡± Catelyn paused thoughtfully before curling her lips into an elegant smile as she looked at Loue. ¡°Miss Atherton, seeing how much you care for my son, let me give you some gentle advice. You have really bad taste.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°This guy has so many exes that they can form a nation, and he enjoys kicking people when they¡¯re down. He loves your background, not you as a person. Even if you two get married, he¡¯s going to keep screwing around. Technically, he¡¯s just a bottomless pit.¡± Miles listened to his mother and beamed, before nodding with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, prettydy! Everyone is desperate to climb out of the pit, so you should hurry on and kick this trash of an old man away.¡± Loue was stunned, and Jamie had been rendered speechless as his expression darkened. ¡­ Meanwhile, inside a grand European restaurant on the fifth floor of the same shopping mall, soothing jazz music danced in the atmosphere, and the air was filled with a faint scent of natural flowers. Cedrick sat up straight by the window with Ollie sitting across from him. The two rarely shared meals together on the same table in restaurants, and their faces were as simr as though they were clones. Maia returned after cleaning up her dress and found the father and son in their usual silence. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Cedrick lifted an eyebrow in a slightly impatient manner. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I ran into this crazy woman on my way to the washroom, and she almost ruined my dress.¡± Maia cast him an apologetic smile before wrapping her arms around his and sweetly saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping you waiting when I¡¯ve promised to take Ollie out today¡­¡± Cedrick was busy with work most of the time, and she had only managed to see him with Ollie as an excuse. Ollie moved his delicate lips and said politely, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Aunt Maia. You should focus on getting closer with my father, just ignore me.¡± ¡°Ollie is such a sweet boy! If only I can be his mother¡­ I¡¯d give him the entire world,¡± Maiamented shyly, thinking that the meaning behind her words had been obvious. However, Cedrick remained cold and expressionless like an iceberg as he simply called the waiter over to order. Maia, of course, did not feel defeated. They had been engaged for four years, and she had been the only woman who could be by his side. She believed that someday, she would be the rightful Missus Mason. She then remembered Ollie, and the light in her eyes dimmed. Who was his mother, anyway? ¡°Ollie, what would you like to eat?¡± asked Maia smilingly. ¡°Steak with tomato sauce,¡± Ollie answered politely and straightened his back. He was too short and needed to extend his arm to grab the tissue. As he did, he happened to nce outside the window and spotted Catelyn, Miles, and the others downstairs, and it looked as though they were in trouble. Cedrick noticed that Ollie was staring downstairs and lifted his gazezily in the same direction. From where he was seated, he could only see Catelyn and Jamie with the building standing in the way. Realizing both of them staring at the floor below, Maia looked over curiously and saw Catelyn¡¯s face. ¡°Her again?¡± Cedrick clenched his jaw slightly. ¡°You know her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the one I bumped into on the way to the washroom,¡± Maia exined, chuckling. ¡°Her name is Catelyn rk, the daughter of Ezekiel, one of our coteral lines. They went bankrupt a few years back, and her fianc¨¦, Jamie, broke up with her. There, that¡¯s Jamie¡ªthe man standing next to her. He probably calls you uncle¡­¡± ¡°Jamie Mason?¡± Cedrick repeated the name. As the wealthiest family in Sapphire City, the Mason family branched out to an enormouswork. While they could recognize members of the main bloodline, coteral lines werepletely in disorder, but he did remember seeing that name on the family book. ¡°The one who likes messing around with celebrities?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him.¡± Maia appeared a bit shy as she continued, ¡°I thought that Catelyn has lost contact with him ever since their arrangement came to an end, but who would¡¯ve thought that the two of them would be seen like that in public. I wonder if she¡¯s going to Jamie for money. If the paparazzi manage to snap a photo of that, they¡¯re probably going to end up in the newspaper again¡­¡± Contempt filled Cedrick¡¯s eyes after hearing what Maia had to say. Displeased by Maia¡¯sment, Ollie pursed his lips and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that prettydy is as hateful as you say she is, Aunt Maia. Can there be a misunderstanding?¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°You aren¡¯t even four yet. What do you know about how horrible human hearts could be?¡± Cedrick nced over at Ollie coldly as he began to ooze an intimidating aura. Usually, Ollie would have stopped arguing with his father, but for some reason, he was upset that Cedrick had belittled Catelyn. His expression darkened as he raised his innocent voice in a challenging manner, ¡°Father, you can¡¯t simply reject thatdy because of a few words some outsider says.¡± ¡°Outsider?¡± Maia¡¯s hands that held her cutlery froze as she thought, ¡®Did Ollie just refer to her as an outsider? Does he know that I¡¯m going to be his future stepmother?¡¯ Cedrick, not expecting Ollie would talk to him like that for a strange woman, interrogated, ¡°Who¡¯s that woman to you?¡± Ollie shook his head and said sincerely, ¡°She¡¯s the designer I chose to design my birthday mansion.¡± ¡°And you are arguing with me over a mere designer?¡± In Mason Estate, Cedrick held absolute power, and no one, not even Ollie, could challenge him. Ollie bit on his lower lip and noticed from the corner of his eyes that Catelyn and Miles had stopped talking to Jamie and were about to leave. He set down his cutleries elegantly with stubborn eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father, I shouldn¡¯t have argued with you. I¡¯m full; may I be excused?¡± Cedrick narrowed his eyes as his expression darkened. The steak had only juste out of the kitchen, and the boy had only cut a small piece out of the beautifully heart-shaped steak, yet he imed to be full? ¡°Ollie, are you trying to protest by refusing to eat?¡± Cedrick questioned coldly, and his voice pierced through the air in a horrifying manner. Downstairs, Miles and Catelyn were already moving toward the exit. Ollie lowered his arms by the sides of his body and clenched his fists before meeting Cedrick¡¯s eyes fearlessly. ¡°No, I¡¯m really full.¡± As the father and son had a standoff, Maia smiled and tried to ease the tension. ¡°Master Cedrick, kids don¡¯t develop much of an appetite. They usually don¡¯t eat much, and Ollie¡ª¡± ¡°Did I ask you to exin his actions for him?¡± Cedrick interrupted her with a dark expression. Maia immediately turned red in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, Father, so please don¡¯t me Aunt Maia. I won¡¯t interrupt your date any longer and will be taking my leave now,¡± Ollie said hastily before slipping down the soft couch and running out of the door without looking back. Maia was stunned. She had been engaged to Cedrick for years and watched as Ollie grew up, but never had she ever seen the child standing up against his father¡­not to mention ignoring Cedrick and running off. ¡°Where are you going, Ollie?¡± Maia mistook the boy¡¯s action as a protest toward his father and hurriedly commanded the bodyguards standing by the side, ¡°What are you all doing, just standing over there? Hurry up and go get the young master back!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Cedrick scanned the bodyguards and said, ¡°No one goes after him!¡± Startled by how intimidating the man was, Maia shivered. ¡°But he¡¯s just a child! What happens if he runs into danger or kidnappers¡ª¡± Personally, she had preferred to spend time alone with Cedrick, but Ollie was his only son, and their marriage arrangement would suffer should anything happen to the boy. ¡°If he has the guts to run, then he should be ready to suffer whatever consequences that follow.¡± With a stone-cold mask on his defined features, Cedrick picked up the cutleries elegantly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the steak here is great? Now that the courses are up, let¡¯s eat.¡± Maia awkwardly silenced herself. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Cedrick was a cold, majestic, devilish, and elegant man altogether. He was a legend of the Mason family and was her fianc¨¦, too. Without Ollie around as the third wheel, she even started to feel even more excited about the date. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Downstairs, Catelyn took Miles¡¯s hand as they made their leave. Miles took off his sunsses to reveal his crystal-like eyes burning with anger. ¡°That trash is so hateful,¡± he deadpanned. ¡°Big Kitty, don¡¯t fall in love with him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him to begin with.¡± ¡°He¡¯s definitely going to torture me if the two of you date each other.¡± Then, Miles changed his tone and said while clinging to her leg, ¡°For the health and safety of your baby, stay away from him, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Catelyn was at a loss for words. Perhaps it was because Miles grew up without a father that he had always been sensitive; he even resented any man that approached Catelyn despite their age. Since they had just identally run into Jamie, it was natural that he would be worried about her getting back together with Jamie and neglecting him. ¡°He has no sense of responsibility and has so many mistresses. I¡¯m far more sweet and polite than him. I have great looks and a greater personality, and I can fend off a gangster or scold a mistress. I¡¯ll be a good boy and take care of you from now on, so please don¡¯t take him, okay?¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart melted as she lowered her head to nt a kiss on Miles¡¯s forehead. ¡°I won¡¯t date him, I only care about you. Happy now?¡± Miles was very much satisfied and instantly shook off the negative emotions that haunted him. He pointed at his cheek happily and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you permission to kiss here as well.¡± ¡°I have lipstick on now! How about I give you a kiss once I remove it at home?¡± Miles immediately praised his mother sweetly, ¡°I prefer you when you don¡¯t put any makeup on, you look more refreshing and enchanting that way.¡± Catelyn was instantly at loss for words. ¡°Where did you learn that line?¡± ¡°From the inte,¡± Miles replied smugly. ¡°¡­¡± Catelyn contemted whether she needed to restrict her son¡¯s ess to the inte. She had no idea what sort of things he had been browsing, and she felt as though she was being teased. Most importantly, her son was not even four-year-old and could barely recognize most words. In the corner, Ollie kept an appropriate distance from the two of them. He saw Catelyn lowering her head to kiss Miles on the forehead and Miles asking to be picked up, and his heart was instantly filled with envy. If only he had a mother as well¡­ Could he be begging for attention in his mother¡¯s arms? A lump formed in his throat. It was unfortunate that his father refused to tell him who his mother was and forbade him from asking too much about it. Suddenly, Catelyn turned around from not far away, and Ollie immediately froze. He turned to hide himself behind a jewelry disy counter as his heart threatened to jump out of his throat. He was not sure why he was hiding, but perhaps it was because he despised what he was doing at the moment. He was following and spying on them like a thief, only to find even the faintestfort in others¡¯ happiness. Catelyn went to the storage unit to retrieve the race car model she had ced there earlier on, but for some reason, the key card had stopped working, so she had to seek help from the staff there. Miles listened to Catelyn obediently and waited for her to return by the door with his hands holding her purse. After a while, Catelyn still had note out, and Miles was beginning to feel the urge to use the washroom. At the same time, he was worried that he might miss Catelyning out if he ran off too far. He looked around and scanned through the greenery across the street. There was a whole forest of trees there, and he could relieve himself there¡­ Miles cleared his throat, and like a swift little monkey, he darted through the crowd, all the while turning back to look at the door every once in a while. Finally, as he was about to walk into the bushes¡­ Screech! The sound of a car stopping to a halt rang in his ear abruptly, and a Bugatti Veyron stopped right next to him. The door to the car pushed open, and Albert looked at Miles worriedly before sighing a breath of relief. ¡°Thank God you¡¯re alright, Young Master! The bodyguards said you ran out, and I was so worried¡­¡± Miles stared warily at Albert and the towering bodyguards before he warily said, ¡°What do you want?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°To bring you home, of course.¡± Knowing that the young master felt wronged and frustrated from the fight he had with his father, Albert tried to appease his emotions gently. ¡°Don¡¯t me your father. He might say mean things, but he means well.¡± ¡°Father?¡± Miles then thought, ¡®Could it be that old trash Jamie Mason?¡¯ However, Miles had not seen any of these people before him, so they could also be kidnappers. ¡®Do kidnappers drive fancy cars and kidnap people in broad daylight now?¡¯ he thought. ¡°Don¡¯te here! I¡¯m going to call for help if you move any closer¡ªmmph!¡± Before he could finish, Albert dragged Miles straight into the car. The young master could be stubborn when he was in the mood, so Albert decided to just bring him back first. The car drove off and disappeared into the distance, leaving nothing behind but a puff of smoke and a beige woman¡¯s purse on the ground. Ollie slowly stepped out of the shadow he had been hiding under. He recognized the car that took Miles; it was the spare vehicle of Mason Estate. It appeared that Albert had mistaken Miles as Ollie and brought him back to Mason Estate. Ollie scanned the perimeter carefully before rushing over to pick up the purse from the ground. He could still catch a whiff of a milky scent, most likely from Miles, around the spot, mixed with the faint flowery scent of gardenia from Catelyn. Ollie felt immersed with the scent, and he simply felt addicted to it. He took the bag with him and went back to the mall, intending to give it back to Catelyn. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miles. Something happened, and it took me some time.¡± Catelyn hurried her way back to the exit and instinctively took Ollie¡¯s hand. Ollie stared at his hand that was held by Catelyn, and a bold idea appeared inside his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I didn¡¯t wait long,¡± he said politely. However, as soon as he said that, he saw Catelyn¡¯s expression darkening. Her glittering seemingly zeroed in on him entirely. ¡°You¡­¡± Ollie immediately became anxious and tense. Could Catelyn have noticed his true identity? Could she tell them apart when not even Grandpa Albert could tell the difference? His heart thumped as though he was facing off a horrible enemy. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¡°Actually, I¡­¡± Ollie hesitantly attempted to exin. ¡°Miles, where did you get those clothes you are wearing?¡± Catelyn asked abruptly, interjecting him. Ollie¡¯s eyes widened, and he felt his heart drop to his stomach when he realized she was suspecting the clothes he was wearing. Catelyn circled to the boy¡¯s back and flipped his cor outward, only to find the Banpointbel. It was a french children-wear luxury brand that emphasized on both modesty and mor. Ollie cursed inwardly when Catelyn slowly bent down and asked, ¡°Did Jamie Mason buy this for you?¡± ¡°Jamie Mason?¡± He thought, ¡®That¡¯s probably the man I saw Catelyn arguing with.¡¯ ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s weird. He was just scolding you earlier, so why would he buy you clothes now?¡± Catelyn was confused as to how it could happen within the short period she went to retrieve the model. Ollie¡¯s eyes darted away. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking as well.¡± ¡°Whatever. At least he¡¯s willing to fulfill some responsibility as a father.¡± Catelyn scanned him from head to toe and decided not to be bothered by it after confirming he was her son. ¡°Anything else happened while I was gone?¡± Ollie opened his pick lips slightly and said, ¡°Nothing, but I¡¯m a bit hungry.¡± ¡°Grandma should have dinner ready by now. Let¡¯s go home, or we¡¯re going to miss the bus.¡± She lifted him with one arm and hurried over to the nearest bus station. The sudden proximity and the feeling of his feet leaving the ground had Ollie frowning, but soon, he rxed at the warmth that he had never felt before. Could this be what a mother¡¯s embrace felt like? Catelyn smelt like gardenia, just like Maia, but Catelyn¡¯s scent was better and more natural, so he preferred her. The boy, who was usually veryposed, started blushing. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to hug me back?¡± Catelyn teased. Ollie hesitated. ¡°Can I?¡± He had been taught the manners of a gentleman, and he often acted appropriately. On top of that, he was cold by nature and rarely approached others. ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t you usually hug me back?¡± Catelyn said, wondering if her son was too hungry to the point he was acting weird like a quiet, wary boy. Ollie collected himself and reached out both of his arms before carefully wrapping them around Catelyn¡¯s neck. His heart was overwhelmed by emotions as he had never imagined he would have a taste of motherly love from a woman he did not know. His lips curled into a content smile as he muttered, ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just suddenly feel like calling you.¡± Ollie cocked his head to the side and leaned against Catelyn¡¯s shoulder. As he tightened his arms around her neck, he suddenly felt extremely envious of that boy called Miles. If only Miles would rece him and remain in Mason Estate forever¡­ Ollie shook his head at the thought. As Cedrick¡¯s son, there were responsibilities that he was expected to bear. For the time being, however, he simply wanted to be the little baby in his mother¡¯s arms. It was stolen time. ¡­ The night fell as a car raced toward the majestic Mason Estate. The engraved gate opened, followed by the faint squeaking sound, and a line of guards in uniform stood by the entrance with their heads bowed respectfully to wee their young master home. The car stopped and Albert opened the car door with a smile. ¡°Young Master, we¡¯re home.¡± Miles had kept his eyes out for thendscapes and the best route to escape along the way, but to his surprise, the car headed toward more and more remote areas until it was halfway up a mountain. He knew that this was not where Jamie lived and concluded that he had been kidnapped. However, when he saw the outdoor swimming pool, the fountain, the gigantic statue, and also the boundless sports arena, he realized that this ce was as grand as a pce. Miles sat upright and wondered why these people had abducted him. Seeing that Miles would not get up, Albert bent down to pick him up with a gentle smile. ¡°Alright, Young Master, don¡¯t be angry. How about Grandpa Albert carry you inside?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll trust you simply because of that, you kidnapper!¡± Miles red at him with wide eyes. Albert was amused by Miles¡¯s expression and said, ¡°Young Master, I remember that these weren¡¯t the clothes you wore when you headed out¡­¡± Miles did not want to listen to what he was saying and lifted his chin, only to notice the golden wordings on top of the high arched entrance that read, [Mason Estate.] The font was powerful and intimidating. Miles¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Though he had not been in contact with anyone from the Mason family, he had done some research on the family tree after learning that he was a Mason as well. Mason Estate was the ce where the head of the Mason family lived, and as far as rtions went, Miles was supposed to refer to the owner of this ce as his grandfather. Rumors had it that the owner was cruel and wasmonly referred to as the Hades of the entrepreneur world. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± Shivering, a chilling thought crossed Miles¡¯s mind. Could it be that Jamie was so enraged that he sent Miles here to die? He missed Catelyn. It had always been him and Catelyn against the world since he was born, and without him, his mother would be devastated. What should he do? Albert looked at Miles with disbelief before cing his palm on Miles¡¯s forehead to check his temperature. ¡®Thank God he¡¯s not running a fever,¡¯ he thought. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ ¡°Young Master, do you not remember? This is your home.¡± Albert could not help but wonder what Cedrick could have done that his son could not recognize his own home. ¡°My house? Are you kidding? This isn¡¯t my house¡­¡± Without Catelyn, even the grandest pce was merely a cold house. Miles was both terrified and frustrated, but there was simply a more pressing issue, and that was¡­ He needed to go to the washroom, and he had been holding it in for a very long time. Miles wiggled out of Albert¡¯s embrace, and since Albert was too old to hold him, Miles swiftly turned and hopped out of his restraint. Despite his short legs, Miles ran fast and disappeared from Albert¡¯s sight within a blink of an eye, without giving Albert a chance to catch up with him. ¡­ By the time Cedrick finished his tasteless date with Maia, it was already nine at night. Inside the racing car, Eason tensed with both his hands on the steering wheel while he stole peeks at Cedrick through the rear-view mirror. Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened at the thought that his son defied him, and in a cold voice, he growled, ¡°Where¡¯s that brat?¡± Eason faked confusion and responded innocently, ¡°Master Cedrick, didn¡¯t you ce an order to not go after Young Master?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. The look in Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened, and the car was instantly filled with a suffocating atmosphere. ¡°So all of you simply let a three-year-old roam free out there?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Eason cleared his throat. Had the atmosphere not been this tense, he would have burst out laughing. He knew that Cedrick was only harsh outwardly, but though he said that he did not care about his son, he still cared for him from the bottom of his heart. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡°You were having dinner with Miss rk, and we couldn¡¯t be too far away from you, so we didn¡¯t send anyone after Young Master. Of course, I¡¯ve contacted Albert to bring him home.¡± Cedrick looked up to find Eason¡¯s mouth twitching as though stifling hisughter. ¡°Are youughing at me?¡± asked Cedrick. ¡°No, I¡ª¡± ¡°Your bonus for this month will be reduced by half.¡± The amusement on Eason¡¯s face faded and was reced by devastation. ¡°Master Cedrick¡­¡± ¡°Keep talking and you¡¯ll lose all of it.¡± Cedrick stared at him, leaving no room for questioning. ¡°¡­¡± Eason realized how easily an employee would suffer when their boss was this hard to please. Soon, their car arrived at Mason Estate as well. The lights in Mason Estate shone brightly during the night, making it appear as though it was still daytime. Under the moon, the sparkling lights on the trees made a perfect contrast that formed a unique scene. When Albert heard the sound of the car¡¯s engine turned off from the garage, he stood by the door to Ollie¡¯s room and asked the servant anxiously. ¡°Hurry, Master Cedrick is back. Is the Young Master ready yet?¡± ¡°Yes, he is,¡± said the servant before pushing Miles, who was dressed in silk pajamas, outside. Miles¡¯s eyes were filled with anger for being moved around like he was a toy. Half an hour ago, he was taken to the washroom by force for a bath and a change of clothes. Albert threw all his clothes away after noticing how rough the materials of his t-shirt were and forced him to wear silk pajamas that fitted perfectly to the skin like a softyer of body lotion. He had to admit that the pajamas fitted perfectly, but the color was just too dull. The pajama was pitch- ck and made him look old. The maid helped to dry his hair gently with a towel before casually styling his hair into a slight curl. Miles looked exceptionally fair after the bath, and with how delicate his features were, Albert¡¯s heart melted when Miles red at him with his cheeks puffed. ¡®Young Master is so adorable,¡¯ mused Albert to himself. He took Miles¡¯s hand and led him downstairs while advising sincerely, ¡°Young Master, Master Cedrick will be back soon. Whatever happened between you before, you have to take the initiative to apologize, okay?¡± ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Miles snorted before spotting a towering male figure before him. Cedrick strode into the hall and removed his jacket; the servants took it respectfully and handed it onto the rack. When he looked up, his eyes happened to meet with Miles¡¯ eyes which were filled with surprise. Miles¡¯s jaw dropped as he pointed at Cedrick with disbelief. How¡­could this man look so much like him? ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°I, what?¡± Cedrick sank into the couch and pursed his lips in displeasure. ¡°Is that something you should be doing to your senior? Come here.¡± Cedrick decided that he could not let it slip if his three-year-old son had started developing the courage to defy him in public¡­but Miles stood still. Cedrick simply looked too much like him that he felt intense fear for the unknown. To conceal the fact that he was afraid, Miles nced at Cedrick with his arms across his chest to act prideful. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you know you should take care of your young?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone gasped at the boy¡¯s words. It was no different than pulling a tiger¡¯s tail! ¡°Stop messing around, Young Master! Master Cedrick is your father, and his words are absolute. Hurry over there and apologize, and let bygones be bygones,¡± Albert whispered. Like a proud little prince, Miles said, ¡°My words are absolute as well. If anyone should move, it should be him.¡± The next moment, Cedrick, who was sitting on the couch, stood up abruptly. The spacious hall instantly felt cramped, and even the atmosphere was beginning to tense. Cedrick narrowed his eyes as he stared at Miles. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Attacked by the intimidating aura that approached him, Miles came close to taking a step back, but soon puffed his chest to hide his fear and pretended to be calm by probing his hands by his waist. ¡°I was doing just fine walking on the street when you guys abducted me. What are you trying to do? Let me tell you, if you refuse to let me go, I am going to call the police and report you for abducting and abusing children!¡± Everyone gasped once again. ¡°Very well. Since you¡¯ve already used me of abuse, isn¡¯t it a waste not to do it?¡± Cedrick let out an enragedugh as though he heard something incredibly hrious. ¡°Albert, take him to the prayer hall. He¡¯ll stay there until he admits his mistake.¡± Panicked, Albert immediately tried to dissuade him, saying, ¡°Young Master, Master Cedrick really is angry. Hurry up and say you¡¯re sorry!¡± ¡°I¡¯m angry, too.¡± Miles sneered, his eyes widened in anger. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be scared of you simply because you look like me and are my senior, you big demon. Dream on!¡± Everyone, including Cedrick, Albert, and the servants, were rendered speechless, baffled as to what could have possessed the young master to act out. Could it be that he had been suppressed by Cedrick for too long and finally exploded to be this rebellious? N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. It was the first time that Cedrick¡¯s authority in the Mason Estate was challenged, and he was so enraged that the veins on his forehead began to pop. ¡°You¡¯ve be this unruly after only a few hours out there? Ollie Mason, if I don¡¯t discipline you, are you going to assume that you have the say in what happens here in Mason Estate from now on?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Ollie Mason? I¡¯m not¡ªmmph!¡± Miles widened his eyes in shock and tried to exin in flushed cheeks, but before he could get the words out, Albert lifted him up and ced a hand over his mouth. Miles widened his dark eyes and silently asked Albert to let go. ¡°My apologies, Master Cedrick, it¡¯s my fault for not taking better care of Young Master. He¡¯s probably not in the right state of mind after being traumatized out there, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s saying all these things. I¡¯ll take him to the prayer hall.¡± Albert¡¯s forehead was already covered in a thinyer of sweat, and his heart threatened to jump out of his throat. He would much rather take the boy to the room to calm himself than to have him here arguing with his father. ¡°Mmph!¡± Miles kicked his legs in the air frantically, but Albert held him tight. Unable to escape no matter how hard he tried, he was taken straight to the prayer hall. The prayer hall was one of the rooms near the stairs on the third floor. The inside of the room was decorated with ck, white, and gray. It appeared deserted, but the servants kept it clean until there was not a speck of dust in sight. The air was refreshing with a pleasant scent, and there were a few books and items on the ss coffee table. On the wall across was a gigantic portrait painting of a boy. The boy was dressed in middle-age knight armor with a charming helmet on his head. He held a long sword that pointed toward the ground, and his hair wasbed back tidily. His eyes were brooding dark, and his posture was perfect like an elegant high-born. Miles froze. Was that him? No¡­ It was a boy that looked exactly like him! Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Though Miles had countless thoughts of doubt, as a child, he immediately turned his attention to the thought of how worried his mother would be after he had been gone for so long. Shaking away the thoughts that swarmed his mind, he ran toward the door and banged on it furiously, causing the door to squeak as he yelled, ¡°Open the door, let me out! I knew you guys are terrible people! ¡°Come and fight me, you big demon! What kind of man are you to lock me up like this?! ¡°Mommy¡­I¡ªI miss you¡­¡± On the other side of the door, Albert choked on the words he meant to say to calm the boy. ¡®It seems that the young master misses his mother again. This certainly exins his behavior today, but¡­it¡¯s unfortunate that the identity of his mother was an unresolved mystery here in Mason Estate,¡¯ he solemnly thought to himself. ¡­ In Ocean Path Residence, on the fifth floor of the building, the family gathered around the table with only a few casual dishes. Ollie looked at the dishes and noticed how spicy they were from the red color and the enticing scent. However, he scowled wordlessly at the sight because he usually preferred milder vors. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Noticing that he did not even move, Ste asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re hungry? Do you think Grandma¡¯s cooking isn¡¯t good enough now?¡± Ollie pursed his lips and ate one piece of fishcake; the spiciness of the seasoning instantly spread on his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s spicy¡­¡± He forced himself to swallow it and poked out his tongue. Noticing how flushed he was, Catelyn immediately poured him a ss of warm water and chuckled. ¡°This is spicy? You always say that Grandma¡¯s cooking isn¡¯t spicy enoughpared to that restaurant out the street.¡± Ollie paused mid-way as he was sipping the water, thinking, ¡®Does this boy Miles like spicy food?¡¯ ¡°I guess Grandma¡¯s cooking improved.¡± Ste beamed at the praise and started piling food on Ollie¡¯s te. ¡°Eat more if you like it! Grandma will cook more for you whenever I don¡¯t have poker games nned¡­¡± A troubled expression appeared on Ollie¡¯s face, but it faded shortly after as he smiled shyly. ¡°Thank you, Grandma.¡± ¡°Oh, my! Why is Miles so polite today?¡± The shy smile on Ollie¡¯s face simply deepened. ¡°Alright, dig in. If it¡¯s too spicy, just drink more soup!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The meal ended in cheerful conversations andughter. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Ollie tried his best not to look odd, but he had to drink a ss of cold water as soon as he was done before washing out his mouth as well to ease the pain in his stomach. He watched as Catelyn and Ste tidied up the table and realized that though it was a house smaller than the bathroom in Mason Estate, it was filled with a kind of warmth that did not exist in Mason Estate. His father would never fawn over him like Catelyn did. Ollie felt even more inclined to stay. At night, it was customary for Catelyn to tuck her son into bed. After his bath, Ollie put on Miles¡¯ pajamas, which fitted perfectly, andid on the bed with his entire body tensed. He used to sleep alone and had a hard time getting used to having someone next to him. His heart throbbed hard, and he could only pray that it would not expose him of his true identity. Catelyn patted him on the head out of habit and asked, ¡°Which story would you like to hear tonight?¡± ¡°You are going to tell me stories?¡± Ollie¡¯s big, dark eyes peeked from the nket and blinked with anticipation. ¡°Do you not want to hear it tonight?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Scared that she would misunderstand, he blurted out, ¡°I like whatever story you tell.¡± His words warmed Catelyn¡¯s heart. This was her son. They depended on one another, and he always found a way to move her without even trying. ¡°Let¡¯s continue on the story of the City Rat and Country Rat from the night before, then?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ollie nodded, before leaning toward Catelyn¡¯s arms sneakily with a pink flush on his face. He drifted off to sleep while listening to her gentle voice and felt so happy that he could drown in it. As he was about to fall asleep, he grabbed onto Catelyn¡¯s sleeve and asked longingly, ¡°Will you be designing Young Master Mason¡¯s mansion?¡± That way, he would still be able to see her even if he returned to Mason Estate. ¡°Probably not,¡± she answered in a soft voice as she adjusted her nket. Ollie instantly lost all urges to sleep and widened his eyes. ¡°Why not? Didn¡¯t they assign you?¡± Catelyn did not want to discuss work with her son, but since Ollie would not give up, she could only exin, ¡°I identally crossed the young master¡¯s dad, so when the king gets mad, his servants suffer¡­¡± Ollie¡¯s eyes were instantly filled with anger and despair when he realized that his father had changed his designer without telling him. He refused to let Catelyn suffer in any way. The next day, Catelyn woke up early to make everyone breakfast. Ollie woke up as well shortly after she did as he never slept in back in Mason Estate. Suddenly, Catelyn¡¯s phone on the nightstand started ringing. Ollie picked it up and instinctively wanted to bring it over to Catelyn, but then he swallowed the words as soon as he saw the caller ID. He knew that number all too well. It was Albert¡¯s. On the other end, Miles hid inside the washroom and was calling Catelyn with the phone he stole from Albert. He had no other way because he left his phone in Catelyn¡¯s purse and could only borrow Albert¡¯s. Albert¡¯s phone was ancient; ck and heavy like a brick. Luckily, he could still use it to make the phone call. The phone kept ringing and no one picked up. He pouted, but just as he was about to give up, someone answered the phone. Miles beamed and immediately started blurting out his exnation, ¡°Big Kitty, I didn¡¯t mean to not go home! Someone abducted me¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not Miss rk. She¡¯s in the kitchen now and cannot answer your call.¡± Ollie cleared his throat and asked gingerly, ¡°Are you¡­ Miss rk¡¯s son, Miles rk?¡± Miles¡¯s eyes widened in shock and slipped down the toilet, before checking on the screen in disbelief. It was, no doubt, Catelyn¡¯s number. His face tensed and his eyes began to turn red. He fanned himself with his palm and asked, ¡°Who are you? Why are you at my home?¡± He had only been missing for a night. Not only did Catelyn not look for him, but there was another man in his house? Was Catelyn abandoning him? ¡°It¡¯s Mason, Ollie Mason,¡± Ollie introduced himself steadily. ¡°Your mommy took me home.¡± Miles paced back and forth in frustration inside the washroom. ¡°Get out of my house right now! You don¡¯t get to be close to my mom!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯tply.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Miss rk is calling me for breakfast now. Goodbye.¡± With that, Ollie ended the call. Miles¡¯s eyes reddened like an abandoned puppy. Biting his lip, he tried dialing the number once more, but¡ª ¡°Sorry, the number you¡¯re calling is unavable.¡± A robotic voice reminded Miles over and over again that Ollie had blocked this number. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Tears welled up in Miles¡¯s beautiful, dark eyes. He pursed his lips as despair filled his innocent-looking face. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Had Catelyn truly abandoned him? She even stopped answering the calls¡­ At that moment, he looked around the house he was in. It was a cage with guards, everything felt cold, and he was suddenly overwhelmed by fear. He desperately wanted to see Catelyn again and was far from wanting to remain cooped up in his ce. He had to get out. He sniffled and quickly wiped away his tears. Crying was for the weak, and he had to be strong enough to protect his mother. ¡­ Catelyn had prepared breakfast and called Ollie out for the meal. The boy did so withposure, and no one could tell that he was not Miles at all. Catelyn did not think much of it and simply sent him off to the kindergarten like usual. Before leaving, she even gave him a peck, to which the boy blushed shyly. ¡­ The moment she arrived at BrightGene, she could distinctly sense that everyone was staring at her oddly. ¡°So she¡¯s the daughter of a murderer?¡± ¡°We never heard anything about it before, but I guess the Mason family ran some checks on her background for trying to get closer to the young master, and she ended up being put back to her ce.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? The Masons are now saying that they don¡¯t want her designing the young master¡¯s birthday mansion¡­¡± ¡°Heh! Don¡¯t run your mouths like that, look at how upset she¡¯s getting.¡± People in the office were gossiping, and someone even raised their voice on purpose as though they were afraid that Catelyn might not hear her. Catelyn finally realized what was happening. She had been removed from the position of head designer, after all, and there had always been other women in the office who were envious of her looks. They had gotten the information that she used to be ady of the rk family from certain sources and naturally felt like teasing Catelyn about it now that she had to work for BrightGene. Catelyn had been quite popr in the office, but where there were people, there would be gossip and conflicts. She did not bother herself over it and went on with her day, having gotten used to hearing malicious comments since the rk family declined four years ago. What her colleagues were saying could not even begin topare with what those loan sharks said to her before. If she could survive that, she could not possibly allow herself to be defeated by this. Anne came over and knocked on Catelyn¡¯s desk. ¡°Catelyn, Manager Norman is asking for you in his office.¡± Catelyn scowled in disgust but collected herself regardless and went to knock on Manager Norman¡¯s door. ¡°Manager Norman, you need me for something?¡± ¡°Close the door, there¡¯s something I need to speak to you about.¡± Manager Norman was a man in his forties with a beer belly and his hair thinning out at the top. When he looked at Catelyn, his eyes would always shine with lust. Rumors had it that he was a rtive to the Atherton family, and his status in thepany was unmoveable. Catelyn did as she was told and closed the door while Manager Norman shut the curtains, turning the spacious office into a closed quarter with only the two of them in it. He sat on the couch and pointed at his side. ¡°Come take a seat.¡± ¡®Does he mean I should simply sit there, or that I¡¯d sit and get harassed?¡¯ seethed Catelyn inwardly with chills running down her spine. She stood still and said, ¡°Please say what you need to say, Sir.¡± Manager Norman crossed his legs as his gaze wandered from Catelyn¡¯s face to her body. He swallowed heavily and drawled, ¡°Everyone is gossiping about you today in the office. I suppose you¡¯ve heard?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure where the rumors started, but those are all nothing but gossip. Rest assured, Sir, that this won¡¯t affect my work,¡± Catelyn promised. She really needed the job. ¡°There¡¯s no smoke without fire, Cat. You know, you¡¯ve always been excellent at your job, and you just need an opportunity to climb up thedder. If only you¡¯re willing to make some sacrifices, I¡¯ll make sure that I give you back the project for Young Master Mason¡¯s birthday mansion.¡± His words and the meaning behind them could not have been clearer, and all the hair on Catelyn¡¯s skin stood in response. In a previous project, she was forced to go on a business trip with Manager Norman, and he had identally seen her right after she had taken a bath. The client at the time wanted a document, and she was in too much of a hurry to put on any makeup, so she simply headed out in her pajamas. Manager Norman ran into her on the way and was instantly stunned. Ever since then, he had never ceased dropping creepy hints at her. However, because he was married, he could not act too boldly in the office. The project for Young Master Mason¡¯s birthday mansion was taken from Catelyn at the direct order of Cedrick Mason, so Terry could not possibly overwrite that decision. Catelyn decided not to expose him of it and said, ¡°Thank you for believing in me, but I¡¯m far too unworthy of such an enormous project.¡± ¡°If you have to take it the hard way, then you won¡¯t end up well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t intend on taking any way at all.¡± Seeing how Catelyn refused to obey him, rage filled Manager Norman¡¯s mind and he mmed his palm against the table before barking, ¡°Those rumors of yours had brought terrible influence to this company, and in ordance with the discussion within management levels, your bonus for this month will be reduced by half!¡± He made it a point to pause as his expression grew smug and cast her a wretched sneer. ¡°If you wish to dispute, you¡¯ll do well to consider my proposal¡­¡± To his surprise, Catelyn epted the punishment right away. ¡°The manager is always right. I have no objection.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rendered speechless, Manger Norman red at her and asked her to get out. His face was crammed up with all the fat tissues as he tensed and appeared somewhat vicious. ¡°Tsk! What¡¯s the point of ying innocent?!¡± he grumbled. He turned around to call the marketing department before sending Catelyn over to gather the things they needed. It was noon when the sun shone brightest, and even the road seemed to look twisted under the unforgiving sunlight. When a person was unlucky, even the slightest thing would turn out in the worst way possible. When Catelyn was crossing the road, her heel got stuck at the drain, and when she finally managed to get it out, she ended up with a twisted ankle. She squatted down by the road, and as she rubbed her ankle, she cursed at Terry¡¯s entire family under her breath. Had he not been someone important, he would have gotten fired countless times from how much he tried to molest female employees. ¡®That son of a b*tch! I¡¯m just white-knuckling it for the money!¡¯ she muttered inwardly. ¡­ ¡°Master Cedrick, that woman at the side of the road looks like Catelyn.¡± Eason drove past a crossroad with traffic lights and identally spotted a woman squatting by the road as he was waiting for the light to turn green. The woman cocked her head to the side slightly, and Eason finally saw her face. Because of how Ollie argued with Cedrick over her, Eason had a deep impression on Catelyn. Cedrick followed Eason¡¯s gaze and looked outside the window to find Catelyn squatting with no regard for her image. She had one hand grabbing tightly onto her right ankle, and her face was pale as she appeared to be mumbling something to herself. A strand of her hair dropped over her face and reflected the golden light of the sun, which only emphasized how beautiful she was. From where Cedrick was seated, she somehow resembled Ollie¡­especially with those eyes of hers. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Catelyn¡¯s hair was dark and pure like a stream in the mountains, whichplimented her fair skin. Cedrick could not help but feel drawn to her, but he then recalled the way Ollie had been behaving lately without a trace of his previous obedience andposure. Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened once again. ¡°She¡¯s just a scheming woman. What¡¯s so great about her?¡± Eason scratched his head and cleared his throat awkwardly before responding, ¡°I heard from Albert that Young Master has been mentioning his mother quite oftentely. Maybe he doesn¡¯t really care about Miss rk, but he just doesn¡¯t like the fact that you¡¯re getting closer to Miss Maia and is worried that she¡¯d take his mother¡¯s ce. Maybe he¡¯s just using Miss rk as an excuse to protest.¡± Cedrick clenched his jaw and fumed, ¡°So this woman is just a random excuse he is using to rebel against me?¡± ¡°Who knows what kids really think?¡± The traffic light turned green, and Eason moved his right foot toward the elerator. Just as he was about to step on it, he noticed from the rear-view mirror that Catelyn had stood up with despair written all over her face as she stepped toward the moving traffic. Startled, he shouted, ¡°Goodness, it looks like Miss rk is about tomit suicide!¡± Ollie¡¯s stubborn expression shed through Cedrick¡¯s mind, and he could not help butmanded, ¡°Stop the car!¡± ¡­ Catelyn walked out of the sidewalk and toward the highway before someone grabbed her by the wrist from behind. She had injured her ankle and was stumbling to begin with, so being pulled had left her pale and sweating. She fell toward the person¡¯s chest with her right leg hanging in the air and gasped in pain when her nose rammed straight into the person¡¯s chest. She looked up only to meet Cedrick¡¯s cold eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. Startled by his stare, Catelyn retorted, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I¡¯m supposed to ask you? I was just trying to pick up my phone, and you suddenly came and dragged me back. Did I do something to you, Mister Mason?¡± ¡®Phone? She was picking up her phone?¡¯ He thought as he looked in the direction she was pointing at. A white phone rested on the ground, and for a moment, he felt as though it was mocking his stupidity for thinking that she was trying to end her life when she only wanted to pick up her phone. Cedrick pursed his lips and left without a word. Confused, Catelyn wondered if all wealthy people behaved that oddly. She proceeded to head toward the highway to pick up her phone but missed the sight of a ck Magotan racing toward her in such incredible space that it seemed to pierce through the air. Everything was happening so fast and she felt as though her legs were so heavy that she could barely move them. Her head went ck, and her heart throbbed as she shut her eyes. She was done for! ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Watch out!¡± She heard a steady voice of a man, and the next instant, an arm tightened itself around her waist as she was held into a warm embrace. Following the piercing sound of the wind and cars racing by, the man threw himself at her. The two rolled on the road and the world spun along. The owner of the Magaton lowered the car window and shouted at Catelyn and Cedrick, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± Stunned, Catelyny on her back on the ground with Cedrick¡¯s towering body over hers. The two stared at one another in awkward silence until he probed his arm against the ground with a frown and said, ¡°How much longer do you intend on holding onto me?¡± Catelyn looked down and realized that as they fell, she waved her hands around in an attempt to grab onto something, her arms somehow ending up wrapped around his waist. Embarrassed, she hastily let go of him and crawled up from the ground, her back drenched in sweat. Fear overwhelmed her as she realized how close she was to dying on the street. What surprised her, however, was that Cedrick had saved her. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 With Catelyn finally removing herself from him, Cedrick stood¡­with blood oozing down his right arm, soaking his white shirt red. Catelyn gasped in fright at the sight of the bright red liquid from Cedrick¡¯s wound. ¡°Are you injured?!¡± She moved to help him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all because you helped me! I¡¯ll send you to the hospital right away, and I¡¯ll take full responsibility¡ª¡± Cedrick, however, evaded Catelyn¡¯s hand. He felt oddly irked as though a fire was burning within him that he could not put out no matter how hot it burnt. He must have been crazy to save this woman. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Ignoring Catelyn, he walked back to the Bagatti Veiron parked by the road, where Eason had been waiting by the car door. Knowing that he had gotten the wrong idea, Eason dared not speak. With a dark expression, Cedrick was about to get into the car when he realized that no one was behind him. He turned to look back and noticed Catelyn lowering her head to inspect if her phone was broken. ¡°Catelyn rk!¡± He red at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking full responsibility? Keep up!¡± Catelyn held her phone close and felt relieved that it was not broken. She put it away and hurried toward Cedrick. ¡°Coming!¡± ¡®This guy¡¯s got a temper, alright. He keeps shouting at people!¡¯ she thought. ¡­ Catelyn and Cedrick headed to a private hospital situated in the city center. Eason and a couple of other bodyguards went to clear out one of the floors before Cedrick and Catelyn stepped into the examination room. When the doctor saw them, he took up carefully as though facing a formidable enemy. ¡°Master Cedrick? What¡ª¡± Cedrick¡¯s aura was as intimidating as ever as he pointed to the injury on his right arm. ¡°Car ident. Help me clean this up.¡± ¡°Right away.¡± The doctor bowed gingerly and went to retrieve his medical kit. Cedrick satzily on the leather couch with his right arm on the handrest. His long fingers clenched into a fist, and his side profile seemed softer under the warm light. ¡°Madam, please help remove Master Cedrick¡¯s clothing,¡± the doctor requested. Catelyn¡¯s gaze quivered at this as her eyes wandered around the room before she awkwardly replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a nurse?¡± ¡°The nurse is tending to other patients now,¡± the doctor exined, but a confused expression appeared on his face shortly after. ¡°By the way, Master Cedrick is a great driver. How did he get into a car ident?¡± Catelyn chuckled dryly before taking a few deep breaths and rolled up her sleeves with resignation. ¡®I have to repay my debt to him,¡¯ she thought to herself resolutely. ¡®So what if I need to take off his clothes? I¡¯ve even given birth to a child, so what¡¯s there to be so shy about?¡¯ Catelyn unbuttoned Cedrick¡¯s shirt and carefully took his ck suit jacket off, only to find his entire shoulder area soaked in red. She noted that his body was lean and muscr, his chest heaving as he breathed. The air was filled with the heavy smell of blood, and due to the nature of human blood to clog, the shirt stuck to Cedrick¡¯s injury tightly. The flesh was mutted, and even by the looks of it, Catelyn could tell how much it hurt, so she reminded herself to be gentle. Despite the metallic smell hanging in the air, Cedrick still caught a whiff of the faint gardenia scent from Catelyn when she leaned closer, and it was enticing. Soon, the doctor finished wrapping the injury on the arm and sighed a long breath of relief; so did Catelyn. The next instant, Cedrick pointed to his leg and said, ¡°Here, next.¡± Catelyn backed away warily, her eyes widening at Cedrick¡¯s demand. ¡°What do you want? If this is all, then I¡¯m going to pay now.¡± Cedrick rested his long legs on the coffee table and said, ¡°I hurt my leg as well when I was helping you, so help me take my pants off, too.¡± ¡°Take your pants off?¡± Catelyn jumped at the request and her ears started to turn red. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s appropriate. Wait here, I¡¯ll call the nurse!¡± Both embarrassed and irritated, Catelyn threw the white shirt she was holding to the doctor and stormed out of the room. Cedrick¡¯s lips instantly curled into a mysterious smirk. ¡­ Catelyn went to look for any avable nurses, but everyone was busy, so she could only head downstairs to check. At the same time, Loue was in the same hospital for her routine pregnancy check-up with her sister, L. Just as the two stepped out of the Gynecology Department, Loue spotted Catelyn turning to a corner and said in confusion, ¡°What is she doing here?¡± Dressed in an elegant white dress, L lifted an eyebrowzily. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Jamie¡¯s ex-girlfriend, Catelyn rk.¡± With sorrow in her eyes, Loue added, ¡°We met two days ago in the mall. She made her son she had with Jamie follow us to take photos, and I¡¯m worried that she¡¯s using her son to take Jamie from me.¡± ¡°Sis, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t tell you, but there are plenty of eligible bachelors here in Sapphire City for our picking. Why would you even choose Jamie Mason, who has an illegitimate child?¡± L pouted her lips in disgust. Loue and L were sisters from the same mother, so the two resembled one another. However, L¡¯s features were more enticing, and Loue appeared gentler and sweeter. ¡°L, he¡¯ll be your brother-inw soon. Don¡¯t talk about him like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I said anything wrong¡­¡± L, with a penchant to dislike Jamie, added impatiently, ¡°Rumors about him never cease, and he¡¯s just a member of the Mason family¡¯s coteral line. I just can¡¯t tell what you like about him!¡± Loue flushed. ¡°I¡¯m happy as long as he treats me well.¡± L rolled her eyes at how na?ve her sister was and said, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t say anything if you like him that much, alright? Come, let¡¯s go have a look at Catelyn rk.¡± ¡­ Catelyn finally found a nurse, but Cedrick refused to let the nurse anywhere near him, so she felt as though she had been made a fool. Once the wounds were taken care of, the doctor prescribed some medicines and reminded him, ¡°Master Cedrick, abrasions can recover or worsen easily. My advice is to avoid water and apply ointment on time. Please take sufficient rest and avoid doing any movement that might tear the wound again. You also need to take care of the abrasion on your leg.¡± Catelyn waited as Cedrick had his leg injury taken care of. When she heard what the doctor said, she could not help but nce at Cedrick¡¯s thigh suspiciously, thinking, ¡®Is he truly injured? He seems to be able to walk just fine, though.¡¯ Cedrick put on a new shirt and suit that Eason brought over and instantly regained his clean appearance, looking like a well-dressed elite. The suit was straightened to make him appear even taller. Under the light, he looked like a natural yet prideful ruler, like he was above everyone else. Catelyn failed to avert her gaze from him and, in turn, met his gaze. ¡°Do you enjoy staring at me that much?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s peeping?¡± She looked away awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about the injury on your leg. Are you okay now?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so concerned, do I need to take off my trousers for you to have a look?¡± Cedrick looked at her with a half-smile, his eyes gleaming with the intent of teasing her. Catelyn, though irked at his words, immediately smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not against it, if you enjoy running around naked.¡± Cedrick instantly quieted down and stared at her with a dark expression. She sighed a breath of relief and turned to walk out, but before they could get far, they ran into Loue and L. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 L¡¯s pupils contracted the moment she saw the handsome profile of Cedrick. ¡®Oh, how handsome!¡¯ she fawned internally. He looked somewhat like Jamie, but whatever Jamie lacked, he had. His features were more defined, and his forehead was fuller, which made his eyes stand out even more. Loue, too, was stunned. ¡°Miss rk, what a coincidence.¡± L was the first to snap out of it and spoke with a smile, ¡°About that illegitimate child of yours with my brother-inw, what do you n to do?¡± ¡°Brother-inw?¡± Catelyn looked at the girl dressed in an elegant beige dress standing before her. ¡°This is my sister, L.¡± Loue stepped forward and straightened her back subconsciously to maintain an elegant posture, reluctant to lose to Catelyn in any way. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. L¡¯s gaze traveled back and forth between Catelyn and Cedrick. She lifted an eyebrow and raised her voice, saying, ¡°My sister is pregnant with Jamie¡¯s child now, and the existence of your son will only damage their rtionship. Since you¡¯ve already found another man, I¡¯ll give you five million to take that kid and leave Sapphire City.¡± Catelyn nced at Cedrick and noticed he was still standing there expressionlessly, as though he had nothing to do with what was happening. She felt relieved, nheless; she would hate for this man to be further involved in her life. ¡°Sapphire City is where I call home, so why should I have to leave just because you say so?¡± ¡°Maybe you just don¡¯t think I¡¯m offering enough. Why don¡¯t you name your price?¡± L looked down at Catelyn condescendingly. Catelyn was no coward and sneered at how disrespectful L was. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re that wealthy, give me five billion. With five billion, I¡¯ll take my son and leave, never to appear before you and Jamie Mason. Alright with you?¡± ¡°F¡ªFive billion?¡± gasped Loue, stunned. ¡°Not even the rk family was worth that much before you went bankrupt! How can you be so greedy?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who asked me to name my price?¡± Catelyn drawled. Rendered speechless, Loue choked on her own words and blushed. L, too, was provoked by Catelyn and threatened, ¡°Don¡¯t me me for not warning you, Catelyn. I¡¯ll treat you like an enemy if you refuse to take that b*stard of yours and leave!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the ones trying to force me out of my home with bad intentions, so why bother trying to look generous now?¡± Catelyn no longer wanted to waste her time with both women and dragged Cedrick with her to leave. Loue watched as she and Cedrick left and hissed, ¡°How can she be so shameless to ask for five billion?¡± ¡°Sis, you are pregnant. Don¡¯t get too angry.¡± L moved closer to help support Loue¡¯s weight. ¡°Our parents don¡¯t know about Jamie¡¯s illegitimate child yet. If words get out, how will others see me?¡± Tears welled up in Loue¡¯s eyes as she was at the brink of bursting into tears. ¡°I told you that Jamie isn¡¯t a good guy, and you still insist on choosing him. What¡¯s the point of crying now?¡± retorted L impatiently. Immediately, Loue started sobbing. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll think of something for you and make Catelyn and her b*stard child disappear, okay?¡± L patted the back of her sister¡¯s hand forfort. Loue had always trusted her sister. ¡°Can you really make her leave Sapphire City?¡± She blinked. L¡¯s red lips curled into a vicious smile. ¡°Of course! Even if you¡¯re okay with a step-son, I don¡¯t want a step-nephew.¡± Just then, Loue received a phone call from Jamie. ¡­ Catelyn¡¯s head was filled with thest warning L gave her and did not notice that she was racing forward while still holding Cedrick¡¯s hand. Cedrick nced at her hand that grabbed onto his and noticed how natural she seemed to be doing so, as though she had done so to so many men before him. He sneered as contempt filled his eyes. Catelyn dragged Cedrick all the way to the parking lot at the hospital¡¯s entrance, and when Eason saw them holding hands, his jaw dropped. ¡°Miss rk, Master Cedrick, you¡­¡± Cedrick had always been a neat freak and would never touch any woman other than Maia. Catelyn finally realized that she was holding Cedrick¡¯s hand and shoved him off hastily. She must have been out of her mind. However, she happened to be grabbed onto Cedrick¡¯s injured right arm and as she flung his arm away, his wound reopened once again. Cedrick gasped and stared daggers at her. Noticing that she had pulled his wounded arm, she awkwardly hurried over to help him up. Cedrick took a deep breath to suppress the urge to crush the woman before him and asked, ¡°ording to what the Atherton sisters have said back there, you¡¯ve got a kid?¡± ¡°Why do you care?¡± Catelyn looked at him warily. ¡°Jamie is my nephew, so you tell me why I care.¡± He smirked sarcastically. ¡°If you already have a son with him, I am already your senior in some way, so what are you trying to imply by grabbing my hand like that?¡± ¡®Is she trying her luck with me after Jamie abandoned her?¡¯ he thought. His thick brows furrowed as he pressured Catelyn wordlessly with his re. Catelyn¡¯s face flushed. ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± After a pause, her eyes shone and she opened her lips to say, ¡°You said that your leg is injured. I¡¯m worried that you might fall, so as a minor, I had to help you!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Eason immediately choked on his own saliva at how bold Catelyn was. A dark expression appeared on Cedrick¡¯s enticing face, and the atmosphere instantly tensed. As the two had a stand-off, Cedrick¡¯s phone rang just in time to break the silence. He nced at the caller ID and turned to walk away expressionlessly. Eason opened the car door for him respectfully. Cedrick bent down and went in to sit down before picking up the phone and said, ¡°You better have something important.¡± Back in Mason Estate, Albert shouted anxiously as soon as he heard Cedrick¡¯s voice, ¡°Bad news, Master Cedrick, Young Master fell sick!¡± ¡°Did you call the family doctor over?¡± Cedrick rolled up the car window in irritation to block Catelyn out of his sight. Rushing out to the highway to save her was most definitely his biggest regret in life. ¡°We did, but Young Master refused to let the doctor check on him and kept asking to be taken to the hospital!¡± Albert responded hastily. Cedrick unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt, revealing the tanned muscr chest beneath it. ¡°Pass him the phone.¡± Albert rushed to hand the phone over to the boy throwing a tantrum on the bed and whispered, ¡°Here, Young Master, a call from Master Cedrick.¡± Miles pouted pathetically and drawled in a weak voice, ¡°Hello¡­¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Cedrick cocked an eyebrow. ¡°I heard that you won¡¯t let the family doctor look at you?¡± ¡°I want to go to the hospital!¡± Miles rolled around, causing the sound reception on Cedrick¡¯s end to break off. ¡°It¡¯s your family doctor. Keep it for yourself¡ª¡± ¡°Young Master!¡± Albert stopped him. Miles broke out into sobs at that moment. His adorable face twisted as tears welled up in his crystal- clear eyes. ¡°I feel so sick, and my body is so hot¡­ Am I going to die?¡± Albert¡¯s heart instantly softened. His eyes turned red out of concern as he gently coaxed him, ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just a cold and a fever, but some medicine and a good nap will be sufficient! Be a good boy, Young Master¡­¡± Albert then shifted his attention to the call as he pleaded, ¡°Master Cedrick, Young Master really doesn¡¯t look great, and he¡¯s running a fever! He already knows that he¡¯s wrong and won¡¯t repeat his mistake, so please let him go to the hospital¡­¡± Cedrick remained silent for a moment before he tugged at his necktie impatiently and said, ¡°Did I say anything about not letting him go?¡± Albert knew that Cedrick had agreed and was instantly overjoyed. Before he could say anything, he heard Cedrick¡¯s cold, husky voice on the other end once again, ¡°Gather a few more people to keep an eye on him. If anything happens, you¡¯ll be held responsible.¡± ¡­ Under Miles¡¯s relentless request, Albert took him to the closest hospital. Two pitch-ck Spikers cleared the road ahead with a ck Bagatti Vieron in the middle. Wherever the cars went, the eyes of people along the way followed. ¡°Woah, look! Whose young master is on the move?¡± ¡°What a grand entrance!¡± ¡°They¡¯re even using Spikers to guard the main car. It¡¯s my first time seeing a limited-edition luxury car!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Out of precaution to avoid anyone taking photos that could lead to exposing the young master¡¯s face to the public, Albert wrapped Miles tightly in a towel as soon as they got out of the car. He even ced a hand at the back of Miles¡¯s head so that he could lean against Albert¡¯s chest. The weather was rather hot on that day, and Miles felt extremely ufortable. Every step Albert took was steady and as swiftly as he could manage. His voice trembled slightly when he said, ¡°Fret not, Young Master, we¡¯re already in the hospital. Soon, you won¡¯t feel sick anymore.¡± The concern and empathy in his voice were distinct, and Miles stopped moving around. Though Albert worked for Cedrick, he treated Miles well. ¡®I wonder what¡¯ll happen to Albert once I make my escape¡­ Will he be in trouble?¡¯ Miles internally fretted. ¡°I¡¯m okay, so don¡¯t walk that fast,¡± Miles muttered with the towel still wrapped around him, though his tone wasced with guilt. ¡°You¡¯re old and need to take care of yourself, because Big Demon won¡¯t feel sorry for you if you hurt yourself.¡± Touched, Albert moved even quicker. As soon as Miles entered the children clinic, Albert was left to wait outside. ¡°Hello there. Can you tell me how you¡¯re feeling now?¡± the doctor asked with a gentle smile on his face. Miles nced at Albert and the two bodyguards standing outside the door and frowned, before shing the most approachable smile at the doctor, waving at him to lean closer. The doctor was curious at first, but the words that Miles said had him stunned, thinking, ¡®Could something like that be possible?¡¯ ¡­ In the corridor outside the clinic, Albert paced back and forth nervously. The two bodyguards dressed in ck felt as though they could get a headache from just watching him. ¡°Albert, calm down,¡± they assured him. ¡°Young Master was still jumping and hopping earlier, so he¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°How do I face Master Cedrick if anything is to happen to Young Master?¡± fretted Albert as his eyes reddened in concern. Just then, a nurse wearing a face mask walked toward them warily with a few hospital guards behind her. She then pointed at them. ¡°That¡¯s them. Send them to the police station right now!¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 The guards stepped toward Albert. Every one of them was tall and muscr, dressed in security uniform with a red banner on their arm and walkie-talkies hanging on their waist. With a stern expression, one of them said, ¡°For kidnappers, you sure are brave for daring toe here to the hospital. Tie them up!¡± Stunned, Albert looked at them in disbelief. ¡°K¡ªKidnappers?!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± the nurse snorted in contempt. ¡°Luckily, that boy you brought in was smart enough to fake being sick so that he could ask for help in the hospital. Otherwise, you would¡¯ve gotten what you wanted! Security, don¡¯t waste time talking to them. Send these scumbags to the police station!¡± The bodyguards behind Albert felt defeated. ¡°What do you mean, we kidnapped a boy?¡± they argued exasperatedly. ¡°That¡¯s our young master!¡± ¡®Young Master? Crap!¡¯ Albert¡¯s eyes widened as he then ran past the guards and the nurse before darting into the children¡¯s ward. The doctor was writing a medical report when someone stormed in. Startled, the doctor stood up from his chair and ran to the door to stop Albert by grabbing a corner of his clothes. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Albert looked around, only to find the clinic empty with no sign of Miles. Instantly, he felt as though he could just spit blood. ¡­ At the same time, on the top floor of the Mason Group¡¯s building¡­ Cedrick had just ended a multinational meeting inside the director¡¯s office when he received a call from the bodyguard, telling him that Ollie had pretended to be sick and escaped. Instantly, the temperature in the office dropped. Furious, Cedrick¡¯s lips curled into a cold sneer. What a great son he had. Cedrick had only locked him into a room, and he immediately faked illness to escape. Cedrick wondered if he should praise his son¡¯s wisdom in being able toe up with such a n. ¡°Find him.¡± He mmed his knuckles against the table and nced at Eason casually. His voice was low and enticing, but Eason could not help but worry for the young master. ¡®Young Master, do you know you¡¯ve crossed the line here? Master Cedrick is really angry this time!¡¯ fretted Eason internally. ¡­ After Miles had escaped from the hospital, he went into a bus that headed toward his home. Catelyn would usually hide a spare key under the mat in front of the door, so he shifted the mat like he had done it countless times before and found the key. Miles was too short and could only reach the lock by standing on the shoe cab, but luckily, everything went smoothly. He snuck in through the door in hopes of catching the strange man in his house, but the apartment was quiet with no signs of him. Miles stood on the porch to change into his slippers before running to the bathroom for a thorough check, including the sink and the drain. Relieved that he did not find any hair strands or toiletries that belonged to another man, he returned to the master bedroom and opened the closet door. All the clothes were hung in order and were all female clothing. In the end, hey face-down on the bed before grabbing the nket and sniffing with all his might. His big, dark eyes were filled with distrust, but then he sighed a long breath of relief. ¡®Good! This doesn¡¯t smell like another guy. I guess he didn¡¯t sleep here,¡¯ he thought. Once he was done with everything, Miles felt refreshed, but at the same time, hungry. He went to the kitchen to grab an apple when suddenly he heard the sound of the doorknob turning. His eyes widened as he stared at the door warily, thinking, ¡®Is that guying back?¡¯ ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. When he saw the face of the person stepping in, his pupils contracted and the knife he was holding fell to the ground. Miles stood up abruptly from the couch as he looked at the well-dressed boy standing by the door. The boy looked young and was wearing Miles¡¯ ck jacket. Most importantly, that boy was the spitting image of him. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 There were a few moments of silence as the two boys red at one another. Finally, Miles was the one to break the silence with a confronting tone, ¡°Who are you? Why are you in my house?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Ollie¡¯s hand was still on the doorknob. His heart throbbed anxiously, but he soon rxed when he noticed that no one else was at home. He stepped onto the porch and slowly took off his shoes before taking out another pair of adorable slippers from the shoe cab to change into. Miles stared daggers at Ollie. Not only did this boy sleep in his house and answered his calls, but he was also wearing his shoes? ¡°You! Get out!¡± Miles puffed his cheeks and pointed angrily at the door. His crystal-clear eyes were filled with rage that exploded like a volcanic eruption. This was the boy who took his ce with his mother the night before! ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t know who I am just yet,¡± muttered Ollie. He paused and ignored Miles¡¯ furious reaction to set his school bag aside before extending his hand toward Miles. ¡°Hello, my name is Ollie Mason.¡± Hisposure was a distinct contrast with Miles¡¯s anger. ¡®Ollie? Isn¡¯t that the young Master Grandpa Albert was referring to? So Grandpa Albert mistook me for this boy, and my mom thought that Ollie was me?¡¯ ¡°You!¡± Miles felt that he should be angry, but he simply ced his hands on his waist when Ollie reached his hand over and said. ¡°You probably have a great time pretending to be me, but I¡¯ve been suffering, thanks to you!¡± he growled. ¡°That adult of a demon in your house locked me up! I hate him!¡± Ollie straightened his back stiffly and said, ¡°That¡¯s my father, and I won¡¯t allow you to talk about him like that.¡± ¡°You say that he¡¯s your father, but he locks you up over the smallest things! What kind of father does that?¡± Miles retorted like an angry little kitty out of sympathy for Ollie. ¡°That guy is even worse than that old trash whom I¡¯m supposed to call my dad.¡± At the very least, Jamie had never punished him physically. Ollie¡¯s body stiffened as he pursed his lips, and disappointment filled his eyes. Miles noticed the sorrow in Ollie¡¯s expression and felt somewhat irritated and guilty, as though he was bullying Ollie. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m very forgiving, so I won¡¯t be mad at you. You¡¯re a man, so stop feeling sorry for yourself¡­¡± Miles shook Ollie¡¯s hand before he had the chance to withdraw as a friendly greeting. Ollie¡¯s dark eyes shone and he did not move away from Miles¡¯ touch. ¡°Exchanging identities will be our secret. You can¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Miles did not want his mother to know that there was another replica of him in this world either and thus agreed. ¡°Deal, I promise! Now that I¡¯m back, you should hurry and get back to Mason Estate.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you stay there for a while longer? There¡¯s a lot of fun stuff in Mason Estate. Grandpa Albert can give you anything you want.¡± Ollie did not want to return to Mason Estate that soon. He wanted to spend another weekend with Catelyn so that she could take him to a theme park. ¡°No way! I¡¯ve already lent you my mother for a day. Besides¡­¡± Miles pouted with his chin up before he continued proudly, ¡°It took me a lot of work to escape out of Mason Estate!¡± ¡°Escape?¡± Ollie scowled at him. ¡°Of course.¡± Miles puffed his chest and lifted an eyebrow as though he had aplished something incredible. ¡°Big Demon locked me in and wouldn¡¯t let me go out, so I pretended to get sick and escape while we were on our way to the hospital. How¡¯s that? I¡¯m smart, aren¡¯t I?¡± The process of escaping the hospital was both tense and exciting, but luckily for Miles, he had an innocent-looking face. rmed, Ollie blurted hastily, ¡°if you run off like that, Father will be looking all over the city for you!¡± ¡°For you, you mean. What do I have to do with that? He doesn¡¯t know me.¡± Miles shrugged casually; it was just the truth, after all. The windows in the apartment were not shutpletely, and following the breeze that came in, they started to hear the siren of police cars from around the area, hinting as to what would happen shortly after. Ollie nced outside the window swiftly, and because the apartment was not on a high floor, he could see the cars on the road distinctly. It was a convoy of Bens in ck with the same logo on them. Those were the bodyguards of Mason Estate. ¡°They¡¯ve already found out that I¡¯m here? No way; I can¡¯t let them find out about us exchanging identities!¡± Ollie cursed inwardly in a dark expression before muttering, ¡°You are right, I can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡± He frowned and swiftly exchanged clothes with Miles. Before he left, he took out a heart-shaped folded paper from his bag and said, ¡°This is the paper art the teacher taught us today. I wanted to give it to Miss rk, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have the chance to. Please give this to her on my behalf.¡± Miles looked away pridefully. ¡°My mommy can only ept gifts from me. Consider it a great compromise on my part that I let you stay the night here and not expose you.¡± ¡°Not even this?¡± A shadow loomed over Ollie¡¯s eyes under his longshes. Soon, he kept the folded red paper heart away carefully. As long as he managed to convince his father to let Catelyn design his mansion, he would still have a chance to give it to her himself. ¡­ Just as the two boys caused all sorts of chaos within the Mason family and inside the hospital, Catelyn hadpleted her work for the day and was on the way back to Ocean Path Residence. There were cars filling the streets between the traffic lights, and public transport vehicles were packed. The moment she got off the bus, she spotted the convoy of luxury cars parked outside the residence area. The car at the very front of the convoy was even parked at the middle of the road. Because it was a luxury car that cost tens of millions, other cars could only circle around it. From the car with a car te XX9999, a man dressed in a ck suit stepped out in an intimidating manner. The man had his back facing Catelyn, so she could only tell that it was a tall and powerful figure. ¡®Tsk! How arrogant,¡¯ she grumbled internally. Thump! Just as Catelyn was absorbed in her own thoughts, the man mmed the car door shut and slowly turned around. Catelyn could not react soon enough and identally met his eyes. Catelyn froze when she realized who it was. It was Cedrick Mason! Cedrick, too, was slightly taken by surprise. He nced at the purse in her hand and realized that Catelyn stayed in this area and had just returned from work, but he was not in the mood to spare her a word. He watched as the bodyguards spread out impatiently and turned to Eason. ¡°The surveince shows that he came here?¡± Eason nodded and nced at the watch on his wrist. ¡°Yes, and he¡¯s been here for a few hours by now.¡± Catelyn realized from their conversation that the young master Mason had snuck out and that they were here to catch him. Catelyn could not help but feel nervous for the child when she saw the rage that overtook Cedrick¡¯s face. It must have been tough to be Cedrick Mason¡¯s son, but since it was someone else¡¯s family business, she knew better than to get involved. Just as she was about to leave, Eason received an update from the bodyguards and turned to Cedrick respectfully. ¡°Master Cedrick, we¡¯ve located Young Master!¡± The next moment, Catelyn saw a towering bodyguard stepping out of the trail with trees on the sides, carrying a small child in his arms. Catelyn¡¯s feet instantly froze as she thought to herself, ¡®W¡ªWhy does that boy look like Miles?¡¯ Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Our Billion-Worth Twins by Velvet AChapter 26 In the arms of the bodyguard, Ollie spotted Catelyn from the corner of his eyes as she stood quietly next to Cedrick. She looked beautiful as she ever did. His often expressionless face lit up in excitement. He opened his mouth and struggled to jump out of the bodyguard¡¯s arms as though he was about to shout, but the moment his handnded on the cor of the bodyguard¡¯s suit, he stopped. Ollie could not run to Catelyn. If she recognized him, she would realize that he had been lying to her. Within a blink of an eye, the bodyguard stepped out of the shadow under the tree and into the light with Ollie in his arms. Ollie appeared to be frightened as he leaned into the bodyguard¡¯s chest obediently with his face buried; he did not lift his head the entire time to avoid anyone seeing his face. Despite that, Catelyn still felt like he resembled her son. Before she could say anything, the man beside her confronted the child coldly, ¡°And what fueled you with the tenacity to lie to the doctor, telling them that Albert is a kidnapper and running away afterward?¡± Catelyn choked on the words she was about to say and thought to herself, ¡®This isn¡¯t my son. My son has been a good boy in school, so why would he be in the hospital? Maybe all kids look the same from behind¡­. In a muffled voice, Ollie muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any more of your useless apologies. Lift your face up,¡± Cedrick interrupted his apology mercilessly in a low voice. Ollie¡¯s pale, little hand grabbed tightly onto the bodyguard¡¯s cor until it creased, yet he refused to move, ¡°I said lift your head up!¡± Cedrick¡¯s tone intensified and left no room for questioning; his voice was so cold that each word sounded as though they were frost-cold. Even if he was notmanding Catelyn, she still felt terrified. Frustrated, she walked ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. shout at him like this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m disciplining my son. What do you have to do about it? Scram!¡± When Cedrick heard that Ollie snuck out and nearly got Albert thrown into prison, he was absolutely livid and instantly came to look for his son while casting aside a few important shareholders. First, Ollie first refused to eat in the mall; then, he insulted Cedrick back at home. Cedrick realized that if he did not discipline his son for this, Ollie would think that he could do whatever he wanted without repercussions! 311 Catelyn nced at the boy who buried his head in the bodyguard¡¯s arms and felt strangely furious. She stood before the boy and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why he ran away from home, but as a father, it¡¯s wrong of you to shout at him like this.¡± Cedrickughed angrily. ¡°So I need you to teach me now?¡± ¡°I just want to remind you that children are sensitive, and your method of disciplining him is only going to make him hate you more!¡± Catelyn was not sure why she felt so enraged, but nheless, her rampantint continued, ¡°You need to understand what he¡¯s really thinking, or he¡¯ll simply run off again even if you manage to find him this time!¡± ¡°If he runs again, I will break his legs,¡± interjected Cedrick, his lips pursed. Catelyn could not help but shiver at his words and felt extremely ufortable. At the corner of her eyes, she noticed that the young boy¡¯s hand was tightening around the bodyguard¡¯s cor, which meant that he was afraid. Catelyn was furious at the thought that no one in the entire Mason family would dare plead for the boy, which simply had her wondering how often Cedrick had abused his own son. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and her voice became sharper as she shouted, ¡°Do you think you can just break his legs and be done with it? He¡¯s your son, not your subordinate!¡±ntler Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°If you don¡¯t care about him at all, why bother having a son? If you¡¯ve made the decision to raise him, you should take care of him instead of yelling at him over everything and traumatizing him! Cedrick Mason, what you¡¯re doing isn¡¯t something a father should do!¡±. An awkward silence nketed the atmosphere once Catelyn finished emptying her mind through her rants. Eason observed Cedrick¡¯s expression and cursed inwardly. Ollie¡¯s background was taboo to Cedrick and no one was allowed to mention it, but Catelyn just had to go using Cedrick of not knowing how to be a father. Eason thought that Cedrick would explode¡­but to his surprise, Cedrick did not. He simply scowled and stared intently at Catelyn, as though he was trying to spot something on her face. Catelyn, on the other hand, did not cower and looked him right in the eyes. After a long while, Cedrick sneered and turned tomand the bodyguard, ¡°Take the young master back to Mason Estate. Without my order, he isn¡¯t allowed to step outside whatsoever. The bodyguard hurried away from the eye of the storm with Ollie in his arms and returned to the car. After that, Cedrick cast Catelyn a look and said, ¡°Good for you.¡± The convoy made a dramatic exit, just like when they appeared. The car windows were made of special material and Ollie could look outside if he leaned against the window. His big, dark eyes were filled with tears as he ced both hands on the ss window, reluctant to leave. Catelyn sighed a long breath of relief as though she had barely escaped death. After all, she had just confronted Cedrick Mason! Catelyn watched as the ck luxurious car drove away and, for some reason, felt overwhelmed by despair as the car disappeared, as though she had lost something. Beep, beep! Just then, her phone vibrated. She unlocked the screen and saw a message from an unknown number, with a photo that had Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. It was at the hospital she went to with Cedrick that afternoon; the two were making a turn at the corner and she happened to be holding Cedrick¡¯s hand as they stepped into the elevator. Because of the angle to which the photo was taken, the two of them appeared to be standing very close to one another, with her cheek almost leaning against his shoulder in an intimate manner. Catelyn did not expect someone to secretly take a photo of her and Cedrick. Shortly after, the same number called in and the person on the other side of the line shouted aggressively, ¡°Catelyn rk, who is that guy?!¡± Catelyn, wary of the motive of the person who had taken the photo, was instantly rmed. Unable to tell the person from his voice, she lowered her tone and asked,¡± Who are you?¡± The person fell silent for a moment, but when he spoke again, she could tell how he enunciated every word sarcastically, ¡°You can¡¯t recognize my voice after running into me a few days ago? It seems like you¡¯re living the life out there in the past four years, Catelyn.¡± ¡°Jamie Mason?¡± Catelyn scowled. Jamie¡¯s tone was filled with contempt and sarcasm as he continued, ¡°Of course, don¡¯t care who you mess around with, but don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re raising my son. If you dare have my son call some guy his dad, don¡¯t me me for iming custody over him!¡± Disgust filled Catelyn¡¯s amber-colored eyes as she retorted, ¡°Isn¡¯t Loue pregnant with your child as well? Is she okay with you bringing Miles into the Mason family?¡± Chapter 28 Chapter 28 hapter 28 Jamie choked at Catelyn¡¯s retort and took a while to recover before he hissed, ¡°You just don¡¯t want to tell me who that man is, isn¡¯t it? Just wait and see; I¡¯ll make you talk! Catelyn ended the call impatiently and felt surreal. It was still the same number Jamie used four years ago, and back when she decided to cut off her past, she deleted all the past contacts. However, when she looked at the number once again, she realized that there were things that one simply could not forget, just like the bond between Jamie and Miles. If Jamie was provoked and was determined to fight for Miles¡¯s custody, she would not be a match for Jamie¡¯s wealth and influence, considering her current status. Catelyn reminded herself to be more careful moving onward to avoid troubles. Inside the spacious study in Mason Estate, Ollie had been brought home and Cedrick had punished him, ordering him to stand at attention for an hour. While that sounded not much of a hassle, it was, in fact, extremely difficult. The little boy stood still at the corner of the room, with his back about half a meter away from the wall. His face was expressionless as he lowered his head and kept both his hands close to his sides. His pose was precise, but his limbs were shivering and exposed the truth of how excruciating the punishment was. Cedrick had told Ollie that if he admitted to his mistake and promised to never make the same mistake again, he could reduce the punishment. Ollie simply chose to make it through the hour without saying a word. Ollie knew that everything happened because he greedily longed for the warmth Catelyn gave him and exchanged identities with Miles, so he was willing to ept the punishment. After all, Cedrick had taught him to take responsibility for his actions from a young age. Albert¡¯s heart ached for Ollie as he could not stop himself from pacing back and forth in the corridor. Both father and son were too stubborn, and he dared not try changing their minds. He checked the time constantly, desperately hoping that the hour would pass sooner. Finally, thest minute passed¡­ Albert hurried his way into the study and reminded him happily, ¡°Young Master, time is up.¡± He tried to pick Ollie up, but the boy pushed him away. With a face that seemed to have lost its color, Ollie pursed his lips and stood up straight until he could barely bend his knees, before looking across the table at Cedrick. The man was handling some documents at the time and did not bother to spare him a nce. Ollie stepped toward him with his chin up and deadpanned, ¡°Father, you promised me that you¡¯ll give the position of the mansion designer to Aunt Catelyn.¡± ¡®Aunt Catelyn? They haven¡¯t met yet and he¡¯s already addressing her in such an intimate manner?¡¯ Cedrick thought as he narrowed his eyes before brushing it off.¡± Her health has caused her to apply for leave and therefore,¡± he remarked, ¡°so she won¡¯t be able to oversee the project.¡± Ollie could tell that Cedrick was lying to him and repeated stubbornly, ¡°You promised! ¡°Albert, take the young master out for food,¡± Cedrick changed the subject and nced coldly at Albert. ¡°Yes.¡± Taking the hint, Albert immediately tried to bring the boy to the dining room downstairs, but Ollie simply ran off into the bedroom. Following a loud m of the door, Ollie locked himself inside the room, refusing to speak to Albert or even eat. Albert was instantly facing a dilemma. The young master could be very terrifying when he was this stubborn. Suddenly, Albert could not help but miss the way Ollie argued with Cedrick. He would not be this quiet, at least, to the point that he felt sorry for Ollie.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Three hours had passed¡­and then it became six. Eventually, twelve hours passed. During lunch the next day, Cedrick sat in the dining room, and before him was the custom-made wooden table with a beige tablecloth. ced on the table were at least 20 different types of delicious dishes, and it seemed somewhat empty with only him sitting there. Albert nced at Ollie¡¯s room upstairs and felt troubled. Ollie was an adorable, shy child who would never cause trouble to others even when he was angry, simply locking himself in his room when it happened. No one knew what Ollie was truly thinking, but he had gone too long without eating since he was punished to stand still for an hour. Worried, Albert tried to talk to Cedrick. ¡°Master Cedrick, please go take a look at Young Master. He¡¯s just three and a half years old! What¡¯ll happen if he starves himself until he gets sick?¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s only been half a day,¡± Cedrick said casually, ¡°he won¡¯t get sick.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s your son!¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened as he stared daggers at Albert. Albert knew that he had crossed the line and dared not say another word. He was left with no other options but to call Maia for help. Maia hurried over soon enough, wearing a sky-blue off-shoulder dress that gave her an elegant appearance. Following her arrival, the refreshing andsting scent of gardenia filled the air. Surprised, Albert walked up to her and said, ¡°Miss rk, please help the young master.¡± Maia gave Albert a reassuring look. As Cedrick¡¯s fianc¨¦e, she was confident she could convince both Cedrick and Ollie to back down. She lifted her dress slightly and stepped toward the seat next to Cedrick. ¡°Master Cedrick, Ollie is still a young boy, and it¡¯s only normal that he¡¯ll throw tantrums from time to time. me me if you need someone to me; I¡¯ve failed as your fianc¨¦e for not taking good care of Ollie. He must¡¯ve run out because he was too bored.¡± She batted her eyshes in an enchanting fashion and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me talk to him?¡± Cedrick remained expressionless and did not respond. Taking that as a silent agreement, Albert led Maia to the second floor. Outside Ollie¡¯s bedroom, Maia knocked on the door gently. ¡°Ollie, it¡¯s Aunt Maia. Can you open the door and let me in? I heard from Albert that you had a fight with Master Cedrick. It¡¯s alright, Aunt Maia is here now, so he won¡¯t punish you anymore. ¡°I¡¯ve told the servants in the kitchen to cook your favorite buffalo wings. They smell great, soe on out!¡± Ollie, however, remained silent. Maia felt a bit embarrassed, but nheless suppressed her impatience under Albert¡¯s hopeful eyes and continued, ¡°If you open the door, Aunt Maia can fulfill one wish of yours!¡± Crash! There was no response from the room, but what they did hear were noises of something breaking inside the room. ¡°Young Master!¡± Albert called out worriedly, his face tensing out of concern. Just as everyone was unsure of what to do next, Cedrick came. He stared coldly at the closed door beforending a kick on it without a moment of hesitation. The door fell as everyone watched, and the sight of Ollie sprawling on the ground. His face was flushed and his eyes seemed unfocused. He was holding onto a broken drinking ss in his hand, and blood was streaming down his fingers as the broken pieces cut into his flesh. ¡°Dear lord, that¡¯s blood! Young Master is bleeding!¡± Albert shouted and ran to call the doctor. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Cedrick¡¯s gaze darkened to the point that they looked colder and more piercing than the coldest gust in winter. He walked up to the boy and lifted him up before noticing that his temperature was terrifyingly high. Ollie hade down with a fever. At two in the afternoon, Ollie was admitted to his personal hospital where the doctor ced him on an IV drip. As Cedrick¡¯s friend and also a man who enjoyed drama, Edwin came as well once he learned about what had happened. ¡°How did little Olliee down with such a high fever? His temperature is almost forty degrees Celsius!¡± Dressed in a shirt with flower patterns, Edwin purposely unbuttoned the top two buttons to expose his seductive corbones. He narrowed his beautiful fox-like eyes as he sat at the bedside and checked Ollie¡¯s temperature with his hand on Ollie¡¯s forehead. Concerned, Cedrick gazed at the boyying on the bed. ¡°You beast! You knew that Ollie was a preterm baby, so why couldn¡¯t you just let him be? What are you going to do if the fever turns him into a dummy?¡± Edwin Atherton was the eldest son of one of the four most powerful families; he grew up alongside Cedrick and had no reservation in poking Cedrick where it hurt. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Cedrick gave him a cold look and retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t expect any decent word out of that filthy mouth of yours.¡± ¡°Hah,¡± Maia listened to the two of them talk and knew it was time that she acted, ¡°Master Cedrick, you¡¯re probably exhausted. Why don¡¯t you go take some rest while I stay with the boy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Cedrick rejected her instantly. Ollie was his son, so how could he possibly rest at a time like this? Seeing that he insisted, Maia did not speak any further and stayed with Cedrick to watch over Ollie. However, Ollie¡¯s fever remained deep into the night and Maia had to fight against the urge to sleep. In the end, Cedrick arranged for one of his cars to send her home. Edwin whistled with a sly, fox-like smile and teased, ¡°Tsk tsk! You really have no idea how to be romantic. Did you not see the looks in Miss rk¡¯s eyes? She clearly wants you to make her stay.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re only here for the drama, then you can just leave now.¡± Cedrick tugged at his necktie impatiently. Edwin¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on between you and Miss rk. If you don¡¯t like her, you wouldn¡¯t try so hard to find her and propose to her back then; but if you do like her, you wouldn¡¯t keep her hanging all these years. It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m not in love with you, or I¡¯ll probably die.¡± Cedrick felt chills running down his spine. Edwin turned his attention back to Ollie with a smile. Because of the fever, Ollie¡¯s fair skinned face was flushed; he did not seem to be fast asleep and was mumbling something in his sleep. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t go¡­ Don¡¯t leave me¡­¡± ¡°You promised me.¡± ¡°You promised.¡± Ollie was calling out softly for his mother at first, which soon turned into him repeatedly saying ¡®you promised¡¯. He repeated those words with such determination that it almost felt as though he would keep repeating them until someone responded. The room was quiet, and the sky was beginning to turn dark. Edwin felt both confused and sympathetic at the sight. ¡°Who¡¯s Catelyn?¡± He turned to look at Cedrick. Cedrick¡¯s expression instantly darkened. He, too, heard Ollie talking in his sleep, and he was surprised that his son was still mumbling Catelyn¡¯s name when he was running a fever. Catelyn and Ollie had never interacted with one another before. Could it be because Catelyn spoke up for Ollie the day before? Edwin spotted the troubled expression on Cedrick¡¯s face and instantly knew that there was a story behind it all. Ollie had a few nightmares. He dreamt that Cedrick had abandoned him in one, and in another, he dreamt of Catelyn finding out that he had been lying, using him of fooling her and telling him to never appear before her. ¡°Aunt Catelyn!¡± Ollie cried out and opened his eyes abruptly. He identally moved his wounded hand and realized that he was connected to an IV drip. With a sniffle, Ollie bit his lip in despair. Cedrick had remained by his side, and when he saw that Ollie had woken up, he lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Is there anything you want to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ollie¡¯s face was pale and all strength was drained from his body, so he simply turned his head away and slowly closed his eyes so that he did not have to look at Cedrick. Rage burnt silently within Cedrick. He was never a patient man to begin with, but when he saw how pale Ollie¡¯s lips were, he suppressed his anger and said, ¡°You can let anyone design that mansion, but this is the first and the veryst time.¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Ollie¡¯s eyes widened dazedly as though he had not been able to process what his father had just told him. :¡¯ Cedrick had Albert bring over the medicine and a ss of warm water as he stood by Ollie¡¯s bedside. ¡°The doctor said that you are to take this medicine as soon as you wake up.¡± Ollie¡¯s dark eyes averted elsewhere. ¡°Are you trying to trick me?¡± ¡°Once I finish my medicine, are you going to change your mind and not let me make Aunt Catelyn the designer for my mansion?¡± Ollie stared at his father with doubt. Though he was not even four, he knew that people make strategic lies. Edwin, on the other hand, was close to bursting intoughter. Cedrick gave him a cold re and Edwin barely managed to keep hisughter in, but then he heard Cedrick asking Ollie, ¡°How do I make you believe that I¡¯m not lying to you, then?¡± Ollie straightened his back and puffed his cheeks. ¡°I want you to call Aunt Catelyn in front of me and invite her to design my mansion for me again.¡± He paused and added, ¡°The best way is to inform herpany as well, telling them that there will be no further changes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Anger filled Cedrick¡¯s eyes as he snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± He was the eldest son of the Mason family; how could he allow himself to be threatened by a child who was not even four? Ollie pursed his lips and looked away. ¡°Then I¡¯m not taking my medicine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Edwin frantically ced his hands over his mouth to stifle hisughter. He instantly regretted not recording a video of the scene before him. If he did, it would overwrite the world¡¯s impression of Cedrick. In the end, Cedrickpromised and had Albert bring him his phone. Ollie¡¯s heart throbbed as he stared nervously at Cedrick, wondering if his father had truly agreed to make Catelyn the designer again. Cedrick realized that he did not know Catelyn¡¯s number and scowled. Just as he was about to order Albert to find out, he heard Ollie say, ¡°I know Aunt Catelyn¡¯s number.¡± Cedrick stared at him suspiciously and thought, ¡®How does he know Catelyn rk¡¯s number?¡¯ As though he had guessed what Cedrick was thinking, Ollie pursed his lips shyly and said, ¡°Aunt Catelyn¡¯s information is written on the data submitted by BrightGene, and I memorized it.¡± Though he was not even four years old, his ability to recognize vocabry was equivalent to that of a high schooler; he was especially sensitive to numbers and could memorize most data with just one look. In BrightGene Group, Catelyn¡¯s phone started ringing as she was working overtime in the office. She answered the call politely even when it was an unknown number and greeted,¡± Hello, this is Catelyn rk speaking.¡± Her voice was soft and gentle like the sound of a gently coursing river, and Cedrick immediately found himself unable to speak. ¡°Hello?¡± Catelyn was certain that she had never seen the number before and said in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t have this number saved, so I¡¯m going to hang up if you won¡¯t speak.¡± In Mason Estate, Cedrick met Ollie¡¯s hopeful eyes and cleared his throat before saying, ¡°I¡¯m Cedrick Mason.¡± Catelyn instantly tensed at the thought that he was calling to take revenge on her earlier action. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± ¡°I¡¯m officially assigning you the project of my son¡¯s mansion. Come over today, I have a few requests that I need tomunicate with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Catelyn was stunned for almost half a minute. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that I¡¯m not qualified?¡± Cedrick¡¯s lips curled into a cold sneer as he naturally assumed that Catelyn was purposely ying hard- to-get. He nced impatiently at Ollie and decided to put up with her. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°I changed my mind. Is there a problem with that?¡± Catelyn felt incredibly frustrated by the situation. Cedrick himself said she did not qualify, and it was also he who asked her to take over the project in a tone like he was granting her a gift. ¡®Why should I say yes to him?¡¯ Catelyn thus responded, ¡°I think I might not be good enough for this project. Our manager, Hills, is very experienced and would be a perfect candidate. Why don¡¯t | pass the phone to her instead?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Following a moment of silence, Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°So, you¡¯re rejecting me?¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± Catelyn said sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that I might not be experienced or knowledgeable enough to handle a mansion that costs over a billion.¡± Thinking that she was simply ying hard-to-get, Cedrick¡¯s gaze sharpened as he would when he was negotiating with business partners. ¡°The design rate out in the market for this mansion is roughly two hundred per square meter. If you agree to take the project, I¡¯ll raise the rate to roughly three hundred.¡± A span of roughly 300 per square meter meant that the designing fee for the mansion would go up to over three million! ¡°Contact me to confirm the contract by three in the evening today, and I¡¯ll offer you an extra ten-percent bonus.¡± Cedrick was certain that a woman like Catelyn would not budge. Indeed, she felt tempted. Miles had started kindergarten, and their expenses would only increase from then on. ¡°Deal!¡± Catelyn finally agreed. Cedrick simply sneered at how pretentious she was. Cedrick looked at Ollie, who was lying on the bed, and lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Satisfied, now?¡± Ollie¡¯s pink lips curled into a shy smile as he nodded. His tantrum started fast and ended even faster. He took the pills between his fingers and swallowed them with the warm water. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry, Father,¡± he apologized. Cedrick put his hand into his pocket with a cold, stern expression. This was the first time Ollie had argued with him so stubbornly over a woman. ¡°This is the first and thest time I¡¯m going to put up with your wilfulness. As the son of Cedrick Mason, you¡¯re born into wealth, and so you¡¯re expected to bear the responsibility thates with it. I don¡¯t ever want to hear from Albert that you¡¯ve disappeared again, do you understand?¡± Ollie¡¯s mind was upied solely with the thought that he could finally give out the paper heart he made since Catelyn was designing his mansion. He simply nodded with no regard for what his father was saying. ¡°I understand.¡± Edwin heard the conversation between the two and simply eximed, ¡°How sad that Ollie is getting his childhood taken away, not to mention having to put up with you! ¡°If only I had a son this cute-hey, hey, don¡¯t drag me out! I¡¯m not done yet!¡± Cedrick straight away dragged him away and ordered Albert to take good care of Ollie. When Catelyn heard the beeping sound of the line being cut off, she went and saved Cedrick¡¯s contact. That afternoon, shepleted all her tasks for the day and ced all documents on her desk into the drawer before locking it by habit. As a designer, her drafts had to remain confidential. Once she was done, she took a taxi and headed to Ollie¡¯s mansion. She had already taken a tour there before and had a general idea of how the overall design would be; all that was left was to take note of Cedrick¡¯s requests and advice. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 By the time Catelyn arrived at the mansion located south of the city, it was a little over two in the afternoon. Thest time she was here, there was only a general outline of the mansion, but at this moment, there had been a temporary lounge where the porch was. It looked slightly like a tin house with the roof in blue and the walls in white. Eason noticed that she was sweating from rushing over and handed her a piece of wet tissue before pointing at the lounge. ¡°Master Cedrick is waiting for you inside.¡± Catelyn took a few deep breaths to adjust herself before she headed in. The temperature of the lounge was much lower inparison to the outside as though it was a completely separate world. Cedrick satzily on a simplistic chair, his tailor-made suit wrapped around his athletic body. His handsome features were as perfect as that of a statue, and with his lips pursed, he oozed an intimidating aura that repelled anyone who tried to get closer to him. Catelyn knocked on the door and bowed at him politely. ¡°I¡¯m here, Master Cedrick.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Cedrick lifted his gaze from the pile of design drafts on his desk. He then saw Catelyn, dressed in a simple white shirt and ck skirt that emphasized the curves on her body; the color contrast was so distinct that it was eye-catching. He had to admit that Catelyn was a beauty, but was that the reason why his son had chosen her? ¡°Come in.¡± Cedrick closed the file gently with his dark, brooding eyes fixated on her. Catelyn felt chills down her spine from the way Cedrick was staring at her, yet she handed over the documents she had prepared to him regardless. ¡°These are some of the information I¡¯ve gathered so far, along with the future nning for the area surrounding this mansion. May I know if you have any specific requirements, Master Cedrick?¡± Cedrick opened the file and nced at it casually before lifting an eyebrow in shock. He had not expected her to consider the nning of the area nearby as well. ¡°As you can see, the mansion has onlypleted its basic structure at the moment. With a total area of roughly a hundred and sixty-eight square meters, it doesn¡¯t matter if you go with horizontal division or the vertical method. The design will need to include the kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, living room, yroom, entertainment room, theater room, as well as the pool and basketball court outside¡­¡± Cedrick listed his requirement as he bent his long fingers to knock on the table gently in a rhythmic fashion as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s not a small home, and it requires precision and techniques when ites to reinforcement and division of space. Can you do this?¡± Catelyn cast him a formal smile with confidence. ¡°I might not have the graduation certification from the architectural program at Sapphire University, but I am confident that I can fulfill your request.¡± Cedrick pulled out a document from the drawer to sign his name on a nk at the bottom of the page; his signature was both majestic and powerful on the paper. The document was then tossed over to Catelyn. ¡°Sign,¡± he said. Catelyn stared at him in shock. Ever since she entered, Cedrick had been oozing an intimidating aura and had been staring at her oddly. ording to how much he seemed to enjoy finding fault in others, she had thought that he would make it difficult for her; she was even prepared to remain here for as long as it took. To her surprise, he simply handed her the contract without trouble. ¡°What, do you have any other problems?¡± Cedrick pursed his lips in displeasure. ¡°No,¡± Catelyn epted the contract hastily and signed her name at the bottom of the page under the column for the second party. Different from Cedrick¡¯s handwriting, her writing was more elegant, but prideful still. Eason nced at it from behind and thought, ¡®Hmm, what beautiful handwriting! Once she had signed, Catelyn extended her hand toward Cedrick by habit and said, ¡°. look forward to working with you, Master Cedrick!¡± Cedrick stared at the fair-skinned palm before him. The cold expression faded slightly from his enticing features and just as he was about to shake her hand, Catelyn withdrew her hand abruptly as though she had just remembered something. She scratched her head and smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ll have the draft really as soon as possible. Please let me know if you have any questions.¡± Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Catelyn figured that Cedrick would not hold a grudge against her about that day she argued with him about the young master if she interacted with him politely. Cedrick¡¯s hand froze mid-air. His expression instantly darkened as he said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange another designer to work with you, he¡¯ll inform you if any issue arises.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Catelyn was confused. How could this man¡¯s mood shift so suddenly? Wealthy people were indeed hard to read. However, she was overjoyed that she managed to obtain the project and decided not to bother with him. As she watched Cedrick leave, Catelyn realized that her legs were sore. Throughout their discussion, he had been sitting while she remained standing. She massaged her legs and took some rest in the lounge before leaving. On her way back to BrightGene, she received terrible news that caught her off-guard: Ste had lost consciousness and had been rushed to the hospital. ¡°Mister, please change the destination to First Hospital,¡± Catelyn told the driver hastily. The driver reacted almost immediately and stepped on the elerator with his right foot. The car raced ahead, and within half an hour, it arrived at First Hospital¡¯s entrance. As soon as Catelyn paid the driver, she rushed toward the floor where Ste was. She spotted a nurse and hurried over to ask, ¡°Hello, Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m Ste Hills¡¯ daughter. May I know which room she¡¯s been admitted to? How is she doing?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Ste Hills¡¯ daughter?¡± The nurse gave Catelyn a once-over before telling her the room number and reminded her in contempt, ¡°The admission fee hasn¡¯t been paid yet, so remember to go and make the payment.¡± Catelyn had no mind to spare for anything else and headed straight to find Ste. ording to the doctor¡¯s diagnosis, Ste had passed out because of a panic attack, Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. which also meant that it was caused by psychological factors. Ste¡¯s often smug face was pale. Catelyn spotted her wailing by the bed with a box of tissues in her arms, and pieces of tissues scattering on the nket. Catelyn was relieved. If Ste could still be crying, then her physical state was, at least, nothing to fret about. ¡°Mom, what happened?¡± ¡°Cat! You have to help me this time!¡± As though Catelyn was herst lifeline, Ste grabbed onto her clothes desperately and wailed. Catelyn was confused but tried to calm her down patiently regardless. ¡°Don¡¯t panic and slow down. What happened?¡± ¡°¡­ I heard that you got the project to design the mansion for Young Master Mason and I thought, considering all the bad luck for the past few years, maybe we can get lucky¡­so I went gambling.¡± Catelyn stood up abruptly as though she had been struck by lightning. She red at Ste as her entire body shivered. ¡°You went gambling again?¡± Ste had been addicted to gambling when the rk Family first dered bankruptcy. Catelyn had to repay her debt while being pregnant with Miles, and she was so desperate that she almost had to start selling her own blood at the time. In the end, it took Catelyn dragging Ste to the riverside and telling her that they should all just die together for Ste to finally quit gambling. Ever since then, the worst Ste had done was a few high-stake poker games. Startled by Catelyn¡¯s expression, Ste¡¯s eyes reddened as she stuttered, ¡°I-I was winning, so I decided to keep going. Who would¡¯ve known that I¡¯d start losing after that? I had no other way but to b- borrow money from the loan shark¡­¡± Catelyn pursed her lips in silence. Ste¡¯s voice became even more depressed as she said, ¡°Those people said that they¡¯re going to chop me up into pieces and throw me into the ocean as shark bait if I don¡¯t pay them back. I¡¯m still so young, and I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Catelyn could feel her blood boiling as her fair-skinned face flushed a bruised shade of red. ¡°How much did you borrow?¡± she hissed. ¡°Not that much, just a million,¡± Ste responded diffidently. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Catelyn felt all strength leaving her feet as she gaped at Ste¡¯s response. ¡°One million?¡± Was that what she meant by ¡®not much? ¡°You can¡¯t just let me die!¡± Ste grabbed Catelyn¡¯s hand and wailed. She then continued, her next words laced with a vague threat and persistence, ¡°You have to help me even if you don¡¯t want to, or the apartment we¡¯re living in will be gone!¡± A chilling premonition instantly overwhelmed Catelyn. ¡°What else have you done behind my back?¡± ¡°¡­¡± With how things had already escted, Ste decided not to hide anything and, with a flushed face, confessed, ¡°I stole your property certificate to use it as a mortgage. Why else do you think they¡¯d lend me that much money?¡± The two-room apartment that Catelyn was living in at the time might not be spacious, but the location was very ideal, and after a few years of development in the area, the apartment¡¯s value had surpassed one million even if they were to deduct the remaining housing loan from the bank. Tears welled up in Catelyn¡¯s eyes as she snapped, ¡°How could you do that? Without the apartment, would you have us all just sleep on the road? You promised me that you¡¯ll never gamble again!¡± Ste cowered and sobbed as she pleaded, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to! It¡¯s my fault, so just help me one more time¡­ Once that project with the Mason family is confirmed, everything will be fine!¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Catelyn did not know what to say. Was it because of the project that she took that had Ste gambling so recklessly with their apartment as a mortgage? All strength was drained from her body as she stared at Ste wordlessly for a long while. Ste feared nothing more than when Catelyn was like this. If she got angry or shouted, at least that meant that she still felt something¡­but Ste could not help but feel terrified when Catelyn was expressionless. Ste¡¯s gaze darted around diffidently as she tried to say something else when Catelyn abruptly left the ward without a word. No matter how much Ste called out to her, she did not stop. Catelyn allowed her legs to bring her to the vacant hospital garden. All the umted pain seemed to have reached a breaking point, and even breathing felt agonizing. She kept telling herself that life would still work out fine, but every time she did, something would remind her of how horrible reality was. ¡®What am I supposed to do? Who could possibly lend me that much money? But if I can¡¯t borrow it from anyone, am I supposed to just watch as the loan sharks drag Ste away and throw her into the ocean?¡¯ Catelyn fought with herself. For the days that followed, all Catelyn could think of was how to gather enough money. Her savings along with the money she managed to borrow from her colleagues was 300000 at most, which was far from the one million she needed. The anxiety had caused herplexion to appear dull, and she even had a pimple popping out on her forehead. The worst thing was that as the deadline approached, her mental state worsened, causing her to make mistakes at work. Catelyn knew that if this went on, Terry woulde looking for her before the loan sharks found her. She decided to put her work aside and handle the matters with the loan sharks first Through her distant cousin Alex rk, she learned that thepany that Ste had borrowed money from was managed by a man called John Reed, and he would be in a gathering with his friends on the top floor of Riverdale Entertainment Club. She clenched her jaw and went to apply for leave so she could approach John. She might stand a better chance if only she could see him, which would have been much better than to wait around. With that thought in mind, she headed toward Riverdale Entertainment Club early in the afternoon. Riverdale Entertainment Club was the most luxurious entertainment building of Sapphire City, with countless guests spending thousands over a night in it.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 It felt as though the air had frozen over that evening. Back when she was the princess of the rk Family, Catelyn had once invited all her ssmates to a private room on the top floor, and she could still remember the time they partied deep into the night. Because of her experience, she managed to get her wits together and fooled the employees with an arrogant tone. She then strode toward VIP room number 6808 in her high heels. The door te was coated in gold to emphasize how luxurious it was. Knock, knock! Catelyn summoned up her courage and knocked on the door. She held in her hand a yellow envelope that held a check worth 300000 that she gathered so far, hoping to resolve the pressing issue with the loan sharks. Following a squeaking sound, the door slowly opened. Realizing the door was not locked, Catelyn called out cautiously, ¡°Mister Reed?¡± There was no response from the empty room, so she probably had arrived early. She tip-toed into the glorious entertainment room that was about 10 square meters. Four long couches were formed into an L- shape, and there was an enormous LED television on the wall across them; the separated area included a washroom, a kitchen, and a resting lounge. Everything else wasparable to an executive duplex in a hotel. Instead of the usual scent of cigarette and liquor like any other entertainment facility would, there was only a faint scent of flowersbined with the aroma of liquor. ¡®This John has quite an exquisite taste, I suppose,¡¯ Catelyn thought to herself. Just as she was contemting as to how she could convince John, she suddenly heard the sound of steady, homogenous footsteps approaching. Was that John? ¡°Master Cedrick, there has been some issue with Millions Pharmaceutical¡¯s cash flow, but I¡¯ve alreadyExclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. examined the medicine that they manufactured . The quality isn¡¯t bad, and they wish to invite you into investing in them. What do you think?¡± Cedrick¡¯s first assistant reported thetest update dutifully. ¡°What about Nine?¡± Cedrick¡¯s shiny leather shoesnded onto the ground as his husky, cold voice echoed. ¡°The director of Millions Pharmaceutical had made an appointment to meet with the Ninth Master yesterday during the afternoon, but the Ninth Master simply made him wait in the meeting room the entire time before making the director leave, saying that he needed to head overseas. I¡¯m not sure what the Ninth Master is nning.¡± 151 Among the younger generation of the Mason family, Cedrick and Ninth Master Mason were the most brilliant of all. The two never ceasedpeting with one another in the business world, and rumors had it that either one of them would be the next head of the Mason family. Cedrick was the grandson of the family¡¯s current head and had the advantage because of it, but because he was the only adult male heir in his bloodline, some of the rtives began to favor the Ninth Master instead. 2 Cedrick soon realized what Alexander was trying to do and exined coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not that he looks down on Millions Pharmaceutical; he¡¯s just trying to y with their heads and buy them out with a lower price when they¡¯re about to face bankruptcy.¡± ¡°Millions Pharmaceuticals? Buy them out at a lower price? Master Cedrick, the Ninth Master¡­¡± When Catelyn heard those words from inside the room, it sounded as though there were fireworks going off next to her ears. ¡®Isn¡¯t that Cedrick Mason? Did I walk into the wrong room? Crap! Now that I¡¯ve overhead confidential information, would he think that I¡¯m a spy?¡¯ she hissed internally. Her fingers trembled and the envelope in her hand flew off,nding under the poker table. As the footstep approached, Catelyn lifted the tablecloth and hid underneath the table without further hesitation the moment she heard the doorknob turning. The door was pushed open at the exact same time that she picked up the envelope. The timing was perfect with not a second missed. ¡°Is this how those people in Riverdale do their job, by not even locking the door?¡± Eason frowned in displeasure out of his instinct as a bodyguard. As the door was pushed open, the air from the room wafted out, along with the natural scent of a gardenia flower. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 It was a strange yet familiar scent to Cedrick, and he had only ever caught a whiff of it on one person. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the room before locking onto a certain spot. He thought back to the unlocked door and smirked in realization. The conservation ceased, and Catelyn¡¯s heart throbbed with anxiety. She contemted whether she should lift the tablecloth to check on the situation outside when suddenly, a pair of shiny ck leather shoes appeared right before her eyes as the man sat down on the chair near her. The strong presence of the man overwhelmed her. Startled, she immediately moved deeper inside to avoid Cedrick¡¯s long legs. However, two pairs of feet appeared behind her as Charles and Eason took their seats as well. Catelyn was left with no other way but to move toward another corner desperately, hoping that they would not discover her. ¡°Master Cedrick, if we manage to buy Millions Pharmaceutical out, it¡¯ll provide us with tremendous aid in entering the pharmaceutical field. If,¡± ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, let¡¯s not talk about work for now,¡± Cedrick interrupted Charleszily and signaled him to change the subject. ¡°Sit, and let¡¯s y a few games.¡± Charles and Eason gave each other a confused look, both wondering as to why Cedrick was in such a yful mood. However, they were never ones to defy Cedrick¡¯s orders; it was extremely torturing to work with high efficiency 16 hours a day. The three of them sat down, forming a triangle shape. The poker table happened to be triangle in shape as well, so each one of them was seated in one direction. Catelyn could only carefully try to find a spot in between the three when suddenly, Cedrick crossed his legs, and the tip of his shoes moved past the tablecloth and toward Catelyn. Startled by his sudden movement, Catelyn desperately moved to the side and curled up in fear of being discovered. If they saw her hiding under the table, no words or exnation would be able to excuse her. She hastily silenced her phone and thought to herself, ¡®What now? I can¡¯t go out now that I¡¯ve overheard secrets that I wasn¡¯t supposed to! If I don¡¯t go out and I miss the time to meet with John, he¡¯ll send people to harass Ste, and our peaceful lives will be ruined!¡¯ At that moment, Catelyn was so nervous that she began sweating. Inside the enormous room, there was nothing but silence, except for the sound of the three ying cards and the asional conversation that mentioned nothing of importance. The space underneath the table was not at all spacious, which forced Catelyn to crouch. As time went by, it was not even half an hour before she started feeling numb as though the blood flow to her legs had been cut off. What troubled her most was that Cedrick¡¯s legs were far too long, and when he crossed his legs or moved them around, she would have to adjust her position ordingly. The stress had left Catelyn feeling as though she was about to go crazy. Finally, after some time, the sky began to turn dark. Just when Catelyn felt that she was about to turn into a statue, the inte of the room started ringing. It was far away from her and she could not tell what had been said, but after the call, Eason turned with an oddly serious expression to look at Cedrick while keeping a hand on the speakerN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 ¡°Master Cedrick, your car¡­ Some lunatic crushed the window of your car.¡± More often than not, the first reaction when people saw a luxury car would be to stay away as they could not afford to damage it in any way, but it appeared that they had encountered an odd individual who simply resented rich people. Cedrick¡¯s lips curled into a mysterious sneer. He quickly nced below the table before tossing the cards in his hands away and spoke, ¡°You two will head down to see what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I can handle this on my own,¡± Eason said. Charles was far more sensitive inparison to Eason and had realized someone else was inside the room long ago. Seeing how Cedrick appeared to be in a good mood, he figured that perhaps it was someone Cedrick knew. He tugged at Eason¡¯s clothes with a yful expression and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just tag along, anyway.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s just one lunatic¡­ Why are you dragging me? I-¡± ¡°Have a great evening, Mister Cedrick,¡± bade Charles with a sly smile before dragging Eason with him. D) Beneath the table, Catelyn could already feel all the blood in her body rushing toward her head as she could not even process what Charles meant. Apart from feeling d, the only thought left in her mind was how she could get Cedrick to leave. Just as she was contemting, the feet before her stood up abruptly and walked in another direction. Soon after, she heard the sound of the shower running. ¡®Did he go for a shower?¡¯ she thought. Excited, she crawled out of the table swiftly, but her limbs had been stiff from remaining in the same position, so she tried to massage her legs. All of a sudden, she felt someone staring at her. She could not help but feel overwhelmed by a bad feeling as she turned to look in that direction. ¡°Finally feel likeing out?¡± An intimidating aura loomed over her, and she looked up to meet Cedrick¡¯s eagle-like eyes. co He was leaning against the door frame of the washroom, his lips curled into a devilish smirk as he stared at her mockingly. Catelyn froze instantly as though she had been struck by lightning, to the point that she could barely breathe. ¡°You¡­¡± Was he not supposed to be in the shower?! Embarrassed that she had been caught, she blushed. ¡°You already knew that I¡¯ve been hiding here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a room, and there isn¡¯t exactly that much space a person can use to hide.¡± He stared at her teasingly. ¡°Go on, exin to me what you¡¯re trying to do to me by sneaking into my room during this time?¡± It waste and he simply did not believe that she was simply passing by. The meaning behind his words was clear, and Catelyn cursed under her breath, knowing that Cedrick must have thought that she was here to seduce him. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think! I just got into the wrong room¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a horrible excuse?¡± Everyone knew that the VIP room 6808 in Riverdale was reserved by him throughout the year and the door was usually locked, yet she broke the lock and hid under the table, He gave her a casual look before walking toward the wine cab to take a bottle of wine. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 The crimson red liquid slowly filled the wine ss. Cedrick gently twirled and tasted the wine as his eyes locked on Catelyn. The refreshing scent of gardenia in the air had be more distinct once she revealed herself. Catelyn knew that exining herself would only further the misunderstanding and decided to not even try. She grabbed onto the envelope with the check inside and headed straight for the door. However, her legs had been numb and she did notst a few steps before losing bnce. She stumbled and fell toward the ground while Cedrick happened to be standing by the wine cab next to the door. Her heart raced from fear and she could not help but reach out frantically in an attempt to grab onto someone. Thud! Her kneesnded on the mat, sending sharp pain from her knees, and the numbness went away with it. The air froze around them as the tension rose. Catelyn did not dare look at Cedrick; how she desperately wished she could just die on the spot. ¡°¡­¡± Before she could apologize, Cedrick suddenly set his ss down and extended his arm to wrap around her waist before pulling her up and pinning her against the wine cab. Catelyn¡¯s back ached from being pressed against the wine cab as a shadow loomed over her from atop. Cedrick¡¯s towering body pressed down as his palm moved along her shirt and to the back of her head to lift it up. Shortly after, his lipsnded on hers. Catelyn felt as though something had exploded as she came to the realization that she was taken advantage of. She punched him on the chest and wiggled her body in an attempt to break free. ¡°Let¡­go!¡± Cedrick simply swallowed her words and pinned both of her wrists against the wall. Catelyn bit down viciously, internally shrieking, ¡®This beast! Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The taste of blood instantly spread between their lips. Cedrick backed up to grab onto her jaw and stared coldly at her. ¡°You¡¯re quite used to ying hard-to-get, so what¡¯s the point of ying the innocent card now?¡± With Catelyn¡¯s jaw held in ce, she was forced to meet his eyes, but her eyes were filled with determination as she panted and retorted, ¡°Hard-to-get, my foot. I have a son! Who¡¯d want to seduce you?¡± Cedrick¡¯s tone was unforgiving as he questioned, ¡°Well then, what of the scent of gardenia on you?¡± Confused, she asked, ¡°What of it?¡± ¡°Every woman who approaches me knows that I like this scent.¡± Gardenia flowers were notmonly used in perfume, but Catelyn had his favorite scent on her. Along with her old-fashioned ways of flirting, Cedrick simply had no reason to believe she did not approach him with an alternate motive. Catelyn¡¯s expression shifted as she thought back to his horrible attitude from the previous times they had met and thought, ¡®So all that has been because of the gardenia scent on me? This is crazy! How can there be such a big misunderstanding? ¡°It¡¯s not what you think! I¡¯ve always liked the symbolic meaning of gardenia, and I have gardenias, too! My shower gel and shampoo are all gardenia-scented, and we even make tea out of gardenias! ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why I have that scent on my body,¡± Catelyn exined in all seriousness. Cedrick sneered. ¡°What about trying whatever you can to be the designer of my son¡¯s mansion?¡± She stared at him in confusion. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who called me out of the blue, asking me to take over the project?¡± Provoked, the veins on Cedrick¡¯s forehead were beginning to pop. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s just say all of those things were just idents. Last question: what are you trying to do by hiding under my table today and teasing me on purpose?¡± He wanted to see what else she had to say to exin herself. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Catelyn thought back to the awkward state she was in earlier, and her face flushed a bright red. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were the one who booked this room¡­¡± ¡°So you¡¯re here to meet another man?¡± If Catelyn did not know it would be him, then who else was she expecting? Cedrick tightened his grip on her chin and noticed how his anger red even worse than before. Due to the stronger force exerted, Catelyn¡¯s chin began to turn red. Frustrated, she exined, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for someone else, but not because of what you think. I¡¯m here to pay my debt.¡± Scared that Cedrick would not believe her, she frantically took out the check from inside the envelope. ¡°See for yourself, this is the proof! I didn¡¯t even think that you¡¯d show up here, and when I heard that you were discussing business, I panicked and hid under the table to avoid any further misunderstanding.¡± Cedrick stared at her suspiciously. Was it possible that he misunderstood? Seeing that he had quieted down, Catelyn thought that he had finally made sense of it all, but to her surprise, he ced his hand at the back of her head the next moment. ¡°Mmph!¡± She frowned in pain and kept punching him on the chest in frustration, hoping to escape, but failed miserably. Despite her using all the strength she could summon, he simply felt like he was being tickled. He sealed her lips tight so that all herints melted into hasty breaths. ¡°The streets are filled with women who want to be mine, so I don¡¯t need one more like you. Scram!¡± Catelyn was tossed to the couch with her head thrown back. She felt light-headed from theck of oxygen, and it did not help that Cedrick¡¯sment was rather ugly to the ears. She, too, wanted to retort that there were plenty of men on the streets who wanted to be hers, but the check in her hand weighed her down like a mountain, reminding her that she had something more important to do. ¡°Thank you for your understanding,¡± she said before running away from Room 6808. ¡®What on earth was Alex doing, giving me the wrong room number? I wouldn¡¯t have run into such things if it wasn¡¯t for him!¡± she seethed internally. ¡°¡­¡± Cedrick was rendered speechless for a moment. ¡®Thanking me for understanding? F*ck understanding!¡¯ He cursed inwardly as he kicked the couch over as rage burned within his eyes. Throughout the four years he had been engaged to Maia, he had never touched her again except for the night four years ago. He had tried forcing himself to ept her and even attempted to get himself drunk, but he simply was not interested in Maia. Catelyn, on the other hand, somehow awakened the urges he had suppressed and buried for years. ¡®Darn it!¡¯ he mentally spat and drank all the wine he had poured into the ss. s, not even the cold wine could appease the indescribable frustration he felt, so he went to call Edwin. ¡°Come out and drink with me. I¡¯m at Riverdale Entertainment Club.¡± Catelyn ran out of the room and into the washroom. In the reflection of the mirror, she saw a girl with silky ck hair and pink cheeks, but her lips were slightly swollen. She hastily put on a thickyer of lip balm onto her lips so that she would appear less difited. She desperately wanted to curse at the entire Mason family. When exactly had she given Cedrick the impression that she was pursuing him? She took a deep breath to suppress the anger in her chest and found the room where John was located ording to Alex. It was Room 6806.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Catelyn practiced the gentlest smile she could muster in front of the mirror before she headed toward Room 6806. ¡°Hello, Mister Reed, I¡¯m Catelyn rk,¡± she announced herself with a soft, innocent tone. ¡°Come in,¡± the husky voice of a man responded. Catelyn¡¯s heart leaped at the fact that she finally got the right room and pushed the door open into the room. Unlike Room 6808, the decorations inside this room were slightly less exquisite, though it was still more ssy than normal rooms. The moment she entered the room, she was overwhelmed by the heavy scent of cigarettes and liquor, but before her lips could curl into a smile, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the handsome man sitting on the leather couch obviously made in a foreign country. It was Jamie! The first thought that came to Catelyn¡¯s mind was that she had entered the wrong room¡­again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had the wrong room. My bad.¡± She bowed and turned to leave. Jamie slowly set down the wine ss in his hand and called out to her before she could leave. ¡°I thought you¡¯re here looking for John Reed. Leaving so soon?¡± Catelyn paused and lowered her gaze to hide the doubt in her eyes with hershes.¡± How do you know about John Reed?¡± ¡°Sit. I need to talk to you.¡± Jamie poured another ss and set it down beside him, hinting at Catelyn to sit next to him. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. She hesitated for a moment beforeplying, but she did not touch the ss of wine. Jamie¡¯s lips curled into a mysterious smile. ¡°I had my men look into you. You dropped out of Sapphire University with no graduation certificate, so you¡¯re pretty much considered a high-school graduate. You¡¯ve been a waitress and a dish-washer, and you¡¯ve also stayed under a bridge and in an abandoned bunker, before Ste almost got you and your unborn child killed. Catelyn, I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d have it so rough after leaving me.¡± Jamie stared intently at Catelyn before his long fingers reached out and stroked her thigh abruptly. Like a hedgehog intruded by an attack, Catelyn instantly tensed and backed away until she was over a meter away from him like she was avoiding a snake. ¡°That¡¯s my business, so please don¡¯t pay me any mind. All I want to know is your rtionship with John Reed.¡± It was no coincidence that Jamie was here. Jamie grinned evilly like he was mocking Catelyn before taking out a loan contract from the drawer and mming it onto the desk. ¡°This is the proof that your stepmother has borrowed one million from John Reed. We might not be engaged anymore, but we did date once. Just tell me who your man is, and I¡¯ll consider giving you this contract.¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of the paper, but she scowled when she heard Jamie¡¯s bargain. ¡°What would it take for you to be convinced that I¡¯ve been so upied with working and taking care of my kids that I have no time to date?¡± ¡°Hah! You seem quite protective over him.¡± Unable to exin , Catelyn took out the envelope that contained a check from her purse and handed it to Jamie. ¡°I have three hundred thousand in this envelope. Can you please just give me that contract? I can write you a new one that states that I owe you seven hundred thousand,¡± she offered gingerly. It would be safer to borrow Jamie¡¯s money than to let the loan fall upon Ste¡¯s shoulders. That way, they would not be threatened with being thrown into the ocean as shark bait. Jamie grinned evilly and snapped his fingers. Instantly, a waiter pushed through the door with a tray filled with different bottles of alcohol, including red wine, white wine, and all sorts of cocktails. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 The tray was ced on the ck coffee table. Jamie skimmed his fingers past the bottles and waved his hand in a challenging manner at Catelyn. ¡°I¡¯ll consider your offer if you can drink all these.¡± There were over a dozen bottles on the tray, and Catelyn had never been one to handle alcohol well. Even though she had improved slightly from all thepany gatherings she had to attend, she still would not be able to finish one-fourth of them. Catelyn scowled. ¡°You know I can¡¯t drink. You¡¯re being unreasonable.¡± Jamie simply gave a look as though everything was in his hands to control. ¡°You can just leave if you don¡¯t like it, so long as you¡¯re okay with watching Ste getting chopped into pieces by John Reed¡¯s men.¡± ¡®Jerk,¡¯ she thought. ¡®How can I leave now when you put it that way?¡¯ Catelyn bit the inside of her cheek and summoned the courage to start pouring the content of the bottles down her throat, one bottle after another. As she mixed the different kinds of alcohol in her stomach, the burning sensation at the depth of her throat worsened. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Liquid started spilling out of the corners of Catelyn¡¯s mouth. Slowly, the world started spinning before her eyes as her body felt as though it was on fire. Jamie watched as she gulped four bottles down to the point she was at the brink of vomiting. Somehow, the way she lifted her chin and extended her elegant neck to drink looked beautiful under the shining light. ¡®Catelyn¡­¡± Jamie pulled Catelyn into his arms abruptly and turned to pin her against the couch. Catelyn felt like her head was filled with cotton and her mind started to stray, but she was still aware of the danger she was facing and bit down on her own tongue to sober herself with pain. ¡°Let me go, Jamie Mason!¡± Catelyn frantically tried to push him away, but it did not work. Jamie pressed himself against her. Breathily, he teased, ¡°Go on and scream all you want. You were almost my wife back then, so why can another man touch you and I can¡¯t? Aren¡¯t you protective over that lover of yours? Get him toe save you now!¡± At that very moment, Catelyn regretted her decision ofing to him on her own. She iled her hands around to scratch and even attempted to bite, trying everything she could to break free, but the difference in strength between a man and a woman was simply toorge for her to ovee. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Jamie,¡± she whimpered. ¡°We had a child together. Just calm down and let¡¯s talk about this¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention that child!¡± Jamie¡¯s eyes instantly reddened in anger. ¡°I was suspicious when you said that you were willing to get rid of the child. So you¡¯ve been plotting to give birth to him! Are you trying to ckmail me with that child? You -¡± Smack! Catelyn pped him across the face, her eyes reddening and her chest heaving in rage as she growled, ¡°I won¡¯t let you insult my son. He¡¯s your son, too-your flesh and blood!¡± ¡°How dare you hit me?¡± Jamie¡¯s head snapped to the side under the impact of Catelyn¡¯s p. He stared at her in disbelief, and like an enraged leopard, he came to and pped her across the face as well. Catelyn¡¯s ears rang at the assault, and as the red palm print appeared on her face, her strength to resist weakened. Still, she persisted and shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°Get off! This is rape! ¡°Help! ¡°Jamie Mason, touch me and I¡¯ll kill you¡­!¡± Edwin was too busy to show up, so Cedrick intended on leaving the clubhouse. As he walked past the corridor, he spotted two bodyguards dressed in ck guarding the door to Room 6806, smoking their cigarettes. The elevator was taking forever, and as he waited, he could hear the faint noises of things being thrown around from inside the room. His frown deepened. Riverdale Entertainment Club was an entertainment club under Edwin¡¯s management, and the top floor rarely opened for ordinary guests to ensure the quality of the guests that had ess to the top floor. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 It became apparent that the guests in Room 6806 were up to no good. ¡°Tsk, tsk! Looks like Master Jamie got his hands full with a difficult one now, huh?¡± ¡°As difficult as she might be, she had given birth to his child, hadn¡¯t she? Maybe it¡¯s their way of having fun!¡± Cue a cackle from the guard. ¡°Still, that Catelyn sure is a pretty one.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The bodyguards at the door heard the noises as well and automatically chuckled. Ding! Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. The elevator arrived and the door opened, but instead of walking in, Cedrick turned and started walking toward Room 6806. ¡°Eason had been following closely behind Cedrick and was stunned when he noticed Cedrick turning around. ¡®Wasn¡¯t Master Cedrick going to leave?¡¯ he thought to himself. When Cedrick was about a meter away from the door to Room 6806, the two bodyguards held out their hands, their expressions hardening as they did. ¡°Stop right there! Who are you? Our boss is inside. What are you trying to do?¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened. Before he said anything, Eason took the initiative to act. The bodyguards could not even see when he approached them, and before they could react, Eason had grabbed onto one of the bodyguards¡¯ fingers. Snap! The guard could feel his bones breaking as he howled in pain. Cedrick stood before the bodyguards like a king looking down on his subjects, asking expressionlessly, ¡°Who did you say was in there?¡± ¡°W¡­ We work for Master Jamie. You can¡¯t afford to cross us-!¡± Eason darted forward before the bodyguard could finish and grabbed him by his arm before twisting it toward his back. The bodyguard turned green and wailed. Losing all strength to resist, he stuttered, ¡°I -It¡¯s Master Jamie, and his¡­ex-girlfriend, C-Catelyn rk!¡± Both Eason and Charles could sense the atmosphere bing suffocating and gave each other a look. ¡°Master Cedrick?¡± Eason looked to Cedrick gingerly for furthermand. Unreadable emotions filled Cedrick¡¯s eyes. A few momentster, he slowly rolled the sleeves of his dark- colored suit up and drawled casually, ¡°Pass the word down to clear the top floor out.¡± Eason¡¯s brows twitched at the realization that Cedrick intended on getting involved. Inside the room, Catelyn and Jamie had moved from the couch to the floor, where Catelyn was pinned down. The scent of gardenia from her body wafted into the air due to the thin summer clothes she was wearing. Jamie kneeled before her and stroked her neck with malicious intent. ¡°Look at you. You¡¯ve given birth to a child; consider it an honor that I¡¯m even interested in you. Stop ying hard to get!¡± With that, he leaned over to bite down on her shoulder viciously as though trying to tear off her flesh. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Catelyn could not move with Jamie pinning her down, and tears began welling up in her eyes from the pain. Even after all the effort, she still could not break free. Under the hypnotizing beams of light above her, Catelyn¡¯s eyes reddened as cold air fanned her skin, making her shiver. ¡®Help¡­she internally pleaded. ¡®Somebody, help me!¡¯ Her knees were forced apart as Jamie¡¯s devilish face zoomed in before her eyes. ¡®No¡­ No! Fear took her breath away, and her beautiful face flushed as she came close to passing out. Just then¡­ Crash! A bottle of red wine mmed against Jamie¡¯s head, and blood trickled down Jamie¡¯s head along with the wine. Startled, the veins on his forehead popped as Jamie got up from Catelyn while covering his wounded head with his hand. ¡°How dare you¡­ U-Uncle..?¡± Jamie immediately stopped. Hepletely froze when he turned to see the man standing before him so horrifyingly. His pupils contracted as he was taken by surprise that Cedrick was the one who hit him. Why was he here? Catelyn took the opportunity to escape from Jamie¡¯s grip and crawled toward the corner to curl into a ball. The alcohol began to get to her head, and her mind started to stray; she could not see clearly, so she could only hide in the corner as she frantically grabbed onto her clothes in an attempt to cover up her skin. Tears streamed down her face, and she could not help but tremble in fear. Cedrick¡¯s towering figure stood under the blinding chandelier, his hair slightly disheveled as his eagle-like eyes locked onto Catelyn. She appeared pitiful and fragile, without a trace of the stubbornness sheExclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. disyed back when she was with Cedrick in the other room. Anger boiled within him until it reached his eyes. He took off his jacket and threw it toward Catelyn, to which she responded with a gaze showing her silent gratitude. She wanted to thank him, but under the influence of the alcohol, she could only manage to moan. She immediately blushed and covered her mouth, not daring to make any more sounds. More blood began to drip down from Jamie¡¯s hand and started trickling down his arm. Though he feared Cedrick, he stood up to question his rtive. ¡°I¡¯m just getting intimate with my woman, Uncle. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Intimate?¡± Cedrick narrowed his eyes and sneered. ¡°Have you asked for her consent? ¡°A ¡®no¡¯ means a ¡®yes¡¯ for women. Besides, she¡¯s given birth to my kid, so what=¡± Whomp! Before Jamie could finish, Cedrick swung his fist toward his face with a cold expression. Unable to dodge, the punchnded on the bridge of his nose, and he instantly felt like his bone had broken. Jamie stumbled backward and fell, identally hitting the corner of his mouth against the sharp corner of the coffee table. Blood instantly squirted out of the corner of his mouth as the skin tore. He fell to one knee in frustration and red at Cedrick. ¡°You seem really angry for this woman¡¯s sake. What¡¯s the matter? Are you interested in her as well?¡± Saying this, Jamie thought back to the photo Loue showed him earlier¡­and realized that the man in the photo somehow resembled Cedrick. Cedrick stared down at Jamie like he would with an ant as he oozed an intimidating aura like a king ruling in the shadows. ¡°Catelyn rk is the designer of my son¡¯s mansion. No one is to lay a finger on her until the project ispleted.¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 ¡®The designer of a mansion? Catelyn didn¡¯t even graduate from college! How can she be a designer?¡¯ Jamie thought. ¡°What kind of joke is that?¡± He struggled to believe in Cedrick¡¯s words. Without sparing him a second nce, Cedrick coldlymanded, ¡°Eason, call the police. Since someone in the Mason Family doesn¡¯t know what it means to be a decent human being, I should teach him a lesson on what is expected of him when he¡¯s a Mason.¡± SO Eason verbally responded to thismand as he then reached for his phone. Jamie spat viciously and crawled up from the ground. His wedding with Loue was around the corner, and he could not afford to be seen getting arrested over another woman. He gave Cedrick a bow of respect. ¡°Alright, Uncle, I admit my deplorable behavior, and I am sorry for it. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°However, don¡¯t forget that your fiancee is thedy of the rk Family, Maia rk. Catelyn here is not worthy of your attention!¡± With that, he left frantically with his bodyguards, all of them suffering from fractured bones. Cedrick¡¯s eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he gave Eason a sidelong nce. ¡°I want to see the news that Jamie Mason is in the hospital by tomorrow.¡± Eason dutifully understood. Cedrick nced at Catelyn, who had lost consciousness as she leaned against the wall, unable to sustain herself. His brows twitched, and after contemting for a moment, he walked toward her and lifted her into his arms. Her body was soft and pliant as though there was not a bone in her. Eason noticed Cedrick¡¯s struggle and immediately approached him, intending to take Catelyn off his arms. ¡°Seems like Miss rk has had too much to drink. Here, let me¡­ ¡°No need.¡± Cedrick moved away from Eason. Eason¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡®Is Master Cedrick carrying Catelyn? I thought he was only willing to touch Maia! Goodness. Is fire going to rain from the skies now?¡¯ The top floor had long been emptied at this point as Cedrick carried Catelyn into the elevator until they reached the first floor. Behind them, Eason kept making faces at Charles in confusion. Charles lowered his voice and stared at Eason like he was a fool. ¡°You were in that room for quite some time. Didn¡¯t you catch a whiff of any scent?¡± ¡°Scent?¡± Eason thought about it. ¡°The scent of liquor? Cigarettes?¡± Charles rolled his eyes. ¡°Think harder.¡± ¡°The scent of gardenias!¡± Eason finally came to a realization. ¡°I was wondering why the door was unlocked; it seems that Miss rk had been hiding inside the room after all! That means Master Cedrick and Miss rk¡­¡± ¡°Shhh! I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Charles looked at the sky, pretending he was clueless as to what had happened. Eason grinned mischievously and ran to catch up with Cedrick. In the outdoor parking lot on the first floor, Catelyn leaned against Cedrick¡¯s chest. Because of all the alcohol she consumed and being pped by Jamie, she was seeing stars and felt utterly nauseous. Through her blurry vision, she saw Cedrick¡¯s face-which resembled Miles-and stretched out her arms to wrap them around Cedrick¡¯s neck, holding him in ce. ¡°Darling, why do you have two heads?¡± She widened her eyes, and as the dim light of the roads shone upon her flushed face, her skin glowed despite the palm print on her cheeks. Cedrick gaped at being called ¡®darling¡¯, and his ears turned a faint shade of red. He red at the woman who clung onto him in frustration; Catelyn twisted in difort and the jacket on her shoulders slid down. Cedrick¡¯s gaze slowly drifted downward. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¡°Who are you calling Darling?¡± snapped Cedrick. Catelyn, having lost most of her grip on reality under the influence of alcohol, was baffled at this. ¡®Is this not my darling Miles?¡¯ She grinned in a manner that was both innocent and seductive, before leaning toward him and cupping his cheeks with her hands. ¡°You, of course! Don¡¯t move; let me give you a kiss. It¡¯s been a whole day since Ist saw you. I missed you so much. Mwah!¡± A kiss was nted on Cedrick¡¯s chin, and it was so unexpected that Cedrick glowered. ¡°Stop moving, or I¡¯ll throw you!¡± Cedrick took Catelyn to a hotel across the road and took out his card, cing it over the counter. ¡°One room.¡± Hearing his voice, the receptionist looked up and instantly locked eyes on Cedrick¡¯s face longingly. ¡®Goodness¡­what a handsome man! His mannerism is so elegant, too-even better than popr idols!¡¯ Cedrick had shown his face before to the public, and whenever he did, he ended up being the target of all sorts of fantasies. Apparently, this was one of the many times it happened. He scowled in displeasure and repeated his request sternly, ¡°I said, one room.¡± ¡°A-Alright, Sir!¡± The receptionist came over and showed him her most polite, gentle smile. ¡°Which floor would you prefer? We have the fourteenth, seventeenth, and twenty-third floor avable tonight.¡± ¡°Twenty-third.¡± ¡°Alright! Which direction would you like for your room to face? We have rooms facing east and also south¡­¡±. ¡°South.¡± Cedrick was running out of patience, but the receptionist was too engrossed by how wondrous his voice was, one that sounded husky and seductive, better-sounding than any singer she had ever heard. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°One more word and I¡¯ll get you fired from this ce.¡± The receptionist fell silent at this, her bubble burst by how cold he was. Cedrick carried Catelyn to the presidential suite on the 23rd floor, and at this point, she was already drunk to the point she could not tell south from north. Her longshes quivered, and as Cedrick was about to set her down on the bed, she grabbed onto his cor forcefully and turned to pin him against the bed. His ck suit appeared more eye-catching in contrast to the pearly white bed sheets. She sat on top of him, her hair cascading down her shoulders. Her eyes shone coquettishly as she reached her finger to lift Cedrick¡¯s chin. ¡°Y-You look so much like my baby.¡± Silence ensued before Cedrick broke it with a firmmand, ¡°Catelyn rk, get off of me.¡± ¡°No. My darling would sing to make me happy, so you need to sing and make me happy as well!¡± demanded Catelyn, her voice hoarse and her eyes clouded with tears. As Catelyn sat on his waist, Cedrick could detect the way her body temperature rose from drinking too much, and his breaths began tobor as well. ¡°Catelyn, this is thest time I¡¯m warning you,¡± he threatened ominously. ¡°Get off.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to act all scary. Do you think I¡¯d be afraid of you simply because you look 3/3 like my darling? Hmph!¡± Catelyn was more demanding than he was, pouting as she mumbled, ¡°Why is it so hot?¡± She tossed the jacket away and gasped for air. When Cedrick caught sight of her silky skin, all the veins on his forehead began to protrude. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Catelyn could not quite move and pouted in impatience before trying to move away to rest. ¡°You¡¯re not as cute as my baby.¡± Cedrick grabbed her by the wrist and, like a swift leopard, grabbed her by the knees and pulled her back. He scanned her from head to toe under the bright light, and she gaped in surprise. Her face was as red as the color of blood itself, and when her doe-like eyes widened, her pink lips opened slightly as though silently inviting him to close their distance. The two were inches away from each other, and the familiar sensation that tingled Cedrick¡¯s palms reminded him of the chaotic night four years ago. Four years ago, Edwin had added an unknown substance into his drink, and as they clinked their sses, Cedrick took it by ident. How could he not submit to the effect? After beating Edwin up, he went upstairs to the hotel to rest in hopes he could white knuckle through the effect. It was then a woman barged into his room. Cedrick, at that point, was on the brink of losing control and thought that Edwin had sent him a woman. Everything that followed came naturally in the dark room, and ever since then, he fell in love with the scent of gardenias. When he woke up the next morning, he was alone in bed with only a stain of blood next to him, one that symbolized the innocence of a woman. After that, he even received a call from Edwin, who made fun of him. That was when he realized that he hadid his hands on the wrong person. He immediately went to check the surveince footage to find out who got into his room, but because the hotel happened to be upgrading its system, the footage of the past seven days had all been erased. Along the line, Cedrick ordered the fragrance manufacturing department in hispany to manufacture the fragrance ¡®No. 520¡¯, which symbolized the room number where he had stayed that night. He yed themercial everywhere in the city in hopes of finding the girl from that night, letting her know he was not an irresponsible man. He wanted to make it up to her. Finally, two monthster, Maia came to him and described everything of that night in great detail. Cedrick checked the surveince footage of smaller shops near the hotel and, true enough, spotted Maia walking into the hotel. Everything checked out and proved that Maia was telling the truth¡­but no matter how many times he tried, he could not seem to feel interested in her. Cedrick had thought that perhaps some feelings were only meant to exist in the dark. To his surprise, even though the scent of gardenias Catelyn had was different from the scent from the night four years ago and that she had birthed a child, Cedrick could not but feel that Catelyn was that woman from four years ago all along. Just as Cedrick¡¯s lips were about tond on Catelyn¡¯s ¨C Burp! Catelyn abruptly let a deafening burp rip out of her, shattering the romantic atmosphere instantly. Cedrick red at Catelyn, who had already fallen asleep. He desperately wanted to throw her into a freezing bathtub to sober her up, and to wake himself up as well. Despite not being drunk, he felt inexplicably intoxicated. ¡®Catelyn rk, you¡¯re just a woman who gave birth to a child for the likes of Jamie Mason. Who are you to deserve my attention?¡¯ he scoffed internally. The next morning, Catelyn woke up with a headache from a hangover, and her head felt like it was about to explode. Just then, someone knocked on the door from outside.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¡°Miss rk, are you awake?¡± the gentle voice of a female hotel staff came through the door. Catelyn¡¯s eyelids flung wide open as the sun¡¯s golden rays shone through the window. It was then she realized she was in a hotel room and, as she nced down at herself, that she wore nothing but her underwear. Above her corbone was a finger mark, which was clearly a man¡¯s doing. Catelyn leaped out of the bed as pieces of memories flooded her mind. Jamie had forced her into drinking and, after she got drunk, tried to rape her. Cedrick, thankfully, came right on time to save her before he took her here into this hotel. ¡®What then?¡¯ she gasped internally. ¡®I can¡¯t remember! Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Catelyn hit herself in the head and dazedly recalled a scene where she sat on top of Cedrick¡¯s chest and took off her shirt enthusiastically. ¡®Oh my god! Did I do that?¡¯ She winced. Flushed a scarlet red, Catelyn called out to the maid, ¡°I¡¯m awake now. You maye in.¡± The maid walked in with a bag and handed it to Catelyn. ¡°The mister fromst night told us to hand you this once you wake up. We bought everything with the measurements he provided us. Can you try them and see if these fit?¡± Catelyn¡¯s mind exploded once again. ¡®D-Does he know my measurements now, too?!¡¯ She gaped and ran to the bathroom in embarrassment, noting that the clothes all fitted her perfectly. The maid studied her teasingly and asked, ¡°Would you like to have your breakfast here before you leave?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine!¡± Catelyn could not even remember how she got out of the hotel, but something more embarrassing awaited her. As soon as she exited the hotel lobby, Eason walked up to her with a yful smile. ¡°. Miss rk, you¡¯re finally awake. Where are you going? Master Cedrick told me to drive you to wherever you want.¡± Catelyn was too flustered to let Eason drive her as she was about to crumble before the embarrassment. ¡°Morning, Mister Eason! No, thank you. I¡¯l¡­just catch a taxi on my own!¡± ¡°How can I let you do that? Besides, Master Cedrick has given me an order.¡± Eason looked at her knowingly and opened the car door for her respectfully. Catelyn could just die from the humiliation at the thought that Eason might have heard of what she did the night before, and at this point, she was already on the verge of breaking into tears. It was early in the morning, and with people walking past the hotel entrance, Catelyn realized that she should not argue with Eason any longer, getting into the car with an awkward smile. Eason drove off and observed Catelyn from the reflection on the rearview mirror. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Clearing his throat, Eason started a conversation in a light-hearted manner, ¡°Miss rk, what do you think of Master Cedrick¡¯s figure?¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn¡¯s cheeks felt burning hot in response to the question. ¡°It¡¯s¡­not bad,¡± she answered mindlessly without sparing a second thought to consider what Eason meant by the question, focusing on trying to recall everything she did the night before. She had always been the type of person that let go of all restraints once she was drunk. Back when she was still thedy of the rk Family, anotherdy from a different family whom she had crossed before had set up a trap to get her drunk. In the end, she started singing hysterically while stripping. The aftermath saw Ezekiel sending his servants to take her home, forbidding her from drinking again. Catelyn truly felt like hiding away from everyone she knew at that very moment, ¡°Just ¡®not bad?¡± Eason said in disagreement, ¡°That¡¯s not right. Master Cedrick works out every week and has abs, v-lines, and the perfect triangle shape. He could run for ten kilometers without even panting at all!¡± Catelyn fell silent, wondering why Eason was even rambling about all this. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you aren¡¯t satisfied with Master Cedrick, though, but please bear with him.¡± Catelyn felt as though her ears had been pierced by lightning at his words. She gaped and waspletely rendered speechless at that very moment. ¡°Wh-Are you being serious?¡± she asked gingerly. Eason, instead, thought Catelyn was having doubts about Cedrick and nodded sincerely. ¡°Of course! Master Cedrick carried you all the way to the hotelst night with ease, so you should know what I¡¯m talking about, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She took a deep breath and, out of curiosity, continued, ¡°When¡­did Master Cedrick leave? ¡°Don¡¯t me him for being cold. There¡¯s an important meeting in the office today and he can¡¯t skip it,¡± Eason exined smilingly. Catelyn chuckled awkwardly in response, all while her mind self-detonated. Just then, her train of thoughts was interrupted by the ringing of her phone, and she picked it up immediately. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Catelyn? This number is yours, huh? I¡¯m Missus Mason, Jamie¡¯s mother,¡± Lori¡¯s furious, haughty voice came through the phone. Catelyn rubbed the bridge of her nose and forced herself to calm down, refraining from thinking about the chaos from the night before. She had met Lori before when she was engaged to Jamie four years ago. Lori was the typical arrogant type of person, self-centered and took pride in being ady of a high-status family. ¡°Hello, Aunty,¡± Catelyn greeted politely. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t pull that ¡®hello¡¯ with me!¡± Lori interrupted her sharply, ¡°What did Jamie do to you to deserve being beaten to the point that he ends up in the hospital? I¡¯m telling you right now: you bettere to the hospital right now and apologize to Jamie. Otherwise, I¡¯ll see to it that you get locked up in jail!¡± Catelyn froze upon hearing this. It took her a while before she asked, albeit coldly, ¡°You¡¯re saying that I got someone to beat him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother denying it. I asked Jamie¡¯s bodyguards, and it couldn¡¯t have been anyone else! Just take a look at yourself. You aren¡¯t pretty, you don¡¯t have the perfect figure, and you¡¯re not from a high-status family. You should consider it an honor that Jamie was interested in you. How dare you hit him, you idiot?!¡± It had been four years, and Lori¡¯s logic never ceased to amaze Catelyn. The awkwardness she felt earlier had faded, and she even felt like chuckling. ¡°Missus Mason, if I¡¯m that ugly, Jamie has to be a masochist to throw himself at me. Who knows if he got beaten because of some other woman he toyed with out there? I wouldn¡¯t even want to get my hands dirty, so think twice before confronting me. ¡°If you want to sue me, go on ahead; I¡¯m innocent anyway. It¡¯d be a good chance for Loue to find out what kind of a man the father of her unborn child is!¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Catelyn hung up without a second thought and sighed a long breath of relief, feeling as though she had somehow managed to vent the frustration she felt because of Cedrick It was not after she hung up that she noticed she had missed a lot of calls from Miles and Ste. She had, after all, stayed out overnight and came home in a different set of clothes. Upon her arrival, Ste immediately recognized that Catelyn was wearing thetest products of a certain luxury brand she had seen in a magazine, so she confronted Catelyn. ¡°I saw a luxury car dropping you off just now. Who¡¯s that man? Is he trying to date you? Did you spend the night with him? You even changed to a different set of clothes.¡± Catelyn immediately mentioned John in hopes of stopping Ste from asking more questions, and as expected, Ste¡¯s expression changed as a guilty chuckle escaped her. ¡°So what did John say? When is the deadline for me to pay him back? Is he going toe looking for trouble?¡± Catelyn took a deep breath to suppress the disappointment and anger she felt. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t you think this whole thing seems a bit odd?¡± ¡°Odd?¡± Ste mumbled thoughtfully, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. A friend of mine said she found a new ce for a poker game, and then¡­ Wait, are you saying that someone set me up?¡± ¡°When I went to find John Reed to settle the payment details, it was Jamie Mason who showed up.¡± ¡®John Reed. Jamie Mason¡­ Ste thought back to the way she kept winning in the poker game before starting to lose at every single game toward the end. Even a fool would realize that something was wrong. Ste gritted her teeth and cursed, ¡°Curse that Jamie! It wasn¡¯t enough for him to mess with you four years ago, and now he¡¯se to set me up!¡± Catelyn knew that there was no point crying over spilled milk, so she could only tell Ste to stop gambling Ste agreed, though Catelyn felt defeated and exhausted at Ste¡¯s half-hearted response. However, Ste was her elder, so she had to know where to stop to avoid hurting Ste¡¯s feelings. After a period of consistent hard work, along with the original design and Anne¡¯s help, Catelyn¡¯s first draft of the mansion was finallypleted. Considering the awkward night she spent with Cedrick, she took the initiative to contact the butler Albert and proposed to hand him the draft. Albert knew how much Ollie had been looking forward to seeing Catelyn¡¯s design and immediately agreed. Catelyn sighed a breath of relief and sent the draft to Albert¡¯s email address. However, Albert was too old to catch up with thetest trends and technologies, as even his phone was still an old model, so the email address was naturally Ollie¡¯s. Ding! Ollie received the first draft of the design Catelyn sent. As expected of an achieved student of architecture, each data and advice was marked in detail. Though there were plenty that Ollie could not understand, he instinctively knew that Catelyn was the best. He stared intently at the screen, unwilling to look away for even one second. Cedrick returned home from the gathering, and Albert reported everything that Ollie did that day. Albert also mentioned that Catelyn had submitted her design, and Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened thoughtfully. He went to the child¡¯s room and saw Ollie sitting on a tall chair with his back toward the door, the boy staring dazedly at theputer screen. He did not even notice when Cedrick came and stood behind him. Cedrick nced at theputer screen and saw the draft that Catelyn had designed. Apart fromplicated amendments, her designs for the rooms, the balcony, the swimming pool, the lounging area, and the entertainment area had been tailored and designed with full consideration of his requests. Ollie marked down every single detail and smiled when he thought of the fact that Catelyn was the one who designed it.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Ollie had almost finished memorizing the design and closed the draft window, and it was then he spotted the reflection of a figure on theputer screen. Ollie¡¯s eyes widened as he turned around, only to find that Cedrick was standing right behind him. Ollie¡¯s rxed posture tensed up immediately. ¡°F-Father?¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened as he asked the question that he already had the answer for. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Aunty Catelyn¡¯s draft that she had just sent over,¡± Ollie exined as he hopped down from the stool, moved it closer to Cedrick, and gestured for him to sit. Cedrick sat his tall figure down elegantly. ¡°Do you understand it?¡± Ollie shook his head defeatedly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand some parts of it, but¡­¡± Ollie balled his fists tightly as he spoke with much conviction, ¡°I¡¯ll study hard to make sure I understand all of it someday.¡± Cedrick¡¯s heart softened upon seeing how determined Ollie was. ¡°Turn on theputer. I¡¯ll exin to you the parts you didn¡¯t understand.¡± Ollie¡¯s eyes sparkled in anticipation upon hearing his father¡¯s offer. Cedrick was always busy with work, and the pair rarely spent any alone time together, let alone Cedrick teaching his son anything. Ollie turned on theptop as the draft appeared right on the screen. He was about to point something out to show Cedrick, but he was too short and his arms were not long enough. 11 1 Cedrick then hoisted Ollie upward by his torso with one arm and ced him on hisp. Ollie was so shocked that his lips parted. This¡­was the first time his father has ever carried him. + ¡°Which part did you have trouble with?¡± asked Cedrick with his deep voice. Ollie snapped back to his senses and pointed at the screen. ¡°Here, here, and here. I don¡¯t quite understand these parts.¡± Cedrick exined everything thoroughly to Ollie. Since construction and development were a big part of Mason Group, it was an easy topic for Cedrick to exin and teach. Ollie felt a newfound admiration for Cedrick. Even though they were never close, Cedrick was the most capable young man in Sapphire City. Tere never Albert was about to remind ollie that it was time for bed when he walked past the room and overheard their conversation. Upon looking closely, he saw that the Young Master was sitting on Master Cedrick¡¯sp, and the two of them were having a discussion about Catelyn¡¯s draft. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Albert rubbed his eyes, thinking he was imagining things. Was Master Cedrick really bonding with the Young Master? What a miracle! It was a good while before Cedrick got off of Ollie¡¯s seat. Cedrick looked at Ollie¡¯s hopeful, excited gaze, and rubbed his head awkwardly, saying, ¡°If you like Cately that much, you can go see her at the mansion. I¡¯ll be moving her there soon, after all.¡± Ollie¡¯s eyes sparkled. However, it quickly turned into a look of disappointment. Ollie did want to see his dear Aunty Catelyn, but how could he make sure she would not be able to recognize him? The next day, Ollie went downstairs from the second floor and found Maia at the dining table along with Cedrick. ¡°Ollie, you¡¯re up!¡± greeted Maia as she waved gently at Ollie. ¡°I brought you some gifts. Come have a look!¡± Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Ollie¡¯s eyes gleamed with dissatisfaction for a brief moment. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Maia would always behave demurely and elegantly whenever Cedrick was nearby. In reality, Ollie had been exposed to Maia¡¯s true color more than once, and he knew Maia despised him for being a burden. Nheless, Ollie walked over toward Maia and greeted her politely. ¡°Good morning, Aunty Maia.¡± ¡°Morning, Little Ollie.¡± Maia took out a robot toy figure from her bag and gave it to Ollie. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to properly take care of you when you were sick previously, so I hope this gift is enough to make up for it. Do you like it?¡± Ollie took the toy and nodded calmly, his face devoid of emotions. He was used to hiding his emotions from those outside his circle. Maia reached out her hand, her nails done with sparkling manicure, as she attempted to pat Ollie¡¯s head. Ollie, however, moved one step toward the dining table and grabbed the ss of hot milk, dodging Maia¡¯s handpletely. He would not allow just anyone to touch his head! Maia¡¯s smile twitched, internally hissing at the boy in annoyance. Her smile and enthusiasm quickly returned to her face. ¡°Ollie, let¡¯s y with the toy together, shall we?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. You¡¯re here to see my father, so I won¡¯t be bothering you.¡± Ollie put the ss of milk down. The milk had left a ring of foam on his philtrum, it was an adorable sight. His annoyance was not visible to the in eye. ¡°Alright, then.¡± Maia nodded lightly, feeling upset internally. Even though Ollie was polite the whole time, she could tell that he had asserted some distance. Albert came out of the kitchen and was surprised to find Maia there. He greeted her happily, as he had always hoped that Cedrick would find Ollie a mother someday. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here, Miss rk.¡± ¡°Thank you for your service, Albert.¡± Albert noticed how both Cedrick and Ollie were having breakfast on their own by the dining table and felt that they had ignored Maia. He then created an opportunity for them to talk by starting a conversation, ¡°Master Cedrick, don¡¯t you think Young Master¡¯s features look just slightly like Miss Maia? Especially his nose and eyes¡­¡± Cedrick looked up slowly and observed both Maia and Ollie¡¯s faces nonchntly. Before Cedrick could respond, Maia eximed excitedly, ¡°My mother had said that to me as well. I guess they were right about how people tend to look more like each other the longer they spend together, huh?¡± Ollie¡¯s expression remained the same as he looked up and said with all seriousness, ¡°Aunty Maia, you¡¯re too pretty. I¡¯d prefer to look more like my father-stoic and masculine.¡± Cedrick looked at Ollie¡¯s tiny, youthful face as it slowly transformed into another face. His features slowly morphed into another familiar face, and it was not of Maia¡¯s. It was Catelyn¡¯s. nos Cedrick felt that Ollie¡¯s nose and eyes looked more like Catelyn. He thought he had gone crazy at this point for thinking about that woman that early in the morning With that, Cedrick looked away and shifted the conversation. After breakfast, Cedrick went back to his room to get changed and got ready for work. His bedroom consisted of three shades-ck, gray, and white-a cold and minimalistic style. The room¡¯s decorations were simple as well, and there was nothing much aside from the important furniture and a few photographs. It did not look like a father¡¯s bedroom. If anything, it looked like a bachelor¡¯s bedroom. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Cedrick opened his closet and took out his shirt and suit. He changed into his clean shirt, which highlighted his toned muscles underneath. It was then Cedrick caught a whiff of gardenias, a very familiar scent, and he knew it was Maia. Maia reached her arms out and embraced Cedrick from behind as she rested her cheek on his back His body was incredibly toned without any extra fat. Maia breathed flirtatiously on Cedrick¡¯s nape, her voice soft and gentle like a cat¡¯s purr.¡± Master Cedrick, we¡¯ve been engaged for four years already. Why haven¡¯t you touched me after that one time four years ago?¡± Cedrick pursed his lips without saying anything, and that familiar scent had turned pungent in that instant. Seeing as Cedrick did not push her away, Maia became bold and decided to persist. ¡°My parents have been asking me when we¡¯re getting married, and when we can have our own child.¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression shifted in an instant as he grabbed Maia¡¯s wrist, stunning her. She had almost lost her elegantposure. Cedrick¡¯s facial features looked pronounced under the warm sunlight. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t n on having another child in the near future.¡± Maia¡¯s disappointment showed in an instant, her face turning pale as she did. ¡°Then we can just get married! I really like little Ollie, too¡­¡± Cedrick pushed Maia away and put on his suit as he buttoned the top button of his shirt up, emitting an unapproachable aura. When he looked back at Maia, there was not a single trace of emotion on his face. ¡°The Masons aren¡¯t stable as of now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of that, and Alexander Mason is still thirsting over the spot for the next Mason heir. Before we cane to a conclusion, I can¡¯t give you an answer. ¡°If that¡¯s not something you can ept, you can do whatever you want with our engagement contract. I¡¯ll bear the responsibilities.¡± The reason they were engaged was only because of the incident four years ago. Cedrick had no love for Maia. Even after four years of being together, he still had not developed any feelings for her. Cedrick thought that maybe his feelings were just that limited. Maia looked at Cedrick, dumbfounded at first, but her face quickly changed into a determined smile. ¡°We¡¯re engaged by the sacredw, and that¡¯s for eternity. You¡¯re mine, and nobody can take you away from me. Don¡¯t expect me to give up! I¡¯ll patiently wait for the day when you finally Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. desde to marry me.¡± At a private hospital in Sapphire City was an inpatient on the third floor. Jamie had sustained multiple injuries across his body and even suffered a broken rib. He was able to regain consciousness only after being rescued by the doctors in the hospital. The doctor had advised him to rest for a month before going back to his normal life. He was bound by bandages all over his body, his leg coated with cement and hung mid-air, and his face covered with bruises. He looked like he went to hell and back. His whole family was surrounding him and taking care of him. ¡°Catelyn, that fool!¡± hissed Jamie¡¯s younger sister, Queenie, through gritted teeth. ¡°How dare she have someone ambush you?! i¡¯ll make sure she pays for this!¡± Queenie and Catelyn had gone to the same high school. Catelyn used to always be the prettiest girl in school, and everyone loved her. The rks were a powerful and wealthy family at that time, thus Queenie, too, used to be one of her followers. Since the rks had fallen, and Catelyn had been dumped by Jamie¡­ It was time for Queenie to shatter Catelyn! Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 ¡°Catelyn didn¡¯t ask anyone to beat me up; it was the man she¡¯s cheating on me with who ambushed me,¡± said Jamie with a sunken face as he sat up on the bed, frustrated, and his face covered with injuries was scrunched. That night, he left the clubhouse with two bodyguards. He originally wanted to take care of his head injury, but he was shoved into the bushes the moment he stepped onto the sidewalk. Those men were fearless enough that they did not even bother covering up their faces. They literally went ham on him and beat him up, not forgetting to sneer at him before they left, reminding him to remember his ce! Who else could that be? It was Cedrick¡¯s doing! ¡°No matter who it was, we should never let it go so easily!¡± said Queenie. However, Jamie did not wish to pursue it any further. It was humiliating enough that he was punished by Cedrick, and he would never be as powerful as him. Jamie only said that because he wanted to save his dignity in front of his little sister. ¡°This is the end of it. Stop looking into this.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± huffed Queenie, overwhelmed with emotions. ¡°You¡¯re hurt, Jamie, and you have the right to sue Catelyn! Don¡¯t tell me you sympathized with the kid.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spewing?¡± Jamie growled, his leg that was hung mid-air shaking as if it would fall from the harness. Their mother pulled Queenie back and stopped her from saying anything else. Queenie gritted her teeth, swearing that she would not let Catelyn go unpunished. ¡°Achoo!¡± sneezed Catelyn just as she finished her lunch. Anne was having a discussion with Catelyn about a design draft at that moment. She immediately raised the folder to block her face before retrieving a sheet of tissue paper from the desk and passing it to Catelyn. ¡°You don¡¯t look too good. Did you get a cold?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Catelyn blew her nose, the tip of her nose red and her voice nasally. She found her having a sore throat since she left the hotel that night, and it was followed by a blocked nose. Anne patted her shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overwork yourself; just do what you can! It hurts me to see you in this state.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Catelyn looked at Anne gratefully and returned to work right after. They finished up another draft for a small house and went straight to Ollie¡¯s mansion. The sky was dark and gloomy at that point, as if it was going to pour anytime soon. As soon as Catelyn arrived at the mansion, rain fell from the sky, apanied by lightning and thunder. Catelyn instantly thought of Miles, remembering that the sound of thunder was one of the things he was most afraid of. Catelyn was about to call Ste when she spotted from her peripheral vision a small figure hunched into a ball, sitting alone in the resting area. d . Though the boy¡¯s back was facing her, she could see he was wearing a charming ck little vest with some alphabets printed on the back, and a dark-colored hat that sat nted on his head. It was an adorable sight. f e ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Even though Catelyn could not see his face, the way he sat reminded her of her son. ¡°Baby?¡± Catelyn held the phone in her hand tightly and called out to him. It seemed like the little guy did not hear him as he did not turn his head around. Catelyn frowned lightly and walked toward the boy, who seemed to be in deep contemtion. Catelyn reached her hand out, her fingersnding on the boy¡¯s shoulder ¡°What are you doing?¡± came a voice from behind her interrogatively. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Startled, Catelyn quickly retrieved her hand. Albert walked toward them with a bouquet of red roses, his expression stoic as he dragged her away from the boy defensively. ¡°This is the young master of the Mason family!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. With her wrist starting to hurt, Catelyn freed herself from Albert¡¯s grip. Her cheeks flushed red as she sheepishly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I got the wrong person. My apologies.¡± The boy heard themotion and turned around, his eyes twinkling in anticipation when he noticed that Catelyn had arrived. ¡°Aunty Catelyn!¡± Catelyn was baffled. That voice sounded just like her son¡¯s, but¡­ When she saw his face, her shoulders dropped. The boy in front of her was covered from head to toe. His hoodie covered his forehead and the outline of his face, while his eyes hid behind a pair of sunsses and the lower half of his face was concealed by a face mask. The only bare skin that was not concealed was the area under his eyes. Even his ears were covered by the hoodie! ¡°Miss rk, the young master doesn¡¯t like to be touched by people,¡± said Albert. Ollie hopped down from the chair and reached out to Catelyn immediately. He pointed at the seat he had sat on and greeted, ¡°You¡¯re here, Aunty Catelyn! Ollie has been waiting for you. Come, sit.¡± Albert was at a loss of words. What happened to the cold, stoic little boy? Catelyn sat hesitantly. She scanned Ollie from head to toe and asked, ¡°Have we met?¡± ¡°No,¡± answered the young master sweetly. Even though his face was barely visible, his voice alone was adorable enough. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your pictures on myptop, and you look so beautiful, even more so when you smile. You should smile more.¡± Catelyn felt warmth spreading through her heart upon receiving apliment, though she could not entirely shake off the doubt that gnawed on her. ¡°Why are you wearing a mask and sunsses? Let me take them off for you; they don¡¯t lookfortable at all.¡± She wanted to see what the boy looked like. He looked and sounded too much like her son. With that, Catelyn reached out, wanting to take the sunsses and mask off of Ollie, but he dodged her hands and quickly ran away, leaving Catelyn¡¯s hands hanging mid-air. Ollie ran and hid behind Albert, peeking from behind the butler¡¯s legs. ¡°Mister Albert said that there are strangers out there with bad intentions and that it¡¯s better for me not to show my face. Also, I have a slight cold, so I should wear my mask so I don¡¯t spread the flu.¡± Albert nodded at this and added with a protective tone, ¡°The young master had juste down from a fever, so it¡¯s better for him to keep warm.¡± Catelyn had no other choice but to drop it. It would seem suspicious if she persisted. The boy then took the bouquet of red roses that hid half of his small frame from Albert¡¯s hands and wobbled toward Catelyn, handing her the bouquet. ¡°Aunty Catelyn, I got this from the flower shop earlier. Thank you for designing my mansion.¡± Catelyn was afraid he might fall from the way he was running. Ollie stood in front of Catelyn, his tiny head tilted slightly as he stared into her eyes. His eyes seemed to keep the night stars as they twinkled in his eyes. Catelyn epted the flowers and sniffed the petals. ¡°Thank you, Young Master. I¡¯ll do my best in completing my mission-achoo!¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Catelyn sneezed, triggered by her cold and the scent of the roses at hand. She immediately covered her mouth and coughed a few times; thest thing she wanted was to infect the boy with her cold. The concerned Ollie tugged at the hem of Catelyn¡¯s shirt and sweetly asked, ¡°Are you unwell, Aunty Catelyn?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, just a little cold.¡± ¡°You can call me Ollie or Little Ollie-just not ¡®Young Master¡¯, please¡± Ollie followed closely behind Catelyn as he then carefully retrieved a paper shaped into a heart and gave it to Catelyn. ¡°I have another gift for you. I hope you like it!¡± Catelyn looked at the beautiful handmade origami, her heart felt full and warm. How adorable. This was better than the bouquet! W Still, this was the first time she met Ollie, was it not? How was he so good at this? Was this hereditary? Cedrick did not look like the type to make his first move when it came to girls. On the contrary, he looked like the type to wait for the woman to strike up an effort first! ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± asked Ollie warily, seeing as Catelyn did not ept the gift. Cately quickly epted the paper heart and patted his head lovingly, saying, ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful, and you made it for me, Ollie. Of course I¡¯d love it! Thank you so much, Little Ollie.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Ollie smiled bashfully, his little inky eyes bubbling with hearts. However, with the sunsses covering his eyes, Catelyn could not see just how he adored her with his gaze. Coincidentally, Cedrick had just returned with another designer, George Graham, and was greeted by the scene of Ollie and Catelyn looking into each other¡¯s eyes lovingly. The roses in Catelyn¡¯s hands were a sight for sore eyes. Cedrick¡¯s face sank. He did not even bother wiping off the wet patch on his shoulders caused by the rain. ¡°Carrying flowers to work, I see. Are you here to show off or to work?¡± Catelyn smiled politely and exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any flowers to work with me. These were gifted to me by Little Ollie.¡± ¡®See? Your son is much more adorable and mature than you are!¡¯ thought Catelyn to herself smugly, vowing that she would do her utmost best on this project for Ollie. ¡°Little Ollie?¡± Cedrick looked at Ollie, confused. Ollie might have looked adorable on the outside, but he had always been cold and stoic. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. He had never liked it when Maia referred to him as ¡®Little Ollie¡¯, so why would he allow Catelyn to call him that? ¡°Father, that¡¯s my gift for Aunty Catelyn, and I also requested for her to call me that. It¡¯s more friendly, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Ollie defensively, aware of how Cedrick disliked Catelyn. He then stood in front of Catelyn, shielding her like a hen would protect its chicks from predators. Cedrick pursed his lips and looked into Ollie¡¯s eyes. The atmosphere, at that moment, felt suffocating Ollie had always been an obedient and mature child, but when it came to anything about Catelyn, he would be unreasonable. ¡°It¡¯s just a nickname. If Master Cedrick is displeased, I¡¯ll just refer to him as the young master. ¡± Catelyn sensed how the atmosphere had turned rather hostile and immediately tried to rectify the situation. The last thing she wanted was for the pair to quarrel because of her. ¡°No way! It sounds too proper.¡± ollie pouted as he rubbed his head against Catelyn¡¯s pant leg like a puppy afraid of being abandoned. Catelyn could not deny how her heart melted at the gesture, yet it was their first meeting, nheless. Was being proper wrong? Catelyn was struggling to understand the situation. At that moment, a breeze blew against her hair lightly. Apanied by the thunder and the sound of rain, her face was flushed in a light crimson, her eyes clear as crystals. Ollie waspletely mesmerized by her. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Cedrick was just as enthralled as Ollie was as his eyes darkened. He quickly peeled his eyes away from Catelyn the moment he realized that he had been staring, only to learn that his architect, George, had been spellbound by Catelyn as well. It was as if everything had ceased to exist in that instant, that Catelyn was the only thing that existed in George¡¯s world. What an ursed yet captivating woman.. Cedrick¡¯s expression shifted as he changed the topic to work-rted matters. George was the youngest architect working under Cedrick. Catelyn had met him a few times before that, but they only had small talks. The three of them headed toward the unfurnished mansion with raincoats as they discussed the progress. George was an architect under Mason Group, so he was naturally well-versed in furnishing houses. Catelyn expressed her opinions every now and then, working alongside George as they both focused on different areas that were corrted to one another. Cedrick felt left out of the conversation as he observed the pair going back and forth with each other. Cedrick rubbed his fingers together and said to them, ¡°Commence all works as discussed. I want the workers to start working within three days.¡± ¡°We have no problem with workers as they can start anytime, but the materials, on the other hand¡­¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Catelyn looked over at George, tucking her hair that fluttered with the breeze behind her ears. Her pale skin was akin to a ss of milk, and the veins on her nape were visible under her translucent skin. George felt breathless for a second, but he quickly regained his senses as he responded, ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to the suppliers regarding the materials. I went there and double-checked everything myself to make sure that the materials are all up to standards and safe for the young master.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Mister Graham.¡± ¡°It was no trouble at all. This is all for the young master¡¯s well-being.¡± George smiled, his heart thudding inside his chest. How had he not noticed how beautiful Catelyn was before? Cedrick observed the pair before him as the corners of his lips lifted slightly. Catelyn was indeed a capable woman, he thought. Not only had she captivated Ollie¡¯s soul, but even George waspletely under her spell. Rain poured down mercilessly from the sky, and it did not look like it would cease anytime soon. The ground was bare with soil as it had not been filled with bricks. The three of them walked back together. Catelyn followed closely behind the two men when, all of a sudden, she slipped on a metal bar on the ground Both Cedrick and George reached out to catch her at the same time, but Cedrick was quicker as he grabbed Catelyn¡¯s hand and pulled her into an embrace, one side of her facending on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat thudding loudly inside his chest, even as the rain roared in might. His scent enveloped her entire body, and the street light gleamed under the rain as Cedrick cradled Catelyn. His deep, crisp voice was heard uttering from above. ¡°You alright?¡± George¡¯s hands paused mid-air as he watched the pair embrace, but he did not think much of it. The only thing in his mind was how he was not quick enough to catch her, or he would have been the one holding the beautifuldy in his arms. Catelyn quickly got a hold of herself and distanced herself from Cedrick, sporting a polite smile as she spoke, ¡°I¡¯m good. Thank you, Master Cedrick.¡± ¡°Thest thing I want is for you to injure yourself before the work even begins and affect our progress,¡± said Cedrick as he turned his face away. Catelyn was speechless, her feelings of gratitude gone in an instant. George reached out to Catelyn and said to her, ¡°This is quite the downpour, Catelyn. Why don¡¯t you hold onto me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m alright. It was just an ident,¡± excused Catelyn as she looked at Cedrick¡¯s hand for a brief moment. She was too afraid earlier and might have grasped onto his hand too harshly. She wondered if she had left any marks on his palm. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Ollie, meanwhile, sat inside the resting room. He watched as everything unfolded and felt oddly happy. After all, his father had hugged Aunty Catelyn, which meant he must have liked Aunty Catelyn! If he started dating Aunty Catelyn, Ollie would be able to be with Catelyn forever! The rain only worsened as time went by, and the windscreen wiper barely had time to wipe away the droplets before more fell and wetted the windows. With that, they were forced to stop driving Cedrick had no choice but to bring them over to another mansion closest to where they were. Meanwhile, Catelyn called Ste to make sure Miles was taken care of before she followed the rest to the hall. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¨C ¨C + The mansion felt cold and deste, probably because it had been devoid of people for a long time. OO The room¡¯s temperature went up very slowly, even with the aid of the heater. Catelyn¡¯s clothes were slightly damp after walking in the rain, even with the raincoat on. She felt cold even during summer as she coiled into a ball on the sofa. Ollie took off his ck leather shoes as he climbed into herp and sped her hands into his in an attempt to warm them. ¡°Aunty Catelyn, your body is so cold. Would you like to have a warm bath?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Catelyn was tempted by the offer, but she thought to herself, ¡®I didn¡¯t bring any change of clothes, so it might be a tad inconvenient.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have lots of clothes here!¡± added the boy, his eyes twinkling with pure mirth. ¡°Lots of¡­ clothes?¡± Catelyn was stunned at this. Perhaps Cedrick had brought plenty of women back here before? However, as Ollie guided Catelyn upstairs to look at the clothes he mentioned, she scoffed amusingly. There were no women¡¯s clothes in sight; these were all Cedrick¡¯s white dress shirts! The shirts were pretty thin, and she wondered if they would be see-through on her. It was summer, after all. ¡°1-It¡¯s alright. The heater is on, and i¡¯ll be warm in a short while.¡± ¡°No way! You already have a cold, and if you fall sick, the progress of the work will be affected! ¡± argued the boy firmly as he passed a white shirt to Catelyn. He then pointed at the bathroom and said, ¡°There¡¯s a dryer in there, so you can change into the shirt and dry your clothes before putting them back onter.¡± That sounded reasonable, Catelyn thought. After all, she could just lock the door to prevent anyone from going in. ¡°Smart Little Ollie,¡± praised Catelyn as she patted his head lovingly. She would have even given the boy a smooch on the cheek had their titles not been so far different from one another. Ollie rubbed his face against Catelyn¡¯s hand. He had always hated being patted on the head, but if it was Aunty Catelyn, who smelled just like his mom, he would not mind at all. He was determined to be the cupid for her and his father! The sound of water running in the bathroom echoed as Ollie sneaked himself to the door and opened it ever so slightly, making sure it was unlocked. He then went to the study next door, where Cedrick was reading, and knocked on the door. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± said Cedrick as his eyes remained on theputer screen. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Ollie cleared his throat and said, ¡°I think Aunty Catelyn has something to discuss with you about the mansion. She¡¯s right next door.¡± Cedrick frowned lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already given my orders. What else does she want to talk about?¡± Ollie was not at the scene during their discussion earlier, thus he paused for a moment to think of a comeback before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that. You should talk to her yourself.¡± Cedrick rubbed his fingers together and spread his palm open. A small semicircle mark was visible on his palm, caused when Catelyn grabbed his palm when she had tripped and fallen into his embrace. It was obvious how terrified she was at that moment with the way she grabbed him really tightly ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be there in a moment. Albert warmed up some milk for you, so remember to have some before you go to bed.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you, Father.¡± The boy nodded as he let out a sigh of relief silently. It seemed that Cedrick was not suspicious of him at all. Cedrick felt the spot on his chest where Catelyn fell against starting to itch. He was about to go see her next door but quickly sat back down again. If he were to go, would it seem like he cared? Cedrick decided to finish reading his documents before getting up and going to her. It waste at night, and no one else was on the second floor apart from himself and Catelyn. The corridor was empty and quiet. Cedrick knocked on the door before going in, but the door was not even closed as it gaped open upon a slight push¡­ The sounds of water could be heard as soon as the door opened, Cedrick frowned at the thought of Catelyn being in the shower. Why would she call him over when she was taking a shower? Cedrick was about to leave the room when Catelyn¡¯s phone rang loudly. He paused as his gazended on her phone. The screen lit up with the caller ID¡¯s name disyed. (Baby.] Cedrick feltpelled to pick up the phone. ¡°Big Kitty, are you working overtime again tonight?¡± Miles¡¯ cute, childish tone was heard from the other side of the phone. ¡°Are you Catelyn¡¯s son?¡± Was that the voice of a man?! ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Miles, who was lying leisurely in his bed, hopped down in an instant upon hearing a man¡¯s voice, and the boy¡¯s gaze burned with hostility. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m Big Kitty¡¯s favorite baby! Who is this? Why do you have her phone?¡± Cedrick loosened his tie with his slender hand, his tanned chest exposed as he unbuttoned the top button of his dress shirt. ¡°I¡¯m your mother¡¯s boss.¡± Her boss? Miles immediately thought of the disgusting, perverted Terry Norman with that big beer belly of his. Sensing that his mother was in danger, Miles grew alert and was racked with worry. ¡°You perverted old man! What are you doing with my mother? I¡¯m warning you; stay away from my Big Kitty!¡± Cedrick was speechless. Perverted old man? ¡°Are you aware of my ability to get your mother fired? Seeing as you¡¯re still a child, I¡¯ll give you a second chance. Apologize to me now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Mister Norman: I¡¯ll never forgive you if you touch my mother! So what if she¡¯s fired? I¡¯ll take care of her when I¡¯m all grown up!¡± Terry had always bullied Catelyn, always making her work overtime. The boy knew of this and had always wanted to show that sleazeball what he was capable of. Meanwhile, Cedrick was baffled. Who was this ¡®Norman¡¯ the boy was talking about? Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Cedrick¡¯s face darkened in an instant. At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and out came Catelyn in an oversized dress shirt -his, moreover. Her hair was dripping with water as she tilted her head to the right. She had been looking for a pair of pants to wear as she felt uneasy being pantless. Imagine her surprise when she noticed there was a man in the room. ¡°Ahh!¡± she shrieked as she covered her chest with her hands, ring at the man before him.¡± C-Cedrick Mason, what are you doing here?!¡± Cedrick¡¯s back was facing her at that moment. He hung up the phone and tossed it on the table when he heard her scream. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who called me over¡­¡± The rest of the words were stuck in his throat when he landed his eyes on Catelyn. The dress shirt that fitted him nicely had turned into an oversized dress on her, while the top three buttons were left unbuttoned. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn followed his gaze as her eyes drifted down to her chest, the shirt damp from her wet hair. The brush she was holding dropped on the floor, and if she were to crouch and pick it up, everything would be exposed! She hurriedly retrieved a towel from the closest rack and covered herself before shooting Cedrick a fiery re. What a disaster. She was certain that she had locked the door! Moreover, where was Ollie? She had thought he would stay to y a videogame or two! ¡°Get out!¡± Catelyn scowled. Cedrick was at a loss. He should have known that he had been yed by Ollie. Cedrick strode toward Catelyn and arrogantly snapped, ¡°This is my house, so why do I have to get out? Who gave you the permission to put on my clothes and seduce me, Catelyn rk?¡± The air grew tense in an instant. Catelyn staggered a few steps back as her eyes widened. S-Seduce? Her fists tightened at the thought as anger slowly engulfed her entire being. She was just taking a shower, yet this man barged in and had the audacity to use her of seducing him? How dare he?! ¡°Since when have I seduced you? Your son gave me the shirt, and I did lock the door. I think you came in here knowing that I was taking a shower and was being a peeping Tom! You¡¯re just using me of seducing you because you got caught, aren¡¯t you?¡± Catelyn was getting increasingly furious, her eyes aze with mes as she spat, ¡°Your shirt and your house, right? i¡¯ll return everything and leave.¡± Catelyn turned and walked back into the bathroom, intending to switch back into her clothes. However, Cedrick caught up to her and grabbed her wrist with one hand, mming the other next to her face against the wall. ¡°Is this some sort of sick, twisted game?¡± Catelyn, sandwiched between Cedrick and the wall, turned her head sideways, dodging his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a psycho!¡± snarled Catelyn. ¡°Am I a psycho, or did I just unveil your ugly truth?¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened as he thought about the scene earlier. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 ¡°Ollie is usually non-expressive. How did you bribe him? How did he get so attached to you, even giving you roses and handmade crafts?¡± Cedrick inched himself closer to her, and his hand that grabbed her wrist got tighter, too.¡± You¡¯ve already borne a son for Jamie, so why are you still messing with my son?¡± He was starting to wonder if Catelyn was a bad influence on Ollie. At this point, Catelyn had enough. She held his gaze firmly, but all she could feel was herself struggling in anger. What did Cedrick mean, her bribing Ollie? Also, it was none of his business to mind whose baby she had conceived! ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I underestimated you. You knew it was useless to approach me, so you wanted to get Ollie to ept you and then use him to make me ept you, too. You wanted to be his stepmother, to leap your way up the societal hierarchy, didn¡¯t you?¡± The veins on Catelyn¡¯s forehead throbbed at Cedrick¡¯sment. This man must have lost his mind! N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Catelyn could feel her wrath rising steadily. ¡°If you truly think that I had intentionally gotten close to Ollie, feel free to fire me. You can take your son back to your ce, and we¡¯ll never meet again!¡± Cedrick watched as Catelyn raised her voice at his face, and a theory crossed his mind. She was right; he was at the perfect liberty to fire her. However, how would Ollie react to it? Catelyn must have thought about this, and that was why she was so haughty to suggest it! After all, the deal had quite a substantial value. She hadpleted the preliminary work too and was only waiting for execution toplete and, subsequently, arrange the payment. He knew in his guts that she was in it for the money, or at least had been driven by the thought of it once. Meanwhile, Ollie, who was eavesdropping outside the door, got anxious when he heard Catelyn¡¯s words, implying she no longer wanted to see him. He knew that his father had some prejudice against her, but he had never imagined it to be this bad. Catelyn never once attempted to bribe him; it was him who wanted to bribe her to be his stepmother! For the first time, Ollie was disappointed in Cedrick. He had opened so many good opportunities, but all of them turned sour as Cedrick assumed that Catelyn was a person of poor morals. He even said Catelyn had evil intentions! How could Cedrick be so dense?! Just when he was cracking his head on how to resolve this, a hot bowl of soup was served. George Graham was curious to see Ollie standing by the doorway. Looking around, he wondered, ¡®Wasn¡¯t Master Cedrick¡¯s room the one next to him?¡¯ ¡°Master Ollie, why are you standing here?¡± Of course, Ollie could not admit that he was eavesdropping. ¡°I was just passing by. What about you, Uncle Graham?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve boiled some hot soup, you see, and I figured that Miss Catelyn probably hasn¡¯t had it, so I decided to send some to her.¡± He pointed at the door behind Ollie, where Catelyn was resting Ollie shot George a death stare. This man wanted to woo Catelyn! The hostile stare made George feel uneasy. Though, for some unknown reason, Ollie happily opened the door for him and said respectfully, ¡°If you would, Uncle George.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ollie.¡± He must have been imagining things. Ollie was always so well-mannered, and he even opened the door for him! He was not the arrogant child people have described him at all. However, George¡¯s jaw hung low as soon as he entered the room. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 George saw Cedrick pinning Catelyn against the wall, her wrists firmly held in his hands. Catelyn¡¯s eyes were red and seemed glossed with tears¡­as though she had wept. Cedrick was harassing her! George automatically sprung forward and attempted to pull Cedrick away from her, but Cedrick just would not budge. ¡°Master Cedrick! You¡¯re already engaged; you can¡¯t do this! Let her go!¡± Fiance? Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing that, and her expression became unpleasant. Cedrick had a fiance? That meant whatever happened that night at the hotel was¡­ Cedrickposed himself and flung Catelyn¡¯s hands away. Without hesitation, he turned around and was about to leave. He saw George serving the hot soup to Catelyn through the corner of his eyes, his lips curling upward in an unreadable emotion. ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you-your son called. He asked for you to return his call, or he¡¯ll be calling the police soon.¡± ¡°Son?¡± George looked at Catelyn in disbelief. ¡°Catelyn, did Master Cedrickjust say that you have a son?¡± ¡°Yes, my son is turning four soon.¡± Catelyn was not shy about it at all. She tucked her towel in and hurried to get her phone, thinking of calling her son immediately. She knew Miles well enough to know that he was not joking when he said he wanted to call the police. Meanwhile, George¡¯s face froze entirely as he stammered, ¡°I¡­never heard you talking about this. I was always under the impression that you¡¯re still single.¡± Catelyn was so focused on trying to dial Miles that she did not even notice George¡¯s expressions. ¡°I am technically single; I¡¯m a single mom.¡± The light went off in George¡¯s eyes. Just when he finally fell for a woman, she happened to be a single mom at such a young age. He had so much more to ask but found himself unable to speak. His mind was in utter disarray at that moment. Ollie looked visibly grim when Cedrick walked out of the door and bumped into him. The boy was so tiny that he barely reached the height of Cedrick¡¯s waist, even if he stood up straight. Nheless, he stood still and hung his head low as though knowing he had screwed up. ¡°Follow me to the study,¡± said Cedrick coldly before turning to leave. Ollie peeked into Catelyn¡¯s room warily, but still followed Cedrick He sighed to himself.¡± Looks like it¡¯s a long way to go in helping Father get the woman.¡± The windows of their spacious study were left open, and a bit of rain had drizzled in. The thunderstorm outside had rustled the maple tree outside, causing the branches to brush and snap against each other. It was an eerie sight! Cedrick looked at his son, and his tone was stern as he began, ¡°Catelyn¡¯s clothes. Did you get them for her?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°Yes,¡± Ollie replied without hesitation. ¡°You¡¯re quick to reply, aren¡¯t you? Whose idea was it to talk to me: yours, or hers?¡± Ollie pursed his lips, then said, ¡°Mine.¡± Enraged, Cedrick¡¯s eyebrows raised as his eyes widened. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like! I was just¡­¡± Ollie bit his lip, attempting to exin the situation but could not. ¡°Anyway, Aunty Catelyn never wanted to seduce you. It was my one-sided wish to have her as my stepmother.¡± ¡°If you want a stepmother, we have one at home. I could make her your stepmother any time.¡± Being engaged for four years, Maia was already seen as the unofficial Missus Mason. They only needed a wedding to officialize it. ¡°I don¡¯t like Aunty Maia,¡± came Ollie¡¯s brazen retort. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Cedrick eyed Ollie dangerously. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said that I don¡¯t like Aunty Maia. I like Aunty Catelyn! I know you won¡¯t ever take that into consideration; I¡¯m just saying my piece. You can pretend that you never heard this. ¡°What happened tonight was my fault, so please don¡¯t me Aunty Catelyn anymore¡­and please don¡¯t fire her. I won¡¯t mess around next time.¡± Ollie bowed to Cedrick before he dejectedly left the room. Cedrick looked at the boy¡¯s tiny silhouette walking away in dismal silence. His chest was tight, his facial muscles stiff, and his eyes were dim. Nobody could read what was on his mind. Ollie left the study and wanted to apologize to Catelyn, but he found himself only able to stand before the door, not knowing what to say, Could he confess that he lied to her and caused this misunderstanding? Would she be angry? Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Catelyn woke up early in the morning. The thunderstorm had stopped, and it felt extra refreshing after the rain. Catelyn did not want to see Cedrick anymore; it would be all too awkward. She thus ordered a cab and wanted to leave when she bumped into Albert at the doorway. The man seemed to have predicted that she would be leaving. He carefully took out a beautiful calf-skin package and handed it to Catelyn. Catelyn reached out to take it and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Something that Master Ollie had asked to pass to you. I have no clue what is inside.¡± Catelyn opened the package, revealing a crayon painting. There sat ady on a high chair, and in her hands was a bouquet of roses. A little boy stood next to her, illustrated to be covering his ears with his hands, his head hung low as though apologizing to the woman. Catelyn did not know that it was Ollie who asked Cedrick to go to her room. Even if she knew about it, though, she would not hold grudges anymore upon seeing this painting. How could she have the heart to hold grudges against such an adorable boy? It was just like how she felt toward Miles. Regardless of what they did, she would always forgive them. They would always be her babies. Thinking of that made her long to see Miles. Snapping out of her thoughts, Catelyn looked around, not seeing Ollie anywhere. ¡°Where is Master Ollie?¡± ¡°Last night when the rain stopped, Master Ollie requested someone to send him back¡± Catelyn caressed the painting gently with her fingertips as she gazed at it fondly. ¡°Please tell him that I¡¯m not mad at him. I will bring his paper heart with me wherever I go.¡± Albert nodded, responding, ¡°I¡¯m sure Master Ollie would be happy to hear this.¡± The roads were slippery after the thunderstormst night, and the cars on the roads slowed down, causing congestion. Even though Catelyn had left the mansion early, it took her a few hours to reach home. She talked to Miles on the phone as she walked. Miles had a temper bigger than himself. He was mad at Catelyn for not being homest night and that a man even answered the call. It took Catelyn some time tofort him. She took the morning to rest and only went out to BrightGene in the afternoon after recharging. She was feeling slightly light-headed, probably due to the hustle over the past few days, and she might have caught a cold. She felt drowsy after taking the flu medicine and her throat felt unbearably dry, no matter how much water she drank However, when she arrived at the company, she noticed everyone was sitting together, gossiping. ¡°Hey, have you seen the news?¡± ¡°They say that socialite Maia rk¡¯s fiance, Cedrick Mason, had an affair with someone working in his own house!¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 ¡°Yes, I saw it, too! There were even photos of them.¡± ¡°Men are all the same; they like to cheat.¡± ¡°I heard that Cedrick Mason is very handsome, almost idol-like. If only he had eyes for me, I¡¯d probably have no regrets in this life!¡± Catelyn, already unwell at that moment, ignored the gossip. However, Anne saw Catelyn arriving and teased, ¡°Catelyn, you¡¯re here. You were at the Masons ¡®mansion yesterday, no? Did you see the new girl there?¡± ¡®New¡­girl? Catelyn looked at the newspaper Anne showed her, and she felt her entire body freeze. The photo was taken when Catelyn went back to her room. She had tripped and fallen into Cedrick¡¯s arms. The angle and weather conditions made the photo rather blurry, so their faces could not be seen clearly. The paparazzi made a usibly convincing story about the ¡®affair¡¯. ¡°Why are you silent? Come to think of it, the girl looks almost your size!¡± Anneughed. Catelyn immediately shook her head andmented, ¡°You¡¯re just exaggerating things, Anne. Do you think a small, wallflower staff like me could have the honor to meet Cedrick¡¯s lover?¡± ¡°She¡¯s right, Anne. You thought too highly of Catelyn,¡± said one of their coworkers. ¡°I was just kidding! You guys took my word literally, geez.¡± ¡°Well, the joke got me pretty shocked,¡± replied Catelyn. Regardless of how the photo got leaked, she would not let Cedrick affect her private life. She contacted George afterward, saying that she was not avable to watch over the progress at the site over the next few days. George understood where she came from and offered to help her keep track of their work, allowing her to settle her matters in peace Catelyn felt grateful for this. She finally had one problem off of her shoulders. Since Cedrick had a fiance, she would stay away from him. Little did she expect, however¡­ That afternoon, she went to a nearby cafe with Anne to meet a client. Only seconds after they had sat down, a police car pulled over, and out came a few policemen. They walked right up to Catelyn. ¡°Miss Catelyn rk, I am Sergeant Lewis from the police station. Are you an acquaintance of Jamie Mason?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Catelyn had so many questions on her mind at this, though she nodded, still. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ck! Steel handcuffs were locked around her wrists, much to her horror. ¡°What are you doing?¡± demanded Catelyn. ¡°You¡¯re suspected of hiring people to assault Jamie Mason, who is now in the hospital. Please follow us to the station to provide a statement.¡± The police impatiently wanted to shove Catelyn into the police car. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Anne followed after them and defended Catelyn in reflex, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m her superior, and I¡¯m sure this is a whole misunderstanding. Catelyn will never hire someone to assault people. I can vouch for her!¡± Catelyn was touched. She never expected Anne to support her under such circumstances. Sergeant Lewis, however, was indifferent. He merely nced at Anne and firmly replied,¡± We¡¯ll investigate the matter and decide if there was a misunderstanding. We¡¯ll invite you to the police station too if you continue to obstruct our duty.¡± Anne fell silent at this, helpless as she could only watch Catelyn being taken away. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 After Catelyn was taken away by the police, Anne spotted her phone on the cafe table. Wanting to keep it safe, she tossed the phone into her bag and brought it back to thepany. Meanwhile, on the top floor of Mason Group¡¯s building¡­ ¡°The reporters are so good ating up with clickbait headlines now, huh? ¡®Affair with the new lover¡¯!¡± remarked Edwin whileying on the sofazily, one of his legs resting on the tea table and a ss of wine in one hand. He did not even bother hiding the disdain in his voice when he spoke. Cedrick threw him a cold look. ¡°I asked to purchase the media company. Have you done it?¡± ¡°Of course! Who do you think I am?¡± Edwin grinned. ¡°However, as soon as I bought the paperpany, your fiance had sent someone over to investigate Catelyn¡¯s identity. She¡¯s fast, alright.¡± Cedrick did not expect to have paparazzi stalking him. Perhaps it was deliberate stalking, or perhaps it was a coincidence. Whatever it was, he did not like having his photo exposed on the inte. His brows were tied together when he thought of Maia. ¡°How did you exin this whole incident to her?¡± ¡°I had to say it was an ident. They didn¡¯t get a shot of the girl¡¯s whole face, so nobody would know who that woman was.¡± Edwin whistled and pointed at Catelyn in the photo. ¡°The rks are well-known for their fine women. ¡°Just look at Maia and Catelyn; both are divine beauties. If you ever encounter another rk girl, remember to introduce me!¡± Edwin was known to be a yboy. He even established Barricade Club for his pleasure. Cedrick looked at his best friend in contempt, closed his eyes, and said, ¡°Lend me a female artist from your entertainmentpany. I need her to resemble Catelyn¡¯s figure.¡± ¡°Am I hearing you right?¡± Edwin looked at Cedrick suspiciously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a yboy now ever since Catelyn?¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Cedrick pped a pile of documents onto Edwin¡¯s chest. Edwin held his chest exaggeratedly and whined, ¡°God, you almost killed me!¡± At that moment, his phone rang. It was from the mediapany. Edwin smiled after hearing what the person on the other end said. Coincidentally, he spotted Cedrick leaving for his meeting. Normally, Cedrick would not let personal matters affect his business matters. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°Wait, Ced. Guess where your new baby girl is,¡± Edwin called out to Cedrick. Cedrick continued to walk out. ¡°I need to attend a meeting. I don¡¯t have much free time like you do.¡± ¡°Come on, loosen up! I can¡¯t believe a serious man like you have a fiancee!¡± Cedrick walked away in big strides. Edwin knew he was serious about not caring, so he quickly called out to him before he got too far. ¡°Catelyn is at the police station! Not sure what they charged her with, though.¡± Edwin usually enjoyed watching real-life drama as well, and he expected Cedrick to spring into action for Catelyn¡¯s sake. Unexpectedly, Cedrick only paused briefly before he strode toward the meeting room. Catelyn? Police station? None of his business. Nheless, Edwin still felt the tension around Cedrick However, as soon as Cedrick pulled open the meeting room door, he saw his son, Ollie, standing right behind it. Ollie seldom came to the office. Additionally, his actions at the mansion involving Catelyn further strained his rtionship with his father. With that, Albert made soup and made an effort to convince Ollie to send the soup to his father. Ollie could not turn Albert down, so there he was. Cedrick said nothing as he silently walked past Ollie and into the meeting room. Ollie, who was expressionless initially, quickly ran to Edwin and tugged at his pant leg, his small face looking up to him. ¡°What did you say, Uncle Edwin?¡± he asked worriedly. ¡°Aunty Catelyn is in the police station? What happened?¡± Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Edwin quickly grabbed his belt the moment he felt his pants nearly slipping past his waist due to Ollie tugging at him. Rial He could joke around with Cedrick, but he could never lie to a kid. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened too, Little Ollie. Your father isn¡¯t even bothered by it, so why would you care?¡± Ollie removed his hands from the adult¡¯s pants instantly when he knew that Edwin did not have much detail about it. He turned and sprinted into Cedrick¡¯s room, dialing Catelyn¡¯s number. ¡°Hello?¡± came a woman¡¯s voice after the call was answered, but it was apparent she was not Catelyn. Ollie¡¯sshes fluttered at this, and his facial muscles tensed. Balling his fists tightly, he greeted, ¡°Hello. May I please speak to Miss Catelyn rk?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Catelyn left her phone in the office. She¡¯s not avable to answer your call now, ¡°Anne patiently exined, her voice sounding somewhat concerned. Noticing by the voice that it was a little boy calling her, and most likely an adorable one at that, she could not help but feel curious. ¡°You are¡­¡± Ollie bit his lip, unsure of what to say. He could not let anyone know about his identity. A wild idea crossed his mind as he promptly replied, ¡°I¡¯m Miles. I¡¯m Catelyn¡¯s son!¡± ¡°Miles? You¡¯re Miles?¡± Anne, in her shock, subconsciously raised her voice. She always knew Catelyn had a son, but she had never met him. It was strange how Miles suddenly called her. What happened? ¡°Miles, your mother isn¡¯t free to talk right now. You can tell me anything it is you wish to tell her, and I¡¯ll be sure to send her the message.¡± ¡°Is Mommy in the police station?¡± Ollie asked, stubborn. Anne hesitated. She was not sure if it would be a good idea to tell the poor boy. However, another staff member who witnessed Catelyn being cuffed and taken to the police station immediately shouted, ¡°Miles, your mother hired someone to assault people, and she¡¯s a criminal now. She¡¯s in jail! ¡°Go and look for your dad!¡± After hearing this, Ollie¡¯s little body stood up straight, his childish face growing taut with sternness. Aunty Catelyn was no criminal. He had to save her! However, ever since the two instances of him sneaking out of the house and making a scene at the hospital, the bodyguards kept him on close watch. They would never let him leave. How could he sneak out to save Aunty Catelyn? His father seemed to know what had happened to Catelyn, but he was not even fazed. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. It was a scary idea, but also somewhat feasible. With that, Ollie dialed another number. Catelyn was restrained in the police station¡¯s interrogation room alone. The room was spacious. Apart from a stainless steel table and a stainless steel chair, there were no windows. ck walls lined her sight, and it felt intimidating, suffocating. She was cuffed in front of the table. The officer took a seat across from her, the feet of the chair screeching when pulled against the floor. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. She was charged for a ¡®hired assault¡¯. It was not Catelyn¡¯s first time in the police station. It was, however, her first time being there as a criminal! ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Jamie Mason?¡± Chapter 67 Chapter 67 ! Chapter 67 The officer leaned against his chair, opened his notebook, and looked at Catelyn. He did not look too genial for a peaceful ¡®questioning¡¯. Catelyn felt extremely uneasy being interrogated like this. ¡°He was my fiance four years ago. We¡¯re not rted in any way.¡± ¡°ording to the victim¡¯s family, the night when Jamie Mason was assaulted, you were at Barricade Club, too. You couldn¡¯t afford to be a patron of the ce based on your current level of ie, so why were you there? Were you trying to get back with Jamie Mason, and he rejected you because he had a girlfriend? You lost your temper and had a group of people beat him up, correct?¡± ¡°No! It is not!¡± Catelyn realized that he was trying to lead her, triggering her in the process. ¡°Jamie was the one who set me up and tricked me into going to that ce that night. He got me drunk and even attempted to assault me. Thankfully, a friend of mine came to my rescue, or Jamie Mason would¡¯ve been the one sitting here right now!¡± The man scribbled something in his notebook, then looked up to ask her, ¡°Friend? Which friend?¡± Catelyn did not want to involve Cedrick in this; the photo had created enough rumors and controversy. Plus, he had a fiancee. She bit her lip and said, ¡°I was drunk and didn¡¯t even have the opportunity tomit a crime. Instead of interrogating me here, you should be investigating Jamie¡¯s bodyguard. I am innocent!¡± ¡°Innocent?¡± The officer snickered and looked at her from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Every criminal who stepped into this room, without fail, told me that they¡¯re innocent. You tell me who saved you that night, and then we can wrap this up and release you.¡± Catelyn frowned. ¡°I was too intoxicated and couldn¡¯t remember anything¡­¡± Thump! The man mmed the table and eyed her dangerously. ¡°Catelyn, it is your civil duty to cooperate with the investigation. I know you know it very well that the surveince camera in Barricade Club was faulty that night, so that¡¯s why you keep making excuses. You hired someone to assault Jamie, didn¡¯t you?¡± Catelyn shuddered in shock at that statement. The surveince camera was faulty? ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Was it Cedrick¡¯s doing? Then again, perhaps mming Jamie was not something that should be caught on camera. Her face turned pale. ¡°Well, sue me if you have evidence for it.¡± At this point, Catelyn¡¯s hands were still cuffed to the table, and she was antsy from head to toe. ¡°After all, you can only detain me for forty-eight hours. I won¡¯t admit to something that I didn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°You sure are stubborn,¡± the man smiled evilly. Catelyn wanted to say more in her defense, but the man left before she could. The next half of the day, Catelyn tasted firsthand what soft torture to force confession felt like. Not only did they not give her any food and water, but they also forbade them from sleeping. There was a huge, brightmp above the table, and the light was so strong that she could barely open her eyes without crying. This was pure torture, hell on earth, but without visible physical damage. The strong light in such long hours made her eyes turn red. Catelyn teared non-stop at first, but the tears then dried up and irritated her eyes as though they were buried in sand. It was excruciating. She was already unwell from the start, and with the bright light practically blinding her, she could feel her head splitting. ¡°You guys are forcing a false confession out of me! I demand awyer! You don¡¯t have the right to do this to me!¡± she screamed at the door. s, that was all she could as she was still cuffed to the table, unable to even struggle. Someone on duty outside of the door heard her and came over. ¡°Warren, are you sure this is okay?¡± ¡°We already have the evidence; she¡¯s just so stubborn that she won¡¯t even confess! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, though. I¡¯ve seen many of these criminals, so everything is under control.¡± The man whose name was Warren shook his hand, unbothered. ¡°But-¡± ¡°I have limits. I won¡¯t kill her.¡± The voices faded as the two walked away, and all was quiet once more. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 1 Chapter 68 Catelyn felt dizzy at this moment, and her body was warm. She could not even lift her hand, Everything felt surreal; she felt herself drifting into hallucination. She was even seeing L right in front of her. Ssh! L emptied the ss of water onto Catelyn. Pleased with herself, she looked at Catelyn and sneered, ¡°Look at your pathetic sleepy face. Let me ssh you awake. How¡¯s it sound?¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± With a click of the switch, L turned the light off. Catelyn¡¯s irises abruptly constricted at this, her eyes too used to the bright light and could not adapt to the sudden change. She had to close her eyes for a while before getting used to the dim ambiance of the room. At this point, she was on the verge of a meltdown, having been sshed with a ss of cold water to solidify losing her sanity. Her eyes had reddened, and her voice was hoarse. ¡°You and your sisters framed me-I should¡¯ve known. Where is Loue? Did she chicken out?¡± L wore acy white dress and had a limited-edition designer handbag on her arm. Her lips were painted in an alluring red color. She looked at Catelyn with contempt, as though she was a mere ant crawling on the ground. ¡°My sister is pregnant, so it¡¯s only right that she won¡¯te to a ce as pathetic as this.¡± L looked at Catelyn condescendingly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an option. If you agree to introduce the secret man you¡¯re keeping, I¡¯ll release you.¡± Man? Did L mean Cedrick Mason? L had a crush on Cedrick Mason? ¡°Heh. Dream on!¡± Catelyn shouted. ¡°You thought you had an option, didn¡¯t you?¡± L stared at her, and for some reason, she looked rather intimidating. ¡°You hired someone to assault Jamie Mason, and the Masons won¡¯t forgive you for your transgression. I can easily kill you with a finger!¡± ¡°You¡¯re hrious, L!¡± sneered Catelyn, unable to hold back the insult. She did not even know who Cedrick Mason was and was already so cocky to ask Catelyn to introduce her. She must be insane. All of a sudden, Smack!Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re very stubborn, aren¡¯t you?¡± hissed L upon pping Catelyn. In: 68 Catelyn tasted iron in her mouth. She tried to keep calm and avoid invoking more of L¡¯s wrath. This woman was aplete nutjob! ¡°I wanted to let you go, but you¡¯re just too stubborn! Just wait until you¡¯re in jail, then.¡± L pretended to be sad and sighed lightly. She took her purse and was ready to leave, waving in disgust. ¡°The air quality here is so bad. Oh, but you¡¯re locked up in the interrogation room! ¡°I wonder what¡¯ll happen to your son outside?¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened at this as she shot L a hateful stare. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch my son!¡± ¡°Think about what I said carefully. Otherwise, be mentally prepared.¡± L walked away, her high heels clicking against the floor as she did. Catelyn¡¯s jaws clenched as her fists balled tightly. Would L do anything to Miles? What would she do? Miles¡­ Her dear boy! Catelyn felt herself spiraling into anxiety the more her thoughts ran rampant, but in the process, she could hardly make sense of everything. With the bright light shining right at her face once more, she could barely open her eyes. ¡°Miles¡­¡± she called out feebly. Little did Catelyn know, however, that Miles got all dressed upst night. He wore a pair of shades and a little ck coat, and his hat dangled behind him. Out of the blue, he showed up at the night shift office. The worker on duty pushed the door open and spotted the young boy who barely was at the height of his waist. ¡°Who are you looking for, little boy?¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 ¡°Where is your superior?¡± Miles had to look up to meet the man¡¯s gaze. On the bridge his tiny yet pointy nose sat a pair of impressive-looking sunsses, contrasting his fair skin very well. However, his appearance, coupled with his height, made an adorable sight, much to the officer¡¯s amusement. ¡°You¡¯re looking for our superior, huh? Who are you?¡± Miles raised his chin and puffed his cheeks, saying, ¡°I¡¯m Ollie Mason, Cedrick Mason¡¯s son. Have your superiore and see me.¡± The man fell silent for a second. He looked at the boy before him, and his lower jaw fell unhinged. ¡°Cedrick Mason¡¯s¡­son?¡± Was this the renowned Young Master Ollie? Well, rumors had it that the boy was barely four years old this year. He should look simr to the boy before him at this moment. Miles pursed his lips and looked crossed. ¡°Get him to see me, now!¡± . The man, though not believing Miles entirely, brought him to the lobby. Miles ran around as soon as he was in the lobby, searching high and low for Catelyn, like a detective dog. The station smelledpletely off, and he could not smell Catelyn. He then wandered out to continue searching for Catelyn. Meanwhile, the officer gave his colleague a signal, asking for him to dial the front desk to verify the boy¡¯s identity. However, when he turned around, he saw Miles sprinting to the corridor that led to the interrogation room. He quickly dashed forward and stopped him, bowing with a smile. ¡°Young Master Ollie, this is the interrogation room, and there are many criminals locked up inside.¡± ¡°You just do as I say, and shut up when I didn¡¯t even ask for you to speak. Open the door! Do you want me to ask my father toe here?¡± snapped the boy defiantly. It was hard for them to be suspicious of the boy. ¡°Well¡­.¡± ¡°Open the door now, or I¡¯m going to get angry!¡± Miles¡¯ tiny hands rested on his hips, his expression burning with persistence on his request. The man hesitated, but he then thought of Cedrick-the cold blooded boss that he wished he would never cross. He had no choice but to open the door of the first interrogation room. ¡°Understood, Young Master Ollie. Here you go.¡± In the first room was a tall, buff man. This was not his mother, his Big Kitty. Miles walked out and continued looking into the second room, then into the third, before walking up to the fourth. Miles had a strong feeling that Catelyn was in there.¡± Suddenly, a shift worker came by, visibly concerned and annoyed to have been pranked.¡± Simon! The front desk verified that the Masons¡¯ young master is still at Mason Group¡¯s office now!¡± he snapped. ¡°This one is an imposter!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°What? An imposter?¡± Simon, enraged that a mere boy had fooled him, instantly turned to grab Miles. ¡°You dare to prank me, you little brat?¡± However, Miles leaped backward and took out a gun from his bag, pointing it at Simon¡¯s forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Simon froze instantly as beads of sweat slowly formed on his forehead. Never did he expect a mere boy to be carrying a gun with him! ¡°Let¡¯s¡­calm down, kiddo. That¡¯s not something to y with.¡± Simon shivered, his legs feeling like they were jelly. The other two officers were petrified, too. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to waste on you guys.¡± Miles raised his chin and demanded, ¡°Open this door, and release the person inside.¡± ¡°Catelyn rk is locked up in here, and she¡¯s a criminal! We can¡¯t ¡ª¡± The boy¡¯s expression darkened ruthlessly, his index finger closing in on the trigger as though about to shoot. ¡°I¡¯m counting to three. If you don¡¯t get her out, I will shoot.¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Without much of a choice, Simon opened the door to the fourth room. As expected, Catelyn was inside. Catelyn wanted to open her eyes to look at the person at the door. At this point, however, she seemed to have caught a cold and was feverish. Her body was weak. She kept seeing the same scenes reying before her eyes. One moment was about her falling from the stone steps, and another was about a child dying in front of her. She wanted nothing more than to pass out at this moment Miles looked past Simon and could see Catelyn being cuffed to the cold stainless steel chair. No longer were her eyes crystal clear; they were agonizingly red with veins branching toward her pupils. Not only was her hair tousled, but her lips were awfully chapped, and she was barely conscious. Her head was dangling from her neck, swaying side to side, looking like she could faint. ¡°Big Kitty!¡± eximed Miles, worried and furious altogether. His little heart almost shattered into pieces. He released Catelyn¡¯s wrists from the cuffs carefully and brought her out. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Mommy. I came toote¡­¡± sobbed Miles. He wanted to carry her on his own, but he was too small that he could not bear her weight. Without a choice, he allowed Simon to lead her out, all while tears fell down his cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t sleep, Mommy. Please, don¡¯t sleep!¡± Miles walked next to her, holding her hands in his tiny ones. His other hand held the gun up against Simon¡¯s back, making him walk faster. Catelyn murmured something in response. They made a few steps before Warren, the man who interrogated Catelyn, came back. Warren exchanged looks with Simon, and their expression was nothing short of malice. Simon suddenly tripped and fell. Miles, caught off-guard, did not aim his gun at any of the two. He did not have the time to care about Simon escaping. Everything seemed to slow down as he watched Catelyn slowly falling to the floor, his heart aching at the sight. Bravely, he jumped, wanting to cushion his mother¡¯s fall with his own body before she fell. month His eyes reddened as more tears threatened to escape. Warren took the opportunity to take out his gun, pointed at Miles, and sneered, ¡°I think you¡¯ve lived long enough, kiddo.¡± Warrenced his finger around the trigger and pulled. Bang! The world fell silent after the gunshot. Miles was, sadly, too slow. He failed to cushion Catelyn, instead only falling onto his mother after she did, his tiny face pressing into his mother¡¯s arms. His tears fell incessantly. ¡°Mom¡­ Please, wake up! I¡¯m here! Give me a hug! Please¡­don¡¯t sleep!¡± His tiny hands patted Catelyn¡¯s cheeks, only to be rmed at how hot her face felt. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Catelyn feebly lifted her eyelids, and for a brief moment, she thought she had seen her son. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m¡­here.¡± Her head fell to the side, and she fell unconscious. ¡°No!¡± howled Miles. Ignoring the pain he felt, his head whipped toward Simon as he shot him a deathly re. Simon, at that moment, was utterly bbergasted. = Warren had shot Miles, but the boy was not injured at all! Simon raised his head and looked toward Warren¡­only to realize that hispanion¡¯s knee was injured. Warren¡¯s face scrunched in pain as he fell to the floor and curled into himself as he cradled his bleeding kneecap. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Two handsome yet cold strode across the lobby and approached him from behind. It was Cedrick and Edwin. Eason withdrew his gun. His presence screamed bloodlust. As they got closer, Cedrick¡¯s slender figure became clearer. His face was stern as he looked down at Warren and Simon. ¡°You were saying? Who did you want to kill?¡± The lobby was pin drop silent.. Simon felt suffocated. He did not know Cedrick but was already stunned by his aura. He could feel his tongue stiffen and could not say a word. Cedrick smirked. He walked past the two losers and saw Miles lying next to Catelyn. He was just a child, trying to wipe the dirt off Catelyn¡¯s face using his tiny fingers. His gesture was gentle, he was scared of hurting Catelyn. He was bawling his eyes out. Cedrick frowned. Since when did he change his clothes? After all, it was his own son. Although Cedrick was a little disgusted, he bent over and lifted him up with one arm. Miles did not want to be separated from Catelyn. Suddenly, he saw Simon on the ground and was triggered. He red with his red eyes. ¡°He bullied Aunty Catelyn and me!¡± ¡°No, it was you¡­who threatened me with the gun¡­¡± Simon was on the ground, stuttering. Cedrick took one nce at the gun on the ground. ¡°You guys were tricked by a toy gun? Are you all idiots?¡± A toy gun? That was a toy gun? They were tricked by a toy gun? Simon looked exasperated. He could not believe what he had just heard. Meanwhile, Catelyn was frowning and murmured something, ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Cedrick looked at Catelyn for a brief moment and bent down to carry her in his arms. Miles was a little guarded. ¡°Why are you carrying Aunty Catelyn!¡± ¡°Would you be able to carry her? Who else would carry her?¡± Cedrick said sarcastically. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Miles clenched his fists. He really wanted to take care of his mother. However, he was really tiny and could not carry Catelyn. He pouted his tiny lips. ¡°Send her to the hospital now!¡± Cedrick¡¯s veins were bulging on his forehead. Edwin grinned and looked at Miles, ¡°Why is our Little Ollie extra snappy today?¡± Miles looked at Edwin, who was wearing a floral shirt, a stud on his earlobe, looking somewhat fashionable but not masculine, and said, ¡°Uncle Sissy, please drive the car to the entrance and wait for us there¡­¡± ¡°Uncle¡­ Uncle Sissy?¡± Edwin was irritated. He was popr in Sapphire City. Everyone called him everything from handsome to a yboy, but this was his first time being called a sissy! Cedrick did not wait any longer and left while carrying Catelyn. He took one look at Eason before leaving. ¡°Break their arms, don¡¯t let me see them in Sapphire City anymore.¡± Eason and the fellow bodyguards took his order and approached Simon and Warren with sickening smiles on their faces. The two were already injured and werepletely terrified. They dragged their injured legs across the floor, leaving one massive trail of blood behind. ¡°What¡­ What are you doing?¡±: ¡°How dare you touch the son of the Masons?¡± ¡°What? He was really a Mason? Please forgive us! We did not mean to do it. We will not repeat this mistake anymore¡­ Please let us go, don¡¯te near me! Don¡¯t! Ahh!¡± The night ended with their incessant screams. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Catelyn was lying on the hospital bed in the middle of the night. She fell into a restless sleep, She felt herself traveling back to four years ago when she was called to the hotel by Jamie She pleaded in the pitch dark room, ¡°Please don¡¯t¡­¡± Her struggles and attempt to resist were in vain. Pain, anger, contempt, and many different feelings drowned her. However, right at that moment, the door that was shut was banged open by someone. A tall silhouette appeared at the doorway, like a knight in shining armor. The man¡¯s features became clearer as he came closer. Finally, Catelyn could see his face clearly. He was ¡ª Cedrick Mason! Catelyn gasped and opened her eyes wide as she looked right into a pair of bottomless ck eyes that were about to suck everything in like two ckholes. Cedrick was not all too happy when he heard Catelyn calling Jamie¡¯s name in her dream. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Catelyn moved slightly and felt her body limp and weak. Her head felt heavy, and there were tubes on the back of her hand. She smelled antiseptic and sanitizing chemicals, and realized she was in the hospital. She tried to recall what happened and briefly remembered Milesing to rescue her¡­ She did not expect Cedrick to be here either. ¡°Thanks for sending me to the hospital¡­¡± Catelyn¡¯s voice was cracking up, and her throat was dry. She looked around and did not see Miles. She asked anxiously, ¡°Where is my son?¡± Cedrick looked at her strangely. ¡°How would I know where your son is?¡± Catelyn panicked and motioned her hands in the air. ¡°He was there to rescue me at the police station. Did you not see him?¡± Cedrick pursed his lips, poured her a ss of water, and said, ¡°The doctor said you had a dangerously high fever, and you might have had your memories messed up. The one who rescued you from the police station was my son.¡± Something shed under Cedrick¡¯s eyes. Yesterday, after his meeting, he saw a note from Ollie when he was about to investigate why Catelyn was captured. ¡°Father, Aunty Catelyn was sent to the police station. I am going to save her. I am not running away from home. Please forgive me.¡± Cedrick was mad when he saw the messy scribbles by his son. He was sneaking out again! Most importantly, Edwin and the bodyguards had not noticed him Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. sneaking out. If they had seen him, they would surely not have let him out. He could not figure out how he left the Mason Tower. He was ordering his men to get his son back when Edwin called. He said someone saw the kid running to the police station alone, unsure what he was up to¡­ Cedrick had no choice but to go to the police station with Eason and the bodyguards. Ollie really was getting bolder and bolder ¡°Your son? Little Ollie?¡± Catelyn tried to recall the moment before she cked out. Was she sure she saw her son Miles? She was confused. ¡°Are you sure? I remembered seeing my son¡­.¡± Cedrick raised his brows, ¡°You think I could not tell my son apart from your son?¡± Right, how could he not? Did she see it wrongly then? Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 ¡°Maybe I had not seen clearly and had mistaken him for Miles¡­ Where is Ollie now?¡± ¡°He had been watching you for hours, so I asked Edwin to send him back home to rest,¡± Cedrick exined while rubbing his temples. Ollie worried him too much¡­However, he is too young to be going through his ¡®rebellious phase¡¯. Cedrick¡¯s gaze subconsciouslynded on Catelyn¡¯s pale face. Even though she was sick and pale, she still looked so demure. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Catelyn nodded. She was touched. She felt her nose stuffy and said, ¡°Remember to thank him for me. I did not expect him toe to rescue me at the police station¡­¡± ¡°I gotta give you credit for being able to turn him into a reckless kid.¡± Catelyn did not really understand him and looked at him, confused. ¡°What did you say?¡± Cedrick shrugged it off. ¡°I asked what you would like to have for supper.¡± Catelyn just realized she was hungry. Before she could answer it, she could hear her stomach grumbling. Sheughed, pinched her belly, and licked her lips. ¡°It iste now. I guess most eateries are closed by now.¡± ¡°I am asking what you would like to eat.¡± Catelyn did not want to trouble Cedrick too much and said, ¡°The simplest porridge would do.¡± Cedrick made a phone call and asked Eason to send some in porridge over. After ten minutes, Eason came in with a brown bag from a renowned restaurant. The porridge and snacks were ced on the table above her bed, and they looked appetizing. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Eason! You are the best bodyguard,¡± Catelyn thanked him from the bottom of her heart. Eason scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m humbled¡­¡± ¡°I mean it! You fight the gangsters and attend to every request at any time of the day. Your boss should give you a pay raise,¡± Catelyn jokingly said. ¨C It was sote, but Eason was still at work. It seemed he was always there for Cedrick whenever something happened. Eason¡¯s ears blushed slightly. ¡°Master Cedrick never pays us less than what we deserve.¡± ¡°Yes, you deserve it.¡± Catelyn showed him a thumb-up. Cedrick watched as the two chatted. He was sitting right there, but all she could see was Eason? If it were not for him, who called the hotel beforehand to make an order, would Eason be able to bring over the food? Eason felt ttered but managed to catch Cedrick¡¯s strange expression. Cedrick was looking at Eason so intensively it sent chills down his spine, Did he manage to annoy his boss? ¡°Master Cedrick, are you alright?¡± Eason asked cautiously. Catelyn looked to Cedrick too, when she heard this. Cedrick was obviously not in a good mood, but he still said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Catelyn was ustomed to his unpredictable mood swings and had not given it much thought. She only asked, ¡°Master Cedrick, are you hungry?¡± Cedrick¡¯s face was even more unpleasant now. He did not take out his annoyance on Catelyn but threw a sharp look at Eason and said, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Eason immediately packed up and left. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Catelyn could not resist and muttered, ¡°Master Cedrick, you¡¯re lucky to have a good bodyguard like Eason. You should show him some respect and be nice.¡± Cedrick came closer and lifted her chin using the tip of his fingers. He secretly exerted a little more force than necessary. Her pale skin turned slightly pink where he pinched. ¡°Since when did i ¡®disrespect¡¯ him?¡± Catelyn could feel his breath down her neck. She found it awkward to be holding his gaze and wanted to push him away, but he was still holding her chin, so she was rather vulnerable. ¡°I just think that Eason was quite a responsible person. You should not be so rude, or you will lose his loyalty.¡± Cedrick moved his fingers from the tip of her chin to caress the corner of her lips and said in a deep voice, ¡°So, I should thank you for your advice?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Catelyn felt she was in danger. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a few suspicious men standing by the door and suddenly pushed Cedrick away. ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± Cedrick turned and saw the people at the door too. The men looked guilty when they saw Cedrick, and all bowed to greet him. Cedrick waved his hand for them toe in. The man in the lead was a middle-aged, slightly plump man. He wore a blue suit and was balding on top. He bowed to Cedrick as soon as he came in and smiled like a friendly, harmless middle-aged man. ¡°Master¡­ Master Cedrick, it was my mistake. I did not know that Ms. Catelyn was one of your people. I have fired whoever was involved. They had been bribed to frame Miss Catelyn. I hope you do not mind¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Denson, it looks like you are not that good at disciplining your people,¡± Cedrick took one look at him and said nonchntly. Catelyn then realized this plump middle-aged man was in fact Simon and Warren¡¯s superior! Beads of sweat dripped from Mr. Denson¡¯s forehead, and his legs were shaking. ¡°I will definitely be stricter with my people. From now on, if you have any orders, I will prioritize them and fulfill them for you. Feel free to ask¡­¡±. ¡°It was not me that your people hurt. Why are you apologizing to me?¡± Cedrick asked rhetorically. His voice was soft, his tone indifferent, but his aura was so strong that it was intimidating. Mr. Denson quickly turned to Catelyn, bowed to her respectfully, and apologized, ¡°Ms. Catelyn, please forgive me for not disciplining my subordinates well. I am at fault¡­¡± Catelyn saw Mr. Denson panicking. He even had a bruise on his forehead, seemingly from knocking on something like a door frame. A man who was superior was now being all humbled in front of her. Catelyn was not arrogant. ¡°I know it was not your fault. I forgive you.¡± Her wrist was suddenly pinched by Cedrick, and she turned to look at him in pain. Cedrick looked at Mr. Denson again, still indifferent. ¡°Who is behind this?¡± ¡°¡­I have looked into it. It was L Atherton. She wanted to know from you who rescued her that night at the Barricade Club¡­¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she tried to observe Cedrick¡¯s expressions too. Cedrick was still expressionless. ¡°Why does she want to know?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°I am not sure about this. It looks like she had a crush on that man.¡± The room fell silent again. Cedrick held his gaze on Joe Denson. Mr. Denson could feel his own heartbeat pounding in his chest like a drum and his back subconsciously hunched further down. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 He wondered if Cedrick doubted what he said. Mr. Denson wiped the sweat off his round forehead. ¡°Master Cedrick, I don¡¯t have the guts to lie to you. That is all I know. Even though L is only part of the extended family of the Athertons, Granny Atherton is quite fond of her¡­¡± L Atherton? Cedrick pondered upon the name, intrigued. He turned to look at Catelyn. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell her that it was me who saved you?¡± Catelyn had goosebumps from the looks he gave her. She knew L would be screwed soon.¡± The more badly she wanted to know about this, the more unwilling I was to tell her about it.¡± Cedrick closed his eyes briefly, and bloodlust shed in his eyes when he opened them again. After a short while, he said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. This was all because of me. I will give you an exnation soon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You saved me a few times before this. It¡¯s okay to be dragged into your mess once in a while.¡± Cedrick¡¯s face turned gloomy. She was definitely not a good conversationalist. Catelyn thought Cedrick only wanted to take care of her for a while and would leave after she woke up. However, after Mr. Denson left, Cedrick still stayed behind. She winked at him to signal that he could leave. However, not only did Cedrick not intend to leave any time soon, he even pulled out a foldable bed, apparently wanting to spend the night at the hospital! ¡°Master Cedrick, you are quite busy with work. You could just get a nurse to take care of me.¡± Cedrick spread a clean sheet over the bed and said adamantly, ¡°Ollie wanted me to watch over you. Otherwise, he refused to eat.¡± Catelyn sweated with nervousness. Little Ollie did not seem like a cross child that would randomly throw tantrums. Catelyn had another idea, ¡°Why don¡¯t you make a move first? The next time I see him, I will tell him you spent the night here.¡± ¡°You do not lie as you do.¡± Cedrick paused briefly in between changing his shoes and said,¡± Or, you tend not to fulfill promises that you make?¡± ¡°I am just worried that you may not be used to staying at the hospital¡­ Well, if you are cool with it, I have nothing else to say.¡± Catelyn theny down and pulled her duvet to cover up her head, leaving only the top of her head exposed. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Cedrickid down on his bed to rest too. He set the rm for the changing of the infusion tube and bottle. The two of themy quietly in the room just like that. This was, in fact, Catelyn¡¯s first time sleeping in the same room with a man in the past four years. She thought she would not be able to sleep. However, her body was too weak to stay awake, and soon she dozed off. She slept soundly like a baby, somehow feeling secure. After a few hours, she woke up for her biological needs. The clock on the wall pointed to four-thirty in the morning. She realized her infusion bottle was a new one, and it was still quite full. She then looked at the man on the side. This was a VIP patient¡¯s ward, and the bed was huge. However, Cedrick was so big that he seemed to be curled up on the bed. Catelyn tiptoed down the bed and did not make any noise. Cedrick¡¯s hawk eyes suddenly shot open, and he did not look half asleep at all. He looked at Catelyn and said emotionlessly, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Catelyn¡¯s hand that was about to pull on the infusion bottle stopped mid-air. She blushed and pointed at the restroom. ¡°I was about to use the toilet. Did I wake you?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sleeping.¡± Cedrick massaged his temples and walked to her bed. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 He stretched his long arms and held the infusion bottle high in his hand. He said in a voice as calm as red wine, ¡°Alright, I will apany you.¡± Catelyn let out a soft yelp. Did he want to apany me to the bathroom? She could never imagine that ever happening. ¡°N.No need. I can go alone,¡± she said, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. ¡°Stop jumping to conclusions. There are hooks in the bathroom for the infusion bottle. Do you really think I will be standing there, watching you?¡± Cedrick was enjoying her awkwardness, and his thin lips rose into a slightly yful smile. Catelyn was so embarrassed that she kept silent and walked toward the bathroom. The bathroom in the VIP ward was very clean. There are even paper toilet seat covers on the seat. Indeed, there was a white rubber hook next to the toilet, almost at her eye level. Cedrick ced the infusion bottle on the hook, hanging it upside down. He said in his rare gentle tone, ¡°Be careful not to hold your hand too high. We would not want the blood to flow backward ¡°Yes¡­¡± she replied, feeling that Cedrick was not as annoying as before. Cedrick turned around and went out. With the infusion tube in her left hand, Catelyn used her right hand to take off her pants. She had now changed into the hospital¡¯s designated patient¡¯s robe. It was loose, with no buttons. She felt it was one size too big for her, and the cor was loose. Nevertheless, she will just be lying in bed and covered in the duvet. No one would notice that. Cedrick stood by the bathroom door. He was actually a light sleeper. Once woken up, it would be hard for him to fall asleep again. Especially in the middle of the night, it felt like the right time for a cigarette. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. However, considering Catelyn¡¯s condition, he suppressed his urge to smoke a cigarette. After some five minutes. The bathroom was still quiet, Catelyn did not ask for him as well. Just when Cedrick wondered if he needed to check on her¡­¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± He heard an excruciating shriek from the bathroom. Cedrick jumped and yelled, ¡°Catelyn?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine!¡± Catelyn replied. Cedrick frowned. ¡°If you are fine, why did you shriek?¡± ¡°I¡­ I saw a white shadow outside the window. I thought it was a ghost.¡± Cedrick paused, his lips opened slightly whilecing his big palm on the doorknob.¡±¡­ Do you need me inside?¡± ¡°No!¡± Catelyn was shocked and immediately stopped Cedrick as though avoiding something.¡± I have not put on my pants yet. Please wait a minute!¡± In fact, Catelyn had slipped in the bathroom. She was on all fours. The pain came from her dislocated bones. Her face was pale, and it was hard for her to even move by an inch. It would be so embarrassing for her if Cedrick came in right now to see her this way. Earlier, when she was about to wash her hand, she did not notice a small puddle of water on the ground, so she slipped and fell. Luckily, the infusion bottle was on the hook and did not get toppled over. Catelyn dragged herself to the side in great difficulty and tried to help herself up. However, it was too painful to do so. Her body would start sweating whenever she tried to exert force, but she could not get up. Just when she thought she could give herself a break before trying again¡­ nk! Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Cedrick pushed the door open, and the door mmed against the wall behind it, creating a loud noise. Catelyn looked up in shock and saw Cedrick striding toward her. He stood in front of her and looked at her from above as though judging her. Catelyn pursed her lips, and her face started to blush. She wished to just disappear into thin air. Cedrick frowned and kneeled down. He had not expected Catelyn to have slipped and fell and reprimanded her, ¡°Catelyn, how old are you? Why didn¡¯t you tell me as soon as you fell?¡± Catelyn did not know how to react and kept quiet. Cedrick was relieved to see no sign of blood flowing in reverse in the infusion tube. He then reached his big palm out toward Catelyn¡¯s waist. ¡°Where did you sprain yourself?¡± ¡°¡­I am not sure,¡± Catelyn muttered. Cedrick moved his palm along Catelyn¡¯s back. ¡°Here or here?¡± ¡°Stop! Stop! It hurts¡­¡± When he reached three inches above her butt, Catelyn could not resist but let out a soft whimper. She even felt like turning over to stop him if she could. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°You¡­ Get out, please! I don¡¯t need your help.¡± Cedrick bowed and lifted her up, carrying her horizontal in his arms, and avoided her injured waist and butt area. His lips curved upward slightly as though giving a half-smile. ¡°What is there to hide?¡± Scenes of the chaos at the hotel shed before Catelyn¡¯s eyes. She wished to bang her head on the wall. How could she have done that? He had a fiancee. She secretly observed him a few times after they met, but he always acted as though nothing had happened. Naturally, she suppressed her urge to talk about the incident. However, she did not expect him to remember it and even brought it up! ¡°It was a misunderstanding! We can pretend that this never happened, and we should not talk about this again.¡± She could never let herself be a third-wheeler in their rtionship. Cedrick¡¯s face turned gloomy again upon hearing this. ¡°So you really want to draw the line in between us?¡± Most girls would have already swooned just by hearing the name Cedrick Mason. On the other hand, she was luring him while simultaneously pretending to be innocent and demure and unintentional.. ¡°You have a fiancee. You would not want to cheat on her, do you?¡± Cedrick felt speechless for a moment. Since Catelyn¡¯s waist was sprained, he could only ce her on the bed on her belly. Catelyn¡¯s body was cold after lying on the ground for some time. Cedrick then poured a ss of warm water for her. ¡°Drink this. You¡¯re cold.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m good, thank you.¡± Cedrick tried to be patient. ¡°You have not fully recovered from your cold. You don¡¯t want to worsen it. Finish this.¡± Catelyn knew he was concerned about her but pretended not to hear it. She tilted her head and did not respond. Cedrick looked serious. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want this?¡± Catelyn decided to shut her eyes immediately, pretending to be dead. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Cedrick put the ss down and forcefully used his hand to prop Catelyn up. He forced her jaw open¡­ ¡°Mmm!¡± Catelyn felt the pain of her neck being stretched, and her mouth was forced open. Cedrick poured the water down her throat. ¡°You¡­¡± Catelyn widened her eyes and red at Cedrick, but he was busy feeding her the water. Catelyn gulped on the overflowing warm water and finally saw the bottom of the ss. Her stomach was now filled to the brim. She let out a soft cough. She said sarcastically, ¡°So whenever Maia falls sick, is this how you feed her water?¡± Cedrick seemed satisfied that the water had been finished and turned on the nightlight. The room was now lit with a soft romantic light. He said, ¡°She is not annoying like you.¡± Catelyn was speechless. Annoying? If she were annoying, half the girls in this world would be considered dramatic! Catelyn silently threw a tantrum. She did not want to bicker with Cedrick anymore. Cedrick was toozy to say anything more too. He pressed the bell to get the doctor to treat Catelyn¡¯s sprain. Thankfully, her bones were not injured. It was only a sprain. The doctor applied some ointment to her. No medicine was needed, and she only needed to take a rest and will be fine in no time. The room fell silent again. It was a quiet night. However, Catelyn could not fall asleep. When the sun was about to rise, she finally fell asleep again. When she woke up again, it was already the morning. Catelyn looked around and could not find Cedrick. Maybe he had something up and left earlier. After all, it was probably the most he could do to have apanied her the entire night. Nheless, she could not help but feel a little sad¡­ She should have thanked him in person before he left. The sprain on her waist Improved after the ointment massagest night. After finishing thest infusion bottle, Catelyn went to manage her discharge procedures. Little did she know that Cedrick only went to pick up two important calls. When he was finally back to the ward and found no one in bed, his face turned grim. He called the nurse and asked, ¡°Where is the patient?¡± The nurse was shaking while checking her list and stammered, ¡°Cate¡­ Catelyn rk? She was applying for a discharge¡­¡± ¡°She was so severely injured but applying for a discharge?¡± Cedrick said coldly. ¡°Yes¡­ She requested it herself.¡± S Cedrick took one look at the breakfast in his hand that he had packed earlier. He then turned and dumped it into the bin and left the hospital. That night, at the Atherton¡¯s, L was scrolling through her phone while lying on the sofa, feeling satisfied. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Loue sat across from her. Unlike her sister, she was slightly on edge. ¡°L, is this really a good idea? Maybe we should just chase Catelyn and her son out of the country¡­¡± L was against the idea. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. We must ¡®treat¡¯ the root cause of the problem! She happened to have offended Jamie this time. Locking her up is already mercy to her.¡± L had thought it through. Even if Catelyn really introduced her to the man, she would still not spare her. L was against the idea. ¡°Though, I have a bad feeling about this. Jamie had emphasized not to sue Catelyn, seemingly scared of the person behind it.¡± ¡°What did he have to be scared of? Even if Jamie Mason is scared, it does not mean that me, an Atherton, should be scared.¡± ¡°So.¡± ¡°Sis! I am helping youe up with ideas! Can you not shoot all my ideas down?¡± L was impatient. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Lou kept quiet. If L got caught and went to jail, she could just give her some money so that she could still livefortably in the jail. After all, she still hurt Jamie. However, what the two sisters did not expect was¡­ Early in the morning, Jamie was still lying in the hospital when he received information that Catelyn had been locked up! Loue was there to send food to him when she saw him being mad. ¡°Jamie, what happened? The doctor reminded you to keep calm¡­¡± Loue came forward to hold his leg so that it did not fall from the skeletal traction. Jamie grabbed Loue by the wrist. ¡°What did you and L do to Catelyn?¡± He looked violent. Loue then frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡°L did this for our own good! Why are you so pissed? Are you still in love with Catelyn? Let me tell you, she is already in jail. Stop missing her!¡± Jamie was stunned, and he looked terrified. ¡°Damn it, didn¡¯t I warn you about this? The person who hired someone to assault me was not Catelyn! Who asked you to do this?¡± ¡°I believe L will settle this!¡± The veins popped on Jamie¡¯s forehead, and he had a bad feeling about this. He quickly rummaged in the nightstand drawer to find his phone and was not even bothered that his wounds were torn as he did so. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you panicking¡­¡± Loue wanted to stop him but was pushed away. Jamie¡¯s veins bulge on his forehead. He looked scary. ¡°You don¡¯t even know who is the man behind this! Loue, do you realize you guys have screwed up really badly?¡± Loue¡¯s thought was the same as L¡¯s. Catelyn had been so poor these years that she could not even afford designer items. Her outfit usually never costs more than a hundred from top to toe¡­ How was it possible for her to get to know any filthy rich guy? It was likely that the person who rescued her that day was just one of her friends, who pretended to look rich¡­ After all, birds of the same feather flock together. ¡°No, no way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really doomed because of you!¡± Jamie grabbed his phone furiously and found Mr. Denson¡¯s phone number. Mr. Denson answered, ¡°Hey Jamie.¡± ¡°Mr. Denson, sorry to disturb. May I check if there is a woman named Catelyn rk locked up at your station? I believe there is a misunderstanding causing my family members to have reported her. Can you please release her?¡±. Mr. Denson was quiet. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. He trod carefully with Cedrick. However, not so much when ites to Jamie Mason. After all, Jamie was only part of the extended family of the Masons. He was much older than Jamie. He rubbed his head and said slowly, ¡°Jamie, as much as I wanted to help you with this, I really can¡¯t. Someone took Catelyn awayst night.¡± Jamie felt that the end of the world was near. He shuddered and had a sliver of hope. ¡°Who took her?¡± Please don¡¯t be Cedrick¡­ Cedrick hired people to assault him, but he turned around to im that Catelyn did it. This was obviously a silent deration of war between the two! Mr. Denson sighed. His next sentence was a big blow to Jamie. ¡°It was one of the Masons. I could notment more on that.¡± Jamie thought this was it, and he was done. Loue had no clue what was happening in Jamie¡¯s head, bit her lips, and said, ¡°Jamie, how was it? He can¡¯t be that scary, right?¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Jamie howled at Loue, and his eyes were bloodshot. Loue shivered and ran out, feeling wronged. Tears streamed down her cheeks¡­ Loue¡¯s family was in the construction business. In recent years, L won Granny Atherton¡¯s heart, so her father was quite favored too and was doing well in the industry. Loue got together with Jamie, and her father was now connected with the extended family of the Mason. He pulled in more investments and was nning to build a new factory. However, that morning, Mr. Atherton received a call from the counterparty, saying that they were pulling out of the deal. Mr. Atherton panicked and said, ¡°Mr. Lewis, we came to a verbal agreement before this. How could you back out at thest minute even though we had not written it down?¡± Mr. Lewis¡¯ tone was different from his usual friendly one, and he snickered. ¡°Mr. Atherton, even if we had signed the agreement, I will still back out from this deal! I will not support you even if it would breach the agreement!¡± ¡°What¡­ What do you mean?¡± ¡°Mr. Atherton, your daughter is a blessing and a curse. She had offended someone. Did you not know?¡± Mr. Lewis hung up. Mr. Atherton was astounded. L was always sweet and smart and was resourceful in managing business matters. She was always his favorite. Even the most respected Granny Atherton loved her as though she was her immediate granddaughter. How could she have offended anyone? Mr. Atherton wanted to call Mr. Lewis for an exnation, but only to realize he was blocked! Mr. Atherton was so infuriated. In the meantime, Loue came running across the hall while crying. Even though she was not as spoiled by her father as L was, she was still loved by her father. She did not notice her father¡¯s expression and was crying to him. ¡°Daddy, what have I done wrongly? Why did Jamie treat me that way? I was only doing it for our own good¡­¡± ¡°All you do is cry!¡± Mr. Atherton did not console her like he usually did but mmed his palni against the table and said, ¡°Ask your sister toe back right now. I need to ask her something!¡± Loue was stunned and felt even more wronged. However, she would not defy what her father wanted. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. L was quickly called back. She had no idea what happened and had gone out shopping with her friends earlier, only to return home with numerous bags of items she had bought. Mr. Atherton was already furious and got even angrier seeing howvishly she was spending. He picked up the ashtray and threw it in her direction. Smack! Even though the ashtray did not hit L, she was petrified. Her shopping bags dropped all over the floor, and her clothes and jewelry fell out of the bags. ¡°Dad, are you crazy?¡± L was still in shock and looked at her father in disbelief. ¡°Are you trying to hit me with the ashtray? What if my face gets scarred?¡± ¡°Let me ask you, who did you offend out there?¡± ¡°Who could I have offended? You could ask my sister. Granny wanted to organize apetition. I was especially well behaved recently and had been helping Granny,¡± L said. Mr. Atherton mmed the table again, his veins on his forehead bulged. ¡°My investment deal got blown off. The counterparty said it was because you offended someone! Don¡¯t you dare lie to me!¡± ¡°I did not¡­¡± L stopped herself. Did she offend anyone? The only person that she deliberately ¡®handled¡¯ recently was Catelyn rk Could it be Catelyn rk? No way! Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Mr. Atherton saw the expression on his two daughters¡¯ faces and knew they must have screwed something up. He was even more displeased. However, he spoiled his girls as they grew up. He could not beat them but could only punish them in some other ways. ¡°From now on, your allowances will be cut by half until you both behave yourselves!¡± he said before leaving exasperated with his investment proposal, thinking of seeking another way to fund his project. L watched as her father disappeared into the hallway, and anger shed through her gaze. Catelyn! ¡°L, Jamie¡­ told me about something at the hospital¡­¡± Loue quickly informed L about Jamie¡¯s reaction and had stopped crying over him. She was concerned and asked, ¡°Could Catelyn really have hooked up with someone that we should not have offended?¡± L was irritated. She said sarcastically, ¡°No way, she barely has any opportunity to hook up with someone from the upper ss!¡± ¡°However, our father really lost the deal¡­¡± Loue was concerned and looked at L. ¡°Maybe we should plead with Catelyn to resolve this peacefully and ask her to convince the man behind her¡­¡± ¡°Asking me to forgo my ego and plead for peace? You might as well walk over my dead body,¡± L rejected the idea without hesitation. ¡°This may be a coincidence, it could also be my previous admirers who did not win my heart and became vengeful!¡± In the meantime, Catelyn was discharged from the hospital and was still feeling drowsy. Her face was still pale, and she could only ask Anne for another three days off to rest. Anne told her that Miles knew she was taken to the police station. Catelyn was worried. Miles could never stand seeing her being bullied. She took a cab to Miles¡¯ kindergarten, intending to see if Miles was throwing a tantrum. To her surprise, as soon as she arrived at the kindergarten, the teacher came out smiling. ¡°Ms. Catelyn, Miles¡¯ writing is really good. We are nominating him to join a writingpetition. Would you be okay with it?¡± Miss Jane was also a young woman. She wore a ponytail, a long white dress, and a pair of sses with a ck frame. Catelyn was stunned. She thought Miles ran into a fight. ¡°Apetition?¡± ¡°Yes, I have rrever expected a child to be so good at writing!¡± Ms. Jane took out a paper and passed it to Catelyn. Catelyn looked at the paper and was astonished. It was a simple, short passage, but the story was given life and soul through the way he wrote it. This¡­ This was written by Miles? Did he not hate writing the most? Catelyn was so doubtful about it. She could not help but go outside of the ssroom and peeked through the window panes at Miles. Twenty-plus children were sitting prim and proper in the ss. The teacher was scribbling on the ckboard, while a few kids were dozing off, their heads on their hands, some were zoning out, except Miles, who sat up straight, and was paying full attention to the lesson. He looked at ease. There was no sign of being worried or frustrated. Her baby had grown so much. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Catelyn waited at Ms. Jane¡¯s office for Miles. Not too long after, she dozed off. While unconscious, she somehow felt a pair of eyes watching her. She opened her eyelidszily, and what came into sight was a small but excited and thrilled face. ¡°Mummy, you are awake!¡± Ollie was extremely excited and satisfied at the same time. He was so up close to Aunt Catelyn. Plus, he could have her read bedtime stories tonight. He sprinted to the pantry and got a ss of water for Catelyn, passing it politely to her. ¡°Ms. Jane said you are unwell and asked me not to disturb you. Are you better now? Do you want some warm water?¡± Ollie was still caring as he usually was. Catelyn received a ss of water and took a small sip, and asked, ¡°Miles, did you give mummy¡¯s supervisor a callst night?¡± Ollie nodded his head and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So you knew I was at the police stationst night?¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Miles, tell me, were you scared?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Yes.¡± Ollie had thought about what to say beforehand and exined patiently, ¡°However, I know that mummy would not be hurting anyone and would definitely not be a criminal. So I did not throw tantrums, had my meals, and slept on time. I listened to Nana. I knew you would not have the heart to leave me and will soon return to me.¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart wrenched to hear this. The softest spot in her heart had been hit. ¡°Mummy, did I do anything wrong?¡± Ollie saw Catelyn go silent and deliberately asked. Catelyn blinked fast to blink away the tears in her eyes and pulled Ollie into her arms tightly.¡± No, you did everything correctly. You have grown so much. Mummy is proud of you.¡± Ollie took a deep breath of Catelyn¡¯s scent and had unknowingly grown to be dependent on Catelyn. ¡°Then could you hug me more?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Catelyn wished she could give him the whole world. Ollie¡¯s lips curved upward. Last night, he knew that he could not sneak out under Edwin and the bodyguards¡¯ watch, so he left a memo and went to the toilet. Then, he matched Miles¡¯ timing and felt that his father would intuitively go to the police station without doing a thorough check in thepany first. So he waited until dusk and hid in the janitor cart to sneak out of thepany. Not sure if everything was going smoothly on Miles¡¯ end? At the Mason Group. Cedrick was buried in a pile of documents, and he seemed very sleep-deprived. Nheless, this did not affect his productivity. He took care of Catelyn for the entire nightst night, but she left early this morning. However, the kid at home was making a lot of fuss, insisting on going to see Catelyn. Catelyn had left the hospital. Where should he go to see Catelyn then? Little one threw a tantrum again, and Cedrick did not give him attention anymore but came straight to the office. The office door suddenly swung open, and Maia came in, holding hertest designer purse. Cedrick heard her and looked up from his pile of documents quietly. ¡°Why are you here?¡± M smiled, put her sling bag on the tea table, then strode to the office table and beamed, ¡°I wanted to surprise you, so 1 purposely Asked your secretary not to tell you. Am I disturbing your work?¡± Strong citrus and floral scent wafted toward Cedrick, and he frowned slightly. ¡°Next time, let Charles inform me beforehand.¡± Maia nodded in disappointment. Her expressions were a little gloomy. He had rumors about an affair with another woman just days ago, and he refused to dine with her. Especially when she just could not find out who the woman was, no matter how hard she tried. Apparently the journalists were silenced by Cedrick too. ¡°Cedrick, you have been so cold to me recently. Are you in love with another girl?¡± Cedrick¡¯s voice remained cool as always, ¡°Are you talking about the news on the paper?¡± ¡°Who is she? Is she better than me?¡± ¡°I only have one fiancee, and that is you,¡± Cedrick emphasized. He was seemingly telling Maia but also sounded as though he was trying to remind himself about that. He was not an irresponsible man. Since he had taken Maia¡¯s virginity four years ago, he would be responsible. As for Catelyn¡­ Ollie loved her, and she was his son¡¯s designated mansion designer! That¡¯s all! Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Maia wanted to ask Cedrick out for a dinner date but was declined by Cedrick. As soon as she stepped out of thepany, she called her mother. Her pretty little face looked a little cross. ¡°Mom, Cedrick refused to tell me who that woman was! He must have fallen for that girl!¡± Betty consoled her and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s just a girl. Given his social status, you should have expected him to have an affair.¡± There were not many rich and loyal men in this world. ¡°I can¡¯t ept this!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fret. You should not be anxious, especially under this circumstance. It was obvious that the woman could never be seen by the world. If you want to be Mrs. Mason, other than Cedrick, you need to get the Mason family¡¯s approval!¡± Maia hesitated. An idea popped in her head, and her lips curved slightly upward. ¡°I know what to do now. I will buy some presents and visit Grandpa Mason and Aunt Janice later.¡± The woman must not have her family background and beauty. Why was she shaken? Plus, Cedrick had taken her virginity four years ago. He must not assume it will be easy to leave her¡­ Catelyn rested at home for three days straight. Ollie was like a little tail to Catelyn. Wherever she went, he followed. His eyes were even sparkling with little stars. Catelyn felt her son was being even more clingy to her recently. After sending her son to school, Catelyn went back to the office. She was cuffed at the cafe near theirpany. There certainly were a number of colleagues seeing it. She was ready to be the hot topic for gossip. However, as soon as she arrived at the front desk of their office, Hannah came forward with a grin on her face. ¡°Catelyn, why are you at our office?¡± ¡°This is my office too. I cane whenever I want to.¡± ¡°Your office?¡± Hannah folded her arms across her chest as though she had heard the worst joke in the world. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have not seen the notice from ourpany. You were fired because you had beenzy and skipping work without reason!¡± In fact, many of the staff were looking to get a spot on the project for Ollie¡¯s mansion. They were not aiming high and could even settle for an assistant role. The pay would be sufficient for the rest of the year. Catelyn got the spot. Naturally, there were many people jealous of her¡­ ¡°Fired?¡± Catelyn was shocked. She asked, ¡°Sirice when did I skip work without reasons? requested time off from Anne!¡± ¡°You informed Anne but not Manager Norman. Has Manager Norman given you the approval? Why would you think your leave applications were approved?¡± Hannah¡¯s words made Catelyn frown even more. There was nothing else to find out. This was apparently someone forcing her to leave for their personal agenda! Catelyn walked past Hannah and went straight into the manager¡¯s room. Terry Norman seemed to have anticipated her. He happily took out a hotel key card from his drawer and mmed it across the table. ¡°Catelyn, I ask you one more time, would you follow me?¡± Catelyn looked at him coldly. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®follow you¡¯?¡± ¡°We are all adults, don¡¯t you understand? Meet me here at nine tonight, we all have some fun, and then I could revoke the decision, and you could keep your job.¡± Catelyn was infuriated. ¡°If I don¡¯t ¡®follow¡¯ you, I would be fired?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 ¡°As I¡¯ve said, you¡¯re no match for me!¡± harrumphed Terry, the corners of his lips twitching, revealing his yellow teeth. ¡°Just give up and follow me; I can be your guardian. After all, you¡¯re just a woman with a child! How would you survive if you don¡¯t have anyone to rely on? To put it bluntly, this is all for your own good.¡± Terry rubbed his chin. ¡±I see you¡¯re wearing high stockings, too¡­¡± he muttered, staring at Catelyn as though she was stripped naked. Catelyn was so disgusted that she almost puked. ¡°You shameless man!¡± she snarled. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Fire me if you want; I¡¯m going to quit anyway! I should¡¯ve recorded this and exposed your ugly side to the public!¡± Terry instinctively narrowed his eyes the moment he heard Catelyn saying she should have recorded everything. Suddenly.. Boom! The door to the office was pushed open, and Hannah came rushing in angrily. She grabbed the room card on the table and lifted the hem of Catelyn¡¯s clothes. ¡°Look, everyone! This shameless woman is trying to seduce her boss in the office!¡± Terry sneered at this, immensely satisfied with Hannah¡¯s actions. Hannah¡¯s shrill-soundingment was heard by many of thepany¡¯s employees throughout the office, and everyone came over quickly, pointing at the door of the office as they watched the scene unfold. ¡°Catelyn, I¡¯m a married man, and I have a beautiful wife! How could you think of seducing me? ¡± said Terry, pretending to be sympathetic and righteous. ¡°You¡¯re still young, and I don¡¯t want to fire you. I¡¯m just going to give you a warning for this.¡± Immediately, everyone in the office who had been jealous of Catelyn showed contempt and disdain. ¡°You¡ª!¡± growled Catelyn, dumbfounded by Terry and Hannah¡¯s shamelessness. ¡°What happened?¡± Anne heard themotion and rushed over, just in time to see Hannah lifting the hems of Catelyn¡¯s clothes. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Director Rossi, you¡¯re right on time,¡± sneered Hannah. ¡°Catelyn tried to seduce Manager Norman, and I caught her red-handed! You were very optimistic about her, but you see her true colors now. She¡¯s not worth it at all!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± yelled Catelyn irritatedly, shoving Hannah from her with the back of her hand. Hannah happened to be wearing high-heeled shoes at that moment, so she lost her bnce due to Catelyn¡¯s shove and fell to the floor. Hannah¡¯s eyes gleamed with anger. ¡°How dare you push me!¡± she seethed as she got up from the floor and proceeded to scuffle with Catelyn. However, Catelyn was no coward. ¡°Push you?¡± she retorted. ¡°I¡¯ll even smack that face of yours right now! You got a problem with that? ¡°I didn¡¯t seduce Terry at all; he came onto me and threatened me! Speaking of which, I¡¯d like to bring up the fact that I¡¯ve seen you and Terry doing questionable things together in the storage room!¡± A ! 11! Hannah never thought that Catelyn would actually say this in public, and her face quickly turned pale. A malicious intent shed across Terry¡¯s eyes. Grabbing onto a nearby ashtray, he swung toward Catelyn¡¯s head, and ¡°Stop!¡± came the sharp demand of an aloof-sounding boy¡¯s voice from the door. Everyone turned to look toward the source of the voice and spotted a boy in a little ck suit wearing a mask and sunsses. He ran into the room with his hands on his hips. It was none other than Miles rk, with Eason following him from behind. He had an indescribable expression; there was a peculiar expression on his face, as well as grief. The young master was getting difficult to handle, even more so than Master Cedrick himself. Catelyn¡¯s expression also changed as she saw Milesing in, and she did not want to give him a bad impression. Eventually, she released Hannah and got up from the floor in adylike manner. This boy even went to the police station to save her that day¡­ If anything, Catelyn should be thankful to him! Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 However, Hannah was not ready to end it like Catelyn did. She finally had the chance to fight back when Catelyn released her. Hannah did not even hesitate as she rushed toward Catelyn. Miles saw this and immediately nced at Eason, who quickly understood in seconds. Just as Hannah¡¯s p was about tond on Catelyn¡¯s face, Eason grabbed her hand and quickly shoved it behind her back. A loud crack was heard thereafter. ¡°Aah!¡± With a shrill scream, Hannah fell to the floor, paralyzed and sweating coldly from the pain. Everyone present was shocked at Eason¡¯s action. Who was this man? He dared to trespass into BrightGene Group and acted unscrupulously! Eason, noticing that everyone¡¯s eyes were on him, scratched his head in embarrassment ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized. ¡°I forgot that she¡¯s a woman. I was a little rough on her, but it¡¯s okay, she just needs to rest for a few months.¡± Everyone was baffled at this A few months of rest? Was this man joking? Miles harrumphed, proud like a young prince as he nced at Hannah, who was screaming with contempt. ¡°This duck is so noisy! Come and shut her mouth.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The corners of Eason¡¯s mouth twitched. Nheless, he picked up a few draft papers and stuffed them into Hannah¡¯s mouth, silencing her entirely. Miles¡¯ demeanor instantly changed as he turned babyish in seconds. He ran to Catelyn, holding her tightly with his short arms and acting like a spoiled child. ¡°Aunty Catelyn, I missed you so much! It¡¯s all Big Demon¡¯s fault; he can¡¯t even care for a single patient properly! That¡¯s why I can only see you now.¡±. 1 Catelyn was on the verge ofughter and tears. She squatted in front of Miles and looked him in the eye. She felt rather guilty, thinking that she was not setting a good example for acting so rashly in front of the boy. ¡°Who are you?!¡± yelled Terry as he stared at Miles and Eason. Despite being intimidated, he asserted dominance in his demands. ¡°This is BrightGene Group, and it¡¯s not a ce for children to y around! Security, get them out-¡± ¡°This duck is just as noisy as thest one! Uncle Eason, get rid of him!¡± ordered Miles coolly before turning to look at Catelyn once more, staring at her meaningfully for another hug, to which Catelyn complied. Miles rubbed his face against hers affectionately. Meanwhile, Terry was so enraged that his teeth ttered in his mouth. ¡°You think you can go calling me a duck just because you¡¯re a young master from the Mason family? Security! Remove these two trespassers from the building!¡± Following Terry¡¯s hysterical roar, a group of about five security guards slowly approached them, the confrontation starting to scare Catelyn. Miles, however, tugged the hem of her clothes, seemingly not intimidated by the guards.¡± Don¡¯t be afraid. This uncle is super powerful, and they can¡¯t beat him!¡± The security guards quickly surrounded them, and Catelyn instinctively brought Miles, whom she thought was Ollie all along, to protect him. Miles thrived in his mother¡¯s embrace. Giving her away to Ollie was something he struggled so arduously with. A ttering sound was heard, and Eason was seen brawling with the group of guards. He tossed them around and punched them in the face, sweeping the ground with their bodies relentlessly afterward. In the aftermath, the security guards rolled on the floor, screaming in pain. The whole office was filled with mournful cries. Terry¡¯s legs turned to jelly at the sight. Eason fixed his gaze on him and stepped forward in two strides. He kicked him in his legs, and Terry quickly fell to one knee on the ground with a plop, right in the direction of Catelyn and Miles. Just as Eason was about to raise his fist and smash it against Terry¡¯s face ¡°Leave this to me!¡± Miles shouted excitedly and slipped out of Catelyn¡¯s arms. He ran forward, stomped his calf on the ground, and sprang into the air. He stretched out one leg and swung it across Terry¡¯s face harshly. The kick left a clear ck shoe print on Terry¡¯s face Chapter 86 Chapter 86 . Chapter 86 Milesnded steadily on his feet after the kick, his hands resting on his hips as he stood cooly. He lifted his little nose with one hand, yearning for praise and appreciation for his stunt.¡± Aunty Catelyn, this old pervert is so hard-headed! My foot is hurting now¡­ I want another hug.¡± Catelyn was stunned at this before she quickly bent over and hugged him. ¡°Don¡¯t attempt stuff like that ever again,¡± she reprimanded him as she tapped him on the forehead. ¡°What if you slip? You¡¯ll hurt yourself!¡± Miles threw himself into Catelyn¡¯s arms arrogantly, stomping his feet lightly. ¡°I¡¯m a hero, you know? I won¡¯t get hurt!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Terry was about to explode at this point. His face scrunched uglily in rage, but Eason held him back, rendering him unable to move. ¡°You little brat!¡± yelled Terry. ¡°Who are you¡± m! Eason grabbed Terry¡¯s head and mmed it against the floor, causing him to bleed instantly. ¡°You dare humiliate the young master of the Mason family?¡± snarled Eason. What? The young master of the Mason family? The crowd gathered outside the office broke into murmurs and gossip the moment Eason spoke. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± ¡°Is this the young master of the Mason family? He and Catelyn seem to be very close!¡± ¡°Definitely so! Otherwise, how could he wear an outfit from such famous brands? His guard is very capable, too! Oh, no¡­I¡¯m doomed. I¡¯ve offended Catelyn before and said bad things about her. She wouldn¡¯t hold any grudges, would she?¡± Terry¡¯s world fell apart as he heard the words, and it felt as if the sky came crashing down on him. If this was the young master of the Mason family, that made this boy¡­Cedrick¡¯s son! Thinking of this, Terry quickly balled himself before Miles. ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s all my fault. Please forgive me! I- I have a family!¡± Miles merely scoffed. This old pervert has taken advantage of Catelyn for a long time, and it would torment him if he did nothing to avenge his mother. Since he had switched identities with Ollie, it would be a pity not to take advantage of it! Miles raised his hand and pointed at Terry. ¡°Squat, cover your ears, and bark like a dog!¡± Chapter 86 Terry¡¯s face scrunched in embarrassment as he did what he was told. He squatted, covered his ears with his hands, and started imitating the barks of a dog. ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± Everyone burst intoughter at the sight, while the female employees whom Terry had harassed before felt sheer joy watching him rendered to such a state. ¡°Don¡¯t stop until I say so! Continue!¡± ordered Miles. ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± ¡°Crawl around in circles as you bark!¡± TIT Terry¡¯s face contorted with hatred and fear, but he had no choice. He started duck-walking around in circles. Due to him not being physically active for a long time, he could only circle around twice before he faltered in dizziness, his chubby body slumping. ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore, young master! I really can¡¯t do it¡­¡± ¡°What are you all doing?¡± a female voice suddenly came from the door. Her tone was sharp and angry, enough to leave the employees in the office trembling with fear. It was L Atherton BrightGene Group was the property of the Atherton family, and as the daughter of the family, L knew that Catelyn was working for thispany. Naturally, she wanted to have a talk with her. However, she did not expect to witness such a scene unfolding in the very grounds of her family¡¯spany. To see the employees surrounding Terry in a farce was far beyond her anticipation. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 ¡°What are you doing, Terry? Stop this at once!¡± snapped L. The woman seemed full of herself as a cold aura seeped out of her in her intimidating presence, leaving the people around her shivering in fear. Terry quickly stopped circling. He felt so dizzy that hey on the floor with his feet up in the air. Everyone else in the office struggled to hold in theirughter at the sight, but they managed nheless. L looked at Catelyn, then at the boy in her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, little boy. This is my family¡¯s company. Leave now, or you¡¯ll be sorry,¡± she warned. L paused for a moment before turning to Catelyn, rebuking her, ¡°The nerve you have. Hand in your resignation yourself; BrightGene Group doesn¡¯t need an employee like you!¡± Catelyn had long expected that L would not just sit around and do nothing. After stirring up such amotion on this day, Catelyn knew she would notst any longer in thepany. Thus, she took off the employee card and threw it on the desk before turning to pack up her belongings. ¡°Wait!¡± shouted L, stopping Catelyn. ¡°You¡¯ve disrupted the order of thepany and hurt so many people with this so-called young master of the Mason family. Are you not going to do anything about it?¡± Catelyn took a deep breath before she turned to look at L. ¡°What do you want, then?¡± ¡°You should pay fifteen thousand dors toward five people for their medical expenses. Besides, Terry is also your immediate boss. Now that you¡¯ve made fun of him, shouldn¡¯t you kneel and apologize to him?¡± said L, her expression hardening ruthlessly. L did not believe Catelyn held any power. Even if the police could not handle her, she would not let her live in peace. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Meanwhile, Miles was starting to hate the old woman in front of him. His eyes gleamed with malice as he red at her. ¡°I¡¯m the one who beat them up, and I kicked the old pervert, too. How does this have anything to do with Aunty Catelyn?¡± ¡°What can a child like you understand? Catelyn must¡¯ve instigated this.¡± L¡¯s eyes swept toward Catelyn like a sharp de. ¡°Catelyn, aren¡¯t you going to kneel?¡± she demanded in a threatening tone. Catelyn sneered. ¡°Kneel for Terry? I might as well do it in front of his grave.¡± Everyone was stunned at Catelyn¡¯s bold response. ¡°So I¡¯ll take that as a no?¡± asked L. ¡°Who are you asking to kneel to whom?¡± At this moment, a low, stern male voice came out of nowhere, immediately overshadowing L¡¯s question. The atmosphere quickly changed in an instant, and the surrounding air turned cold. Cedrick Mason strode forward with steady and unbridled steps, exuding a menacing aura as he casually walked toward Catelyn and Miles. He then stretched his hands out in a protective stance before them. With his arrival, the office hall fell into a dead silence, followed by a frantic discussion. Who was this dashingly handsome man? He had a demanding presence! The moment L saw Cedrick, she raised her head high with a surprised look in her eyes. It was him. She had fallen for him since thest time they met in the hospital. ¡°You?¡± L showed a smile that she thought was noble and stretched out her hand to the man. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m L from the Atherton family, and my father is Henry Atherton. It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± ¡°Henry? Never heard of him.¡± Cedrick did not even bat an eye at L, causing her hands to ball tightly into fists and her pretty face to turn red. She was practically ignored! Cedrick retracted his gaze. He then nced at Catelyn, and then at Miles in her arms, frowning. ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more courageous now. Who made youe here?¡± Miles, whom Cedrick thought was Ollie all along, was not afraid of Cedrick at all as he pouted at him. ¡°Well, you¡¯re here too, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 ¡°You dare talk back to me?¡± retorted Cedrick, his tone cold as he did. Miles quickly hid in Catelyn¡¯s arms. L¡¯splexion suddenly changed when she saw both of them getting along. ¡°Is¡­he your son?¡± she asked. ¡°No, that¡¯s Impossible,¡± L murmured before Cedrick could even answer. Her denial came once more as she spoke, ¡°This boy is the young master of the Mason family. If you¡¯re his father, that means you¡¯re-¡± ¡°M¨CMaster Cedrick of the Mason Family!¡± stammered Terry, who was paralyzed on the ground, trembling as he did. His whole body felt so drained, he was close to fainting. Cedrick must have heard how he called the boy a brat! L looked at Catelyn inquiringly, wanting to hear the denial from her mouth¡­but Catelyn just looked back at her like an idiot. ¡°How is that possible? You must be lying!¡± scoffed L, unable to believe that the man in front of her was Cedrick ¡°You¡¯re not Cedrick, you can¡¯t be! You¡¯re just an actor Catelyn brought here to support her lies! ¡°she argued. If he was indeed Cedrick Mason, then L had just dug her own grave. Therefore, L kept telling herself subconsciously that this man must be a fake. ording to rumors, Cedrick has always been cold-hearted and only cared about Maia. What was Catelyn to him, then? She was just a poordy with a child, so how could she gain his discernment? ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern me if you believe or not,¡± said Cedrick to L, not bothering to exin himself to clear her doubt. ¡°You¡­¡± muttered L. Cedrick did not even care about his understatement, making L feel as if she was pped in the face multiple times. As Cedrick and Catelyn were packing up, L took the opportunity to send a text message to Loue, requesting her to find a member of the Mason family to recognize Cedrick. At the same time, L tried her best to stall them both, not allowing them to leave the premise. Although Loue was not aware of what happened, L seemed to be in a hurry and, thus, did not question her. Immediately, she brought someone from the Mason family. It was Jamie Mason, a rtive of Cedrick. They both had some contact previously, so he would have met Cedrick before. De Meanwhile, Catelyn was standing at her desk, packing her belongings. apter88 N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. She actually did not have many things, save for a few gadgets. She took a cardboard box from Anne and started to organize her stuff. ¡°Is there anything I need help with?¡± asked Cedrick, his expression sullen. ¡°No need, they¡¯re all small items. I¡¯ll be able to sort them out soon, but thank you for helping me today,¡± said Catelyn sineerely. Cedrick turned his face away, not answering her. As Catelyn finished packing up the water sses and other sundries, she picked up a photo frame on the table. It was a photo of her and her one-year-old baby, taken when she first joined BrightGene Group.¡± Miles saw the photo and was immediately flustered. He stared at the baby suckling on a blue pacifier in the photo. His mouth was so pouted that he could not see his original appearance. He could not believe that Catelyn even kept this photo! Cedrick, too, stared at the photo of the mother and son when all of a sudden, the voice of an arrogant-sounding male came from the door. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 ¡°L, who¡¯d pretend to be Cedrick? He¡¯s got guts, I¡¯ll give him that! Whoever he is, he¡¯s not getting away!¡± Wayne Mason happened to be visiting his cousin, Jamie in the hospital. The moment he was told that someone was pretending to be Cedrick, he quickly drove over in his BMD. L immediately greeted him with a smile upon his arrival. ¡°Wayne, you¡¯re just in time. Everyone in Sapphire City knows that Cedrick of the Mason family only favors Maia, but this Catelyn had the guts to get someone to pretend to be him and abuse his power. You must stop ¡°That¡¯s natural.¡± Wayne looked at L smugly. He raised his head and looked at the people around him. ¡°Who¡¯d be so bold to do this? I¡¯m going to give him hell!¡± ¡°Me,¡± came an apathetic response. Wayne did not turn to look as he heard the response. That voice sounded awfully familiar. As soon as he turned, Wayne saw Cedrick holding a small cupcake in his hand, looking back at him in a rxed manner. The man coolly added, ¡°I heard that you said that I got guts and that you¡¯re going to give me hell. Is that right, Wayne?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± muttered Wayne. Upon recognizing Cedrick and Miles, his legs instantly went soft. ¡°Y -Young Master! I didn¡¯t see you there! Well¡­ The weather is pretty good today, isn¡¯t it? I suddenly remembered that I had something to do, so please excuse me!¡± Wayne never thought that he would actually meet Cedrick in this building! N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He wanted to run away, but Eason had blocked his path. L¡¯s face had an indescribable expression. Wayne was so much more of a jerk than Jamie was, yet¡­ He actually bowed to the man in front of him! Could this man truly be the eldest son of the Mason family? If he truly was, L had justnded herself into trouble! Wayne walked up to Cedrick sheepishly, lowering his breath as he struck up a conversation tteringly, ¡°What a misunderstanding, huh? I heard that someone pretended to be you, so I quickly came to take a look!¡± Wayne then shot L a cold stare. ¡°What are you doing, L? How could you still call yourself the eldest daughter of the Atherton family? Haven¡¯t you seen my uncle? Come and apologize to him!¡± L felt like she was about to throw up. L once thought of taking this man all for herself once she found out who he was, tying her to him so he could be her secret lover, yet she never once expected him to have a prestigious He was also on Catelyn¡¯s side! Most annoyingly, Jamie did not tell her that the person behind Catelyn was Cedrick. If she had known, she would never have made such a mistake! It was all because Jamie kept his mouth shut the whole time, making L think that this man was not someone of high importance. ¡°Master Cedrick!¡± L did not realize just how she walked up to Cedrick, and she felt listless as though she had lost too much blood. She felt numb and cold. ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t mean any of this. It¡¯s all my fault, and I apologize to you and Miss rk. Please don¡¯t embarrass my family!¡± she pleaded. Cedrick¡¯s thin lips rolled up in a cold arc that looked like a smile, although he was actually not smiling. ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss Atherton say that she likes me? What¡¯s wrong?¡± he said. ¡°¡­¡± L blushed instantly at this as she bowed respectfully toward him. ¡°I was blind and had no idea of your status. Please, forgive me.¡± ¡°It depends,¡± snorted Miles. ¡°I¡¯m not the one you had sent to the police station. In other words, I¡¯m not the one who you should be apologizing to.¡± L gritted her teeth so harshly that they were about to shatter. She would rather die than apologize to just Catelyn! However, thinking of the current tragic state of the Atherton family, she had no choice but to swallow her pride. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss rk!¡± pleaded L as she solemnly bowed to Catelyn. Catelyn refused to let such a rare opportunity go to waste; not when she could be high and mighty. ¡°Your apology is so insincere,¡± she sneered. ¡°Wh-What do you want, then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like asking people to kneel?¡± Miles, who was acting as Ollie, stretched his neck and raised his lips coolly. ¡°If you want to apologize, you have to kneel.¡± L wanted nothing more than to kill Catelyn at this moment. All her life, she had never kneeled before anyone, not even to her own father. She shut her watery eyes and looked at Cedrick pitifully, hoping she would be relieved. ¡°Please, ¡°she whimpered, ¡°I know I¡¯m at fault, Master Cedrick.¡± Cedrick felt disgusted at the thought that this despicable woman had feelings for him. ¡°Ollie had asked you to kneel, didn¡¯t you hear him?¡± he sneered, his tone colder than Catelyn¡¯s. L was stunned at this. Cedrick did not feel any pity for her at all! Before she could say anything else, Eason suddenly pressed her shoulders from behind and kicked her knees. L lost the strength to struggle and fell to the floor with a thud in a rather embarrassing posture. Miles was inwardly pleased with this. Back when he went to the police station to pick up his mother, he recalled how miserable she seemed Hmph! Having L kneel was not enough to relieve his anger! Catelyn did not expect that Eason would make L kneel, so she quickly looked away. This could be considered revenge for the incident at the police station. Her hands that were holding the cardboard box tightened even more at the thought. Catelyn knew would not stay in BrightGene Group for long, but she never thought that she would leave in this way. Catelyn felt rather sour as she left BrightGene Group afterward. She had thought of many ways to leave thepany, but she did not expect it to involve such a big fuss. Miles, thinking that Catelyn was worried about losing her job, quickly grabbed her hand and said to her with a smile, ¡°Aunty Catelyn, the job of designing the vi will be entirely up to you in the future. It¡¯s all in your hands now!¡± Upon hearing this, Catelyn recalled that if this did not go through BrightGene Group, the profit would be up to several million! ¡°All¡­for me?¡± she hesitated as she observed Cedrick¡¯s face. Cedrick did not answer her. Instead, he nced at his watch, noting that it was past 11. ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry,¡± he said indifferently. Miles nodded as well. ¡°My little belly is making some noises already.¡± ¡°Let me treat you,¡± Catelyn quickly offered, to which Miles vehemently nodded. He then looked at Cedrick and said, ¡°I¡¯m going for dinner with Aunty Catelyn. You¡¯re on your own now.¡± Cedrick raised his eyebrows slightly. Did this boy just tell him to go back alone? ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that I¡¯m hungry too?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, then leave quickly. Grandpa Albert will prepare a hearty lunch for you. You won¡¯t like the ordinary meal that Aunty Catelyn and I eat,¡± said Miles solemnly, wanting to drive Cedrick away.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Although Miles had epted Ollie¡¯s proposal to swap identities, it did not mean he epted Cedrick. He still held a grudge against the man for locking him up in a room. Cedrick¡¯s brows twitched as he scanned the child¡¯s face before saying in a cold voice, ¡°You¡¯ve always been a picky eater, so your food has been prepared specifically by the chef Albert hired. Will you be able to eat the food that I don¡¯t like?¡± Miles clung to Catelyn¡¯s leg as his jewel-like eyes glimmered. ¡°A man whocks emotions like you will never understand that food tastes better in thepany of a pretty woman.¡± It was the first time ever that Cedrick was rendered speechless by his son, and he wondered whether his son truly knew the meaning of what he had just said. ¡°Alright, stop it, both of you.¡± Catelyn did not wish to see the two arguing over a meal and squatted to look Miles in the eye. ¡°Ollie, didn¡¯t your dad help us just now?¡± Although he was reluctant to admit it, Miles nodded before arguing weakly, ¡°I would¡¯ve been able to protect you just fine if he didn¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°Yes, I believe you, but¡­your father still helped us out. Besides, he¡¯s the one who pays me, so it¡¯s normal that I should treat him to a meal. Can you be a bit more generous?¡± Catelynforted the child patiently. ¡°Just think of it as a small request from me.¡± The fact that Catelyn mentioned Cedrick helped them¡¯ pleased Miles because it meant that Catelyn and him were on the same side. Miles jutted his rear and said to Cedrick impatiently, ¡°Alright, then, I¡¯ll let you eat with us.¡± Cedrick did not think he needed permission from his son for a meal. Catelyn did not want to calm the boy, only to see his father scowling. Thus, she offered Cedrick a smile. ¡°Master Cedrick, Ollie is just a child that¡¯s not even four-year-old yet, so just let him be. Besides, didn¡¯t you say that you were hungry? Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s a Mexicaean restaurant, and the food there is awesome. Can you two eat spicy food?¡± Cedrick scowled and nced at the boy, but before he could say anything, the boy leaped giddily as he eximed, ¡°Yay, I love Mexicaean!¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Really?¡± Catelyn was surprised. ¡°My son likes Mexicaean food, too. He¡¯d alwaysin that it¡¯s not spicy enough, though, and this restaurant is by far the most authentic one.¡± ¡°I like spicy food, too.¡± Cedrick¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Howe I didn¡¯t know you like spicy food?¡± Ollie had always preferred milder tastes and would always suffer from stomach aches whenever he ate something spicy, which was why the cook in Mason Estate would not dare use any ingredient that had a strong taste. Miles jutted his chin as he turned, showing Cedrick his back as he snorted, ¡°Get used to it.¡± With that, he took Catelyn¡¯s hand and hurried toward the Mexicaean restaurant. Catelyn had taken him there plenty of times, so he was familiar with where it was. It almost looked like he was the one taking Catelyn to a new restaurant instead. Catelyn was shocked at this. ¡°Ollie, have you been here before?¡± ¡°Of course¡­not.¡± ¡°But you seem really familiar with the way, though.¡± Catelyn scanned the child suspiciously. Miles scratched his head and said, ¡°But this was the direction that you were pointing at, right? ¡°¡­¡± Catelyn realized that he was right. Nheless, she was amazed by how smart children were nowadays. Cedrick¡¯s eyes fixated on Catelyn and his son, and the frown on his face faded as he went after them. However, as soon as he stepped forward, he noticed something shing somewhere. He paused and nced at a certain corner behind him.. The trees were moving under the wind, and it became apparent that someone was standing behind the tree. He sneered and took out his phone to call Eason. ¡°Someone is stalking me. Go handle it.¡± Catelyn thought that Ollie would take his mask off during the meal. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Despite that, ¡®Ollie¡¯ refused to remove his mask and held onto it instead. ¡°I have pimples on my face, so I don¡¯t look handsome right now. I can¡¯t show my face-to Aunty Catelyn, or it¡¯s N?velDrama.Org (C) content. going to destroy my perfect impression on her.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re a handsome little guy just looking at your dad. It won¡¯t affect your impression of me. How are you going to eat with your mask on?¡± Catelyn tried to convince him, but ¡®ollie !, who was often quite obedient, protested and ran to hide before Cedrick with his te in his hands. He sat and batted his eyshes. ¡°I¡¯m still not showing you.¡± If his lies were exposed, Miles knew it would not end well for him. He had kicked Terry and called Cedrick names, after all, and he would suffer for these if they realized that he was not Ollie. Most importantly, he had not been to school for days, and Ollie was the one going in his ce; his mother would surely be furious if she found out. She might even send him off to a boarding school, so he had to continue this charade no matter what Catelyn gave up when she realized he was not caving in. Cedrick watched as the boy lifted his mask to his nose, showing only his mouth to eat, and felt annoyed. His brows twitched as he reached out to take Ollie¡¯s mask off, when suddenly nk! Ollie¡¯s spoon dropped to the floor and he swiftly bent to pick it up, causing Cedrick¡¯s hand to miss. When Miles poked his head out of the table and saw Cedrick¡¯s hand, he pouted warily. ¡°Big Demon, what are you trying to do?¡±. ¡°I said that I don¡¯t look handsome with pimples! Are you trying to destroy my rtionship with Aunty Catelyn so that you can take the opportunity to pursue her instead?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Cedrick barked with a dark expression, but nced at him in concern. Ollie was chowing down everything from spicy chicken to spicy fish. The boy¡¯s mouth had turned pink and he kept poking his tongue out, but he did not stop putting food onto his te. It was apparent to anyone that he truly liked spicy food. ¡°Master Cedrick, why aren¡¯t you eating? Is the food not to your liking?¡± Catelyn asked. Inparison to Ollie, Cedrick appeared restrained and was slow to eat. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Cedrick took a spoonful of stew. Though it was not supposed to be spicy, the special sauce made by the restaurant still gave it a hint of spiciness, so he paused as soon as he tasted the spices. ¡°How does it taste? Is it good?¡± Catelyn held a spoon with her right hand and lifted her chin slightly. Because of how spicy the dishes were, there was a pink blush on her porcin skin. Her doe like eyes looked at him intently, and it was like the entire gxy was hidden within those eyes. Cedrick swallowed the stew and suddenly realized that his son had been right about how food tasted better in thepany of a beautiful woman. ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± hemented casually. ¡°Great. Eat up, then. I should¡¯ve thanked you for sending me to the hospital that day as well. You¡¯ve already left by the time I woke up the next day, though, so take this meal as my way of saying thanks for helping me out that time, too.¡± Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Catelyn then scooped another spoonful of stew onto Cedrick¡¯s te. Seeing the way he responded, he must have liked this dish. Cedrick devoured the stew expressionlessly and said, ¡°I had an important phone call that morning.¡± ¡°I get it-you¡¯re a busy man. You don¡¯t have to exin anything to me. ¡°Frankly, I still owe you the hospital bills.¡± Perhaps it was because there was a child in the same room, but Catelyn did not feel as awkward and chatted casually with Cedrick Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened and thought, ¡®She ¡®gets it? What exactly does she mean? I didn¡¯t even leave the hospital that day; she was the one who ran off without saying a thing! Catelyn sensed the shift in Cedrick¡¯s emotion in silence and thought back to all the words she had said, but she could not think of a second where she crossed the line. In the end, she decided to avoid talking to Cedrick altogether and focused on ¡®Ollie¡¯ instead. ¡°Ollie, my son is around the same age as you are. He has the same taste too, so you two might have a lot inmon to talk about. Why don¡¯t I bring him out next time so that you two can be friends?¡± ¡°No!¡± Miles and Cedrick responded in unison. The two gave each other a look before Miles said sweetly, ¡°I finally have the chance to hang out with you, Aunty Catelyn, so please don¡¯t bring a third wheel with you.¡± Miles did not want Ollie toe out and fight him for his mother¡¯s attention. Meanwhile, Cedrick was reminded of how rude Miles was thest time he saw him. His instinct told him that this child would influence Ollie, who was already in a rebellious phase, so it was best that the two children stay away from one another. As rare as it was, Miles and Cedrick took the same stance. Catelyn forced a smile regretfully and wondered why she had been so reckless when she did not drink at all. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± She changed the topic with a smile, but was clearly not as enthusiastic as before. They managed to finish all the food they ordered as both Catelyn and Miles ate a lot. She paid the bill and said goodbye to the father-son pair. Miles wanted to follow her, but Cedrick grabbed him by the arm to stop him. ¡°You¡¯ve had your fun. It should be enough, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± warned Cedrick monotonously. Miles rolled his eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying, Big Demon.¡± With that, Miles swiftly got into Cedrick¡¯s Bagatti Veiron that was parked by the road. Although he was three and a half years old, boys were born to like cars, nes, and engines by nature. Cedrick¡¯s car was modified and the interior was impressive, so Miles could not help but touch every single thing inside the car. He sat in the car for a while and realized Cedrick had not gone in, so he poked his head out of the window curiously. To his surprise, he found the almighty Cedrick Mason leaning against a tree with one hand on his stomach, looking paler than earlier. ¡°Wow!¡± Miles eximed, ¡°Uncle Eason, Big Demon is done for now!¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened at his words and red at the boy, thinking, ¡®What does he mean, I¡¯m done for? Why does he look like he¡¯s excited?¡¯ Sensing Cedrick¡¯s re, Miles cocked his head to the side and opened his mouth. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. When Eason heard the noises, he hurried over and guessed that Cedrick¡¯s stomach was hurting again. He helped Cedrick into the car and said worriedly, ¡°Master Cedrick, I¡¯ll send you to the hospital right away.¡± Cedrick had been busy with work in recent years, so much so that his sleep cycle and meal schedule had been irregr and had led to a weak stomach. It had no profound effect on daily life, but the doctor had advised against spicy or cold food and over-drinking. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Miles rolled his eyes and pouted when he realized that Cedrick was, in fact, ill. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have eaten spicy food if you can¡¯t take it. It¡¯s not like anyone wouldugh at you for that.¡± The only response he received was a chilling re from Cedrick Miles curled up for a moment, before straightening his back and added, ¡°You¡¯re even worse than a kid. Hmph!¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened as he studied how riled up Miles seemed. A person¡¯s temperament might change due to certain events, but one¡¯s taste would not. He was certain that Ollie could not tolerate spicy food, so what happened? Eason had informed the hospital of their arrival ahead of time, so by the time they arrived, everyone was cleared from the vicinity. Cedrick swallowed the medicine with warm water and felt the burning sensation in his stomach subsided. He grabbed onto Miles¡¯ cor and tossed him toward the doctor. ¡°Check him, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sick. Why do I need to be checked?¡± Miles tried to get up from the chair angrily, but Cedrick held him down in ce with one hand. The boy was pinned onto the chair and could not overpower Cedrick no matter how hard he struggled. In the end, Miles red at him in defeat. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Cedrick ignored him and soon, the doctor hadpleted the examination and told Cedrick in all seriousness. ¡°The young master is very healthy. Nothing is wrong with him.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Cedrick narrowed his eagle-like eyes. ¡°Is¡­the young master feeling sick in any form?¡± the doctor asked gingerly. Miles seemed energetic and did not appear like he was ill. Cedrick scowled and plucked one of Miles¡¯ hair strands along with one of his own before handing it to the doctor. ¡°Run a DNA paternity test, and report back to me in a week.¡± Cedrick did not know why he wanted to run a DNA test, but when the thought crossed his mind, he did not hesitate. The doctor was confused. The boy before him was no doubt Cedrick¡¯s son, and they both looked so alike that a paternity test seemed redundant. Since Cedrick had given him an order, however, the doctor did not dare refuse him and kept the hair samples away carefully before sending them to theboratory. After leaving Cedrick and Ollie, Catelyn returned to Ocean Path Residence. Though she had left BrightGene Group, she could still make ends meet by working for Ollie. She had been busytely and had not been able to spend much time with her son, so she decided to take time off to care for her son. For some reason, she was reminded of the scene where Ollie devoured all the dishes at the restaurant and realized that it had been a while since she had cooked Mexicaean food for Miles. Children¡¯s stomachs were weaker than that of adults, and consuming too much spicy food could damage the inner layer of their stomach, which was why Catelyn had her son eat food that was more nutritious and milder in taste, even though Miles preferred spicy food. Of course, she could still cook him what he liked asionally. With that thought in mind, Catelyn decided to reward her son by taking him to the market with her during the weekend. It was Ollie¡¯s first time being in a ce like this. It was noisy and filled with the smell of fish, but when he followed Catelyn, he looked around and listened to the sound of people shouting. He straightened his back and realized that this was the daily life of Miles and his mother. ¡®This is nice,¡¯ he thought, ¡®this feels like living.¡¯ Catelyn took her son¡¯s hand and walked through the alley of the market. It was peak hour after work, so the market was packed with people. Scents of leaves and blood hung in the air, and because it was summer, the smell intensified under the hot weather. Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 ¡°Just picked your son up from school, Catelyn?¡± ¡°My, your son is so cute! I have some vegetables here that are fresh out of the farm. You want some?¡± The old man at the butcher shop across from them saw Catelyn and Ollie and called out to them as usual, ¡°Miles,e to Grandpa Santos. I¡¯ll chop some meat for you!¡± Ollie hesitated and contemted whether he should go to the man. Catelyn finished buying the vegetables she needed and brought Miles to the butcher shop with a smile. ¡°Grandpa Santos, give me the usual ribs.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± The old man chopped up a piece of ribs and ced it on the electronic scale to weigh it, before making a face in Ollie¡¯s direction. It was apparent that the old man was close with Miles. ¡°Oh? Why isn¡¯t Miles smiling at Grandpa Santos today?¡± Whenever he made faces at Miles, the boy would often pretend to be an adult and shake his head proudly. Today, however, the boy was only looking back at him quietly. Ollie pursed his lips and greeted sweetly, ¡°Hello, Grandpa Santos.¡± ¡°Your boy is growing more and more mature,¡± Grandpa Santos complimented and handed the packed ribs to Catelyn. ¡°That¡¯s thirty-two dors fifty cents, but just give me thirty. The little guy needs the nutrition. He¡¯s born prematurely, so he needs to eat more to catch up¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely not. You¡¯re running a business here, and I can¡¯t take advantage of you.¡± Catelyn took out the exact amount of money from her pocket and paid Santos 32.50 dors. Grandpa Santos did not refuse and made another face at Ollie, and Ollie forced out a smile in response. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡®Miles¡­likes weird things,¡¯Ollie thought to himself. ¡®But didn¡¯t that old man mention that Miles was born prematurely? Hmm¡­so was I.¡¯ Catelyn and Ollie stepped out of the market, and the air instantly felt lighter and fresher. Ollie offered to help carry the groceries, and Catelyn gave him one of the bags with vegetables that was considerably lighter. Still, considering how tiny Ollie was, he had to hold it with both his arms against his chest. ¡°Mom, my ssmate Benny from kindergarten has a really cute younger brother who looks like him. I want an older or a younger brother so I can have someone to y with,¡± he said in an innocent tone. Catelyn¡¯s slim, longshes quivered as sorrow took over her heart. She could not help but tighten her grip around Ollie¡¯s hand as she muttered, ¡°You did have an older brother before, Miles, but¡­he wasn¡¯t so lucky like you were,¡± she exined, her voice faltering. ¡°What happened?¡± Ollie solemnly asked. Catelyn thought back to when she fell off the steep stairs, to the time when blood seeped out of her body. ¡°It¡¯s in the past. I don¡¯t really remember.¡± ¡°Try to think harder¡­¡± Ollie pleaded. He desperately wanted to know why he and Miles looked so much alike, and he even wondered if he was rted to Catelyn somehow. Tears welled up in Catelyn¡¯s eyes and her vision was blurred, but she swiftly turned around to wipe her tears away. The curious expression on Ollie¡¯s face froze. He frantically tried to wipe Catelyn¡¯s tears away with his sleeves and said, ¡°Why are you crying, Mom? I¡¯m sorry. I talked too much and made you cry. Don¡¯t cry. I won¡¯t ask about it again¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I just remembered something sad from the past.¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Catelyn sniffled as she tried to suppress the sorrow she felt. Ollie was just a child that was barely four-year-old after all, so he would not press on a topic that he knew would upset Catelyn. With that, he tried whatever he could to cheer Catelyn up and talked about the things that happened at school, such as what the teacher taught them, what he did, and how many red flowers he had gotten. Catelyn¡¯s attention was diverted, but the despair she felt lingered, all while she wondered if her baby would have survived had she been more careful. At noon, the Mexicaean meat stew came fresh out of the stove. Both Ste and Catelyn were excited, but Ollie could not help but feel troubled. He could not stomach spicy food. Just a little bit fromst time had him suffering through hell, and the dinner right in front of him at the moment was clearly even spicier. He could only scowl at the food. ¡°Miles, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Catelyn filled his te with a spoonful of stew. Ollie summoned his courage and forced a smile to pretend like he was pleased, before swallowing the meat without chewing. ¡°I just like it so much that I didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°You naughty boy! You only like your mom¡¯s cooking and not mine, huh?¡± Ste teased. Ollie smiled. ¡°Grandma¡¯s cooking is great, too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want your fakepliments.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. To keep them from noticing, Ollie gulped down his food without chewing. Everything went down into his stomach with the rice, and soon, a burning sensation spread throughout his body from his stomach. His forehead was beaded with sweat that scrolled down his face. Catelyn sensed that something was wrong and immediately helped to wipe away his sweat. ¡± Miles, are you okay?¡± ¡­I¡¯m fine,¡± he answered before gulping down his water. Catelyn had a bad feeling about this, but Ste said casually, ¡°My, it looks like Miles is eating too fast! It¡¯s okay, just let him take a break¡­¡± Still concerned, Catelyn said, ¡°Miles, you have to let me know if you feel unwell, alright?¡± At the same time, Ollie suddenly reached up to cover his mouth as he struggled to get the words out. ¡°Mommy, 1- I want to vomit¡­¡± His face was flushed, and his shoulders were twitching as though he was about to puke. Both Catelyn and Ste were startled at this, and Catelyn immediately carried Ollie to the bathroom ¡°Urgh!¡± Ollie leaned over the sink and vomited everything he had eaten. His face was beginning to turn pale, and all his strength was drained from his limbs as he ced a hand over his stomach. Catelyn stroked Ollie on the back, terrified and empathetic, before wetting a towel to help wipe the oil at the corner of his mouth. She then hastily took him to the hospital with her. Ollie smoothed his fingers over the frown on her face and insisted stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need to take some rest! I¡¯m sorry, Mommy, I didn¡¯t mean to waste the food you made¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who should say sorry, silly! If only I hadn¡¯t piled so much food on your te.¡± Catelyn urged the driver to go faster, and just like that, the two arrived at the hospital. Catelyn¡¯s heart ached as she carried her son in her arms. He never vomited after eating something spicy before. Ollie tried to fake a smile so that he looked more rxed, but his colorless lips were enough to prove that he was in pain. Inside the hospital, the doctor examined Ollie. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Catelyn described Ollie¡¯s symptoms to the doctor and added, ¡°it¡¯s my fault, doctor. I shouldn¡¯t have fed him spicy food. Does he have gastroenteritis?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Ma¡¯am. A child¡¯s stomach isn¡¯t fully developed, so they¡¯re prone to vomiting, diarrhea, stomachache, and infection. These are normal, nheless. I¡¯ve prescribed him some medicine, so just head downstairs to make the payment.¡± Ollie, lying on the bed, watched how worried Catelyn was, and the smile on his lips froze with guilt. His guilt soon turned into bitterness. ¡®It¡¯s so nice to have a mother who loves me, to feel worried when I get sick like Aunty Catelyn does,¡¯ he thought, ¡®but I¡­don¡¯t have a mother.¡¯ Every time he fell sick, his father would merely stand at a distance and let the doctor and Alfred take care of him, Although Maia would visit sometimes, she did not adore children as much as she tried to appear. When his father was around, Maia was an elegant, high-borndy, but whenever Cedrick was not around, Maia would lose interest in Ollie or even say demeaning words to him. She thought that Ollie was too young to understand anything, but considering the environment he grew up in, he was much more mature than other children his age. Ollie clenched his fists and scowled as sorrow filled his eyes. He was, at the end of the day, a child who yearned for the love of a mother. Just then, through the ss window, Ollie spotted Cedrick crossing the garden trail outside the room and seemed to be walking toward his location. Cedrick was dressed in a full set of suits. He was tall and strong, and his lips were pursed into a cold, distant line. Ollie widened his eyes and thought, ¡®Not good. Why is Dad here? Is he here to get me?¡¯ The boy deliberated everything for a moment before slipping out of bed. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Catelyn made the payment at the counter on the first floor before she headed back hastily without noticing Cedrick, who was walking into the lobby. By the time the man¡¯s towering shadow loomed over her, it was toote. Catelyn ran into Cedrick¡¯s arms, and the receipts in her hand scattered on the ground. ¡°Sorry,¡± she apologized before gathering the receipts to leave. Suddenly, someone grabbed her by the wrist. ¡°Stop right there.¡± Her eyes widened at the familiar voice. Cedrick stared at her reddened eyes and questioned, ¡°Did you cry?¡± Cros Catelyn blinked frantically in an attempt to dry the tears in her eyes, stubbornly responding,¡± No.¡± ¡°I thought that you were going out with George? What happened? Where is he?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Let go!¡± hissed Catelyn in frustration. Cedrick, however, merely tightened his grip around her wrist. ¡°Spill, or you¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Frustrated, tears began to gather in her eyes as she thought back to the way her son was suffering. ¡°My son is sick He¡¯s waiting for me to return after paying the bills on the second floor, okay? Can you let go of me now?¡± Cedrick tensed. It was the first time he had seen Catelyn cry. He had thought that maybe something had happened to George and was surprised to find out that it was about Miles instead. Though Catelyn was sobbing quietly, the tip of her nose and skin around her eyes turned red as she cried. Her tears glittered under the sunlight. His frustration faded at that very moment. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can do this myself.¡± Catelyn had been taking care of her son on her own all this while, and she had grown used to it. Cedrick reached his long fingers and snatched the receipts from her hands before whispering in a seductively low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t think this is an appropriate time for you to try and be the hero here. Every second¡¯s dy is another second your son is suffering.¡± Catelyn gritted her teeth, unable to argue. Cedrick was right. This was not the time to try and distance herself from him. Cedrick dragged Catelyn and walked upstairs. When he nced through the medications stated on the receipts, he lifted his brow once again. He himself had a weak stomach, so it was natural that he was familiar with medication for stomach pain, and the medicines he saw on the bill¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your son?¡± Catelyn followed closely behind him. The floor ¡®Miles¡¯ was on was not that high, so instead of taking the elevator, the two climbed up the stairs instead. ¡°He has always liked Mexicaean food and spicy things, so I made him Mexicaean Spicy meat stew today. I didn¡¯t expect him to get sick after eating it¡­ It¡¯s my fault for not even noticing that he wasn¡¯t feeling well,¡± she exined as tears welled up in her eyes again. A strange feeling rose within Cedrick Miles, who loved spicy food, suddenly became someone who could not eat spicy food. His son, on the other hand, who could not take spicy food at all, fell in love with spicy Mexicaean food. ¡°I thought you mentioned that your son can handle spicy food just well?¡± ¡°He used to be.¡± Catelyn herself was not sure how to exin the matter. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s an infection. The doctor says he needs to be under observation.¡± Cedrick was instantly overwhelmed by a strong feeling. He had to meet with Miles rk, the three-year- old boy who dared to argue with him through the phone. The two went up to the doctor¡¯s office on the second floor, but the bed where ¡®Miles¡¯ was supposed to be was empty. Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened and immediately went to look for the nurses. Her voice was trembling with concern as she asked, ¡°Nurse, have you seen my son? He was just there!¡± ¡°You mean Miles rk?¡± The nurse remembered the adorable boy as she took a liking to him. ¡°I think he¡¯s in the bathroom.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Catelyn handed the receipts to the doctor before turning to run toward the men¡¯s room at the end of the corridor without hesitation. Chapter 98 Cedrick scanned the room sharply when suddenly, his heart sank in realization as he turned to run after Catelyn. Catelyn was about to barge into the men¡¯s room! Cedrick narrowed his eyes and furiously grabbed her wrist. ¡°Are you just going to go in there like that? The men¡¯s room isn¡¯t like thedies¡¯ room. Do you realize what you can see there?¡± Catelyn could not think of anyone but her son at the moment and could not be bothered about where she was going. Cedrick¡¯s warning finally snapped her out of her trance. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. There were plenty of men going in and out of the men¡¯s room; the hospital, after all, was never short of patients or men. Catelyn grabbed hold of Cedrick¡¯s hand abruptly. The man¡¯s hand was chapped and warm, covered in a thinyer of callus. Cedrick lowered his gaze to stare at Catelyn¡¯s hand on his. Her hands were cold. Catelyn narrowed her eyes and bit her lower lip as she looked at him pleadingly. ¡°Can you go in and help me look for him? He¡¯s around Ollie¡¯s height and figure, and their voices are quite simr, too, and my son is just a bit more active. ¡°If you¡¯d just go inside and say that I¡¯m waiting outside the door, he¡¯d respond if he¡¯s in there Cedrick looked into her eyes. The afternoon sun was zing, and the light shone through the window in the corridor. Half of his face was exposed to the light, and the other half remained in the shadows. His thick, silky hair was slightly disheveled. Her eyes slowly began to focus on his defined, brooding features. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Catelyn could not seem to reach the bottom of Cedrick¡¯s eyes or see through him. . She let go of him in disappointment and realized that he had no reason to help her. Perhaps he was only trying to be polite by offering toe with her. However, the moment she let go, Cedrick suddenly grabbed her hand, and his rough hand brushed past her palm. After that, he turned and entered the men¡¯s room, disappearing before Catelyn¡¯s eyes. Catelyn suddenly felt like the palm he had touched felt extremely hot. Cedrick walked into the washroom and, as expected, saw a few men standing in front of the urinals. His brows twitched in response, and he was d he had stopped Catelyn from running in. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. He then turned to stare at the individual toilets. There was a big gap between the doors and the floor, and he would be able to see the shoes and the hems of the trousers that the person inside was wearing. It was obvious that there were adults before the first few doors, except for thest one. Behind thest door was the children¡¯s toilet, and Cedrick spotted a pair of cute tiger slippers hanging in the air. Those apparently belonged to a child. Behind the door, Ollie sat on the toilet, afraid of inhaling and exhaling too loudly. He was familiar with Cedrick¡¯s presence, and as he approached, countless thoughts appeared inside Ollie¡¯s head. ¡®I can¡¯t let him find me,¡¯ he thought, ¡®never!¡¯ Just then, Cedrick knocked on the door in a rhythmic fashion and lowered his voice, saying,¡± Miles rk?¡± He stood before the door, and the unknown excitement in his chest overwhelmed him once again, so much so that he desperately wanted to kick the door open. Ollie contemted whether he should respond and, in the end, gritted out, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Catelyn rk¡¯s friend. She¡¯s waiting outside the door for you. How much longer do you need?¡± Cedrick tried his best to sound gentler but could not conceal his cold tone. Ollie was slightly taken by surprise by this. After all, his father had always been apathetic. He drawled in a weak voice, as he indeed felt weak, and said, ¡°Thank you, sir, but I still need some time. Can you and Mommy head back first?¡±. ¡°Catelyn is worried about you.¡± Cedrick did not intend on leaving and nced at his watch. ¡°If you don¡¯t come out within three minutes, I¡¯ll begin to suspect that you¡¯re having digestive issues and need a doctor¡¯s attention.¡± Ollie grabbed the hems of his clothes and hummed in response as he hastily tried to think of a way to escape. He sent a message to Miles with his phone and prayed wordlessly that Miles would see his message soon. There was no face mask or sunsses within his reach, and if Cedrick barged in, there was nowhere to run. However, as time ticked by, the screen on his phone dimmed and did not light up again. Ollie¡¯s heart sank. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Cedrick¡¯s cold voice pierced through the air and struck Ollie. Ollie¡¯s little body tensed as he started sweating from his forehead. ¡°One second,¡± he pleaded stiffly, ¡°just another minute.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t try to dy treating illness. Open the door.¡± Cedrick raised his voice and repeated again. He was amazed by how patient he had been to talk to a child who had insulted him before. ¡°¡®I¡­¡± ¡°On the count of three, I¡¯m kicking this door open if you won¡¯t open up.¡± Cedrick took two steps back and raised his leg to the air, pointing his polished leather shoe at the door of the toilet. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 §£§Ö§Ö§â! Just then, Cedrick¡¯s action was stopped by the sound of his phone beeping. When he saw the disy on the screen, he scowled. Catelyn waited in front of the men¡¯s toilet, but Cedrick had yet toe out with her son yet. She paced back and forth in the corridor anxiously when suddenly, she saw men exiting the bathroom, one after another. A few secondster, Cedrick appeared before her as well. Cedrick took the maintenance board and ced it before the men¡¯s room. ¡°Miles is in there, but he won¡¯t come out. Maybe his stomach is upset, but he¡¯s scared of seeing the doctor. I¡¯ve cleared the bathroom out, so you can go in and wait,¡± he said with a scowl. Catelyn sighed a breath of relief and looked at Cedrick with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, but what are you¡ª¡± ¡°My son fell off the stairs, so I need to head back right now,¡± Cedrick exined swiftly and left without hesitation. She was stunned for a moment and began worrying when she imagined Ollie falling off the stairs. She wanted to ask more about what happened, but Cedrick had already left, so she could only hurry inside to look for her son. Catelyn was worried that her son was truly having an upset stomach as Cedrick had mentioned, but she went inside to find a small head poking out of the gap of the door, ncing around in confusion. When Ollie realized that there was no one around, he sighed a long breath of relief. ¡°Darling?¡± Catelyn ran over and squatted before him before reaching her palm to rub his belly. ¡°Does your stomach still hurt? I¡¯ve paid the hospital bills, so let¡¯s go to the doctor and have him examine you once again.¡± Ollie pursed his lips and refused to go out. ¡°Where is that man from earlier?¡± ¡°His son fell off the stairs, so he has to hurry home.¡± Ollie¡¯s jaw dropped at her exnation. He had sent out an emergency message to Miles, asking that he make Cedrick go away, but he did not expect Miles to make such a dramatic joke. However, this was perhaps the only thing that could convince Cedrick to leave. Ollie scratched his head and took Catelyn¡¯s hand. ¡°My belly doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, Mommy. I don¡¯t need the doctor to check on me, so let¡¯s just take the medicine and go home.¡± if Cedrick realized that Miles was lying to him and headed back to the hospital, it would be the end for Ollie. However, Catelyn refused his request and insisted that he get a full body check-up. Meanwhile, Cedrick noticed something as soon as he left the second floor, pausing before calling Alfred ¡°Master Cedrick?¡± Alfred answered the call respectfully. ¡°Do you need anything?¡±. ¡°How is the boy?¡± He cut to the chase. Alfred had thought that Cedrick was asking about his son¡¯s progress with his homework and complemented excitedly, ¡°The young master has been doing great today! The tutor said that he was hard-working and didn¡¯t act out at all.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t break his leg?¡± Cedrick¡¯s tone became colder by the moment. ¡°B-Break his leg?¡± Alfred tightened his grip around the phone and immediately abandoned what he was doing to run toward the study on the second floor. ¡°When did the young master break his leg? Hasn¡¯t he been reading in the study this whole time?¡± ¡°Go check and see what he¡¯s doing right now,¡± Cedrick commanded coldly as his expression darkened Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. In Mason Estate, Alfred darted into the study on the second floor, feeling as though his heart was about to jump out of his chest. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Since Cedrick was not home, Albert-being the family butler-was worried that the young master would identally fall and hurt himself. Thinking of this, he raised his hand and pushed open the door to the study. Inside, Miles was reading a book by the desk, his expression seemingly solemn and concentrated. This ce had many of the books he had always wanted to read but could never afford. Miles was so immersed in his reading that the sound of the door pushed open startled him instantly. He raised his gaze. ¡°Grandpa Albert, you scared me,¡± said Miles, his widely opened mouth slowly ttened as he saw the butler. ¡°Goodness, my boy! Oh, you¡¯re alright! ¡°Master Cedrick mentioned that you broke your leg, and you don¡¯t know how that frightened me!¡± said Albert as he carefully scanned ¡®Ollie¡¯ from head to toe. Upon confirming the boy was fine, relief washed over him. The moment Albert wanted to report this to Cedrick, however, he realized that themunication line had been cut off! Cedrick hung up the phone as an indescribable expression formed on his face. He pinched his slightly wrinkled eyebrows. . Had he been too lenient to Ollie, or perhaps neglected in disciplining him? Ollie had lied, ran away, and even caused a wholemotion at the police station. It seemed that the punishment he gave had not only failed to educate him, but also stimted his rebellious mentality. Cedrick did not show much affection toward Ollie ever since he became a father, but he nheless was responsible to guide him on the right path. He turned to the top floor of the hospital, where he came to obtain the DNA paternity test report of him and Ollie. Shortly after leaving the restaurant earlier, he received news from the hospital that the report hade out. Cedrick happened to be on the way and decided to stop by. The hospital director was already at the elevator entrance the moment he learned of Cedrick¡¯s arrival. Ding! The elevator door opened. The hospital director was instantly greeted with a gloomy-looking Cedrick, and the stiffening aura he emitted left the director stuttering in his speech. Nheless, he hurriedly handed Cedrick the DNA paternity test report prepared early in the morning. ¡°M-Master Cedrick! Why did youe here in person? I could¡¯ve had someone deliver the DNA paternity test report to you¡­¡± 14 Cedrick took over the sealed yellow folder but did not rush to check it immediately. ¡°Is there any problem with Ollie¡¯s medical report?¡± he asked. ¡°Please rest assured, Master Cedrick, that the young master is healthy,¡± said the hospital director. ¡°I would¡­rmend the child to be on a light diet for now, however. He likes spicy food, and there¡¯s a lot of heat in the body, causing weak digestive processes in the intestines. It¡¯s nothing to fret about, though, but we still need to keep an eye on it.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Cedrick¡¯s dark eyes narrowed. ¡°You mean that spicy food has been causing his intestines to be weak?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master Cedrick. It¡¯s just a minor issue that¡¯ll be healed before you know it!¡± The director showed a puzzled expression. Did Cedrick not just bring Ollie over that day, mentioning that he ate something spicy? Cedrick¡¯s eyebrows knitted tighter even more, and his fingertips rubbed the corner of the document folder. He opened the files and swept through the previous analysis with one nce before finally, his eyes fell on the conclusion in the veryst column. (Probably of Paternity: 99.99%.] Ollie was indeed his son. Cedrick felt his temple bulging, and for the first time, he felt that he could not understand Ollie. 1 D L1 Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Edwin heard that Cedrick had done a paternity test for himself and Ollie and rushed over to witness the drama unfold. ¡°You look a little out of ittely, Cedrick,¡± he remarked smilingly. ¡°Little Ollie looks just like you, so how is he not your son?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one ¡®out of it¡¯; he is,¡± said Cedrick, telling Edwin about Ollie¡¯s taste and personality changes. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Personality changes could be attributed to the child¡¯s change in mentally. A change in taste, however¡­ Cedrick had always felt something was wrong, but he just could not pinpoint the problem. Edwin pondered for a while after listening to him and rubbed his chin solemnly with one hand. ¡°Do you suppose he started eating spicy food because Catelyn also enjoys them?¡± Cedrick did not answer him. Edwin gave his most rational analysis as he added, ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you. Studies have shown that after living with a certain person for a long time, the habits and tastes of two people will gradually resemble one another. Since Ollie is so dependent and likes Catelyn so much, maybe he¡¯s trying to find ways to get closer to her?¡± Cedrick lowered his gaze. ¡°Is there anything wrong with Maia?¡± What was it about Catelyn that attracted him? ¡°There are many different kinds of beautiful flowers in the world, but you only love roses. It¡¯s not necessarily that other flowers aren¡¯t pretty enough, but each of them appeals to individuals differently. For the same reason, perhaps it¡¯s not that Maia is bad, but Catelyn just gave Ollie a better sense of security.¡± A young child like him would indeed need a mother and a sense of security. Cedrick could give Ollie his broad arms and support, no doubt, but he could not fulfill his child¡¯s need in terms of tenderness. On the other hand, Catelyn¡¯s motherhood made up for Ollie¡¯sck of maternal love. Edwin¡¯s yful eyes narrowed, seeing that Cedrick had been silent the whole time after speaking his mind. ¡°You know what, forget about it. Let¡¯s go for a drink,¡± he said. At the Barricade Club, Cedrick suddenly said something that made Edwinugh. ¡°Are you saying that Ollie doesn¡¯t like it that Maia has never given birth to a child?¡± said Edwin in betweenughter. Cedrick threw him a cold look Countless thoughts ran rampant in his mind at that moment. For some reason, every time he was with Catelyn, he always had that odd feeling that they both seemed to know each other. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. In reality, it was actually Maia Even though he was engaged to Maia for four years already, she only appeared by his side from time to time, and Cedrick did not have the slightest desire for her. The more time he spent with Catelyn, the less he felt toward Maia. Cedrick opened his thin lips lightly and said to Edwin, ¡°You gave me some medicine four years ago. Does it cause hallucinations?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just an aphrodisiac, not a drug,¡± replied Edwin. Cedrick frowned slightly. ¡°I need you to confirm one more thing for me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Was Maia the one who entered my room four years ago?¡± asked Cedrick. This time, however, there was an undisguised solemnity and seriousness in his tone. Cedrick and Edwin continued to drink at the Barricade Club past midnight. Immediately, a photo of Cedrick going to the hotel with a popr female star was exposed. The picture was made blurry in the magazine where Cedrick¡¯s appearance was not clear. The female star¡¯s face, however, was instantly recognizable. As Maia read the newspaper, her beautiful, delicate face quickly sunk. ¡°I¡¯ve been researching for so long, and it turned out to be a female star!¡± she cried. Maia¡¯s mother, Betty rk, was relieved. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve sent someone to follow and take pictures of Cedrick, revealing that he was with another woman, but before this person got close enough to see the woman¡¯s appearance, he was caught by Cedrick¡¯s bodyguards?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Cedrick is quite protective of that woman,¡± said Maia bitterly as she nodded.¡± Mom, please help me spread the word and get rid of this female star. I don¡¯t want to hear her name in Sapphire City ever again!¡± How dare this woman seduced her man? Maia vowed to ruin her reputation, and this star would never be able toe back out of this! Meanwhile, Catelyn also saw the photo. She was currently concentrating on preparing for the Chandier Jewelrypetition. When she read the entertainment section of the newspaper in the morning, her impression of Cedrick instantly turned negative Just yesterday, he said that his son fell down the stairs¡­and all of a sudden, he was found to be sleeping with a female star? How irresponsible! Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 ¡°Don¡¯t believe the news, Mommy. This is all nonsense,¡± said ¡®Miles¡¯¡ªwho was, in fact, Ollie as he hurriedly rolled up the newspaper and tossed it into the trash. ¡°They¡¯ve got photos, Miles. How do you know it¡¯s nonsense?¡± asked Catelyn. ¡°I just know,¡± replied Ollie. He moved a small bench and sat across from Catelyn before he added solemnly, ¡°He¡¯s the youngest president of Mason Group and the eldest of the Mason family. He¡¯s handsome, young, and has a promising future. Many women wish to marry him. This photo was probably posted by someone to deliberately hype up the scandal.¡± Catelyn gave Ollie a bewildered stare. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to praise others like this. You like him? ¡± she asked. Miles usually hated mentioning other men to her, but he appeared to have a change of heart today. ¡°He helped us in the hospital yesterday, and he should know to reciprocate,¡± said Ollie. It was a reasonable statement, anyway. Hisrge eyes shone with longingness and an ingratiating expression, and Catelyn merely smiled at him. Jamie was bedridden in the hospital for more than half a month. After learning that thepany was at a stage of a crisis, he could no longer stay idle as he forcibly demanded to be discharged. Just as he returned to Mason Vi, the phone rang, and he answered impatiently. ¡°What¡¯s going on in thepany?¡± ¡°Mister Mason, we¡¯re supposed to renew the project contract with headquarters yesterday, but I didn¡¯t receive any notice. The other party had deducted the order and gave it to another colleague of the Mason family. Do you know any of this?¡± came the anxious voice of a middle aged man over the phone. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. All the employees were waiting for orders from Mason Headquarters. Jamie had heard enough negative news. He thought that Cedrick would have stopped interfering, but he did not expect a loss in the investment projects. Heck, even his industrial orders were seized! ¡°Handle the employees first, and deal with the orders,¡± instructed Jamie. The middle-aged man at the other end anxiously rambled, ¡°But we opened this factory because you got an order from the Mason Headquarters! There are so many employees in the factory, and if the orders didn¡¯te-¡°. ¡°I said I¡¯ll handle it. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± interrupted Jamie. ¡°But-¡± Click! Jamie ended the call and pulled off his tie impatiently. Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, his phone screen lit up once more, this time due to a call from an investment bank manager. Apany Jamie had recently invested in was about to go public when, all of a sudden, a bad scandal broke out just two days before the listing. In the end, the listing n was temporarily put on hold. Jamie did not bother answering the phone, instead smashing his phone onto the ground in anger. However, his aggression triggered the wounds on his body. Moreover, Jamie¡¯s forehead was drenched in cold sweat. He med the Atherton sisters and Queenie. He had warned them all against using Catelyn, and he did it sternly. Queenie, at that moment, was carrying some medicine and warm water upstairs when she saw the floor littered with messes, as well as remnants of Jamie¡¯s shattered phone. ¡°Brother! God, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Queenie widened her eyes in horror. At the moment, Jamie was busy worrying about thepany¡¯s affairs. He shouted at Queenie the moment he saw her, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! ¡°Let me tell you, if mypany copses, you¡¯ll be sorry!¡± Queenie was stunned for a moment. ¡°What have I done?¡± Aggrieved, she cried, ¡°Mom agreed to sue Catelyn, and Loue didn¡¯t refuse, either. Why are you ming me for this?¡± Jamie ignored her pleas as he viciously snapped, ¡°Get out. I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± ¡°You¡­ Fine! Scolding me is all you know what to do. Why not try facing the man who actually hurt you? All you know is to me someone else. I¡¯ve had enough of such a lousy brother like you!¡± At this moment, Queenie¡¯s hatred toward Catelyn intensified, and she wanted nothing more than to rip that woman apart at this very minute. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 The incident of Ollie falling down the stairs had haunted Catelyn for a long while.. Catelyn longed to see the boy. Sure, she and Cedrick had aplicated¡­ ¡®rtionship¡¯ before, but since he was with that female star, everything should have washed out already, no? With that thought in mind, Catelyn bought a bunch of carnations and folded arge box of paper clovers, intending to give it to Ollie as a gift in return. She prayed he would like it. Not knowing which hospital Ollie was in, Catelyn first contacted Albert. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The long asphalt road was lined with tall trees on both sides of the curbs, and at the end of it erected a Europeian-style vi with a guard standing by the entrance of a majestic carved iron gate. It was only after Catelyn entered Mason Vi that she realized that Ollie did not break his leg at all, and it was a lie used to deceive Cedrick. Catelyn was rendered speechless. After all, Ollie did not look like the type to lie. ¡°Miss rk, please have a seat. Master Cedrick took the young master out for some exercise, and he should be back in a while,¡± said Albert as he instructed the servant to serve Catelyn tea. Since Ollie was fine, Catelyn did not want to stay any longer. She handed the carnation and paper clovers to Albert, requesting them to be given to Ollie. ¡°I¡¯ll see Ollie another day. Thank you for your hospitality,¡± said Catelyn. ¡°Miss rk, are you leaving already?¡± asked Albert. He did not like Catelyn very much at first, feeling that she was deliberately approaching Ollie with a certain intent. As he got to know her better, he realized she was, in fact, sincere to Ollie. Of course, the young master liked her very much as well. Therefore, Albert wanted Catelyn to stay a little longer. Catelyn raised her lips and politely declined, saying, ¡°My son will be out of school in a while.¡± Albert nodded as Catelyn left. Catelyn, however, did not expect to see Maia the moment she walked to the gates, just getting out of the car. Maia strutted forward in her high heels, carrying two gift boxes with her. A faint smile adorned her face. That smile of hers disappeared in an instant when she saw Catelyn. The two looked at each other, and neither of the spoke for a while. ¡°Catelyn?¡± Maia said as she walked over, throwing the two gift boxes onto the sofa. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m the designer of Ollie¡¯s vi. I heard that he fell and was injured, so I came by for a visit, ¡°replied Catelyn. ¡°Little Ollie fell and got hurt? Why didn¡¯t I know about this?¡± asked Maia, feeling strange when she heard this. She nced at a cup of hot tea on the coffee table. Although Albert was just a housekeeper, he had been with the Mason Family for decades and had a high status himself. He must have valued Catelyn when he served her tea personally. Maia did not know what to think. She looked at Catelyn in gradual disgust as if she was some kind of dirt. ¡°I heard that you had a miserable life after Jamie dumped you. Look how low you¡¯ve fallen,¡± sneered Maia. Catelyn could not react to Maia¡¯s words for a while. ¡°You do look somewhat simr to me, but Cedrick isn¡¯t the kind of person you think. If you¡¯re thinking of hooking up with him, you should just give up!¡± sneered Maia. ¡°Since we¡¯re both rks, though, let¡¯s talk. How much do you want?¡± Catelyn thought for a moment. Did Maia think she was deliberately seducing Cedrick? ¡°Please let me go, I¡¯m leaving,¡± asserted Catelyn, ¡°Oh? Where are you going? Are you going to toy around with Cedrick again?¡± said Maia as she narrowed her slightly raised eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of women like you, and you¡¯ll only end up making him feel disgusted!¡± Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Catelyn was supposed to leave the premise already! She stopped in her tracks and turned her head, shooting Maia a sharp stare. Maia, on the other hand, looked at her livid face and grew haughty. She was very careful with everything, but she failed to think about Catelyn, failing to one-up her. Maia suddenly remembered the scandalous photos in the newspaper, and it was mentioned that Cedrick¡¯s new lover seemed to somewhat resemble Catelyn. Was¡­the female star just a distraction after all? The thought of such a possibility made Maia¡¯s heart falter. When she looked at Catelyn, her tone became even more unkind. ¡°Cedrick has a habit of cleanliness. You¡¯ve already given birth to a child, and he won¡¯t even look at you! I¡¯m his only legitimate fiancee¨Cargh!¡± Ssh! Catelyn picked up a hot cup of tea on the coffee table and sshed it onto Maia. She tried keeping herself together, not wanting to escte the situation since she felt sorry for Maia, but she refused to be treated like she was beneath her! ¡°How dare you?!¡± Maia screamed, her delicate makeup ruined entirely due to the cup of tea sshed onto her. Wiping her face, her eyes gleamed viciously as she barked at the nearby bodyguard, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see this woman attacking me?!¡± Albert did not expect that Maia would quarrel with Catelyn. ¡°Miss Maia, Miss Catelyn probably didn¡¯t mean it¡­¡± he reasoned. ¡°Go away!¡± Maia shoved Albert, causing the man to fall slumped on the ground, and it took him a while before he could get back on his feet. He was, after all, a man long past his prime. Maia continued to snap at the guards, ¡°Arrest Catelyn!¡± The bodyguards looked at each other for a while, but no one moved. This was the Mason Estate, after all. Maia¡¯s brows raised at this. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t you follow my orders? I¡¯m Cedrick¡¯s fiancee, the future missus of the Mason Estate. If you don¡¯t listen to me, I¡¯ll have you all fired! ¡°she shouted. Following Maia¡¯s stern orders, the bodyguards finally went ahead and held Catelyn down. Catelyn struggled to break free as she watched Maia arrogantly walk toward her. She then moved her nails on Catelyn¡¯s face before swinging her palm harshly across her face. ¡°You came to my fiance¡¯s house and sshed hot tea on me. Who do you think you are, Catelyn? You¡¯re just a dog! The rk family doesn¡¯t need you!¡± said Maia, condemning Catelyn. Catelyn¡¯s eyes reddened at this, yet she held Maia¡¯s gaze firmly, unyielding. She fended off the tears that threatened to leak out of her eyes. Maia had a strange smile as she stared at Catelyn in her current state. She then ordered the maid to boil some hot water and bring it to her. She grazed a finger at the side of the jug that housed the hot water, and true enough, it was piping hot. ¡°Say, what do you think will happen if I ssh this on your face?¡± taunted Maia. Catelyn¡¯s hair stood on edge upon hearing Maia¡¯s threat. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± ¡°I¡¯m already going to be the missus of the Mason Estate, so why won¡¯t I? You did the same to me just now, anyway,¡± sneered Maia. ¡°You know, Catelyn, I¡¯ve already hated you the moment I first saw you. I hated that you looked like me!¡± Maia had already poured the scalding water out into a cup as she spoke, and she was about to ssh it on Catelyn whenPlease check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Thud! Catelyn, rendered unable to struggle as her hands were held tightly by the guards, sharply raised her head and rammed it against Maia¡¯s skull, causing Maia to lose grip of the cup. The hot water thus spilled onto Maia¡¯s clothes. Maia let out a shrill cry as the hot water drenched her. Immediately, the servants hurriedly brought some cold water to treat the scalding wound on Maia. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Catelyn did not expect Maia to be doused with that cup of hot water. Nheless, amid the bodyguards panicking at the shift of events, Catelyn swiftly stepped at the feet of one of the bodyguards. As he yelped in pain, she quickly went toward the door and fled. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. However, the floor was unbelievably slippery. Catelyn slipped and knocked her head on the coffee table, instantly opening up a tear on her head. ¡°Get her!¡± Maia pointed at Catelyn angrily. Never before had she wanted to hurt Catelyn so bad. Catelyn ignored the bleeding wound on her head and made a run for it, all while blood trickled down her forehead, blurring her vision a little. She did not stop running. As far as Maia was concerned, Catelyn was just a woman in bankruptcy, and she could do whatever she wanted with her. Catelyn started picking up the pace when a bodyguard shouted, ¡°Stop!¡± Why would she? Catelyn ran out of therge carved iron gate of the Mason Estate. Due to the loss of blood, she was not aware of her surroundings, not knowing that Cedrick and Miles had just returned from their jog Miles was out of breath as he ran, and Cedrick praised him for the exercise. In reality, however, it was punishment for deceiving him. Cedrick was taken aback the moment he saw Catelyn covering her forehead with one hand, with traces of blood wetting her fingers. Miles was even more shocked by this. However, he abruptly remembered that he was not wearing a mask at the moment. He thus quickly took a towel to cover his face and ran away. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Cedrick as he grabbed Catelyn, who was running forward. Catelyn had not expected to meet the two of them. At the thought of Maia, she suddenly burst with irreconcble anger. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your girlfriend?!¡± she shouted at him. Catelyn tried running away, but Cedrick had grabbed her wrist, and she could not break free. He pulled down her hand that covered her forehead, revealing a long bloodstain line. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Cedrick, his tone cold and solemn. Catelyn red daggers at him, despite her reddened eyes. At this moment, the bodyguards who were after her caught up, and they quickly bowed in unison the moment they saw Cedrick. ¡°Master Cedrick,¡± they greeted respectfully. ¡°Follow me back, I¡¯ll help you with your wounds,¡± said Cedrick. Go back? Just so Maia would humiliate her again? Catelyn lowered her head and bit the back of Cedrick¡¯s hand. He quickly frowned in pain before he could let go. ¡°You have a fianc¨¦e, and fine, I deserve to be humiliated. So what if I¡¯ve given birth to a child before? Stay away from me!¡± she screamed. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with George, and only George, for work matters. I don¡¯t ever want to see you again!¡± Catelyn shoved Cedrick away from her before running off. He lowered his eyes and looked at the blood in his palms. Oddly enough, he felt¡­ inexplicably irritated. Cedrick did not chase after her, nheless, but he nced at the bodyguards instead, leaving them feeling nervous on the spot. He phoned his driver, Benny. ¡°Catch up with Catelyn and take her to the hospital,¡± instructed Cedrick. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Since Cedrick had been living alone in the Mason Estate, there were no avable-clothes for Maia to change into. Moreover, she refused to put on those cheap maid outfits. Just as Maia was debating whether to have someone bring her clothes, she saw Cedrick and Miles returning. She bit her lower lip, feeling a little aggrieved as she thought of her current embarrassed appearance. ¡°Ceddy¡­¡± Cedrick saw Maia in her messy state, her usual elegant appearancepletely gone. Her clothes were soaking wet, and her hair was sticking to her cheeks. Maia looked worse than Catelyn. Since Albert was way past his prime, it took him a long while to get up from the ground. With a trembling tone in his voice, he quickly instructed the servant to bring some new clothes for Cedrick and Miles. Cedrick saw a smear of blood on the sharp corner of the coffee table, and his eyes darkened. ¡°What happened just now?¡± he asked. ¡°Ceddy, is Catelyn really the designer of Ollie¡¯s vi?¡± Maia looked at Cedrick. ¡°She was bragging about it to me earlier. I only spoke back a little, yet she sshed hot tea on me.¡± She wanted to gain Cedrick¡¯s sympathy. However, in her current messed-up state, coupled with that pitiful look of hers, it only left Cedrick feeling even more disgusted. ¡°She sshed tea on you first?¡± repeated Cedrick, his tone having more of a dark edge to it. Despite his seemingly calm exterior, he was secretly fuming. Catelyn was not the type of person to take the initiative in such bold things. ¡°That¡¯s right! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Grandpa Albert. Ask the other servants and bodyguards, too,¡± said Maia, feeling the rage building up in her the more she spoke. She was looking forward to visiting Cedrick and Miles, but Catelyn had ruined it all! ¡°That¡¯s right, Master Cedrick. Catelyn also cursed Ollie to break his leg!¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Albert hurriedly exined, ¡°Miss Catelyn only thought that the young master broke his leg¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying I ndered her?¡± Maia immediately stared at Albert with red eyes, rendering him unable to say anything. ¡°I believe that Catelyn isn¡¯t the kind of person you said she is,¡± Cedrick said solemnly. Maia¡¯s expression was a little stiff as she kept staring at Cedrick. When did he be so familiar with Catelyn? When Miles heard Maia humiliating his mother like this, a faint gleam of devilishness appeared in his dark eyes. Vague, but it was there. Ollie had told Miles about Maia. Elu He had said she was a typical two-faced person. She might look gentle and generous, but she was, in truth, unkind to Ollie. She even gave him a disgusted stare in private a couple of times! Miles was not going to let this matter rest. He patted his belly. ¡°Aunty Maia, I¡¯m hungry,¡± he chimed in. Ollie seldom took the initiative to talk to Maia, so she was overjoyed when he called out to her. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Maia got someone to bring her a bowl of pasta sprinkled with parmesan cheese. It looked delectable. Teldble. Maia was determined to be a good wife and mother in the eyes of Cedrick. ¡°Little Ollie, let me feed you, okay?¡± she said to Miles, who was still masquerading as Ollie. ¡°Alright. Thank you, Aunty Maia,¡± he replied to her with a smile, revealing two rows of neat white teeth. Little did she know of his devilish ns hidden behind his smile. The overjoyed Maia took the bowl and sat at the boy¡¯s bedside. Gently, she scooped some pasta and brought it to the corner of Miles¡¯ mouth. Suddenly, Miles got agitated and hit the spoon with a wave of his hand, in turn smearing the spoonful of pasta on Maia. Before she had a chance to react, Miles quickly covered his mouth. His big eyes flickered as he eximed, ¡°It¡¯s so hot! Do you want my mouth to be scalded?¡± Cedrick was standing aside the whole time, the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Maia apologized repeatedly and wiped the corner of Miles¡¯ mouth with a wet towel. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I¡¯ll make sure the food is cooled before I feed you in the next round, alright? Does it still hurt?¡± Miles stuck out his tongue while continuously fanning himself. ¡°Does it hurt¡¯? You¡¯ll know if you get scalded yourself,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it, honest¡­¡± Maia smiled awkwardly, but her eyes shed with impatience. She hated dealing with little brats like him, yet she had to do her best to please him! Maia scooped another spoonful of pasta and ced it in front of her lips. She then gently blew on it to cool the temperature. Miles leaned closed and pointed at the spoon with disgust. ¡°No, your saliva is all over my meal. I don¡¯t want to eat it,¡± he scoffed. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m just blowing it cold for you¡­¡± muttered Maia as she subconsciously covered her mouth. It had only been half a month, and it seemed that she already had a lot of difficulties dealing with Ollie. He has been a lot more talkativetely, and at this moment, he was even taunting her publicly! Did he not used to be much more respectful to her in the past? ¡°You don¡¯t know how to take care of children at all! How can you be anyone¡¯s stepmother?¡± Miles continued to taunt Maia, ¡°You¡¯re not as good as Aunty Catelyn. She¡¯s gentle, sensible, kind, and generous. She¡¯d cook for me when I¡¯m hungry, and warm me up with clothes when it¡¯s cold.¡± The expression on Maia¡¯s face started to crack inch by inch. ¡°Aunty Catelyn?¡± ¡°Yes! She¡¯s the designer for my vi,¡± said Miles. ¡°We lived together before, and she was very kind to me. Aunty Maia, you¡¯re not as good as her. You have to be better than this!¡± Maia had never seen the boy praise a woman so much! She turned and looked at Cedrick in disbelief. However, Cedrick merely made an apathetic remark, saying, ¡°You look like a mess. I don¡¯t have any clothes for you here, so I¡¯ll get someone to take you back to the rks.¡± Maia was livid at this point. Would Cedrick not even let her clean up in the premises? Although she was his fiancee, he had never allowed her to stay overnight at the Mason Estate! ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you and Ollie another time.¡± muttered Maia as she put down the spoon and bowl and the table. Albert took the opportunity and said to her, ¡°I¡¯ll send you out, Miss Maia.¡± Maia did not move, however, as she remained rooted and stared at Cedrick. She wanted him to send her out, not this old man, but Cedrick did not even bat ai e at her! Maia thus stomped and left bitterly. As soon as she got into the car, the driver of the rk family noticed Maia¡¯s messy appearance, and there were even some tea leaves stuck in the hair on her forehead. The driver could not hold back and snickered silently, much to Maia¡¯s chagrin. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss rk, I wasn¡¯tughing. The tip of my nose was itchy just now, so I couldn¡¯t help but let out a little sneeze,¡± said the driver immediately, feeling guilty. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m blind?¡± scoffed Maia. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Maia swiftlynded a backhand p on the driver¡¯s face. She slightly bent her fingers while doing so, and her nails drew a long bloodstain on the driver¡¯s face. That was not enough. ¡°You¡¯re fired! I¡¯ll have the butler prepare your sry when you¡¯re backter!¡± eximed Maia. The driver brought a hand gently against his bleeding cheek as he began to panic at Maia¡¯s words. ¡°Miss rk, please forgive me! I have a family to take care of! I can¡¯t go on without a job¡­¡± ¡°Drive,¡± ordered Maia coldly. ¡°Miss rk, ¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t start driving, your sry for the month will be forfeited!¡± Maia red at the driver fiercely. She usually pretended to be nice toward the servants, but she was enraged today. Maia was so angry that the veins on her temper even bulged. She had been sending people to keep an eye on Cedrick, but she did not expect Catelyn to be one step ahead of her. Moreover, she hadpletely messed up her outfit and makeup! ¡°The audacity! So what if you have a family to take care of? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m in a bad mood? You deserved all of that!¡± snarled Maia. The driver gripped the steering wheel tightly. He gritted his teeth as his hands clenched tightly. ¡°I knew I should have fired you four years ago! Let¡¯s see if Ceddy would even give you a second chance!¡± continued Maia. ¡°Miss rk!¡± The driver suddenly gave Maia a hard look. ¡°Are you sure you want to fire me?¡± ¡°Are you blind and deaf?¡± replied Maia coldly. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Alright then, I quit. Drive this darn car back on your own!¡± snapped the driver. He took off his working uniform, tossed it to the driver¡¯s seat, and got out of the car. Maia was stunned for a moment before shouting at the driver, ¡°Come back! Don¡¯t you want this month¡¯s sry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it anymore! Keep it and buy a golden coffin for yourself!¡± yelled the driver at Maia. He left without looking back, preferring to walk rather than stay with her. Maia sat alone in the car, rendered speechless. As Maia left the scene, Cedrick raised his eyebrows, ncing at Miles and then at Albert. ¡°Send the surveince footage of the hall to my study,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°Right away,¡± Albert responded quickly. There were many cameras installed around the Mason Estate. Naturally, there were also many of them surveilling the hall. The moment Cedrick stepped out of the shower, there was already a USB sh drive on the desk in the study. He connected the drive to theputer, and a video popped up on the screen. What was shown next was the footage of the incident earlier between Catelyn and Maia. The more Cedrick watched the video, the more displeased he became. He did not realize that Maia could be so mean. Cedrick had always respected Albert, being at such an old age, yet Maia had the gall to shove him, making him fall to the ground. A strong expression of disgust shed across his eyes. Cedrick closed hisptop and quietly lit a cigarette. Instead of taking a puff, he sniffed the faint tobo scent of the smoke. The Mason Estate was located in a famous vi area midway uphill. Initially, Catelyn wanted to take a cab to the nearest bus station, but there were no taxis around in this area. She could not even get a ride from the online car-hailing tform. She had no choice but to continue walking along the wide road. The sun was bright. Catelyn looked around the area from time to time. There were no high rise buildings; just ordinary single-family residences or townhouses. Before Ezekiel was sentenced, he mentioned that his greatest wish was to be able to buy a house of his own in this area. All that, and they could not even keep their original house. Suddenly, a ck car came from behind and stopped in front of Catelyn, blocking the road ahead. The car window was lowered, revealing a familiar face. 11 . Benny gave Catelyn a sincere-looking smile. ¡°Hello, M iss Catelyn, I¡¯m the driver of the Mason Estate. Master Cedrick said that it¡¯s not easy to get a ride here at this time. Please allow me to drive you home,¡± he said. ???? ¨C HEMU Om CUT ¡°I¡¯ve already called for an online car-hailing service. Please extend my thanks to Master Cedrick,¡± said Catelyn while covering her forehead. Benny drove the car along and followed her slowly, saying, ¡°Miss Catelyn, it¡¯s not easy to get a taxi here. Moreover, there had been two kidnapping and ckmailing incidents of car-hailing owners recently near the vi area¡­¡± Catelyn felt chills run down her spine upon hearing Benny¡¯s words. She was also feeling a little weak from all the bleeding from her forehead. In the end, she agreed to allow Benny to send her to the clinic. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Benny was a very honest person. Knowing that Catelyn hade to Mason Estate to visit the young master, he started chatting with her about Ollie. Catelyn listened to him talk about how Ollie always treated his servants well, as well as how humble and polite he was to elders. He also mentioned that his temper could be a bit dull at times, and his emotions were more restrained. Nevertheless, he was a kind boy. Catelyn unconsciously sketched the outline of the well-behaved, sensible Ollie in her mind. When she was at the door of the Mason Estate earlier, she seemed to notice the outline of a child. However, she was so enraged at that moment, and the boy even covered his face with a towel, so she did not manage to get a clearer look at him. Catelyn suddenly had a feeling of remorse for some reason. She did not go to a hospital and instead went to a¡¯small clinic near her home for a simple bandage treatment. The doctor advised Catelyn to keep her wounds dry and away from liquid, adding that she should also return to the clinic in two days to change her medications. Once everything waspleted, Catelyn bade the doctor farewell before she returned to Ocean Path Residence. Worry began creeping into her mind, right after she had calmed down. Earlier, she had left Maia in such a messy state. Cedrick must be hugging her, listening to all the usations of her evil deeds. Catelyn also remembered biting the back of Cedrick¡¯s hand. Would he do anything to her about this? Perhaps she should not have been so impulsive at that moment. Worried that she would lose her livelihood under the possibility of being dismissed by Cedrick, Catelyn decided toplete her draft of Chandier Competition first. In fact, she was almost done with it, but there were just some minor things left that needed to be polished. The winner of thepetition would be awarded prize money worth a million dors. Catelyn, wanting to check the time, reached for her phone in her pocket Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. It was empty! Where did her phone go? Catelyn quickly looked around the living room and searched at the usual spots, but to no avail. She did remember having it in the morning when she gave Albert a call. Was it lost in the clinic? No, she recalled not seeing her phone out before that. Was it¡­in Benny¡¯s car? Catelyn went to the supermarket downstairs and borrowed a phone to dial her phone. The dialing tone rang incessantly, but her call was not answered. ¡®ess Meanwhile, Benny was busy cleaning his car after he had dropped Catelyn off when he noticed a white- colored mobile phone under the car seat. Perhaps the phone had identally fallen out during a bumpy ride earlier and got stuck in the gap under. Benny thus handed the phone to Cedrick, who was working in the study. Cedrick nced at Benny casually before he dropped the phone on the desk and continued to deal with his work, ignoring him. An hourter, in therge, silent study, a loud and untimely ringtone abruptly broke the silence in the room. ¡°The sky is blue and waiting for the misty rain, and I am waiting for you. The smoke rises, thousands of miles across the river¡­¡± Cedrick followed the source of the sound to see that it was from the phone Benny had given him, its screen lit up as an unknown number called in. Cedrick deliberately did not answer. He left the phone ringing over and over again, and it eventually stopped. However, just moments later, the phone started ringing again. Cedrick put the pen down slowly and answered the phone. ¡°Hello? Is this Uncle Benny? I¡¯m Catelyn. I seemed to have left my phone in your car. Can Ie and get itter in the afternoon?¡± said Catelyn anxiously and silently waited for a reply over the phone The receiver was quiet, however, and for a moment, no one spoke. Was she mistaken? Was the phone not in Benny¡¯s car, or did he not want to give it back to her? ¡°Mister Benny, this phone isn¡¯t worth much. If you want, I can give you some money for it,¡± pleaded Catelyn. ¡°Why don¡¯t you set a price, and I¡¯ll give it back to you if I¡¯m satisfied with it,¡± a familiar voice came through from the other end, which left Catelyn shocked. That voice¡­ Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 ¡°Cedrick?¡± Catelyn was shocked. How did her phone end up in Cedrick¡¯s hands? ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± replied Cedrick coolly,nguidly. ¡°What happened at the Mason Estate today wasn¡¯t something that I expected, but I am grateful that you came to visit Ollie. Is your forehead better now?¡± Catelyn hesitated for a brief moment. Maia¡¯s injury was more severe than hers, no doubt. She would have responded defensively had Cedrick reprimanded her, yet she was shocked to hear how¡­kind he was in reality. In turn, Catelyn could not help but behave in a genial manner, too. After all, what happened between Maia and her had nothing to do with Cedrick. She even bit his hand that time. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s only a light injury, but I¡¯ll be fine in no time. Can you return my phone, please?¡± ¡°You want it back?¡± Cedrick did not answer her question straightforwardly and instead, questioned her in return, his voice deep and alluring as he did. Catelyn inwardly cursed, though she mustered a smile outwardly. ¡°I¡¯ve been using this phone for a few years, and there is a lot of data and contact details important to me inside. They¡¯re useless to you, too! How about you tell me your whereabouts now. Are you at Mason Estate? I¡¯ll come over right now.. ¡°I am not free right now,¡± slowly and steadily, Cedrick interjected her mid-sentence. Catelyn felt pale anxiety creeping into her as she quickly asked, ¡°When are you free, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send it to you when I¡¯m free.¡± ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t wanna bother you. I can go and get it myself! You¡¯re at Mason Estate, right? Or ¡°I¡¯m busy now. Talk to youter.¡± Cedrick¡¯s lips curved upward as he hung up without further hesitation, leaving a frustrated Catelyn feeling high-strung. He was Cedrick, who hardly had any free time. It was impossible to feel secure without a phone in this era! This was so frustrating! Cedrick, as he hung up, identally tapped on something, and Catelyn¡¯s phone gallery popped up. Catelyn usually organized her photos into albums, thus various photos of her having fun with her friends and some private photos were shown. The background of the photo seemed like a bedroom of a luxurious mansion. ¤·¤Æ¤¤¤Ê¤¤¤Ð1F The bed was pink with soft veils draping over it. Bohemian-themed rugs were draped all over the floor, and on the walls were photos of a young girl. Catelyn was a princess in her own kingdom back then. She looked carefree and youthful in high school. She smiled sweetly at the camera, her eyes telling tales that he had never heard of, and shining with lights that he had never seen before. Cedrick found himself lost in it. His fingers gently swiped across the screen as he went through a few pages of the photos. Catelyn was always smiling as though free from troubles and woe. In one photo, she was dressed up and surrounded by people at a dinner event; in another, she was on stage to receive some prizes. Every photo in the gallery showed her most glorious aplishments in the past. Suddenly, another album caught his attention. [My Baby and Me.] ¡®Baby¡¯? Cedrick pursed his lips, his head hung low as his slender finger tapped the screen. He found himself looking into the album. A photo of Catelyn and Miles at the amusement park popped up. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Before Cedrick could take a good look at the photo, he heard Albert from downstairs ¨C ¡°Young Master Ollie, what are you doing?¡± ¡°This is very dangerous, so please get down from there!¡± ¡°Hold thedder, all of you!¡± Cedrick, distracted by the shouts, mindlessly ced the phone on his table with the screen facing down. His slender self stood up as the smile disappeared, leaving his usual emotionless expression on his face. What had Ollie done this time? Cedrick strode into the hall, and he could see from afar a group of servants circling a big tree. He spotted Albert among the people, looking anxious and was stretching his neck to peek at the small shadow in the branches. A woodendder was tied to the tree trunk, on which Miles-who had taken Ollie¡¯s identity, stood straight. Paper clovers stringed along a colorful ribbon fluttered next to his tiny body in the winds. Miles¡¯ tiny hands were holding onto one end of the ribbon as he struggled to tie it to the other end onto one of the branches. Some branches were further than an arm¡¯s length from him, and he had to stretch his hand. His body nted as he did so, however, and everyone was so worried that he would fall. ¡°Master Cedrick is here!¡± someone shouted among the crowd. The servants separated into two lines, opening a path that led to the tree trunk. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Cedrick strode across with a grim face. The air around him felt icy-cold as he walked past the servants before he eventually arrived under the shade of the tree. ¡°Get down, now,¡± he ordered. ¡°I will, after I¡¯m done hanging this up here!¡± Miles turned his head away. He was watched closely every day and did not have a chance to even sneak out to see his mother. Today was the day he had this chance, but he did not have the guts to admit his true identity! Thankfully, his mother left him a bunch of paper clovers, and he wanted to hang all of them. ¡°Why are you hanging the paper clovers on the tree?¡± Vard ¡°They¡¯re useful. Aunt Catelyn folded these, and I want to hang them on the tree to represent the wishes I made. I hope all my wishese true in theing years.¡± The boy, stubborn and adamant, continued to hang his paper clovers There was one branch he could not reach, no matter how hard he tried. He decided to just get off the woodendder and, in a monkey-like manner, climbed his way up the trunk to the branch. He held onto the branch with one hand and stood on his toes, whereas his other hand wounded the end of the ribbon around the branch. The string of paper clovers fluttered as the wind gushed. Miles¡¯ eyes lit when he saw this, and he internally praised his mother for how beautifully she had made these paper clovers. Albert was so concerned that his heart nearly leaped out of his throat. ¡°Young Master Ollie, please be careful!¡± ¡°Yes, I know! Don¡¯t freak me out!¡± Miles looked up, satisfied. He was finally done! He dusted his palms and was about to climb back down to the woodendder. Suddenly, a zoomed-in version of Cedrick¡¯s face appeared before him. The man¡¯s face was somber and stern, which caught Miles off-guard as he lost his bnce entirely. He tripped. This was it, he thought. He was going to die. Well, he thought he was, but he saw a shadow flickering before him. Almost at the very same moment, he felt his waist supported by a strong pair of arms, and his entire bodynded on a firm, muscr chest. Cedrick caught Miles steadily. Miles was then ced on the ground, his little heart still pounding in his chest. He stared at Cedrick¡¯s tall figure before him, his lower jaw unhinged. Cedrick was so cool! Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 However, what Cedrick said next crushed Miles¡¯ fantasy about having a gentle, loving father. ¡°Ollie, who allowed you to climb so high up? Do you want to plummet from above and get badly injured?¡± The boy was utterly bbergasted as Cedrick reprimanded him. Falling silent, the sudden admiration that Miles had for Cedrick vanished, and his eyes widened. ¡°I was climbing up alright, but you popped into my vision halfway! That¡¯s why I got shocked and fell.¡± ¡°So you think you¡¯re right?¡± Cedrick was cold and stern. ¡°I nned my moves clearly; you got me shocked, is all¡­¡± ¡°Please stop talking back, Young Master Ollie,¡± Albert persuaded gently. ¡°Did you forget about the time you lied about falling down from thedder before? Master Cedrick was mad enough. It¡¯s better for you to not make him angrier-you don¡¯t want to get punished all at once.¡± Miles pouted. ¡°I just wanted to hang the paper clovers folded by Aunty Catelyn on the tree!¡± ¡°Looks like you still don¡¯t know your error.¡± Cedrick looked even more stern, and said,¡± Albert, administer the punishment, please.¡± His son was getting more and more presumptuous, Cedrick thought. If Ollie would not be disciplined, he could have climbed up the roof and torn the house apart in no time! ¡®Punishment?¡¯ Miles did not know what that was, but he was certain that it was not something good. He turned and tried to run away. His legs were short, however, and one stride from Cedrick was enough to catch up with three of his. His wrist was pinned hard by Cedrick. ¡°Let me go! Ouch! You¡¯re hurting me, Big Demon!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore. I wanna go to Big Kitty!¡± Miles, amid his panic, identally yelped his nickname for Catelyn. He had forgotten that he needed to address his mother as Aunty Catelyn in front of Cedrick and other people, as he had promised Ollie. Meanwhile, Cedrick¡¯s face sunk at what the boy had said. Ollie wanted Catelyn instead of his own home? ¡°A string of paper clovers, and you¡¯re blown away?¡± The infuriated Cedrick subconsciously gripped Miles¡¯ wrists even tighter, inducing more pain in Miles. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The boy¡¯s eyshes fluttered. Out of the blue, he ducked and bit Cedrick¡¯s hand. Cedrick¡¯s face, to say the very least, was terrifying. So intimidated was Miles that he did not let go of his hand once bitten until he could taste iron in his mouth. Cedrick let go of his hand, his face twitching in pain, and looked dangerously terrifying. Miles fell to the ground, but he rubbed his behind as he stood back up. He did not even waste a second to pant and took off on his heels, running out the door. He was like an agitated hedgehog in full-defense mode, his spikes standing on edge. He wanted to go home. This role-ying game was not fun at all! ¡°Goodness, Master Cedrick, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± ¡°Quick, hold the boy!¡± ¡°Close the door. Don¡¯t let Young Master Ollie escape!¡± The servants were shouting in chaos and flung their hands out, trying to get hold of Miles. Miles sped through the long corridor of the estate, dodging the bodyguards¡¯ attempts to catch him. His adorable face twitched in nervousness, and his eyes were red. ¡°Don¡¯t stop me! I want to go home!¡± ¡°This is your home!¡± Confused, Albert shouted, sounding concerned at the same time. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t. This is Big Demon¡¯s house!¡± His emotions that had umted over the past few days imploded all at once. Hisshes hung downward, and his eyes started to turn watery. ¡°I want Mommy¡­¡± Miles¡¯ voice faded, and the air froze. Everyone knew that it was taboo to mention Ollie¡¯s mother in this household. Three years ago, Ollie was left at the doorstep of Mason Estate. That incident had attracted quite the attention back then. Cedrick had ordered a thorough investigation into who had birthed his child, but nothing came up positive. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Ever since that day, no one was bold enough to mention the woman before Cedrick However, Miles was shouting it out loud for everyone to hear. ¡°You guys are Big Demon¡¯s evil servants! All you know is to bully me, detain me, snap at me, and get me grounded. Well, I want to leave this ce and nevere back again!¡± His bushy brows crumpled together, and while everyone was distracted by what he just shouted, he sprinted toward the door again, except this time only to crash straight into a soft embrace. . Albert hoisted him. ¡°Master Cedrick, he¡¯s still a child. It¡¯s normal for kids to be a little naughty. Don¡¯t be mad at him anymore, so as not to impair your father-and-son rtionship.¡± Cedrick said coldly, ¡°Move along.¡± ¡°Young Master Ollie, apologize to your father, quickly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Miles mustered all his strength, trying to get himself out of Albert¡¯s arms. Albert was scared to hurt him and subconsciously loosened his hold on him a little. However, Miles unexpectedly lost his bnce and fell, hitting his head against the floor in the process. His face fell immediately. Everything was hurting¡­ The world seemed to spin, too. ¡°I¡¯m not wrong, and I¡¯m¡­not apologizing! I wanna go to Mommy, Big Demon. No wonder your son doesn¡¯t want you¡­!¡± He was on all fours while he muttered to himself, his voice slowly faltering. Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened even more as he strode forward in his shiny leather shoes. He wanted to catch Miles with his bare hands. The ¡®discipline cane¡¯ was here, too. It was a baton as thick as an adult¡¯s wrist, which was painful to be beaten with. Even though Cedrick always said he wanted to discipline Ollie, he had never used the discipline cane before. It was mostly only grounding him, making him reflect upon his mistakes. Albert was appalled at the sight. He quickly crouched to protect Miles in his arms, all while he pleaded with Cedrick to spare Miles. ¡°Master Cedrick, Young Master Ollie was too shocked that he bbered nonsense! H-He doesn¡¯t have a mother and couldn¡¯t find her, after all. He¡¯s only a child, and he can¡¯t bear disciplinary actions.¡± ¡°Move along, Albert, unless you want me to discipline you, too.¡± Cedrick stood in the same spot and was visibly hostile. Carter 174 _= Albert hugged Miles tightly, his eyes reddening as he did. ¡°I¡¯d like to get punished on Young Master Ollie¡¯s behalf. ¡°It was my fault. I hadn¡¯t been watching him closely enough and let him have the chance to climb the tree. It was also my fault to not have consoled him, to let him have the chance to talk back¡­¡± Cedrick gripped the baton in his hands firmly. ¡°I¡¯m asking you one more time: are you moving along?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Albert was about to say something when he felt the tiny hand that was holding the hem of his shirt suddenly letting go. Trembling, Albert held his head down to take a look at Miles¡­whose eyes were closed. His tiny body was curled up, making a pitiful sight. Albert¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he eximed, alerting Cedrick, ¡°Young Master Ollie has fainted!¡± Cedrick looked at Miles, and he saw tear stains on his face-his face that always rebelled against him. Cedrick¡¯s temples pulsed as concern bubbled within him. In the end, he threw the cane away and strode forward to pick up Miles. ¡°Get the doctor.¡± Ollie was a premature baby, which meant he was generally weaker than children his age. Cedrick even arranged for a professional nutritionist to formte his milk when he was an infant, but as Ollie grew up, he did not like using a milk bottle anymore. The group escorted Cedrick and Ollie back into the hall. Ocean Path Residence. Catelyn, who was busy preparing lunch, felt a sudden piercing pain in her heart. She supported her body with one hand against the sink, while her other hand grabbed at her chest. It felt as though a thousand needles stabbed into her heart.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 The image of Miles¡¯ little face scrunching in pain shed in Catelyn¡¯s mind. She could almost see his long lashes quivering while he hissed in pain. Did something happen to Miles?! Her phone was not even with her, so she could not call the school to check on Miles. Catelyn turned the stove off, untied her apron, and hastily left it on the hanger before she headed downstairs to borrow a phone from the shop below. Once she opened the door, she was stunned at the sight before her. Cedrick stood right before her door. His ck eyes glimmered with a strange glint, and he stared straight into Catelyn¡¯s eyes as soon as she opened the door. He reeked of tobo, too. Catelyn was shocked by the man, and her eyes widened. ¡°Master¡­Cedrick?¡± Cedrick suddenly lunged forward like a leopard, and his hand caught Catelyn by her throat. He took two to three steps forward and pinned Catelyn to the wall, his eyes still locking onto hers. ¡°What¡¯s so good about you, Catelyn?¡± Ollie was downright obsessed with her, even when he was unconscious. He could still be murmuring her name in his sleep and wanting to see her so badly. It felt as though even after all these years of being his father, he was nothingpared to Catelyn, whom Ollie had only known for a few days. Before this, Cedrick gazed as his son was asleep, but he soon heard him murmur Catelyn¡¯s name in his sleep Just likest time when he ran away from home and got caught, he was muttering incessantly that he wanted his mother. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick had enough of that, and before he realized it, he was already at Ocean Path Residence. While he did not know Catelyn¡¯s apartment number, he got Eason to look into it while he was on the way. He came here with a chest full of grudges, but when he finally stood before her apartment, he felt like a complete idiot, so he stood by the window and smoked a cigarette, thinking of calming himself down before he headed home. He did not expect Catelyn to open her door at that very moment. Cedrick was reminded of Ollie when he saw Catelyn. Somehow, she and Ollie resembled one another, especially in terms of their eyes. The sight of her triggered him, causing him to lose his cool as he pushed her against the wall. Catelyn, all this while, was clueless as to the mental war he was having. All she thought of was that he was here to deliver her phone, not for him to suddenly grab her by the throat! ¡°Let¡­me g-go!¡± Catelyn tried to peel his hands away and pounded on his chest. ¡°Cedrick, let go of me! This is¡­against¡­the law!¡± Cedrick saw her lips turning purple and her pretty little face twitching in agony. Her clothes were ruffled as she struggled, her cors opened wide and showed her beautiful vicle. The bandaid on her forehead also seemed to be extra obvious in this angle. He suddenly realized what he was doing. His temples pulsed as he immediately released Catelyn, who hunched and coughed. Her mind was nk from theck of oxygen, and her shoulders shuddered. Her eyes reddened into a darker red from all that coughing, and she stared at Cedrick furiously like an enraged beast. ¡°Do you know I can sue you for this? I¡¯ll sue you for breaking in and deliberately injuring me!¡± Cedrick was a little remorseful, ¡°Do you need me to help you call 911?¡± Was he so certain that she would not win the case? Catelyn, far past her limit, pointed at the door and shouted, ¡°Get out! You¡¯re not weed at my house!¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I admit I¡¯ve crossed the line,¡± Cedrick apologized awkwardly, and Catelyn almost could not believe her ears. The prideful Cedrick was apologizing to her? While Catelyn was lost in her thoughts, Cedrick took the opportunity to close the door and strode inside to take a seat on the sofa. His temples were still a little swollen. Catelyn came to herself, but could only stare at Cedrick. Did he just come into her home so freely? He threw a tantrum and just waltzed in after an awkward apology? ¡°I asked you to get out, Cedrick. Did you not hear me?¡± Catelyn walked up to him, her eyes still stinging red, as she threatened, ¡°Don¡¯t me me if you don¡¯t get out now! Get up, quickly!¡± She would not want her neighbors to see this. She was a single mom raising her child, for goodness¡¯ sake! Cedrick did not budge, however, and instead stretched his arms and casuallyid down on the sofa. He took a look at the apartment through the corner of his eyes. This was not even as big as a bathroom at Mason Estate. The interior and furniture were all basic with a minimalistic Scandinavian theme. However, everything was arranged neatly around the house, and even though there was a young boy in the household, nothing was in clutter. ¡°What¡¯ll you do since I¡¯m not getting out?¡± Catelyn was dumbfounded. He was not taking her seriously at all, was he? ¡°I¡­¡± Catelyn could not threaten to call 911, everything was useless against him. She went forward to tug at his arm, attempting to drag his body out of the living room. She was flustered and did not know what else to do than this. Cedrick did not expect her to do so, but hezily sat on the sofa, his feet on the floor. His nonchnt attitude made Catelyn even angrier at the sight, and she started pulling him harder. This was a tug-of-war between them both. Not only was Catelyn unsessful in moving Cedrick by an inch, but she made aplete fool out of herself in the process, too. Her breaths were short, and beads of sweat started forming on her forehead, ones that glittered under the sunlight. The air was filled with the floral scent of gardenias, which got Cedrick distracted as his arm tensed abruptly. Catelyn, at that moment, was exerting the greatest strength she could muster, and she suddenly lost her bnce and toppled over. Her cheek pressed against his firm chest, and she could hear his strong, rhythmic heartbeat. Cedrick was so tall that even though he was sitting, Catelyn looked small right next to him. Catelyn caught a whiff of his alluring scent, and she could not help but lift her head to look up. Simrly, he was looking down at the same time. Their gazes locked onto each other¡¯s. Within that fraction of a second, Catelyn felt as though she was electrocuted and quickly turned her gaze away. Catelyn pushed his chest away and helped herself up, facing her back to him as she inwardly regretted everything. He was just too shameless. At the same time, she had handled this too poorly. She should have just ignored him! Cedrick noticed Catelyn¡¯s ears turning red, while his arm-right where she just touched-felt warm. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. He coughed gently and loosened his tie slightly. Two of the buttons on his shirt popped, too. He took out a phone from his bag and ced it on the table. ¡°I brought your phone along.¡± Catelyn took a deep, long breath, and made sure sheposed herself before she turned around to get her phone. She phoned Miss Jane. Nobody answered. ¡°Did you do something to my phone?¡± she questioned with a frown, her voice still coarse. Cedrick looked at her in displeasure. ¡°Its battery was t, and your phone went off,¡± he responded somewhat icily. ¡°Did you not see it?¡± Catelyn was stunned for a moment before she plugged in her phone to charge. The two then fell silent. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Catelyn stood in the middle of the living room while Cedrick sat on the sofa. Catelyn was trying hard to ignore Cedrick, but his presence was too strong. ¡°You¡¯ve returned my phone,¡± Catelyn muttered. ¡°Anything else that I could do for you?¡± He was just sitting there idly. He was not waiting for her to say her thanks, was he? ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Cedrick turned his head away and did not look at Catelyn, yet he was ordering all the same, ¡°Make me some food.¡±, Catelyn was astounded. Was he thinking she was his maid? ¡°There¡¯s a good restaurant downstairs, and they make great food. I highly rmend¡­¡± Cedrick stroked his cor mindlessly, raised his brow, and said, ¡°I took the trouble to send your phone here. Do I not deservepensation?¡± Catelyn blinked ¡°I¡¯m just saying that I didn¡¯t prepare ingredients for this, and I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t make something good for you.¡± Ollie had mentioned to her that Cedrick could be picky when it came to food, and she was not in the mood to entertain him. Cedrick¡¯s long legs crossed and were ced on the sofa. Heid down again. ¡°I¡¯ve been on a detox diet recently. I can eat anything that you cook, even if it¡¯s something simple.¡± Catelyn was speechless. ¡®Well, thank you for being ¡®amodating¡¯, then!¡¯ Nheless, she walked into the kitchen and put on her apron. Her face was tinted pink, probably due to the remnants of her anger. She took out a pack of frozen sausage, washed some greens, and scrambled two eggs, assembling a delicious sandwich. It looked good, even though it was simple. When she served the food, Cedrick stared at the sausage and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t eat processed food.¡± Catelyn pouted. ¡°You said you¡¯d eat anything I make.¡± ¡°With the premise of all being healthy food.¡± ¡°I only have frozen sausages here. ¡°Fine, don¡¯t eat this. I have cereal in the kitchen, so you could make something for yourself.¡± She gave him a look of contempt. Did Cedrick just make himself literally ¡®at home? Catelyn did not care what his response was anymore and went to sit at the dining table alone. Though it was a small apartment, the dining room was elongated. The dining table was covered in a in table cloth and was ced next to the window. The afternoon sun shone in, and she took one bite of her sandwich. Catelyn was raised in a decent household and was well-trained with table manners. Thus, she ate cleanly and made not a sound. She finished her food and ced her cutlery down when all of a sudden, arge shadow loomed over her. She looked up and saw Cedrick¡¯s grim face. He was holding another te of sandwich in his hands. Considering his size and appetite, Catelyn purposely made a bigger sandwich for him and ced it on a larger te. She teased, ¡°Is Prince Cedrick finally willing to eat the peasant¡¯s sandwich?¡± Cedrick¡¯s lips pursed, somehow creating tension in the atmosphere. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Catelyn used the tip of her feet to pull a chair to him and said cunningly, ¡°Please take a seat.¡± Cedrick sat quietly across from her. He seemed even more annoyed somehow, but did he have a reason to be mad? Cedrick ate elegantly and did not stop until he finished thest bite. ¡°How does it taste?¡± Catelyn rested her chin in her palm and watched him as he ate. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 The sandwich tasted good, Cedrick had to admit, but he pretended that it was subpar as he answered, ¡°Not bad.¡± Catelyn did not expose Cedrick for his lie either; she knew he was someone egoistic. She watched as Cedrick finished the meal she made when, out of the blue, the doorbell rang before he even finished and before Catelyn could clean up the dishes. Catelyn was curious. Who would be visiting her at this hour? She peeked through the door and saw Queenie standing outside, her arms crossed at her chest. She looked somewhat annoyed. Catelyn¡¯s heart missed a few beats. Why was Queenie here? If she spotted Cedrick at her home with just her here, even though nothing happened between them, this would potentially be a good avenue for rumors to be created or for dramas to be started. Catelyn thought about Maia, too, and decided not to open the door. ¡°Catelyn,e out here!¡± Queenie was banging on the door. ¡°I asked the security, and he said you¡¯ve been back home since noon! Open up! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You had the gall to do what you did, but you¡¯re scared to face me? Why are you hiding like a coward?!¡± shrieked Queenie. Her shrill shouts, as well as her banging and kicking at Catelyn¡¯s door, caught the neighbors¡¯ attention. Soon, everyone started shouting back, demanding her to ¡®shut up¡¯. Catelyn, hearing the chaos outside, could no longer pretend she was not at home. She took one look at Cedrick and pushed him to the master room, frowning. ¡°Queenie must be up to no good, and we cannot afford to let her see us together. You have to hide here for a moment.¡± Cedrick took out his handkerchief and wiped his mouth clean. Suddenly, he pinned her wrists and pushed her back against the wall. His enormous body towered against her as he whispered into her ear, ¡°Are we having a rendezvous now?¡± She could smell his masculine hormones, mixed with his cologne and a tinge of tobo. Catelyn¡¯s eyes glimmered faintly in the dim light as she subconsciously wanted to push him away. ¡°What? You¡¯re being ridiculous!¡± The curtains of the room were closed, and the lights were dim. Cedrick looked at her sharply. ¡°Ah, you must have other intentions toward me, don¡¯t you?¡± Catelyn froze hearing that, and her heart almost leaped out of her chest. Nheless, she forced herself to look right into Cedrick¡¯s eyes, and her beautiful brows crumpled. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have any intention and we don¡¯t have an affair, there shouldn¡¯t be an issue of her seeing us together, is there?¡± Cedrick¡¯s voice lowered as he added, ¡°Or, do you think I am too embarrassing of a sight?¡± Catelyn raised her voice. ¡°Rumors spread faster than fire, don¡¯t you know about that?!¡± ¡°Open the door, and let her in. I¡¯d like to hear what she has to say.¡± Catelyn studied Cedrick¡¯s face-his handsome face¨C and noted he was not even joking in his suggestion. She knew that he had never feared a person like Queenie. Nheless, she did not want to get involved in another drama! Catelyn then shifted her stance in the situation, knowing that the harsh, persistent method would not work. Catelyn¡¯s face watered down a more pitiful expression as she tugged at the corner of Cedrick¡¯s shirt. ¡°Well, it¡¯splicated between Queenie and me. I don¡¯t want toplicate it even more. Just do this for me, alright?¡± Cedrick looked at her hand that was tugging at his hem, and his breathbored. ¡°Just a little while,¡± added Catelyn gently, ¡°I promise this won¡¯t damage your prestige.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. This felt like that night exactly four years ago¡­ Cedrick¡¯s breaths became erratic at this. His hand gripped her wrists even firmer, and his ck eyes locked onto Catelyn¡¯s pretty face, causing her heart to race. ¡°I¡¯ll take this silence as a ¡®yes¡¯!¡± Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Cedrick did not argue. Still concerned, Catelyn reminded, ¡°Remember: don¡¯te out until I tell you to. You¡¯re the most important Mason, so your promise should weigh a thousand pounds.¡± ck! The doorknob turned at this very second. Catelyn was so shocked that her soul almost left her body. How did Queenie have the key to her house?! Catelyn quickly came out of her room and saw Queenie striding across the hallway, approaching her. A locksmith followed her, and they had pried her lock open! Offended at this, Catelyn guffawed. ¡°I can sue you for breaking into my space, Queenie!¡± Queenie was just about to shout something when she suddenly spotted the two tes on the dining table that were yet to be cleaned up. One te was big, and the other was smaller. They looked like they were just used, with crumbs still left on the tes. It was obvious someone had just finished the food not too long ago. ¡°Alright! I was wondering why you didn¡¯t open the door when you¡¯re obviously at home; it¡¯s because you¡¯re scandalously hiding a man!¡± Queenie snidely remarked, ¡°I¡¯m here to expose you to the world today!¡± She then took out her phone and started recording, panning the camera of her phone around the apartment. Queenie went everywhere from the bathroom, the kitchen, and the guest room, but found nothing. She then directed her gaze to the master room and was about to stride across. Catelyn¡¯s heart almost leaped out of her throat, and she quickly rushed to block her path.¡± What are you doing, Queenie?!¡± ¡°Move!¡± Queenie tried to push Catelyn aside. Catelyn used her body to block Queenie from marching into the room, her hands stretched to tug at the door frame, refusing to move by one inch. ¡°This is my home, and I have the authority to make you leave. You better leave right now, or I¡¯m calling 911!¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Call if you want to!¡± Queenieughed hysterically, as though she had gotten hold of Catelyn¡¯s darkest secret. ¡°You¡¯re skittish, aren¡¯t you, Catelyn? That man is hiding in your room, isn¡¯t he? Catelyn took a deep breath. ¡°This is my room, and it¡¯s where I usually work as well. I¡¯m telling you one last time-leave!¡± ¨C 119 Queenie went forward to tug at Catelyn, but Catelyn¡¯s arms were much stronger than Queenie¡¯s after all these years of carrying her baby. Queenie could barely move her when she was already panting and sweating profusely. ¡°You¡­¡± Queenie could not do anything but stomp her feet furiously. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three,¡± demanded Catelyn. ¡°Leave right now, and I¡¯ll consider not calling 911.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go. After all, I¡¯ll tell my brother about everything that happened today. You wait.¡± It was evident how unsatisfied and bitter Queenie was as she turned on her heel. Catelyn took one look at the master room and felt relieved before sending Queenie to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll entertain you until the end. See you.¡± Catelyn¡¯s voice just faded when suddenly, Queenie pushed her as though she suddenly went crazy. Catelyn was not prepared for this and lost her bnce, falling backward onto the sofa behind her. Queenie then made a beeline to the master room and forcefully turned the doorknob. ¡°Queenie!¡± Catelyn¡¯s expression changed as she immediately tried to stop her, but it was toote. The door was opened! Queenie was still recording with her phone, and her fiery red lips curved into a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m going to show the inte about you and your scandalous affair!¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart almost stopped at this second, her ears ringing. Her fists balled tightly at her sides as she followed Queenie¡¯s gaze to the room¡­only to realize it was empty. There were no signs of anyone inside. Catelyn looked around and could not tell if she was confused or shocked. Where was Cedrick? ¡°What? Why isn¡¯t anyone inside?¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she went to pull open the doors of the wardrobe and the shoe cab. She even ducked and looked under the bed, but nothing substantial was found! Catelyn¡¯s heart that felt suspended in the air finally returned to the ground, and she then went forward to drag Queenie by her wrist and threw her out of the room. ¡°Are you done?¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Queenie only managed to record once around the master room. She turned to look at Catelyn, her eyes burning with hostility. ¡°Where did you hide your little boyfriend?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand who you mean by that, but I don¡¯t have any more patience for you.¡± Queenie did not buy this. ¡°If you don¡¯t have a secret lover, then who finished the two tes of sandwiches on the table? Why were you so nervous when I came to your room?¡± ¡°Hello. Is this the police? I¡¯m a tenant at Ocean Path Residence, and someone had broken into my ce. ¡°Yes, please send someone over immediately,¡± Catelyn no longer hesitated as she immediately called the cops, her gaze unwavering with ferocity. Queenie gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath before leaving, her jaws clenched tightly. Catelyn quickly locked her door and returned to the master room. ¡°Cedrick?¡± Catelyn snuck her head out of her window to check This was the fifth floor! However, after carefully looking around, including the walls and around the air conditionerpressors, there was no man to be found. Catelyn felt worry bubbling at the pit of her stomach. Where was Cedrick? Her room was only this big. Where could he be hiding? Could he have fallen when he was trying to hide from Queenie? Still, she did not hear anything that could have indicated that he fell. Catelyn had searched everywhere that she could and was starting to get anxious. She then took out her phone, wanting to give Cedrick a call, but as soon as she unlocked her phone, a message appeared. [You owe me one meal. I won¡¯t eat processed food next time.) Catelyn looked at the message, stunned. ¡®It must have been hard for him,¡¯ she thought sarcastically. How did he leave? Could he truly have climbed his way down the pipes? Catelyn burst intoughter as she imagined Cedrick¡¯srge form moving down the pipes. Cedrick returned to the Mason Estate, took his coat off at the hall, and passed it over to Albert. Albert noticed the dust on the coat and even stains of mud, much to his surprise. ¡®Ollie¡¯ had thrown a tantrum and demanded to see his mother, but soon after, he passed out. The physician came and gave him an examination,ter reporting that the boy was just too angry, but otherwise, the young master was in no grave danger whatsoever. Cedrick strode out furiously soon after, yet despite his return, the man was covered with dirt. What was Master Cedrick up to? Cedrick did not bother about Albert¡¯s strange expression and immediately asked, ¡°Has the boy woken up?¡± ¡°He¡¯s up, yes, but Young Master Ollie is still angry. He refused to eat and didn¡¯t say a word,¡± said Albert worriedly, all while Cedrick made his way into the room. The room was decorated ording to Ollie¡¯s preference. Even though the color palette wasrgely colder tones, it still had motives catered to a child¡­ The room was huge, and there was a row of custom-made cabs by the wall, on top of which were ced all sorts of y toys. Some were given by the rtives, while some were purchased by Albert whenever Ollie seemed to be interested in any of them as they went out. At this moment, Miles wasying on all fours on the bed. His cheeks were inted like an arrogant lion cub, refusing to speak to anyone. The maid tried to coax him into taking his medicine, but he was not so keen about it. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°I heard you refused to eat?¡± Cedrick¡¯s cold voice came from behind. Miles froze at this, but secondster, he rolled his eyes. ¡°I hate you.¡± ¡°Looks like I haven¡¯t arranged enough working and learning slots for you, so you have too much time to think about all this nonsense,¡± remarked Cedrick, unbothered. He then instructed Albert to arrange more sses for Ollie. The moment Albert heard about swimming sses, his eyes drooped slightly. ¡°Master Cedrick,nguages and chemistry lessons are fine, but swimming? You know Young Master Ollie is scared of water.¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Ollie had slipped into a body of water when he was just a toddler, which became a core memory for him. Ever since then, he had a deep fear of water that could not be relieved. He even refused to learn how to swim. Cedrick attempted a few times to coax and force him to learn before, but his effort was all in vain. Plus, Albert made an excuse that Ollie was still too young for it. However, Cedrick wanted to make Ollie pick up on his swimming skills this time. ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s scared of water that he should be learning how to swim.¡± Ollie had gotten more rebellious and out of control recently, but his body was generally weaker because he was a premature baby, so Cedrick could never physically punish him. Since that was the case, he could well use the events that Ollie was in fear of to threaten to fix his lying tendencies. Otherwise¡­he would need to go for swimming lessons. Cedrick¡¯s chin raised condescendingly. The afternoon sun shone into the room, and he looked even more determined and ruthless than he already was, He was waiting for his son to apologize. However, Miles turned his head away, the back of his head turning to face Cedrick instead.¡± From now on, I don¡¯t want to learn or eat unless you let me see my mother.¡± Cedrick half-smiled and sneered, ¡°Do you know who your mother is?¡± ¡°Of course I do! She¡¯s¡ª¡± Miles was about to blurt his answer when his stomach growled. Ashamed, he quickly hunched and hugged his abdomen. How could his stomach rumble at such a serious moment?! Cedrick was confident that Ollie was lying. Even he had no clue who his mother was, so how could Ollie know about her? N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Your swimming lesson starts tomorrow,¡± concluded Cedrick coldly. He had to fix his child¡¯s lying tendencies. Hearing Cedrick persistent about the swimming lessons, he suddenly leaped from the bed, cing his hands on his hips as he, with a pout, dered, ¡°I want to challenge you, Big Demon!¡± Cedrick was stunned. ¡°Challenge?¡± ¡°I challenge you to a swimming match!¡± Cedrick thought he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. Ollie was downright terrified of water. He could not do anything once he was in the water except spasming and trembling subconsciously. He had even been consulted by a psychologist before! All of a sudden, he was suggesting a swimming match? Albert quickly came forward to restrain the young master by his little arms and feet. ¡°Young Master Ollie, Master Cedrick was the swimming champion in his school back in the days, and he even has a deep- water diving license! You can¡¯t win such a battle¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa Albert, I don¡¯t want to be detained here forever. This is a prison, and I¡¯m sitting in a cell.¡± Miles blinked his watery eyes and looked at Albert pitifully. Albert was shocked at what Miles had just said. The young master had always been quiet and disliked noises, yet all of a sudden, he wasining that his room was a prison? Nheless, Miles¡¯ misty eyes had swayed Albert. He subconsciously helped Miles to plead to his master. Cedrick¡¯s gaze darkened a little before his fingers curled into a fist, and he snickered into his hand. ¡°Fine. You want a challenge? I¡¯ll grant it, then. If you could learn how to swim in ten days, I¡¯ll allow you to make a request.¡± Miles¡¯ misty eyes cleared at that moment, and his face cracked into a mischievous smile. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so going to lose, Big Demon.¡± Ollie might not know how to swim, but he did. Catelyn had taught him how to swim when he was barely two months old, and he could admit that he was good at it. Forget 10 days. Even if he was given just half a day, he could swim really well in the pool! Cedrick, however, thought the boy was just haughty, trying to fake his confidence. Ollie had grown incredibly presumptuous already. Upon noticing that Ollie was no longer throwing a tantrum, Albert quickly asked the servant to serve a nutritious porridge. Miles¡¯ digestive system was a little disrupted, and he could only eat some light food. He was really famished, and he had to admit, the Mason Estate had undeniably delicious food. He was so tempted by the porridge but had to keep his face straight and tense. Nheless, he tried to peek at the porridge through the corner of his eyes. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 It was the same porridge as the one Maia had ordered when she came by, and it tasted just the same. With spring onions on top as garnish, it looked delectably appetizing. Miles was hungry, sure, but he could not give in to Cedrick Cedrick seemed to have seen it through him before he snickered and walked away. Even though Ollie had given him quite a fair bit of trouble recently, he somehow found his son¡­ adorable. Miles took a deep breath of relief after he left. His gemstone-like eyes blinked as he said, ¡°I¡¯d like to eat, Grandpa Albert.¡± ¡°Alright, Young Master Ollie. Here, Grandpa Albert will feed you.¡± Albert was always soft-hearted toward him. On the other hand, Catelyn was suing Queenie for breaking into her home illegally. With Queenie taken away by the police, Jamie had arranged for awyer to speak to Catelyn, wishing to resolve this matter in peace. Catelyn told thewyer that she could withdraw the charges under the condition that Jamie Mason would never show up in her life again. Perhaps Jamie took the memo, however, as he no longer popped up into her life for a long time. Blissfully, Catelyn took the time toplete her draft design before she sent it to Chandler Jewelry¡¯s designpetition mailbox, waiting to be shortlisted after three weeks. Since she was done with the draft, Catelyn invited Ste and Ollie to have a meal outside. Catelyn was impressed that her son was even more well-mannered than herself. ¡°Miles, did you not hate table manners and protocols the most? You always thought that they were a little extra,¡± asked Ste smilingly. Miles was a little foodie. He loved food and appreciated them, but he never liked to be confined to some customs. Ollie ced down his cutlery elegantly. Ever since he was born, he was taught to be mindful of his appearance every time he stepped into a restaurant. He pursed his tiny lips and said, ¡°Well, the books said that kids learn the fastest at my age.¡± Did he mean that if he saw someone sitting up straight, he would imitate, too? Catelynughed softly and slid her finger down his tiny nose. ¡°We¡¯re only here asionally. You can just be yourself, and you don¡¯t have to worry too much about it! All that matters is that you enjoy the meal.¡± Ollie¡¯s straight back hunched slightly after Catelyn spoke, but only for a brief moment before Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! : 122 he sat up straight again. He would return to the Mason Estate soon, so he could not be too at ease just because he swapped lives with Miles for the moment. ¡°I know. Thanks, Mom.¡± While they were eating, Catelyn had this feeling that someone was always watching her, but she looked around and did not find the source of the gaze. She thought she was being oversensitive. However, when they were finally done and were about to leave¡­ Catelyn saw a ck car parked across the road, and inside which was a man, leaning against the headrest. A cigarette was clipped between Jamie¡¯s fingers as he watched her closely. ¡°Bring Miles home, Mom,¡± said Catelyn to Ste. Ollie picked up Catelyn¡¯s hand and volunteered, ¡°Why don¡¯t I keep youpany, Mommy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, don¡¯t worry.¡± Catelyn smiled at her son and had Ste take him home. It was only after they had walked past the traffic light that she turned and crossed the road. As expected, Jamie was waiting for her the whole time. There were already a few cigarette butts by Jamie¡¯s feet, too. This was the first time that Jamie had a closer look at Catelyn ever since they reunited. It seemed as though age was kind to her. Not only did she not seem to have aged one bit, but she looked even more mature and alluring. Catelyn was born pretty and grew up pretty. She also grew up in thep of a wealthy family, and it was such a glorious time. Jamie recalled how he had courted her relentlessly before, just for a chance to marry her. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Ezekiel waster caught in a messy trial, and Jamie knew that he could not marry Catelyn The thought that all his hard work had gone down the drafu niade Jamie a bitter man, thus he used the fact that Ezekiel was in trouble and forced Catelyni to the hotel. That night, he walked along the corridor when a woman immediately leaped into his embrace, As the woman dragged him into the room, he caught a whiff of that familiar gardenia-scented perfume, and something clicked in his mind.¡± The room was dark when it all happened, but when daylight came the next day, Jamie woke up to an empty bed. He assumed that Catelyn had scurried away because she was shy. He thought that Ste and Catelyn would struggle after the wreckage of their family, that they would plead for Catelyn to be his lover. He did not expect, however, that Catelyn would not give in and even hid her pregnancy from him. Catelynid low in BrightGene for four whole years and hid away from him the entire time. If it was not for the unexpected encounter that day, Jamie would not have known that he had a son. Jamie¡¯s expression shifted as his mind wandered elsewhere. His chin was covered in a layer of stubble, and he looked like he had not had a good rest. He looked wrecked, even. Catelyn, surprisingly, did not give Jamie a bad time right off the bat. ¡°Congrattions on being discharged from the hospital. If you¡¯re here to convince me to drop the case against Queenie, I think thewyer has exined my requirement to you.¡± Jamie put off the cigarette in his hand and huffed out thest inhale of smoke. ¡°Catelyn, we were once lovers. Do you really have to do this? Queenie is still young, and she doesn¡¯t understand much of the world. She¡¯s also considered vour half-sister.¡± ¡°Excuse me? I started earning a living when I was twenty. She¡¯s twenty-one now, yet you still think of her as a child?¡± 1 Jamie¡¯s face was grim. ¡°I could return you the loan agreement that your stepmother signed.¡± ¡°It was a set-up. I gave you a check of three hundred thousand dors, and I don¡¯t think I owe you anything anymore,¡± scoffed Catelyn, mildly irked at this point. She thought he would agree to her demand. ¡°Catelyn, you don¡¯t need to burn the bridge here.¡± Jamie threw the cigarette butt on the floor and used his leather shoe to crumple it. He then said darkly, ¡°Unless, you want the whole world to know that Miles is an illegitimate child of mine and devoid his future from honor.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Catalyn was triggered and shot him a pointed look, guarded. Jamie, however, could tell that she was terrified, seeing her turning defensive. She was just faking her confidence. Jamie stretched his hand forward and suddenly patted Catelyn¡¯s cheek, feeling more superior than ever. ¡°Just withdraw your charges obediently, and I¡¯ll make sure Queenie won¡¯t bother you anymore. Catelyn shoved him away. ¡°You were such trash four years ago, and even now, you¡¯re just the same. You¡¯re probably on some sort of high to use your son against me, huh? ¡°I loathe the fact that Miles has a father like you!¡± Catelyn drew the line when it came to Miles. She could never sit still whenever Miles was involved. Jamie¡¯s face was still grim as he coldly grabbed Catelyn by her chin. ¡°Queenie said you were hiding a man in your house. That man was Cedrick, wasn¡¯t he? Could you just look at yourself? His fiance is Maia, and you¡¯re only his ytoy!¡± With her head tilted, Catelyn could feel her jaw almost shattering under Jamie¡¯s grip. ¡°Even if I am just a ytoy, I¡¯m one that¡¯s enough to make a mess throughout your family.¡± ¡°You-!¡± Enraged, Jamie raised his free hand and swung it toward Catelyn¡¯s direction. Catelyn was about to block his hand when a big palm intercepted Jamie¡¯s palm right in front of her.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Jamie¡¯s face twitched in pain as he turned, only to notice a man in a pink shirt was next to them. ¡°I was thinking who this was. It¡¯s one of the little Masons! ¡°Did Cedrick Mason not teach you manners? How are you hitting girls now?¡± Edwin, wearing a mboyant floral shirt, smirked devilishly at Jamie. The veins on Jamie¡¯s forehead pulsed. ¡°Edwin Atherton?¡± ¡°Catelyn is under my care. Which hand of yoursnded on her?¡± ¡°Catelyn is my ex-girlfriend, Edwin! She-¡± ¡°Looks like both your hands did, then.¡± Before Jamie could take a good look at Edwin¡¯s action, Edwin flipped Jamie over and mmed him to the ground with a loud thud. Jamie was just discharged from the hospital even though he was not ready to, and his ribcage had not fully recovered. At this moment, the excruciating pain was almost killing him. Jamie climbed up from the ground, his whole body covered in mud as he red daggers at both Jamie and Catelyn defiantly. ¡°You¡­ You¡­!¡± ¡°Beat it.¡± Edwin dusted his hands, his expression nonchnt while he did. Jamie gritted his teeth as he then walked away furiously. What a shameless pair! Catelyn watched as Jamie left, and the look in her eyes seemed murky with uncertainty. She took a deep breath before she turned to Edwin. Edwin had a face so beautiful that all the girls envied him. Moreover, he always looked mischievous and casually emitted a dangerously flirty personality from time to time. However, Catelyn was immune to it. She had been surrounded by good-looking guys in many of her years, and her son was handsome, too. She was used to it. ¡°Thanks, Edwin.¡± Catelyn smiled. Edwin raised his brow. ¡°You know me?¡± ¡°The infamous CEO of Sapphire City¡¯s Worldwide Entertainment Co., and the favorite child of the entertainment and media industry. Everyone knows you.¡± Edwin frequented the news at times, and he sometimes even made it to the headlines. More often than not, it was about him and some actresses, models, or other girls outside of the industry. Edwin, in a nutshell, was a known yboy. Not only was Edwin unashamed of this, but he looked rather proud of it, too. ¡°I need to let the reporters make a living, right? They can¡¯t survive by just eating dust, you know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, and that¡¯s very generous of you. I also have to thank you for saving me, but¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Edwin took out an invitation card from his pocket and handed it to Catelyn.¡± There is a corporate dinner tomorrow night, and many famous designers will be attending, too. I¡¯d like you toe with me.¡± Catelyn was stunned at this as she stared at the invitation card owlishly. She needed to resume her workter on, and it would be a good opportunity for her to meet andwork with these people. However, why would Edwin want to invite her as his ¡®plus-one¡¯? Not to mention, his was their first time meeting, too! ¡°We¡¯re not that close, Edwin.¡± ¡°No one would be close to anyone just by meeting each other once. Just interacting andmunicating more will do.¡± Edwin straightened himself. He looked like the undeniable heartthrob-heartbreaker man, despite his flower-motive shirt. ¡°Worry not; you¡¯re not my type. I¡¯m not interested in you.¡± Catelyn hesitated. Even though Edwin was famous for being open, she had not heard that he would force any woman. ¡°Why would you look for me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think we look a little alike?¡± Was he flirting with her? Though, to be honest, they might share a little resemnce with each other upon closer inspection.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright. To be honest, I know that some members of the Atherton family have had some conflicts with you recently. Cedrick has been giving them quite a rough time, and they pleaded for my help ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve saved you today and offered you this invitation card. You could say something good to Cedrickter on, and we¡¯ll be good.¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Catelyn, although initially swayed by Edwin¡¯s offer, decided to decline his offer after hearing thatst part. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help you with that.¡± Edwin¡¯s flirty eyes widened as he said, ¡°There¡¯s no advantage to you if you decline.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of my business who Cedrick decided to have a beef with. If I ept your offer and don¡¯t fulfill my promise, it¡¯ll be hard for me.¡± Edwin grinned; gone was his nonchnt expression. He passed the invitation card to her again and patted her hair like he would with a little girl. ¡°I was just kidding with you! L is just a rtive, and I¡¯m not in any position to interfere. I just happened to hear that Ollie loves you very much, and I¡¯m impressed meeting you today.¡± Catelyn stared as Edwin smoothed her hair. Why¡­did it feel like a pet being groomed? She edged to the side, her expression calm and collected. ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡± Edwin was the eldest son of the Atherton family¡¯s branch, but he had left the family when he was younger and built his entertainment empire from scratch. He was almost a modern legend in the industry, and that rightfully earned him every praise. ¡°Really?¡± Edwin grinned mischievously again and winked at Catelyn. ¡°Are you interested in getting signed under mypany as an artist? I¡¯m confident in your potential. I could build it for you, and you¡¯d be winning big awards in the future.¡± Catelyn immediately smiled and declined. She knew he was not being serious about it. If she was, however, that would be awkward. It was better for her to just work hard in her field. Edwin, thankfully, did not insist. He fixed a time for Catelyn to visit the salon tomorrow, which Catelyn did not decline either. She still could not afford a proper gown, though. Edwin, to the public, was the CEO of Worldwide Entertainment Co., but he was also in charge of the underground influences of Sapphire City. He had hiswork and spies everywhere throughout the city. This was also why Cedrick had sent him to investigate whether the girl four years ago was indeed Maia. The next day, Edwin got his people to send the information to Cedrick before he made his way to the salon with Catelyn. ¨C 15 Edwin snapped his finger and listed his requests, and everyone in the salon started to help Catelyn with her look of the night. Catelyn had a good base to start with, while the gown and essories complemented her really well. When she came out of the changing room, Edwin looked at her and was immediately stunned. She sported a gown that was light blue in color, embellished with pearls around the cor. It surprisingly fitted her like a glove and entuated her tiny waist really well. She wore a matching sapphire blue teardrop- shaped pendant,plementing her alluring vicle bone. Her clean, long neck made her look like an elegant swan. Edwin could faintly smell her perfume, and it was soothing-so close yet so near at the same time. Edwin had numerous encounters with women from every end of the beauty spectrum, but the sight of Catelyn made him pause. She looked very much like that woman. Edwin thought she looked very familiar at first sight. Now that Catelyn was all mmed up, he was even more amazed. His cigarette stick was soon burnt to the end. ¡°Do I look alright, Edwin?¡± Catelyn asked for his opinion out of courtesy. ¡°Will I be embarrassing you?¡± Edwin snapped out of his mini trance, and his lips curved into his usual impish grin. ¡°Gorgeous! No wonder people say that Sapphire City builds on three families, and thergest of the three, the rk family, is known for conquering the world with its women. Miss rk, your family has good genes.¡± Every woman lovedplements, and Catelyn was no exception to this rule. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Standing before the mirror, Catelyn adjusted her gown slightly. She lifted her chin a little and looked at the woman in the mirror who was being groomed. She had an illusion that this was not the world that she lived in. She remembered how four years ago, she would wear pretty gowns like this to attend all sorts of functions. Over the past four years, she had lived so pathetically that she almost could not recognize herself. Cedrick had received the same dinner invitation, too, which was organized by the retiring Mister James. In fact, he had invited the elders of the Mason family and rk family. However, the elders pushed the invitation to the younger generation in their family instead. Thus, Cedrick would be entering the hall with Maia. Maia knew that she had left a very bad impression of herself to Cedrick that day at the Mason Estate, and she intended to salvage that. Hence, before the dinner, she deliberately put on a fair bit of makeup, and she looked captivating. She thought it was also important for her to win some points for her appearance. Maia came to the Mason Group early in the afternoon, thinking of getting to the salon together with Cedrick. This dinner was a good opportunity for her to get closer to Cedrick. Charles smiled respectfully at Maia. ¡°Please wait a moment, Miss rk. Cedrick is in a short meeting, and he¡¯ll be here in a short while.¡± As usual, Maia went and sat on the leather sofa in the CEO office, smiling back at Charles as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll take a seat here. Please, carry on with your duties.¡± ¡°Will it be iced lemon tea for you, as usual?¡± Charles held his head down, formal and full of respect. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Maia nodded, sweetly answering, ¡°Yes, please, Mister Peterson.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Maia grew bored after Charles left and decided to wander around the office. Suddenly, she was distracted by a stack of information on the table. What was that? Maia looked around, making sure Cedrick would not be here soon. She blinked and picked up one of the folders. She took out the information inside and took one look¡­ The blood in her veins froze the minute she registered what was recorded. This¡­was the surveince footage snapshot of Four Seasons Hotel! Why was Cedrick investigating this? Was he doubting her? Four years ago, Maia was much more open than she was currently. She frequented the night pubs, but she was young. Plus, the rk family had it all suppressed, so there was no news coverage on this. To the public, her image had always been elegant and ssy. Numerous men from wealthy backgrounds chased after her, too. Maia had never cared about any of them, though. That night, she drank too much at a pub near the hotel, and it just so happened that a man wanted to sleep with her that night. She ditched that man and ran to Four Seasons Hotel instead. Unfortunately, she fell into the man¡¯s trap. She had drunk the spiked wine, and as soon as she reached the corridor, her body felt like it was slowly lit on fire. She crashed into a man¡¯s embrace by the turning end of the corridor. Unable to think straight, Maia dragged the man into the room behind them. They did not even manage to turn the lights on. She knew she had screwed up when she woke up the next morning. She was still young, after all, and she was worried that her family would reprimand her for this. She thus hastily put on her clothes and ran away. Maia would then bribe the workers in the surveince room with some money and ask them to destroy every footage of that night so no one would find out that she had slept with someone that night. However, two monthster, Mason Groupunched a new perfume advertisement. They were looking for a girl in Four Seasons Hotel, Room 520, wearing a gardenia-scented perfume. That was also how Betty rk, Maia¡¯s mother, came to realize that Maia was there at Four Seasons that night. Betty thought Maia was the girl that Cedrick was looking for and decided to push Maia to Cedrick. She even used the excuse of getting the two families to tie their knot, wanting to convince Old Master rk about it, and had Cedrick and Maia get engaged. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 However, Maia was sure that the man that night was not Cedrick Mason, and the room she was in was not Room 520 either. It had been four years. Why was Cedrick digging into this? Was he trying to investigate her past? Ever since she got engaged to Cedrick, Maia had been loyal to him and only him. Maia frantically flipped through the stack of papers. The information collected was quiteprehensive, and other than rted documents and photos, there were even videos. Everything from the moment Cedrick entered Four Seasons Hotel was recorded, including the staff who entered and left the hotel. Her gaze finally fell and fixated on one of the snapshots of the surveince footage. The girl in the snapshot was¡­ Catelyn! The snapshot from the surveince footage at the restaurant opposite Four Seasons Hotel showed that Catelyn was there at the hotel that night, too. What kind of coincidence was that? Could Catelyn be the girl Cedrick was looking for? No¡­ This could not be! The rk family was already bankrupt by then, and Ezekiel was already in prison. How would Catelyn still be in the mood to meet Cedrick at Four Seasons? Plus, Catelyn had never once ckmailed Cedrick over these years. Even so, Maia was still very much astounded. She had worked tirelessly, just to attain the title of being Cedrick¡¯s fiancee, and she was not about to let anyone take it from her! Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside the door, and it felt as though her heart was being stepped on. ¡°Master Cedrick, Miss rk is here. She¡¯s waiting for you inside,¡± reported Charles. Without hesitation, Maia stuffed the photo and the USB drive that contained the video into her handbag, all while unable topletely rid of the guilty expression on her face. Cedrick pushed open the door and entered. Maia was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed elegantly. She smiled as she held a cup of lemon tea. She ced the cup down gracefully when she saw Cedrick entering. ¡°Cedrick, it¡¯s about time for us to depart for the event.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick gave her a small nod. ¡°You go ahead and groom yourself first, and I¡¯ll catch up once I¡¯m done with some matters.¡± ¡°Remember not to bete,¡± said Maia affectionately and left. In truth, however, her back was already soaked in cold sweat, and she could not afford to let Cedrick see what she had in her bag. Subconsciously, she walked faster and almost tripped herself. Thankfully, the door frame was next to her, and she managed to grab onto it to regain her bnce. She quickly stumbled and escaped from Cedrick¡¯s office. Cedrick went back to his table where his documentsid neatly, not noticing Maia¡¯s little misstep. He opened one of the folders and took out a stack of papers that contained some basic information, including some snapshots from a few surveince cameras, photos, and descriptions. They were still very much like what he found four years ago, and there was nothing suspicious. Cedrick rubbed his temples, feeling slightly flustered. Could he have wronged Maia? It seemed that she truly was the woman from that night four years ago. Was he overthinking things? The night progressed. At the entrance of the six-star International Grand Hotel, the floor was draped with red carpet to wee the guests, and along the two sides of the path were fresh flowers and ribbons. The usherettes put on their best smiles, weing the guests with great hospitality. The security was tight with guards stationed everywhere. A mboyant Ferrare and a cool-looking Mercedis Junebach pulled over at the front door of the hotel. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 The Ferrare door opened, and Edwin stepped out. He then opened the passenger seat door and invited Catelyn out like a gentleman. Catelyn stood on her ten centimeters tall heels and smiled sweetly while standing next to Edwin. On the other hand, the Mercedis Maybach¡¯s door opened, and Cedrick held Maia¡¯s hand while they exited. They also looked like a perfect pair, with Maia wearing a fiery red gown that brought out her figure while standing next to the dashing Cedrick Her ck hair was tied in a high bun with a small strand dangling casually by her ear. The reporters were all ready by the door of the hotel. Ka-chick! Ka-chick! The cameras shed incessantly, more dramatic than the Met G. ¡°Oh my goodness! Look! It¡¯s Cedrick Mason and Maia rk!¡± ¡°That pair must be Edwin Atherton with his new girlfriend!¡± ¡°This dinner must be such an important one. All the important people of Sapphire City are here¡­¡± ¡°I heard that Cedrick never liked to show up at public events. This time, he is even willing to be photographed by the reporters! It must be Maia¡¯s request. Look at them. They look so cute together!¡± Maia grinned from ear to ear after hearing all thesepliments. Only she could be the woman standing next to Cedrick! However, her confident smile faded as soon as she saw Catelyn next to Edwin. Her expressions were frozen, and her pupils constricted. She? When did she hook up with Edwin? If she met Cedrickter, would Cedrick recognize her? No, she should not be worrying so much. Cedrick might not even know that the woman was Catelyn. How would he even recognize her? Maia then straightened her back and regained her confident posture. Catelyn¡¯s gazes crossed with Maia¡¯s. Maia, who was always so full of herself in her memory, was now standing demurely next to Cedrick It was just like what the reporters said. They looked so good together. Catelyn turned and looked away. ¡°Edwin, shall we?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Edwin smiled lightly, and the two walked on the red carpet, hand in hand, to enter the ballroom. Cedrick¡¯s gaze followed them as they interacted intimately. Catelyn was wearing a gown with a rather low cut at the front. Maia was relieved to see Catelyn leaving. However, she felt the air around them cooling down strangely. She turned to look at Cedrick and called his name softly, ¡°Cedrick?¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes were cold. He turned to look at her and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Maia smiled and nodded, not thinking anything more. She snuggled into Cedrick¡¯s chest. ¡°It feels a little cold tonight. I am wearing a gown with my shoulders exposed and feeling a little cold.¡± Cedrick was emotionless. ¡°You¡¯d feel warm once we are inside.¡± Was he just pretending to not understand it, or was he that dense? Every time Maia tried to hint him to take a step closer, he would easily divert the conversation to something else. The two passed the fountain in the hotel lobby and strode to the ballroom. The ballroom wasvishly decorated, and on the long table in the middle wereyers of champagne sses, surrounded by colorful small bites and snacks. Catelyn and Edwin became the center of attention as soon as they went in. Maia and Cedrick followed. Naturally, people started to makeparisons between the two couples. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Cedrick and Edwin always appeared in the public¡¯s eyes together. One of them was always cold and icy, and the other was dangerously alluring. Their vibes and appearances were very distinctive from one another, but right now, it was hard to tell who was more captivating. As for thedies, Maia¡¯s makeup was more delicate. She looked absolutely gorgeous, and her smile was gentle but arrogant at the same time. Somehow she looked a little deliberate and restrained while standing next to Cedrick. Catelyn¡¯s movements were graceful. She walked around casually, unbothered. They both were sisters. Naturally, they shared some resemnces. When they stood together, Catelyn stood out more. Maia saw that a few reporters had given more of their attention to Catelyn and Edwin and felt annoyed. She had prepared for this night for half a month as soon as she knew they were attending the function. How could Catelyn steal her thunder? ¡°Catelyn, why are you here?¡± Suddenly, a woman said amongst the crowd. Lori heard someoneplimenting a prettydy from afar and turned to look. She saw the lady in the blue gown was Catelyn! Catelyn was broke. How could she get invited to such a prestigious and exclusive event? Like Queenie, she had to hook up with L and Loue to get herself an invite to the event. Catelyn¡¯s brows twitched briefly as soon as she saw Lori. As kind as Catelyn was, there was still someone she would not wish to cross paths with, and that person was Lori. Edwin came forward and protected Catelyn behind him. He said while half smiling, ¡°Mistress, you seem to have an issue with mypany tonight?¡± Queenie stood up and ced her hand on Lori¡¯s arm as she smiled and apologized, ¡°Mr. Edwin, please don¡¯t mind this.¡± Lori may not know Edwin, but Queenie does. Queenie had aspired to marry into either of the Big Four Families. Naturally, she knew of Edwin. Lori panicked when she heard that the man was Edwin. Catelyn¡¯spany for the night was Edwin! ¡°Mr. Edwin, I¡­ I just wanted to catch up with Catelyn. We knew each other.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I am not free for a chat right now.¡± Catelyn outright declined Lori¡¯s invitation. Lori was deeply annoyed, but she could only smile and pretend nothing had happened. Queenie then went straight up to Edwin and held his arm. ¡°Mr. Edwin, I have long admired N?velDrama.Org (C) content. you. I heard you frequent social events, I have so much to ask you¡­¡± Why could Catelyn stand next to him but not her? Queenie loathed Catelyn from the bottom of her heart. After all, rumors had it that Edwin had always been gentle to thedies. Edwin did not care how unpleasant Queenie¡¯s expression was. He held Catelyn by her waist and said, ¡°Sweetie, let me introduce you to some of the important people in the designer field.¡± Even though Catelyn was not reallyfortable with him hugging her this way, she did not push him away when she saw the look on Queenie¡¯s face. Instead, she said affectionately,¡± Sure.¡± The two walked away happily. Queenie¡¯s eyes were almost popping out of her sockets, and she stomped her feet furiously. Does Edwin really love Catelyn that much? Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 On the other hand, Maia and Cedrick were also observing Edwin. The corner of Maia¡¯s lips curved slightly upward when she saw Edwin and Catelyn leaving. She pretended to be confused and tugged at Cedrick¡¯s shirt as she said, ¡°I had to take a close look to realize that Edwin¡¯spany today is Catelyn.¡± She tried to read Cedrick¡¯s expression after saying that. Cedrick was still expressionless, as usual. No one knew what was on his mind. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Maia then continued, ¡°Do you still remember? We bumped into Catelyn at the restaurant when we had dinner with Ollie the other day. Catelyn used to be very popr at school. She had a long list of ex- boyfriends and was even caught red-handed in bed with someone.¡± ¡°I really wish she takes her rtionship with Edwin seriously, for once.¡± ¡°I am also to me. When Ezekiel ran into trouble, I should have helped.¡± As Maia went on and on about Catelyn¡¯s ugly past, Cedrick¡¯s expression became colder and colder. He did not even bother to hide his contempt anymore. Maia thought he was loathing Catelyn and was quite satisfied with herself. She was about to continue bad-mouthing her when Cedrick released her hand and said coldly, ¡°You are a little too talkative today.¡± ¡°Cedrick¡­¡± Maia panicked. She realized she was the one being loathed. She wanted to make amends. However, Cedrick went past her and strode to the host of the event. Maia lifted her gown and tried to follow him, but she could not catch up. . She threw a death stare at Edwin and Catelyn, who were enjoying their finger food at the corner. It was all her fault! She wanted to make Catelyn look bad at the dinner. However, she could not make her attempts too obvious. Thest thing she wanted was Cedrick to be suspicious of her and to think that she was singling Catelyn out. What should she do? Under Edwin¡¯s lead, Catelyn was introduced to a few important people in the designer industry. These were exactly thework that she needed. Catelyn kept everyone¡¯s name card feeling satisfied. to make their 130 She felt hungry and went to the corner for food again. Edwin was by her side throughout. He watched as she went to the aisle without caring too much and thought she looked adorable. Somehow, she reminded him of someone familiar. The corner of his lips curved upward subconsciously, and his eyes looked soft and gentle. Then, he saw Cedrick approaching with a ss of red wine in his hand. He sat across from Edwin, with some distance in between. Catelyn came by and sat in between the two men. There was an indescribable tension in the air. Catelyn swallowed a mouthful of cake that she had just shoved in her mouth. Her throat was dry, and so she identally choked on it. She saw a ss of wine on the table and gobbled it down without hesitation. Both the cake and wine went down her stomach. Catelyn then licked her lips in satisfaction. Cedrick watched as she did it. Once again, no one was sure what was on his mind. Catelyn was confused. Why did he look at her like that? Was there something on her face? Was her hair messy? Cedrick was still the same old him, casually cing his left foot on his right knee and sizing her up with his dark eyes silently. Catelyn was uneasy about being stared at and could not help but ask, ¡°Cedrick, is there something on my face?¡± Cedrick used his slender finger to point at the wine ss in her hand and said lazily, ¡°That was my cup of wine.¡± Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 What? Cedrick drank from this ss earlier? Catelyn¡¯s facial expression changed. She quickly ced the wine ss back on the table and stood up awkwardly. When had he ced his wine ss in front of her? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I did not know that this was yours. I am going to get you another one.¡± Catelyn forced an awkward smile and hastily went to the serving area again. She looked like she could not wait to leave, Cedrick looked slightly confused. Was she afraid of him? He would not bite? Edwin watched their interaction at the side and whistled lightly. ¡°Tsk, did you not see Maia¡¯s jealous expression? Why are you still showing yourself here?¡± Cedrick seemed to be slightly loosened up but still said in a cold tone, ¡°Stay away from her.¡± ¡°Her? Which her?¡± Edwin pretended not to know. Cedrick did not hesitate and announced, ¡°Catelyn.¡± Edwin grinned mischievously, ¡°I thought you were not interested in her.¡± ¡°Ollie likes her very much, and I have an obligation to ensure her safety. I would not let anything affect her job,¡± Cedrick said coldly, picked up the ss that Catelyn ced on the table, and finished it. When he ced the ss down again, he noticed the area that his lips touched had faint marks of Catelyn¡¯s lipstick His eyes widened. Cedrick was a hygiene freak, and he would never use a ss that was used by someone else. Edwin thought his response was amusing. He casually ced his feet on the table, crossed them, and then said, ¡°You could deny it, but you obviously care about her. Don¡¯t worry. I will not eat her.¡± Cedrick was slightlyforted to hear that but still answered sarcastically, ¡°You have never beencking women who would die for you, have you?¡± ¡°I am innocent, and they were the ones who threw themselves on me. Plus, I am not like you. I don¡¯t have an illegitimate child popping out of nowhere. Catelyn is not my type either.¡± Edwin shrugged his shoulders innocently and suddenly felt the urge to have a cigarette. He reached into his pocket, only to realize that he had changed his suit today and forgot to bring his cigarette. He stretched his hand to Cedrick and asked, ¡°Do you have a cigarette?¡± ¡°Go away,¡± Cedrick said coldly. If anyone other than Edwin mentioned ¡®illegitimate child¡¯ in front of Cedrick, he would ensure they vanish from the earth. Edwinughed. Cedrick really hated facing the truth. ¡°So, have you checked out the information I sent you? Was it Maia four years ago?¡± Cedrick¡¯s brows twitched, and he said in a deep voice, ¡°I thought your men could get something actually useful.¡± ¡°No way?¡± Edwin ced his feet down on the floor in shock. ¡°My subordinates told me that they dug up some useful information and even sent you a copy of the video.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Cedrick noticed something was wrong. He had gone through everything that Edwin sent, and there was no video. There was also nothing useful to him, and it was all more or less the same as what he found out four years ago. He suddenly remembered something, and his face looked grim. His gaze fell on Maia, standing across from him at some distance. When he returned to his office this afternoon, he remembered Maia appeared to be a little¡­ on edge? Could she have touched his folders? Maia seemed to have also noticed Cedrick staring at her. Although his gaze had not felt friendly or weing, it did not stop Maia from wanting to get closer to Cedrick She brought her wine ss and approached, looking affectionate but also a little shy. ¡°Cedrick, you are here. I have been looking for you.¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Cedrick replied slowly yet sternly, ¡°Did you touch my folders in the office this afternoon?¡± Maia stopped breathing, her pupils subconsciously constricted. ¡°What folders? I am not sure¡­¡± Cedrick watched her reaction. His handsome face was gloomy. ¡°I am sure you are very clear about one thing: our engagement stemmed from that fateful night four years ago. If I found out that you had been lying to me all along¡­¡± ¡°I am not sure what you are talking about.¡± Maia¡¯s face turned green as she replied stubbornly, ¡°We have been together for so long, and you do not have any trust in me? Or, you have never really valued our rtionship?¡± Cedrick ced his ss down and observed Maia¡¯s reaction as he did so. ¡°It is about responsibility and commitment between us.¡± In other words, there was no love. Maia clenched her fist. She could not let Cedrick find out about the truth. He mistook her for another woman four years ago and was always so cold to her. If he found out about the truth¡­ She could not imagine what would happen! Tonight was a business dinner function. As the vibrant background music yed, Catelyn collected several contacts from the influential people in her industry and had some good conversations. Jamie and the Atherton sisters were here too. Loue was pregnant, so Jamie was always by her side the whole night. L¡¯s hostile gaze fell upon Catelyn. Cedrick came with Maia, which meant he announced their rtionship to the public. L was unsatisfied. She was notparing herself to Maia but to Catelyn. Maia was the daughter of the core family of the rk family, but not Catelyn. Why did Catelyn deserve Cedrick¡¯s attention? N?velDrama.Org (C) content. L thought she was much better than Catelyn in so many ways. Why did she not realize that the man was Cedrick right from the start? Too bad she had already offended him and was already in his bad books. It was all toote. Catelyn could feel some hostile stares being sent her way. She turned to look and unexpectedly crossed her gazes with Maia¡¯s. However, Maia quickly ¨C 32 concealed her contempt and reced it with a light smile. Maia raised her wine ss, swirled it around, and gestured a toast to Catelyn. Catelyn smiled back in courtesy. = The next moment, Maia smiled as she went to the podium and whispered something in the hostess¡¯s ears. The hostess then looked to Catelyn as Maia motioned. Catelyn felt something was wrong. Before she could react, she saw the hostess grinning as she returned to the center of the stage¡­ Suddenly, the lights went dim, except for the limelight on the stage. The light was all focused on the hostess, forming a circle around her. She was holding the mic and greeted everyone with a big smile, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, wee to the dinner tonight. Ms. Catelyn rk would like to entertain everyone with a song tonight. We hope you have a great night ahead.¡± ¡°Cough!¡± Catelyn choked on her wine immediately. She coughed hard that some wine was spitting out of the corner of her lips. The next moment, the limelight was directed onto Catelyn. Catelyn then became the focus of the night. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Catelyn was pinching hard on the stem of the wine ss. She? Sing for everyone? In fact, everyone in the rk family knew that she was a very bad singer and would go off-key most of the time. Maia obviously wanted to make a fool out of her in front of everyone! Catelyn froze in her spot for a long while. There were gazes from all directions, and people started to murmur. ¡°Oh my God, where does she think she is? What a shameless person.¡± ¡°I heard that she is really bad at singing. We will have a good laugh out of it.¡± ¡°Why is she not up on the stage?¡± ¡°The lights were already dimmed for her. She should not waste other people¡¯s time¡­¡± The hostess heard the murmurs too and grinned again. ¡°Ms. Catelyn, the audio system is ready. Please do not feel nervous, and you maye on to the stage now¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Catelyn rk is the daughter of Ezekiel rk, the murderer?¡± ¡°I heard that when Ezekiel was caught, the Mason family canceled the marriage right away. She is quite pretty. No wonder she could still pair up with the Atherton guy tonight to attend the dinner¡­¡± ¡°Look at her waist. It¡¯s so tiny!¡± Maia smiled in satisfaction. Catelyn had already made a fool out of her, no matter whether she went on stage or not. Plus, she doubted Cedrick and Edwin would still be by her side when she became the hottest topic for gossip in town. Catelyn knew she could not hide anymore and knew that she would definitely be an embarrassment no matter what. She took a deep breath, ced her wine ss down on the table, lifted her gown, and went on stage. She stepped on the steps covered in red carpet and strode across to the center of the stage. The atmosphere was not scary, and Catelyn¡¯s heart was racing. She almost tripped on her own dress, and luckily the hostess reached out to hold her. She even said something to relieve the awkward atmosphere. ¡°Ms. rk must be just nervous. Who wouldn¡¯t, right?¡± Then, the hall fell silent, and Catelyn could only hear her own uneven breathing. Four years ago, she would frequently step on this stage. Four yearster, she felt extremely strange to be up here again. She took over the mic from the hostess and smiled. ¡°Sorry to have kept everyone waiting. In fact, I might have drunk a little too much tonight and am feeling a sore throating. I¡¯m afraid I could not sing for everyone tonight¡­¡± ¡°What? She is ying us.¡± ¡°She knew she had to sing but still drank so much.¡± The crowd was noisy again. Everyone was murmuring something, and some were teasing, and some were mocking. Catelyn figured she would be attacked. Her gaze fell upon Cedrick, who was sitting in the corner. He was still expressionless as usual and casually leaning against the sofa, his gaze locked on herself. Catelyn felt her cheek warming and broke her gaze away. Cedrick suddenly knocked on the table with his knuckles and said in his deep voice, ¡°Are you guys done?¡± His voice was not loud, but everyone fell silent hearing it. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 After all, the most important guests tonight were Cedrick, Edwin, and Maia. They were the core family members of the Big Four families, and no one would wish to offend them. Once they all fell silent, Catelyn took a breath of relief too. Her slender finger then pointed at the piano in the corner and said calmly, ¡°Even though I could not sing for everyone, I have prepared another performance for everyone.¡± Was she going to y the piano? He could faintly remember that she was good at ying the piano back then. Edwin was the first to stand up and apud. ¡°Ms. rk! I am rooting for you, looking forward to your performance!¡± Some people in the crowd followed him to apud Catelyn. Catelyn then settled down in front of the piano. She had learned piano ever since she was young. She felt great to be touching such an elegant grand piano, her palms were warm, and her fingers were delighted by the touch. The performance started. Her slender fingers dropped on the ck and white keys. As soon as she started ying, her emotions were immediately unlocked, and she was immersed in the musical world that she had created for herself. Her soul was dancing, and the rhythm flowed naturally. Both hands worked together seamlessly. Everyone was impressed, including¡­ Cedrick Under the limelight, the girl, dressed in the light blue gown, was sitting in front of the piano gracefully, immersed in her own musical world. The pair of dancing fingers grabbed everyone¡¯s ears and hearts effortlessly. That was one of the famous ssics, Bade pour Adelinez. The song was, in fact, not a difficult piece, but it had a beautiful story. . The story originated from ancient Greek mythology. A lonely king carved a statue of a beautiful young woman, but he had fallen hard for his creation. Finally, the God of Love was touched and injected life into the statue to fulfill his dreams. The king and the beautiful woman then lived happily ever after. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn¡¯s performance was one of a kind. Her emotions were expressed well through the music, and it was remarkable. There were a lot of socialites amongst the crowd, who had all grown up in theps of the cultured upper ss. They all knew how much work it would require to y like that. Jamie stared at the girl in the limelight, his jaw unhinged. The girl ying the piano¡­ was Catelyn? The girl was so pathetic that she had to plead for him to save her? The memories between him and Catelyn shed before his eyes. Her smile, her winks, she was so youthful, vibrant, affectionate, and everything¡­ ¡°Jamie? Jamie¡­¡± Loue was jealous when she saw Jamie staring at Catelyn. Her body was shivering, but she pretended nothing had happened. She took Jamie by his arms and said, ¡°Catelyn ys really well, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Jamie was snapped back to reality. He bit his tongue and then hugged Loue by her waist. He smiled and said, ¡°No matter how good she is, she is still just a daughter from a broke family. She could never bepared to you.¡± WAT Maia was the most infuriated one. She pinched on the stem of her ss really hard that her skin was almost deformed from pressing against the ss. She had reached the peak of her dissatisfaction. She wanted to see Catelyn embarrassing herself, but not a glorious moment of her onstage. She thought she should have forgotten most of her skills after four years. However, she could still y the piano well. Catelyn¡¯s finger pressed thest note. Her finger was still vibrating slightly in the air, seemingly still immersed in the song. After a brief pause, the crowd burst into a cheer. Catelyn rose to thank everyone. However, she saw the crowd spreading to two sides, and Edwin was walking toward her in the middle. He was still wearing his signature nonchnt smile while carrying a bouquet of white roses in his arms. Cedrick was next to him, his muscr body covered in a suit, his chin slightly lifted. He looked poised and elegant. The two walked in front of her and stopped. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Catelyn¡¯s eyes fixated on both of them. ¡°Cat, it was such a lovely song. This bouquet of flowers is for you.¡± Edwin passed the roses to Catelyn while he looked at her gently. This was not just admiral in his eyes, but there was also some unknown emotion. Catelyn received the bouquet and smiled back at him. ¡°Thank you.¡± TI This was her first bouquet in four years! She did not expect it to be from Edwin. This yboy was not as unpleasant as she thought. Cedrick watched as the two interacted with each other. An unknown me lit up in his chest. It was just a bouquet of flowers! His face was still emotionless, but heplimented the best he could have, ¡°It was alright.¡± It was not easy to hear this from him. However, Catelyn¡¯s attention was still on the white roses. The white roses signifies purity and innocence. In ancient Greek mythology, it represented the God of Beauty that was melted into the God of Love¡¯s blood. It was a perfect match for the song that she yed. Her smile grew wider. She carried the big bouquet of roses, and took a big sniff, delighted by the scent of the flowers. There were a few girls discussing her nearby. ¡°Oh my, Edwin gifted her the flowers! I wish to have that too¡­¡± ¡°Cedrick neverplimented anyone. He never evenplimented his fiance Maia in public! Catelyn was good enough to impress him today¡­¡± ¡°Look at Maia. She looked very crossed. She should have volunteered to y instead. Why did she give the opportunity away to Catelyn¡­¡± Maia gritted her teeth as she heard all thements. Cedrickplimented Catelyn in public. Did he even consider her feelings as his fiance? N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Or had he suspected that Catelyn was the woman four years ago? As the lights lit up again in the ballroom, Catelyn identally caught Maia¡¯s hostile look. Her heart skipped a beat as though she had been targeted by some predator. She felt a cold chill run down her spine. A slender andrge palm came into her sight. Edwin waved at her and bowed to her like a gentleman. He grinned and invited her, ¡°May I have this dance with Ms. Catelyn?¡± Catelyn¡¯s train of thoughts was interjected by him. When she looked back at Maia, she appeared not to be so hostile anymore. Maybe it was her own illusion. ¡°My pleasure.¡± Catelyn kept smiling and reached her hand out for Edwin. She was hispany for the night, and it would be weird if she did not dance with him. The pair strode across the hall to the dance pool. Under the soft light, the two waltzed to the light music, casually but gracefully. Catelyn was raised in an upper-ss family, and her dancing skills were naturally trained since she was young. Everyone¡¯s attention was attracted to this perfect pair again. Queenie, who was standing next to Jamie, was so jealous that she almost lost her cool. She spat and said to Jamie, ¡°Bro, did you see this? Catelyn was born a slut, and her ex was a Mason. Now she is hooking up with Atherton again¡­¡± Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Lori¡¯s face was also full of disgust. ¡°To put it bluntly, she did it for the money!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Catelyn¡­ doesn¡¯t look like someone who would betray anyone for money,¡± said Loue. She secretly felt a little joyous as she listened to the two trash-talking Catelyn. The more the Mason family looked down on Catelyn, the less likely Jamie would get back together with Catelyn. However, Jamie just kept his face sullen and said nothing. If he had not regretted his marriage back then, he would be the one standing beside Catelyn today. Seeing Jamie¡¯s expression, Loue¡¯s expression sank again. The only thing she saw in him was regret. Meanwhile, on the dance floor. Edwin had said something which made Catelyn smile shyly. She was even blushing. Cedrick¡¯s gaze fell uncontrobly on the two of them, and his expression was also gloomy. What are they talking about? What is so funny? Edwin had been known to be a chick ma. Has Catelyn also fallen into his trap? Maia also looked at the two of them on the dance floor with jealousy. How did they get everyone¡¯s attention? She immediately walked toward Cedrick¡¯s side and looked at him with eyes full of hope and affection. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Master Cedrick, I had talked too much just now. Look, Edwin and Catelyn are both dancing over there. Why don¡¯t we go too?¡± Catelyn was given the opportunity to demonstrate her piano skills earlier, but Maia would not allow her to dominate the dance floor now. Cedrick wanted to refuse initially, but his eyes narrowed dangerously as he locked his gaze on Edwin and Catelyn. ¡°Okay,¡± he said. Maia¡¯s heart was beating wildly as she did not expect Cedrick to agree immediately. Maia peeked at him shyly as they both entered the dance floor together. Soothing music started ying. Maia followed the beat of the music with her every step, maintaining her usual nobility and elegance as she danced. At the same time, Maia desperately tried to find a topic to talk about with Cedrick while they danced to make it appear to outsiders that they were having a good time together. ¡°You gave grandpa a golden chest set before, and grandpa said he liked it very much,¡± said Maia. Cedrick responded in a distracted voice, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°When are you going to visit Grandpa?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go when I¡¯m free.¡± ¡°Grandpa would definitely need someone to y his new chess set. I believe he will be very happy if you¡¯re with him,¡± said Maia as she put her small hand on his shoulder, sniffing his strong masculine scent. She saw a reporter taking a candid photo of them, and thedies around looked envious. At this moment, Maia was feeling prideful and satisfied. ¡°My goodness, Ms. rk is really beautiful. Master Cedrick is so handsome too¡­¡± ¡°I wish I could dance with Master Cedrick¡­¡± ¡°Master Edwin is not bad either, Catelyn also looked very beautiful in his arms¡­¡± ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s such a pity for Catelyn. Before the rk Family went bankrupt, there were so many men going after her¡­¡± As Maia listened to the gossip and discussions of the people around, she started dancing more attentively. Out of the corner of her eyes, Maia took a nce at Catelyn and Edwin. Although Catelyn danced pretty well, she had not done so for four years, and she was starting to be unable to keep up with Edwin. ¡®Heh, she was a bumpkin after all,¡¯ thought Maia. Meanwhile, Edwin was awkwardly chatting with Catelyn. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 ¡°Are you really not interested in being an artist under me? You¡¯ll definitely seed with your piano skills¡­¡± said Edwin. He really wanted to win Catelyn over. Catelyn chuckled lightly. ¡°Oh, Edwin, stop it.¡± ying the piano was just a personal hobby, and she never thought of entering the entertainment industry. ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Edwin emphasized. Catelynughed and replied jokingly, ¡°So am I.¡± Edwin sighed disappointedly. ¡°Okay, since you¡¯ve insisted, then I won¡¯t force you¡­¡± Then, the two exchanged phone numbers. Edwin took Catelyn¡¯s hand and spun her around gracefully as the music reached its climax. Suddenly, Edwin caught a glimpse of Cedrick and Maia beside him. He saw Cedrick¡¯s gloomy expression. Was he jealous? Edwin was feeling amused as he thought about it. He narrowed his eyes slightly. Without saying a word, hended his palm on Catelyn¡¯s back and pushed her out without warning. ¡°Ced, let¡¯s swap partners!¡± said Edwin. Catelyn widened her eyes in horror. Was Edwin going crazy? In the next moment, she stumbled into a spacious and warm embrace. ¡°Umm¡­¡± muttered Catelyn, smelling the familiar scent of aftershave. ¡°Hold me tight,¡± Cedrick¡¯s deep voice came from above her head. He firmly embraced Catelyn in his arms with a cold expression. Catelyn raised her eyes in astonishment and met Cedrick¡¯s eyes. She could almost see herself in his dark pupils as if she was the only one left in his eyes. Catelyn felt embarrassed. Fortunately for her, the lighting and her make-up managed to hide her blush. Simultaneously, Maia was pushed to Edwin, recing Catelyn as his dance partner. Maia was thrown into Edwin¡¯s arms, and he quickly sped her waist. ¡°Be careful, Ms. rk.¡± Edwin smiled fluently, his wicked facial features looking yful. ¡°Try not to fall, there are many people watching¡­¡± Maia was so furious that she was about to lose her elegance. She finally managed to get close to Cedric in public, but Edwin¡­ How preposterous! The music was only halfway through, and she could not just leave the stage mid-dance. ¡°Mr. Atherton, what do you mean?¡± Maia asked angrily, and she was burning with anger. ¡°Didn¡¯t you realize? You are such a beautiful and graceful woman. I want to dance with you¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Catelyn your partner?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Maia turned her head and nced hatefully at Catelyn. Edwin¡¯s eyes were glinting. He smiled slyly and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with changing partners?¡± Maia was speechless, and she had no choice but to dance with him. The girls who were talking just now looked at them in amazement. ¡°Look, Edwin and Cedrick have exchanged partners!¡± ¡°Everyone knows that they both grew up together. They got along so well that they could even share the same pair of pants! Don¡¯t tell me they both now fell for the same woman?¡± ¡°Why do I feel that Catelyn and Master Cedrick are morepatible?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Catelyn is broke! How could she have the courage to stand by Master Cedrick¡¯s side?¡± ¡°Edwin must have fallen in love with Maia, so he deliberately pushed Catelyn away. Everyone knows that he changes his girlfriend faster than changing clothes¡­¡± Catelyn tried to ignore all the gossip. He and Catelyn moved in unison. Lastly, they both ended the dance with Cedrick holding Catelyn¡¯s waist. She leaned her body back, bending it into a perfect arc. Catelyn stared at Cedrick¡¯s deep eyes, her heart thumping faster than ever. ! Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 The photographer was so amazed at their final dance pose that he took pictures of them. Cedrick caught a glimpse of the photographer¡¯s movements out of the corner of his eyes, and his cold face softened a little. He leaned closer to Catelyn, and she could smell his unique masculine breath. It was a faint scent, mixed with a hint of alcohol. Catelyn blushed. She took a deep breath, stood up quickly, and then pushed him away politely. She was smiling and praising him in a verydylike manner. She was in the eyes of the public, after all. ¡°Cedrick, you danced really well,¡± she said. IA Cedrick suddenly felt a little empty without Catelyn in his arms. He just stared at her lightly as she complimented him. ¡°You¡¯re good too,¡± he said. As the two praised each other politely, the photographer continued taking pictures of them Later, as the dance music faded, the photographer started to look at the photos he had taken, feeling very proud of the pictures he had taken of Cedrick and Catelyn embracing each other. How touching! He could not help but wonder to himself, ¡®how are they both not a couple?¡¯ Catelyn returned to Edwin¡¯s side. Her amber pupils were dim. Although she was still smiling, there was a little hint of warning in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Atherton, I¡¯m a very timid person. If you want to y such games, please find someone else,¡± said Catelyn to Edwin. Edwin just winked at her and asked very seriously, ¡°Weren¡¯t you having fun dancing with Ced just?¡± Catelyn just wanted to give him a sarcasticugh. How could she dance with Cedrick? Maia was on the verge of killing her. Can¡¯t he see it? Catelyn let go of Edwin without saying a word. She intended to leave the crowd quietly, but her piano ying and dancing skills just now had attracted a lot of attention from the people around. Several young men swarmed up to her, hoping she could dance with them, seeing that she was currently unattended. Catelyn quickly excused herself to go to the bathroom to avoid them. In fact, she had seen some of these men before. Most of them were regr guests of the banquet years ago. They probably did not really want to dance with her, and perhaps they had Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. other questionable and dirty intentions. Therefore, Catelyn had not bothered to entertain them. Meanwhile, Maia¡¯s anxiety seemed to be reaching a new peak. Cedrick and Catelyn looked so good together¡­ Even though Catelyn could not keep up with Cedrick at first, she quickly regained her sense of rhythm. Maia grabbed the hem of Cedrick¡¯s clothes and tried to instill some negative facts onto him.¡± Ceddy, why did you dance with Catelyn just now? Did you forget that she had given birth to a son!¡± Immediately, her words attracted several people nearby, and they quickly looked in their direction. Cedrick frowned. Edwin was the one who pushed Catelyn to her unexpectedly. What could he do? Several more people came to watch the drama unfold. Although Cedrick could not care less about the gossip, he did not want his personal affairs to be theughing stock His dark eyes sank slightly, and a trace of displeasure shed across his expression. ¡°Maia, your recent actions have been very rude,¡± he said coldly. In his eyes, Maia was elegant, dignified, and knowledgeable, and he thought she could be a good mistress of the house. Now, however¡­ She was treating the servants harshly and constantly telling lies. She even questioned him inappropriately. ¡°I¡­¡± stammered Maia. ¡°You need to calm down. Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom,¡± said Cedrick and turned to leave without missing a beat. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Maia realized that she got carried away by her own jealousy. She gritted her teeth. How could she be so impatient! However, Maia could not keep herself calm at the thought of Catelyn probably being the woman who reced her four years ago. She just wished that Catelyn would stay away from Cedrick! Maia picked her skirt up, wanting to follow up with Cedrick She only took a few steps forward when suddenly¡­ ¡°Ms. rk?¡± said a young man as he came over to Maia. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. He smiled friendly at her, wanting to start a conversation. Maia regained her sense of reason, but there was still a hint of irritability in her tone. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m busy.¡± The man was burly, about 1.85 meters tall, wearing a delicate and expensive-looking watch, looking really ssy. Under normal circumstances, Maia would be in the mood to socialize. However, she could care less about him at that moment. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± The man went after her, still smiling, ¡°Mai, don¡¯t you remember me?¡± The man spoke softly, looking at Maia obsessively. Maia frowned, wanting to leave, but the man blocked her path. She raised her eyes and looked at him. He seemed a little familiar, but after much thought, Maia still could not recall his name¡­ ¡°Sorry, I really can¡¯t remember you,¡± she said. The man showed a disappointed expression, then took out a business card and handed it to Maia. ¡°Maybe I kept a too low profile. Let¡¯s get to know each other. Hello, my name is Richard Kingsley. We both used to be from the same high school, and we were ssmates as well. And ¡­ I also used to have a crush on you,¡± he said. When Maia heard the man¡¯s name, she lowered her eyes and scanned the business card. Richard Kingsley, Marketing Director of Kingsley Group. ¡°Are you from the Kingsley family?¡± Maia could not help but nce at him. Kingsley was one of the Big Four Families. The man¡¯s eyes twinkled, and he nodded continuously. ¡°Yes, the current head of the Kingsley Family and my father are cousins. I know that you are now Cedrick¡¯s fiancee, but I have no ill intentions. I just hope to be friends.¡± ¡°I will keep the business card,¡± said Maia with a smile, but she actually did not take him to heart at all. The Kingsley Family was indeed very powerful, but this man, Richard, is not a legitimate heir anyway. How can he bepared with Cedrick? ¡°Perhaps when there¡¯s a chance, shall we go out for a round of coffee?¡± asked Richard excitedly. Maia nodded slightly in response. She then looked around and could not find Cedrick! How annoying! It¡¯s all Richard¡¯s fault! Meanwhile, in the bathroom, since the banquet had just started, most of the girls were out there busy dancing. It was pretty quiet there for the moment. Catelyn was in the cubicle alone. Suddenly, the sound of high heels came. ¡°Loue, don¡¯t think too much about it. You are the only one Jamie loves,¡± the soothing voice of Lori Schmidt was heard. Immediately afterward, Loue responded, ¡°I know, but I saw Jamie could not keep his eyes away from Catelyn the whole night. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Queenie hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. How could youpare yourself with Catelyn? I have seen her dress before in a magazine. It was a high-end custom set that cost millions, and she is broke. Where did she get the money to buy the dress?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I won¡¯t allow Jamie to marry this kind of woman¡­¡± Loue finally breathed a sigh of relief when she heard her future inws say that. As long as they were on her side, she should not need to be worried about Catelyn. After all, she also was pregnant with his child. The moment Loue raised her eyes, she saw a familiar figureing out of a cubicle in the mirror in front of her. Her expression froze immediately. She looked back subconsciously, and it was Catelyn! Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Realizing that Catelyn had heard them bad-mouthing her the whole while, Loue pulled the hem of Queenie¡¯s dress as they hurriedly left the washroom. However, Lori remained. In the silent washroom, she looked at Catelyn arrogantly, her face full of disgust. ¡°So you¡¯ve heard what we¡¯ve said. It¡¯s true. We were talking bad about you. What are you going to do about it?¡± Catelyn felt angry at first, but she had the urge tough as she heard Lori¡¯s words. She was suddenly feeling so d that she did not marry Jamie and that Miles would not have to live a life with such a terrible grandma. In this case, indifference and ignorance were the most effective methods against these absurd rumors. Catelyn went to the sink to wash her hands, minding her own business as if Lori was not even there. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Lori yelled even more angrily when she saw Catelyn ignoring her. ¡°Edwin would never set his eyes on you! He has so many women around, and I bet he will forget about you very soon.¡± Catelyn washed her hands slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you remembered that there is a certain someone that Edwin would not even look in the eye?¡± Lori suddenly thought of Queenie. Queenie really liked Edwin. However, not even the most delicate makeup could hide her wrinkled, twisted-looking face. ¡°Catelyn, stop it with your nonsense! I¡¯ll tell Edwin later about your true colors, and we¡¯ll see if he would still even care about you!¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes turned cold. She did not care about all the humiliation and name-calling. However, she would not allow Miles to be treated so unfairly. Catelyn walked out of the washroom quickly and happened to see a mop in the corner. Her lips curled up slyly. She quickly locked the door from outside and ced the mop at the door handle. Then, she took a maintenance sign and put it a few meters away from the door. Catelyn pped her hands gracefully. ¡®Try getting out now,¡¯ she thought. Unexpectedly, as soon as Catelyn turned around, she saw a tall man leaningzily on the wall a meter away. Cedrick was holding a cigarette in his hand, and his dark eyes fixed their gaze on her¡­ ¡°Are you obsessed with Edwin?¡± Cedrick¡¯s words were cold and impactful, and they struck like a heavy blow on Catelyn¡¯s chest. She widened her eyes in shock, and her throat tightened. Cedrick heard everything! Did he witness what she had just done as well? Thinking of Lori in the washroom, Catelyn quickly pointed to the balcony not far away.¡± Cedrick, let¡¯s talk over there,¡± she said, trying to get him away from their current spot. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the insides, the balcony was extremely quiet. The fountain pool downstairs was shimmering, reflecting on the curtains of the balcony dreamily. Catelyn was walking very fast. She did not notice the water stains and slipped. Catelyn, wearing heals, lost her bnce and staggered to the side. She subconsciously wanted to grab the curtain as she fell¡­ Cedrick frowned and immediately stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. As he grabbed her mid-fall, Catelynnded on one leg and could barely stand for the moment. Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Thank you.¡± Cedrick eyed Catelyn¡¯s dress coldly. His expression darkened when he was once again reminded that she came with Edwin, so he tightened his grip around her wrist and said, ¡°Since when have you spellbound Edwin?¡± Catelyn scowled in pain due to Cedrick¡¯s grip. Try as she did, she failed to break free from their tug of war and, instead, ended up even closer to one another. ¡°Mister Atherton needed a plus-one, and I happened to have an invitation to this event. We¡¯re not what you think we are.¡± ¡°What I ¡®think¡¯, huh?¡± Cedrick gritted out. ¡°And what is it that I¡¯m thinking?¡± Catelyn was slightly frustrated at not being able to escape his grip, but the more she panicked, the more she tried to actposed. She extended her hand and brushed her finger past Cedrick¡¯s jawline carelessly, saying, ¡°Master Cedrick, if you continue to be so restless with seeing me by Mister Atherton¡¯s side, I might get the wrong idea.¡± ¡°What idea is that?¡± Catelyn chuckled silently as she purposely tried to flirt, ¡°That you¡¯re in love with me and got jealous.¡± Cedrick¡¯s pupils contracted as his heart throbbed. ¡°Howughable!¡± he scoffed, raising his voice. ¡°You think that¡¯s ridiculous, too, don¡¯t you? So can you just let go of me now?¡± Catelyn lifted an eyebrow. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The look in Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened, but just as he was about to let go¡­ ¡°What are you two doing?¡± the sharp voice of a woman came from behind them. The piercing voice broke the awkwardness between the two, and Catelyn turned to find Maia hurrying toward them in her heels. Her eyes were filled with disbelief as she stared daggers at both Cedrick and Catelyn. ¡®Catelyn is with Cedrick again,¡¯hissed Maia inwardly. ¡®Maybe he decided to exchange partners with Edwin not because he wanted to dance with me, but because he wanted to dance to Catelyn. Ugh! How can I be so clueless? It¡¯s no wonder that Cedrick suddenly started looking into what happened four years ago¡­ He must¡¯ve started doubting it all! Though furious, Maia tried her best to look as upset and innocent as possible. ¡°Master Cedrick, we¡¯ve been engaged for four years now. I am your fiancee, you know, so how can you and Catelyn¡­¡± She paused, her eyes reddening and her face growing pale. ¡°How can you do this to me?¡± Cedrick scowled as his brows twitched, but he tried to soften his tone and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong, Miss rk,¡± Catelyn tried to exin. ¡°I happened to have tripped, and Master Cedrick here simply gave me a hand. I¡¯m sorry to cause such a misunderstanding. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± ¡°Tripped? Does she think I¡¯m blind?!¡¯ Maia sneered. She had never realized how consuming jealousy was, and at that moment, she desperately longed to tear Catelyn apart. ¡°Catelyn, don¡¯t forget that he¡¯s supposed to be your cousin-inw!¡± Catelyn nced at Cedrick and knew Maia was right. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help you when you were alone on the streets, and I¡¯ve always felt guilty about that. Now that Cedrick and I are about to get married, him taking care of you sort of fills the gap of my regret, but since you¡¯re with Mister Atherton now, it¡¯s best you stay loyal to him.¡± Every word Maia said was like daggers that stabbed Catelyn¡¯s heart as she felt insulted. However, she knew that she was at fault for what happened with Cedrick back in the hotel, so she did not retort. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that, cousin. Thank you for your kind words.¡± Maia did not expect Catelyn to be this thick-skinned and shouted in a sharp voice, ¡°Since you¡¯re aware that I am your cousin, I¡¯d like to remind you that all women of the rk family are raised to be virtuous and chaste. You cane to me if you need money. ¡°After all, even a hooker needs to be paid, but don¡¯t even dream of being the other woman! There¡¯s a price for that.¡± Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Both Cedrick and Catelyn darkened at Maia¡¯s words. Hooker? Paid? Not only was this an insult to Catelyn, but it was also an insult directed at Cedrick. He had never imagined that he would hear such a wording out of Maia¡¯s mouth. Catelyn gritted her teeth as she desperately tried to remain calm. ¡°Yes, I do remember the rules of the rk family. I won¡¯t-¡± ¡°Rules? How dare you even mention that word?!¡± The anger burnt away thest ounce ofposure within Maia, and she screamed in frustration, ¡°Your mother ran away with some guy after giving birth to you, so where did you learn the rules again? I heard that you bore a son out of wedlock, so I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re just like your mom, and any guy would do it for you! How lustful!¡± Catelyn finally ran out of guilt and patience. She slowly clenched her fists and stared coldly at Maia. ¡°You have no right to make anyment on my mother. If you suspect that something is going on between me and Cedrick, ask him yourself. Why bother shouting at me?¡± ¡°You-¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you right here and now that I¡¯m the designer for Ollie¡¯s mansion, and I will continue to be in contact with your fiance because of that. If you¡¯re that insecure, ask him to fire me, and I¡¯ll stay as far away from him as possible. Stop barking like a madwoman. It¡¯s degrading, considering that you¡¯re the lady of the rk family.¡± Catelyn retorted calmly, without the slightest change in her tone. However, the moreposed she seemed, the more provoked Maia was, and she could barely hold onto her elegantdy charade. ¡°Did you hear that, Master Cedrick?¡± Maia took a deep breath and pleaded, ¡°Since she¡¯s said it herself, just fire her.¡± Cedrick stared at the viciousness that was exposed from her mask and was disgusted at how hideous Maia seemed. He lowered his gaze carelessly and said, ¡°Ollie only wants her.¡± Maia clenched her fists and retorted, ¡°Ollie is just a child, so how could he tell good from bad? She must¡¯ve bewitched Ollie somehow. Fire her today, and I¡¯ll find ten, a hundred, or even a thousand other designers for your picking!¡± It was not an issue of who the designer was, but a war between Maia and Catelyn as Maia tested who meant more to Cedrick. Cedrick remained quiet for a few moments while staring at her twisted expression, before finally pulling his arm away from Maia¡¯s hands. ¡°I can satisfy any other of your requests, but I won¡¯t fire Catelyn rk.¡± Cat 142 N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Maia¡¯s blood boiled as she doubted her ears. ¡°W-What did you say?¡± ¡°I told you: Ollie only wants her.¡± Cedrick¡¯s dark eyes turned cold as he felt his patience ebbing away. ¡°You¡¯re choosing to protect this woman?¡± Maia was livid. Cedrick had always been rather cold, but he would usually satisfy her whenever she asked for something. At this moment, however, he refused to do so when it was rted to Catelyn. ¡°You¡¯re tired. I¡¯ll ask someone to send you home.¡± Cedrick did not want to spend another moment arguing with Maia and took out his phone to call someone. Maia stopped him. Tears streamed down her face, but her tone was fierce with determination as she spat, ¡°If you won¡¯t fire her today, our engagement is off!¡± There were plenty of aspects involved in the engagement between the rk family and the Mason family. The two families were entwined, in a way, in their businesses, and one move could affect everyone. Maia wanted to see how far Cedrick would take it to protect Catelyn. Cedrick oozed an intimidating aura as he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°I simply can¡¯t ept that my future husband would abandon me for another woman.¡± Maia was confident that Cedrick would not break up with her, so she straightened her back and continued, ¡°Me, or her. You only get to choose one.¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Are you sure that this is the choice you¡¯re giving me?¡± Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 ¡°I¡¯m positive!¡± Catelyn froze. She had been offended by Maia and words just came flying out right after. If the order she was given were to cause conflicts between two families, she would rather quit. She could always find another job anyway, and she would not starve so long as she had all her limbs. Just as she was about to interfere, Cedrick said, ¡°As you wish. Let¡¯s call off the engagement.¡± Silence instantly loomed over them. Maia¡¯s smug smile froze at this, her eyes widening in disbelief as she gaped at Cedrick, wondering if she had heard him wrong. ¡®Did he just say¡­he¡¯d call off the engagement?!¡¯ Catelyn, too, nced at Cedrick and thought to herself, ¡®H-He¡¯s calling off the engagement?¡¯ She then gingerly tried to smoothen out the situation but stopped when Cedrick shot her a stern stare. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. His piercing stare was locked onto Maia as he continued, ¡°You can announce this, and I¡¯ll take the me. You cane up with whatever reason to exin this away, and I¡¯ll talk to the members of the rk family. Once you¡¯ve decided aboutpensation, speak up when Ie to visit, and I¡¯ll double whatever you ask for.¡± Maia felt bewildered at the sudden turn of events. She never truly wanted to end the engagement; she simply thought that Cedrick would not end it for Catelyn¡¯s sake and wanted to threaten him with it. ¡°Compensation? What a generous man you are, Cedrick Mason. You¡¯re abandoning our engagement over this sl*t Catelyn!¡± Cedrick stared at her expressionlessly and hesitated as to what he should say next. The next instant, Maia burst outughing. ¡°Let me tell you, Cedrick Mason-keep dreaming! I am the ¡°I¡¯ll never call off the engagement! I want Catelyn to live her life under my shadow, condemned by everyone as the homewrecker!¡± Catelyn¡¯s expression darkened at this, but she did not say a thing and left quietly, deciding to leave Cedrick and Maia to resolve their issues. Anger filled Cedrick¡¯s eyes, but he managed to suppress it. Without saying a word, he turned around to leave as well. Maia quickly jumped at him and grabbed onto his arm. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go. I won¡¯t let you go after Catelyn! I am your fiancee!¡± anter 143 ¡°Let go,¡± enunciated Cedrick coldly, and because he was trying to suppress his anger, his expression appeared rather vicious. Maia pulled him back to her hysterically and tip-toed to present him with her lips. ¡°Catelyn must¡¯ve bewitched you somehow! ¡°Take me. Take me, and you¡¯ll know that I¡¯m better than her. I¡¯ll serve you better than she does!¡± The scent of gardenia wafted into Cedrick¡¯s nostrils as her lips approached, but instead of appreciating it, Cedrick was deeply disgusted by it and shoved her aside. ¡°Don¡¯t bring shame to your family,¡± he spoke before leaving, not once sparing her a nce. Without his body to support her, Maia fell to the ground, sobbing. All of a sudden, a pair of polished leather shoes appeared before her sight. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Maia thought it was Cedrick, returning to her. She looked up in surprise, only to see Richard before him. The light in her eyes faded and was reced by disappointment. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Maia, I¡­ I heard everything.¡± Richard wiped away her tears endearingly like she was the most precious person to him. ¡°Cedrick doesn¡¯t even know how to appreciate you, so why should you love him? I love you, and I¡¯ll marry you once you end your engagement!¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Maia clenched onto the fabric on her chest and snapped, ¡°I want Cedrick. I want the position of Missus Mason. Who do you think you are?¡± She tried to shove Richard away, but he grabbed onto her hand when he caught a whiff of her scent and nted a kiss on the back of her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything for you. As long as you¡¯re willing to let me, I¡¯ll do whatever you want me to!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. Go away!¡± Frustrated, Maia tried to shove him away, but Richard¡¯s kissnded on her face and dried her tears. Her struggle weakened as she started feeling dazed. She had not been touched by a man ever since she started dating Cedrick four years ago. Catelyn adjusted her hair and dress before returning to the event hall, but she could not seem to regain herposure after what happened. She wondered what Cedrick and Maia were talking about, and whether they would carry on with their engagement. Had she truly be a homewrecker who destroyed their rtionship? ¡°Where have you gone, Kitty?¡± Edwin walked toward her with a mysterious smile and a ss of wine at hand. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn took a deep breath and pretended that nothing had happened. ¡°The moon came up and it looked really pretty, so I went to the balcony to stare at it for a while.¡± ¡°With Ced, you mean?¡± Edwin asked, apparently knowing what had happened. Her fingers stiffened around her ss, but the look of her eyes remained calm. ¡°Please spare me your jokes, Mister Atherton.¡± Just then, a figure swiftly approached them, and before Catelyn could react, Lori had pped her across the face. ¡°You b*tch!¡± Catelyn did not have the chance to set her wine down. She stumbled backward at the impact and came close to bumping into the tower of sses. The wine spilled and tinted her dress as a distinct palm print appeared on her face. Everyone in the hall was stunned. Cedrick happened to witness the scene when he walked past the corridor, and a storm instantly began raging in his dark eyes. Catelyn¡¯s expression darkened at the numbing sensation on her face. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Missus Mason?¡± she questioned sharply. ¡°Me, out of my mind?¡± Lori¡¯s face flushed with anger. With a vicious expression, she cursed in frustration without any regard for the circumstances, ¡°Catelyn rk, don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know that it was who locked me inside the bathroom! You¡¯re nothing but a sl*t who tried to get together with my son. You resent me for stopping you, and you tried to take revenge!¡± ¡°I think Catelyn was, indeed, engaged to Jamie before.¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 ¡°Since the rks went bankrupt, Jamie broke it off with Catelyn, so it¡¯s no wonder that she hates Missus Mason.¡± ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Everyone lowered their voices and discussed as they scanned Catelyn and Lori. Lori¡¯s chest heaved and shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°Come see this, everyone. Catelyn is a sl*t by nature and got pregnant with my son¡¯s child when she was just a teenager! ¡°Mister Atherton, you don¡¯t know this, but Catelyn has always been great at putting men under her spell. Don¡¯t get fooled by how fragile she appears on the outside!¡± Furious to find out that Catelyn had locked her mother inside the bathroom, Queenie chimed in, ¡°No matter what my mother did, Catelyn, she¡¯s old and is your senior. How could you lock her in the bathroom?¡±. Lori and Queenie¡¯s words had caught the attention of everyone around them. When Jamie heard themotion, he nced over, only to realize that his sister and mother were causing a scene and was instantly embarrassed. ¡°Mom, Queenie, what are you two talking about?!¡± Jamie went up and grabbed Lori by the hem of her clothes. ¡°Stop it! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. My mother has had too much to drink. Please pay us no mind!¡± He only managed to be invited to the ball thanks to Loue. Every single guest in the hall was someone of high status, and Lori had practically announced to them that he had an unreasonable shrew for a mother. However, Lori was further provoked when she saw her son siding with Catelyn. ¡°i¡¯m saying whatever I want, even if you try to stop me! You¡¯re dating Loue now, Jamie, so you¡¯re not to be fooled by this little b*tch again. She had the guts to lock me inside the bathroom!¡± Catelyn did not say a word at the usation but clenched her fists in silence. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Cedrick nced at her swollen cheek, and the look of his eyes darkened. The next moment, Catelyn spoke out in a casual tone, ¡°Missus Mason, you said that I locked you inside the bathroom, but do you have any proof? Besides, why would I lock you in there?¡± Lori choked on her words. She could not possibly mention that she spoke ill of Catelyn and was caught, since that would only embarrass herself. ¡°You wench! I was alone in the bathroom with you that time. If it wasn¡¯t your doing, are you saying that I was the one who locked myself inside?¡± ¡°Who knows? After all, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re beneath framing others.¡± Lori gasped. The guests around them stared at them judgmentally. Queenie batted her eyshes with concern and said, ¡°Catelyn, how can you talk to my mom like that? She¡¯s doing this for your good. She doesn¡¯t want you to go down the wrong path and get yed by men!¡± Lori¡¯s eyes glimmered coldly as she changed the topic, proceeding sarcastically, ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t try to make things up. You¡¯ve been fooling around with different men for as long as your father is dead. If only he knew about this in the afterlife, he¡¯d jump out of his grave in rage at the shame you brought to his name.¡± Catelyn glowered at Lori upon hearing those venom-filled words. ¡°Who told you that my father is dead? Apologize. Apologize to him!¡± ¡°Why should I apologize to a murderer like him? Are you still dreaming?¡± said Lori smugly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that Catelyn is Ezekiel rk¡¯s daughter. Isn¡¯t he one of the most notorious murderers back in the days?¡± ¡°She¡¯s truly the daughter of a murderer, then?¡± ¡°One wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that a girl that pretty would come from such a messy background. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed that the organizer would invite someone like that if she didn¡¯te with Mister Atherton.¡± At that moment, everyone gazed at Catelyn demeaningly, while Lori straightened her back smugly. The look in Catelyn¡¯s eyes only grew colder by the second. ¡°Missus Mason, are you certain that you won¡¯t be apologizing for speaking such things about my father?¡± Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Catelyn¡¯s bottom line was her family. No matter what others have said about her father, Ezekiel would always be the gentle, loving father who gave her the world. ¡°Pah!¡± Lori spat viciously. Not a momentter, Catelyn grabbed one of the wine sses from the tray next to her and tipped it downward, pouring all the wine onto Lori¡¯s heels. Ssh! ¡°Gah!¡± Lori shrieked and jumped backward hysterically. ¡°My heels! Catelyn rk, you¡ª! ¡°These heels are designed by the most famous designer in Paries, LR, and they¡¯d only produce nine hundred ny-nine pairs of these! My future daughter-inw gave this to me as a gift, and it¡¯s worth over a million!¡± Lori¡¯s shrieks grabbed the attendees¡¯ attention, and they stared at her heels. The high-heeled shoes seemed to be coated in gold, and the heels, in particr, were about 11 centimeters in length. Gold leaves and diamonds decorated the front and back of theces, and the ¡®L¡¯ logo on the sides of both heels was impressively striking. The beauty, however, was ruined with wine drenching the heels. Even Queenie began to panic. ¡°Catelyn¡­ You can¡¯t buy these even if you have the money to, yet you ruined them! How could you?¡± The guests instantly erupted in a heated discussion. ¡°Catelyn rk is a beautiful woman, but who knew she¡¯d be so vicious?¡± ¡°Missus Mason might have been a bit rude there, but I don¡¯t think her heels worth a million deserves to be defaced like that.¡± ¡°These kinds of shoes are usually for collection¡¯s purpose only and aren¡¯t meant to be worn. To think that they ended up like this¡­ Designers usually advise againsting in contact with water.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± At this moment, the event organizer, Jones, walked toward them. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. When he saw the utter chaos in the crowd, he asked about what happened before looking at Catelyn. He was at a crossroad, seeing as Catelyn came as Edwin¡¯s date. ¡°Miss rk, I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Jones, I won¡¯t trouble you.¡± Catelyn smiled elegantly and turned to Lori. ¡°It¡¯s just a pair of shoes. I canpensate Missus Mason, so long as she apologizes to my father.¡± ¡°Compensate? with what, exactly? You¡¯ll probably ask Mister Atherton for money!¡± Lori sneered, her heart aching at the condition her heels were in. Despite this, Catelyn did not retort in a simr fashion, instead remaining calm in her answer. ¡°I¡¯llpensate for it with my money, so this has nothing to do with Mister Atherton, given that you apologize to my father.¡± Cymopar 146 Lori could not be more reluctant to apologize as Ezekiel was nothing but a murderer to her, but Queenie gave her a look Considering how poor Catelyn was, how could she possibly afford a pair of heels that was worth a million? She would be left with no choice but to beg Edwin for money, which would be a good chance to show Edwin how greedy she was. He would soon grow tired of her! Lori contemted for a moment and nodded. ¡°Alright. Your father is alive, and I was wrong. Is that okay?¡± ¡°What about your usation that I locked you inside the bathroom?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Lori barked in frustration. Queenie went up to Catelyn with a smile. ¡°C¡¯mon, Mom, I know that Catelyn isn¡¯t this sort of person. There has to be a misunderstanding. I¡¯ll apologize to you on behalf of my mother, alright, Catelyn?¡± Everyone was stunned as they thought to themselves, ¡®So it¡¯s a misunderstanding, after all! Missus Mason even hit her in public, so it¡¯s no wonder Catelyn seems so pissed off!¡¯ Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 How could Catelyn possiblypensate for such expensive heels, though? Everyone held their breaths in anticipation. Lori extended her hand to Catelyn and said, ¡°I¡¯ve apologized. Seeing that you¡¯re still junior to me, I won¡¯t make this any more difficult than it is for you. Just write me a check worth a million.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°A million?¡± Catelyn chuckled. ¡°Missus Mason, your heels can¡¯t be worth over three thousand, yet you¡¯re trying to scam a million out of me? How could you even think of this?¡± Very often than not, the most expensive parts of this type of shoe were the gem and diamonds on it, along with the brand and design. ¡°Three thousand? You¡¯re just saying this because you don¡¯t want to pay me back, right? This pair of heels is worth one million! Go ask Loue if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Lori¡¯s features twitched in rage as she pointed at Loue. The others turned their attention to Loue following the direction Lori was pointing at. Loue was not used to the attention, but she nheless maintained her smile as she stepped out. ¡°Miss rk, I bought this pair of heels that she¡¯s wearing right now in an auction a few days back with one million and forty thousand.¡± She paused and took out her phone to find a photo she took. ¡°Here¡¯s the proof of purchase, and you can go check with the auction organizer. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stall, Catelyn. If you can¡¯t afford it, I believe that Missus Mason won¡¯t force you to compensate.¡± The confident smile on Catelyn¡¯s face remained as she spoke, ¡°Please take a closer look, Miss Atherton. Real, natural diamonds are formed under pressure, so it¡¯s extremely rare that they¡¯d end up with no w at all. There will be faint marks, and the color tends to be slightly yellowish, whereas fake diamonds are usually manufactured, hence their perfect shape, wless and bright in color, but they¡¯re not as hard as real diamonds and are more vulnerable to oxidation inparison.¡± She then pointed her slim finger at the heels Lori was wearing. The crowd gasped as they stared intently at Lori¡¯s heels, desperately trying to see for themselves if there was any w in the diamonds. It would be hrious if those turned out to be fake diamonds. ¡°¡­¡± Lori¡¯s toes curled. She took two steps back subconsciously at how professional Catelyn sounded, but soon, she straightened her back once again. ¡°As if! Loue got me these heels, so how could they be fake? It¡¯s worth a million, and you¡¯re just trying to get away from paying that much!¡± Loue was thedy of the Atherton family, so how could she not know the difference between real and fake diamonds? Catelyn had not been in contact with the elitemunity for such a long time that she had to ter 147 be bluffing, and Lori was not about to believe her lies. Catelyn did not yield to Lori¡¯s stubbornness. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can call a professional jeweler to check right now. Let them take a look and see if those diamonds on your heels are real or fake ones.¡± Excluding the price of the diamonds, the heels themselves were worth a few hundred at best, and Catelyn felt that she was already generous enough to offer them 3000 dors. Lori stood proudly, cing her hands on her hips, and said, ¡°Very well, let¡¯s call someone! You¡¯re just a girl who used to be ady of a now-bankrupt family, so why try to pretend like you¡¯re a professional jeweler?¡± Lori turned and told Queenie to make the call, while Loue remained quiet. She did not know much about diamonds, but the diamonds on Lori¡¯s heels seemed blindingly bright and not at all fake. L¡¯s face, however, slowly began to pale. She had studied jewelry design and was in charge of Chandier Jewelry. She did not inspect the shoes as they were meant for Lori, but with what Catelyn had said, she took a closer look and realized that something was off, but it was already toote. ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± the cold voice of a man echoed in the hall. Cedrick stepped out as he stared sharply at Lori before dering majestically, ¡°I happen to own a jewelry firm as well, and I¡¯ve contacted the jewelry appraiser. He¡¯ll inspect the diamonds right now.¡± Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Cedrick¡¯s words represented authority, and there was not a soul that would doubt Mason Group¡¯s jewelry appraiser. The organizer, Jones, beamed. ¡°That¡¯s great! It¡¯s wonderful that you¡¯re willing to help, Mister Mason¡­¡± He hastilymanded his men to set up the projector so that everyone could see the appraising process and proof of who was right. Catelyn waited quietly for the appraiser to get online. Soon, the appraiser¡¯s face appeared before the enormous screen in the middle of the hall. Lori took off her heels and carefully wiped away the wine on them, before taking them toward the camera smugly. ¡°Kind sir, please inspect these for me to see how much they¡¯re worth. Someone dares to use me of wearing fake diamonds! I have to set her straight!¡± On the screen, an awkward expression appeared on the appraiser¡¯s face as soon as he saw the heels. He even seemed hesitant to make hisment. Queenie got closer and said, ¡°Go on, then. Are these real or not?¡± The appraiser remained silent and looked to Cedrick for instruction. He was an employee under Mason Group, so it was natural that he would obey his boss¡¯mand. With one hand in his pocket, Cedrick said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± With Cedrick¡¯s permission, the appraiser no longer hesitated and said in contempt, ¡°Master Cedrick, excuse me for being blunt. The craftsmanship of the heels isn¡¯t bad, but the diamonds ¡°These are just mid-range cubic zirconia, which means they¡¯re man-made diamonds. The selling price of these is quite cheap and usually ranges within a hundred. Their color will fade within days once exposed to water.¡± The guests did not dare to doubt the appraiser Cedrick had found and gaped at the results. ¡°Within a hundred? Gods, so those are fake!¡± ¡°She¡¯s supposed to be Missus Mason. What makes her think she can ask for a million aspensation when she can¡¯t even tell real diamonds from fake ones?¡± ¡°This is clearly a scam!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear her? She said that she got it from her future daughter-inw. I guess she¡¯s just another idiot who got fooled! Hahaha!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bad that she was fooled, but how could she be so relentless? She was acting like a shrew who tried to get Catelyn to pay her, and instead ended up embarrassing herself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s degrading to think that I even talked to her just now.¡± ¡°No way, I need to stay away from her. Ugh.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you impressed by Catelyn, though? She was great with piano and dancing, and we now C 148 know that she can even tell if diamonds are real with just one look!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what ady should be like¡­¡± Suddenly, the heels did not feel as precious to Lori as they did before. They, instead, made her a laughingstock. All the guests stared at Lori and Loue with interest and amusement. Lori¡¯s face was as pale as a ghost, but she still could not believe it and started shaking her head frantically. ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible. All of you are plotting together! How could these be fake? Catelyn rk, how much did you pay this appraiser?¡± ¡°Missus Mason, it¡¯s about time this fiascoes to an end, don¡¯t you think?¡± Edwin interrupted her and sneered evilly. ¡°Catelyn has been with me ever since she came out of the bathroom, so how could she have locked you inside? I¡¯m suspecting that you simply dislike my date and are trying to defame her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Mister Atherton! Let me exin¡­¡± Rendered speechless, Lori looked away and avoided Edwin¡¯s eyes guiltily. She turned to Jamie pleadingly, but Jamie felt that his pride waspletely destroyed and thus looked away, ignoring her in frustration. He had warned her not to speak so much, and now, she had embarrassed all of them! Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Seeing that no one would speak for her, she apologized carelessly with resignation and tried to run away. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Lori never expected her son, Jamie would shun her, too. ¡°Hang on,¡± came a cold voice that pierced the silence. It was Cedrick, and he was not about to let Lori go that easily. The organizer, Jones turned to look at him in fright. ¡°M¨CMaster Cedrick, do you need anything else?¡± Cedrick¡¯s eagle-like eyes pierced through the air and scanned past Catelyn,nding on Lori. One look from him was all it took for Lori to feel as though someone had grabbed her by the throat; her blood ran cold as it became increasingly difficult to breathe. She shivered and was instantly overwhelmed by the urge to leave as soon as possible. However, what Cedrick said next shattered her completely. ¡°Missus Mason has disrupted the order of the ball and assaulted a person in public. Isn¡¯t it far too casual for you to leave just like this?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Lori turned to face Cedrick without a trace of her earlier smugness, and she had nothing but fear left. Cedrick was the eldest son of the Mason family. Lori, too, could not afford to cross him when even her father-inw had to obey him. Edwin¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile as he said to Catelyn, ¡°Kitty, since Ced has spoken out, why don¡¯t you do the honor?¡± Catelyn was surprised to be mentioned suddenly and asked shyly, ¡°What would you like me to do, Mister Atherton?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t this madam p you across the face? p her, and make it double,¡± spoke Edwin carefreely, his eyes narrowed, as though he was merely speaking of the weather. Lori jumped as chills ran down her spine. ¡®Double?¡¯ She thought, ¡®Those two ps are by Catelyn too, no less! If that happens, there will be no ce for me in the elitemunity!¡¯ ¡°Are we supposed to bite a dog if it bites us? Just let her leave,¡± said Catelyn carelessly and looked away. Lori felt anger boiling within her. Although Catelyn did not p her, what she said had ced Lori in an even more humiliating situation. All the mocking stares she received from the guests left her in shame and she struggled to catch her breath. Her eyelids felt like they were as heavy as stones, and she fainted out of rage. Jamie and Queenie immediately called someone over to carry her to the corner to rest, and Catelyn had no intention of pressuring these people. The host eventually got to work and lightened the mood, and everyone put the incident Comer 149 behind them. In the corner, Queenie stared daggers at Catelyn, who was standing in the center of the hall. Loue came over to apologize, saying that she had not known that it was fake and that she would hold the auction organizer responsible for it. Queenie did not me her for it and, instead, resented Catelyn. L¡¯s face remained pale as she clenched her fists. Her eyes lit up when she suddenly came up with an evil n. Pretending to feel guilty, she looked over at Queenie and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Queenie. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to help your mother, but it¡¯s just that we couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I know. This is all Catelyn¡¯s fault,¡± Queenie said in frustration. At this moment, L lowered her voice as she leaned toward Queenie¡¯s ear, whispering,¡± What if I tell you that I have a way to destroy her reputation?¡± Queenie instantly stopped sobbing, and her expression slowly brightened. ¡°Really? How?¡± Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Catelyn truly felt like she had been jinxed on this day. She stared at the stain on the fabric on her chest and scowled. Everything just seemed to go wrong altogether! She was about to leave the ball as she had fulfilled what she came to do, only to bump into one of the waitresses, which caused the wine on the waitress¡¯ tray to spill and stain her dress. This dress was not even bought with her money; it was Edwin¡¯s! It was embarrassing to let the dress end up in such a state. Under the guidance of the waitress, she went to the rest room on the second floor to clean up. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®I¡¯m out of luck,¡¯ she grumbled internally. As soon as she entered the restroom, she was instantly overwhelmed by a powerful, irritating smell. It was not long, however, when she felt all her strength sapped away from her, and she slowly slid to the ground with her hand still grabbing on the door handle. ¡®Someone set me up!¡¯ This was her only thought as she desperately tried to get up. Suddenly, a familiar female figure appeared before her. It was Queenie, with a vicious expression and a syringe at hand that was filled with a mysterious blue liquid. The waitress held Catelyn down and Queenie instantly jabbed the needle into Catelyn¡¯s neck, injecting the liquid into Catelyn¡¯s body. The substance rushed through her veins, which induced a cooling sensation. ¡°Aren¡¯t you all smug just now, Catelyn? You won it all and even locked my mother in the bathroom! I¡¯m helping you get what you want and turning you into aplete ything. Haha! The idea alone is most entertaining!¡± Queenie injected everything into Catelyn, and a few momentster, Catelyn found herself struggling to regain her strength and feltpletely paralyzed. ¡®What did she say? I can¡¯t crumble like this! I won¡¯t let Queenie get what she wants!¡¯ she thought as she bit on the tip of her tongue. The pain helped her regain her senses, enough to shove Queenie and the waitress aside to stumble out of the restroom. Queenie had not expected that she could resist the effect of the medication and was caught off guard. She gaped at the fact that she had been shoved to the floor. The waitress immediately went to help her up. ¡°Miss Mason, are you okay?¡± ¡°You idiot, go after her! We can¡¯t let her escape!¡± Queenie sprawled on the ground awkwardly and barked in frustration. Not daring to dy any further, the waitress rushed outside. Catelyn felt herself spiraling out of control the minute she left the room. She felt as though she was walking on clouds, and she desperately wanted to jump into a pool filled with ice. She took out her phone to ask for help but lost all strength as she made the turn at the end of the corridor, stumbling to the floor. A strong hand appeared out of the blue and held her in ce. Catelyn¡¯s vision was blurry at this point, and when she saw a face that resembled her son, she felt slight relief and grabbed onto the clothes of the man before her. ¡°Take me away,¡± she pleaded. ¡°Take me away, now¡­Master Cedrick!¡± Jamie was excited when Catelyn threw herself into his arms and thought she had finally realized what a great man he was. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Jamie¡¯s heart plummeted to the ground when he heard Catelyn uttering Cedrick¡¯s name, and in mere milliseconds, he saw red. Jamie inhaled deeply, his eyes gleaming with malice as he hoisted Catelyn into his arms. Coincidentally, a staff member happened to walk past him. ¡°You, give me a room.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. There was a dinner function held on the first floor, while the second floor was made to be the resting area and changing rooms. The third floor and above were all business as usual. The staff took out a room card from his bag and passed it to Jamie, informing him that a guest had just checked out. Jamie carried Catelyn to the room and ced her on the soft big bed. Her small-sized face, still beautiful as ever, was twitching in pain. ¡°This is fated, Catelyn. You escaped from me that night at the Barricade Club, but tonight, you have topensate me for that. Don¡¯t be scared.¡± Jamie wanted to imprint himself on her, wanting her to know that he would never let up even though she hooked up with Cedrick With that, Jamie proceeded and was about to undress Catelyn when The doorbell rang. Jamie ignored the doorbell and continued with what he started. Infuriatingly, the doorbell rang incessantly, and it sounded as though it would persist so long as Jamie would not answer. Jamie lost his mood and cussed. He snatched a nket from the side, draped it over Catelyn, and went to answer the door impatiently. The second he opened the door, however, he was met with Loue¡¯s anxious face. Loue dashed into the room as soon as the door was opened. As expected, she saw a lump draped by a nket on the bed. ¡°Loue? Why are you here?¡± Instinctively, Jamie wanted to stop Loue. ¡°I heard you took Catelyn with you here. Why? Can¡¯t I be here?¡± Loue¡¯s eyes slowly reddened, and her eyshes quivered. She noticed the panic in Jamie¡¯s eyes and could not help but fixate her gaze on the lump on that bed. At the lift lobby, she bumped into Queenie, who told her that Jamie had brought Catelyn up to get a room. Of course she did not believe it, but¡­ Jamie¡¯s guilt-induced behavior made this suspicion all the more real. Loue wanted to take off the nket, but Jamie stopped her, saying, ¡°That is nonsense! I pte: 151 only love one woman only, and that¡¯s you. Why would I sleep with another?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the woman on the bed?¡± Loue pushed Jamie aside and charged forward, ripping away the nket. There Catelyn was, her small face looking pinkish. Loue was relieved to see her clothes still on, albeit messy. However, the shame in her was indefinitely magnified. Loue¡¯s one-in-a-million love of her life had attempted to cheat on her at such an important function! Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 ¡°L-Let me exin, Loue.¡± Jamie mustered an innocent expression. ¡°It was Catelyn who dragged me here, and I didn¡¯t want to. She said she was feverish, and you can tell it too, can¡¯t you? I swear, Loue, please believe me. If I ever lie to you, I deserve to be struck by thunder.¡± Tears streamed down Loue¡¯s cheeks. Even though she wanted to believe Jamie, the truth made it hard for her to do so. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Her beautiful eyes were filled with bitterness and sorrow. ¡°You were the one who imed that you had never loved Catelyn. You said it was always Catelyn that was pestering you, that she gave birth to that child to ckmail you. If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you just leave her to be taken care of by the staff when she is feverish? Why did you get a room with her?¡± Loue could not continue as sobs of sorrow overtook her. ¡°If you¡¯re still in love with her, don¡¯t ever show yourself to me again!¡± ¡°I swear, I don¡¯t like her¡­¡± Jamie did not have the heart to break things off with Louepletely, seeing how depressed she was. He quickly came forward and hugged her tightly in his arms, trying to console her as he spoke, ¡°I promise I¡¯ll get the room attendant to send her to the hospital now, alright?¡± At this moment, Loue caught a whiff of Catelyn¡¯s perfume on Jamie, and Loue immediately pushed him away. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me!¡± Louelle¡¯s shove caught Jamie off-guard. He was about to say something to make amends, but he then saw Loue hugging her belly, and she looked agonized. ¡°M-My abdomen¡­ It hurts! Help¡­our baby!¡± Loue reached her hand out with great difficulty, and she could not even finish her sentence. Jamie was inplete shock at the sight. He took a look at Catelyn on the bed, and then turned away to check on Loue. ¡°Why is it hurting suddenly?¡± ¡°Send me to the hospital¡­¡± Loue grabbed Jamie¡¯s hand so harshly that her nails dug into his skin. Sweat ran down her forehead and back, and in mere seconds, she looked drenched. Panicking and not daring to dy, Jamie quickly carried Loue and dashed to the underground parking lot. After the two left, a figure stepped out of the shadows. Queenie took a deep breath, relieved. Earlier, she had bumped into her brother when Catelyn ran out. She could not tell Jamie that it was her who drugged Catelyn. Thankfully, Loue got to distract him. She had brought with her a few dudes for Catelyn and did not intend to let her brother have a good time Queenie brought the three men to the room where Catelyn was dumped on the bed. Catelyn regained a little bit of consciousness in between. Her thigh was injured, and her eyes widened as she felt the acute pain. She looked at the three buff men in front of her helplessly, tears springing into her eyes. She could only squirm in a corner, ¡°S¡­ Stay away from me! Leave! I¡ªI¡¯ll pay you double of what Queenie¡¯s paid you, so just¡­leave me alone!¡± The three men approached her but did not pounce on her. Catelyn smelled the most unpleasant smell she had ever smelled as they got close. ¡°We¡¯re dirt-poor beggars living under the bridge. Miss Mason gave us such a good gig, so how could we turn our backs on her?¡± One of the men looked at Catelyn as though she was their prey. Catelyn felt a wave of nausea washed over her, and she covered her mouth to stop herself from barfing Meanwhile, Queenie watched as sheughed hysterically. ¡°Enjoy, boys! Remember to put on the camera, but make sure not to capture my face.¡± Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we know what to do.¡± In a few seconds, the men set up the camera and faced it toward Catelyn. A small bead of red light from the camera lit up, signaling that the video recording was turned on. Instinctively, Catelyn attempted to cover her face. ¡°Oh, sweet Catelyn! Don¡¯t me me for doing this, it¡¯s all your fault. Edwin is mine, so why did you try and fight with me over him? When your reputation is finally damaged beyond repair, I¡¯ll figure out a way to make sure you¡¯re alive.¡± Queenie then pointed at the three men. ¡°Pick one, or would you prefer three at one go?¡± Catelyn¡¯s mind was already a mess at this point as beads of sweat started to form on her forehead. She had never loathed Queenie as much as she did at this very minute. ¡°Edwin will never like you even if I¡¯m ruined, Queenie! Just let me go now, and I¡¯ll help you establish that rtionship¡­¡± Catelyn was losing her senses as she felt her body burning and her heart tingling. Even pain could no longer keep her grounded. What should she do? ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to make a choice, I¡¯ll help you-you¡¯ll have all three men at once! You¡¯re so promiscuous, I¡¯m afraid you may not be satisfied.¡± Queenie cackled devilishly, her fiery red lips curved into a smirk. ¡°Alright, you three. Remember to be gentle!¡± Queenie winked. The three men nodded and rubbed their palms. Their eyes gleamed as they pounced on Catelyn. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. A hysterical shriek echoed in the room. L was holding her wine ss as she sipped on the alcohol periodically. She seemed to be waiting. Checking the time, she could not help but wonder. It had been some time since Catelyn was brought up, so everything should have been settled, no? Ding! Her phone notification went off right at that moment. ¡°Perfectly executed. We can proceed.¡± L smirked. With Catelyn ravaged, Cedrick would never even bat an eye at her regardless of their rtionship. She, L, would stand a chance soon after! Coincidentally, she spotted Cedrick among the crowd amid her thoughts. Cedrick, with his tall, lean figure wrapped neatly in a suit, was having a conversation with Edwin. He looked like an unapproachable king; elegant and intimidating. This was the type of man she deserved, L mused to herself. Even if she had numerous unpleasant encounters with him, she could never forget about him! L lifted her gown and walked toward both men. ¡°Good evening, Cedrick. I¡¯m not sure if you remember who I am; my name is L. I might have offended you before, so I hope you can forgive my transgressions from before.¡± Cedrick slowly nced at her and said, ¡°I have no recollection of that.¡± L tried hard to not show her dismal. Why was he so unenthusiastic? Thinking of Catelyn, however, made her feel at ease. She pretended to be concerned. ¡°Oh, right. You came with Catelyn, didn¡¯t you, cousin Edward? I seemed to have spotted her going into a room with a man, you see¡­¡± Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Edwin and L were both from the Atherton family. Even though they were remotely rted, L had to address Edwin as her cousin. L did not have the chance to call him her cousin before this day. However, Granny Atherton became very fond of her and brought her into her inner circle. L was also capable enough to have mingled well with the rest of the family and thus could finally address Edwin as her cousin. ¡°A room?¡± Edwin almost choked on his wine. His expression changed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t make up stories, L.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not, honest! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go upstairs and check.¡± Even though L was saying this to Edwin, she would nce at Cedrick from the corner of her eye, wanting to see how he would react. She wanted to see if Cedrick could still be loyal to her, even when confronted with her promiscuous actions. Cedrick¡¯s pupils constricted upon hearing L¡¯s words. ¡°Where is she?¡± His tone was dark with a hint of disdain. L told him the room number. Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened with bloodlust. He ced the wine ss back in the tray and made his way upstairs, much to L¡¯s satisfaction. Oh, how riveting it would be to see Cedrick gaping at Catelyn with three men on the bed. He would loathe her beyond relief! ¡°You seemed to be very happy to see Catelyn in a room with other men, L,¡± Edwin pointed out. L quickly quelled her smile at the sudden remark and pretended to be shy, ¡°I was just thinking¡­if only Cedrick could see me.¡± Edwin smirked and said coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t deserve him.¡± ¡°Well, if I don¡¯t, does Catelyn?¡± L clenched her fists. ¡°At least I¡¯m clean, and I haven¡¯t given birth to someone else¡¯s child!¡± Then, she smiled and said, ¡°Ah, yes! I even heard that Queenie prepared a big present for Catelyn! Cousin, would you like to know what it is?¡± Hearing this, Edwin¡¯s nonchnt demeanor vanished in a second, reced by stern ferocity, intimidating like Cedrick usually was. ¡°If you got a death wish, I won¡¯t mind kicking you out of the family on my own.¡± Upstairs, Cedrick strode across the corridor to the room that L mentioned. His lips were pursed into a straight line, and the atmosphere was scornful. 154 Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ahh!¡± He heard a woman¡¯s shriek the second he stepped out of the elevator, and his heart sank when he realized this. It was Catelyn. What happened to her? He started running. The Catelyn he knew would never sleep with other men in a hotel! Something must have happened! He cursed under his breath. Could Catelyn not sit still and stay out of trouble? Numerous images shed before his eyes. He finally reached the room. He instantly kicked at the door, which was flung open by his might. Bang! The door fell to the floor, much to everyone¡¯s shock. When Cedrick saw what was happening in the room, his bloodlust surfaced, and his face was dark like a demon from hell. On the first floor, in the ballroom. The function was reaching its climax, and handling the final agenda was James¡¯s speech. He stood in the middle of the stage in front of the microphone and said, ¡°It was a pleasure to have everyone here today, to discuss the development of Sapphire City. I have prepared a short video for everyone, and hope everyone will enjoy it!¡± Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 James winked at the hostess, and the hostess then pressed a button on theptop upon receiving the signal. A video popped up on the screen. ¡°Ngh¡­ Ah!¡± ¡°No! H-Help!¡± ¡°Save me, Jamie! Save me!¡± James was befuddled to hear such noises. The video that he prepared was about the developments in the city in the past years, so why was there a woman¡¯s voice in the background? He turned to look at the screen and was immediately shocked at the stupefying sight. On the screen was a big soft bed, on which were three filthy big men, as well as a woman screaming in pain. Moreover, the woman¡¯s hair was messy and was all over her face, thus obscuring her face. They seemed to not realize that their obscene behavior was streamed publicly and acted even more scandalously. The hostess was stunned, too, and quickly attempted to take control of theputer system. s, no matter which buttons she clicked, nothing happened, and the video continued to y. L watched the stream, and every ounce of contempt she had was gone upon hearing Catelyn¡¯s shrieks of terror. ¡°Goodness, gracious! Where did this clipe from? How could they y this on such an asion?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think the hotel in the video looked like the one we¡¯re in now?¡± ¡°Does that mean the woman is here at the event?!¡± Lori sobered up slightly right at this moment. She looked up and studied the stream, and somehow, the woman seemed awfully familiar. L raised her eyebrows proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you justice, Aunt Lori.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lori¡¯s expression eased at this and added, ¡°You¡¯re suggesting that the woman in this video¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Catelyn.¡± L grinned and pped the back of Lori¡¯s hand. ¡°My sister had given you the pair of fake designers because she was scammed. Now, Catelyn has been punished, so don¡¯t feel bad about it anymore.¡± ¡°She deserved it!¡± cursed Lori, but she could not deny the satisfaction she felt. Still¡­ The woman¡¯s body and figure, including the mole on her back, somewhat resembled¡­Queenie! ¡°Look!¡± someone called out. = Everyone¡¯s attention returned to the screen. At this moment, the woman¡¯s hair had parted to the side, showing her beautiful side profile. However, it was evident how tormented she was. It was Queenie! L had anticipated the crowd going wild and throwing curses. She took one nce at the screen through the corner of her eyes, but her smile froze in her utter bewilderment. Why¡­was Queenie in the stream? Was it not supposed to be Catelyn? L could have sworn Catelyn drank the spiked wine! Lori, just like everyone else, recognized the woman on the stream. She felt her blood sizzling hotly as she sat up from the sofa in sheer disbelief. ¡°Is this Miss Queenie Mason? I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s this promiscuous!¡± ¡°No surprise! Like mother, like daughter.¡± The clip continued to y in the background, as though it was streamed live. L looked crossed. Queenie and Lori had both be a scandal among the upperssmen! How was Loue supposed to be married to Jamie after this?! This was a suicidal move. Before she could say anything, Lori dashed to the stage like a madwoman. ¡°Who allowed you to y such a clip? Turn it off! Turn it off, now!¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The hostess tried her bestest to navigate through theptop, though awkwardly as she did. ¡°Missus Mason, it seems that we¡¯ve been hacked!¡± Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 ¡°Unplug it then, you blockhead!¡± Lori was hysterical at this point. Unable to wait for the hostess to wrap everything up, she rushed up the stage and unplugged everything. However, she was too angry to notice the steps and tripped, sending her to the ground on all fours. Her dress shuffled upward in her fall, exposing her nude color underpants. Embarrassed, she hastily adjusted the hem of her dress. ¡°Goodness, that¡¯s inappropriate!¡± ¡°This mother- daughter duo is just disgusting.¡± ¡°I heard that Henry Atherton¡¯s daughter is going to be married to Lori Schmidt¡¯s son. I feel pity for Miss Atherton¡­¡± Lori could not take the crowd¡¯s mockery. With red-rimmed eyes, she climbed up and dashed to the screen, searching for the power socket. The moment she spotted it, she unplugged the cable instantly. Before the power was cut out from the screen, one of the men was seen holding a sharp knife, tearing a long cut on Queenie¡¯s delicate face. Blood oozed out of her cheek and spurted on the camera while Queenie wailed in agony. Click! The cable was unplugged, and the screen went pitch-ck. L¡¯s face was pale in terror. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She had specifically requested that cut. She requested for the men to make sure to ruin Catelyn¡¯s face so that she could never seduce Cedrick again. To herplete horror, the knife ended up on Queenie¡¯s face. Lori had snapped at this point, and only one thing echoed in her mind. Ruined. Everything was ruined. Queenie¡¯s face was ruined, her reputation was severely damaged, and her virginity was taken from her. She could not see the future anymore. She had only fainted for a few minutes, but how did the world turn upside down when she woke up? She sank to the ground, exhausted and exasperated. She lifted her head again and took one look around the room. The other guests were grinning with mobile phones in their hands. They were discussing the recorded scenes, and some even uploaded their videos onto the inte. Where was Catelyn? Consta 156 It was supposed to be her; she was supposed to be the hottest scandal in town! L and Lori hastily brought some people up to the hotel to rescue Queenie, who was so severely tormented that she was covered in wounds. Lori quickly wrapped her with a thick nket and sent her to the hospital. L had to admit that she was relieved as the physician examined and diagnosed the unconscious. After all, she might just rat her out if she was awake. The doctor came out of the emergency room and exined Queenie¡¯s condition to L as he took off his mask. ¡°The cut is deep in her face, almost reaching her facial bone. She might have a permanent scar on her face even after she¡¯s recovered. For now, she¡¯ll need plenty of rest, and she shouldn¡¯t have any drastic movements or actions.¡± Lori felt the walls crashing down on her when she heard this. She lost her bnce and fell to her knees. With bloodshot eyes, she howled hysterically, ¡°Can¡¯t you do something to heal her? Her face¡­ Queenie cared so much about her beauty! How will she live now?!¡± The doctor shook his head weakly. ¡°We tried our best, but it is a severe injury.¡± Lori looked at Queenie through the ss window pane, her heart filled with pain and sorrow. She almost passed out from crying, too. L hesitated for a moment but reached out to support Lori, biting her lip. ¡°I¡¯ll take the me for this, Aunt Lori. It was my fault, and if it wasn¡¯t for me, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± ¡°You tell me! What exactly happened?!¡± Lori¡¯s eyes blew wide open as she pointedly stared at L, like a venomous snake looking at its prey. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 What did L mean by she was taking the me for what happened to Queenie? What did she do?! Lori¡¯s behavior terrified L, and her wrist ached painfully due to Lori¡¯s vice-like grip. However, the more furious Lori was, the more advantage L had. ¡°Listen to me, Aunt Lori.¡± L¡¯s eyes turned glossy with tears as she spoke, sobbing,¡± Queenie and I wanted to punish Catelyn for humiliating you, and we thought of recording some humiliating videos of hers. ¡°We¡­just didn¡¯t expect Catelyn to hire a few men to do this to Queenie.¡± Lori could feel blood shooting up her skull, her vessels bulging. Hatred and rage filled her, and she finally exploded. She clenched her jaw and hissed out two words. ¡°Catelyn rk!¡± That sly fox! Not only did she ruin herself, but she also ruined Queenie! Seeing Lori¡¯s expression, L was pleased. Nheless, she decided to take this further and added, ¡°Now that everyone at the event has seen the video, I¡¯m¡­just concerned how Queenie will face the world after this!¡± ¡°Queenie, my baby! Mommy is so sorry¡­I failed to protect you!¡± Lori slumped to the ground in remorse when she realized that Queenie was set up because she wanted to take revenge for her sake. The scenes from the video shed before her eyes, she felt the world ending. L pretended to be supporting her and consoled, ¡°Please calm down. Queenie needs someone to take care of her¡­¡± Lori could not even listen anymore. ¡°I swear, Catelyn! i¡¯ll find you, and I¡¯ll teach you a lesson you¡¯ll never forget!¡± Jamie sent Loue to the hospital for an examination. Despite this, he was flustered at not knowing what happened at the hotel. He paced back and forth along the hospital corridor in worry. He requested the hotel staff to check on Catelyn, only to hear that there was no one in the room anymore. Where was Catelyn? Where did she go? Jamie dialed Catelyn¡¯s phone number. Beep, beep! He felt an eternity pass as he waited. Just when he thought the call would not be answered, someone picked up. Jamie¡¯s eyes lit up as he quickly spoke, ¡°Catelyn, where are you? Do you know how unstable you are now? Tell me your location, and I¡¯ll get someone to send you to the hospital!¡± However, the only reply he received was a woman¡¯s soft, alluring moan. ¡°Mmh¡­¡± Jamie could tell that this was Catelyn¡¯s voice, and the veins on his forehead immediately bulged. At this moment, Cedrick had brought Catelyn out of the hotel and was about to send her to the hospital. However, Catelyn could not even sit up straight as though she had no spine. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Cedrick took one look at her hastily, and his muscles tensed. He tried to press her onto the passenger seat and buckle her up, all while hissing, ¡°Don¡¯t move around!¡± Catelyn fell headfirst into his chest and slid along his warm chest, downward. Cedrick¡¯s hand jerked, identally turning the steering wheel in the process. The car swerved on the road and was about to crash into the car behind them! Cedrick quickly mmed the brakes. T! Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Cedrick¡¯s car was barely three centimeters away from the other car, and they nearly crashed into one another. Cedrick¡¯s face was red, though it was either due to rage or excessive emotional suppression. He furiously held up Catelyn by her cor and snarled, ¡°Catelyn, sit properly, now!¡± Catelyn suddenly tilted her little face and looked up at him, then nted a kiss on his lips. ¡°B*tch!¡± Jamie threw his phone against the wall, causing it to shatter as it fell to the floor. He tugged at his tie, enraged. He lost Catelyn to another man, again! Even though he had divorced Catelyn a long time ago, he still felt as though she cheated on him. son, so how could she do this with another man? This was betrayal! The morning sun shone through the window panes andnded softly on the clean, white sheets. Catelyn slowly woke up from her dreams. She felt like her head was splitting as though she had a hangover. She was so weak that she did not feel like lifting her fingers at all. It was only after a full minute did Catelyn realize she was lying on the hotel bed. She held her breath and quickly turned around A zoomed-in version of Cedrick¡¯s handsome face was presented before her. He slept soundly like a baby. Perhaps it was because he was asleep that he did not look as intimidating as he usually was. However, his forehead was crumpled, and he looked exhausted. Numerous scenes fromst night shed before her eyes. Catelyn recalled how she had been drugged, and Queenie brought a few men, intending to humiliate her. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. They even set up a camera, nning to record the entire process. She remembered putting up a fight against the three men, too. While she was struggling, she picked up one ashtray and mmed it against the scalp of one of the men. Then, she turned to the door, attempting to escape, but was captured. What happened, then? Why was she lying next to Cedrick at this very second? C -158 Catelyn knocked on her skull, her head heavy and messy. She could barely think straight. Quietly, she removed Cedrick¡¯s gigantic palm on her waist and wanted to leave the bed. Just when she stood up, a large hand reached out and pulled her into the bed again. Cedrick¡¯s eyes were dark as ever; he did not look like he just woke up at all. ¨C ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± he spoke, his voice hoarse after slumber. H Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Chapter 159 ¡°You¡­¡± Catelyn, flustered and annoyed altogether, folded her arms at her chest defensively.¡± Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Cedrick admired her flustered expression from a distance. He had not slept so soundly for a long while. ¡°Nothing happened between usst night!¡± Catelyn sputtered, subconsciously raising her voice when she did, as though nothing happened between them if she did. Cedrick was about to say something but decided not to. He wanted to tell Catelyn what happened that night, but seeing her in such a state¡­ Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. He looked displeased. ¡°Well, if nothing happened, what did?¡± Catelyn subconsciously held the nket tightly in her fists, her grip so firm that she nearly punctured her fingers right through the fabric. ¡°Do you see these?¡± Cedrick pointed at his muscr chest. ¡°These long marks are all your masterpieces.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Catelyn was flustered. Her face became tinted with pink as she muttered, her longshes fluttering, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything! Even if anything happened, it was you taking advantage of the situation.¡± Cedrick used his long fingers to lift her chin. ¡°Are you sure I took advantage of you, and not the other way around?¡± ¡°Cut it out!¡± Catelyn refused to recallst night¡¯s event, her eyes growing warm and brimming with tears. After a long while, she finally said, ¡°I- I would like to take a bath, but I¡¯m feeling weak. Can you¡­please help me fill the bathtub?¡± The embarrassed Catelyn grabbed the corners of the duvet to cover her face before she poked her head out. Luckily, Cedrick was already in the bathroom. She could hear the water sloshing about in the bathtub from the room. Cedrick then dripped a few droplets of essential oil into the water to relieve her exhaustion. However, when he came out of the bathroom, he was met with an empty room. Even the clothes scattered on the floor had vanished. It felt like a huge rock was pressed against his chest, and his gentle expression, his face turning grim. Catelyn left the hotel and kept her head down all the way. Her nostrils were warm, and luckily, she did not burst into tears. Chapter 159 She felt utterly caught up with conflict. After all, Cedrick and her had once more crossed the lines. She could, however, not me it on Cedrick. After all, if he was not there to save her¡­ Catelyn deliberately took a detour. Spotting a pharmacy, she went in to purchase some morning-after pills. The pharmacist was rather indifferent about it, thankfully. She even told her that the convenience store across the road provided free drinking water. ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Catelyn and left after purchasing the pills and water. She then went to the park and sat on the long bench. Perhaps she was too tired, or maybe it was the side-effect from the spiked wine, but Catelyn felt utterly worn out. She screwed the mineral water bottle open and was about to take the pill when out of the blue, a car with a familiar te number came into view, stopping at the traffic light. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 That te number was 999. Jamie bade this number from the auction market years ago. He insisted on using this te even if he changed his cars. Catelyn was not surprised to see Jamie and Loue in the car. The window was rolled halfway down, and the pale-faced Loue was just discharged from the hospital. Jamie, meanwhile, was tending to her gently by her side. He ced the back of his hand on her forehead, full of affection and care. Catelyn stared at them for a long while. When the traffic light finally turned green again, she finally took out the meds from their boxes. The park was bustling with noise and activity at this moment. She was just about to pop the morning-after pills into her mouth when a hand grabbed her wrist, forcefully stopping her. Catelyn looked up to the owner of the hand. There Cedrick was, standing behind her under the scorching sun, his figure overcast. His shadow was so tall that it seemed to have engulfed Catelyn¡¯s smaller frame. His fingers dug into her skin as he growled, ¡°You ran out just to buy this?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression was downright intimidating at this point. Catelyn held the box of the pills in front of him and said passive-aggressively, ¡°Can¡¯t you read?¡± Cedrick¡¯s dark pupils bore into hers as indignation boiled within him. ¡°I am asking you, what is this?¡± Catelyn fell silent, knowing that he was asking a rhetorical question. She bit her lower lip and said, ¡°Contraceptive pills. Are you happy now?¡± Cedrick realized he did not understand her. Many women out there would die to conceive his child, but here she was, trying to chug on contraceptive pills! He snatched the pills from her and chucked them right into the bin at the side. Catelyn looked at him and did not say a word but went straight to the pharmacy across the road. He could throw away one box of the pills, but could he throw away all the contraceptive pills avable in Sapphire City? She was determined to swallow those pills. ¡°Hold up. Where are you going?¡± Cedrick strode toward her with his long legs, stopping her as he stood before her. His handsome face was stern, and it was evident how crossed he was. Catelyn tried to calm herself down so that she could talk some sense into him. ¡°Cedrick, I¡¯m begging you,¡± she pleaded. ¡°This game is over. You have a fiancee, and I have a family. We both know it¡¯s not right, and we shouldn¡¯t repeat our wrongdoings.¡± ¡°I have revoked my engagement with Maia, and your so-called solution to the wrongdoing is by taking contraceptive pills?¡± Catelyn was embarrassed by his unfiltered remarks, and her face turned scarlet red. ¡°What should I do, then? Am I supposed to conceive a child for you?¡± ¡°Do I look like I can¡¯t afford another child?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This isn¡¯t a problem of whether you can afford to or not. You were Maia¡¯s ex-fiance, and I was your nephew¡¯s ex-fiancee. My son should even call you grandpa! Do you understand?¡± Catelyn felt at a loss for words at that moment and decided to stay silent. She was adamant to continue shopping for contraceptive pills. Cedrick¡¯s temples pulsed. ¡°If your concern is about the generation by blood, that¡¯s one small matter. Jamie doesn¡¯t deserve to be my nephew.¡± ¡°Stop talking to me. We have a generation gap!¡± Catelyn turned her head away. Cedrick frowned and said nothing else. With hisrge palm still epassing her arm, he forcefully tugged her into the car. Catelyn¡¯s effort to resist was in vain. The more she struggled, the more forceful Cedrick was, so she could only give in and went back into the car. It was so quiet in the car that they could only hear each other¡¯s heartbeats. Cedrick sent Catelyn back to her ce in Ocean Park Residence. Catelyn said her thanks, ready to hop off the car, but Cedrick was faster and pulled on the door handle before she could open the door. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take the pills anymore. You won¡¯t have my child.¡± Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Chapter 161 ¡°I just want to be safe. What if?¡± ¡°There is no ¡®what if¡¯. Only one woman in this world can conceive my child,¡± retorted Cedrick curtly, his gaze darker than ink. The sunlight was refracted by the windowpanes and onto his body as though casting a faint halo on him. She could not see through him. She could not understand. Catelyn¡¯s fists that rested on her knees retracted as she tugged lightly at her pant legs. Was Cedrick talking about Maia? His engagement with Maia was not supposed to be called off. Was she truly a homewrecker? Catelyn¡¯sshes quivered at this, and she fell silent. Catelyn was dropped off at the entrance of Ocean Park Residence. She was supposed to get some groceries along the way home, but she was so exhausted that all she wanted was to lie on the bed. As she was nearing her apartment, the guard greeted her. Catelyn had a good rtionship with most of her neighbors, and she would, at times, buy fruits and share with the guards. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back, Miss rk! A man has been waiting for you for some time now.¡± ¡°A man?¡± Catelyn was surprised to hear that. ¡°Yes.¡± The guard nodded and briefly told the height of the man as he spoke, ¡°He resembled Miles, so I didn¡¯t stop him and allowed him to wait inside. He should still be waiting below your apartment.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The man resembled Miles? It was Jamie, no doubt. ¡°Alright. Thanks, Chad.¡± ¡°No problem! It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± Catelyn thus made her way to her apartment, even though she was dead tired. True enough, she saw Jamie sitting on the bench by the swimming pool. Dressed in his suit, he looked worn-out as though he had a very terrible day. Catelyn recalled seeing him and Loue in his car earlier, and she smiled sarcastically. This man came to see her right after sending Loue back! He was pure trouble. What did Loue see in him, anyway? The pale-faced Jamie felt a pair of eyes staring at him and turned, noticing it was Catelyn. He the 161 stood up and slowly walked toward her, visibly lethargic and eyes bloodshot. ¡°Where did you gost night?¡± he asked. Catelyn ignored him and entered her password, about to enter her apartment. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question, Catelyn, answer me!¡± Jamie¡¯srge palm mmed t on the password keypad, blocking her vision. Catelyn was forced to look him in the eyes, and Jamie¡¯s eyes were lit with jealousy. It was as though he just caught Catelyn with someone. He bumped into Lori at the hospitalst night after smashing his phone. It was then he was told that a few men had assaulted Queenie and, worse still, was even broadcasted to the whole hall. Numerous media, reporters, and guests recorded the scene. The clip went viral! Catelyn, however, had no clue what Queenie experienced. She looked at Jamie quietly. Other than irony, she felt disappointed. The Jamie she once knew was opportunistic but was still ethically sensible. At this moment, a few yearster, he had turned into a stranger that she no longer knew. ¡°No matter who I was with, I won¡¯t entertain you.¡± Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Chapter 162 ¡°Was it Cedrick? You¡¯re such a sl*t, Catelyn. How dare you rob Maia¡¯s fiance from her? What do you think will happen to you if she hears about this?¡± ¡°You could say whatever you like, but can you move along now?¡± Catelyn was far too exhausted; she did not want to argue with Jamie anymore. However, her unbothered attitude served to only provoke Jamie. With bloodshot eyes and a mind too deep in chaos like a beast on the loose, he grabbed Catelyn by her throat. ¡°What about Queenie? She¡¯s only twenty! Even if she did something wrong, she¡¯s still my baby sister. How could you be so cruel to her and hired those men to sully her? I even have to take the me from everyone now! You alone ruined our whole family¡¯s reputation, so you better give me an exnation, Catelyn!¡± Catelyn, amid her struggle of being choked, took two steps back but was pushed against the wall. She had nowhere else to run. Her small-sized face grew scarlet as her blood cirction was obstructed, but her expression was willful. If she remembered correctly, those men were to assault her! ¡°She deserved it.¡± ¡°You-¡± Jamie¡¯s murderous intent was triggered, and his five fingers sunk deeper into her skin. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, you b*tch!¡± Jamie was surprisingly strong. Catelyn tried to push him away, but her efforts were in vain. She started to see hallucinations, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Air grew thin in her lungs. Just when Catelyn thought she would die in Jamie¡¯s hands, Loue dashed out of nowhere and tugged at Jamie¡¯s hand. ¡°What are you doing, Jamie? Let go of her!¡± Jamie had sent her back home that morning. She wanted to keep Jamie for lunch, but he picked up a phone call and left in a hurry. This unsettled her, so she decided to send her driver to follow him quietly. It turned out that he was headed to Catelyn¡¯s. Loue could no longer sit still and got someone to send her over. She was initially happy to see the two in conflict. After all, she was thest person to wish the two to reunite. To her surprise, however, she saw Jamie choking Catelyn shortly into the argument. His eyes were unprecedentedly evil. He looked like he would only let go once he strangled her to death! N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Jamie, s, did not listen to a word Loue said but instead tightened his grip. ¡°Calm down, Jamie. Think of our baby! If you kill Catelyn, how will our baby and I do without you?¡± Loue panicked. Tears pooled in her eyes as she mmed her hands against Jamie¡¯s arm desperately ¡°I beg you; please don¡¯t be so impulsive!¡± Perhaps Loue¡¯s plea brought some sense back into his head that his fingers around Catelyn¡¯s neck loosened a little. Catelyn mustered all her strength onto her thigh, lifted her knee, and gave a fatal blow to Jamie¡¯s family jewels. ¡°Argh!¡± Jamie howled in agony as he hunched over in pain and clutched hisher regions, his handsome face twitching. Catelyn quickly unlocked her door and squeezed herself into the doorway. She mmed the door shut andid her back against the door, panting heavily as she gasped for dear life. Chills ran down her spine. She did not wish to die today. In fact, she was terrified of death. ¡°A-Are you okay, Jamie? Quick, let me send you to the hospital!¡± Loue helped Jamie up, all while wishing this would be thest time he would seek after Catelyn. ¡°Catelyn,¡± he screamed, emptying his lungs, ¡°I¡¯ll never let you get away with this!¡± Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Meanwhile, Lori was at the hospital, tending to Queenie. The moment Queenie woke up, she took a nce at the mirror and was mortified by her face. Ever since then, she was an emotional wreck and curled herself into a ball. She would shout at anyone that got near her, refusing to be in touch with people. The doctor exined that Queenie was traumatized and that she must heal in peace for the time being. Lori bawled her eyes out at this and prayed for mercy. To add to the mix, she found out that Loue sent Jamie to the hospital. When Lori was told that Jamie was kicked between his legs, she gnashed her teeth, wanting nothing more than to tear Catelyn apart with her bare hands. Jamie walked out of the examination room, though his legs were visibly wobbly. ¡°Catelyn, that pig! It was terrible enough that Queenie got assaulted because of her, and now she hurt you, too! Jamie, we can¡¯t let her get away with this!¡± Lori wept as she pulled Jamie by his sleeves. ¡°You must take revenge!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯ll get Catelyn to kneel before Queenie and apologize for what she did!¡± vowed Jamie, ignited with rage. ¡°Catelyn has the support of both Cedrick and Edwin now, Jamie, so don¡¯t get caught in the crossfire,¡± reminded L caringly. In truth, she was happy with this turn of events. Lori, however, was not. ¡°We can¡¯t let Queenie just suffer for nothing!¡± ¡°I have an idea. This should make Catelyn suffer.¡± Jamie lowered his voice, asking, ¡°What idea?¡± ¡°As far as I know, Catelyn¡¯s son is her most cherished person. To have her wallow in regret, we must take away whatever¡¯s most important to her.¡± Lori frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want the little brat.¡± ¡°Aunt Lori, I¡¯m not suggesting you adopt her son. I¡¯m suggesting that once we have the kid in our hands, Catelyn will do as we say. By then, you can do whatever you want to the kid,¡± spoke L thoughtfully, covering her mouth as she giggled softly. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Since they could not hurt Catelyn, they could hurt her emotionally. Jamie closed his eyes. He had a n. Mason Group was caught in an ominous tension. The CEO¡¯s office was filled with white smoke. ¨C 163 In fact, it was rare for Cedrick to smoke at work unless someone really got to him or when he was extremely bothered. He would smoke to relieve his stress. At this moment, several cigarette butts lined up neatly in his ashtray on the table. The man sat in front of his desk quietly and opened a folder in front of him. The paper was crammed with thousands of words. ¡°Did you hear? I heard that the Finance Department¡¯s bonuses were all revoked!¡± ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t it just a mistake in the decimal ces?¡± ¡°It was ten times the difference because of the wrong decimal ces! No wonder the CEO was so pissed¡­¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re wrong. He was not in a good mood today, to begin with. The marketing director was still reprimanded, though. Who hurt the CEO, anyway?¡± ¡°Did you not see the news? He and Miss rk attended the dinner function. They probably had an unpleasant encounter at that time.¡± Edwin arrived at the top floor and exited the elevator. He whistled. ¡°Everyone seemed to be in a good mood today.¡± ¡°Edwin!¡± The staff were all familiar with Edwin and thus weed him. Right at this moment, the marketing director and Charles exited the CEO¡¯s office. The director held a folder of documents to his chest, and he looked like he was in pain. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Edwin raised his brows in curiosity and looked at Charles. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Not sure.¡± Charles shook his head in displeasure. He slid his finger across his neck as though motioning a slit across his throat, and it was enough to convey his feelings. ¡°Cedrick has been like this since morning.¡± Edwin tried to recall the situationst night. He then tutted and entered Cedrick¡¯s office. Cedrick nced at him through the corner of his eyes, his brows knitted together in visible irritation. ¡°Is my office a public toilet for you? Don¡¯t you know how to knock?¡±. Edwin merely scoffed, seemingly unbothered by Cedrick¡¯s remark. Nheless, he walked out the door and knocked three times for formality. Without waiting for Cedrick¡¯s permission, he put his hands into his pockets and strode into the office. He then sat on the sofa nonchntly and crossed his legs. Cedrick¡¯s face sank ¡°Nothing happened.¡± He recalled what happened during the dinner event. When he went to the room L had told him about, he saw a mess. Catelyn had a broken wine bottle at hand, with its sharp ends pointed at the men. One of the men had a fractured skull, and blood oozed out of the gash. It seemed as though a fight had taken ce. The atmosphere was tense and, oddly enough, Queenie stood by the side and watched on. Cedrick was ruthless and easily took down the men. He looked at Queenie coldly and told them, ¡°Whatever Queenie asked you to do to Catelyn, do it to Queenie herself. Anything less than that, you won¡¯t be seeing the morning sun tomorrow.¡± The men then pounced on Queenie after that. Cedrick did not bother staying as he brought Catelyn out of the room. Cedrick wanted to take her to the hospital so she could be sedated. However, the drugs and alcohol in Catelyn¡¯s system had kicked in by then, and she went wild. She kissed him and threw her hands all over him, which was the total opposite of her usual distant self. Cedrick could not drive properly and had no choice but to bring her to the closest hotel, and he would not take advantage of a drunk woman. Finally, he rang up Eason and asked him to bring sedatives with him. They administered the substance to Catelyn, to which she finally sumbed and fell asleep. Cedrick himself was worn out by then, and he, too, passed out soon after. He wanted to tell her the truth this morning, but Catelyn stared at him so judgmentally as though he was a criminal. With that, he decided to let her indulge in her own misunderstanding. ato: 164 ¡°You haven¡¯t taken her down? Bro, aren¡¯t you a little too slow?¡± Edwin was intrigued as he rambled on about his ¡®analysis¡¯, ¡°Based on my experience, women would usually be all over me within three days. You¡¯ve been in this for too long, and it¡¯s either she¡¯s ying games with you, or you¡¯re not good enough for her. Did you give her designer bags? Shoes? Is your mansion title transferred to her?¡± Cedrick tapped his cigarette lightly, and white ashes fell into the ashtray. ¡°Shallow,¡± he drawled. ¡°Women are shallow and simple like that, but it is reasonable. After all, it is a materialistic capitalist world. People get humiliated for being poor; not for being promiscuous.¡± Cedrick took a side nce at him and put off his cigarette. ¡°I meant you.¡± Edwin was about to nod but stopped himself upon realizing what Cedrick meant. He exaggeratedly clutched his chest. ¡°You wound me. I was trying my best to help you!¡± Meanwhile, at the Mason Estate¡­ N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Miles had struck up a bet with Cedrick that if he could learn how to swim in three days, Cedrick had to fulfill his request. Ollie was extremely terrified of water, and he would have spasms once he was in the water. Cedrick wanted to use his fear of water to cure his lying tendencies and punished him with swimming lessons if he lied. Who would have thought that barely three days in, Cedrick would receive a call from the Estate, ¡®Ollie¡¯ was ready for the race. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Cedrick and Edwin returned to Mason Estate, and the servants rose to greet them as they arrived. ¡°Master Cedrick, Mister Atherton.¡± Edwin winked at the head of the servants, to which she blushed and felt her heart soar at the gesture. All the maids were delighted to see them. Both men then made their way to the swimming pool, where Miles was already waiting with a dark- colored towel wrapped around him. He was ready to win the challenge. ¡°Master Cedrick, you¡¯ve returned,¡± greeted Albert as he came forward, his lips wearing a light smile. Cedrick looked at Miles doubtfully, not believing the boy could win the bet. ¡°Did he really learn how to swim?¡± Over the past year, Cedrick had tried numerous ways to get Ollie to learn swimming but to no avail. Miles dashed forward excitedly. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, Big Demon. I¡¯m very good at swimming!¡± Cedrick snickered. ¡°If you cane out there without cramps, it¡¯ll be impressive enough.¡± Miles¡¯ cheeks inted at this. His tiny hands tugged his towel away from his form and dumped it at the side, exposing his small frame. He put his hands on his waist and wiggled his waist and behind cheekily, seemingly warming up before the swim. It was Edwin¡¯s first time seeing an adorable side of Ollie, and his lips curved upward. ¡°He seems to be well-prepared, Ced. What¡¯s the bet again?¡± ¡°It was a nk check bet,¡± exined Albert. ¡°As long as Young Master Ollie learns how to swim, Cedrick will fulfill his request.¡± ¡°Would you agree if he says he wants Catelyn to be his stepmother?¡± Edwin smirked, ready to watch the show. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Even if he knows a lot of fancy tricks, he¡¯ll lose once he¡¯s in the water.¡± Edwin found a strategic spot to settle in-under the umbre. Heid on the lounging chairzily and held a bowl of grapes in his chest, leisurely enjoying himself. ¡°Uncle Edwin will be the referee to your bet with Ced, alright? Do your best; I have faith in you!¡± ¡°Thanks, Uncle Sissy! I¡¯ll win this!¡± Edwin could feel the corner of his lips twitching when he heard this nickname. ¡°If you address me in a more respectful manner, I¡¯ll cheer for you even more.¡± Miles was not bad at reading people¡¯s emotions; he was merely good at treating people based on how he was treated. He had a bad impression on Cedrick, so he was very rebellious against Cedrick. star 105 He grinned cheekily at Edwin, ¡°Oh, pretty brother!¡± Edwin cringed at this. ¡°Forget it! Just get yourself into the water. I look forward to your performance.¡± Miles nodded and asked Albert excitedly, ¡°Is the camera ready? I¡¯m about to start.¡± Albert was very proud of him. ¡°All ready, Young Master.¡± Miles put on his goggles, raised his hands above his head, and leaped into the water crisply, causing the water to ssh upward. Miles¡¯ little head floated in the water, his tiny body agile as he interchanged between backstrokes and breaststrokes, asionally pping his hand on the water surface. He was a natural. ¡°Good job, Young Master Ollie!¡± Albert burst into cheers as he watched Miles through the camera. He could probably make it to the first three if he participated in any swimmingpetition. Miles swung his head back proudly. ¡°That was nothing. I could show you more!¡± Miles then dived right into the deepest section of the pool. 10 seconds passed, and it became 20. 45 seconds. 60 seconds. 90 seconds. ¡°Goodness!¡± Albert eximed in surprise. ¡°Young Master Ollie not only conquered his fear of water, but he¡¯s even able to hold his breath for a long time underwater?¡± Cedrick¡¯s fingers grew tense in his pocket. Truth be told, he was baffled. It was already impressive for a normal person to hold his breath underwater for 45 seconds. However, this boy, who only learned how to swim in three days, could hold it for one and a half minutes? Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Albert, nheless, was worried that Ollie would hurt himself for holding his breath too long and shouted, ¡°That¡¯s good enough, Young Master Ollie! You cane up now.¡± It was all quiet at the pool. There was no response. All of a sudden, Miles floated in the middle of the pool, unmoving. Albert¡¯s smile froze. ¡°Y-Young Master Ollie? Master Cedrick, has he drowned?!¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression changed at this moment. He instantly took his coat off and dove into the water swiftly, swimming toward Miles. The pool was not big nor too deep, but it was nheless dangerous for a child like Miles. Cedrick swam with vigor to finally reach Miles. He stretched his long arm out and grabbed Miles firmly. He was about to take a close look at what happened when Ssh! Miles¡¯ eyes opened widely as he impishly scooped water from the pool and sshed Cedrick¡¯s face. ¡°You fell for it, Big Demon!¡± Cedrick stuck his head out of the water, his dark hair sticking to the sides of his temple. Water glided along his perfect jawline and dripped. His dark eyes locked on Miles sternly. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so bold that you dare trick me. Is that so, Ollie?¡± Miles looked at Cedrick¡¯s exasperated face and ced his tiny hands on his waist, rolling his eyes. ¡°I did say that I¡¯m good at swimming. Now, you believe it.¡± He even puffed his chest as he spoke, ¡°Grandpa Albert, did you record it?¡± Albert was about to nod but was stopped by a death stare that was shot his way. He tried hard to suppress hisugh and said, ¡°Yes, all recorded. Still, you should never trick people like that anymore, Young Master Ollie. Grandpa Albert is old now, and my heart nearly stopped.¡± Miles widened his beautiful gemstone eyes and cheekily spoke, ¡°It¡¯s all a piece of cake- ah!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Miles was held tightly by a pair of strong arms. It was Cedrick, flinging him over his shoulder. Miles¡¯ tiny feet iled in the air, and the entire world turned upside down. He mmed his hands against Cedrick¡¯s back 166 ¡°Put me down, Big Demon!¡± Smack! A loud pnded on the boy¡¯s buttcheck ¡°Shut up,¡± hissed Cedrick Miles¡¯ face turned red in irritation and shock Did Cedrick just p his rear? Not even his motherid a finger on him before! Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Miles ced his hands on his hips and twisted his body around. ¡°Who allowed you to beat my behind?¡± ¡°I want you to apologize.¡± ¡°You smacked me because you lost the bet, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Objection!¡± Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Miles felt like he was meat on a chopping board. He put up a vehement struggle, and Cedrick had a hard time holding him still. Luckily, it was a short distance from the center of the pool to the side. Cedrick moved so swiftly that he was already making his way out of the pool in the blink of an eye. Water dripped down from his body as he got to the side of the pool and ced Miles on the ground carefully. Miles, not expecting he would be put down, ended up punching the air instead. He took two N?velDrama.Org (C) content. steps back to bnce himself. His eyes widened and looked at Cedrick unblinkingly. Since his clothes were entirely drenched, Cedrick started unbuttoning his shirt and took it off along with his belt, revealing his buff build. It was Miles¡¯s first time to see such a good and strong body, and his jaw dropped at the sight. He secretly clenched his fist to flex his biceps before pinching it, only to feel mere fat. It was nothing like Cedrick¡¯s muscr body. ¡°Master Cedrick, here¡¯s your robe.¡± Albert handed him a bathrobe. Cedrick casually threw it on himself and tied the robe loosely around his waist. He then received the towel and used it to wipe his dripping hair, his every movement suave and elegant. Miles¡¯ tiny lips pursed into a pout as he stared at his own tiny frame, then toward Albert. putting them on him. ¡°Wait, why are my pajamas so childish?¡± Miles held his palm in front of the pajamas and looked reluctant. Albert was stunned. ¡°Young Master Ollie, didn¡¯t you say this was cute yesterday?¡± Miles had lived with Catelyn ever since he was born. His mother wanted her boy to have a genuine childhood, so she always bought clothes that were more youthful for him, such as those with prints of cars, alphabets, or cartoon characters. Miles had spent a long time at Mason Estate. Since he could not see Catelyn, he could only look at his monuments whenever he missed Catelyn. He got Albert to purchase pajamas that resembled the ones he had at home. He was very fond of those back then, but at this point? They looked embarrassing to be worn. ¡°I want one like Big Demon¡¯s!¡± he dered, adopting a more ¡®macho¡¯ behavior as he waved his hand. Albert was baffled by his behavior butplied, saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get the tailor to make 167 one for you tomorrow. For now, just put your clothes on-you don¡¯t want to catch a cold.¡± Miles stretched his arms out and allowed Albert to put on his clothes for him. His tiny hands fumbled around his waist to tie the waistband around it, imitating Cedrick. Kids at this age had the strongest ability to imitate adults, following the actions of adults subconsciously. Cedrick, once he was done drying his hair,id on the chair, crossing his legszily. ¡°Tell me, what would you like me to do?¡± Miles then leaned against Cedrick¡¯s chair sheepishly with legs crossed, just like how Cedrick did. He used his hand to support his left cheek and looked at Cedrick pensively. ¡°I want you to stop grounding me. Kids need to run around, you know? You¡¯re boring me at home.¡± It was an endearing sight to see both of them resembling so much of each other, in terms of their actions and their faces. Albert secretly took a shot of the scene with his camera from afar. Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Albert felt his heart melting at the sight of Cedrick and ¡®Ollie¡¯, having captured the moment on the camera. The boy had often expressed his distaste toward Cedrick, yet he would also mimic him. It was a rare sight to see the two interacting harmoniously. ¡°Master Cedrick, I forgot to tell you something,¡± Albert chimed in gently. Cedrick asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°We received a message from your hometown. Miss Janice misses you dearly and would like you to visit sometimes.¡± Albert had also just received the call earlier, but he did not have the heart to intrude, seeing the father-son duo were having quality time. Janice was Cedrick¡¯s aunt, who was also one of the rtives that he cared the most about. Cedrick thought that Janice was bothered by the fact that Maia wanted to cancel the engagement and thus replied, ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll go back this weekend.¡± It so happened that he had something to tell her, too. Catelyn had a long sleep and finally mustered enough strength to head out and pick up her son from school. Like the past few days, whenever she reached the school gate, she would be treated like a celebrity parent and would be ¡®interviewed¡¯ by everyone. Some would ask how she had raised such a good boy. Some others would ask for her contact, nning to have a private chat with her about her education methods. Sometimes, other parents would send presents to Miles on behalf of their daughters. As the mother and son reached home, Catelyn helped to organize Miles¡¯ bag and was surprised to find two pink envelopes in his bag. Ever since he went to kindergarten, Miles would receive love letters like this from time to time. At first, Miles chucked all of them right into the bin, but she had told him that it was rude of him to do so, so he never threw them away again and brought them all back home instead. Catelyn would read all his letters for her son in embarrassment. The girls had limited vocabry, and their grammar was not correct. Hence, the letters would have a few phrases and a little gift, which was already a confession. Catelyn would then ce all the letters into one box and would draft out a polite decline message so that she would not hurt the girls¡¯ feelings and would not leave any room for misunderstanding. She would even sometimes attach some little cookies or snacks in the reply. At night, Catelyn was organizing Miles¡¯ stationery when she received a phone call from the Chandler Jewelry Competition Committee. Cuptor 168 The screening results were out. She picked up the call nervously. ¡°Hello, Catelyn speaking.¡± ¡°Hello, Miss rk,¡± came the voice of a middle-aged woman on the other line. Her tone was not overly enthusiastic, but she was not entirely apathetic-sounding, either. She was all formal. ¡°The Chandler Jewelry Design Competition¡¯s preliminary screening is done. Your work was fantastic and has been ranked first ce in our first round.¡± Catelyn was delighted to hear the news, but something told her there was more to this phone call. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet, because unfortunately, you¡¯re disqualified from the competition.¡± Disqualified? Catelyn was bbergasted upon hearing this. ¡°If I scored number one, why would you disqualify me from thepetition?¡± ¡°Your design was proven to have been giarized from someone else¡¯s, and we¡¯ll disqualify all forms of giarism. We consider this as your first offense and would only give you a warning about that. We hope you will be honest moving forward.¡± Catelyn¡¯s grip on her phone tightened upon hearing this. She could feel her ears ringing. ¡°Impossible; there must¡¯ve been a mistake. I had created the design on my own! There was no giarism!¡± ¡°Another design was submitted earlier than yours, by a few days. You can stop making excuses now.¡± ¡°Can you tell me who the other designer is?¡± Beep, beep! Before Catelyn could finish her sentence, the other party hung up. Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Catelyn stared nkly at the phone screen, and the light of the deskmp reflected her eyebrows on the dark screen. She knew very well that a design draft was of the utmost importance to its creator, so she had kept hers well-protected at all times, not to mention the draft for thepetition in which she hadpleted the entire process at home. There was no outsider in the house, so it could not have been stolen. Could Ste have done it? Impossible. It had to be someone else¡­ It was Queenie! She had intruded on her mobile phone that day, taking pictures around with it! At that moment, Catelyn¡¯s design draft was ced above the desk Queenie must have discovered it and then used her design on it, which caused the original to be ndered as giarism! At night. The headquarters of Chandier Jewelry was located in one of the most prosperous business districts in Sapphire City. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The female person in charge hung up the phone and respectfully looked at the woman sitting at the desk ¡°Catelyn has been disqualified from thepetition ording to your instructions, Miss L. Kelly Preston was a woman in her forties. She was a close associate of Granny Atherton and also one of the executives who assisted L inpleting her jewelry design-for thepetition. L showed a sweet smile. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Kelly.¡± ¡°Think nothing of it. It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± said Kelly, neither humble nor arrogant. She then asked hesitantly, ¡°Are you not going to tell the olddy about this? Thispetition is very important to her.¡± L poured a cup of hot water for Kelly and winked yfully. ¡°Exactly, and that¡¯s why I don¡¯t want a giarizer to ruin her mood.¡± ¡°Granny Atherton has been in a very bad mood recently. She¡¯d listen to you and all your arrangements, Miss L,¡± said Kelly with a smile as she took the ss of water. ¡°She must be so happy to know that you care so much about her.¡± ¡°I just feel so bad that she has to worry about all these things at such elderly age,¡± replied Atherton as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for your good news on the olddy¡¯s behalf, then,¡± said Kelly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Shall I ask the driver to send you home?¡± L pointed to the time on her watch; it was almost nine o¡¯clock Kelly asked, ¡°Miss L, aren¡¯t you off work yet?¡± og ¡°There are too many drafts for thepetition. I should stay and screen them all with a few judges,¡± replied L. Kelly felt even more satisfied after hearing L¡¯s words, thinking of giving praises of L to Granny Atherton when she would meet herter. The moment Kelly left, L took out Catelyn¡¯s design from the stack of sifted drafts. She had designed a ring that was fashionable, fresh, multi-purpose, and especially eye catching in material selection and color matching. L sneered and threw Catelyn¡¯s draft into the shredder. As the machine ran, a perfect design was immediately reduced into long strips of confetti and was rendered to mere trash. Catelyn saw the scandalous video of Queenie and the three men early in the morning, and it was filmed in high-definition settings, no less. The key parts were coded, but Queenie¡¯s face was featured in a close-up. The video had also gone viral over the Inte, and thements below it were pretty filthy. [How much would Queenie charge per night?] (How many people can she take in together?] (How long do you think she canst?] Many people even asked disgusting questions about Queenie publicly. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at Stadler Hill, Miss,¡± reminded the driver. Catelyn settled the bill and got out of the car. Jamie¡¯s house was located in Stadler Hill. It was a small vi with a luxurious decoration style, made of white walls and ck tiles. The housekeeper of the Mason family knew Catelyn well and respectfully invited her into their residence. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 The housekeeper had instructed the servant to serve Catelyn some tea. ¡°Please wait for a moment, Miss rk. Young Master had gone out to run some errands,¡± said the old housekeeper. There was a hint of tiredness in his voice when he spoke. Catelyn was about to mention that she was here for Queenie when suddenly, a high-pitched female voice came from the second floor. It sounded like a desperate little beast neighing in pain, apanied by the crackling sound of items smashed ¡°Catelyn! This is all your fault, you wench!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! Stay away!¡± ¡°Save me, brother! W¡ªWhere are you?! Please, save me!¡± This shrieking voice was very familiar to Catelyn. It was Queenie. She looked at the housekeeper in bewilderment. The housekeeper did not have the time to care about Catelyn, thus he called the maid in a hurry and said, ¡°Quick, the youngdy is sick again. Prepare a tranquilizer, immediately!¡± A group of people rushed to the second floor. Catelyn took the opportunity to follow them, eager to find out what was happening. On the second floor, Catelyn stood outside the door and watched through a ss window. She saw the servants enter Queenie¡¯s room and pushed the frenzied woman onto the bed. Then, they injected her with a dose of tranquilizer. The movement was very organized as if it had been done countless times before. It had only been a few days, and Queenie was as thin as wood. She had a pointed jaw and heavy gauze wrapped around her face. Her long hair was all tousled while her eyes were dark and sunken. She seemed to be mumbling something, too. Queenie seemed painfully high- strung and was resistant toward the servants. She waspletely different from the arrogant, domineering person she used to be. Catelyn was hesitant to approach Queenie with her question when she saw how demented she looked. Even if Catelyn¡¯s questions reach the ears of the judges, why would they believe the words of a lunatic? Catelyn thus decided to leave. As she reached the gates, however, a ck Range Raver came driving in. Jamie helped Lori out of the car. They both looked tired and bitter. Catelyn was not here for them after all. She pretended to not see them, intending to leave. However, Lori spotted her and rushed toward her with red-rimmed eyes. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that you¡¯ve rendered my daughter into a mess, Catelyn, yet you dare show up here?!¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m not wee here. Please excuse me, I¡¯ll leave now,¡± said Catelyn calmly Lori did not appreciate her tone. She stood in front of Catelyn, and her face gradually became grim. ¡°Did you post those videos online?¡± she asked. Jamie¡¯s face was cold, and the moment he saw Catelyn, his chest heaved violently. Nheless, he had better control of his emotionspared to the day before. ¡°No matter how arrogant she is, Queenie is just a child,¡± hissed Jamie. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless, now that you¡¯ve hurt her so badly. You¡¯d better pray for a goodwyer, because Jamie purposely trailed off as he shot Catelyn a dark, ominous stare, as though he was a demon staring at its prey. He then finished his sentence. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking custody of Miles!¡± ¡°Achoo!¡± Miles let out a long sneeze and rubbed the bridge of his little nose. Was someone thinking of him? Was that why he kept sneezing? He sniffed as hey on the bed with his two short legs crossed. He held a mobile phone in his hand,municating with Ollie. ¡°I¡¯ve won against Big Demon in a match, and he¡¯ll now allow me to go out twice a week at will. Let¡¯s quickly find a chance to switch our identities back. I¡¯ve had enough of being locked in this big vi!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Ollie, at that time, was doing some research, and his eyes sank as he heard Miles¡¯ words. ¡°Say, Miles, have you ever wondered why we look so alike?¡± he asked. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 ¡°The world is full of mysteries,¡± replied Miles as he rolled around the bed. He looked forward to switching back their identities, when he could then reunite with his mother at long last. Miles had missed her terribly. Ollie¡¯s eyebrows knitted to a frown. ¡°No matter how coincidently matters can get, there will never be two people who look the same.¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m very reluctant to acknowledge my old man, he is the nephew of Big Demon. They both look alike, and we¡¯re their sons respectively. Looking at it this way, it¡¯s not surprising that we both look alike as well,¡± said Miles. He paused a while and abruptly raised his eyebrows and said to Ollie with a hint of warning,¡± Don¡¯t try to change the subject, or I won¡¯t let you have Mommy again.¡± Ollie pouted. True, he did try to divert Miles¡¯attention so he could continue to stay by Aunt Catelyn¡¯s side. Even so¡­ The questions he asked were also genuine. ¡°I did some research. There¡¯s only one possibility on why we both look the exact same,¡± said Ollie. Miles raised his small ears, and his jet-ck pupils quivered. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± he asked. ¡°Identical twins,¡± replied Ollie. ¡°Stop mocking me,¡± grumbled Miles, not understanding what the word meant. Ollie had also asked the teacher to understand the meaning of the word. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Clearing his throat, he exined, ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s a pair of twins born from the same parents, from the same fertilized egg, receiving the exact same chromosomes and gic material.¡± Miles was listening, but he would not admit that he did not understand anything Ollie just said. However, there were some words that got his attention. ¡°Same parents? Twins?¡± ¡°I asked the teacher,¡± said Ollie, ¡°and she said that this is the only way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to take advantage and keep Mommy to yourself!¡± grumbled Miles. ¡°My family has only one son, and Big Demon will not be my father!¡± Judging from the current situation, both of their parents were indeed different. Ollie said, ¡°If you want to know the truth, there is only one way, and that is,¡± ¡°Can you please finish your sentences in one go?¡± muttered Miles with a pout. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you. Then, let¡¯s do a DNA test!¡± said Ollie ambitiously. Miles, too, was eager to find out the truth of the matter. ¡°Deal. Wait for me, then. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m able.¡± Catelyn had been restless ever since she returned from the Mason Residence at Stadler Hill, and Jamie¡¯s words had haunted her ever since. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking custody of Miles!¡± Catelyn recalled him saying this. The thing that Catelyn feared the most was about to happen. Jamie was taking Miles away from her! ¡°Catelyn? Catelyn? Are you listening?¡± George Graham called Catelyn over the phone from Ocean Path Residence, his continuous questions suddenly snapping Catelyn out of her wandering thoughts. Sitting at the desk, she rubbed her swollen forehead and said, ¡°Yes, Mister Graham, I¡¯m listening! Please continue¡­¡± ¡°There is something wrong with the basement¡¯s renovation in Bubsville Vi, but I¡¯m on a business trip now. Can you go over and have a look?¡± said George softly over the phone. Catelyn had mentioned that she was busy recently, and George did not want to disturb her if it was not necessary. However, deep inside, he wanted to chat with Catelyn, even if only for a while. ¡°Alright, then,¡± answered Catelyn. ¡°I¡¯ll go over in a while.¡± ¡°Be safe on your way,¡± reminded George. Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Warmth spread throughout Catelyn¡¯s heart when she heard George¡¯s words. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, ¡°and don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll go to the construction siteter, and I¡¯ll update you about specific issues. Is that alright?¡± ¡°Of course, as long as you don¡¯t mind the trouble,¡± replied George. Their phone call ended soon after, but the moment it did, Catelyn¡¯s mind was clouded with her fight with Jamie. He and his mother had piled up all the me for Queenie¡¯s defilement on her. Moreover, they did not really want custody of Miles-they just wanted to make her suffer! Lori had even said that she would torture Miles every day after she got custody of him. She would make him kneel in front of everyone from the Mason family to atone for his sins. Catelyn could not sit still. Miles was her son, her flesh and blood. She would not allow him to be taken away and bullied like this! Lawyer¡­ Speaking of which, finding a reliablewyer to fight thiswsuit would be the most important thing to do. With that, Catelyn searched the inte for relevantwyers. One of thewyers named Benjamin Anderson got Catelyn¡¯s attention. Apparently, he was a professional at civil litigation. It was also stated that he had won a hundred cases, not losing a single one. His fee, however, was a whopping six-figure amount for hire! Catelyn clenched her fists tightly. She had never been decisive¡­but she was determined that no matter what, she had to protect Miles. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. However, she was disqualified from the Chandier Jewelry Design Competition. She could have won handsome prize money from it, too. If the situation worsened and Jamie decided to start awsuit with Catelyn within these few days, she would need the money urgently. Even if she proved that she did not giarize, it would not be enough to save herself. What could she do? Could she approach Cedrick for financial aid? That afternoon, at George¡¯s request, Catelyn went to Bubsville Vi to supervise the construction. Coincidentally, Albert had given Catelyn a new order, saying that there was a w in the design of the garden and it did not meet the requirements, so Catelyn had to tear it down and redo it. As Catelyn finished modifying the design drawings, she went over to the Mason Group¡¯s headquarters. Mason Group and Chandier Jewelry were in the same business district in town. The towering structure of thepany buildings cut through the clouds majestically, giving the public eye an impression of a high level of prosperity and power. There were even two knight statues in the waiting room on the first floor. It was said that they were antiques specially brought back by Old Master Mason, which had the effect of bringing in good wealth to thepany. Catelyn walked up to the front desk and asked politely, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Catelyn, the designer in charge of Bubsville Vi. I¡¯m looking for Master Cedrick.¡± The receptionist gave Catelyn an entire once- over, looking alert and vignt. ¡°Hello, Miss rk. Do you have an appointment?¡± Everyone in thepany knew that Cedrick had been in a very bad mood recently. Sry bonuses of several departments have been deducted, so the receptionist could not just let any strangers up to see him. With a smile, Catelyn exined lightly, ¡°There is no appointment, but Master Cedrick has asked me to finish the design and send it to him immediately.¡± The receptionist snorted, seemingly losing her respect for Catelyn. ¡°Give me the design, and I¡¯ll have the secretary¡¯s office to pass it on for you.¡± Catelyn hesitated, not moving from her spot. The receptionist nced at her several times. ¡°Any other questions?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I give it to him myself?¡± Catelyn asked. ¡°Miss, I can¡¯t let you go up without an appointment.¡± With that said, the receptionist even called the security guard and instructed him to keep an eye on Catelyn. Cedrick had apanied Maia to a business event, and countlessdies had the opportunity to meet him there. Ever since then, there have been many women who pretended to have appointments with Cedrick, desperately doing anything they can to get close to him. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 The previous receptionist had the thought of pleasing certain celebrities and brought them to the CEO¡¯s office, and that receptionist ended up getting fired for it. Just as Catelyn was thinking about giving Cedrick a call, she saw Charles walking in through the door. Seeing Catelyn being stared at by the security guard, Charles quickly stepped forward and asked the receptionist, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The receptionist suddenly became very respectful with Charles around. ¡°Mister Peterson, Miss rk wanted to see Master Cedrick, but she didn¡¯t have an appointment set up with him.¡± ¡°I know thisdy. I¡¯ll take her up,¡± said Charles. He was pleasantly surprised to see Catelyn. Was she not the reason Cedrick was in a bad mood recently? Since she was here, how could he not bring her up to him? Charles smiled and greeted Catelyn, ¡°Long time no see, Miss rk¡± Catelyn remembered seeing Charles at the Barricade Club, where she hid under the table while he yed cards with Cedrick. Catelyn had a look of embarrassment when she recalled this and gave Charles a small nod of greeting awkwardly. The receptionist hesitated a little. ¡°But Master Cedrick¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bear all the responsibilities for her,¡± said Charles as he waved his hand indifferently and led Catelyn to the top floor. Charles bet that Cedrick would not me him when he saw him with Catelyn; he would be very happy instead. The receptionist did not dare to argue with Charles. After all, he was Cedrick¡¯s confidant. Catelyn followed Charles to the CEO¡¯s office, and during the little trip, she had made up her mind that she had to be nice to Cedrick. If she could get him to agree to prepay her sry in advance, that would be the best scenario. However, Cedrick was not in the office. He was having a meeting with a business partner in the conference room. Catelyn was not in a hurry and waited patiently for him. In the meantime, she took out a pencil and studied the design of the vi garden, cracking her head to see if it could be improved any further. As Cedrick finished his meeting and returned to the office, he saw Catelyn lying by the side of the coffee table in the corner. A design draft was spread out on the coffee table, and she was studying it intently. She wore light blue business attire. The cuffs were pulled up to her elbows, revealing her small forearm like a tender root. Catelyn¡¯s long hair loosely cascaded around her form as she quietly stared at the draft, her frowning brows stretched out as she seemed immensely focused. The warm afternoon light shimmered on her face, making her look particrly intellectual and charming Catelyn was anxious at first, knowing that she was here for Cedrick. However, she suddenly felt more relieved for some reason. As Catelyn finished writing herstment on the draft, she felt someone staring at her. She turned her head and saw Cedrick. ¡°Master Cedrick?¡± She quickly stood up. Cedrick returned to his usual aloof expression. He strode into the office, his feet d with his shiny leather shoes, and walked toward the sofa. He sat down gracefully, taking off his suit jacket. The dark belt buckle he wore was very eye- catching. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Charles that your garden design drawings have been revised?¡± asked Cedrick. ¡°Yes, please take a look,¡± said Catelyn as she handed him the drawings while exining the revisions. ¡°It¡¯s all changed ording to your requirements, mainly in these two ces¡­¡± Cedrick agreed with her revised points and pointed to certain parts of the drawing. ¡°Add a pool area here. Connect it with the water conservancy system so it can water the nearby flowers and nts as well.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll fix it right away,¡± said Catelyn. She erased the original design section, re-outlined the whole draft, and made some adjustments ording to the proportions. It was difficult to do her work while lying on her stomach on the ground, so she simply squatted beside the coffee table. Cedrick just nced at her indifferently, but he suddenly felt a burning sensation inside as if a me within him had just started. He leaned back and put one hand on the sofa cushion, averting his gaze from her. He then took a cigarette out from his pocket and lit it. The cigarette butt glowed and dimmed as he took a puff. While the smoke lingered around the room, it did not seem to bother Catelyn. Once she was in her serious working mood, nothing around could distract her. After what seemed to be a long time, Catelyn finished her drawing and handed it to Cedrick hurriedly, not wanting to waste his precious time. Her pencil unexpectedly fell on the ground, and she bent down to pick it up. At the same time, Cedrick had also leaned over to pick up the pencil. Both of them got tangled up in the process¡­ A brooch pinned to Catelyn¡¯s chest got stuck on Cedrick¡¯s belt buckle! ¡°S-Sorry! I¡¯ll untie it right away¡­¡± Catelyn muttered. She was forced to stay close to his lower abdomen. How embarrassing! Cedrick¡¯s breathing slowly grew heavier as he nced at her, his eyes darkening. Catelyn did not dare make him angry, so she hurriedly tried to untie the brooch. However, the more anxious she became, the more difficult it was for her to untie it. Her knuckles trembled while doing so. After a long while, the brooch and belt buckle were still stuck, and they just would not budge. Why was this so hard to untie? This would probably be thest time Catelyn wore this brooch! Looking weakly at Cedrick, Catelyn helplessly went and tried to untie it from his belt buckle instead. Catelyn was wearing thin clothes as it was summer. As her brooch got stuck, it caused her neckline to be pulled out in arge arc by the belt buckle. ¡°Not done yet?¡± Cedrick¡¯s tone was somber, and Catelyn could not tell whether he was happy or angry. ¡°Just a little more¡­¡± Catelyn lowered her head and continued to pick the belt buckle, feeling like she was an utter fool in this situation. The veins on Cedrcik¡¯s forehead popped a little. He grabbed her little hand, and with his index finger lightly on the side of the belt clip, he pressed it down hard. With the sound of a click the belt buckle came loose immediately. Finally! Catelyn saw Cedrick with a weird smile on his face as he pulled his belt out. She then hurriedly untied the brooch from it. ¡°You can just tell me that you like my belt, I can give it to you,¡± said Cedrick. Catelyn held Cedrick¡¯s belt in a daze, and she could feel his body temperature from the leather. Her face grew pink in embarrassment as she stuttered, ¡°I¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean it! It was an ident¡­¡± ¡°The design draft you did was good. Leave it here and make a copy for yourself,¡± interrupted Cedrick, not giving her the opportunity to exin. He got up and went to his desk, leaving Catelyn speechless. The buckle of the belt seemed to be made of diamonds. It was a very precious item! Why would he give this to her? Catelyn insisted on returning the belt to Cedrick. Suddenly, Cedrick stopped and turned around. This caught Catelyn by surprise, and she identally bumped into his back. The surrounding atmosphere instantly turned cold. Covering the tip of her nose that was hurt by the bump, Catelyn took a step back in a panic, blushing in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not quite myself today. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Cedrick was, instead, amused at this, admiring her blushing cheeks. Regardless, his aloof expression never left his face. ¡°Just leave your stuff here. You may leave.¡± Catelyn just stood there hesitatingly, feeling tangled at the moment.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Cedrick asked when he saw Catelyn wavering. Catelyn took a deep breath and said, ¡°Can I have my sry in advance?¡± She was not the kind of person who wanted to trouble others, especially Cedrick. However, she had no choice in this matter. Feeling afraid that he would disagree, she earnestly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Even if I get my sry in advance, I¡¯ll still work hard to make sure my work is done in a satisfying manner.¡± ¡°Give me a reason for this,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°Personal¡­reasons,¡± muttered Catelyn embarrassingly. ¡°Can we not talk about it?¡± Cedrick raised his eyebrows lightly. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, how can I be sure if I should give you your sry in advance?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Catelyn felt flustered at this. If Cedrick does not agree to this, how would she fight herwsuit against Jamie? Even if she wanted to talk about it, where should she start? There was a brief silence between the two, and suddenly, the door was pushed open as Charles walked in. ¡°Master Cedrick, Mister Lewis had signed the contract, and he¡¯d like to invite you to dinner. He¡¯s still waiting in the conference room,¡± reported Charles, not realizing the situation between Cedrick and Catelyn. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. After speaking, he stared at Cedrick¡¯s white shirt, and his face was overtaken by immediate surprise. Cedrick still had the same masculine, handsome face that remained unchanged for many years toe. However, there was a very light red mark on the neckline of his shirt, just like a woman¡¯s lipstick! Taking a closer look at Catelyn, her cheeks were slightly red, and her hair was a little out of ce than before. The most noticeable thing was that her shirt was in a mess, as if it had been crumpled severely. Charles¡¯ eyes widened as if he just had an epiphany. Did he just intrude while they were up to something? Thinking of this, Charles pretended to be cheerfully oblivious and waved his hand to the two of them. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Mister Lewis, Master Cedrick. Please, carry on, you two.¡± Charles was about to leave, but Cedrick suddenly called out to him, ¡°No. Mister Lewis has just signed the contract, and I have to be respectful about it. I¡¯ll go and see him in person.¡± Catelyn felt deted when she heard that Cedrick was going to apany Lewis to dinner. Suddenly, Cedrick said to her, ¡°You¡¯lle along, too.¡± What? ¡°N-No, I have to pick up Miles from schoolter¡­¡± stammered Catelyn. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you wanted to talk to me about your sry?¡± said Cedrick meaningfully, sternly. Charles also quickly persuaded her, ¡°That¡¯s right, Miss rk I¡¯m sure Mister Lewis won¡¯t mind you coming along.¡± Despite the assurance, Catelyn still felt uneasy. At this moment, out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the lipstick mark on Cedrick¡¯s cor. Since when did that happen? If Cedrick walked out like this, it would cause a big misunderstanding! Catelyn followed behind him. As they reached the corner of the corridor, she quietly approached Cedrick and tugged the hem of his clothes. ¡°There¡¯s something dirty on your left cor.¡± Cedrick saw Catelyn¡¯s cautious look and reached out to touch his neckline, but he did not feel anything. ¡°It¡¯s a lipstick mark You can¡¯t feel it¡­¡± Catelyn muttered as she pointed to his left cor. Cedrick pursed his lips lightly, deliberately teasing her, ¡°A lipstick mark?¡± Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Chapter 176 ¡°It must¡¯ve happened by ident. Hurry and wipe it off! It¡¯ll be troublesome if someone sees itter! If you don¡¯t believe me, I can give you a mirror so you¡¯ll see it,¡± said Catelyn as she hurriedly took out a pocket mirror from her bag. Cedrick stopped her hand while she was rummaging through her bag. He lowered his voice and nced at her with a wicked smile. ¡°Since you got it on me, you should be the one erasing it.¡± They were in the corridor. Although Charles Peterson and this Mister Lewis had not arrived yet, Catelyn looked around subconsciously and muttered, ¡°You¡¯re too tall, it¡¯s inconvenient!¡± Suddenly, Cedrick lowered his tall frame slightly. His handsome face was suddenly erged in front of her eyes, and his sexy Adam¡¯s apple could be seen bobbing. ¡°There you go,¡± said Cedrick. Catelyn was startled. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to wipe it?¡± asked Cedrick. Seeing her doe-like clear eyes and fluttering eyshes, he pretended to be indifferent. ¡°Never mind, forget it¡­¡± As he spoke, he stood back up straight as if he did not care. The flustered Catelyn, however, hurriedly grabbed his neck and pulled him back down. ¡°No, wait, I¡¯ll wipe it!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Due to her excessive force, the distance between the two was instantly closed. They were so close that Catelyn could almost see the wless pores on his face. Cedrick tried to conceal his chuckle. ¡°Wipe it clean,¡± he told her. Catelyn swallowed her pride and quickly reached out to wipe the stain on his neckline. The lipstick mark on the white shirt could not be easily rid of, but she managed to make the red stain lighter, making it seem less like an actual lipstick mark. At this moment, Mister Lewis, a man in histe fifties, had just come out of the conference room. At a nce, he saw Cedrick and Catelyn being very close to each other. Their gestures were intimate, so much so that he was stunned. Ah, the taste of youth! s, he was an old man, unable to keep up anymore. Mister Lewis had met Maia before, but it was many years ago. Seeing Cedrick and Catelyn being this close, in addition to Catelyn looking so simr to Maia, it was natural that he almost mistook her for Maia. Catelyn caught a glimpse of Mister Lewising out from the corner of her eyes. She hurriedly released Cedrick and said, ¡°I¡¯m done. You can go for your dinner now.¡± ¡°Together,¡± said Cedrick. He then pulled Catelyn into the elevator with him, while Mister Lewis followed closely. Catelyn bit the bullet and greeted him. ¡°Hello, Miss rk¡± Mister Lewis smiled back at her. Thisdy was none other than the missy of the rk family, Cedrick¡¯s fiancee! Catelyn grinned, but she was burning with anger within. She had told Cedrick she did not want toe, yet he insisted that she came! It did not seem to be a good time to talk about her request for an advanced sry, and she even had to keep an eye on Mister Lewis. Catelyn nced at Cedrick hatefully. The more she thought about it, the more depressed she became. Cedrick took a step sideways and looked back at Catelyn¡¯s gaze. Catelyn hurriedly looked away, her heart beating like a drum. Cedrick¡¯s eyes seemed to smile ever so faintly. Cedrick was already very good-looking, but with that smile, his stern aura was immediately softened, despite his tough, masculine demeanor at the same time. Mister Lewis felt like he was witnessing a subtle interaction between lovers. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Chapter 177 How sweet! Rumor had it that Cedrick was not close to any women, and he only cared for one woman from the rk family. It seemed that the rumors were true. Mister Lewis had reserved a private dining room at Majestique, a famous restaurant in Sapphire City located near an ecological artificialke. The flower garden outside was filled with precious flowers and nts, and the natural fragrance permeated the air. The real Maia, in fact, was also dining at Majestique at the same time, apanied by another woman. The woman was in her early forties. She had an abnormally pale face, and she was dressed stylishly. She had a gentle yet elegant smile on her face. This woman was none other than Janice Coleman, Cedrick¡¯s aunt. She had raised him ever since his mother had passed away at a very young age. Maia had specially invited her out for dinner. Cedrick had not been contacting Janice for a while. Instead, it was Richard Kingsley who was sending all sorts of different text messages to her every once in a while. As Maia thought of this, her face started looking serious, and her eyes became red-rimmed and glossed with tears. There was a thinyer of tears in her clear eyes, and it was easy for anyone to pity her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?¡± asked Janice, concerned, as she took a napkin and carefully wiped Maia¡¯s tears. Maia immediately put her arms around Janice and leaned her head on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aunt Janice. I may¡­not be able to be by your side anymore in the future.¡± Janice saw Maia crying and patted the back of her hand anxiously. ¡°There, there. What happened? Tell me.¡± Maia wiped away her tears and sniffed, saying, ¡°It¡¯s Cedrick. He¡­said he wanted to call off our wedding.¡± ¡°Call off the wedding?¡± frowned Janice when she heard Maia. ¡°He¡¯s not one to not mention such a tremendous decision like this to me. Are you sure about this? You both have been engaged for a few years, and your rtionship with him has always been very stable.¡± ¡°I wish I was wrong, but unfortunately, everything is true,¡± cried Maia, tears welling up in her eyes again. ¡°There is something I must tell you¡­¡± Janice frowned and motioned her to continue. ¡°If Cedrick broke up with me for the sake of other women, I¡¯d ept it. Anyone¡­but Catelyn,¡± said Maia as she bit her lower lip. ¡°Catelyn?¡± Janice asked curiously, ¡°Who is she? What happened between you two?¡± ¡°Catelyn is one of the rk family¡¯s branch rtives. Four years ago, her father was a sensational murderer, and at that time, her family went bankrupt. To save herself, she seduced Jamie Mason and even birthed a child out of wedlock!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Maia did not actually know what happened between Catelyn and Jamie, of course, but at this moment, it was better if she talked more things about Catelyn negatively. Moreover, everything she said was not entirely a lie. Janice¡¯s face turned ugly, and she could not contain her anger. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Ceddy was brainwashed by such an evil woman and wanted to call off your marriage in the process?¡± Maia choked with grievances, her face full of sorrow. ¡°Ridiculous!¡± eximed Janice angrily. Janice had been in the wealthy circle for many years, and she had heard a lot of pickled things, but she never thought that her nephew would also be involved in such a peachy scandal. ¡°The audacity of this woman! You and Ceddy clearly have a marriage contract, yet she clung to him so deliberately! I¡¯ll never allow such a person to be married to Ceddy!¡± Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Janice took Maia¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will fight for you. Ceddy has been with you for four years, and I will not let him get away with this!¡± ¡°Sob, Aunt Janice¡­¡± Maia choked and cried even more miserably, her tears falling down her cheeks like broken beads. She finally could not bear it anymore and ran to the washroom. Janice stared at Maia¡¯s back as she left the table with her fist clenched. She then coughed heavily, her originally paleplexion became a little rosier, and there was a faint trace of worry in her expression. Cedrick was a very decisive person. However, he was not very intuitive when it came to emotions. Shortly after, Maia was looking in the mirror in the washroom with a smug face, unlike her sad and pathetic self just moments ago at the table with Janice. She knew that Cedrick was particrly concerned about this Aunt Janice of his. Since he was a kid, he only listened to her, not even Grandpa Mason As long as Janice strongly opposes their divorce, Catelyn shall not seed in taking him away from her! Ding! Maia¡¯s phone suddenly buzzed and vibrated, and there was a new notificationing in Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She casually ruffled her long hair and nced at the screen of her phone. No surprise, it was another greeting from Richard. ¡°Mai, it¡¯s been almost forever! When are you avable? I want to see you.¡± ¡°I heard from your circle of friends that you wanted roses. I¡¯ll order 999 red roses and have them delivered to your house tonight, okay?¡± ¡°Cedrick is not worthy of you anymore. Forget about him¡­¡± Maia usually enjoyed the feeling of being chased by other men. However, this time, she was rather annoyed with Richard. She muted the phone and ignored him. As she came out of the washroom, she heard a few waitresses talking. ¡°Have you heard? Master Cedrick brought his fiancee here for dinner in the DeLuxxe Private Dining Room!¡± ¡°Ah? Really? Where did you hear that from?¡± ¡°Mr. Lewis had specially ordered some very high- end gourmet dishes. I went in there and served them drinks just now, and my, Ms. rk is so beautiful! She¡¯s a perfect match with Master Cedrick!¡± ¡°It¡¯s that true?¡± ¡°Of course! Master Cedrick is also not as cold as we thought. He was so gentle with Ms. rk Also, there was a small red mark on the cor of his shirt, and I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s a lipstick stain ¡°Wow, I envy them so much¡­¡± The waitresses all looked very excited. How they wished the woman sitting beside Cedrick was them. Maia fidgeted with her nails as she heard them, scrubbing the crystal nail polish so aggressively she almost broke them! Cedrick was here, having a meal with his fiancee. Maia was his legitimate fiancee! Which woman would dare take her ce?! The DeLuxxe Private Dining Room was about the size of 60 square meters. There was a huge round dining table in the middle of the room, covered with a beige tablecloth and presented with various luxurious dishes on it. The crystal chandelier hanging overhead shone a dim ray of exotic light on the food, making them appear to be even more appetizing. Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Mr. Lewis tried his best to entertain Cedrick. He toasted and chatted with him to lift the atmosphere as much as he could. He was not like a chairman but rather a member of the public rtions team¡­ Most of their topics were about official matters and asionally changed to a few unimportant gossip. Catelyn pretended to be transparent. She only concentrated on eating with her head hanging low. Undeniably, the dishes were made excellently. The portion of each dish was not much, but it was extraordinarily delicious, and the aroma would linger for a long time. ¡°Ms. rk, I don¡¯t know if you still remember me? It¡¯s my honor to meet you again today. Come, I¡¯ll give you a toast.¡± After indulging in the dishes for a while, Mr. Lewis suddenly raised the ss to Catelyn. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn was taking The Majestique¡¯s featured mushroom soup. Upon hearing Mr. Lewis¡¯s words, she wiped the soup from the corner of her mouth and smiled. She picked up a wine ss to return the toast. She felt strange. Why did she not remember meeting Mr. Lewis before? ¡°Mr. Lewis, you¡¯re being too polite. I should be giving you a toast.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too humble. I¡¯ll do it first as a sign of respect,¡± Mr. Lewis said. He emptied the liquor in the wine ss. Although he was old, he was quite a drinker, Catelyn clenched the hand holding the wine ss. ¡°Mr. Lewis, you¡¯re so forthright. Then I¡¯ll stop refraining myself as well¡­¡± She picked up the wine ss, and the pungent smell of alcohol gushed to her face. She was just about to bring the wine ss to the corner of her mouth when suddenly a pair of slender fingers appeared in front of her. The fingers snatched the ss from her hand with ease¡­ Under Catelyn¡¯s surprised eyes, Cedrick set the wine ss down and poured her a cup of hot tea. ¡°She¡¯s not good at drinking, so I¡¯ll drink this ss for her.¡± The slender fingers held the ceramic teacup up. Catelyn nced at the teacup. The light-colored tea was emitting white steam, blurring the air, making his joints less visible. ¡°Pardon me for not being considerate enough.¡± Seeing Cedrick¡¯s protectiveness over thedy, Mr. Lewis scratched his round head regretfully. He shed a guilty smile and said, ¡°I just want to make a toast, but I seem to forget that Ms. rk is not a very good drinker¡­¡± Catelyn whispered, ¡°Actually, I can drink as well if it¡¯s only one ss.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten how you behaved when you were drunkst time?¡± Cedrick rebutted Catelyn¡¯s words half-heartedly. Catelyn was speechless and rolled her eyes. ¡®That time, I was coerced by Jamie to take white wine and red wine at the same time. Of course, it¡¯s easy to get drunk that way!¡¯ she thought to herself. Swoosh! At this moment, without warning, the door of the private room was suddenly pushed open. A slender, tall figure and a young servant barged in. ¡°Miss, you really can¡¯t go in¡­¡± The servant was still trying to stop the woman. However, it was impossible for Maia to take a servant seriously. ¡°Get out. There isn¡¯t a ce in Sapphire City that I can¡¯t go to!¡± Maia threw the young servant to the ground with a powerful push, and then she rushed in with her pumps, with arrogance stered across her face. However, that pretty face of hers froze instantly when she saw the three people in the room. The woman sitting next to Cedrick was Catelyn! The woman that was being addressed as Cedrick¡¯s fiance was also her! ¡°Mr. Lewis, Master Cedrick, I¡¯m really sorry. This woman insisted on breaking in. We can¡¯t stop her¡­¡± The young servant apologized resignedly to the few people sitting in the private room as cold sweat broke out. When Catelyn saw Maia, her amber pupils constricted slightly. Why is she here? The murderous look on her face was as if¡­ she had discovered the affair between her husband and the mistress? Mr. Lewis vaguely felt that Maia looked familiar, but he still lowered his face in annoyance. He asked coldly, ¡°Is this how The Majestique protects the privacy of the customers? I have clearly requested that no outsiders are not allowed to disturb us. Hurry up and call the bodyguards. Drag her out!¡± Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Chapter 180 The young servant got up from the ground in embarrassment and nodded repeatedly. Several burly bodyguards rushed over after receiving the order. The bodyguards stood at the door and cast dark shadows around them in their ck uniform with a namete pinned to the neckline, sending off an oppressive aura. However, Maia had not taken these people seriously at all. The more her anger burned, the more she pretended to be casually fiddling with the ring on her middle finger. ¡°I heard that Mr. Lewis invited Master Cedrick to a meal. Why am I, the real fiance, treated like I¡¯m an outsider?¡± Mr. Lewis, who was originally boiling with anger, suddenly showed a startled face. ¡°You¡­ you are Master Cedrick¡¯s real fiance?¡± After a pause, he asked Catelyn in disbelief and asked, ¡°Then who are you?¡± ¡°Mr. Lewis, don¡¯t you know her? She¡¯s my distant cousin, Catelyn rk.¡± Without waiting for Catelyn¡¯s exnation, Maia raised her eyebrowszily and said calmly,¡± Master Cedrick, it looks like Mr. Lewis has mistaken me for someone else. Why don¡¯t you introduce everyone to him again?¡± Mr. Lewis¡¯s slightly plump face was filled with anger again. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Master Cedrick¡¯s fiance?¡± Catelyn was dumbfounded. Her beautiful eyshes raised as she said, ¡°When did I say that I¡¯m his fiance?¡± The entire atmosphere had gone awkward in that instant. Mr. Lewis felt that he had been deceived! ¡°Since you¡¯re not Master Cedrick¡¯s fiance, then why are you with him in the corridor¡­¡± Before Mr. Lewis could finish his rant, he received a stern look from Cedrick. He swallowed thest half of the sentence silently. Cedrick tapped his slender fingers on the table. His kingly aura was natural without the need to exert power intentionally. ¡°Our engagement has been terminated. It seems that you didn¡¯t take that matter to heart?¡± Maia stared at Catelyn with great intensity. What did she and Master Cedrick do in the corridor?.. Why did Cedrick not let Mr. Lewis finish? Such realization made Maia fuming hot with anger. She knew that Cedrick would be more convinced with a soft approach instead of the hard one. Maia bit her lower lip, ignoring the presence of outsiders, and showed a wronged look. ¡°Master Cedrick, I know that I was being too impulsive at the wine reception that day, but I really don¡¯t want to break off the engagement with you. I just don¡¯t want my fiance to keep looking at other women. What you said that day was just a joke, right? Let¡¯s not terminate the engagement¡­¡± While speaking, she gathered her skirt and walked to Cedrick¡¯s side, reaching out to hug his arm, acting like a spoiled child. Inadvertently, she happened to see a scarlet hue under his cor! Her expression was instantly frozen with icy frost! Cedrick stood up just before she coulde in contact with him and avoided her touch. He extended his fingers slowly to straighten up the hem of his shirt and said coldly, ¡°Since you won¡¯t take the initiative to speak to the rk¡¯s elders, I¡¯ll go personally tomorrow. I¡¯ll foot the bill for your order in the restaurant tonight. You can go now.¡± Maia¡¯s nails sank into the palm of her hand, and tears welled up in her eyes uncontrobly. ¡°We¡¯ve been together for four years. Even if we¡¯re not deeply in love, we should have feelings for each other by now. Do you have to be so heartless?¡± Cedrick looked at her indifferently. His lips slightly opened and he said, ¡°Isn¡¯t all this what you asked for?¡± Maia¡¯s pretty face flushed, and it turned green and pale for a moment. At that time, she took the initiative to say that she wanted to break off the marriage just as a threat to him. It was not her heart¡¯s true desire at all! ¡°Mr. Lewis, I¡¯m sorry for ruining the dinner with such a joke. I¡¯m afraid this dinner will end here today. I¡¯ll invite you for a meal another day.¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes were still cold. His voice was clear and steadfast, hitting people¡¯s hearts with every word he spoke. Mr. Lewis bent down, and his wrinkled face was full of astonishment. He nodded again and again.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°You¡¯re being too polite, Master Cedrick.¡± With an expressionless face, Cedrick grabbed Catelyn, and they left together. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Maia knew that Cedrick did not want to talk to her at all. However, she would not let them leave so easily. M¡¯s eyes rolled hastily, and she instantly cried miserably. She caught up to Catelyn in a few steps and grabbed her wrist. She said fiercely, ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Her sharp nails dug into Catelyn¡¯s skin¡­ ¡°Let me go,¡± Catelyn cried in pain and gritted her teeth. Maia¡¯s eyes slowly began to gather tears again. She put on a pitiful expression once more. ¡°Cat, don¡¯t you already have Jamie¡¯s son? Why are you still pestering Master Cedrick? You knew clearly that he would be your future cousin-inw. I have loved him for four years. I gave him my youth. You can do whatever you want, just don¡¯t take him away¡­¡± Although she pretended to be miserable, she dug her nails deeper and deeper into Catelyn, like a poisonous snake sinking its fang. ¡°If he can be taken away, then he¡¯s never yours to begin with.¡± Catelyn could feel her scalp tingle for a while at the resentful look in Maia¡¯s eyes. Frustration kicked in, and Catelyn pushed her with her palm and yelled, ¡°Get out of the way!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Unexpectedly, Maia fell to the ground in the next instant. Her skirt flipped upwards, revealing her tender and delicate calf. As if she was greatly wronged, Maia covered her lower abdomen, and her beautiful face was full of pain. She stared at Catelyn with sorrow as if using her of pushing her to the ground. Catelyn¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly. She clearly did not exert any force just now¡­ What happened next made her understand. In the next instant, Catelyn saw another middle-aged woman approaching the private room. ¡°Mai?¡± Janice, who did not see Maia returning after a long time, passed by and happened to see the scene of Catelyn pushing Maia down. Looking at Maia¡¯s appearance again, it was clear that she was being unscrupulous with Cedrick pampering her! She hurriedly went to help Maia up¡­ ¡°Aunt Janice?¡± Maia clutched her lower abdomen, feigning an uneasy expression, and exined hurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. I didn¡¯t stand firm just now. It has nothing to do with Catelyn¡­¡± Catelyn was caught off guard and went speechless. DSC What does a real b*tch look like? She had one exact demonstration in front of her now! Janice helped Maia up. The distress she felt for Maia soon turned into anger toward Catelyn. She clearly saw what had happened. It was Catelyn who pushed Maia down, yet Maia was being too kind to excuse the culprit! Maia seemed to have injured her leg She could not stand firm, Janice supported her, and she felt bad for her greatly. Maia leaned on Janice¡¯s body and was about to cry. ¡°It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t stand firm and identally sprained my ankle. Aunt Janice, aren¡¯t you waiting for me in the private room? Why are you here now? We¡­ I think we should go.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be the one to leave,¡± Janice¡¯s eyes fell on Catelyn Her aura was different from Maia¡¯s aggressiveness. Although she was angry, she had great manners. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. In the depth of her eyes, precipitation seemed to fill her pupils and cast a thinyer of smoke Her voice was soft yet strong, ¡°You must be Ms. Catelyn rk? I¡¯m Cedrick¡¯s aunt. You can call me Ms. Coleman.¡± Cedrick¡¯s aunt? Catelyn finally understood. It was no wonder that Maia pretended to fall down The purpose was to make Ms. Coleman hate her. Catelyn took a deep breath, ¡°Ms. Coleman, hello.¡± Janice wanted to get justice served for Maia, so she decided to meet Catelyn personally, She stared at Catelyn and asked in the tone of an elder, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re currently the designer of Little Ollie¡¯s Bubsville Vi, and you¡¯re very close to Ceddy as well?¡± Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Chapter 182 ¡°We will keep in touch because of some reasons at work. However, we are not considered close to each other.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°You don¡¯t need to be humble. I¡¯ve heard it all. For your sake, Ceddy even ignored the four year rtionship with Mai.¡± Janice still had that indifferent and calm expression. There was no contempt in her tone. Catelyn was well aware of the warning in her words. She stared at Janice with intense sincerity, and a sense of stubbornness filled her eyes. She was not the kind of person Janice thought her to be! ¡°I feel deeply sorry that the engagement between Master Cedrick and Ms. rk was terminated, but I¡¯m only an employee to Master Cedrick.¡± ¡°Alright, stop with those high-sounding words trying to fool people. Although I¡¯m not wise, I¡¯m a generation older than you. I¡¯ve seen many young girls trying to rely on men to gain glory and fame with ease. I¡¯ve never stopped these girls who want to get close to Ceddy. After all, it¡¯s always the girls who suffer from such things.¡± Janice spoke lightly. Since she had always been pale, her voice was not loud as well. When the wind blew, it seemed as if her voice was carried away by the wind altogether. However, Catelyn could hear her words clearly, and each word hit her heart heavily. Janice coughed lightly and continued slowly, ¡°There is never a shortcut to gain glory and fame in this world. How can you expect others to respect you if you don¡¯t respect yourself?¡± ¡°Ms. rk, I have a few words of advice. It¡¯s of great importance to marry within your own ss. If you have gotten enough money, you should stop to save yourself from greater humiliation. By that time, it¡¯s you who will be embarrassed.¡± Catelyn obviously felt that her whole body was icy cold. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could not miss Maia¡¯s provocative smug look. Maia secretly chuckled, admiring how embarrassed Catelyn was. Janice weighed a lot in Cedrick¡¯s heart, and she knew that Catelyn was no match for her. Moreover, those words had already degraded Catelyn to the lowest. Each and every word was spoken lightly, but it was like an invisiblesh that chastised the feisty, gold-digging girls! Maia waited to see how Catelyn would pull an excuse¡­ Catelyn had nothing to exin as well. After all, she had benefited from Cedrick greatly. As Cedrick¡¯s elder, Janice certainly had reason to suspect that the girl who approached him had impure intentions. The slender eyshes trembled slightly as Catelyn felt the urge to flee the scene. However, Cedrick suddenly spoke up and stopped Catelyn¡¯s movements. He said, ¡°Aunt Janice, she is not my ything.¡± His voice was powerful and prative. In the entire private room, there was only silence for a moment Catelyn was shocked, and she had an expression of disbelief. She stared nkly at Cedrick, suspecting if she had been hallucinating. However, Cedrick seemed to want to prove something. He walked to Catelyn¡¯s side and stood by her. Then, with his rough and big palm, he grasped her small hand, squeezing it lightly, and sped her fingers. He held her hand up. It was as if he was deliberately showing it to Janice. He even waved it gently. In mid-air, there were two hands, one big and another small. The colors of the backs of the hands were different. The tanned one was intertwined with the fair, and theyplemented each other. He looked into Janice¡¯s eyes unwaveringly, and his eyes were not the usual peace and calm. He solemnly emphasized, ¡°The marriage arrangement between the Mason family and the rk family must be canceled. If it can not be canceled, then the bride will just have to be reced. Anyway, the name is only a word difference.¡± Janice looked at the hands that were held together, and she felt an uneasy dazzle. ¡°Can¡­you repeat that?¡± Cedrick¡¯s thin lips pursed lightly. Cedrick¡¯s maternal grandfather¡¯s family, the Coleman family, was also considered a well-off one. His mother, Daphne Coleman, set foot in the entertainment industry by ident. Later, she met his father, and the two fell in love. However, twenty or thirty years ago, the Mason family considered themselves a wealthy family and could not ept an actress marrying into the family. Therefore, Daphne never had a dignified registration in the Mason family tree. Later, Daphne was pregnant, and she had a difficultbor during childbirth. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Cedrick was then entrusted to Janice. Janice had been weak and sick since she was born. She could not have children of her own due to her medical condition, so she took care of Cedrick as if he was her own son. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The two had a strong familial rtionship for many years. Although they were not actually mother and son, they already saw each other like one. ¡°Aunt Janice, you should know my temper. I never said things for fun. Especially when I said I don¡¯t want to get married anymore,¡± he exined in a soft voice. Janice was still unwilling to ept the fact, even though she knew very well that Cedrick would not change his mind on this. ¡°But Mai has been with you for four years¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to her. You¡¯re not in good health. The doctor said you¡¯d better not go out so soon. I¡¯ll send you back to Nandose Vi.¡± After saying that, Cedrick looked at the waiter and said, ¡°Arrange a car for me.¡± The waiter did not dare to hesitate and hurried to carry out the orders. Janice had no intentions of returning, but her bodily condition did not allow her to be reckless at a moment like this. She was about to persuade Cedrick again, but when she opened her mouth, her voice turned into a low cough. She clenched her fist against the corner of her mouth, and her delicate face wrinkled slightly¡­ Maia held Janice in a hurry. Maia¡¯s brain felt like it was about to explode. Cedrick disobeyed Janice. Cedrick even openly said that if he were not allowed to call off the engagement, he would simply rece the bride. It was obvious that he was just humiliating her at this point! ¡°Now that Cedrick said so, Auntie Janice, let me go back with you.¡± Maia bit her lips as if she had suffered a great grievance. Cedrick¡¯s eyes turned cold and warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t bother, Miss rk. As if this show had not gone too far. Janice is weak, and it¡¯s better to spare her from the rest. Besides, the engagement must be canceled. Please refer to her as Ms. Coleman from now on.¡± Auntie Janice camete. Maybe she did not see everything clearly. However, Cedrick was not a fool. Just now, Catelyn obviously had not exerted much strength, but Maia still fell to the ground¡­ Maia raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes. Cedrick¡­ How heartless he was! Then, he took Catelyn out of the Majestique. There was a long moat near Sapphire City. In summer, the cold wind was blowing at night, and the air did not feel hot or dry. When the wind blew on Catelyn¡¯s face, she looked at Cedrick, who was holding her hand, and her back trembled as if she had just woken up from a dream. ¡°Cedrick, this joke is getting out of hand.¡± She stood at a quiet street corner, surrounded by tree shadows under dim street lights. Catelyn looked straight at Cedrick, with her beautiful eyes wide open and her eyshes trembling. Cedrick slightly leaned over, and his scent instantly surrounded her. He said word by word,¡± What if I¡¯m not joking?¡± Looking at the handsome face in front of her, Catelyn felt more stressed and took a step back subconsciously. He was not kidding. He must be kidding. He was making fun of her. Cedrick followed her steps and approached her. He stared at her with his ck eyes, not missing every expression on her face. His handsome face slowly came down. His fingers grabbed her jaw and gently lifted it up. When he spoke again, his voice was maic and hoarse, full of bewitchment, and there was also a hint of banter. ¡°Do you want to give me a shot?¡± Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Catelyn looked around in a panic. She nced around and saw his shoes. Those doubts that he was making fun of her were gone in an instant. After a long time, Catelyn foolishly squeezed out the words, ¡°Are you really not kidding?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Cedrick admitted that he was a little impulsive in the room just now, but when he thought of being with her, it seemed that it was not as uneptable as he thought it would be. The feeling she gave him¡­ She looked exactly like the woman four years ago. Thinking of this, a sh of gloom appeared in Cedrick¡¯s deep eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. Catelyn summoned up the courage to slowly raise her head and look into his eyes. Her heart beat fast. She carefully asked, ¡°Then, does this mean that you want to be with me?¡± Cedrick said calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± Catelyn scratched her thigh. It hurt. This did not seem like a dream. All of a sudden, what had happened these days shed through her mind. In the room in the Barricade Club, Cedrick said that many women wanted to be his and asked her not to think about being with him. However, she asked him again and again now, but his answer was so firm and determined¡­ ¡°Stop it. I know it¡¯s not true. You don¡¯t like me. You just said that because you used me as an excuse to break off the engagement.¡± Catelyn yed with her long hair and joked. Unexpectedly, Cedrick admitted it. ¡°I won¡¯t deny that this is one of the reasons.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He would never let Maia be his future wife. He did not want to tell anyone, but he could not ignore how Janice would feel about this. The fastest way to make Janice agree to break off the engagement was to find another excuse. Catelyn¡¯s appearance was more than enough. That was one of the reasons. Was there any other reason than that? Did he like her? With her mind in a mess, she blurted out, ¡°Then, why did you pick me?¡± With a faint smile on his face, Cedrick said coldly, ¡°That day at the party, you were drugged and did naughty things to me. Don¡¯t you need to be responsible for me now?¡± Catelyn¡¯s face suddenly turned red at the thought of the event. She stared at him, annoyed. How could a man suffer losses in this kind of situation? She was the one who suffered losses, okay? Before she could figure it out, she heard Cedrick¡¯s low voice, ¡°Take what you need when you are with me. Maybe I can¡¯t be the best, but I will satisfy you with whatever you want. It¡¯s a win -win situation. I can¡¯t think of the reason why you would refuse.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, her mind went nk In the past, there was at most a trace of ambiguity between the two of them, but now Cedrick had broken it to pieces. Catelyn stared at Cedrick nervously. ¡°If I refuse, will you ruin my life?¡± Cedrick¡¯s finger trembled, and his handsome face slowly fell. He said nothing and lit a cigarette. Even Cedrick himself felt ridiculous. In his opinion, she was the type where he would go the other way if he ever saw her. There seemed to be an invisible force that made him want to get closer uncontrobly. The white cigarette was aze with fire. Cedrick took a deep drag and blew out the smoke.¡± No, I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Cedrick nced at her. Catelyn breathed a sigh of relief and gritted her teeth. ¡°Well, my answer is no.¡± Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Cedrick stared at her with a cold gaze. ¡°Why?¡± Catelyn was determined to cut clean from him. She could not afford to offend him because of his status. ¡°I just want an ordinary life and a rtionship. Someone who can hold my hand and walk on the road with me, or watch a movie or go to a rundown diner with me.¡± ¡°The most important thing is that we have the same morals and opinions. I want someone that I can share the same thoughts with. You are superior, and every move of yours has attracted the attention of everyone. There is no way to cross this gap. What you said will only be a burden for me and my baby¡­¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the back of her hand, which was drooping beside her, was suddenly held by a warm hand. The skin on the back of her hand gradually warmed her up, which made her heart beat slower¡­ Catelyn dared not look at Cedrick beside her. However, somehow, she looked up in panic¡­ Cedrick narrowed his eyes dangerously. He was handsome, and there was no hint of joking in his expression. ¡°Walking on the road while holding your hands, just like what we are doing now?¡± His words were like an electric shock to her ears, and it was like electricity where the skin of the palms touched. In a short moment, the whole world seemed to stop. All she could see was Cedrick. There was a hidden corner at the bottom of her heart, and her heart thumped as if she had been hit by something. ¡°Should we go to the cinema next?¡± His voice came again. Catelyn¡¯s heart beat faster. Then, Cedrick pulled her to the other side of the street. His broad back seemed to be able to bear the weight of the world. All of a sudden, she realized what she was thinking. She was so shocked that she bit her tongue and shook off Cedrick. She said in a hurry, ¡°I have something to do tonight.¡± She then ran away in a panic. There happened to be a taxi passing by, so she hopped onto it immediately. In the rearview mirror of the car, Cedrick¡¯s figure was getting farther and farther from her. He stood there with his back straight. His face was a little simr to Jamie¡¯s, but he gave her a In fact, although Catelyn was more than twenty years old, she had never really fallen in love When she was at school, many people wrote love letters to her, but she just wanted to study hard at that time. Later, before she reached adulthood, Jamie pursued her, and then they got engaged She was engaged first, and then she slowly learned to love him after. She could not understand passion before all of this However, she seemed to know what it felt like now.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Stop! Holding her burning cheek, she patted it hard, ¡®What are you thinking about? You just happened to appear as an excuse to help Cedrick break off the engagement with Maia. Do you really think he will want to be with you? Stop dreaming, ¡®Catelyn told herself. The car was driving on the road quietly. Catelyn lowered the window in an attempt to stop those messy thoughts with the cold wind, When she was lost in thought, she saw a red Ferrare parked beside the hotel gate across the road. A man and a woman got out of the car and walked toward the hotel gate That woman¡¯s figure looked a little familiar to Catelyn Catelyn¡¯s expression changed, and she shouted, ¡°Sir, stop the car!¡± The driver nced at her through the rearview mirror and stepped on the brakes. Catelyn rolled down the window and stared at the man and the woman hugging each other, Because of the angle, Catelyn saw the scene clearly and confirmed that she was right. It was really Maia Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Chapter 186 The man next to Maia was also very handsome. He looked a little familiar, and Catelyn seemed to have seen him somewhere. The two hugged each other intimately, and the man quickly kissed Maia on the cheek. Maia smacked the man on the chest light with a yful look. The man grabbed her hand and kissed her on the lips. They were flirting like a couple. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Catelyn was bbergasted. Was Maia having an affair? Did Cedrick break off the engagement with Maia because he had already discovered that Maia was cheating on him? She took out her phone and took a picture of the two hugging each other. When she was about to send it to Cedrick, she stopped as soon as she clicked on her messaging app. She was just rejecting Cedrick¡¯s advances a moment ago, and now she was sending him pictures like this as if she was going to give him some hints¡­ Catelyn saved the photo and rolled up the window. ¡°Please drive, sir. Ocean Path Residence, thank you.¡± At the gate of the hotel, Maia was almost out of breath in Richard¡¯s arms. She looked around guiltily. ¡°Richard, I asked you to let go of me. Why are you being so impatient?¡± What if they were photographed by paparazzi or someone they knew ran into them! Just now, Cedrick and Catelyn left, and Janice was sent back to the vi. Maia was both angry and annoyed. Then, Richard coincidentally sent her a message¡­ Now, the news that she broke off the engagement with Cedrick had not spread yet. In the eyes of outsiders, she was still Cedrick¡¯s fiancee. Since Cedrick could cheat on her, why should she pretend to be a good girl? She could also cheat on him! Anyway, it was not the first time she was doing this¡­ So, she asked Richard to hang out. Richard greedily sniffed the fragrance on Maia¡¯s hair with great impatience in his eyes. ¡°Mai, I really miss you. When you called me just now, I almost thought I was dreaming¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal first. I only take you as my friend with benefits.¡± Maia believed that Richard was obsessed with her and would be under her control. They did not notice that someone was staring at them in the dark. It was gettingte. In a private room of the Barricade Club, Cedrick was sitting on a big dark leather sofa. The back of the couch was against the window. The wind blew in through the window, and the curtain swayed gently. There was a burning cigarette between his slender fingers. He had expected that Catelyn would refuse his offer. However, he did not believe that Catelyn had no feelings for him at all. The cigarette was all burnt out, and Cedrick slowly shook the ash into the ashtray. The ashtray was gradually covered with white ash. When Edwin pushed the door open, he smelled a strong smell of cigarette smoke. Covering his nose, Edwin nced at his friend in disgust and said, ¡°The smell of smoke is so strong. I really don¡¯t know why you can still sit here. Do you want to smoke me to death?¡± Without answering, Cedrick snuffed out the cigarette, stood up, and pulled the curtain with both hands. The colorful neon lights shone in through the window. He calmly asked Edwin, ¡°Have you brought all the materials?¡± Edwin did not know what had happened to Cedrick. He just squinted at Cedric and walked to the window. He opened all the windows. After a while, the air smelled less awful. Then, he took a stack of documents and two thumb drives from his bag. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Chapter 187 ¡°Here, this is the information my subordinates found for you.¡± After a pause, Edwin pointed at one of the thumb drives and exined, ¡°By the way, this is the surveince video that Charles sent. He said that it contained the videos of your office being damaged that day.¡± Cedrick nodded slightly, picked up the thumb drive, and connected it to theputer. There was indeed a video in it. During the banquet, Cedrick suspected that Maia had gone through his confidential documents, but when he went to check the surveince video afterward, he found out that the surveince video was destroyed. Fortunately, the IT department of the Mason Group waspletely useless. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Cedrick clicked on the video. Sure enough, when Charles was making tea for him, Maia opened the documents on his desk in secret and stole a few of them! A haze of anger slowly crept up his eyes. How dare Maia steal from him. However, all this information only contained the surveince video and information of that one night four years ago. There was no reason for Maia to steal information like this? Cedrick quickly opened the sealed document bag and nced at the relevant documents. He was very fast, reading about ten lines with one nce. He did not find anything unusual the first time, until¡­ A screenshot caught his attention. The screenshot came from the restaurant across the hotel. The lower right corner of the photo reminded him of the summer four years ago with its timestamp. Near half past eight in the evening, a familiar woman in a thin floral dress, with long, ck, and soft hair casually scattered on her back, her face pale, her body trembling slightly, and her eyes with tears, trembling while stumbling into the hotel door. It seemed that she had encountered some major events in her life and she could not even stand straight¡­ The time she entered the hotel was very close to that of Maia. That woman was Catelyn! Why was Catelyn here four years ago, outside the Four Seasons Hotel? A strong sense of inquiry and suspicion suddenly haunted his heart, and Cedrick¡¯s eyes could not help but narrow tightly. Catelyn? Maia? Huh. When she got home, Catelyn received a message from Cedrick. ¡°I bet you can¡¯t escape this round.¡± It was his usual arrogant tone, and it seemed that he was sure to win. He bet that she would definitely lose. At first, Catelyn was a little upset, but she smiled calmly when she saw this message. He was in charge of everything. How could he actually care about her heart? If she decided not to be with him, could he force her to change her mind? ¡°As long as you don¡¯t y dirty tricks, I¡¯m betting that I won¡¯t lose.¡± She did not know if Cedrick was waiting for her message. Two seconds after she sent the message, he quickly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t be too full of yourself. You never know what will happen in the future.¡± Catelyn chuckled as she replied, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± The next day, Catelyn received her sry from Cedrick in advance. He gave her the amount she asked for without prying into her private affairs. Looking at the message from the bank, Catelyn was somewhat absent-minded. Did she take advantage of him? Although there was thirty thousand in her ount now, there was still a certain distance between the expensive legal fee that she had to pay Benjamin. In the afternoon, after sending her resume, she went to an office building in the center of the business section of Sapphire City. The ss reflected the dazzling sunlight, towering into the clouds. The pattern was unique, and the color of the reflection was bright. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Chapter 188 She took the elevator to the top floor of the office building, where Benjamin¡¯s office was located The receptionist was facing the door. Behind her, the logo of the Andersons Law Firm was particrly striking. It was made of white tiles, and the table was ced with a round porcin vase. The interior design was simple and magnificent. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Catelyn. I have an appointment with Mr. Anderson at three o¡¯clock this afternoon. ¡°Catelyn walked to the front desk and reminded her gently. The receptionist made a simple inquiry on theputer and looked at the information on Catelyn¡¯s ID card. ¡°Okay, Mr. Anderson is meeting a client right now. Please wait for a moment in the waiting area.¡± Those who could hire Mr. Anderson were either rich or powerful. Even if it was just for consulting, the price for the session was nothing cheap. The receptionist did not dare to neglect any clients that came here. Catelyn sat in the waiting area and waited. It was almost three o¡¯clock in another half an hour. Mr. Anderson usually charges by the second, so he would not exceed the time limit. However, to her surprise, at two-fifty, the receptionist suddenly answered a phone call, and her face changed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss rk. Mr. Anderson is going to meet an important client at three o¡¯clock. He may not be able to see you anymore. Can I help you change the time to next week?¡± The receptionist respectfully walked to the waiting area and bowed to apologize to Catelyn. Time was precious. It was usually difficult for ordinary customers to make an appointment. It took her a lot of effort to make this appointment. Jamie could send her awyer¡¯s letter at any time, and she did not know whichwyer he would invite to sue. How could she wait for next week? A terrible idea popped up in her mind. Did Jamie also want to hire Benjamin for the samewsuit? ¡°Can you tell me who this client is first?¡± ¡°Client¡¯s information is strictly confidential. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t disclose it.¡± With her eyelids twitching, Catelyn grabbed the wrist of the receptionist and asked, ¡°Is the client¡¯sst name Mason?¡± ¡°¡­ How do you know?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If hisst name is Mason, I won¡¯t cancel this appointment. If he has to cut the line to get before me, I don¡¯t mind inviting the media toment on the matter!¡± The receptionist did not expect that Catelyn, who was easy-going a second ago, would be so determined the next second. She broke free from Catelyn¡¯s grip and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m just staff here. Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me¡­¡± ¡°What are you arguing for?¡± A deep male voice suddenly came from the corridor. After hanging up the conversation with thest client, Benjamin was free for a few minutes. He heard an argument at the door of thew firm. He walked over and saw the receptionist arguing with a young girl. The girl wore a thin windbreaker. Her long hair was soft, and her jaw was delicate and sculpted. The receptionist was so anxious that she could not speak fluently. ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Anderson, I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s a small mistake. I can handle it.¡± Mr. Anderson was famous for his priority on money. If she could notplete her job, she was sure that Mr. Anderson would fire her without hesitation. Moreover, ording to his usual behavior, she would not get anypensation when she got fired. Catelyn stopped arguing with the receptionist and looked at the man standing in front of her. The ck handmade suit outlined his body, and he was about thirty years old. When he walked into the corridor, there was a faint fragrance of snow lotus. His face was smooth like jade, but his lips were thin, and his eyebrows were unusually high. This kind of person looked like ¡ª Someone who was rather difficult to get along with. He looked arrogant! ¡°Hello, Mr. Anderson. I have made an appointment with you at three o¡¯clock. I heard that your next client went by thest name Mason. He is likely to¡­¡± Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Chapter 189 ¡°It¡¯s two fifty-seven and twenty-four seconds now. It¡¯s not your time yet.¡± Benjamin looked at Catelyn up and down and found that the shoes, along with the cheap suit she was wearing, cost no more than one thousand five hundred dors in total. Although Benjamin never rejected ordinary clients, he was profit-oriented and would not do more than he could and deserved. ¡°Go out and turn right. The elevator is on the third floor. There is anotherw firm over there. ¡± Benjamin said, then turned his head in the direction of the receptionist. ¡°Sandra, transfer Ms. rk¡¯s details to that law firm instead.¡± The receptionist knew it would be like this. ¡°Okay, Mr. Anderson.¡± Benjamin stretched his legs. Catelyn realized what had happened. She rushed to Benjamin and tried to stop him, ¡°Wait, Mr. Anderson, I¡­¡± ¡°There is a reminder for cing an appointment online. If an emergency happened that caused the consulting not to continue, the appointment fee wouldn¡¯t be returned.¡± Benjamin would never return the money that had already gone into his pockets. No. Catelyn was speechless. She just wanted to say that she did not need to be transferred to anotherw firm, and she wanted to ask if the next Mr. Mason was actually Jamie Mason! When she searched for relevant information on the Inte, she saw a lot of negative reviews about Benjamin, such as him being shrewd, upassionate, and one-track-minded. At that time, she thought it was all just nder from his business rivals, but now, Catelyn found it hrious that the reviews all stood true. Ding dong As the elevator door opened slightly, the receptionist looked at the corridor outside the door and trotted to Benjamin¡¯s side. She reminded him in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Anderson, Mr. Mason is here.¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart sank, and her body stiffened. Mr. Mason was finally here. Gritting her teeth, she turned around and looked at the door. She would not give up resisting so easily, even if Jamie really wanted to hire Benjamin in thewsuit. A tall and straight figure came into view. He was wearing a white shirt, a ck suit, and a blue tie, he was inhumanly handsome. It was Cedrick! The receptionist greeted Cedrick with a smile. She bowed to him and led him into the Andersons Law Firm, ¡°Mr. Cedrick, Mr. Anderson is waiting for you. This way, please.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Then, seeing that Catelyn was still there, the receptionist said, ¡°Ms. rk, Mr. Anderson has made it clear. If you don¡¯t leave now, I will call security.¡± Catelyn woke up from the daze and watched Cedrick¡¯s handsome face getting closer and closer to her He had always been calm and indifferent. He just nced at her in a hurry, as if he had not confessed his feelings to herst night. The world seemed to be quiet. Soon, Catelyn restrained herself and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you today, but I don¡¯t need help from anotherwyer. Please help me change the appointment time to after Mr. Anderson returns.¡± After saying that, she left and breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that the man in front of her was not Jamie. When she passed by Cedrick, she had not slowed down either A faint fragrance of Gardenia swept over the tip of his nose. From the corner of his eyes, Cedrick stared at her back, with deep emotions rolling in his ck eyes. Why did she not greet him when she met him? Taking a look at his watch, it was three o¡¯clock. When Benjamin was about to talk business with Cedrick, he found Cedrick was looking at the elevator. With a smile at the corners of his mouth, Benjamin said, ¡°No wonder I thought that she looked a little familiar. That woman resembles your fiance a little, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Chapter 190 ¡°What did she tell you?¡± Cedrick asked in a low voice. With a disgusted look on his face, Benjamin replied, ¡°It¡¯s so cheap for you to have a mistress. You don¡¯t even buy her a set of designer clothes. Look at the stuff that she is wearing. You are worse than I am.¡± Cedrick¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°A few days ago, your mother asked me if there was a suitable marriage candidate for you. She did not care about her appearance, education, or family background, as long as she was willing to spend all your money away.¡± Damn it! Was his value in the dating market this terrible already? When she walked out of the office building, Catelyn was not discouraged. There were many excellentwyers in Sapphire City. Since Benjamin was going abroad, he would not ept consulting sessions for a period of time. Simrly, Jamie could not hire him either. The most important thing at present was to have a stable job. If she went to court in the future, the judge would believe that she had the strength and ability to raise the baby. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. rk. The position for designers is all full.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. rk. Your resume is too excellent. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard for ourpany to ept you.¡± ¡°Md. rk, you came to apply for a job without a degree certification? Did you not see that we don¡¯t ept workers without a degree?¡± Catelyn had gone through several interviews in one afternoon. In the beginning, the interviewers were always satisfied with her resume, and then they would find reasons to pick faults with her. Catelyn felt that she was getting numb with all the rejections. If only a fewpanies picked faults with her, she could still me herself for having said ws. However, all thepanies acted the same. Obviously, someone had tampered with the hiring process and did not want her to find a job. It was easy for Catelyn to figure out who the man was¡­. It was Jamie. Since she did not have a stable job, the judge would think she was unfit to raise the baby herself. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Depressed, she wandered aimlessly, with countless thoughts shing through her mind. Suddenly, a car honk came from behind her. Startled, she almost lost her grip on her bag. She turned around and saw that Cedrick was driving a ck luxurious car over at a moderate speed. He lowered the window; his handsome features fell into her eyes. ¡°Get in the car,¡± Cedrick ordered. Catelyn blinked, suspicious of him. Did he not treat her as a stranger just now? What was he nning now? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Cedrick. I have two interviews to attendter.¡± Cedrick¡¯s face was cold, and his thin lips were pressed against each other. ¡°I just need to make a call, and you won¡¯t be able to receive an interview notice in the short future.¡± Catelyn was speechless. ¡°This road doesn¡¯t allow me to stop. Hurry up.¡± Seeing that she did not move, Cedrick curled up his slender index finger and gently knocked on the steering wheel. ¡°Or do you want me to get out of the car to catch you?¡± There were several cars waiting in line behind Cedrick because the road did not allow roadside parking Unable to dissuade him, Catelyn had to bend down and get into the passenger seat. As soon as she fastened up her seat belt, she heard the man¡¯s low and sexy voice, which was as refreshing as chilled wine. ¡°The reason why you have your sry in advance is that you wanted to hire Benjamin as yourwyer for yourwsuit?¡± Hearing this, Catelyn¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she raised her head all of a sudden. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Meanwhile, at Golden Sun Kindergarten. The afternoon sun shone gently, casting its golden light upon the flowers in the garden. Ollie came up with an excuse to go home early. Exiting the kindergarten, he then turned right and followed the trail. He was carrying a backpack with a cartoonish yellow duck pattern, which entuated his innocent-looking face even more. As he made a tum, Ollie sensed that there was a presence following him from a distance. He cautiously made a turn into a hidden alley. Miles sneakily followed after him. ¡®Huh? I could¡¯ve sworn he went this way. Why don¡¯t I see him anywhere?¡¯ Miles thought to himself when all of a sudden, he noticed a dark figure moving toward him. With pursed lips, he switched to an offensive position to face the shadow ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± shouted Ollie as subconsciously dodged Miles¡¯ swing in self-defense. Miles pouted and sighed in relief. ¡°Idiot! Why didn¡¯t you say anything if you knew that it was me? You would¡¯ve cried if I identally hit you.¡± Ollie stiffened and blushed. ¡°When have I ever cried?¡± ¡°No? I heard that you used to hide and cry when you were alone in Mason Mansion. Grandpa Alfred sounded pretty convincing.¡± Ollie was so embarrassed that he could barely stand it. ¡°Well, Grandpa Alfred lied! I don¡¯t cry all the time. Well¡­maybe only a few times.¡± Of course, Ollie did not cry because he was punished; it was because he kept dreaming of his mother. Everyone else had a mother but him. He simply missed his mother so much that he could not help but sob at times. Miles¡¯ eyes lit up like a cat about to steal a fish. ¡°Wow! You really cried?¡± ¡°You¡­ You were bluffing?¡± Ollie¡¯s expression darkened. He would always fall for Miles¡¯ mind games as he often lowered his guard toward Miles, who was a spitting image of him. Miles lifted an eyebrow smugly. ¡°For a crybaby like you, even if we¡¯re twins, I¡¯m going to be the older brother, and you¡¯ll be the younger brother. Get it?¡± Ollie rolled his eyes and scowled. ¡°It¡¯s hard enough for you to sneak out. We shouldn¡¯t waste time, so let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve already made a reservation at the hospital.¡± With that, Ollie dragged Miles toward the hospital but stopped after just a few steps. He took out a clean children¡¯s face mask from his backpack and handed it to Miles in an organized fashion Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°I almost forgot-here. Our identities are very confidential right now, so wear the mask, just in case.¡± The mask was ck in color with no cartoon pattern on it at all. Miles pouted in contempt at the mask and asked, ¡°Why do I have to wear it, not you?¡± Ollie¡¯s eyes lit up slyly. ¡°You¡¯re the older brother, aren¡¯t you? If that¡¯s what you are, you should be more understanding toward your younger brother. Besides, you¡¯re wearing brand named products from head to toe and kind of stand out. Unless¡­you¡¯re in the mood for being pinched on the cheek and forced into taking selfies with all the nurses in the hospital?¡± Chills ran down Miles¡¯ spine as he pictured the scenario, thus he quickly wore the face mask obediently. 20 minutester, the two of them arrived at the door to the private hospital that Ollie had called for a reservation for. In the office of a certain doctor, the doctor adjusted her spectacles when she noticed that the appointment was for a DNA test. She turned to nce at the two boys, who were perfect replicas of one another in surprise, before saying, ¡°Have you made an appointment for the wrong test, boys? You don¡¯t even need a DNA test.¡± It was clear as day that they were brothers. The female doctor smiled gently at how adorable they were Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Clearing his throat, Ollie sweetly replied as he batted his crystal-clear eyes at the doctor, ¡°We didn¡¯t make the wrong appointment, prettydy. Please help us send the samples for the DNA test. We¡¯ve already settled the payment for this, too.¡± The doctor¡¯s hand unconsciously supported the side of her face as she grinned at Ollie¡¯spliment. ¡°Not a mistake, then? Alright, I¡¯ll make the arrangements for the procedure right away. You boys are still very young, so don¡¯t run around, okay? Wait here for me.¡± The light of the setting sun shone through the car window and lit up the inside of the car. Catelyn sat in the passenger¡¯s seat and tried to distract herself by staring at the moving skyscrapers. How did Cedrick find out that she was fighting Jamie for the custody of her son? Did Benjamin tell him? How could heck professionalism to this extent? Cedrick moved the steering wheel and drove ahead slowly, all the while ncing at her from the corner of his eye. ¡°Jamie had already gone to Benjamin before you did and offered him ten million to help Jamie with the case.¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart sank as she turned to stare at Cedrick anxiously. ¡°And did Benjamin take the case?¡± she blurted. Cedrick did not answer the question and, instead, said, ¡°I can make him change his mind.¡± Though Cedrick did not answer the question directly, his response indicated that Benjamin had agreed to be Jamie¡¯swyer. Benjamin usually epted each case with a minimum payment of a million, and Jamie had offered him as high as 10 million. It was arge sum of money, and Benjamin had no reason not to ept it. Catelyn clenched her hands and asked, ¡°But I thought Benjamin is traveling overseas?¡± Cedrick¡¯s lips curled, and with the thinyer of sweat that gathered on his forehead from the sun, his face shone in an extraordinary manner. ¡°Which is why I¡¯vee here to inform you that you have five more days to consider it.¡± ¡®Time to consider? Consider what?¡¯ wondered Catelyn, her eyes widened in confusion as she stared at Cedrick. Without a trace of guilt of taking advantage of someone desperate, Cedrick proceeded righteously, ¡°Get together with me, and I can get Benjamin to break his contract with Jamie and fight for your side instead. You¡¯ll get custody of your son, and Jamie will never be able toy a finger on it. How about you consider my offer?¡± Catelyn¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°The only word I want to hear from you is either a yes or a no,¡± Cedrick interrupted Catelyn from trying to ease the tension. She thus swallowed the words that hung at the tip of her tongue and fell silent. All of a sudden, he extended his right arm abruptly and grabbed onto her wrist. Catelyn panicked and looked up to find his dark, brooding eyes staring back at her. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! There was only a short distance between the driver¡¯s seat and the passenger¡¯s seat. The two looked into one another¡¯s eyes, and she could see the emotions flowing within his eyes; confidence and endearment. The more she stared at him, the more she felt like she was being sucked into a ck hole with no means of escaping. She bit down on her tongue and forced herself to look away. ¡°How is this any different from ckmailing me?¡± she huffed in frustration. A burning sensation started on the skin of her wrist where his hand had grabbed her. Not only was Cedrick not offended, but he even smiled instead. ¡°I only ever promised that I won¡¯t take revenge against you. As far as ckmailing goes¡­ If helping you counts as ckmailing, are you still going to ept the early payment of your sry I offered you this morning?¡± He narrowed his eyes in amusement, but his tone remained condescending. ¡°This is the second time I¡¯ve tried asking a woman out. Catelyn rk, give me your answer.¡± Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Catelyn wanted to pull her hand away, but Cedrick was so strong that she could not move, even if she struggled until her skin turned red. She became increasingly frustrated as even if he was not threatening her, he was still taking advantage of her. ¡°Do you really not care about my past?¡± She birthed a child out of wedlock, and her father was a notorious murderer. People of the rk family had avoided her like the gue, and for someone like her to survive in the elitemunity, she might qualify as a ything but not at all the type that one would take home to their parents. still had no clue as to what he meant by it. Would the Masons even believe that he was interested in a woman like her? She would not even qualify to be a wallflower. ¡°I¡¯m choosing my girlfriend, not a business partner. Besides, I have an illegitimate son as well, don¡¯t I?¡± Cedrick smiled as stared at her heatedly. ¡°Unless you mind that I have a son?¡± ¡°No!¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened as she thought back to how adorable Ollie was. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be more fond of him, so how could I possibly care about that?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind it, then prove it to me.¡± A smug smile formed on Cedrick¡¯s face. ¡®Prove it?¡¯ She thought, ¡®How am I supposed to prove something like that?¡¯ Catelyn was confused, and as though he had read her mind, Cedrick deadpanned, ¡°Get together with me and take care of Ollie. That¡¯s the best way to prove yourself.¡± Silence had fallen over them to the point they could hear the faint sound of each other¡¯s breathing. Catelyn gasped in disbelief, realizing that he had said so much only to get her to date him. Her senses told her that even if she agreed, their rtionship would notst under the pressure from the rk family and Mason family, and pressure would only mean trouble for Miles. However, some part of her longed to fight for it, no matter how slim the chances were. Apart from that, Cedrick promised to help her obtain Miles¡¯ custody. Her silence was viewed as a rejection of Cedrick. He lifted an eyebrow, and in a cold voice, he said, ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to say anything. I know your answer now.¡± ¡°Cedrick, I¡­¡± Her heart sank at his words. Her pupils contracted as she desperately tried to say something to ease the tension, but when she opened her lips, she found herself unable to emte words. Cedrick held onto the steering wheel quietly, waiting for her to continue with anticipation. He Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! wondered what she had to say, but no matter how long he waited, he did not get the answer that he wanted. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Catelyn, you may do as you please for two times because I decided to put up with you, but there won¡¯t be a third time. I hope that you know you only have onest chance.¡± Catelyn opened her mouth again, but still, remained silent in the end. She had thought that Cedrick would be furious at being rejected and would leave her at the side of the road, but to her surprise, he asked after half a minute, ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯ll drop you off there.¡± ¡°L¡­¡± Catelyn nced hastily at the time. ¡°Miles should be done with school now, and I need to pick him up. If it¡¯s too much trouble, you can just stop the car in front.¡± Cedrick nced at the map on his phone. ¡°Address.¡± Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Catelyn knew that Cedrick wanted her to key in the kindergarten¡¯s address. Knowing that refusing would not mean a thing to Cedrick, she swiftly keyed in the words [ Golden Sun Kindergarten) on the screen. Pressing on the (Confirm] button, a green path promptly appeared on the screen. In the private hospital, the doctor informed the two boys that the results would be released in five days. Miles quickly dragged Ollie out of the hospital and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just wait quietly for the results toe up in the next five days. Once the results are released, we¡¯ll know if we¡¯re truly rted. Miles wore a ck mask and his majestic-looking suit made him appear much taller and Ollie was following him, carrying his enormous backpack ¡°Miles? If¡­ I¡¯m just saying this, but if we¡¯re truly twins, will you let Aunt Catelyn be my mom, too? I can let you have my father as well.¡± Miles rolled his eyes uncaringly. ¡°My mom and I are fine without Big Demon.¡± Unwilling to give up, Ollie persisted, ¡°Do you really not want a dad?¡± Miles crossed his arms before moving one hand to fan his face. ¡°Mom said that my dad is Jamie Mason. If we share the same parents, maybe your dad got you by mistake?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± denied Ollie instantly. ¡°Only children proven to be pure-blooded are permitted to have their names on the family book.¡± Miles smiled. ¡°But what if Big Demon saw it wrong?¡± Ollie remained silent. He knew that Miles was saying these things on purpose because he did not want to share with him his mother. They made a promise to exchange clothes in an alley near the hospital and exchanged identities once more. Ollie grabbed onto the belt of his backpack tightly. ¡®Do I have to part with Aunt Catelyn this soon? I don¡¯t even know when I¡¯ll see her again,¡¯mented Ollie. Ollie walked slowly toward the end of the alley and proposed, ¡°Miles, let¡¯s exchange identities when the resultse out in five days, alright?¡± Miles batted his eyes. ¡°I knew you¡¯d try to break our deal. The answer is no!¡± Cedrick sent Catelyn to Golden Sun Kindergarten just in time when Jane walked past the guard LO: 194 post of the kindergarten. She was holding her white purse and beamed when she spotted Catelyn and a handsome man stepping out of a Bently. ¡°Miss Jane?¡± Catelyn, not expecting to see Jane here, greeted her enthusiastically. ¡°Hello, Miss. rk¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Jane grinned before turning to Cedrick. She gave him a nce-over before extending her hand toward him smilingly. ¡°So this is Miles¡¯ father, right? Miles sure looks a lot like him. It¡¯s no wonder that you don¡¯t come here with him. You simply have to hide a man this handsome away!¡± Catelyn chuckled shyly at the teasing tone. Both Cedrick and Miles were both Masons by blood, so it was only natural they resembled one another. Nheless, they were not father and son, and they were two generations apart. ¡°Hello. Thank you for taking care of Miles.¡± Cedrick stood tall by the kindergarten¡¯s entrance as he gently shook Jane¡¯s hand. He had abandoned his usual cool exterior and became extremely gentle, as though he was merely another parent who came to pick his child up. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Jane¡¯s eyes lit up in realization. She had always heard that Catelyn was a single mother because the father of her child did not want to take responsibility. Judging from what she could see at the moment, Catelyn¡¯s rtionship with her husband seemed rather harmonious. She asked caringly, ¡°By the way, Miles said that his grandmother isn¡¯t feeling well and went home early. How¡¯s your mother right now? Is she feeling any better?¡± Catelyn was furious when she learned that her son had run from the kindergarten, deciding she had to strictly discipline him once she found him. Miles seemed to grow increasingly wilful. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Cedrick¡¯s eyebrows twitched when he heard that Miles had run from school as he was reminded that his son, Ollie, had recently developed a habit of skipping school as well. Catelyn immediately called Miles, but as seconds ticked by, no one picked up. She felt chills down her spine as though something was about to happen. ¡®Calm down,¡¯ she told herself, ¡®you have to calm down. Miles has been good in the past two days and has been hardworking. It doesn¡¯t look like he ran away from school for fun. Did something urgent happen?¡± She called his number over and over again, and her heart sank deeper as she waited. Cedrick could not help but console her when he saw the worry on her face, and in a hoarse and strong voice, he said, ¡°That kid is smarter than you think. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you search for him.¡± ¡°I know Miles is smart, but I..¡± Catelyn choked on her words. There would not be a parent in the world that did not worry about their children. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send you home first. Maybe he¡¯s gone home.¡± Catelyn nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± She pointed at the turn ahead where they could turn around directly. Cedrick started the car and drove past the street when he was suddenly overwhelmed by a familiar feeling He narrowed his eyes and realized that Ollie was found in this area as well when he first went missing. The car moved forward steadily. Though Catelyn had guessed that Miles was in Ocean Path Residence, she did not give up looking for him at the sides of the road. She nced through the children that walked the streets one by one, but none of them was Miles. Just then, Cedrick¡¯s phone rang. When he saw Albert¡¯s number on the screen, he pursed his lips before answering the call in a casual tone, ¡°What has that brat done this time?¡± Albert was terrified and panicking when he called, but to his surprise, Cedrick had gotten used to ¡®Ollie¡¯s¡¯ behavior at that point. He cleared his throat and exined gingerly, ¡°Young Master Ollie won the bet with youst time and said he wanted to go out for a walk today, but it¡¯s already been half an hour past the time he promised to be back He¡¯s nowhere to be found and won¡¯t answer his call as well, so¡­¡± ¡°I had my men install a GPS in his phone. Check where he is right now.¡± Hearing Ollie¡¯s name in their conversation, Catelyn realized that Ollie had gone missing as well. Her heart sank deeper with indescribable helplessness. She nced outside the window frantically when suddenly, she spotted a child sporting a suit. Her eyes that dulled with concern instantly lit up in surprise. ¡®That¡¯s my Miles!¡¯ she shrieked internally. Though, questions surfaced in her mind. ¡®But why is he wearing a full-body suit? Did he run away from school to buy new clothes?¡¯ She opened the car door hastily to run toward Miles. Cedrick, on the other hand, was still speaking to Albert and nced in the direction she was looking at as well. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Chapter 196 In a dark alley outside the window stood a familiar-looking child. Relief washed over Cedrick at the sight, but at the same time, his stare grew cold. He told Albert to cease all searches for Ollie before hanging up. The car doors opened at the same time, as both Cedrick and Catelyn hurried over to the child standing in the alley. Catelyn was not as swift as Cedrick; and with their difference in the lengths of their legs, the steps he took were muchrger than hers. Catelyn was soon left behind. However, she assumed that he recognized Miles, so not only did she not suspect a thing, she was grateful to Cedrick for caring so much for her child. On the street outside the alley, Miles crossed his arms and leanedzily against the wall while dressed in a full-body suit. Meanwhile, Ollie was changing his clothes inside the alley. Both of them looked the exact same and were of the same physique, but Ollie was shy and told Miles to wait outside. The mask on Miles¡¯ face made it hard to breathe, so he took it off and parted his lips to breathe f ¡°Are you done yet, Ollie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost done. Stop pushing me¡­¡± an innocent voice came from the alley, the voice was faint but steady. Miles batted his beautiful eyes and grumbled, ¡°What do you mean, don¡¯t push you? Look at the time! It¡¯ste now, and I need to head back-mmph!¡± All of a sudden, someone grabbed him by the arm. He lost bnce and fell backward, his fair face bumping into someone¡¯s knee. The impact was so harsh that his nose hurt. Frustrated, Miles wondered who it was, only to look up and find Cedrick¡¯s cold eyes staring back at him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick oozed a terrifying aura that would send chills down the spines of anyone who faced him. All the words Miles wanted to say were lodged in his throat as he looked up nkly at Cedrick¡¯s intimidating face. ¡®Crap! Why is Big Demon here?¡¯ he hissed internally. Catelyn arrived just then and was slightly upset that Cedrick was grabbing onto her son so fiercely. ¡°Master Cedrick, thank you for finding,¡± ¡°Ollie Mason, do you know that Albert is looking all over town for you?¡± Both Cedrick and Catelyn spoke out at the same time, but Cedrick¡¯s voice was more hoarse and louder inparison, so he overpowered her instead. = 11 Miles batted his eyshes in fear when faced with the pressure of Cedrick¡¯s re. He subconsciously pointed at the alley, wanting to exin that he was not Ollie and that the real Ollie was inside the alley, but when he turned to look, no one was there. ¡®Where¡¯s Ollie? Where did he go? How dare he escape and leave me here on my own!¡¯he explored inwardly. ¡°I told Grandpa Albert that I¡¯d be homete, and it¡¯s not like I ran off to somewhere weird. I¡¯m going to be mad if you¡¯ll be this rough with me!¡± Miles mumbled guiltily, not daring to look up. He spotted Catelyn as well, but he did not have the courage to admit who he truly was and could only look around awkwardly. A breeze blew by and caressed Catelyn¡¯s face silently. She widened her eyes in disbelief as she felt like something exploded next to her ears. ¡®Did Cedrick just call him Ollie Mason? Isn¡¯t this my son, Miles?!¡¯ she thought. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Chapter 197 ¡°Master Cedrick.¡± Catelyn pointed at Miles, her finger trembling as she widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°W-What did you call him?¡± Cedrick looked at how shocked Catelyn was and scowled. ¡°He¡¯s Ollie. Haven¡¯t you met him before? Do you not recognize him without the mask?¡± ¡®Ollie¡­ Ollie Mason? He¡¯s Ollie Mason?!¡¯ Catelyn felt like she had been struck by lightning. ¡°If he is Ollie, then where¡¯s my Miles?¡± Cedrick studied her curiously, eventually thinking that she was so overtaken with worry over Miles. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he assured her. ¡°I promised that I¡¯ll help you search for your son, and I intend on keeping that promise, but Ollie has been in a bit of a rebellious moodtely, so I¡¯ll have to send him back to Albert first. Just wait for me here.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Catelyn was baffled. ¡®What are you talking about? My son is right there in your arms!¡¯ ¡°You¡­¡± Catelyn struggled to speak. She did not think it would be possible for her to not recognize Miles, but at the same time, she could not possibly tell Cedrick that he had mistaken someone else as Ollie, which meant that Ollie and Miles lookedpletely identical. Cedrick caught onto a scent of disinfectant and grabbed onto the boy¡¯s cor before staring at him. ¡°Where have you gone to? Why didn¡¯t you head back at the promised time?¡± ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t go anywhere. I was just walking around and didn¡¯t notice I¡¯ve exceeded the time.¡± ¡°And how do you exin the scent of disinfectant on you?¡± Miles waved his hand dismissively and pointed across the road. ¡°There. Someone was disinfecting that ce, and I just came from that side. Geez, Big D¨¦mon, let¡¯s just go home. I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± The restaurant across the road was under renovation and the kitchen was packed with disinfectant and cleaning tools, so Miles¡¯ exnation made sense. Cedrick narrowed his eyes, not buying his exnation. He lifted Miles with one hand before striding over to the car, opening the door to the backseat, and shoving the boy inside. Thump! He mmed the door shut, causing the car to shake at the impact. Catelyn watched as Cedrick shoved Miles into the car dazedly and instantly knew that she could not let him leave. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Wait!¡± Catelyn darted forward and stopped Cedrick from getting into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°I¡­ Though she was speaking to Cedrick, she was staring directly at Miles, not wanting to look away for even a moment. In the ck leather seats, the boy yed with his fingers guiltily, thinking, ¡®Crap! Why hasn¡¯t Big Demon started driving yet? Big Kitty is going to realize it¡¯s me soon!¡¯ ¡°When¡­is your son¡¯s birthday?¡± she asked. Cedrick looked at her oddly and sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. You¡¯re old enough to be his stepmother and he¡¯s pickier than me, so he won¡¯t marry you when he grows up.¡± Catelyn was stunned at this remark ¡®What is he trying to say? Does he think that I¡¯m trying to seduce his son? If this boy is my Miles, he wouldn¡¯t pretend like he didn¡¯t know her. Does that mean that this is Ollie after all?¡¯ Cedrick bent his arm and leaned against the car door while rubbing his chin with another hand. He leaned downward slightly, and his strong presence instantly loomed over her. ¡°Speaking of, there¡¯s something I need to ask you as well.¡± His sudden motion startled Catelyn, and she subconsciously took a step back Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Catelyn reached out nervously and ced her palm against Cedrick¡¯s chest before leaning backward. ¡°Speak properly! Why are you leaning closer all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I¡¯m concerned that you might not hear me.¡± ¡°What¡­ What do you want to ask about?¡± Cedrick decided not to tease her any longer and cut to the chase. ¡°On the night your father was sentenced to death four years ago, were you in Four Seasons Hotel?¡± Under the light, she stared at his straightened trousers and shiny ck leather shoes as she was brought back to that night four years ago. It was a nightmare that she would not wish to remember for the rest of her life, and the tips of her fingers trembled at the memories. She looked up, her eyes reflecting his figure, as she curled her lips sarcastically. ¡°I wish I wasn¡¯t there.¡± ¡®She was in Four Seasons Hotel after all. The screenshot from the surveince wasn¡¯t forged!¡¯ Cedrick confirmed to himself. He stared into her eyes as a certain emotion built up within him, threatening to explode. After a while, he managed to suppress himself and went to smooth her hair before asking,¡± Did anything out of the ordinary happen that night?¡± ¡®Why is he asking about this? Is he trying to look into my past with Jamie Mason?¡¯ scoffed Catelyn as she shoved him away in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m going to look for my son!¡± she dered before she swiftly walked away, leaving both Cedrick and Miles only her silhouette. On the window, Miles pressed his palms against the ss. His eyes were filled with anger as he watched Catelyn disappear into the distance when he red at Cedrick. ¡°You¡¯reing onto my Aunt Catelyn!¡± he hissed. Cedrick gave the boy a sidelong nce and went into the car. He first gave Albert a call before ncing back at Miles, who was sitting in the backseat. For whatever reasons, it seemed so much more pleasant to look at his son today. ¡°I thought that you like her? I¡¯ll make her your stepmother so that she can be with you every single day. Happy?¡± Miles¡¯ jaw instantly dropped, wondering if he had heard Cedrick wrong. Stepmother? Ollie had heard Cedrick¡¯s voice moments before he came toward Miles and swiftly snuck away through the other end of the alley before he came close. Though terrified, he was also rather d that his father had once again mistaken Miles for him and took Miles back to Mason Estate instead of him; this meant that he could stay with Catelyn for the time being. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He buttoned his jacket and tightened his grip on the belts of his backpack before walking out of the alley and into the crowd after a while. However, while he felt relief and glee, he turned around to find Catelyn looking around nervously. Catelyn was still looking for Miles, and on the crowded streets, the passing people created an endless stream that flocked the streets. At a certain moment, she suddenly paused to look behind her as though she had sensed something and met Ollie in the eyes. Her heart seemed to have stopped for a moment. Ollie pursed his lips before he called out loudly, ¡°Mommy!¡± Catelyn crossed the traffic hastily and ran toward the alley before pulling Ollie into her arms. It was not three secondster when she finally released him to stare intently at the boy before her eyes. The yellow-duck backpack, ck boots, blue jeans, and brown jacket¡­ His usual stern expression remained on his face, making him look both handsome and adorable. The boy before her looked just like the ¡®Ollie Mason¡¯ she saw in Cedrick¡¯s car. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Chapter 199 No one could notice the difference between both boys simply by their physical looks, but Catelyn was instantly reminded of theparison between them. Miles loved spicy food, but this boy was admitted to the hospital for eating spicy food. Miles loved swimming, while this boy would rather die than go to the swimming pool in their residential area. Miles was active and wilful, so he never liked learning calligraphy, whereas this boy had perfect handwriting to the point that Miss Janeplimented him in ss for his demeanor. Ollie did not let any change in Catelyn¡¯s expression go unnoticed; his heart raced as he noticed her scowling and pursing her lips in surprise and doubt. ¡®Did she find out that I¡¯m not her son? Will she chase me out?¡¯ he fretted internally. ¡°You¡­¡± She grabbed onto Ollie¡¯s sleeves with shivering hands before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re not my Miles, are you?¡± Thest strand of hope in Ollie¡¯s eyes faded away when he confirmed that Catelyn had learned the truth. ¨C Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°I¡¯m sorry for lying to you.¡± He bit his lower lip and bowed lowly at her. ¡°I¡¯m not Miles rk I¡¯m Ollie Mason.¡± When her assumption was proven right, Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°How can that be possible? ¡®How can these boys look exactly the same?! I¡¯ve been mistaking someone else for my son all this while? Does that mean Cedrick took Miles away?¡¯ She began to panic. Ollie noticed her eyes reddening and exined gingerly, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Aunt Catelyn, it¡¯s my fault. I wanted to spend more time with you and exchanged identities with Miles. I¡¯ve been imposing him all this time. You can hit me or punish me all you want.¡± He had never tried consoling another and was in absolute panic as he tried to wipe away her tears. Catelyn stopped him as her body shivered in anticipation. ¡°I¡¯m not crying. Tell me why did you exchange identities with Miles, and since when?¡± Ollie pursed his lips and went through the entire process with Catelyn. ¡°Thest time we exchanged identities was when you were taken to the police station.¡± His voice was innocent without a hint of deceit. ¡®In the police station? Yes¡­ It was then ¡®Miles¡¯ became more serious at school and started getting compliments from Miss Jane. Since then, he can no longer stomach spicy food and didn¡¯t want to go to the pool. Crap! How did I not notice the changes?¡¯ She thought to herself and asked, ¡°Are you truly Cedrick Mason¡¯s son?¡± Her heart raced as she felt that there was a fog ahead of her. Across it was the truth that she could almost reach, and she could not wait for the fog to go away. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ollie nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been living in Mason Estate, and everyone tells me that I¡¯m the young master of the Mason family. My name is on the family book as well, and only kids verified by DNA tests can have their names written on it.¡± ¡°What about your mother?¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart leaped when she found that Ollie looked identical to Miles. ¡°Who¡¯s your mother?¡± she asked hastily. Ollie sniffed, feeling bitterness surfacing within him. He shook his head helplessly. ¡°They say I don¡¯t have a mother.¡± ¡°Impossible! Everyone has a mother, so why wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Tears welled up in Ollie¡¯s eyes. ¡°My mother is a forbidden topic in Mason Estate. No one would tell me who she is, and Daddy won¡¯t let me ask about her either. The servants once joked around and said that my mom has abandoned me because she left me at the doorstep of the estate¡­¡± He started sobbing helplessly, his shoulders shivering as he did. Catelyn felt like a piece of her heart was ripped off at the pained expression on Ollie¡¯s face, and she immediately reached out to pull him into her arms. ¡°No, you¡¯re not an abandoned child! You have a mother, alright? She didn¡¯t abandon you, it¡¯s all just an ident¡­¡± ¡°An¡­ An ident?¡± Ollie wrapped his arms around her neck and asked dazedly, ¡°How would you know that it¡¯s an ident, Aunt Catelyn?¡± ¡°Because¡­there¡¯s a huge chance that I¡¯m your mother, but I¡¯ve never abandoned you!¡± She did not believe that two unrted individuals could look this alike, so the only sensible exnation would be that Ollie was the other child she gave birth to four years ago. She had fallen down the stairs at the time and was unconscious by the time she was hurried to the hospital. When she woke up, the nurse presented her with a stillborn and told her that her baby was beyond saving. Judging from the current situation, that was not the case. Her baby did not die and was very much alive! Ollie had to be Miles¡¯ twin. Otherwise, she had no exnation for this situation. One of her twins died, and four yearster, a child that looked just like Miles suddenly appeared. This could not be an ident. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought that you were no longer in this world throughout the years, and didn¡¯t go looking for you. I was wrong¡­¡± Ollie wrapped his arms around her neck abruptly before rubbing his chin against the crook of her neck. ¡°I never once med you, Mommy. ¡°You¡¯re finally back! Finally, I won¡¯t be called a b*stard child anymore! Oh, Mommy¡­¡± Ollie had always been introverted and would not even cry too loudly. However, his sweet voice was filled with bitterness the moment he burst out crying. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn held onto Ollie tightly, feeling like she had the entire world in her hands. ¡®Ab*stard? How could my baby possibly be a b*stard?¡¯ shemented. The piece that had been missing in her heart was found at this moment, and as she shed tears of joy, she brushed her lips gently against the boy¡¯s forehead. Countless memories overwhelmed her, but she could not seem to make sense of any of it. She had spent a night with Jamie Mason four years ago and became pregnant with his child. How did her son end up in Cedrick¡¯s care? ¡®Wait. Cedrick asked about that night just minutes ago, too. Was he¡­the man from four years ago after all?¡¯ When Catelyn found out that Miles and Ollie went for a DNA test in the hospital, she went to get a paternity test conducted as well, even though she knew by heart that Ollie was her son. Ollie held onto Catelyn¡¯s hand and followed her timidly. ¡°You promise you won¡¯t run away ever again, Mommy?¡± She rubbed his head endearingly, her gaze gentle toward him. ¡°You and Miles will always be my babies, silly child. I¡¯ll never leave you.¡± Ollie¡¯s lips curled as he flushed shyly. ¡°If you can be with Daddy, Miles and I will have aplete family.¡± Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Ollie used to be so worried that his true identity would be exposed, that Catelyn, in turn, would despise him. At this moment, however, he was recognized as his mother¡¯s dearest child. He no longer needed to worry about Catelyn hating him anymore! Greed was human nature. Back then, he had hoped that his mother would return to him, but now that she was back, he craved for aplete family-including Miles, his mother, and his father. Four of them, to live happily ever after. Hearing this, Catelyn squatted before Ollie, her gaze ever so gentle as she held his tiny hands with determination in her voice, ¡°Can you promise me something, Little Ollie?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ollie nodded. ¡°Before I find out the truth of how you ended up with the Masons, you have to keep the secret between us. Don¡¯t let anyone know that I¡¯m your mother, alright? Ollie looked down as he mumbled, ¡°Daddy¡¯s not a bad guy.¡± ¡± But I¡¯m worried that he might try to take custody of you and Miles, and I won¡¯t be able to see the both of you ever again if that happens.¡± Ollie batted his long, curlyshes, his eyes filled with matured determination. ¡°I¡¯ll never allow anyone to separate us ever again! Mommy, I promise that I¡¯ll never expose our secret without your perinission. But please, find out the truth quickly.¡± ¡°My Little Ollie is the best.¡± Catelyn tapped on his nose lightly, the warmth from her finger flowing through her heart. She had to get to the bottom of this. Did Cedrick take Ollie away from her on purpose? Who was the man who snatched her purity away from her and made her life a living hell four years ago? Jamie Mason? Cedrick Mason? Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Which one of them was Miles and Ollie¡¯s father? Cedrick took Ollie to Albert and had himn bring Ollie back to the Mason Estate He was about to go look for Catelyn when his phone rang It was a text from Catelyn. His eyes were glued onto the screen as he frowned. [I¡¯ve found Miles, so you don¡¯t have toe over anymore. Thank you for today That night, Catelyn wanted something different from her usual spicy dishes and made a table full of light and delicious dishes. Ste was out ying cards with her friends and said that she would be spending the night out. Things like that would happen every now and then, but Catelyn was not bothered by it; she wanted to spend some alone time with her baby boy. She wanted to talk to Ollie more about his childhood anyway. Catelyn kept filling up Ollie¡¯s te with food as they talked by the dining table against the window sill. ¡°So, Cedrick used to spend the night out very often?¡± Ollie nodded promptly. He wished he could say something good about his father, but he did not want to lie. ¡°Mh! But please don¡¯t misunderstand him, Mommy. Daddy has to take care of such a big business like the Mason Group and is very busy with work everyday. Even though he spends his nights out, he¡¯s mostly just in his office.¡± Catelyn expressed that she understood but added, saying, ¡°No matter how busy he is with work, he should never forget that his child is waiting for him at home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to it already¡­¡± Ollie felt a warm stream flowing through his heart. He had fantasized of moments like this, spent with his mother. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for missing out on your childhood. I promise to make up for it from now on, okay?¡± Catelyn felt immense guilt and regret. If only she was able to find out about Ollie¡¯s true identity earlier, he would not have to struggle so much. Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Catelyn even went as far as making a table full of dishes for Ollie. ¡°Of course, but¡­¡± Ollie scratched his head and said, ¡°Miles is still in the Mason Estate.¡± Catelyn fell into silent contemtion. Ollie was right; she could not have both of her babies at the same time. One of them had to be in the Mason Estate, or Cedrick would flip the world upside down looking for his child. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Mommy will think of a way to get Miles out so the three of us can be together,¡± Catelyn encouraged herself. Her priority was to find out who the man was from four years ago. The next day, Catelyn brought Ollie out for shopping. He had been wearing Miles¡¯ clothes, and though they fitted him nicely, he deserved his own clothes. On top of that, both children had different personalities and liked different things. The pair walked out of the house holding hands and was met with Jamie¡¯s car waiting outside. Jamie came out of his car. He was clearly waiting for the pair. Catelyn pulled Ollie to her back by instinct. It did not matter to her whether Jamie was the children¡¯s biological father or not; she would not allow anyone to take them away from her. ¡°Why? Are you that afraid that I¡¯ll take your child from you?¡± Jamie walked toward her with an arrogant smirk on his face with a stick of unlit cigarette between his fingers. Catelyn smiled politely and said, ¡°What brought the great Master Jannie here?¡± ¡°I took time off work today to spend time with my son,¡± said Jamie as he looked at Ollie. Catelyn was stunned at this statement. Did the sun rise from the West today? Jamie had never cared about Miles before, so what changed? Jannie then brought the pair to the most luxurious mall in Sapphire City, toward the children¡¯s section. Jamie¡¯s face was filled with a gentle smile and acted like a father would to his child. ¡°This, that, and that. ¡°Aside from those that I just pointed out, wrap up everything else for me.¡± Jamie ordered the staff and squatted in front of Ollie with a smile on his face, ¡°Son, is there anything else that you want? A toy car, a toy ne, or a toy robot? I can get you anything you want at all, just let me know.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ollie was pretty short, so he had to lift his head to be level-headed with Jamie. Ollie smiled brightly and said without hesitation, ¡°But I only like gifts that Mommy gave me.¡± ¡°Jamie Mason, what are you up to, really?¡± Jamie swept his hair to the side of his forehead and said, ¡°I just wanted to be a responsible father. Am I not allowed to be nice to my son?¡± ¡°You¡¯re more than wee if you¡¯re truly genuine, of course, but I don¡¯t trust that a man like you even has a heart,¡± remarked Catelyn expressionlessly. ¡°Heh. Please don¡¯t think of anyone else to be as horrible of a person as you. You took my son from me and had him for yourself for four years, and I¡¯m not even allowed to be nice to my own son now. I think you¡¯re just trying to raise him as a tool for revenge!¡± ¡°Revenge? Do you think you deserve that?¡± Catelyn defended herself fearlessly, her words sharp as des. Jamie¡¯s re was getting darker and darker. How he wanted to tear Catelyn apart with his bare hands! Queenie had been sent to a hospital in another country to receive treatment, but she was still unstable as ofte. Sheshed out all the time and would hurt herself and talk to herself. The doctor had told them her hysteria was caused by severe psychological disorders, and if she did not get better, she would be aplete lunatic. This was all thanks to Catelyn. At that moment, a beam of light shone past Ollie¡¯s eyes. Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Ollie looked toward the source of light and noticed a man sneaking around with a camera pointed at the three of them! ¡°Mommy, someone¡¯s taking pictures of us.¡± Ollie tugged on Catelyn¡¯s shirt guardedly. Catelyn pulled Ollie behind her by instinct and concealed his face. He could not be exposed to the public, more so being found out that Miles and Ollie looked identical to each other. Something was off, though. Why would anyone take pictures of her? She was not a celebrity. Catelyn¡¯s expression shifted as she strode toward the man and attempted to take the camera off his hands. ¡°Who allowed you to take pictures of us? Delete them!¡± ¡°Master Jamie, I had taken the pictures as you ordered.¡± The cameraman easily dodged Catelyn¡¯s hands. He moved to the side and stood before Jamie. Catelyn¡¯s hands froze mid-air as her eyes widened upon hearing what the cameraman said to Jamie. She shot Jamie a pointed stare. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°This is your cameraman? Jamie Mason, what are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Jamie red at Catelyn with one hand in his pocket and said in a sing -song tone, ¡°Mywyer told me that if I could get pictures of me being intimate with my son, it can help increase my chances of getting custody.¡± Catelyn balled her fists tightly. He had ill intentions after all! ¡°Miles wasn¡¯t intimate with you at all, so don¡¯t be too happy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I have enough material already, and with some editing done, we¡¯ll see if I should be happy about it or not,¡± remarked Jamie casually, shrugging. Catelyn had never been afraid of facing Jamie in court. However, with dirty tricks like that¡­ Jamie could fabricate fake evidence to make it seem like he was close to Miles, even though Miles hated him ¡°You¡¯re despicable!¡± ¡°This is nothingpared to what you did to Queenie!¡± Jamie growled as the vein on his forehead became visible. He red coldly at Catelyn and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, I¡¯ll make sure that you crawl to me like a dog and beg.¡± Catelyn gasped silently. She wanted nothing more than to strike him across the face now. Fortunately, her brain reasoned with her to remain calm. Catelyn crossed her arms at her chest and asked calmly, ¡°Jamie Mason, are you that certain that Miles is your biological son?¡± Jamie¡¯s face shifted slightly and darkened but quickly gathered his wits with a smile. ¡°Four years ago in the Four Seasons Hotel, you threw yourself at me in the corridor. Two months after that, you came crying to me and told me that you¡¯ve had my baby. If he¡¯s not mine, then whose is he?¡± Catelyn had never been the type to fool around, and Jamie was certain that she was just trying to trick him. All Catelyn heard from that sentence was ¡®corridor! She remembered that she barged into his room; she had never thrown herself at him in the corridor. Catelyn¡¯s long, beautifulshes batted lightly as she uttered, ¡°Threw myself at you? You were the one who forced me into it.¡± Jamieughed in disdain. ¡°Are you crazy? You came onto me the moment I stepped onto the corridor and wouldn¡¯t let me go. How was I forcing you into doing anything? You really would do anything to take custody of Miles, don¡¯t you? But the more you try, the more I¡¯ll hurt you!¡± Catelyn was at a loss for words. She felt like her soul had been dragged out of her body as she froze in ce. Jamie did not seem the type to lie about things like that. Which meant that four years ago, he was not the one in the room. He must have slept with another woman that night and thought it was her the next morning, which exined his version of the story. This also meant that the man who dragged her into the room was Cedrick. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Miles and Ollie¡¯s biological father was Cedrick after all. He was the man who had brought her years of nightmares! Could it be that the reason he took away Ollie was that he had been nning something all these years? Why else would Ollie be taken away the moment he was born? Even the nurse told her that the child was stillborn! Jamie was satisfied with Catelyn¡¯s grim reaction and left shortly with the cameraman. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s going on?¡± Ollie had no idea of the incident four years ago, but he had always hated Jamie for bullying Catelyn. Catelyn¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears as she realized that the truth from four years ago had been unveiled. She wiped her tears away and said, ¡°I just thought of something from the past. Little Ollie, remember what you promised me never tell anyone about yours and Miles¡¯ true identity. ¡°I promise.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ollie nodded, ncing from the corner of his eyes how Jamie was walking away arrogantly and with closed eyes. What a despicable man! Beep, beep, beep A cartoonish ringtone rang from Ollie¡¯s phone, breaking the warm moment between the pair. He looked at the screen and quickly gave the phone to Catelyn. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s Miles.¡± ¡°Miles?¡± Catelyn was happy and surprised as she picked up the phone in an instant. The brothers had been keeping in contact with each other. Without waiting for Catelyn to speak, Miles, who was hiding in the Mason Estate¡¯s washroom, started yapping like a little duckling. ¡°What a great brother you are, Ollie. It¡¯s bad enough for you to not tell me when the Bid Demon was here, but you even sneaked out alone!¡± ¡°The Big Demon has grounded me for one week as punishment!¡± Miles must have been very angry and felt even worse after saying all of that as he continued to ramble with his head down, ¡°All I wanted was to swap identities for a short while to save Mommy, but look at you now! Not only have you taken mommy all for yourself, but I even have to be imprisoned on your behalf.¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart tightened as she uttered gently, ¡°Baby?¡± The other side of the phone fell silent as if the whole world had fallen asleep. After a few minutes, Miles¡¯ voice could be heart sobbing over the phone as he endearingly called out, ¡°Big Kitty?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Oh, Mommy!¡± Miles became excited in an instant as he eximed, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much! I miss your cooking and the milk you made for me!¡± Catelyn let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Miles¡¯ happy tone. Even though his freedom was limited, he should be free of any other punishments. ¡°Listen carefully to Mommy now, sweetheart. Right now, I¡¯m trying my best to get you out of there. But as you already know, Big Demon has a lot of power, so please bear with me.¡± Catelyn suppressed her worry and tried her best to sound rxed, ¡°Before Ie and get you, try not to anger the Big Demon, and don¡¯t tell anyone about our rtionship.¡± Miles pouted as his pinky curled up and knocked against the back of the phone. ¡°But it¡¯s no fun here; it¡¯s cold like a prison. I don¡¯t want to stay here any longer.¡± Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Catelyn sighed defeatedly. ¡°Be patient. Remember what I¡¯ve always taught you?¡± ¡°One week.¡± Miles¡¯ eyes glowed as he solemnly spoke, ¡°If you don¡¯te get me within a week, I¡¯ll tell Big Demon that I¡¯m not Ollie and that you¡¯re my mother. He¡¯ll surely bring me to you.¡± Catelyn was speechless. This little imp! How dare he use his wit against his mother? She could not possibly get him in a week¡¯s time! ¡°Don¡¯t you dare threaten Mommy, Miles!¡± warned Ollie, squaring up audibly Miles switched the phone to his other hand as he said in a casual tone, ¡°I¡¯m your big brother, so don¡¯t talk to me that way.¡± Catelyn was baffled. Had they decided among themselves who should be the big brother? Ollie felt embarrassed as he looked at Catelyn and said into the phone, ¡°Then you should act like a big brother. Mommy criedst night when she knew you couldn¡¯te home. If you continue to make her upset, I won¡¯t acknowledge you as my brother anymore.¡± Miles¡¯ heart tightened as he pursed his tiny lips upon hearing that Catelyn had cried. ¡°Big Kitty cried?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you still want to threaten Mommy, then?¡± Miles had no intention of upsetting Catelyn and fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°Anyway, juste get me quickly, Big Kitty. He was just afraid that Catelyn might not want him anymore if she had Ollie with her. Ollie had better grades in school and was far more mature. Miles¡¯ eyes reddened as he switched his tone to a flighty, sad tone, ¡°Miles misses you so much. I miss you when I eat, I miss you when I sleep, and I miss you even when I use the toilet. I feel really, really sad when I don¡¯t get to see you, Mommy. My heart is going to break.¡± Catelyn could not take it any longer and thus vowed, ¡°Okay, I promise. I¡¯lle get you within a week.¡± Miles had never been away from Catelyn for such a long time before. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let me and Miles swap back, Mommy,¡± suggested Ollie, unable to bear seeing Catelyn suffer any longer If he returned to the Mason Estate, Miles coulde home. Catelyn shook her head, her eyes filled with determination. ¡°There¡¯s no need, I have other ns in mind.¡± T 205 If all else failed, she could always y dirty. Three dayster. Time slipped away like the sands of time. Catelyn had been attending job fairs for all three days and had received countless interview notices, as well as rejects. Jamie woulde see Ollie every couple of days, sometimes bearing gifts, and other times bearing snacks. He would always appear to be kind and gentle, with a cameraman hiding in the corner. Catelyn felt like her time was running out. That afternoon, she went to interview for a receptionist role and was rejected, even when the role was such a simple one. Catelyn walked out of the elevator, feeling defeated. Next to the building was arge Riverdale mall. She went to the second floor and bought herself a cup of iced coffee. ¡°Master Cedrick ising. Clear this floor now!¡± barked two men wearing suits with a pin at their chests as they left the scene in an instant. Catelyn¡¯s heart felt like it had been squeezed by a hand. Her coffee had be tasteless. She looked at the surroundings and decided to hide in the washroom by the corner. She was in there for about 15 minutes, waiting for the noises outside to quiet down before she sneaked out of the washroom. As expected, a tall figure was seen walking in her direction. Cedrick was dressed in a clean, neat suit without a single fold, his leather shoes reflecting the light in the mall as they strode across the marble floors, making deep and rhythmic thuds. Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Next to Cedrick were Charles and the mall¡¯s operating manager. The manager¡¯s forehead was covered in droplets of sweat. He felt honored, sure, but at the same time, nervous as he briefed Cedrick on the mall¡¯s operation statistics. ¡°Master Cedrick, the current foot traffic of the mall is-¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The manager had not finished his sentence when a bodyguard in a suit spotted Catelyn, who was sneaking around. Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Catelyn upon hearing the guard¡¯s announcement. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Miss rk?¡± Charles recognized Catelyn in an instant and growled at the bodyguard, ¡°Don¡¯t you have eyes? Make way for her!¡± The bodyguards stood aside and made way for Catelyn. Catelyn walked through the path that had been made for her toward Cedrick, her eyes filled with a myriad of emotions. She was shivering, even when she tried to open her mouth to speak No one knew how much she wished she could strike him across the face at that moment. Cedrick Mason was the man who had ruined her life! ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Master Cedrick.¡± Cedrick pursed his lips. Despite his packed schedule, he would make time to check his phone. s, Catelyn had never texted him even once. The manager was unaware of the situation as he sneaked a look at Charles. Charles¡¯ face depicted the emotion he did not visibly convey-¡®I don¡¯t know, don¡¯t ask me.¡¯ Cedrick¡¯s schedule for that day was filled to the brim. He looked at his watch and said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing important, I¡¯ll get to work first. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± ¡°Wait. I do have something to talk to you about!¡± Catelyn hurriedly grasped his wrist tightly. This behavior seemed utterly disrespectful to the manager, but to Cedrick, it did not seem to bother him at all. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Cedrick looked at her hand on him as he said with a smile, ¡°What is it, then?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± It was hard for Catelyn to say it out loud in front of the crowd. She took a long deep breath. She would not ept defeat for the sake of her two children! El uier ZUD Cedrick watched Catelyn¡¯s blushing face and, feeling pleased with himself, purposefully yed hard to get. ¡°If it¡¯s about work, you can go straight to Charles.¡± The mall¡¯s light was blinding, and every corner was brightly lit. Catelyn¡¯s chest tightened as she uttered, ¡°The questions you asked before¡­ Does it still count? Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Cedrick¡¯s eyes glowed in an instant. He stared into Catelyn¡¯s eyes as he grabbed her hand in his. His palm was so hot that it felt like it could burn her. She felt breathless as his masculine hormones surrounded her. At that moment, Catelyn was able to merge him and the monster from four years ago together. That was exactly how Cedrick had grabbed her back then; like a monster, refusing to let her escape. Catelyn¡¯s deepest, darkest trauma had been awakened. She shuddered as she felt nothing but fear. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you unwell?¡± Catelyn felt like a panic-stricken bird as she shoved Cedrick away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Cedrick, riddled with worry, did not expect Catelyn to shove him away as he staggered a few steps back, much to the bodyguards and staff members¡¯ horror as they gasped. They could not believe that a woman would push Master Cedrick away, more so when he had expressed care unprompted! Cedrick¡¯s handsome face darkened in an instant. ¡°It seems that I had misunderstood something here,¡± scoffed Cedrick as he turned and walked away. His bodyguards followed closely behind as the group of men left together. Catelyn watched as Cedrick walked further away from her, and she bit her tongue regretfully. How could she be such a coward? Before Cedrick could walk into the elevator, Catelyn chased after him and caught up to him. She could not afford to care about the other people on the scene as she eximed loudly to Cedrick, ¡°You said you¡¯ll give me three chances, right? I¡¯ll use myst chance now to tell you that my answer is yes!¡± The elevator door closed between them, leaving a cold, metal door in front of her. Cedrick vanished before her eyes just like that. Catelyn¡¯s heart sank to her stomach. Why?! What on earth was she thinking when she shoved him away?! That was thest chance he gave her. There was no breeze at all, but Catelyn felt her skin shiver from the cold. What should she do next to get Miles back? Catelyn fell into deep despair and fear as she retrieved her phone from her pocket and started texting Cedrick. He must have felt ashamed after being shoved away by her in front of his men. He would probably forgive her if she apologized, right? She sent him an apologetic text, but there was no response. Was this Cedrick¡¯sst straw, and he would never talk to her ever again? Catelyn¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. She promised Miles to get him within a week. She failed at being a mother! It was bad enough that she could not differentiate between the twins. With one of his sons trapped in such a predicament, all she could do was watch helplessly! All she had to do was to be with the monster who had taken advantage of her. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Chapter 207 Why could she not do it? Catelyn raised her hand, bringing her palm and was about to strike her face A cold breeze washed over her, blowing her hair up in the air. Ding! The elevator that descended to the ground floor came back up. The door opened slowly. Cedrick walked out of the elevator as the rest of the men stared dumbfoundedly. ¡°C-Cedrick¡­¡± The rest of the words swirled in Catelyn¡¯s mouth when Cedrick grasped her wrist and headed toward the management office. Everyone froze in ce, including Charles. Momentster, Charles chuckled lightheartedly and said, ¡°Well, it seems like I¡¯ll be taking over Master Cedrick¡¯s duty for today. Mister Norman, please lead the way.¡± All Riverdale malls were built with a spacious resting room in the middle, and the lounge room was preserved for senior inspectors. Cedrick dragged Catelyn into the lounge. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Cedrick scooped Catelyn into his arms and tossed her onto the sofa, his tall figure towering over her. Catelyny on the sofa, her long ck hair syed over the cushion as she was forced into staring at Cedrick¡¯s handsome face inches away from her face. She felt stunned and nervous at the same time. Her thickshes shuddered like bristle brushes. The shadow of hershes that had been cast on her nose bridge moved in a rhythmic motion following her breath. Cedrick propped himself up with one of his arms on the sofa, trapping Catelyn between him and the sofa, as he stared at her from high above. ¡°What did you say?¡± Catelyn knew Cedrick had heard her loud and clear and was just asking her to repeat it on purpose. For Miles¡¯ sake, she did not have much of a choice. ¡°I agree to be the ck sheep for you to call off your wedding with Maia. I¡¯ll do anything for you, as long as you help win custody of my child against Jamie.¡± Cedrick lifted her chin with his slender fingers. ¡°Look into my eyes and say it again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want me to do.¡± Catelyn looked into Cedrick¡¯s inky irises and shivered. Her body was screaming ¡®no¡¯ at her, while her eyes were filled with fear along with traces of¡­ hatred. Even though it was almost unnoticeable, Cedrick managed to catch it. His lips curved into a sinful smile. Catelyn stayed beneath him, even though she clearly did not want to. ¡°What changed your mind?¡± Catelyn¡¯s nails dug deep into the leather sofa as she forced a smile. ¡°As you mentioned before, being with you is like killing two birds with one stone. On top of that, Jamie has been ruthless, too, and I can¡¯t think of a way to defeat him.¡± ¡°But this is too boring for me. I don¡¯t get to experience the ecstasy of conquering you,¡± uttered Cedrick casually in an attempt to strip her of her masquerade. Catelyn tightened her fists and nearly shot up from the sofa from pure anger. ¡°Conquer¡¯? It was all just a game to him, as expected! It did not matter, anyway, since she despised him, too. She was only doing this for her son! Seeing as how things had escted anyway, Catelyn, filled with indescribable energy, wrapped Cate: 208 her arms around Cedrick¡¯s neck and pulled him in. Her head tilted slightly as she pressed her crimson lips against his. ¡°What about now? Do you like it?¡± Cedrick¡¯s face darkened as he growled hoarsely, his anger unconceble. ¡°Catelyn rk!¡± ¡°Jeez, you don¡¯t have to yell. I¡¯m right here.¡± Catelyn wiped her lips as she rolled her eyes and turned around. She tilted her head up, exposing her slender neckline as she swept her long hair to the back Her gaze was alluring. Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened as his breath quickened. The ends of his hair fell gracefully at the sides of his face, brushing his cheeks, triggering his tense nerve to burst. Cedrick squinted slightly, and all Catelyn felt next was her world being flipped around as a force grabbed her from behind. A dark figure clouded her vision as Cedrick took control of her once more. Catelyn almost let out a shriek as she felt herself being tossed around and almost losing her bnce. Before she could even scream, her lips were sealed by another pair of lips. Cedrick¡¯s slender fingers grasped her jaw and shoved it back, and she felt like the air in her lungs was sucked clean by him. Catelyn opened her eyes and was greeted by nothing but the clean, white ceiling. Her nails dug deep into Cedrick¡¯s bareback, painting strokes of crimson on his skin.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Cedrick gasped in pain as he stopped the kiss and looked up at the woman in his embrace, her skin pale like a pool of milk as it emitted a sweet, milky scent. It was an enticing sight. However, the sight of her shivering body made Cedrick feel like a pail of icy water was dropped on his head. He raised his brow and looked away in eptance. Catelyn was clearly reluctant. What drove her into doing what she did when she obviously hated it, then? What was her intention? Catelyn¡¯s clothes were already crumpled when she noticed that Cedrick had stopped, but she could not figure out why he did. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do it?¡±. ¡°Not interested.¡± ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s my first time doing it while conscious, and I¡¯m just a little nervous.¡± Catelyn acted casual as she licked her lips nonchntly and added, ¡°You didn¡¯t have to stop for me, really.¡± Cedrick slowly regained hisposure and calmed his beating heart before he slowly got up from the sofa. A couple of his buttons had burst off earlier, exposing his toned chest. He took off his shirt and pulled open the closet, retrieving a clean, fitted shirt. He spread his arm and put on the dress shirt gracefully; his every movement was of royalty. Catelyn stretched her lips into an unnatural smile. The room fell into a long, ring silence, and her brain was filled with white noise If he did not want her anymore, why did he return for her? Why did he bring her here? Catelyn was conversing with herself when her gaze met Cedrick¡¯s. His eyes were dark and icy without a single sign of warmth, and there were even traces of disdain in his gaze, rendering her feeling exposed and helpless. It was as if he was able to read every single thought in her mind. Catelyn tightened her fist and forced a smile. ¡°Sorry, I might¡¯ve crossed a line,¡± she muttered as she picked up her ragged clothes from the ground that barely covered her skin and walked toward the exit. She approached the door and grabbed the door handle, the sound of the door handle clicking being heard. The handle twisted as the door cracked open slightly Thomp! A strong arm flew across Catelyn¡¯s eyes andnded on the door, closing the door shut once again. Chapter 209 Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Catelyn looked at Cedrick incredulously, his face darkened as he hissed, enunciating his words, ¡°Do you think you can juste and go as you please? Remember, you¡¯re the one who came to me this time!¡± It was just after midnight. The neon lights shone from outside the window when Cedrick was seen leaning against the bed frame, with a stick of cigarette between his fingers. He took a long drag, puffing out streaks of white smoke. Next to her was Catelyn, who was fast asleep from fatigue. She slept on her side with her body curled up like a cat, her face was oddly pale. Strands of hair drenched by her sweat were glued to her forehead. Her brows knitted tightly together, as if she was having a nightmare as she twitched restlessly. She looked like a helpless kitten that needed to be sheltered. Cedrick brushed her hair with his fingers as images from earlier yed in his head. Well, it would take more than good luck to escape him once he had been triggered for whatever reasons. It was close to dawn when Catelyn woke up from her sleep. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Catelyn felt a dull pain in her lower abdomen, and that sensation was more than familiar to her. It was a sign of menstruation. She opened her hazel brown eyes and twisted a corner of the nket in her hands. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± rang a deep voice right next to her. Cedrick stared deeply at her. Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened as she stammered, ¡°Y-You¡¯re still here?¡± She immediately regretted her words. What sort of question was that?! Cedrick smiled lightly as he replied in a sing-song voice as though flirting with her, ¡°Where else would I be?¡± Catelyn struggled to treat him casually. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Catelyn jumped away from him and limped toward the washroom. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The nket was lifted up along with her movements, exposing a dark red spot on the white sheet. The blood stain was fresh and moist. Cedrick froze in ce. All of a sudden, a loud thud broke the silence. Cedrick looked towards the source of sound and found Catelyn copsed by the washroom door with her hand on her abdomen. She gasped in pain as her tailbone knocked against the hard marble and struggled to get back up. Cedrick¡¯s eyes widened as he flew across the room-bare-chested without putting on his clothes-and wrapped his arms around Catelyn, attempting to lift her up. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Catelyn shuddered as she shoved him away. She was in the midst of a heavy flow, and any movements would trigger the blood to flow out. That would be appalling! How many mirrors had she broken for such rotten luck? Her private parts were burning in pain! Cedrick¡¯s face sank as he watched how stubborn Catelyn was, despite her blood-drained face. ¡°You¡¯re acting all shy after what happened?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Cedrick suppressed his frustration as he uttered harshly, ¡°Did I hurt you earlier?¡± It was as if he was picking a fight with Catelyn. Catelyn gritted her teeth and retorted, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be aware of these things? Get off of me, and don¡¯t touch me. I¡¯ll be okay in a short while.¡± ¡°Who are you lying to?¡± Cedrick growled as he picked her off the ground aggressively. His masculinity washed over her as she was forced to lean into his chest and hear his beating heart. Catelyn punched his chest as she struggled. ¡°What are you doing? Put me down! I said get your hands off me!¡± Well, sh*t. Blood flowed down her legs profusely. Her pants must have been drenched already. Cedrick ignored her protests as he held onto her tightly and headed back into the bedroom. She was tossed onto the soft mattress, causing her to bounce as her bodynded on the springy bed. Her heart quickened from anxiety, and before she could say anything, her attention went straight to the smudge of red on Cedrick¡¯s arm. Catelyn¡¯s face turned green and white from pure terror! Cedrick felt the wet spot on his arm, too. He looked down to find the smudge of red had slowly spread. Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Catelyn had never felt so ashamed in her whole life! She wanted to get off the bed, but Cedrick pinned her down with brute force. Catelyn¡¯s face burned from pure embarrassment. ¡°Get off of me! I need to use the washroom!¡± Gazing at her flushed face, Cedrick demanded, ¡°Take off your pants.¡± Catelyn was so shocked that she almost kicked him in the face. ¡°I..I¡¯m not feeling well! Don¡¯t try anything funny. Cedrick scoffed defeatedly upon hearing what she said. ¡°What are you thinking of now? I¡¯m just trying to inspect the wound.¡± Cedrick pinned her down onto the bed and reached his hands out to her robe. There was no sleeping gown fordies in his house, so Catelyn was wearing a men¡¯s sleeping robe. He untied the knot on the robe, and before the robe exposed her skin¡­ Catelyn pinned his hands down, albeit shameful, and cried, ¡°I¡¯m not injured! I¨CIt¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s that time of the month! Menstruation! Do you understand?¡± Cedrick froze in shock That time of the month? He knew what that was, but.. What a huge misunderstanding this was! Cedrick looked down in embarrassment and slight frustration. ¡°Now that you understand, why are you still pinning me down?¡± asked Catelyn. Cedrick¡¯s face was flushed in light pink that was almost unnoticeable as he released her hands. Catelyn crouched and got out of his embrace as she clutched her sore abdomen. She picked up the pouch on the ground and ran toward the washroom. The humiliation haunted her, even as she sat on the toilet seat. Cedrick¡¯s ears looked blushed earlier. Was he flustered, too? Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Catelyn could not help butugh when she realized that Cedrick was oblivious to such basicmon knowledge, but her abdomen hurt even more from all theughing. Still, she was pleased with herself because she felt like she had yed him. After a brief break in the toilet, Catelyn got up to look for her pads. Ever since she gave birth to her children, she religiously brought spare pads with her everywhere she went since her menstrual cycle had been unstable. However, her spare pads were nowhere to be found. She was more than certain that she had one with her when she packed earlier. Where did it go? Did she forget it? It was four in the morning, and her only pants were stained with blood. There was no way she could go outside and buy one at this moment. Catelyn tugged and rubbed on her long, ck hair in frustration. What should she do? Was there no other way¡­than to ask Cedrick for help? This was so embarrassing! Cedrick washed his hands and stood before the window sill, still overwhelmed with emotions. Other than regret, there was an odd feeling circling within his heart. It was as if something was creeping into him¡­ An itchy, numbing sensation. Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Chapter 212 The peculiar feeling would bite him from time to time, and it made him nervous. Beep, beep! Cedrick¡¯s phone screen lit up with a message notification. Picking up his phone, he then realized that it was a message from Catelyn. Theirst text exchange was about the bet they had made. He won in the end.but he did not feel like it at all. Catelyn only said ¡®yes¡¯ because she had her agenda. Cedrick unlocked his phone, and the moment he read the message Catelyn sent him, he froze. Catelyn was trapped in the washroom. She could not get up, nor could she get out of the washroom. The red stain on her pants reminded her of how embarrassing what happened a few seconds ago was. She had no other choice than to ask for Cedrick¡¯s help. She had to enlist his help to buy her some menstrual pads. However, her screen did not once light up after she had sent the text. Cedrick did not reply. Did he not see the message, or did he just not want to help her? Catelyn did not hear the door opening or closing. She was tempted to call and talk nicely to Cedrick, hoping she could change his mind. Catelyn was still deep in contemtion when a figure was seen approaching from outside the translucent washroom door. Catelyn stared intensely. ¡°Open the door, I¡¯ve bought what you asked for,¡± said Cedrick nonchntly. Catelyn, still embarrassed, cracked open the door ever so slightly, and Cedrick passed two ck stic bags to her. Catelyn was immensely grateful and epted the bags in a swift motion before shutting the door. She opened one of the bags and found different types of sanitary pads: day use, night use, maxi pads, cotton pads¡­ There were more than 10 different types of pads! Catelyn was at a loss for words. It must have been a man who bought all of these. Had Cedrick ordered Charles to buy them? Catelyn¡¯s heart started racing once more just as it had settled down. ¡®Ugh! This is so incredibly embarrassing.¡¯ She then opened another bag to find aplete set of women¡¯s clothing, from underwear to outerwear. ¡®I guess he can be pretty attentive sometimes.¡¯ Catelyn changed into a new set of clothing and looked at the dirty men¡¯s robe she wore earlier. Without further hesitation, she filled up a pail of water and soaked the dirtyundry. She nned on washing it clean before returning it to Cedrick This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick stood outside and waited, all while wondering why Catelyn was taking so long. He felt chilly from being outside earlier and decided to turn up the temperature. He waited for another two minutes before he stood in front of the washroom door and knocked. ¡°Catelyn, I need to use the washroom.¡± ¡°Almost done!¡± Catelyn tidied herself up in front of the mirror onest time before she slid the door open. The embarrassment from earlier was gone and was reced by an air of awkwardness. Catelyn¡¯s head hung low as she stared at the brown slippers on the floor and uttered, ¡°Uhm¡­ How much were the sanitary pads and clothes? I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± The faint scent of gardenias wafted from her body as she had just taken a shower. Cedrick¡¯s eyes were sparked with passionate mes as he wrapped his arm around her waist in an assertive manner and threw her into an embrace Catelyn bit her lip and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I might stain your bedsheets?¡± ¡°Bedsheets can always be reced, but you¡­ You can¡¯t be reced.¡± Cedrick had never been the type to flirt, but that last sentence made butterflies in Catelyn¡¯s stomach. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Chapter 213 ¡°Do you say these things to other women, too?¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened as he stared into hers. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Catelyn, softly yet firmly, her gaze cast downward. Catelyn would never fall for him; she was only doing it for her children. It did not bother her how many women he had. She would never be jealous of him. Why would she, anyway? ¡°If it¡¯s not jealousy, are you flustered?¡± Cedrick curved his lips into a mischievous smile, but his gaze was cold. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about these things with you. I¡¯m hungry. Can we order take-out?¡± Cedrick smiled lightly and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered some, they¡¯ll be here soon.¡± His phone rang immediately after. The food Cedrick ordered had arrived. Different dishes-vegetables and meat skillet, soup, meat skewers-filled up the table. ¡°Take anything you like.¡± Catelyn was stunned at the sight and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll just have some soup. I might have to trouble you to send me hometer, cause I¡­ don¡¯t feel too good.¡± Cedrick, of course, would never reject her. The small hours just before dawn were the darkest and quietest hours. The street was vacant with no cars or pedestrians in sight. Catelyn was wearing the set of clothing that Cedrick had bought her. It was a long trench coat in sky blue, fitting for the current weather and temperature. The car stopped in front of Ocean Path Residence. Catelyn got out of the car. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you up,¡± offered Cedrick, all while staring at the guard by the doorway. ¡°Not today. My mother and Miles are home,¡± declined Catelyn gently as she stopped Cedrick from getting out of the car. He held her hand and kissed it gently, his rough stubbles tickling her smooth skin. ¡°You can just tell them that I¡¯m your boyfriend.¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyelids shuddered. She was tempted to retrieve her hand but suppressed the urge and instead cupped his face in her hand. ¡°They¡¯re still sleeping. I¡¯ll tell them soon, though.¡± Chapter 213 ¡°How soon is soon?¡± Cedrick grabbed her hand once more and gazed deeply into her eyes as he earnestly added, ¡°I don¡¯t n on keeping this on the down-low.¡± Catelyn did not expect him to be so straightforward and open about it. ¡®Don¡¯t all wealthy young men prefer to keep their romantic lives on the down-low?¡¯ Catelyn paused for a brief moment before she smiled and said suggestively, ¡°My house isn¡¯t appropriate. You¡¯ve seen it yourself; it¡¯s a pretty small ce. Let¡¯s just go to yours, okay? I¡¯ve never seen your house, of course, but¡­am I weed?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick paused and looked deeply into her eyes. ¡°That would be my pleasure.¡± Cedrick extended his arms out and said, ¡°Can I have a hug before we say goodbye?¡± Catelyn did not reject and drew herself closer to him, to which Cedrick embraced her gently and brushed her hair softly. ¡°The Mason Estate is indeed spacious. ¡®But what do you propose we do there?¡¯ The time Maia spent together with Richard got progressively longer. Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Richard had started seeing Maia more often, and even though she enjoyed herself, they had to be secretive about it. Since Richard was no celebrity, Maia found herself growing bored of him. That morning, Maia was awoken by the sound of her phone¡¯s text notification. It was another good- morning message sent by Richard. She swiped away the message in frustration and opened her conversation with Cedrick Theirst text was from a long time ago when she had invited him to dinner. It seemed to her that he was determined to dump her after all. Maia was in a rotten mood as shey in bed and scrolled away on her phone when she saw a trend on Twidder. [Have you ever bought sanitary pads for your girlfriend?] She clicked on the hashtag and saw the top post, noticing that it was posted by a cashier who worked in a 24-hour convenience store. The cashier posted about seeing a man who went into the store at four in the morning just to buy a whole bag full of sanitary pads. There was even a photo attached to the viral post. A handsome man in leisure wear with his hand on the door handle was seen heading out of the store. The photo was taken at an angle that showed the man¡¯s side profile. Even if it was just a side profile, Maia was able to recognize him right away. This man was Cedrick! Cedrick Mason, a proud and sessful young man, went out in the middle of the night just to buy sanitary pads for a woman! He had never even bought a single piece of clothing for her during the four years they were together. mes of anger slowly seeped into Maia¡¯s chest. She was so consumed by anger that she smashed her phone onto the ground with a loud m. The impact caused the phone¡¯s battery to pop out of the device and tter on the solid ground, startling her parents who had just walked past her room in the corridor. Maia¡¯s parents knocked on her door before walking in, only to find their daughter¡¯s face twisting in anger like a monster about to consume a human. Maia¡¯s mother was shocked. She had always taught Maia to act like a gracefuldy. This was the first time she had ever seen her daughter looking like this! ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mai?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Mom, Cedrick went outte at night yesterday just to get Catelyn some sanitary pads. They must be doing something shameful at such an hour of the day! He even went viral on Twidder solid 214 now! ¡°This is uneptable-I can¡¯t take this anymore. I¡¯m going to ruin that b*tch Catelyn¡¯s face!¡± Maia had completely lost her mind. She freed herself from her father¡¯s hands and added, ¡°No, that¡¯s not enough¡­ I¡¯m going to kill her!¡± Maia¡¯s mother finally understood what was happening and tried to console Maia, saying, ¡°It¡¯s just a picture. It does look simr to Cedrick, but don¡¯t overthink it¡­¡± ¡°How can I not recognize him?!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Maia¡¯s father stopped her and snapped, ¡°So what if he was out buying things for another woman? What man doesn¡¯t have a couple of mistresses on the side? Have you forgotten everything that we¡¯ve ever taught you about being ady? Where¡¯s yourposure?! I¡¯ve wasted all that time educating you¡­¡± Maia bit her lip and whined, ¡°Dad! How could you side with an outsider?¡± ¡°Grandpa Mason had called earlier. He¡¯s aware of Cedrick wanting to call off the marriage, and he had asked for you and Cedrick to go see him this weekend. You can tell him everything you want then.¡± Maia¡¯s eyes sparkled in anticipation. Grandpa Mason was, at the end of the day, the head of the Mason Family, and everything he said would be final. Cedrick might not have the guts to just call off the wedding if he did not get Grandpa Mason¡¯s approval. On top of that, she had Janice on her side as well. Maia still had both power and connections. She still had the chance to be Missus Mason! Meanwhile, Jamie and hiswyer had been pressuring Catelyn aggressively. They even managed to get the word out about how Catelyn was disqualified from Chandier Jewelry¡¯spetition, using this to criticize her personality. They even spread rumors around, bringing more chaos into Catelyn¡¯s life. On top of that, they threatened for her to give up or they would drag her reputation through the mud! Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Chapter 215 The result of the preliminary round had just been announced two days ago, but Jamie¡¯s lawyer had already gotten the word that Catelyn was disqualified due to giarism. It was obvious to her that they did their research and came prepared! Catelyn could no longer tolerate their persistent attacks. She decided to have a conversation with Jamie, face-to-face. Catelyn walked out of her apartment and heard the honks of the car. Following the sound, she was led to a familiar Bently. Cedrick had one of his arms down the window as he waited for Catelyn in the car. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Cedrick, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to fulfill my promise to you.¡± Cedrick opened the car door and got out of the car. He tilted his head ever so slightly and smiled. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve asked to meet Jamie in person for a negotiation. Hop on, I¡¯ll go talk to him with you.¡± Catelyn blinked, appearing to be touched by his action as she spoke, ¡°Really? Thank you foring along, Master Cedrick.¡± Cedrick chuckled as he held onto the steering wheel, though his smile was not as earnestly happy. ¡°Isn¡¯t this one of our conditions?¡± At thewyer firm within a business district. There was a heated debate going on in the conference room. Jamie and his team ofwyers were attacking Catelyn. She listened carefully to their conditions with caution and lingering fear. There was no mention of Miles¡¯ identity. Catelyn gazed casually at Cedrick, who sat opposite Jamie. Cedrick was wearing a white shirt, the leisure clothing clungzily onto his toned body, his hair short and fresh. His signature faint smile was present on his face as he stared nonchntly at Jamie. ¡°Uncle Cedrick, I¡¯m aware of your seniority as well as your position in the Mason Family, but this is between me and Catelyn, and you have no right to get yourself involved in our private lives!¡± growled Jamie confidently, with his team ofwyers covering for him. Even if Catelyn asked for Cedrick¡¯s help, Jamie had collected enough evidence to support him. He was determined to get custody of Miles! Cedrick lifted the cup of tea off the table and took a sip before he turned around to face Catelyn. ¡°The tea tastes pretty good. Have a sip.¡± Catelyn nodded as she took a sip of the tea. Chapter 215 It was just the usual buckwheat tea, though. There was nothing special about it. ¡°Uncle Cedrick, if you insist on getting involved in our matter, I have no choice but to face you in thew!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say I bully you because of our difference in seniority. You were given a chance.¡± Cedrick set the teacup down on the table, and his gaze was cold. The moment the cup met the table, making a faint thud, the door to the conference room was pushed open. A handsome figure walked into the room. Following closely behind were a few men dressed in simr suits with briefcases and folders in their hands. All of them walked in with confidence and faint smiles on their faces. ¡°Apologies for our tardiness, but the traffic was pretty bad on our way here.¡± Benjamin walked with poise as he buttoned up his suit and smiled politely at everyone in the room. ¡®Benjamin Anderson? ¡®Didn¡¯t he leave the country?¡¯ ¡°You couldn¡¯t be anyter than this,¡± remarked Cedrick nonchntly. Benjamin replied with his usual polite mannerism intact, ¡°Are you going to pay me if I arrive earlier?¡± ¡°No. But I¡¯m more interested in talking to your mother about her life n.¡± Benjamin red at Cedrick in silent frustration. ¡®What a great friend I have here! Thewyers that Benjamin had brought with him waited sternly, unlike the pair who were joking around with each other. The air in the conference room tensed in an instant. 77716 Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Chapter 216 ¡°B-Benjamin?¡± Jamie was equally shocked. ¡°I was wondering why you¡¯d turn down my invitation. It seems you¡¯ve been approached already.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Benjamin as he pulled the office chair elegantly and seated himself. ¡°You look so ugly, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll ruin my mood if I were to take you as my client.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Jamie mmed the table harshly, his hands clenched into fists as he red at Cedrick. ¡°Don¡¯t get toocent. Benjamin may be undefeated, but thewyer I hired is also one of the best in Sapphire City!¡± Cedrick tapped his fingers on the table rhythmically. Benjamin casually made an ¡®OK¡¯ hand gesture with him and announced to Jamie, ¡°Mister Mason, I am Benjamin Anderson, the attorney- in-charge of Miss Catelyn rk¡¯s representativewyer, and I¡¯m suing you on behalf of the client for the crime of abandonment and intentional injury. Therefore, we hereby ask you topensate my client for everything, including child support and mental damage.¡± Jamie had an indescribable expression on his face. ¡°Am I hearing this right? I have to pay for all these? I want to gain custody over my son!¡± Cedrick¡¯s face turned cold at this. ¡°Are you worthy?¡± he sneered. Benjamin reiterated solemnly, ¡°You¡¯ve heard it right, Mister Mason, and I¡¯ve already calcted the amount for you. It is a total of a million and five hundred thousand dors.¡± 1.5 million dors? Jamie could not believe his ears! ¡°I don¡¯t think you all understand. I have evidence that Catelyn isn¡¯t capable of taking care of the child. It¡¯s reasonable for me to request the judge for a change of guardian,¡± asserted Jamie as he red at Benjamin contemptuously. He motioned to his lawyer, Samuel Darby, ¡°Show them the evidence!¡± However, Samuel was visibly stiff, staring nkly at Benjamin and thewyers behind him. Although Benjamin had a good reputation in Sapphire City, he was only limited to civilwsuits. In fact, he was even more famous abroad. Together with the other four high-profilewyers around Asea, they were known as the Big Five Lawyers on the continent. Just one of them could easily overpower thousands of ordinarywyers. This was just a usual case of child custody, yet all five of them were here! ¡°What are you waiting for, Mister Darby?¡± hissed Jamie, gritting his teeth. Samuel was shocked by his remarks and immediately returned to his senses. He quickly said to Jamie apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Mason, but I¡­think I may not be able to do this for you. These people are the Big Five Lawyers, and you might as well get someone else!¡± He continued, ¡°I¡¯ll lend you the conference room. I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± = 16 Samuel and his assistant then packed up the documents and left the conference room as if they were running away. Jamie stared at them dumbfoundedly. Did Benjamin¡¯s reputation intimidate them that badly? Cedrick¡¯s thin lips pursed into a faint grin. However, there was a bit of ruthlessness behind his smile. 1 Jamie¡¯s heart sank, and he had a very ominous premonition. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m taking Miles,¡± came Cedrick¡¯s hauntingly cold remark ¡°You dare fight with me?¡± Jamie was frightened as he heard Cedrick¡¯s words, while his chest heaved unevenly. ¡°This is bullying!¡± ¡°I can give you enough time to find anotherwyer,¡± said Cedrick. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Benjamin chimed in with a half-smile, ¡°You better start looking. Time is running out.¡± How provoking! Jamie had no evidence in his hand and nowyers to support him. ¡°Just you wait, Catelyn! I won¡¯t give up just like that!¡± he snapped bitterly, so enraged that his face turned red. He kicked a chair on his right and left the room furiously. Catelyn looked at Jamie darkly as he left the conference room. This was the first time she saw him so shriveled. Blinking her amber pupils, her long curled eyshes trembled as she apuded Benjamin.¡± Mister Anderson, I now understand how formidable you are. Thank you.¡± Benjamin just shrugged indifferently. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. I¡¯d be very grateful if your man would stop threatening me with my family¡¯s affairs.¡± Catelyn¡¯s ears perked up at this. What did he mean, ¡®her man? ¡°Jamie and 1¡­¡± muttered Catelyn. It seemed their rtionship was in a veryplicated state. She could not just say that she had nothing to do with him anymore. Seeing Catelyn in a flustered state, Cedrick walked up to her and squeezed her little hand.¡± Now that the matter is settled, let¡¯s go have a meal together.¡± Catelyn¡¯s hands were sweaty, a contrast to Cedrick¡¯s dry hand. When he ran his fingertips across her palm, there seemed to be a burst of electricity flowing through her fingers. Catelyn hurriedly pulled her hand back and pretended to inadvertently fiddle with it. She smiled lightly. ¡°You guys wait here. I¡¯ll go to the washroom.¡± Staring at Catelyn¡¯s back as she excused herself, Benjamin nudged Cedrick¡¯s elbow. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from the Athertons that you broke up with Maia for her sake.¡± ¡°Quit it with the gossip,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°Come on!¡± Benjamin looked at him. ¡°It was such a hassle for me to drop such a big client abroad to help you and your girlfriend, yet you can¡¯t even give me a straight answer?¡± Cedrick was speechless. ¡°Still, Catelyn does look pretty. It¡¯s no surprise why you have a change of heart,¡± teased Benjamin. ¡°You¡¯re very nosy, you know,¡± deadpanned Cedrick Benjamin chose a nearby restaurant, and Cedrick had reserved a private room. Catelyn was dragged along as the three of them entered the restaurant together, where a waiter greeted them at the door. anter 217 ¡°Master Cedrick, the private room has been reserved for you. It¡¯s on the second floor, so pleasee with me,¡± said the waiter respectfully, smiling. Catelyn, meanwhile, felt a little ufortable holding Cedrick¡¯s hand in public, and her palms were getting sweaty, too. She gently tugged at his clothes and mumbled, ¡°You¡¯re gripping my hand too tightly. It¡¯s ufortable.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± replied Cedrick confidently, having no intention of letting her go.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Cedrick, Benjamin, and Catelyn looked elegant in their suits and dress respectively, so much so that they attracted the attention of many guests in the hall along the way. Catelyn simply took off her hair tie and let her hair down and simted a calmer, moreposed version of herself. They were walking toward the elevator on the second floor when they heard a waiter apologetically exining to a middle-aged woman in a purple dress, ¡°Miss Coleman, I¡¯m truly sorry. The private room where you often dine in has been reserved by another gentleman. Can I arrange another room for you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s also my fault that I didn¡¯t call ahead to make an appointment,¡± said the woman with a soft voice, without any hint of anger. The waiter immediately breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Miss Coleman. Please,e this way!¡± ¡°Aunt Janice?¡± Cedrick could recognize the purple dress even from a distance. It was a gift for herst year. Janice heard the familiar voice and turned her head slowly. The smile on the corner of her mouth had not been drawn to the fullest the moment she saw Catelyn on Cedrick¡¯s side, both holding hands. ¡°Aunt Janice,¡± greeted Benjamin. He knew her personally. ¡°Hello Miss Coleman,¡± said Catelyn. She felt awkward holding hands with Cedrick. She tried to withdraw her hand, but he was holding it too tightly! Instead, with Janice around, Cedrick seemed to grip her hand even harder as if he was trying to show her deliberately. ¡°Ah, it seems that Miss Coleman and Master Cedrick know each other,¡± said the waiter in a Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Cedrick. Why don¡¯t¡­you all share the room and dine together?¡± Janice maintained a polite smile, her eyes slowly moving up along the sped hands of the two and eventuallynding on Catelyn¡¯s face. ¡°Miss rk, do you mind?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Catelyn hurriedly responded with a smile. Janice was Cedrick¡¯s aunt, and they shared a close bond. How could she refuse? Benjamin noticed the interaction between Janice and Catelyn, and he simply gave Cedrick a wink and left quietly. Catelyn¡¯sposure quickly dissipated. She would much rather be with Benjamin than with Janice! The private room on the second floor was one of Janice¡¯s favorite ces to dine. She enjoyed the transparentyout and the blooming flowers around the room. There was also a faint fragrant smell in the atmosphere. Charter 218 Chapter 218 Cedrick, Benjamin, and Catelyn looked elegant in their suits and dress respectively, so much so that they attracted the attention of many guests in the hall along the way. Catelyn simply took off her hair tie and let her hair down and simted a calmer, moreposed version of herself. They were walking toward the elevator on the second floor when they heard a waiter apologetically exining to a middle-aged woman in a purple dress, ¡°Miss Coleman, I¡¯m truly sorry. The private room where you often dine in has been reserved by another gentleman. Can I arrange another room for you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s also my fault that I didn¡¯t call ahead to make an appointment,¡± said the woman with a soft voice, without any hint of anger. The waiter immediately breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Miss Coleman. Please,e this way!¡± ¡°Aunt Janice?¡± Cedrick could recognize the purple dress even from a distance. It was a gift for herst year. Janice heard the familiar voice and turned her head slowly. The smile on the corner of her mouth had not been drawn to the fullest the moment she saw Catelyn on Cedrick¡¯s side, both holding hands. ¡°Aunt Janice,¡± greeted Benjamin. He knew her personally. ¡°Hello Miss Coleman,¡± said Catelyn. She felt awkward holding hands with Cedrick She tried to withdraw her hand, but he was holding it too tightly! Instead, with Janice around, Cedrick seemed to grip her hand even harder as if he was trying to show her deliberately. ¡°Ah, it seems that Miss Coleman and Master Cedrick know each other,¡± said the waiter in a pleasant surprise. ¡°Miss Coleman, the private room you¡¯d often use is reserved by Master Cedrick. Why don¡¯t¡­ you all share the room and dine together?¡± Janice maintained a polite smile, her eyes slowly moving up along the sped hands of the two and eventuallynding on Catelyn¡¯s face. ¡°Miss rk, do you mind?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Catelyn hurriedly responded with a smile. Janice was Cedrick¡¯s aunt, and they shared a close bond. How could she refuse? Benjamin noticed the interaction between Janice and Catelyn, and he simply gave Cedrick a wink and left quietly. Catelyn¡¯sposure quickly dissipated. She would much rather be with Benjamin than with Janice! The private room on the second floor was one of Janice¡¯s favorite ces to dine. She enjoyed the transparentyout and the blooming flowers around the room. There was also a faint fragrant smell in the atmosphere. Janice looked at Catelyn calmly. This was the scheming girl, she thought. She had only not seen her for a few days, and she had already gotten out with Cedrick publicly. Janice remembered Catelyn only being Cedrick¡¯s employee back then. ¡°Kitty¡¯¡­ Can I call you that?¡± asked Janice as she handed a teacup to Catelyn with a smile. ¡°Yes, of course! As long as you don¡¯t dislike it,¡± said Catelyn tteringly. She hurriedly got up and took the teapot and cup from Janice. ¡°This teapot is quite heavy. Let me take it for you.¡± Janice let go of the teapot as Catelyn took it over. Janice looked at Catelyn as she was pouring tea. The windbreaker she was wearing was thetest fashion style from Bulberry, which had just arrived on the shelves of Sapphire City in the past few days. The brand of her inner lining could not be seen, but the soft texture of the fabric gave the impression that it must be something of high value. Catelyn¡¯s whole outfit may not be very expensive, butpared to the night when Janice first saw her when she was wearing cheap goods, she looked so much different! ¡°Don¡¯t call me Miss Coleman; just call me Aunt Janice.¡± ¡°Alright, Aunt Janice,¡± said Catelyn. ¡°Ceddy, you should¡¯ve received a notice by now. Grandpa Mason is asking that you bring Mai back to the house to talk about the marriage. Perhaps it¡¯s time for you to give him an exnation,¡± said Janice softly as she looked at Cedrick. L LET 21 Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Cedrick knew about the news. ¡°Right. It is about time,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a brilliant child. I believe you can make it clear to him, but you also need to understand that your grandfather is still the head of the Mason family, and you need his approval and support if you want to take over,¡± said Janice. Cedrick did not answer, just fidgeting with the teacup in his hand. Janice pondered for a while and said, ¡°Catelyn here is a good girl. She¡¯s beautiful and knowledgeable, and I like her very much. However, Maies from a prestigious family and has a distinguished status. She has something that Kitty here doesn¡¯t have. Do you understand this?¡± What was a simple reminder for Cedrick felt like a thorn in Catelyn¡¯s heart. Maia had something she did not have. She came from a prestigious family and had a distinguished status. Catelyn, on the other hand, was just a bankruptdy with a child. She was useless. Catelyn felt slight bitterness spreading in her mouth. It must have been the tea. Her crown of teeth bit down on her tongue, and the pain snapped her out of her trance. Knowing that it was impossible to get together with Cedrick, she still went for him. After all, he was the devil who had destroyed her life! How could she have such bitter thoughts? How crazy. ¡°Aunt Janice.¡± Cedrick¡¯s brows narrowed slightly, and his thin lips moved. ¡°Catelyn also has something that Maia doesn¡¯t have. It is what I want, and not what you have to offer.¡± ¡°Ceddy¡­¡± muttered Janice. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about this. It¡¯s time for the waiter to serve the food,¡± said Cedrick. With that, he pressed the service bell with his slender fingers. The jingle of the bell interrupted what Janice wanted to say next. She could only sit still and sigh silently. She could not see what Catelyn had that Maia did not. Was Cedrick just stubborn? The waiter quickly started serving the food. It was summer at this moment, and the first few dishes served were cold dishes, apanied by a refreshing dessert. The cube-shaped toast was cut into small pieces and had ice cream scoops on top, mixed with butter and honey. It was a must-order dish for Janice every time she dined in this ce. However, she was not in good health at the moment, so it was not advisable to eat cold food. Cute-219 Janice thus moved the dessert toward Catelyn and said, ¡°I like this very much, Kitty. Try it.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t eat it,¡± said Cedrick before Catelyn could even open her mouth to speak. Janice nced nkly at Cedrick, and then at Catelyn. It was just dessert. Why could she not eat? ¡°Don¡¯t you like sweets?¡± Janice asked with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Catelyn grew flustered. ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t eat sweets often, and I¡¯m afraid of tooth decay.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°I can¡¯t have food that is too sweet either, so I have told the chef in advance about this. Try it -it¡¯s delicious!¡± said Janice, trying her best to get Catelyn to taste her favorite dessert. Catelyn, unable to damper Janice¡¯s enthusiasm, picked up her spoon and was about to go for a taste. Suddenly, a thick and broad palm caught her wrist, forcibly pressing her hand back to the table. ¡°She¡¯s on her menstrual period, so she shouldn¡¯t be eating cold food,¡± said Cedrick, calmly yet boldly altogether. For a moment, Janice was bbergasted, and it showed on her face. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Janice knew her nephew, Cedrick best. He was cold and arrogant in nature, and no matter how a beautiful woman threw herself into his arms, he would not even budge. Over the years, he seldom spent his time with Maia going shopping, let alone remembering a woman¡¯s menstrual period. Janice could not describe how she was feeling at the moment, but all she knew was that it was an extremely complicated feeling. The decent smile on her face could no longer be maintained as Janice said expressionlessly, ¡°I saw the news this morning that a man was in a convenience store near Riverdale Mall, helping his girlfriend to buy some sanitary products. That person looks just like you.¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyebrows suddenly tightened, and a sh of embarrassment appeared on his face.¡± Well, it¡¯s me.¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart shrank as if she had heard some terrible news. The next moment, she noticed Janice looking at her. Catelyn¡¯s back straightened, acknowledging her attention, but she secretly took a deep breath. Were those two bags fromst night bought by Cedrick from the convenience store? If it was back then, Catelyn would have burst outughing to learn that someone from the Mason family had gone to the convenience store to buy women¡¯s products. At this moment, however, she did not even find it amusing. Was he not trying to tease her? How could he do it to this extent? ¡°It seems that you really have a soft spot for Kitty,¡± said Janice as she took a napkin and wiped the oil stains on the corner of her mouth. The smile on her lips was clear and shallow, and Catelyn could not tell whether Janice was happy or angry. ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything to Grandpa on the weekend. Aunt Janice, you¡¯re not in good health, and the doctor doesn¡¯t rmend that you overthink things. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle everything,¡± said Cedrick. Janice coughed into her tightly clenched fist. ¡°You¡¯re all grown up now, and I can¡¯t control you around anymore. However, Mai is a good girl. Please do think aboutpensating her,¡± said Janice, her gaze not leaving Catelyn as she did. How did she even attract Ceddy? The Atherton Manor was a garden-style building, built ording to the preferences of Granny Atherton. It was filled with carved galleries and paintings, surrounded by pavilions in the heart of theke. At this moment, more than a dozen delicious dishes were ced on the huge round table in the dining hall of the manor. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ve been talking about this grilled fish all the time. We¡¯ve made it for you today, ¡± said L, cutting a piece of white meat with her fork and knife and putting it on Granny Atherton¡¯s te. She was over 70 years old, yet she was still mentally strong for her age. The beauty of her youth could be vaguely seen in her face, evident in the way her cheekbones were higher than usual. Due to her old age, there was no cogen on her face, and herplexion looked sharp. Looking at the piece of meat on her te, Granny Atherton slowly brought it to her mouth to eat, asking, ¡°Have you announced the semi-finalists for the Chandier Jewelry Competition?¡± ¡°It was just announced a few days ago. Don¡¯t worry, Grandma, I¡¯ll choose the best designer for you.¡± ¡°ording to Kelly Preston, there are many contributors this time, and there are also many excellent ones. If there is any particrly outstanding design, you can show it to me first,¡± said Granny Atherton. Hearing that, L put down her cutleries, looking hesitant. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it,¡± muttered Granny Atherton, waving her hand impatiently. W ¡°There are indeed a few outstanding designers this time, but,¡± Before L could finish, a maid came over all of a sudden in excitement, ¡°Madam, Master Edwin is back!¡± Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Granny Atherton¡¯s wrinkled face finally showed a hint of joy. ¡°Eddy is here? Hurry, get another pair of cutleries for him!¡± she ordered. ¡°Right away,¡± replied the maid with a smile. Secondster, Edwin could be seen walking over from the hall. He was wearing a red vest and a pair of ck trousers in contrasting colors. He was also carrying arge bag in his hand, and the corners of his mouth were habitually curved. ¡°Did you miss me, Grandma?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± The smile from the corner of her eyes gradually spread across her face in a smile. Edwin¡¯s expression morphed into one of hurt as he exaggeratedly shouted, ¡°Hey, it seems that I¡¯m not wee at all. Oh, well, I¡¯ll just leave the gift here and go. Sorry for being annoying!¡± Granny Atherton nced at him. ¡°Oh, grow up, won¡¯t you! Still so childish.¡± Edwin smiled as he handed all the gifts in his hand to the housekeeper. The housekeeper nced at the contents in the box and said to Granny Atherton, ¡°Madam, look! Master Edwin has given you so many high-end supplements. You¡¯re not even done with the previous ones!¡± ¡°You brought so many supplements. It¡¯s such a waste to not finish them,¡± said Granny Atherton to Edwin. He stretchedzily and moved his wrists. ¡°Anyway, most of these were given to me by other business partners. It¡¯s the least I could do to give them to you.¡± ¡°Hey, Edwin. Please take a seat,¡± said L. She looked restrained upon his arrival, and she immediately lost her calm. No matter how much L tried to please Granny Atherton, she would never speak to her with such a tone. Edwin saw L and said, ¡°Tsk! Even L is here now. How are things with your sister and Jamie?¡± L¡¯s heart sank, and she took a glimpse at Granny Atherton subconsciously. Back when the olddy was a young woman, something had happened between her and the head of the Mason family, which caused her to despise the Masons until this very day. Despite this, she did not prevent people from the Athertons from interacting with the Masons. After all, their business circle was very vast in Sapphire City, and she had already passed on her authority to the new generation. Still, not many people had dared to mention the Masons to her. ¡°My sister didn¡¯t really want it, but Jamie had identally impregnated her. She couldn¡¯t have an abortion due to her thin uterus, so she have no choice but to ept Jamie¡­¡± exined L. Granny Atherton¡¯s face softened a little. ¡°No wonder Loue hasn¡¯te to see me much recently. She¡¯s pregnant?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± ¡°Give her some supplements for me when you leaveter on.¡± Granny Atherton took a sip of teazily, not wanting to hear anything more about the Masons. She quickly changed the subject, saying, ¡°So, you were saying?¡± L hurriedly replied, ¡°Grandma, there is a very outstanding designer in thispetition, but the manuscript she brought for thepetition has been proven to be giarized.¡± ¡°giarism?¡± The olddy showed a deep disgust on her face. ¡°This is uneptable!¡± ¡°Grandma, calm down.¡± L lightly patted Granny Atherton¡¯s back as she tried tofort her, ¡°I¡¯ve already disqualified her from thepetition, and it won¡¯t affect the reputation of Chandier Jewelry.¡± Edwin shot L a dark stare. ¡°The giarist you¡¯re talking about is Catelyn, right?¡± he sneered. ¡°You know that, too?¡± L deliberately misinterpreted his meaning and winked at him. Edwin sat on the chair and folded his legs gracefully. ¡°Whatever you told Grandma wasn¡¯t the same as what I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Edwin, you¡¯re not in charge of thispetition, so you may not understand the situation at hand. The design that Catelyn handed in was indeed giarized. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can ask Kelly about it,¡± said L. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Chapter 222 L was undaunted by Edwin¡¯s remark and was, instead, filled with self-reassurance. She had followed the correct procedure to disqualify Catelyn, and Edwin would never notice the w in this. Edwin sneered, ¡°The giarized person was a Mason, and her name is Queenie, who had shamelessly tried to seduce me before. Just because of this, if Catelyn did indeed giarize, Queenie deserved it.¡± Granny Atherton¡¯s eyebrows jumped as she heard his statement. Meanwhile, Cedrick drove Catelyn back to Ocean Path Residence. This man had helped buy her hygiene products and, in turn, was photographed by a female convenience store employee who posted it all online. Catelyn could not help but feel embarrassed by this situation. There was a strange feeling in her heart. After all, she had thought the items were delivered under Cedrick¡¯s order. Meanwhile, Cedrick¡¯s face looked rather grim. Looking at the rear mirror of the car, he noticed Catelyn was peeping at him from time to time. When Catelyn did it again, Cedrick quickly turned his head to her. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°W-What? I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Cedrick tapped the steering wheel with his index finger. ¡°I have surveince cameras in my car. Do you want to take a look?¡± ¡°I was just thinking about those hygiene productsst night! Did you¡­really buy them yourself?¡± asked Catelyn. Embarrassment shed across Cedrick¡¯s face. His hand that gripped the steering wheel shook involuntarily, and the car nearly slipped. Suddenly¡­ Thomp! Something mmed against the car¡¯s rear, causing the entire car to shake violently, and the inertia caused Catelyn¡¯s entire body to fall forward. The seat belt stretched over her shoulders, creating a faint bruise. Catelyn covered her shoulder with one hand and cursed her bad luck. However, she did not expect Cedrick to be in worse shape than her. During the impact, he was a little absent-minded. As the car behind rear-ended them, and because of his height, his forehead hit the sharp corner of the pendant in the car, tearing through his skin. Blood trickled down his face. ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± shrieked Catelyn as she hurriedly took out a piece of wet wipes. ¡°Keep your head down, let me see if the wound is serious. I¡¯ll wipe the blood off for you.¡± The faint smell of blood filled the air. Cedrick reached out and touched his forehead, instantly feeling the moist blood on it. ¡°The driver was too careless. I¡¯m bleeding now¡­¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Catelyn could not help worrying. ¡°Should I turn around and go to the hospital for a bandage?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± droned Cedrick ¡°Wait here. There is a pharmacy opposite us, so I¡¯ll go buy some medicine.¡± Catelyn shifted, intending to get out of the car when a warm hand grabbed her wrist. She quickly turned her head and met Cedrick¡¯s narrow gaze and smile. ¡°Are you that worried about me?¡± he teased. ¡°You were injured while we¡¯re on the road, just to send me home. I can¡¯t bear it. I¡¯d do the same for anyone else, so hurry up and let go of my hand!¡± ¡°Is it so hard to get you to say something sweet?¡± Cedrick suddenly ducked and bit Catelyn¡¯s finger. It felt like there was a surge of electric current on the spot on her finger where the tip of his tongue had crossed. Flustered, Catelyn hurriedly retracted her hand. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Their rtionship had just startedst night, yet Cedrick was already holding her hand! Was her hand made of gold or something? Why was he holding it so tightly? Cedrick¡¯s car was driven from thepany. Although it was just a simple Bently model, it was still a very valuable car. Because it was a luxury vehicle worth millions, the driver that rear-ended the Bently would naturally feel panic. She thus quickly stepped out of the car to check the damage. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She was a coquettish-looking woman. With a face that seemed to be heavily powdered with blush, she had long legs and was wearing fashionable clothes. ¡°Hey, handsome! I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I was on the phone just now, and I identally hit your car!¡± spoke the woman, who was apparently an inte celebrity girl. She bent by the car window while speaking to Cedrick. With one hand pressed against the wound, Cedrick took out a business card from his pocket with the other hand and handed it to the woman. ¡°Call this number. Mywyer will handle it.¡± Cedrick proceeded to wind the car window back up, leaving the woman stunned. ¡°Sir, wait a minute!¡± She hurriedly stopped Cedrick from closing the window, maintaining a smile with a coquettish look at the end of her eyes. ¡°Well, the thing is, I¡¯m an inte celebrity with millions of fans. If the public hears about this, it¡¯ll affect me negatively. Do you think we can keep this private?¡± Cedrick nced at Catelyn in the passenger seat and said calmly, ¡°How private would you want this to be?¡± ¡°You can be as private as you want,¡± said the woman. ¡°Just so you know, this passenger with me in my car is my girlfriend,¡± said Cedrick, the smile on the corner of his mouth suddenly deepening. He turned to Catelyn and said to her slowly,¡± Someone wants to take advantage of me. What will you do?¡± Catelyn was rendered speechless at this remark, while the influencer¡¯s face froze as she heard Cedrick¡¯s words. Catelyn paused for a while before she then decided to cooperate with Cedrick¡¯s actions. She deliberately put on a stern expression and said to the woman with a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. It doesn¡¯t matter who you are, but you should obey the traffic rules. The damage to the car is a trivial matter, but you¡¯ve injured my boyfriend.¡± The woman¡¯s lips contorted into a tight frown. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll contact thiswyer and bring this into discussion.¡± ¡°Bye, bye! Try not to use your phone while driving next time,¡± said Catelyn as she waved to the woman with her head tilted. Did she just¡­say she was Cedrick¡¯s girlfriend? That was easier than she thought. Cedrick drove away steadily, and a whileter, they arrived at Ocean Path Residence. Watching Catelyn leave, Cedrick¡¯s warm eyes suddenly turned cold. He took out his phone and dialed Charles Peterson¡¯s number. He wanted him to remove the news immediately. The photo of him buying sanitary products had made the headlines! What were the people in the PR department doing?! Feeling the warmth of finally returning home, Catelyn pushed the door open and went inside her house. In the living room, Ste was sitting on the sofa, watching the television with Ollie. ¡°At Sapphire City¡¯s Chandier Jewelry Company, the list of the semi-finalists has been announced, and the new round of competition is about to start. The winner will receive a big cash prize and the Chandier Jewelry Designer title. Annual sry is also guaranteed¡­¡± The channel happened to be broadcasting the news at Chandier Jewelry. Ste knew that Catelyn had lost in thepetition, so she quickly switched to a different channel. s, Catelyn had already seen the news. During this period, Jamie had been pestering her for custody of Miles, and she had no time to be involved with other matters. Nheless, being eliminated from thepetition rid her of an opportunity to defend herself. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Chapter 224 It seemed that Catelyn had only reached the preliminary stage of thepetition. Of course, she must not be idle; she had to clean up the giarism scandal, one way or another. However, she did not expect that things would take a strange turn. As soon as Catelyn came out of the shower, she received a call from Kelly Preston. She told Catelyn that after a series of careful considerations by thepany¡¯s top management, they decided to give her another chance. To be more precise, it was another challenge. Catelyn was asked toplete five design drafts within a week and hand them to Chandier Jewelry without any charges. If her work was excellent, she would be given the opportunity to be the finalist in thepetition. Otherwise, she would be removed from the jewelry designing circle of Sapphire City, never to be hired again. It was clear that Kelly did not even care about Catelyn before this. What, then, was with the sudden change of attitude? Such a question baffled Catelyn. After listening to the whole story, Ste curled her lips and said, ¡°I think Chandier is trying to get some freebor! She asked you to design five drafts. ording to the market price, the cheapest one will cost several thousand, not to mention that whening from you, it¡¯ll cost even more!¡± Catelyn did not answer. ¡°Perhaps thepany executives find out that Queenie is a fake and that you¡¯re the original creator after all?¡± continued Ste. Catelyn thought about it and decided to ept the challenge. ¡°Whatever it is, this is an opportunity for me.¡± Ste, nheless, was worried. ¡°Think about it. If they¡¯re not satisfied with your design, you¡¯ll be kicked out of the designers¡¯munity!¡± ¡°Grandma, you need to have confidence in Mommy. I believe in her. Come on!¡± insisted Ollie, his arms pressed to his chest as he cheered for his mother. Catelyn rubbed Ollie¡¯s fluffy hair. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard for this,¡± she assured him. Ollie raised his head and hugged her thighs, acting like a spoiled child. ¡°Mommy is the best!¡± Catelyn could not help butugh at Ollie¡¯s words. At that moment, she suddenly thought of Miles, kept far away from her in Mason Estate, and her amber pupils darkened. She wanted to see Miles as soon as possible. Miles was a stubborn boy, after all, and Catelyn hoped he was holding up just fine. Catelyn had asked Cedrick to take her to the Mason Estate, and he promised to have it done. Sure enough, Cedrick had sent a car for her the very next day. Catelyn cooked in advance, making some biscuits and puffs that were Miles¡¯ favorite snacks before packing the food in a beautiful lunch box. She trembled with excitement at the thought of finally seeing Miles again. He had very strong taste buds, and Catelyn had a feeling that he might not have enjoyed the food in the Mason Estate as much. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g She missed him terribly. Meanwhile, in the Mason Estate, Miles¡¯ teacher had arranged a math lesson for him in the afternoon. He moved the desk to the balcony. With a small umbre over his head, he satzily on the rocking chair with a book in one hand and a pen in the other. The math problems were not a challenge, of course, and Miles quickly solved them all. How boring. Why did Catelyn note to pick him up yet? Suddenly, the sound of a car engine was hearding from downstairs. Miles turned and took a nce, and the moment he saw the woman who got out of the car, his dull eyes lit up in an instant. Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Chapter 225 It was Catelyn¡¯s first time at the Mason Estate. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Back then when she came to visit Ollie, she had only sat outside for a moment and left immediately. She did not have the intention to stay at the time, let alone pay attention to the details of the ce. The house had a luxurious Europaen-style decoration with red walls and bricks, looking very sentimental. The landscape garden was filled with different kinds of nts, and the amount of greenery here was just astounding. ¡°Aunt Catelyn!¡± Before Albert could even finish his words, a small figure suddenly appeared in front of him. Miles¡¯ short legs rapidly stomped the ground as he raced toward Catelyn. He instantly clung to her legs the second he got to her as if afraid she would run away. He raised his little face and jumped happily. ¡°Oh, Aunt Catelyn, you¡¯re finally here! I miss you so much! Do you miss me?¡± Catelyn was equally excited to see him. She picked him up and kissed his tender little cheek. ¡°Are you here to take me home?¡± Miles blinked hopefully. Catelyn immediately made a silent gesture to him. She looked around as she lowered her voice. Luckily, Albert did not get too close to them, and he probably did not hear what Miles just said. She whispered to Miles, ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I said to you on the phone. You should treat me as your employee, and don¡¯t mention anything else about me taking you home. Do you understand?¡± The light of hope in Miles¡¯ eyes gradually dissipated, and he pursed his lips. ¡°How long do I have to pretend?¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Catelyn pressed her mouth with her fingers, seeing Albert was just standing nearby. ¡°I promise to take you home as soon as possible. Will you be good?¡± Miles looked at Catelyn, his eyes gleaming as he did. ¡°I¡¯ve always been good,¡± he remarked. ¡°I brought you some biscuits and puffs,¡± said Catelyn. ¡°Do you want to eat them?¡± ¡°Alright,¡± mumbled Miles, visibly sulking. Cedrick returned to the Mason Estate after finishing some business. The moment he entered, however, a burst ofughter from a distance greeted him. It seemed to havee from the living room. There, Miles had taken off his shoes and sat on the sofa, cross-legged, with a storybook on his Catelyn, on the other hand, was sitting next to him, feeding him her freshly baked biscuits while telling him stories in a soft tone. ¡°This story tells us that children aren¡¯t supposed to tell lies. They must be honest.¡± Miles chewed the biscuits in his mouth and muttered, ¡°So it¡¯s wrong to lie.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Catelyn stopped and thought for a moment. Did she not teach him to lie and deceive Cedrick? The irony. Catelyn appeared to be a little ufortable. Her tone got softer as she added, ¡°Well, under certain circumstances, to protect yourself, it¡¯s okay to tell a white lie every once in a while.¡± Miles rolled on the sofa. ¡°Like what we¡¯re doing now?¡± Catelyn coughed lightly and praised, ¡°Smart boy.¡± The warm and soft female voice of Catelyn was like a small feather brushing on Miles¡¯ heart. At this moment, Cedrick strode into the living room. Miles immediately got up from the sofa and stood in front of Catelyn, spreading out his arms and legs as if he was a hen protecting her chicks. Catelyn was baffled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Big Demon said he wanted you to be my stepmother, but I don¡¯t want it! I¡¯m not going to let him take advantage of you!¡± At that very moment, Catelyn felt something stinging inside her, as though something had pierced her heart. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Catelyn subconsciously turned to look at Cedrick. He had spoken to his son about¡­making her his son¡¯s stepmother? Cedrick¡¯s eyebrows pulsed frantically for a while. He watched as Catelyn¡¯s expression looked too complex toprehend. He did not exin anything but went straight to the living room. There was a leather sofa in the living room, ced in an L shape. Catelyn and Miles sat on the horizontal end of it, while Cedrick settled on the vertical end. He sat and crossed his legs elegantly and said to Miles, ¡°Your grandmother missed you and has sent people to ry the message a few times. Pack your stuff; I¡¯ll send you over in a bit.¡± Janice was Ollie¡¯s grandaunt, to be exact, but she had no descendants. Ollie had always addressed her as ¡®granny¡¯. Miles, however, had no clue who Janice and this granny¡¯ were. He had never met Janice before, after all. ¡°I will go after Aunt Catelyn leaves.¡± Miles looked toward Cedrick apprehensively. It was a baby beast¡¯s instinct to protect its mother, and he did not like the way Big Demon looked at his mother like prey. ¡°I was merely informing you, not discussing it with you.¡± Cedrick was cold and unapproachable as ever. Catelyn finally had an opportunity to spend some time with Miles, and she was reluctant to let Miles leave, too. She subconsciously hugged Miles tighter and looked to Cedrick as if pleading with her eyes.¡± Can we wait a while more?¡± Seeing both his son and Catelyn in the same stance made Cedrick feel rather¡­strange. It was not frustration, nor was it fluster. It felt¡­ufortable, in a way. He was sitting just nearby, and she was his girlfriend. She asked him to show her around the house, but ever since she came to the Mason Estate, she did not seem to care much about him. As for his son, it was almost the same case, as though the world was left with only the two of them. He felt like an outsider. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Cedrick cursed to himself. He could not believe that he was having such childish thoughts! Catelyn noticed that Cedrick fell silent, and his face was grim. It was obvious he was not listening to her. She said softly to Miles, ¡°I¡¯m a little thirsty, and there¡¯s no more water in the jug. Could you help me get some from the kitchen?¡± Miles knew that Catelyn was just making an excuse for him to leave. He was initially unwilling to leave Catelyn alone with Cedrick, but he knew that there would be a few days in a month that Catelyn would be physically weaker and paler. He figured that this had to be one of those days. He threw a side nce at Cedrick defensively, then disappeared into the kitchen. What an adorable boy. Catelyn wanted to cherish every second she had with him. Catelyn took a deep breath and sat closer to Cedrick, now just a few inches from him. She reached her hand out and grabbed the hem of his shirt, gently saying, ¡°I really love Ollie. Could you give me more time to spend with him, please?¡± Catelyn did not dare annoy him anymore. After all, if she wanted to see her son, she needed his approval, or she would not be able to even step foot into Mason Estate. She would keep him happy if she needed to. Cedrick turned to look at her and locked eyes with her bright ones. Her eyes were shimmering, silently pleading Every word of hers pierced right through his heart. He felt his heart itching, as though someone was scratching it. ¡°What can I get if I allocate more of his time to you?¡± Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Chapter 227 The sudden change of topic caught Catelyn by surprise. She was quiet for a brief moment before saying, ¡°You suggested that I be his stepmother. Naturally, I¡¯d want to foster some kind of rtionship. If you send Ollie to his grandmother¡¯s, we might not be as close with each other in the future.¡± ¡°I can see that you already have a good rtionship with him.¡± Better than that with his own father. Cedrick looked at her pensively, then said, ¡°Stay over tonight.¡± Tonight? Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened as her cheeks grew pinkish. ¡°I¡¯m on my period¡­¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°I was only suggesting that you keep my sonpany. What do you think I was implying? You thought I wanted to sleep with you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Catelyn¡¯s face was as red as an apple at this point. Panicking, she tried to excuse herself by saying she wanted to check on his son. However, Cedrick pulled her back as soon as she stood up, and she, losing her bnce, tumbled into Cedrick¡¯s chest, her forehead identally knocking on his neck. Her heart was racing as they looked at each other in silence. There was an indescribable sexual tension between them. Catelyn was worried that Miles would be back any minute and quickly stood up, but Cedrick held her in ce on hisp. ¡°Cedrick, your son could be back any time soon,¡± reasoned an embarrassed Catelyn. ¡°What are you afraid of? He¡¯s quite mature, isn¡¯t he?¡± Cedrick cuddled Catelyn casually, his tone flirtatious as he added, ¡°You were looking at him so affectionately all the time. Do you really want to be his stepmother?¡± Catelyn was still panicking, but she could not push him away. She stared at him. ¡°Are you suggesting that the way I look at you is ruthless?¡± It was supposed to sound hostile, but with her misty eyes, it pretty much sounded like a flirt to Cedrick. She was so close to him that he could feel the temperature in his palms rising, and his heartbeat raced off-beat. Catelyn felt annoved to be mocked. Was he not wo to be mocked. Was he not worried that his son would see them in such apromising state? She pulled his arm over and took a big bite. This was payback for his unconsented cuddle, his presumptuousness, and for calling his son¡¯ mature¡¯! His son was obviously influenced by him! Ollie was so endearing, but he was raised to be a quiet little boy who would not share his thoughts with other people. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Heck, Cedrick even told him that his mother was dead when she was very much alive! Catelyn¡¯s initial intention was to get off Cedrick¡¯s cuddle, but she suddenly snapped when she imagined Ollie bumping into them, so she took one big bite into his arm. She even subconsciously exerted a little more force than necessary. Cedrick felt acute pain shooting up from his arm but did not pull away from Catelyn. He clenched his fingers into his fist, and his biceps flexed. Catelyn¡¯s facial muscles were sore from the biting. ¡°Does my arm taste good?¡± he asked casually, much to Catelyn¡¯s chagrin as she blushed. She flung his arm away and was even more enraged. ¡°It¡¯s salty and hard. There¡¯s no taste to it. Heck, even roadside skewers would taste better than this!¡± ¡°I have something else for you to eat. Do you want it?¡± Cedrick was still nonchnt, but Catelyn understood the underlying meaning of it. This jerk was teasing her! Miles was back, but he could sense the tension in the air. Cedrick was looking at his mother like a predator, as though he was nning to eat her whenever he had the chance. Miles stretched his neck and shouted, ¡°Aunt Catelyn, I want to eat cake!¡± Catelyn was worried that he would get cavities in his teeth, so she rarely bought cakes for him. She would usually bake cakes for him with lower sugar content instead. ¡°You should cut down on your dessert intake.¡± Cedrick was starting to feel the boy was getting in his way a little too often. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Chapter 228 He was bbering the whole morning. Miles humphed because he actually wanted Cedrick to dislike him. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He shook his little head adorably at Catelyn. He had not cried or thrown a tantrum; instead, he simply looked really innocent and sad about it. His big eyes blinked pitifully as he said, ¡°The store-bought cakes are not as tasty as the ones you make. Plus, I only had one small piece the other day¡­ Aunt Catelyn, please¡­¡± He was calling Catelyn repeatedly. It hit Catelyn¡¯s soft spot, and she found it hard to turn him down. She would not stop at just a cake. She would pluck the stars from the sky if he wanted them. ¡°How about we bake some cakes in the afternoon?¡± ¡°Yayy!¡± Miles happily spun around, not forgetting to throw a victorious look at Cedrick. ¡°Aunt Catelyn is going to bake a cake for me. Aunt Catelyn is so kind, so pretty, and so talented¡­¡± Cedrick snickered, ¡°What a sweet talker.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°Watch your mouth.¡± ¡°Hmph hmph hmph!¡± Miles was not scared. After all, the worse he could do to him was to ground him Cedrick¡¯s veins on his forehead bulged. With the top three buttons on his shirt loose, his icy cold prominent facial features were lit under the warm chandelier light, creating a tense atmosphere. Catelyn initially wanted to ignore Cedrick. However, seeing the two were about to start a fight, she had to step in. ¡°You are a CEO. Don¡¯t pick a fight with a kid. Aren¡¯t you afraid of lowering yourself to that level?¡± Cedrick took a side nce at her and asked, ¡°Why do I have a feeling that you are not here to see me but to see Ollie?¡± She was always siding with this little brat. Catelyn¡¯s initial intention was indeed to visit her son. She said, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see the both of you getting into a fight and wasting our quality time together.¡± Miles suddenly grimaced and said, ¡°Childish.¡± Cedrick almost gave him a death stare Miles¡¯s tiny face puffed, creating a sharp contrast with Cedrick¡¯s expressionless face. The atmosphere was so tense that Catelyn pulled the little one behind her. She wondered if Cedrick was really pissed. Was this how they usually interacted? That was scary! ¡°He is barely four years old, and he is your son. Just take this as a good time to teach him a life lesson, give him a break¡­¡± Cedrick adjusted his cor and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re such a peacemaker.¡± ¡°So¡­ We will need some flour, butter, eggs, and other ingredients. Are there more in the kitchen?¡± Catelyn tried to redirect the conversation. Cedrick never cared about these things. Albert came by, failing to hide the grin on his face. He said respectfully, ¡°We have other ingredients, but I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have enough flour.¡± Catelyn was troubled as she could not remember if there were any stores nearby¡­ Miles volunteered and said, ¡°Aunt Catelyn, let¡¯s go buy some flour!¡± Big Demon would definitely not join them to run errands. Then they would have the opportunity to run away! ¡°There¡¯s a mall a stone¡¯s throw away, I¡¯ll drive you there.¡± Unexpectedly, Cedrick continued the conversation so smoothly. Miles was caught off guard. Has the Big Demon changed? He probably would not even know how to get into a mall, right? Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Maybe because it was the weekend, the mall was crowded and noisy in the afternoon. Cedrick parked at the entrance and frowned slightly as he observed the crowd hustling around. Miles pushed the car door open, hopped onto the ground, and carefully led Catelyn out of the car. Cedrick watched him scornfully. Why hasn¡¯t he realized that he was such a tterer before this? Catelyn saw that Cedrick had no intentions of getting out of the car and shopping with them. Perhaps it was because he was unhappy with the previous incident where they got photographed together by the paparazzi at the convenience store. She then said, ¡°There are too many people at the mall. Just wait for us here. We will be right back.¡± Cedrick¡¯s frown remained, and he said nothing. The mother-son duo had not been to the mall together in a very long time. The boy dragged Catelyn into the mall. He could finally have some alone time with Catelyn without Cedrick. He was happily chattering away, and his tiny face was adorably naive. Catelyn pushed the cart in one hand and stopped by the dairy section. ¡°You pick out a box of cream cheese here. I will be right back after getting a bag of flour.¡± ¡°I promise to aplish the mission!¡± Miles raised his right hand high and bowed to Catelyn dramatically. Catelyn giggled in amusement. The mall was a sophisticated mall with a grandyout near the high-end residential area. The goods were also mostly imported premium ones. Catelyn took a two-kilogram bag of flour and tossed it in the cart, about to make her way back to Miles. Suddenly there was a furry husky scurrying through the gap between her feet. The husky dashed around recklessly, pushing Catelyn¡¯s cart two feet away from her. ¡°Woof!¡± Catelyn was worried that her cart would crash into someone and hurried to catch her cart. ¡°Bailey.¡± A pair of high heels clicked against the hard floor, followed by a woman¡¯s voice calling the dog¡¯s name. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The husky heard themand, turned around, and ran back to its owner. Catelyn held the cart in one hand and then looked to the source of the voice. The woman wore a dress, and a silk scarf was on her shoulders. She walked down the aisle with disdain on her face. It was Maia. Maia stopped before the husky and rubbed its fluffy head. ¡°Good boy, good job.¡± Catelyn saw Maia, but she was not too interested in entertaining her. She wanted to walk past Maia, but Maia, holding the dog leash, blocked her way by reaching her hand out. ¡°Catelyn, you must be delighted, aren¡¯t you? You are now high and mighty and get people to help you to buy tampons in the middle of the night. I have never met someone as shameless as you! Not only did you snatch someone else¡¯s fiance, but you are so upfront about it as if you were right all along. Where is your self-respect?¡± Maia was squinting her eyes. Her expressions and words were full of loathing. Catelyn took a brief nce at the fierce husky. ¡°Ah, I see what it means by a pet¡¯s behavior is a reflection of its owner¡¯s.¡± Maia stared at her aggressively. If the mall were not as crowded as it was, she would have pped Catelyn across the face. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t even bepared to my dog! At least it knows who is in charge! You carry my family¡¯s surname while enjoying my family¡¯s reputation but snatched my fiance!¡± Catelyn looked at Maia¡¯s ferocious expressions and smiled lightly. ¡°When my father dered bankruptcy, the ones whoughed the loudest were apparently the rks. Miss rk, you pretend to be sweet and empathetic in front of Miss Coleman. Did she know that you are in fact such a cunning and aggressive person?¡± Her tone was monotonous and emotionless, as if talking about the weather, which made what she said even more infuriating! Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Maia was so annoyed that her eyes were bulging with blood vessels. The corners of Catelyn¡¯s lips curved up as she said, unbothered, ¡°Right, a week ago, I saw a couple walking into the International Grand Hotel¡­ Hmm, the woman resembled you so much. Maia snapped defensively, ¡°What are you talking about? I had never been to the International Grand Hotel! How dare you make false usations!¡± ¡°Looks like I have recognized the wrong person then. She looked so much like you, and I even took a photo of her. Do you want to have a look?¡± Maia¡¯s pupils constricted in fear. Her poised appearance could no longer remainposed. Catelyn watched her reaction and smiled lightly, then patted her shoulders. ¡°Anyone can humiliate me, except you, because you don¡¯t qualify to.¡± Then, she did not even leave room for rebuttal, turned and pushed her cart, and was about to leave the scene. However, as soon as she looked up, she froze. Cedrick had entered the mall and stood right behind the rack near them. Step by step, he walked toward them with one hand in his pocket. He casually made his way through as though he was taking a stroll. His pair of sharp eyes looked ruthless and were eyeing Maia like a hawk. Maia saw Catelyn stopping after taking just a few steps and turned to take a peek out of curiosity. She was instantly petrified. ¡°Ced¡­ Cedrick, why are you here?¡± Cedrick walked to Catelyn emotionlessly and took the cart over naturally. ¡°What took you so long to get a bag of flour? Let¡¯s go. We will see what else we need.¡± He did not even look at Maia. Maia¡¯s face was pale, and she wondered how much of the conversation he had heard. ¡°Cedrick, it was not like what you think. I had a small conflict with Cat, and I did not mean what I said.¡± She tried to save the situation by exining, but the more she tried to, the messier it sounded. Catelyn saw clearly that Cedrick¡¯s eyes were emotionless and cold when he shifted his gaze onto Maia. It was hard to read whether he was angry or not. Maia¡¯s heart wrenched, her scalp was numb, and she was shivering. She felt guilty seeing his reaction. Just when she could no longer hold it in, Cedrick suddenly paused and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be speaking during the meeting tomorrow morning. Don¡¯t bete.¡± The cart was taken over by Cedrick, and Catelyn stood idly next to him. She secretly observed his facial expressions¡­ It did not look like he was suppressing his anger. Maybe he did not even care what she said. That was great. Since she had already run into enough trouble, she did not want to get involved between the two of them anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate the crowd in the mall? Why are you here?¡± Catelyn smiled and asked. Cedrick¡¯s face looked extra grim under the blinding lights of the mall. ¡°Here to remind you to get a few things.¡± ¡°Which ones?¡± Cedrick did not reply but answered her through his actions. He brought her to the toiletries section. Rows of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and personal care, lined up on the racks. Catelyn understood it instantly. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She promised to stay over at the Mason Estate tonight, and since there was no mistress in the Estate, there were naturally no toiletries for one. Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Catelyn wanted to ask him not to bother, and she could just make do with one night. However, Cedrick ignored her and picked out a lot of items. The shopping cart was soon filled with personal care and toiletries for a woman! Cedrick took the cart from her again and pushed it with one hand. His other hand held hers like a couple that was still deeply in love. Catelyn looked up at his well-defined facial structures while his dry hand held hers and zoned out slightly. Cedrick checked her out through the corner of his eyes and bit his lower lip. He then shuffled his fingers and interlocked them with hers. Catelyn peeked at him again and realized he was emotionless again. Maybe this was easier for him to hold her hands. It was not Cedrick¡¯s first time shopping at the mall, but it was his first time shopping with a woman at the mall. The man was tall and handsome, while the woman was young and beautiful. They made such a perfect pair that they attracted a lot of attention from passersby. ¡°Look, the couple looks so attractive!¡± ¡°The man is so handsome. He stands out from the crowd so much. Is he a celebrity?¡± ¡°No way. How would a celebrity be seen out grocery shopping with his girlfriend? They must just be an ordinary couple! I am so jealous of the girl. I wish to have a boyfriend that is half as handsome¡­¡± Catelyn had never before been watched on like this, and she felt a little uneasy about it. Obviously, it was a mistake for her to go grocery shopping with Cedrick ¡°Cedrick, can you please bow a little, or nt to the side, or hunch your back¡­¡± Catelyn whispered to Cedrick. Cedrick looked at her and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡­Because you are too captivating!¡¯ Catelyn thought to herself, but she only grinned and said, ¡°Because you are my boyfriend, I would be jealous of the girls who keep looking at you!¡± Cedrick listened to her comint¡¯, and smirked. He then stretched his long arm out and scooped her into his arm, and announced importantly, ¡°It means I am still ¡®marketable¡¯. You should feel honored.¡± ¡®What a narcissistic man.¡¯ Catelyn tried to twist and turn to get out of his cuddle. However, the man hugged her even closer. They attracted so much attention that even Miles, who was getting the cream cheese, was shocked. Miles realized the crowd was buzzing with excitement about some phenomenon, and he thought there was some live show going on. He poked his head through the crowd, only to see IH Cedrick and Catelyn at the center of everyone¡¯s attention! His eyes widened in shock and fury, and he immediately dashed forward. He clung to Catelyn¡¯s legs needily. ¡°Aunt Catelyn, I think I am constipated.¡± The Big Demon was so evil! He sneaked in when Miles was not around! Catelyn was distracted by Miles and asked, ¡°Constipated?¡± Miles hated eating fruits and vegetables, so he had constipation frequently. Catelyn always had to put in quite some effort to ensure he had a bnced diet. ¡°Are you picky with your food again?¡± Miles cleverly dodged the question and twisted his little bum. ¡°What should I do? I feel like farting now.¡± Cedrick looked at him coldly and scolded, ¡°Ollie, where are your manners?¡± Miles hugged his little tummy and hung in front of Catelyn like a sloth, with his bum facing Cedrick. He swung back and forth and said, ¡°Teacher taught me to be polite, but he never told me not to fart when I feel like it.¡± Cedrick looked at the tiny round bum coldly. Catelyn tried to crack her head at the situation. The pair are always bickering with each other. This was not a good dynamic. She quickly picked the boy up and excused themselves to the restroom after asking Cedrick to queue at the checkout.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Chapter 232 It was just an excuse, and she thought Cedrick would not agree to it. However, he only looked at them with an iprehensible expression and turned away. Catelyn started baking aftering back from the mall. Miles cleaned his hands and put on a cute little apron for a toddler. He then stood on a stool, had his sleeves rolled up, and started kneading the dough with Catelyn. He did not have much strength, but his movements were on point. His hands waddled in the big mixing bowl and asionally stroked the back of Catelyn¡¯s hand with his hand that was covered in flour. Catelyn and Miles were spending quality time in the kitchen together. Even though Cedrick was reading the newspaper in the living room, he was attentive to whatever happened in the kitchen. Ollie was so happy, like they were actual mother and son. Finally, it was the crucial step of the kneading. Catelyn was kneading the dough alone, trying to press out all of the air bubbles in the dough. Miles stood quietly in front of the counter, admiring her swift movements. A man¡¯s voice broke the harmonious silence. ¡°Ollie, your French teacher is here.¡± Catelyn looked up from the silver loungewear and saw Cedrick leaning on the doorframe, speaking in a deep voice. He had changed into his loungewear and looked at ease. Miles¡¯ brows crumpled together upon hearing that. He was assigned many sses every day. However, he detested French ss. It was because his French teacher always looked at him flirtatiously and would purposely give him the hardest questions and exercises. He had never learned French before and did not have a solid foundation like Ollie did. He was always misunderstood for being zy¡¯. The French teacher was here to ¡®flirt¡¯ with him again! Catelyn heard that he was supposed to go to ss, but he was covered in flour. She thought of getting him out of the kitchen and preparing for ss, then said, ¡°Young Master Ollie, you should go for ss. I promise your cake will be ready when you are done with the ss.¡± ¡°I¡­ My back is itchy!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Miles looked at Catelyn innocently with his round eyes. ¡°Itchy?¡± Catelyn believed him, dusted her hands, and went forward to take a closer look.¡± Where? Let me see.¡± Miles let Catelyn take his coat off and pointed at a few random spots on his back. ¡°Here, here, and here¡­ No, my thigh is now itchy too, my face is itchy too, my whole body is itchy!¡± ¡°I think your buttocks are itchy. Get to your ss now!¡± Cedrick saw right through his tricks and said loudly. Miles was stunned for half a second, then squirmed in Catelyn¡¯s chest. Catelyn had not seen Miles in a long time and did not know about his mental battles with Cedrick all this while. She said instinctively, ¡°Young Master Ollie said his body is itchy. Maybe he has an allergic reaction. You don¡¯t have to yell.¡± I had never raised my voice at my own child. Who were you to do so? Cedrick pursed his lips. Catelyn was like a protective mother tigress, protecting her little cub. Miles peaked his little head out from behind his mother to take a look Catelyn could not see him grimacing at Cedrick. He stuck his tongue out naughtily, then innocently tugged at Catelyn¡¯s dress. He grinned and said, ¡°Aunt Catelyn, you are as gentle as I imagined my mother would be!¡± Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Cedrick was speechless. ¡°Don¡¯t get together with Big Demon. I want to marry you when I grow up!¡± Cedrick shot a piercing stare at Miles, then said, ¡°Albert, please bring Ollie to ss now.¡± ¡°My body is so itchy¡­ Mummy, mummy, can you please scratch for me.¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart almost stopped when she heard the word ¡®mummy¡¯. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Cedrick passed it off as Ollie¡¯s wish for Catelyn to be his mother and only frowned slightly. Albert looked at the funny actions of his young master, failing to hide his smile. ¡°Master Cedrick, since Miss rk is here, and Young Master Ollie is so fond of her. Perhaps¡­ We can take a break from the lesson today and only continue tomorrow?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break from your meals today and only continue eating tomorrow?¡± Poot poot poot! Suddenly, three fart sounds broke the silence. It was immediately followed by a pungent smell. Cedrick was the first to smell it because of the ce he was standing. Miles deliberately aimed his bum at him. Cedrick took one big leap backward in shock. ¡°Ollie Mason!¡± Miles grinned cunningly, but he grabbed his own cor exaggeratedly and yelled, ¡°Mummy, Ollie did not do it on purpose¡­ Big Demon, please do not beat me up¡­¡± Of course, Catelyn would not scold Miles for it. She looked at Cedrick and said, ¡°He is just a three-year-old toddler¡­¡± Somehow her tone sounded as if she was ming him for scaring Miles into farting. Cedrick¡¯s face darkened, his lips pursed, and he walked away without saying a word. Albert was shocked to see that. Master Cedrick¡­ surrendered? After causing the scene the whole afternoon, Miles finally curled up in Catelyn¡¯s arms and sniffed greedily on the familiar gardenia scent. His little face was screaming content. Soon, he dozed off. Cedrick took Miles from Catelyn¡¯s arms and carried him to the kid¡¯s room. He ced Miles on his bed and tucked him in. He gently tucked the corner of the nket into the bed. His cold eyes were gentle for a brief 2013 moment, so brief that Catelyn thought she was hallucinating. It felt too quiet without Miles¡¯s incessant bber. Catelyn was quite tired herself. She was weaker than usual when on her period. The servant led her to the master room. It looked like a single man¡¯s room, where everything was in basic ck, white, and gray tones. The color palette was cold-toned, and even the curtains were dark gray. It felt mildly depressing. The huge bed in the middle stood out. ¡°This is Master Cedrick¡¯s bedroom?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can I change to another one?¡± Catelynughed and asked. The servant shook her head and smiled too. ¡°This was Master Cedrick¡¯s order, Miss rk.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Catelyn took a deep breath and went to the bathroom with her new toiletries. She stood under the shower, and the warm water streamed down from her head to her body. Catelyn started to recollect her thoughts. The intention of her visit to the Estate was clear, which was to see her son. Now that she saw her son, what was next? She could not bring Miles away and could not fight Cedrick.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Chapter 234 What really happened four years ago? Why did Cedrick take her baby away? How would he respond if he knew that she was Ollie¡¯s mother? Knock knock Someone knocked on the shower screen. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Catelyn yelled in reflex. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Cedrick¡¯s deep deductive voice said. ¡°One minute!¡± Catelyn wiped the bubbles off her and put on her new pajamas. She did not have her special drying hat, so she could only wipe her hair dry with the towel. Her half-wet wet hair then drooped over her shoulders. Cedrick leaned against the wallzily outside the door with one of his legs bent, and he was pinching a cigarette in his fingers. His other hand was ying with the lighter and was about to light his cigarette. He turned and looked when he heard the door open. She stuck her head out of the shower screen, carefully checking. Cedrick took one long look at her, then walked to the tea table and put out his cigarette in the ashtray. He then went to the bar to fill up a ss of water. He gulped the ss of water and then filled the ss again. The gurgling sound of the water echoed throughout the room. He ced the ss in front of Catelyn. ¡°You should rehydrate.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Catelyn took the ss but did not take a sip. She saw he was drinking from the very same ss. Does this count as indirectly kissing? Cedrick noticed that she was only holding the ss, his lips curved upward at an iprehensible angle. ¡°You have eaten my saliva before. Now you are scared of drinking from my ss?¡± Catelyn felt awkward hearing that. ¡°What? I was just thinking of drinking itter. I am not refusing to use your ss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I saw that you did not mind eating Ollie¡¯s unfinished food. You could not have a reason to reject my ss.¡± Cedrick looked at her, halfughing. His casual remarks, however, caught Catelyn off guard. She ced a lot of greens on Miles¡¯ te during dinner. However, Miles refused to eat after a to 1734 few bites. Catelyn did not want to waste food, so she finished all of them. She was used to doing this at home too¡­ Somehow, it was not very appropriate for her to do so, given their different identities and rtionship now. It would seem as though she was trying to gain Ollie¡¯s favor. Catelyn hastily grabbed the ss again and gulped the water. ¡°More for you?¡± Catelyn shook her head. ¡°I would wake up bloated the next day if I over-hydrated myself. One ss is fine.¡± After a brief pause, Catelyn then pointed at her wet hair. ¡°That¡­ I did not see a hairdryer in the bathroom. Do you have one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Cedrick enjoyed seeing her being awkward and embarrassed around him. It was as if no matter how close they got, she would always be so cautious and shy. ¡°But my name is not that Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Cedrick.¡± Catelyn corrected herself obediently. ¡°Call me Ced.¡± Cedrick looked at her pink cheeks yfully. Ced? Catelyn thought it sounded so awkward and walked away. ¡°Fine, don¡¯t give it to me. I will air dry it.¡± Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Cedrick blinked. Was she throwing a tantrum? Right when she turned her back against him, he grabbed her and hugged her tight in his arms. ¡°Call my name.¡± Cedrick looked at her stubbornly, refusing to let her go. Catelyn was not concerned at all. After all, she was on her period. ¡°¡­ This is too fast for me. I can¡¯t call you that.¡± He deliberately misunderstood her meaning and said, using his husky voice, pretending to be confused, ¡°It was you who wanted us to go fast. Now you areining about me being too fast? Call my name.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Catelyn¡¯s body tensed up. She was half a head shorter than him. She looked up, her lips opened slightly, and bit right onto his chin. Like a little beast, she dug her teeth deep into his skin and said under her breath, ¡°Let me go, you gangster¡­¡± The supposed pain only felt like scratches to Cedrick However, he released her obediently¡­ Catelyn declined Cedrick¡¯s offer to blow her hair dry and went into the bathroom alone with the hairdryer. She looked at herself in the mirror, and her cheeks blushed instantly again. Her pajama was buttoned down with no zip. She had identally buttoned the holes wrongly in a hurry, causing her blouse to bulge at the top and exposing the middle section! She could feel her blood flowing backward in her vessels, and she wished to disappear into a hole and nevere out. It was so embarrassing! She spent half an hour in the bathroom. She was still trying to catch her breath when she finally came out. Cedrick seemed to have washed up in the guest bathroom. Now, he was lying on his king-size bed, reading a finance magazine in his hand. He was lying on the left side of the bed, leaving the right side empty. Obviously, he made space for her. ¡°Here.¡± He patted the space to his right. Catelyn¡¯s heart was beating like a drum. She carefully lifted the duvet and snuggled in. She buried her head in the nket, leaving her forehead and her hair outside. Chapter 235 The space between the two of them was enough to fit another adult. Cedrick grinned yfully again and finally turned off the lights after finishing thest two pages of his magazine. The bed sank a little as he laid down deeper in bed. Catelyn was nervous, and her hand was pinching into the edge of the duvet. Then, suddenly a big arm swung over and cuddled her. She was forced to lean against the man¡¯s chest. She got so shocked that her heart was leaping out of her chest. Her body tensed up subconsciously as she mumbled, ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Sleep.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Cedrick made her swallow whatever she wanted to say. The palm on her waist was so warm because she was so nervous. ¡°Could you leave some space for me? It is hard for me to fall asleep this way.¡± Even though she knew he would not be ¡®sleeping with her that night, Catelyn still shook slightly and then adjusted herself. The girl in his arms was finally quiet and obedient. Cedrick used the tip of his nose to rub lightly on her head affectionately. He then saidzily through his nose, ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± Catelyn did not struggle anymore, but this did not imply that she epted his actions, especially when his breathing sound was magnified in the silent night. She felt even more nervous hearing it. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Time ticked by slowly. Catelyn was still lying sideways, with her shoulder almost numb. She finally could not resist it anymore and whispered, ¡°Could you move your hand away, please?¡± There was no response. He was likely asleep. Catelyn¡¯s eyes lit up a little, and she asked again tentatively, ¡°Cedrick?¡± Only silence answered her. Catelyn was relieved that he was finally asleep. She inched away carefully from his arms like a snail. She tried to pry away his hand with small and light actions, trying not to wake him up. She was panting from all the work. After a full two-minute, she finally escaped from his arms and immediately rolled to the right side of the bed. She wished she could be invisible so as not to catch his attention. Unexpectedly, just when she thought she had gotten away safely, another w reached out to scooch her in again. ¡°Hyperactivity?¡± His teasing voice sounded, ¡°How could I sleep if you keep on moving around?¡± Catelyn blushed. She was flustered! He was not asleep at all. He was just ying with her right from the start. He did not hesitate to pull her back in when she finally escaped. He even called her to be hyperactive! He was such a¡­ Catelyn was exasperated. Finally gave up and settled down and forced herself to sleep in his arms. It was quiet in the room again. Their breaths echoed, and their heartbeat synchronized. Their breathing tempo caught on with each other too. The warm moonlight shone through the window pane, filling the room. The night was beautiful, not more than their dreams. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. The next morning, Catelyn woke up dizzy, and her neck was a little stiff. The loud rm on her phone broke the silence. Catelyn was still sleepy as she squinted her eyes while trying to feel for her phone on the nightstand. Her phone was still vibrating incessantly. Her finger slid, and she identally pressed the answer button. ¡°Ced, have you departed?¡± She heard a woman¡¯s voice, so gentle and calm. Catelyn sprang up. The phone in her palm had a sleek outer, and there was no brand logo on it as it was a custom-made phone. She could hear the water whooshing in the bathroom. She took the wrong phone and identally answered Cedrick¡¯s phone call? ¡°Ced, are you there?¡± Janice did not receive a response, and asked once more patiently. Catelyn composed herself and sat up straight. She said, ¡°Aunt Janice, Master Cedrick is¡­ in the shower.¡± Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Chapter 237 ¡°Catelyn?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The other line went silent for a brief moment. Then, Janice spoke again, ¡°Where are you guys?¡± Not sure why, even though Janice had tried to reject her numerous times, Catelyn just could not bring herself to dislike her. On the contrary, she somehow found her familiar and loveable ¡°We are at Mason Estate. Let me get Cedrick to return your call if you have any urgent matters. ¡°Do you know the Mason Estate is where the future Missus Mason will stay?¡± Janice asked her patiently. Her tone was still calm as ever. However, her underlying meaning was shocking, like a silent bomb! Catelyn stopped breathing. Her heart skipped a beat. Mason Estate is where Missus Mason stays? No wonder when she requested to visit Mason Estate, Cedrick was stunned. Was he under the impression that she was desperate to make things official? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I did not mean that. I was just¡­¡± Janice¡¯s temples were pulsing. ¡°No wonder what your intention was. It proves how much he values you since Ced was willing to bring you to the ce. You should know that even Maia had never spent a night in the Mason Estate before.¡± Catelyn bit her lower lip, and she lost her words. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. After a while, Janice continued, ¡°Fine, I am old. Ced has grown up. My concerns are not important. However, you better behave yourself. Don¡¯t ever let me find out that you use Cedrick¡¯s name to do something that puts his reputation at harm.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about that. I will never do that.¡± She came to Mason Estate only to visit Miles. She did not know that this was where Missus Mason would be staying. Even Maia had never stayed here before¡­ She only stayed for a night. There should not be any problem, right? He said they were only in a casual rtionship, no? Why did he not tell her that she should not stay here¡­ Cedrick came out of the shower, his towel wrapped around his waist loosely. He was holding another towel in his hand and wiping off the excess moisture from his hair. 237 ¡°Open the wardrobe, and pick a suit for me. I need it for a formal asion.¡± Catelyn was initially zoning out where she was but suddenly heard his instruction. She responded but paused. Why did she have a feeling that they were living together? She was just acting and had not intended to get together with him. Catelyn! Stay alert! Don¡¯t fall for it! Maybe this man had plotted to steal your child four years ago! However, she was still bugged by the remark, ¡®she did not deserve to stay in the Mason Estate¡¯ every now and then. ¡°Aunt Janice called just now.¡± Cedrick paused his drying actions. His eyes shot to the ck phone as he asked, ¡°Did you answer?¡± ¡°I was sleepy, and I thought that was my phone. I didn¡¯t mean to intrude on your privacy.¡± ¡°Other than my business, I don¡¯t really have any private matters.¡± Cedrick¡¯s tone was indifferent. He walked to the nightstand and picked up his phone. He took a nce at the call log, the most recent record was indeed Janice. Time of call, two and a half minutes. His eyes squinted. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She did not say much. She said you are attending something important and reminded you not to bete.¡± Cedrick ced his phone face down on the tabletop. ¡°Did she speak to you about any other things?¡± ¡°The rest are nothing much.¡± Catelyn finished her sentence, lifted the duvet, and got off the bed. She proceeded to the wardrobe to pick a fit for Cedrick. Most of his clothes were formal suits. The color palette was monotonous. A few of them even looked identical, except for some minor differences. There were also surprisingly a few pairs in shy colors. Catelyn picked a white pair. Its hems were sealed in light golden color stitches. Its cor was uniquely navy blue. 238 Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Chapter 238 The pants were in a simr shade of blue. It was minimalistic but ssy. ¡°Here, try this. This is something different from what you usually wear. I suppose it will make you look younger.¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes scanned the suit and snickered lightly. Makes him look younger? Did he look old in the first ce? He was only a few years older than Jamie! Nine in the morning, on the hilltop near the mansion, a ck Mercedis drove down the road and headed to the humongous premises. Unlike the modern design, the mansion retained the vintage architecture from thest century, something like the Bauhaus house architecture. The building was squarish, and there were guards on shifts at the entrance. Right above the entrance was a gold te spelling out Mason Chateau. One of the four grandest families in Sapphire City, the chateau stood firm on its solid ground, having braved through decades of glory and history. The butler had long been waiting at the front door. He was a sixty-year-old man with silvery white hair, and he looked especially amiable whenever he smiled. Everyone called him Uncle Ford affectionately. Cedrick parked his car across thewn in front of the mansion. He came out of the front seat, and his ring suit shed at Uncle Ford. He had not seen Cedrick in such bright colors in a long time. ¡°Master Cedrick, wee home. Grandpa Mason is waiting for you in the hall.¡± Uncle Ford smiled and walked forward and instructed the servant to park the car in the parking bay. Cedrick tossed his keys to the servant and took one nce at the parking bay. The parking lot was an outdoor one, with numerous luxurious cars parked casually within. The staff car park was loosely filled with a few of the staff¡¯s cars. Cedrick raised his brows and asked, ¡°Where is Maia?¡± ¡°The rk family calledst night to inform us that Miss rk had unfortunately fallen ill. She was sent to the Emergency Department, and the doctor instructed her not to move around. So she could not make it today. However, Mister and Missus rk are here.¡± Uncle Ford regretted it a little. It was a rare asion to have both families together to discuss the matter openly. However, it was a shame that Maia, one of the key people on the issue, fell sick. Cedrick¡¯s lips curved up in an iprehensible smile. Ill? She was afraid that he had heard something that he should not have heard and did not dare to show up at the Chateau anymore. ¡°No worries, as long as the rk family is present.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Inside the yard, the air was fresh, filled with faint scents of tea. Grandpa Mason was passionate about tea, and he would hand brew tea for himself every now and then. Even though the Chateau retained most of its ancient architecture, the interior was decoratedvishly with Renaissance Europaen designs. A chandelier hung from the ceiling right in the middle, shining bright. There were two cushioned seats at one end of the hall, lined up side by side. Adjacent to which were the guest seats, covered in ck leather. Mister and Missus rk were initially having a conversation with Grandpa Mason when they heard the servant informing Cedrick¡¯s arrival. Their eyes revealed silent rage. Last afternoon, after Maia came back from walking her dog, she locked herself in the room and never said a word. Missus rk asked the servant and found out that Maia bumped into Cedrick and Catelyn at the mall¡­ Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Chapter 239 It must be the shameless couple who bullied their daughter! Of course, she had to seek justice for Maia! Grandpa Mason was already over eighty years old, but he was still rather healthy. His face was wrinkled, but he was not weak. There was also no stubble on his face. He held a walking stick in his hand and rarely smiled. He was the most respected person in the Mason family. When Cedrick came in, Grandpa Mason¡¯s gaze fixated on him. His face was grim. Cedrick walked in casually and smiled lightly. ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Grandpa?¡± Draco Mason stomped his walking stick on the ground in anger. ¡°Do you still have any respect left for your grandpa?¡± Cedrick was not shaken by his grandpa¡¯s attitude at all but merely nced over at Mister and Missus rk. ¡°Mister and Missus rk, nice to see you today.¡± ¡°Hmph, I am not exactly delighted to be here. We have never been more humiliated.¡± Missus rk was not pleased. She lifted her tea cup and took a sip, and her gaze lingered on Cedrick through the corner of her eyes. The rk family and Mason family used to have a rather good rtionship with each other. Therefore, Grandpa Mason muste up with an exnation for the rk family today. ¡°We heard that you canceled your engagement with Maia, all for a shameless woman with an illegitimate child?¡± Grandpa Mason tried hard to suppress his rage. Cedrick was standing with his back facing the light. He looked composed and not ruffled for a single bit. However, his eyes narrowed. ¡°Since you already know about it, why are you asking me again?¡± ¡°Behave!¡± Grandpa Mason suddenly yelled and mmed the tabletop with his palm. He was infuriated as he yelled, ¡°Do you know who you are talking to? I cannot believe that you, a fully grown man, had been to the convenience store in the middle of the night just to get tampons? Are you crazy?¡± Before Cedrick could say a word, Missus rk pretended to coax, ¡°Grandpa Mason, please don¡¯t be mad at him. Cedrick is still young, and it is easy for men at his age to get seduced by all the b*tches out there. You just need to educate him, don¡¯t be furious about it. It¡¯s bad for your body.¡± Draco was, however, even angrier. ¡°As long as I am still alive, Maia will be our official future Missus Mason! Should the woman dare step into my house, I will never let her get away with it!¡± Missus rk grinned, satisfied. Mister rk knew how much difference there was between the Mason family and the rk Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Sonte: 162 Chapter 239 It must be the shameless couple who bullied their daughter! Of course, she had to seek justice for Maia! Grandpa Mason was already over eighty years old, but he was still rather healthy. His face was wrinkled, but he was not weak. There was also no stubble on his face. He held a walking stick in his hand and rarely smiled. He was the most respected person in the Mason family. When Cedrick came in, Grandpa Mason¡¯s gaze fixated on him. His face was grim. Cedrick walked in casually and smiled lightly. ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Grandpa?¡± Draco Mason stomped his walking stick on the ground in anger. ¡°Do you still have any respect left for your grandpa?¡± Cedrick was not shaken by his grandpa¡¯s attitude at all but merely nced over at Mister and Missus rk ¡°Mister and Missus rk, nice to see you today.¡± ¡°Hmph, I am not exactly delighted to be here. We have never been more humiliated.¡± Missus rk was not pleased. She lifted her tea cup and took a sip, and her gaze lingered on Cedrick through the corner of her eyes. The rk family and Mason family used to have a rather good rtionship with each other. Therefore, Grandpa Mason muste up with an exnation for the rk family today. ¡°We heard that you canceled your engagement with Maia, all for a shameless woman with an illegitimate child?¡± Grandpa Mason tried hard to suppress his rage. Cedrick was standing with his back facing the light. He lookedposed and not ruffled for a single bit. However, his eyes narrowed. ¡°Since you already know about it, why are you asking me again?¡± ¡°Behave!¡± Grandpa Mason suddenly yelled and mmed the tabletop with his palm. He was infuriated as he yelled, ¡°Do you know who you are talking to? I cannot believe that you, a fully grown man, had been to the convenience store in the middle of the night just to get tampons? Are you crazy?¡± Before Cedrick could say a word, Missus rk pretended to coax, ¡°Grandpa Mason, please don¡¯t be mad at him. Cedrick is still young, and it is easy for men at his age to get seduced by all the b*tches out there. You just need to educate him, don¡¯t be furious about it. It¡¯s bad for your body.¡± Draco was, however, even angrier. ¡°As long as I am still alive, Maia will be our official future Missus Mason! Should the woman dare step into my house, I will never let her get away with it!¡± Missus rk grinned, satisfied. Mister rk knew how much difference there was between the Mason family and the rk family and pretended to look as though he decided to be the bigger person to give in. ¡°I have discussed it with Maia She is a very understanding person. If Cedrick really loved the girl after the marriage, we could keep her as a maid. If the woman gave birth to a child, Maia would take care of it too.¡± Grandpa Mason was delighted, ¡°Would this be too much for Maia?¡± ¡°Not at all. She loves Cedrick too much she said she is willing to do anything for him.¡± Maybe the Mason family would fork out somepensation for Maia now that they owed her Anyhow, it was the best way forward to keep Catelyn as the maid! Missus rk was unwilling to allow any third person to stand between Maia and Cedrick¡¯s marriage. However, Mister rk red at her before she could say a word, so she left her mouth shut Cedrick saw the three enthusiastically discussing the matter before him. His eyes squinted sharply, and his voice was cold. ¡°Are you done?¡± He did not even raise his voice, but his simple question threw everyone away, and Missus rk shuddered, ¡°I think you all misunderstood something.¡± ¡°Wh¡­ What?¡± nato 240 Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Chapter 240 ¡°I am here to tell you that our engagement has to be canceled, as for the reason¡­¡± Cedrick paused and smiled coldly. ¡°That has to be something Mister, and Missus rk could perhaps enlighten me. Do you know what your good daughter has done?¡± Missus rk stood up straight immediately and reprimanded, ¡°Maia loves you so much? What would she do? I think you are just crazily obsessed with the woman!¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes were still squinting. ¡°Really?¡± word sent both Mister and Missus rk to the edge. On the other hand, Miles woke up at seven sharp in the Mason Estate. He saw the familiar room and immediately sprang up from his bed He promised to sleep with his mummyst night. How did he end up falling asleep first? Has mummy left already? ¡°Young Master Ollie, where are you go The maid was about to help Ollie to change, but he sprinted out of the room in his pajamas. Catelyn was making breakfast in the kitchen, her apron wrapped around her waist neatly. She was holding the serving tray in one hand. When she came out of the kitchen and saw Miles¡¯ tiny body by the staircase, her heart wrenched at the sight. ¡°Young Master Ollie, be careful! I am still here. I am not leaving¡­¡± Miles calmed down and pounced on Catelyn. He hugged her leg and cried, ¡°I dreamt that you left me again, boo hoo.¡± ¡°Silly boy, I will never leave you.¡± Catelyn rubbed his little head affectionately. She was still holding the tray, inside which was filled with little dishes, all handmade by herself. She added some spices to them, giving Albert a heart attack. He emphasized that Ollie only ate light-vored food. Catelyn had to make up an excuse that it was for herself. ¡°So when are you bringing me out of here?¡± the little boy said with his pink cheeks puffed, with some light sleep marks. Catelyn smiled awkwardly and ced the tray down on the table. She squatted in front of him and said, ¡°Miles, will you be mad if I could not get you out of here just yet?¡± Catelyn thought Miles would throw a tantrum. However, after a long pause, Miles only shrugged weakly. He looked like he had been expecting this answer. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Because you still could not win over Big Demon, right?¡± ¡°Right. Most importantly, mummy needed to find out what happened four years ago. You are my good boy, my baby. You would help mummy with this, right?¡± Catelyn said sternly to her Chapter 240 Son. Miles puffed his face and answered, ¡°I could stay here, but, I have to swap with Ollie every month. He could not always have you¡­¡± In fact, he wished to swap every week. However, it would be riskier since someone might find out. Catelyn was touched, she had not seen her baby for just a few weeks, but he had suddenly grown so much. After breakfast, Catelyn got Albert to help clean up the table while Miles was in the restroom. She wanted to dig for some information from him. ¡°Young Master Ollie is so cute! If only he were my son! Too bad I don¡¯t have such luxury.¡± ¡°Miss rk, please don¡¯t be!¡± Albert was surprised and tried hard to suppress himself, ¡°I have never seen Young Master Ollie love anyone so much. Plus, you are the first woman to have stayed overnight at the Mason Estate. If you be Missus Mason in the future, you will have a very happy life.¡± Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Catelyn sighed with resignation. ¡°But I am not Master Ollie¡¯s real mother, after all. If she everes back¡­¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°If you are concerned about Master Ollie¡¯s biological mother, you don¡¯t have to, Miss rk¡± Albert had seen with his own eyes that Catelyn was getting along with Ollie and did not wish for Catelyn to feel burdened. Catelyn pretended to be surprised. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Albert hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t tell me. Just forget that I asked. I¡¯m just curious about the engagement between Master Cedrick and Maia when Maia isn¡¯t Master Ollie¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°Miss rk, please do not mistake Master Cedrick for someone who messes around!¡± Albert waved his hands frantically and exined, ¡°Master Ollie was an ident. More precisely, he was ced at the door of Mason Mansion, and we don¡¯t know who the mother is. However, don¡¯t worry, Master Cedrick hates that woman. If she dares to show herself before him, she will suffer for doing so.¡± Catelyn¡¯s blood ran cold at the word ¡®suffer¡¯. ¡°Why would Master Cedrick resent her if he doesn¡¯t know who she is?¡± Albert didn¡¯t dare to say that Cedrick resented that woman for plotting to get pregnant with his child as it concerned Cedrick¡¯s privacy and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Catelyn looked around and asked boldly, ¡°What about Maia? I heard that Maia and Master Cedrick went to a hotel and¡­ Well, hasn¡¯t Master Cedrick suspected that the child is rted to Maia?¡± ¡°She has never been pregnant before, so how could she have a child? Miss rk, you must be joking!¡± Albert thought that Catelyn was jealous and teased her with a smile. Catelyn realized that Cedrick had completely separated the woman he slept with and Ollie¡¯s biological mother, which worked to her advantage as he wouldn¡¯t associate her as Ollie¡¯s mother. She smiled politely It wasn¡¯t status that she wanted; she only wanted her children and the truth of what happened. Albert mentioned that Cedrick didn¡¯t know Ollie¡¯s mother, so how did Ollie end up in Mason Mansion? Catelyn wanted to ask more, but Miles stepped out of the bathroom just then. Not wanting to expose her innocent son to the schemes of the adults¡¯ world, she decided to stop asking about it. She yed with Miles for a while when a servant ran inside and reported respectfully, ¡°Master Ollie, Miss Coleman is here.¡± Janice had remained single her entire life, so everyone addressed her as ¡®Miss Coleman¡¯. ¡°Miss Coleman? Invite her in.¡± Albert signaled the servant to invite Janice in and told the maids to prepare tea and desserts. Janice enjoyed desserts but preferred ones with lesser sugar in them. Miles was slightly confused as he had never met Janice before, so he subconsciously reached up to hold Catelyn¡¯s hand. He wrapped his small hand around her finger trustingly, and that was the first thing Janice saw when she stepped into the living room. She was stunned. She could not imagine that a child as introverted as Ollie would take the initiative to hold someone¡¯s hand so naturally. Following her arrival, everyone focused on her as though she was a sudden guest interrupting the peaceful atmosphere. ¡°Master Ollie, Miss Coleman is here. Why aren¡¯t you greeting her?¡± Albert reminded Miles with a smile. Miles¡¯ brain went into high drive, and he answered, ¡°Grandma?¡± ¡°Good boy.¡± Janice turned her attention away from Catelyn and looked at the boy gently. At the same time, she was surprised. Has Ollie always beenposed and distant? Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Chapter 242 However, Ollie was clearly disying a child¡¯s innocencepared to how he behaved in the past. Janice was feeling rather weak from the travels, so the servants helped her to the couch. She extended a hand toward Miles gently and asked, ¡°Ollie, have you missed me?¡± ¡°Thisdy seems to be really important. She must be a senior to Big Demon, right?¡¯ Miles thought to himself as he looked around. He beamed and went to pour a ss of warm water before bringing it to Janice. ¡°Of course I do. I miss you every day! Grandma, have some water¡­ Janice froze and choked at the bright smile on his face. Ollie also poured water for her all the time, but he would never smile like this. The child seemed to have inherited Cedrick¡¯s pride and cold nature perfectly, and though he addressed her as his grandma, he wasn¡¯t that close with her. ¡°Good boy.¡± Janice epted the ss and drank the water hesitantly. After she set the ss down, Miles took his yellow duck slippers off and crawled to the couch before reaching his little hands and saying, ¡°Grandma, you are old now so I¡¯m going to give you a massage¡­¡± He stroked and kneaded her with just the right amount of strength and asked innocently,¡± How is it?¡± Though Janice enjoyed it, she was overwhelmed by shock ¡°You are still so young, so you don¡¯t have to do this¡­¡± she said while ncing at Albert, clearly looking for an answer for Ollie¡¯s drastic change of character. Albert smiled gently in contentment. ¡°Miss Coleman, Master Ollie has changed a lot ever since Miss rk arrived.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Since the day Catelyn was assigned as the designer for Ollie¡¯s mansion, Ollie¡¯s personality had changed drastically. He was once cold and quiet but had transformed into a bubbly and talkative child who had recently learned to socialize with others. Janice looked up in disbelief. ¡°Catelyn rk?¡± Albert suddenly realized that he might be showing his favoritism toward Catelyn. After all, Janice preferred Maia to be her nephew-inw. Regretting his own words, he added, ¡°Master Ollie likes Miss rk as well.¡± Janice nced at Catelyn. ¡°I rarely see Ollie like someone so much. Miss rk, you sure are something special.¡± Noticing that Janice was hinting that she was great at winning people over, Catelyn answered hastily, ¡°It¡¯s probably because my son is around the same age as Ollie.¡± There was a beautiful outdoor balcony on the second floor. Janice and Catelyn sat on the swings with soft cushions on them across one anotherfortably. ¡°There must be something special about you if you managed to attract both Cedrick and Ollie, Miss rk.¡± Janice stared thoughtfully at Catelyn. Catelyn¡¯s heart sank. If Janice told her she could not stay in Mason Mansion, she would not be able to visit Ollie. Catelyn thought to herself, ¡®What is she going to say? Is she going to tell me to leave Mason Mansion or leave Cedrick?¡¯ ¡°Please cut to the chase, Miss Coleman.¡± Catelyn knew that there was no point in running. When she first agreed to date Cedrick, she had foreseen all the pressure she would have to endure. Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Janice decided to cut to the chase. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered what kind of girls Cedrick likes. He was engaged with Maia before, and I thought he liked her, but there was never any affection in his eyes whenever he looked at her. On the contrary, I can sense that he is serious about you. I feel both d and worried about that. I don¡¯t have any children of my own, and Cedrick is like my child. As a mother, I want him to have a strong wife. In the future, I will select a wife who¡¯s appropriate for him with you as a reference, but for now¡­ I won¡¯t stop you two from dating each other.¡± Catelyn¡¯s expression darkened slightly at her words. Janice had promised not to stop them from dating but had also made it clear that Catelyn was not fit to be Cedrick¡¯s wife. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to know my ce and back off when the person who¡¯s fit to be his wife shows up?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°If you love him, you should prioritize him no matter what. If you don¡¯t love him, I will make sure that you arepensated for leaving,¡± Janice said calmly and casually, but also a warning toward Catelyn that if Catelyn loved Cedrick, she should choose to leave and allow him to marry a wife with a powerful background. Catelyn could understand her point of view but could not agree with it. However, there was no need for her to discuss the future with Janice because she only sees her children in her future. There was no space for Cedrick. ¡°I get it.¡± Catelyn nodded obediently. The smile on Janice¡¯s face faded as she thought, ¡®Just like that? She didn¡¯t ever try to talk me out of it? Does she truly love Cedrick?¡¯ Suddenly, Janice developed a mild resentment toward Catelyn. She took out a cheque from her purse and handed it to Catelyn. ¡°There was no time during thest few times we saw one another, and I didn¡¯t have time to prepare a gift for you. Here, I hope you will like this.¡± Catelyn nced at it and saw a bunch of zeros, adding up to seven digits. ¡®What an impressive first gift!¡¯ she thought. V She immediately pushed the cheque back, but Janice shoved it back into her hands. ¡°Believe me. You will need this money. You can use it to buy some clothes or to attend sses. I want you to be a better person and shut down everyone that says that your rtionship with Cedrick won¡¯t work. Cedrick¡¯s girlfriend must always be someone extraordinary.¡± Catelyn was shocked. She had thought that Janice handed her the cheque to remind her of her ce, not expecting that she did so to get Catelyn to enrich herself. Catelyn could tell that Janice truly cared for Cedrick, but she still refused the cheque in the end. ¡°Miss Coleman, you don¡¯t think I deserve Master Cedrick, do you? If that¡¯s the case, so long as I remain mediocre, he will grow tired of me soon. Wouldn¡¯t you prefer that? Hence, I can¡¯t ept this money.¡± Janice was stunned at the fact that Catelyn did not intend to remain by Cedrick¡¯s side. ¡®What does she want, then?!¡¯ she thought. Suddenly, she realized that she did not understand the woman before her at all. In the rk Mansion, Maia leaned against the couch and yed with her phone in the afternoon, ncing outside the window from time to time. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a car¡¯s engine shut down from the outside. She stood up from the couch and saw her parents hurrying out of the car before walking toward the living room, gloomily. Maia blinked guiltily and went up to them hastily. ¡°Dad, Mom, how did the talk with the Masons go? Has Grandpa Mason restored my engagement with Cedrick¡­¡± p! Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 A pnded on her right cheek and interrupted what she was going to say. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Betty eximed, ¡°What are you doing, Jason?! Mai, let me see if you are hurt.¡± Maia was stunned by the p. She covered her swollen cheek as tears welled up in her eyes. She bit on her lower lips and stared at her father pathetically. ¡°Dad, why?¡± Jason took out a pile of photos and threw them at Maia¡¯s face as he roared, ¡°Do you even need to ask? Look at what you did! I was dead set on getting justice for your sake, and¡­ you have brought shame to my name!¡± The photos danced in the air and fell onto the floor, while one stuck onto Maia¡¯s face. She took the photo down pathetically, only to see the moment when she went to the hotel with Richard captured on it. The photo was taken at night, and the angle was tilted, so Richard¡¯s face was blurred, but Maia¡¯s face was as clear as day. ¡®Why are there photos?¡¯ She grabbed onto the photo and thought. Panicked, she took a few steps back. ¡°No¡­ These aren¡¯t real. They must be fake!¡± ¡°How dare you lie?!¡± Jason barked furiously, ¡°I¡¯ve already called the managers of that hotel, and the surveince footage proves that you were in there with that man!¡± ¡°Mai, stop it already. Apologize to your father¡­¡± Betty winked at Maia, hinting at her to stop angering her father. She, too, was extremely frustrated. The rks had the upper hand in the confrontation and were supposed to be asking for compensation until Cedrick pointed out that Maia had cheated. The photos were solid proof of his usation. Both Betty and Jason felt as though they had been pped in the faces. Before the elder of the Mason Family could say anything, they immediately ran away. Maia bit her lip with a vicious expression. ¡°Yes, I slept with that guy, but Cedrick was the one who betrayed me with Catelyn first. I am just taking my revenge on him for being so merciless! ¡°Shut up! Do you have any shame at all?¡± Jason raised his hand in an attempt to p Maia once again. Maia flinched and moved to hide behind her mother. Betty blocked Jason¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Jason, the most important thing right now is to find a way to resolve this. It¡¯s already happened, and there¡¯s no point in getting mad at Mai¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that you won¡¯t follow us to the Mason¡¯s today. You knew we would end up embarrassing ourselves!¡± Jason pulled his arm back and sat down on the couch, sulking. Betty sighed a breath of relief and tugged at Maia to signal her to admit that she was wrong. Not given any other choice, Maia went to pour a cup of tea and bowed to serve it to her father. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. Have some tea to calm your nerves¡­¡± 1 Jason did not ept the tea. ¡°Who is that man?¡± Maia told him everything that had happened, including Richard being no one but an admirer of hers. Jason believed in his daughter¡¯s charm but red at her regardless. ¡°How foolish! It¡¯s fine that you enjoyed messing around in nightclubs before. It took me so much work to finally erase your past and set up an engagement with the Mason Family. It¡¯s such a great opportunity, so why won¡¯t you treasure it?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Maia summoned the courage and confessed, ¡°I¡¯ll just tell you the truth, Dad. I am not the woman Cedrick was looking for, so he was going to cancel the engagement whether or not I cheat on him!¡± ¡°Pftt!¡± Jason had only taken a small sip of tea and immediately spat it out when he heard what Maia said. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Maia tried to dodge, but Jason grabbed her by the wrist. ¡°What did you just say? Say that again! Betty¡¯s eyes reddened as she questioned hysterically, ¡°How could it not be you? The Four Seasons Hotel, the scent of gardenia, spending a night there, there were so many coincidences¡­¡± ¡°Before he called the engagement off, I found out that he was looking into what happened all those years back!¡± Maia decided toe clean and sneered. ¡°I guess he started suspecting me or thought that Catelyn was the woman he was looking for. Don¡¯t forget that Catelyn liked using gardenia perfume before her family went bankrupt¡­¡± Jason gasped. Inparison to cheating, deceiving Cedrick for four years was far worse. The engagement between the rk and Mason Families only started because Cedrick had¡¯ deflowered¡¯ Maia. If the truth came out, Jason could not begin to imagine the consequences. Though the rk Family was one of the four most powerful families, the family had been declining since the elder handed the power down to Jason. The family was barely managing to maintain its glorious exterior. ¡°If you weren¡¯t the one Cedrick Mason was looking for, why didn¡¯t you tell us four years ago?¡± Maia¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°You and Mom seemed so happy about it. Besides, no one showed up in the Mason Mansion for two months, so I thought that no one would notice¡­ Dad, don¡¯t get mad. Let¡¯s think about what to do¡­¡± Jason was so furious that he saw stars. Betty, too, was terrified of learning the truth. When she saw the dark expression on his face, she reorganized her speech and consoled, ¡°Let¡¯s not be too pessimistic for now. The elder of the Mason Family didn¡¯t exactly say that the engagement was over, did he? Until he does, there¡¯s still a chance¡­¡± Jason simply remained silent with a stern expression. Cedrick was in a much better mood when he returned to Mason Mansionpared to when he left. At the very least, the stern expression on his face had eased. However, he would often hear Ollie¡¯s voice talking when he arrived home, but there wasn¡¯t a sound today. He felt it was a little off and had a hard time adjusting to it. He hung his jacket to the rack and called for Albert. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Where are Catelyn and Ollie?¡± ¡°Miss Coleman came and took both Miss rk and Master Ollie out,¡± Albert said. ¡°Aunt Janice was here?¡± Cedrick¡¯s hands paused and scowled. ¡°Yes. She came right after you left and even spent some time alone with Miss rk upstairs.¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened at the fact that those two spent time alone. ¡°Where are they now?¡± ¡°Miss.Coleman told the servants not to follow them, but Master Ollie was saying that he wants to go to a theme park, so I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s where the driver took them,¡± Albert answered sincerely. He, too, was surprised that Janice would take Catelyn out as he thought Janice hated her. It was the weekend, so there were parents with their children everywhere in the theme park. It was the most famous theme park in Sapphire City with eye-catching games tailor-made for children, so there would be people who travel long distances to take their children here. When Catelyn and Miles arrived at the gate, there was a long queue in front of the ticket counter. Janice was weak, so she had called the owner of the theme park ahead of time. The owner immediately arranged for them to get a pass in the VIP line. Miles stood between Catelyn and Janice, holding both of their hands with each one of his hands as he walked into the park. ¡°Look! I envy that kid¡­¡± ¡°They are going in through the VIP line! They must be really rich.¡± ¡°Thatdy is probably taking her daughter-inw and grandson out to y.¡± ¡°That kid looks so handsome. I wonder what his father looks like¡­¡± Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Janice and Catelyn paid no mind to all the people gossiping about them. They did not bother to clear the theme park out and went inside after informing the owner about it. Miles had frequented the theme park as Catelyn would take him there whenever she had time, but he had never gotten the VIP experience. There would be long lines for each ride, and he never managed to experience that many rides. ¡°Ollie, this is the first time I¡¯m taking you to a theme park. Go ahead and enjoy yourself to your heart¡¯s content.¡± Janice smiled gently at Miles. Miles gestured a heart with his fingers toward Janice sweetly in a ttering manner and Catelyn could not help but chuckle at how great he was at reading the situation. There were a few gigantic panda statues at the entrance of the park and motorcoaches parked at the side. The staff was selling tickets, and naturally, Janice preferred to explore the park in the most comfortable way. The three went onto the motorcoach and headed toward their first destination, the roller coaster. It was Miles¡¯ favorite, so he went and sat on the very first row on the roller coaster. The sky was beginning to turn dark, and the colorful lights all over the park lit up, causing the reflections to glitter on the surface of theke at the center of the park. The roller coaster raced by, following the shouts and screams of children and the entire theme park came alive. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Catelyn and Janice did not get onto the roller coaster and sat in the waiting area to wait for Miles. Miles sat on the first row with his sunsses and his lips pursed. Catelyn felt both d and bitter looking at him. She had often brought Miles here, but Cedrick had not brought Ollie here before. If Ollie had the chance toe to the theme park, she would surely apany him until he had all the fun the park had to offer. ¡°Ah!!!¡± The roller coaster had reached the highest point of the track and dropped in an instant from the top. Screams rose and fell along with the passengers¡¯ adrenaline levels. After the first round, Miles came off of the roller coaster excitedly with flushed cheeks. ¡°Are you happy?¡± Janice asked gently. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a shame you can¡¯t get on that ride, Grandma. I could have apanied you.¡± Miles tried his best to win Janice¡¯s favor as he realized that even Albert had to listen to this woman before him. Janice¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°It¡¯s enough to me that you think that¡­¡± ¡°Miss Coleman, it¡¯s getting windy now. Why don¡¯t you take a seat in the restaurant over there? I can keep Master Olliepany,¡± Catelyn suggested while pointing at a high-ss restaurant nearby Janice nodded as she did start to feel a little cold. ¡°Keep himpany, then. Don¡¯t let him out of your sight.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Catelyn nodded. She walked Janice to the restaurant with Miles, and the two returned to the park Along the way, they walked past an ice cream shop. Miles immediately stopped and batted his big, round eyes at it¡­ Catelyn scowled. ¡°You¡¯ve already had a popsicle this moming¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small one. It doesn¡¯t count.¡± Miles looked up at Catelyn with a serious expression so adorable that Catelyn found it hard to refuse his request. ¡°Eating too much ice cream is bad for you, especially if you are still a child.¡± Catelyn did not want to spoil her child and gave him a choice. ¡°You can either have it right now and not have ice cream again for the rest of the week, or you keep your one-time chance for another day.¡± Miles stared at the ice cream and felt his heart breaking into pieces at the thought that he could not have it for the rest of the week It was summer. In the end, he struggled and turned away from the ice cream with determination ¡°One ice cream cone,¡± Just then, a big hand appeared holding Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Chapter 247 The shop owner epted the dor bill with a big smile. ¡°Sure, what vor would you like, sir? Cedrick did not answer and turned to look at Miles instead. ¡°What vor do you want?¡± Miles snapped his head up with widened eyes. ¡°Big Demon?¡± Cedrick stood elegantly by their sides. His tall frame and the suit he was wearing made him stand out in the theme park, but his majestic aura made it so that everyone could only wonder about his identity in secret without daring to stare at him. Cedrick ordered a vani-vored scoop for Miles before turning to stare at Catelyn. ¡°This is how you teach my son in private?¡± To choose from two options? To give up on his original choice? Catelyn choked but managed to mutter, ¡°He has a weak stomach, so he can¡¯t eat things that are too cold!¡± As though reminded of something, she immediately said to the owner of the shop. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we don¡¯t need the vani ice cream¡­¡± ¡°We are taking it.¡± Cedrick straightened his back and interrupted her with his cold voice. ¡°We are not taking it!¡± Catelyn stressed once again stubbornly. ¡°I¡¯ve already paid. We are taking it.¡± ¡°I said no. He¡¯s not your¡­¡± Catelyn came close to saying that Miles wasn¡¯t his son but stopped halfway and froze at the realization that she almost said the wrong thing. The ice cream shop owner interfered while looking at the two with amusement. ¡°Well, do you want it or not? Married couples should discuss before this. I still have a business to run here.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s married to him?¡± Catelyn flushed and denied it right away. ¡°No? I thought that this is your kid¡­¡± The owner burst outughing. ¡°He looks just like the two of you.¡± Catelyn¡¯s stomach dropped as her heart throbbed. ¡°Haha¡­ You must be joking¡­¡± The owner continued with a smile, ¡°I have great observation skills. Even if you are not his mother, you are probably a rtive or something, right?¡± Catelyn could barely hold onto the smile on her face and thought to herself, ¡®Why is this owner so bothersome?¡¯ ¡°Fat Uncle, is my ice cream done yet?¡± Miles noticed how awkward Catelyn was and spoke out to the owner. The owner was a mid-age man with a big belly and immediately responded, ¡°Almost done¡­¡± One minuteter, Cedrick epted the vani ice cream from the owner¡¯s hand. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. The faint aroma of the ice cream filled the air, and before leaving, Cedrick said to the owner,¡± Indeed, you are quite observant. We aren¡¯t married right now, but we might be in the future.¡± Catelyn pretended that she didn¡¯t hear him and hurried forward. With Cedrick joining them, Miles despised him but was also happy to have a servant with them and started bossing Cedrick around to buy drinks or queue in lines¡­ Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Whenever Cedrick would get upset, Miles would hide behind Catelyn. They had a st, and as the night progressed, Miles decided to end the day with a ride on the Ferris wheel. The gond rose toward the sky slowly and finally stopped at the highest point as though it was floating in the air. Miles pressed his face against the ss and stared down at the scenery. Theke was located beside the Ferris wheel, and there were a few cruise ships sailing on the water. There were waterproof lights on the edges of the shops that shone splendidly when one looked at them from higher ground, and Miles stared at them unblinkingly. There wasn¡¯t much space in the gond, so it felt even more cramped when Catelyn stood up, but she wasn¡¯t afraid. Every time she turned around, she would brush against his chin. ¡°You seem so cautious most of the time. I didn¡¯t expect you to be this brave. Are you not afraid of heights?¡± Catelyn tip-toed and pressed her fingers against the ss window. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? The Ferris wheel isn¡¯t going to copse. Besides¡­ Don¡¯t you think this is about as close as you can get to the sky?¡± Cedrick chuckled silently at the innocent smile on her face while typing on his phone to send out a command. Baam! Suddenly, they heard a piercing noise of the engine moving emitted from the Ferris wheel, and the entire theme park fell intoplete darkness. ¡°There¡¯s a power outage!¡± Countless people started screaming as they saw nothing but darkness before them. The smile on Catelyn¡¯s face disappeared, and she subconsciously reached out for Miles. ¡°Aunt Catelyn?¡± Miles was also waving his arms in the air. ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± Catelyn consoled him while moving toward his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s just a power outage. We just need to wait for a bit.¡± Baam! Suddenly, she ran into a broad chest, and her nose bumped into his chin, sending a sharp pain through her head. Before she could register what had happened, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her, fully embracing her. In the dark, he found the precise location of where her lips were, and he pressed his cold, thin lips against hers without a moment of hesitation. The power went back on throughout the park five minutester. Miles found Catelyn¡¯s hand and grabbed onto it tightly, but he noticed her swollen lips through the dim light. ¡°Aunt Catelyn, why is your mouth swollen?¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn covered her mouth frantically, her eyes darting around, not knowing where to look. ¡°Just now¡­ Just now, during the power outage, I identally bumped into the ss window.¡± ¡°Really? You are so clumsy.¡± Miles jumped up in an attempt to touch her lips. ¡°What are you going to do without me?¡± Just as he stepped onto the seat and reached up to touch Catelyn, Cedrick lifted him up. Miles struggled in Cedrick¡¯s arms to the point that his clothes lifted up and exposed his round belly. ¡°What are you doing? Let me down.¡± Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Cedrick nced at Catelyn''s reddened lips before looking down at the boy in his arms. "You can''t touch her lips," he deadpanned. "Why not?" Miles blinked curiously. He used to touch his mother''s lips all the time, and Catelyn would kiss him from time to time. Cedrick''s brow twitched, but a teasing smile appeared as though he had thought of something. "Because you are too young. Her lips only belong to me now, understood?" "What does that even mean?! Let me go..." Miles struggled in Cedrick''s arms, but his power simply could not rival him. After a while, his strength slowly weakened and he was left powerless and panting with anger written all over his face. Catelyn kept her hand over her mouth the entire time, too embarrassed to talk about what had happened. Miles rolled his eyes and focused on Catelyn''s face once again. " Aunt Catelyn, why is your face so red?" Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Catelyn had no idea how to answer his question. "Maybe...Maybe it¡¯s because the weather is too hot. Don''t you think so, too?" To prove that she was telling the truth, she even fanned her face but identally met Cedrick''s eyes as she did. He was looking back casually as though he was exploring a new world. Catelyn''s heart raced. She hastily looked away and the flush on her cheeks spread to the point that even her ears appeared pink. "A little, maybe, but it''s already night now. Are you still feeling hot?" Miles had an odd feeling that something had happened when the power went out earlier without him knowing. He thought to himself, ''Damn it! I''ve allowed this guy to do what he wants right in front of my eyes!'' Once they were out of the Ferris wheel, Miles kept Catelyn close and did not allow Cedrick any chance to get closer to avoid the same thing from happening again. Cedrick was amused, as ''Ollie'' would not be able to do anything if he truly wanted to do something to Catelyn. Miles dragged Catelyn to the washroom with a mischievous expression. Catelyn''s lips were still slightly swollen so she needed to head to the bathroom to have a look, but to her surprise, she spotted her other child around the corner. It was Ollie. He was dressed in Miles'' old clothes while wearing a pair of sunsses, face mask and a hood without showing any skin on his face. Though the people that walked by all could not help but stare at him, the boy appeared unaffected and confident. Catelyn was stunned when she saw him. "Ollie, why are you here?" She pulled him toward a hidden corner where there was a tall nt that could block the sight of anyone from the outside. Catelyn nervously wondered what the twins had nned behind her. ''There are so many people here, what if he gets lost? It''s really not a good thing when my sons are too smart for their own good... I didn''t even notice what they''ve been doing,'' she thought. Ollie seemed slightly hesitant but said, "Mom, Miles and I discussed this. We will be exchanging ces every once a month. Today is a great chance for us to do that. Miles... He misses you, too. 11 Catelyn resented how powerless she was. "I''m sorry for not being strong enough to protect you two." How could she be so weak that her sons had to make the choices for her...aaa Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Chapter 250 "Don''t say that. I am more than willing to do this." Ollie pursed his lips and wrapped his arms around Catelyn''s neck before rubbing his face against hers. "I will be back in a month." Under the current circumstances, only one could remain by Catelyn''s side, and the other would have to stay with Cedrick. Changing ces every once a month was the fairest arrangement for them. Miles was overwhelmed by guilt when he saw how reluctant Ollie and Catelyn were to part, but he had let Ollie have his mother for too long. He missed his bed at home and the days without Cedrick around. Hebed through his slightly curly hair in frustration. Catelyn''s heart broke into pieces, but Ollie had already let go and started exchanging clothes with Miles, no longer as hesitant as he was earlier. Though he didn''t want to part with Catelyn, he knew that he would have the chance to see her again now that he had finally found his mother. The two children swiftly exchanged clothes. The delicate and exquisite casual wear returned to Ollie, and Miles wore his cheap yetfortable jacket. The twins gave each other a look with determination. They would not let their mother down. When Catelyn came back hand in hand with Ollie, Cedrick and Janice were chatting in the restaurant. They were sitting across from each other with two steaming cups of tea on the table. "Ollie?" Janice spotted him and waved in his direction. "Come to Grandma..." Ollie tightened his grip around Catelyn''s hand before letting her go and walking steadily toward Janice to greet her shyly, "Hi, Grandma." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Janice noticed that he was not as lively as before and asked, " You''ve been ying for so long, you must be hungry." Ollie shook his head with his usual smile that showed only six of his teeth. "I''m fine. I''m not hungry. Aunt Catelyn, what do you want to eat?" Catelyn could not be bothered with anything when she thought about the fact that she would have to part with Ollieter. Perhaps she felt that she owed him because she had not raised Ollie. Miles was far more bubbly and wittypared to Ollie. Ollie was more introverted and tended to hide everything in his own mind. She could not help but feel sorry for a child like that. Catelyn tried her best to keep her tears at bay and forced a smile. "I''m not that hungry, either." "You still need to eat." Cedrick nced oddly at the forced smiles on both of their faces before calling the waiter over to order. The theme park had high-ss restaurants and snack stalls that matched the needs of all families. The dishes were tempting andparable to that of a five-star hotel, but Catelyn had no appetite and took a few bites before starting to stare at Ollie unblinkingly. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Janice had not seen Ollie for a long time, so she brought him to Nandose Vi for a two days trip. It was about seven to eight in the evening, which were peak hours for traffic and pedestrians in the fast-paced Sapphire City. Catelyn and Cedrick were sitting at a restaurant. "What were you doing in the washroom with the boy?" Cedrick asked in a serious tone. Catelyn felt her nerve ticking upon hearing that question. She nned to have a quick meal and send Miles home, but he was smart enough to get a cab by himself. He should be arriving at home already. Catelyn felt empty without her two sons with her. "What else could we be doing? I was sad to have said goodbye to Master Ollie after spending a whole weekend with him," answered Catelyn, faking casualness. Cedrick did not buy her answer. He squinted at her dubiously and said, "Do you want to tell me the truth, or should I look for the truth myself?" "No!" Catelyn cut him off. "If you don''t want me to look for the truth, be honest with me." Catelyn bit her lip and paused for a brief moment before asking, " Master Ollie told me, in his words, that he''s a motherless b*stard child, and my heart ached for all the pain he''s endured all these years. Cedrick, can you please tell me why Ollie doesn''t have a mother?" The air was still for a few seconds. Cedrick''s lips pursed into a thin, straight line. His tenderness from earlier had vanished. No one was allowed to talk about that woman, ever. "Pack your stuff. I''m sending you home." Cedrick did not answer. He stood up and picked up his coat before heading out. Catelyn''s heart quivered as she did not expect him to react so aggressively. "Wait!" She was hell-bent on wanting to know the answer to her question and gave chase. "I want to know more about Little Ollie''s mother¡ª" "Does it matter who his mother is?" Cedrick cut her off immediately, emitting a murderous aura. He obviously did not want to talk about it. Why would she insist on asking? "No, but¡ª" "Then stop being a busybody." Catelyn paused for a brief moment. Even though Cedrick did not want to talk about it, the topic had been opened up, and giving up did not feel like an option. She refused to just forget about it. "If Ollie wants me to be his mother, I should know about these things! Why do you hate her so much, and how did Ollie end up in the Mason Estate?" "Enough!" The veins on Cedrick''s forehead protruded as he lost hisposure. "Never, everbring up anything about that woman ever again. Just behave and remember your ce, Catelyn. Don''t forget that Jamie is still trying to fight for Miles'' custody." Catelyn quaked in disbelief. "Are you threatening me?" Cedrick had no intention to threaten her. All he wanted was for her to stop asking questions. After all, the answers to these questions would do nothing but hurt both parties. "Think whatever you want." Catelyn was at a loss of words and felt disappointed. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "Sorry, I shouldn''t have asked. 1 won''t do it again." Catelyn felt like she had made a joke out of herself. She might have had too high of an expectation before. Maybe things were not what she thought to be, that Cedrick did not steal Ollie from her. Something else must have happened, but whatever it was, he did not want to talk about it. It must have been soplicated that he just did not want to be reminded of it. Catelyn then thought about how he ruined her life four years ago and was the reason she got separated from her son. She got upset and turned around to leave the ce. Cedrick watched as Catelyn left and felt his heart sink. Thest thing he wanted was to yell at her, but... He had been on the hunt for Ollie''s mother for so many years to no avail. What was there to tell her? Catelyn left the theme park. Some of the rides and attractions had closed at this hour, thus many parents were waiting outside by the bus stop with their children. Catelyn wanted to call for a cab, but it was way too crowded. On top of that, it was during peak hours. The e-hailing service app sent her a reminder to inform her that there were 20 more passengers ahead of her. If that was not bad enough, the weather had turned gloomy, and it looked like it would rain in seconds! A strike of lightning lit up the dark sky, followed by a gust of wind as the rain started pouring mercilessly. Rumbles were heard throughout the skies, and with that, a wall of rain drummed against the roof of the bus stop as more people started squeezing under the roof. At that moment, Bus 108 had finally arrived. Catelyn, not wanting to dally, rushed into the bus swiftly. All of a sudden, she felt a sharp gaze staring at her. She turned around instinctively to look in the direction of the gaze. However, the entrance of the bus was filled with people, and someone behind her asked impatiently, "Miss, are you not boarding the bus? The rain is pouring, and if you don''t n on boarding it, please don''t obstruct the entrance." "I''m sorry! I''m getting in." Catelyn was squished onto the bus. There were no more seats on the bus, so she stood by an empty spot near the window. She wondered if Miles had reached home. A luxurious ck car stopped by the main road junction of the entrance of Fairytale Garden. The wiper swept the rain off the window silently. Cedrick sat in the back passenger seat, and the window was rolled down by an inch. Droplets of rain sprinkled and flowed into the car. Eason held onto the steering wheel with one arm, unable to pry into what Cedrick was thinking. "Master Cedrick, Catelyn had just got on the bus." "Follow the bus," uttered Cedrick coldly. It was difficult to tell what he was feeling. Eason hummed in response and followed after the bus at a good distance. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Since the bus was filled with people, Catelyn gripped the handle above her head firmly. Her upper body leaned toward the window as she tried to bnce herself so she would not fall when the bus pulled the brakes. Her shoulder was moist with the rain from earlier, but she did not bother to wipe it off. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "Mommy, that car seems to be following us," said a little girl who sat on a seat in front of Catelyn, pointing at a ck car outside the window. Her mother smiled and acknowledged her. "Don''t put your hand outside of the window. The road is big, and it could just be going in the same direction. Why would it be following us?" "That''s true," the little girl responded as she pursed her tiny lips and retrieved her hand. Momentster, the girl''s mother was heard mumbling to herself, " Hmm. It does look like it''s following the bus. Look; it stops every time the bus stops and moves every time the bus moves. That''s pretty weird..." Catelyn listened to their conversations and looked out of the window in curiosity. It was raining so heavily, yet someone was following the bus? The cold air had formed ayer of mist on the bus window. The ck car that the mother-daughter pair mentioned had been maintaining a distance from the bus. Catelyn was having trouble seeing, but the person inside the car looked familiar to her, especially thest two digits of the car te''s number. Catelyn was still deep in her thoughts when she felt a man''s chest pressing against her back. The body felt warm. Catelyn froze for a brief moment before sidestepping. She turned around to throw a sharp re at the man behind her. The man was in his thirties to forties. His face was filled with facial hair, and a dark circle of stubbles surrounded his mouth to his jaw and sideburns. His eyes gleamed with devious intent. Catelyn felt her stomach churn in disgust. The man touched his chin and asked in a revolting manner, "What are you looking at?" Catelyn smiled coldly and asked defensively, "Shouldn''t I be the one asking you why you''re standing so close to me?" "The bus is filled with people. Where else am I supposed to stand?" replied the man with a perverted smile as he whistled. Catelyn thought about his action earlier, and her smile turned icy- cold. She stomped on the man''s toes with her heeled shoes, mustering all her energy on that single movement as she dug her heel further down the man''s toes. "Argh!" The man yelped in pain. He felt like his toes were almost severed from his foot. Some nearby passengers turned around to the source of the noise. Catelyn retrieved her foot nonchntly and smiled politely. "Sorry! There''s a pig in heat, and my foot slipped by ident. Please excuse me." The man grabbed his injured foot and jumped around a few times, his face flushed shamefully as he red fiercely at Catelyn. He raised his hand and reached out to strike Catelyn across the face. "B*tch, I''ll kill you!" The bus was filled with people, and there was no way for Catelyn to run. All she could do was raise her handbag and try to fend the attack off Screeech! The wheels rubbed against the asphalt road and made a sharp noise. The passengers on the bus lost their bnce as some staggered a few steps forward while the rest shook from left to right. The perverted manpletely lost his bnce and copsed onto a middle-aged woman. He even pretended to rub his perverted hand across the woman''s chest by ident. The woman did not buy it and struck him across the face in an instant. "You degenerate piece of sh*t! Where do you think you''re touching?" "Can''t believe he''s such a perverted man!" "Get the f*ck off the bus! No one wants to share the same space with a degenerate like you." Everyone on the bus red at the man in disdain as they scolded him, and he had no other choice than to flee the scene with his tail between his legs. The driver could not be bothered by the man, however, as he cussed at the ck car in front of his bus. "So what if you''re rich? You''re upying the busne! Have you got no sense of morality?" Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Chapter 253 The reason the bus came to a screeching halt was because of the ck car. Catelyn''s eyes followed the driver''s direction, only to find that the ck car had slowly left her vision and turned into a small, ck dot. However, her mind decided to y tricks on her as a handsome figure shed through her mind out of nowhere. She shook the image off, however. She must have lost her mind. Why would Cedrick be there? He must have gone home already. Catelyn arrived at her station after a short while, but the rain was relentless, still. Since she did not have an umbre with her, she decided to wait it out at the bus stop. No one was in sight as it was alreadyte into the night. The street light shone dimly under the rain, and the sky was darker than usual. Catelyn shuddered under the gust of cold wind. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Not long after, the rain slowly dispersed, and just as she was about to walk back home... "Tsk! Look who it is," rang a sinister male voice from behind her. Catelyn turned around to find a man walking out from behind the bus stop''s advertisement sign board. It was the perverted man from the bus earlier! The man''s lips stretched into a deviant sneer. Catelyn looked at her surroundings. Noting that it was still quiet and empty all around her, she ignored him and turned to walk away from the bus stop. There was a mall just a short distance away, and she would be safe there¡ª All of a sudden, she felt a hand grab her shoulder. The man walking toward her tossed her onto a nearby sign board with brute force. Thud! Catelyn''s backnded harshly on the sign board. She red at the man and hissed, "What do you think you''re doing?" "What else could I be doing at this hour? Aren''t you all strong and brave on the bus earlier? Come on then!" The man smiled and exposed his tinted teeth stained by cigarette and tea. Catelyn was so repulsed that she almost vomited her dinner fromst night. "F*ckoff!" growled Catelyn. With the downpour still as merciless, she acted impulsively as she struck the man across the face. "If you so much asy a finger on me, I''ll make sure you suffer! Now f*ckoff!" The man''s head swung to the side due to the impact of Catelyn''s p. He had been pped twice at this point, including the one from earlier on the bus. Bothnded on the left side of his face, leaving a dark crimson palm print on it. Livid, the man snarled, "F*ck! How dare you hit me again? You''re going to wish you''re dead!" The man grabbed Catelyn by the throat and dragged her into the bush nearby. Catelyn wanted to break free, but her lower abdomen had started to hurt as blood slowly drained from her face. Her menstrual cramps only worsened as she was exposed to rainwater for too long. Catelyn staggered as she was dragged against her will, and beads of cold sweat rained from her body. She was in so much pain that she struggled to keep her eyes open. However, she was not going to give up just like that. She had to save herself! Miles was still waiting for her at home... What could she do? What should she do? Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Chapter 254 "I have a hundred thousand in my bank ount. I¡¯ll give you everything!" yelled Catelyn, suppressing her pain. The man stopped dragging her by the cor and red at her doubtfully. "You''re not lying to me...are you?" "There''s an automated teller machine just around the corner. W¡ª We can go there right now..." Catelyn felt like something was stabbing her lower abdomen, her head was getting dizzy from the pain as she uttered. The man looked at her from head to toe, hesitating but eventually giving in to the temptation of money. His eyes rolled greedily as he warned, "If you lie to me, I''ll give you to the homeless people under the bridge. Get me the money, now!" Catelyn was d that he took the bait, but she had no energy to smile. Her cramps were getting worse by the second, and she could feel her lips going numb from losing too much blood. It felt like she could pass out anytime soon. She staggered toward the machine across the street as the man followed her closely behind. Just as they were crossing the pedestrian crossing, a bright beam of car light shone directly toward them under the sheet of rain. Swoosh! The man raised his hand instinctively to block the bright light off, and Catelyn took the chance to shove the man away to run. s, she had no more energy left in her. Thud! Her knees gave out after running just a few steps forward, and she copsed onto the asphalt. Her knees rubbed harshly against the ground and started bleeding, but the blood was washed away by the rain in an instant. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Catelyn felt the world spinning around her, and the pain from her lower abdomen washed over her like waves. Shey on the ground helplessly as she felt her temperature dropping by the second. Before losing her consciousness, she could faintly hear the rough voice of the perverted man sneering, "You b*tch! I knew you''d try to run! Why did you stop?" That man caught up to her. However, there was nothing she could do other than watch the man grab onto her arm aggressively. Suddenly... "Let her go!" came the sharp demand of a man. Cedrick stood close to his car, while Eason stood next to him with a ck umbre. The pair stood under the rain. The aura Cedrick emitted was so powerful as though he was a demon from hell. "Keep your filthy hands off my woman," Cedrick growled coldly, his words sharp like des. The sleazeball, on the other hand, was a nobody who probably had never been in such a situation before. He gulped as his knees shook nervously. " W¡ªWho are you to her? This woman owes me money¡ª!" Bam! A figure moved at the speed of lightning. The perverted man did not have time to react to Cedrick''s move before he felt a sharp kick at his lower back, sending him to the ground. "Ugh!" The man grabbed his lower back in pain, feeling like his organs had been crushed by that kick. Cedrick retrieved his leg and spared a nce at the trash of a man on the ground before he walked straight toward Catelyn. Catelyn''s body nearly froze due to the cold air, and she could faintly make out the deity-like outline of Cedrick''s face despite the blurry vision. "We''ve only parted for such a short amount of time, and you managed to get yourself into such trouble?" Cedrick crouched and scooped her up in one swift movement. "I''m curious as to how far your foolishness can reach, Catelyn rk," muttered Cedrick inly. It was hard to tell what he was feeling, but there was a trace of frustration in it. Due to Catelyn''s soaked clothes, Cedrick''s outerwear, too, was drenched as he held her to his form. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Chapter 255 The dirty rainwater had wetted Cedrick''s clothes. Still, he had enough body warmth that it comforted Catelyn as she nuzzled into his arms. Touched, frustration, regret, and a myriad of other emotions intertwined as Catelyn''s eyes reddened from being so overwhelmed. She could burst into tears at any moment. ''Why did it have to be you who ruined my life four years ago, Cedrick Mason? And why did it have to be you who came back into my life again four years after?'' Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The rain poured like there was no tomorrow as the trees by the street danced aggressively, concealing the rest of the scenery under the cold, dark sky. Cedrick nced at Eason before carrying Catelyn into the car. " Deal with that man. I never want to see that troglodyte ever again." Eason nodded in response as he stared coldly at the man on the ground whose face was pale as a sheet of paper. He must have had a death wish to harass the woman who had belonged to Master Cedrick. Cedrick noticed how cold Catelyn felt when he was carrying her. Heck, she was even shivering without relief! He ced Catelyn down on the front passenger seat before turning the heat up to the max. He cussed under his breath as he took a deep breath before reaching his hands out to unbutton Catelyn''s shirt. Catelyn uttered using thest of her energy and pinned his hand down, her voice soft and gentle like a cat''s purr. "W...What are you doing?" "Your clothes are all soaked, and I have to take them off for you," exined Cedrick with a straight face. Catelyn just could not keep her calm while Cedrick was removing her clothes, but she knew wet clothes would worsen her condition, so she pursed her pale lips and let go of his hands, turning to look away. Cedrick''s eyes were fixated on her body for a moment before quickly retrieving a nket from the car boot. Catelyn dug into the nket in an instant and wrapped herself up like a burrito; the only visible part of her body was the top of her head. "Thankyou," uttered Catelyn weakly. Cedrick managed to catch this as he responded, "Don''t fall asleep. I''m sending you to the hospital." Catelyn poked her head out exhaustedly and protested like a cat that had been abandoned upon hearing he was taking her to the hospital. "Don''t send me to the hospital! I just want to go home and take a hot shower." "Your face is pale like a sheet of paper. You have to go to the hospital," insisted Cedrick with a deep frown on his face. "I don''t want to," Catelyn whined softly. Strands of her long, ck hair glued onto her cheeks. Her clear, inky eyes brimmed with tears as she begged, and this tugged at Cedrick''s heartstrings. His brows knitted tightly together. The more delicate Catelyn appeared to be, the stronger his urge of owning and devouring her was. When did his ability of self-control be so bad? The car arrived in front of Ocean Path Residence, and by then, Catelyn had slowly regained some of her energy. She even remembered that Miles was probably at home at this point. If Cedrick went inside and saw him... Catelyn was too afraid of imagining the consequences. Thus, she had no other choice than to beg Cedrick to send her to a hotel. Cedrick frowned in frustration. He had no idea what she was thinking at all, but she kept on insisting, and Cedrick eventually gave in. s, things did not go as Catelyn nned as Ste had just walked out of a restaurant nearby, holding an umbre. "Cat?" Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Ste had spotted Catelyn wrapped in a nket, sitting on the passenger seat of a luxurious ck car. Her eyes twinkled in anticipation as she strode toward them, gently running her fingers across the car¡¯s sleek side. ¡°Mom?¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyelids twitched upon seeing her mother as she tightened her grip on the nket instinctively. Ste peeled her eyes away from the car unwillingly and turned toward Catelyn, whose face seemed deathly pale. ¡°Goodness!¡± she gasped. ¡°Why do you look so pale?¡± ¡°I have a cold, and Mister Mason here sent me back¡± Catelyn thought for a moment before deciding to get out of the car as she pulled on the handle. Ste caught her arms as she observed the man behind the wheels. That was the first time Cedrick had seen Ste. He got out of the car and nodded politely at her. ¡°Good evening, Missus rk¡± Ste gulped in a thirstful manner and smiled brightly as she reached her hands out to him passionately. ¡°Mister Mason? You¡¯re the owner of the mansion that Catelyn hand designed, yes? What an honor! Catelyn had said a lot of good things about you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± Cedrick responded politely and shook her hand before adding, ¡°Catelyn has been feeling unwell, so please take care of her from here.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Ste smiled so brightly her eyes had turned into lines. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe in and have a cup of tea, Mister Mason? Look at you; you¡¯re all drenched as well¡­¡± Before Cedrick could say anything, Catelyn retorted like a cat that had its tail pulled, ¡°Mom, Master Cedrick is busy with work. It¡¯s toote for him toe in, anyway.¡± ¡°How is it toote? He took his time out to send you home, so we should at least invite him in for a cup of tea! On top of that, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to be alone with him in the house. Both Miles and I will be there, too.¡± Catelyn was speechless. Miles being there was exactly the reason why Cedrick could not be invited into the house! Cedrick¡¯s eyes squinted sharply. It puzzled him why Catelyn was so against him going into the house. That intrigued him even more. ¡°If you insist, Missus rk.¡± ¡®What happened to the cold, unfriendly Cedrick Mason?¡¯ thought Catelyn. Panicking, she took out her phone and texted Miles immediately, asking him to take cover in the neighbor¡¯s house next door. Catelyn had always been friendly with her next door neighbor, so it should not be a problem for Miles to hide in there for a short while. However, there was no reply from Miles. Catelyn wondered if he even saw the message. It was getting late, so he could be sleeping already. When they finally arrived by the door, Ste took the keys out and opened the door. They were immediately greeted by the flowery scent of gardenias. Catelyn had Cedrick wait in the living room and had Ste take care of him. With the excuse of changing her clothes, she quickly sneaked into the master¡¯s bedroom. Ste was more than happy to tend to Cedrick, of course. After all, Cedrick was like a pot of gold for her! Catelyn, on the other hand, thought of nothing else but Miles at that moment. Did Miles see the text and sneaked out to the neighbor¡¯s house, or had he fallen asleep without seeing the text? Catelyn had to know, and fast. The moment she pushed open the door, she was greeted by a small lump on the bed. It was obvious to her that Miles had not seen the text! ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re home!¡± Miles rubbed his tired eyes upon hearing the door open. He was exhausted from a whole day¡¯s trip and was sound asleep before being woken up.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Catelyn closed the door promptly behind her and nervously ordered, ¡°Quick, Miles, Cedrick is here! Find a ce to hide in quickly. I¡¯ll try to get him out of here as soon as I can so you cane out.¡± There was only one thought in her mind at that moment-Cedrick must never see Miles! ¡°What?¡± Miles shot up on the bed in an instant, his sleepinesspletely gone at that point as he puffed his cheeks andined, ¡°Why is he here?¡± ¡°Your grandma let him in.¡± Miles stared at the nket on Catelyn. His big and round eyes squinted doubtfully, resembling Cedrick when he was being cold and stern. Catelyn had goosebumps upon seeing that look on Miles. The nket on her did seem pretty inappropriate. She struggled to carry Miles up from the bed and put a jacket on him before opening the closet and cing him in there. ¡°Hide in the closet for now.¡± Miles curled into a ball inside the closet, perfectly concealed behind Catelyn¡¯s long dresses. Miles poked his head out from behind the colorful dresses as he looked up at Catelyn reluctantly. ¡°Why am I always the one hiding?¡± Catelyn was in pain at that moment, but she suppressed her shivers and squatted to peck his forehead. ¡°Please just bear with me, sweetheart. I promise I¡¯ll make it up to you, alright?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think I can be bought with just a kiss this time!¡± whined Miles. ¡°Three more kisses,¡± offered Catelyn, trying to console her son, ¡°okay?¡± Miles¡¯ squishy cheeks blushed faintly as he whined endearingly, ¡°You use the same trick every time, and my face is all wet with your saliva. Gross! Go kick the Big Demon out, quickly.¡± Catelyn closed the closet door and felt dizzy as she propped herself up with an arm on the door. She stood for a moment before changing her clothes. When she went outside to the living room, there was no one there. Sounds of something nging were hearding from the kitchen. Catelyn used one hand to support her abdomen as she made her way toward the kitchen. Cedrick was seen boiling milk. On the tabletop was a ceramic mug, and in it was a bar of chocte. ¡°Where¡¯s my mother?¡± Why was he boiling milk in the kitchen? Cedrick turned and pointed at the opposite room, saying, ¡°Missus rk said she¡¯s getting old and can¡¯t stay upte anymore, so she went to bed.¡± He paused for a moment before adding,¡± She also said that her hearing is getting worse, and that she won¡¯t hear anything that happens tonight.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Catelyn was dumbfounded upon hearing this. She felt uneasy being stared at by Cedrick and uttered, ¡°Ignore her. The things she said shouldn¡¯t be taken seriously, anyway.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Cedrick smiled in a deviant way and said, ¡°I get the feeling that she¡¯s expecting something to happen between us.¡± Catelyn¡¯s cheeks flushed in crimson. What was Ste thinking?! She ignored him and pointed at the stove. ¡°The milk is boiling.¡± Cedrick turned the stove off and added the hot milk into the mug, burying the chocte and painting the milk brown. Catelyn wondered why he made hot chocte for himself at that hour when at that moment, Cedrick then passed the mug to her and ordered, ¡°Drink it.¡± Catelyn was stunned. ¡°Did you make it for me?¡± ¡°Of course. Why else would I make it?¡± The hot chocte was filled to the brim. Catelyn was surprised at how thoughtful Cedrick was. She took a sip, but the boiled milk barely had time to cool off, so it burned the tip of her tongue a little. Cedrick¡¯s eyes softened when he saw that and gently said, ¡°Slowly; no one¡¯s taking it away from you.¡± Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Catelyn blew on the hot milk in the mug and took small sips from it. Her body temperature slowly went back to normal as she sipped on the hot chocte, and her cramps were eased as well. She felt full after finishing the hot chocte, too. It was a huge mug after all. As soon as she set the ceramic mug down in the sink, she was lifted by Cedrick from behind. Catelyn did not expect to be lifted and lost her bnce. She hooked her arms behind Cedrick¡¯s neck on instinct so as to not fall. ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Catelyn thought to herself as she batted her longshes at him. Cedrick ignored her questioning gaze and carried her to the sofa in the living room. He lifted her long dress by the hem and grabbed her ankle to ce it on top of his knee. There was a fresh wound on her knee, and it was bloody. Catelyn did not expect Cedrick to look at her wound. It was an ugly one, and she did not want him to see it. She wanted to pull back her leg, but Cedrick reached out to the bruises around the wound and pressed on it. Catelyn gasped from the pain. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± asked Cedrick Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°What do you think?¡± blurted Catelyn, biting her lip. ¡°Didn¡¯t know you could still feel pain. Weren¡¯t you acting all tough earlier?¡± Cedrick red coldly at her. If it was not for her stubbornness, he would never let her go on her own. Getting on a bus by herself and being harassed by some man¡­ That was probably her first time as well. ¡°Do you have gauze and rubbing alcohol?¡± Catelyn pointed at the drawer below the television. She had to admit; the wound did hurt a lot. ¡°There¡¯s a first aid kit in there.¡± ¡°Sit still, and don¡¯t move,¡± demanded Cedrick and took the first aid kit out in an instant, retrieving the gauze, rubbing alcohol, and a pair of scissors. When the rubbing alcohol touched her wound, Catelyn grunted in pain, and her eyes brimmed with tears. ¡°G-Gently. It hurts.¡± ¡°Stop moaning so erotically,¡± replied Cedrick impishly as he looked at her. He did not slow down, though. The wound had to be treated quickly. Catelyn red at him. She wanted to talk back to him but decided not to when she saw how serious he looked, cleaning her wound. After cleaning the wound, Cedrick wrapped her knee with gauze and dressing. Catelyn was in so much pain that she had lost the frustration from earlier. She had just taken a shower, and the fragrance from the shower gel lingered on her skin. Catelyn red at him and pushed his hand off of her, retrieving her leg. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. You can let go now.¡± The pair sat closely and were face-to-face with each other. Her slender leg stomped, revealing her skin under the dress. Cedrick stood up and pinned her down by her shoulder onto the soft cushion of the sofa and growled under his breath, ¡°I dare you to move around one more time.¡± Catelyn was taken aback by his aggression and sat still. ¡°Can you let me go now?¡± Cedrick did not move an inch, instead inhaling her scent as he said, ¡°Just let me hold you. I can¡¯t hold it in anymore.¡± Catelyn whined softly in his tight embrace and punched his chest lightly. ¡°You¡¯re so heavy, you should lose some weight. I can¡¯t breathe underneath you.¡± That sentencepletely ruined the mood for Cedrick. She dared to say he should lose some weight when he had such a good body? In retaliation, Cedrick hugged her tighter. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Chapter 259 ¡°I¡¯ll suffocate you with my weight!¡± What a boring woman. Cedrick got up from her and stamped down his urges, while Catelyn got up on her feet and patted her dress. 0 The air became still all of a sudden, with only the sounds of Cedrick¡¯s ragged breaths and two pairs of heartbeats heard. Thud! The sound of something falling was hearding from the master bedroom. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± asked Cedrick as he looked in the direction of the master bedroom. Catelyn shuddered as she grabbed Cedrick by the wrist to stop him from going into the bedroom. ¡°Are you sure you heard something?¡± she pretended to ask. ¡°My son¡¯s sleeping, so don¡¯t wake him up.¡± ¡°My hearing is perfectly fine.¡± Cedrick frowned and looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Are you not worried that your son fell off the bed?¡± Of course she was worried, but she was even more worried about him going into the room! ¡°Nah, could¡¯ve just been something else that fell.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t you want to go have a look?¡± ¡°I know my son.¡± Catelyn regained herposure and looked around before she pointed at Cedrick¡¯s lower part of the body and chuckled teasingly. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can take a cold shower at mine.¡± Cedrick gasped silently. She dared to tease him? It was his job to do all the teasing! Cedrick¡¯s phone rang at that moment, and he picked it up. Catelyn had no idea what was said by the other person, but Cedrick¡¯s eyes were glued onto her. He ended the phone call and pulled her into an embrace. He bit her ear and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll make you pay for this in a few more days.¡± He then left to take care of some urgent matters. Cedrick had no idea that he was only a door away from his biological son-his child that would refer to him as ¡®Big Demon¡¯. Catelyn watched as he left. She had surely dug herself a hole. She quickly went into the bedroom to check on Miles who, at this moment, could not sit still and decided to sneak out of the closet. He was hiding behind the door and peeping out from a tiny gap. As Catelyn reached out to the doorknob and opened the door, Miles fell forward. He then looked around to find that Cedrick had left at all. He crossed his arms behind him and scoffed. ¡°Hmph! He was smart to leave quickly.¡± Catelyn pinched his cheek and warned, ¡°What did you promise me earlier?¡± Miles blinked innocently as he hugged Catelyn¡¯s knee, whining, ¡°I was a good boy! I waited patiently for you to kick him out, but I was worried about you since you were taking so long. Mommy, please don¡¯t be angry at Miles.¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Miles had, in fact, purposefully made some noise so that Catelyn could make Cedrick leave faster. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll hide the next time I see Big Demon.¡± Catelyn sighed defeatedly. Miles was only three and a half years old, yet his thoughts were all written on his face. He was clearly worried that Catelyn would care too much about Cedrick and leave him. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. If he knows of your existence, both you and Ollie will be in danger. What¡¯s worse, he might take you away, and you¡¯ll never get to see me ever again!¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Miles took a deep breath and added, ¡°Can you be nicer to me now?¡± Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Chapter 260 The next day, Catelyn received a call from a private hospital. The DNA paternity test result was out. Catelyn¡¯s fingers quivered as she went through the result, yet at the same time, she was oddly calm. The result was just as she had expected. [Probability of Paternity: 99.99%.] Both Miles and Ollie were her biological sons. Albert must have lied to her when he told her that Ollie being at the Masons¡¯ was an ident. Someone had taken Ollie and sent him to Mason Estate. Aside from Cedrick, she could not think of anyone else who would do this. The only exnation was that Cedrick hadpletely forgotten about her within four years, that he had no idea that she gave birth to twins. It was unfortunate that Ollie was taken away the moment he was born. All Catelyn wanted to do at that moment was to fly to Mason Estate and take Ollie back to her. At that very moment, an idea crossed Catelyn¡¯s mind. An idea, it was, but was highly risky. She thought of taking Ollie back and fleeing with him and Miles. However, she quickly gave up on that idea. Cedrick was too powerful, and she could never hide forever. On top of that, both her children were so young, and it was unfair of her to have them struggle with her. Catelyn thought about it more and eventually decided that her best shot was to just n as she went. She was determined to work hard and earn more money so that she could protect her children when they were in need. Time passed quicker when things were peaceful. Catelyn spent the rest of the week going from home to the library, to kindergarten, and home again. Within a week, she managed toplete five drafts for Chandier Jewelry. On the day of submission, Catelyn went to the headquarter of Chandier Jewelry with her drafts. On the way there, she met Edwin and hitched his ride to the headquarters together. Both of them took the same elevator to go up. It was a special elevator reserved for the CEO only. At the reception hall, some staff members were gossiping about her. ¡°Who¡¯s that woman next to Mister Atherton?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her before. She must be Mister Atherton¡¯s new girlfriend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it! I worked closely with the jewelrypetition team, and I¡¯ve seen her in the preliminary round¡¯s name list. She was the girl who was used of giarism, Catelyn rk! Why is she back again? On top of that, she¡¯s here with Mister Atherton.¡± ¡°She most likely had connections with Mister Atherton and wanted to rejoin thepetition.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Catelyn was clueless about thesements. She touched her pocket to make sure the USB was with her. Edwin patted her shoulder and said, ¡°Rx, Cat. I believe in you.¡± ¡°Thank you for trusting me and giving me a second chance.¡± Catelyn had wondered what changed Chandier Jewelry thought of her, but at this point, she understood that Edwin must have helped her. The meeting room was filled with people. A staff member walked over to L and whispered in her ear, to which her expression shifted immediately. ¡°How impressive. With both Master Cedrick and my cousin by her side, it was no wonder my sister didn¡¯t stand a chance against her.¡± Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Kelly, who was sitting next to L, noticed L¡¯s change of expression and asked in concern,¡± Miss L, is everything alright?¡± ¡°Edwin brought Catelyn here with him in front of a group of employees.¡± ¡°What?¡± gasped Kelly in shock. ¡°Could Master Edwin have fallen for her?¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, Catelyn stole Maia¡¯s fiance from here just a while ago. Her private life is so messy. The fact that Edwin stood up for her got me worried that he might have fallen for her tricks!¡± L spat furiously without hiding the hatred she had for Catelyn. Kelly had watched Edwin grow up to be an adult, and she knew how yful he was. ¡°I think Master Edwin is smart enough to not fall for her,¡± muttered Kelly in response, yet her uncertainty could be heard. The meeting room door was pushed open in that instant. Everyone looked up to see Edwin and Catelyn, who followed closely behind. Edwin headed straight to the chairman¡¯s seat and nodded politely to the judges in the meeting room. ¡°Everyone should know the purpose of our meeting today. Miss Catelyn had brought five drafts with her today, and everyone in the seat will decide if she¡¯ll be able to go into finals. The judges nodded in acknowledgment. Edwin then gestured for Catelyn to begin. She inserted the USB drive into the port, and following that, a colorful illustration popped up on the screen. It was separated into five sections. A couple reached their hands out to each other, they embraced, and then they bid farewell to each other with tears, and finally, they reunited and walked into the hall with wedding bells. A simple five pieces of art were able to interpret a couple¡¯s transition within their rtionship. The color scheme was bright and eye-catching. ¡°Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for giving me the chance today.¡± Catelyn then started presenting her works. ¡°The man and woman in these photos are childhood friends-turned-lovers, but they broke up because of personal reasons. Later in life, they met again by ident. The man thought of their past and requested for his friend to design a set of jewelry for him, and he gifted it to her, reminding her of their past. The pair then decided to rekindle their rtionship and thus reunited.¡± She exined and changed the slides ordingly. The first slide was of a pair of rings with wings that wrapped around the finger. The charms were of two hearts right next to each other, symbolizing that as long as two hearts were Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. united, all obstacles could be broken. The second slide was of a ne. Instead of diamonds, however, the ne was made with tourmaline and ruby, and the pendant depicted blooming fireworks. Fireworks were colorful and dazzling, and even though theysted only for a short while, the preparation for the fireworks to bloom would take a lot of time and effort. Like a young, independent woman, the feelings between a man and woman did not need praise and admiration from others as they waited quietly for it to bloom. It symbolized a rtionship at its peak and most passionate phase. The third slide was of a brooch. Catelyn took the pendant from the ne and made it a stand-alone brooch. What came after the fireworks was silence. After that were the fourth and fifth slides. Rings, ne, brooch, earrings, bracelet-aplete set of five pieces of jewelry. Catelyn exined them one by one thoroughly. Even though Kelly was annoyed with Catelyn, she could not find anything to fault her in her presentation. The judges thus began discussing the presentation. Catelyn observed the judges¡¯ pleased reactions and offered a polite smile, ending her presentation with a conclusion, ¡°For me, a designer isn¡¯t just there to create beautiful, fashionable jewelry to be worn by the customers. Our purpose is also to bring meaning into the works that we create. ¡°A meaningful work isn¡¯t just unique, but it¡¯ll alsost a long time and can be a precious collection in the future. If we blindly follow trends, they¡¯ll eventually be yet another mediocre work in time.¡± The meeting room fell into silence. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Even though Catelyn did not try to clear her name of giarism, she managed to redefine the purpose of a designer. Being ndered for giarizing was nothing to her. After a long silence, Edwin, who had been watching Catelyn, stood up with a smile on his face and pped. ¡°As expected of Miss Catelyn! You¡¯ve truly opened my eyes. This presentation is definitely worthwhile.¡± Followed by that was a sea of apuse by the rest of the judges. L, on the other hand, felt her face burn in embarrassment. She had used Catelyn of giarism and revoked her right to enter thepetition. However, that new draft she had just presented managed to shock and impress everyone, so much so that even the high and mighty Edwin Atherton was here to support her! L bit her lip and stood up with a smile on her face. ¡°I believe that everyone has no objections for Miss Cately to rejoin thepetition?¡± ¡°No objections,¡± agreed the judges unanimously. Edwin smiled with his eyes and looked at L before saying to Kelly, ¡°Aunt Kelly, please inform Grandma to leave Catelyn a spot for the finals.¡± Kelly had no power to object, anyway. ¡°Yes, Mister Atherton.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g L suppressed her anger and excused herself to the washroom. She did not expect Catelyn to pull it off since she had been busy fighting custody for her child with Jamie, but she did, and she did it-admittingly- so well. gued with frustration, she sat on the toilet seat when the sounds of heels clicking against the floor and the sounds of chit-chats got progressively closer. ¡°L must be knocking her head against the wall right now.¡± ¡°She deserves it. I¡¯ve never liked how arrogant she is, anyway. I heard that her mother used to be Henry Antherton¡¯s assistant and eventually became a mistress. Her title is even worse than ours if you think of it that way! She only managed to climb onto her current title by being a bootlicker.¡± a ¡°I know, right? How dare she refer to Mister Atherton as her brother? How shameless!¡± L bit her lip harshly as her nails dug deep into her palms. She was able to recognize the voices. They were both Kelly¡¯s family and were part of the Athertons. They had always been polite and nice to her, but who would have thought they would insult her behind her back. The worst part of it was that just because they had been working under Granny Atherton for a long time, they thought they were part of the family. manga 202 ¡°Honestly, I feel like Mister Atherton acts differently around her.¡± ¡°And even though Catelyn¡¯s family was announced bankrupt, her charm and aura still topped L by miles.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Granny Atherton sees in L.¡± Their words were like des that ripped into L¡¯s heart. She had worked so hard and put in so much effort, just for someone to say that was worthless? Catelyn left Chandier Jewelry cheerfully, so much so that she invited Cedrick out for lunch when she noticed that he had texted her. After sending out the text to Cedrick, she immediately received a video call from her best friend, Joanne. Joanne was a famous local celebrity, yet she had more anti-fans than real fans. Her antis, however, were the ones that pushed her to the road of fame. Joanne had finally gotten a more likable character to ytely and had been traveling overseas to shoot. The reception where she was at was pretty bad, so she had not been in touch with Catelyn for the past month or so. Joanne was pleased to hear the good news from Catelyn.. ¡°Whoa! Congrattions on getting into the finals, dearest Cat! I¡¯ll be back in the country in three days, just in time to be there and be your biggest support! Aren¡¯t you touched? I even bought you and my dearest Miles souvenirs!¡± Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Joanne''s adorable face filled up Catelyn''s entire screen, yet she had noints. "I''m super-duper touched. Pleasee home soon." Both of them bantered for a bit and Catelyn subconsciously walked past a Chandier Jewelry outlet. Summer was their peak sales season. The shop was filled with people, but they had implemented a ''one staff, one customer'' strategy, so most people in there were just window-shopping. Even though she managed to get into the finals, the winner would still have to be chosen by Granny Atherton, and only with this could an individual win the cash prize. Catelyn thought to herself, ''Go big or go home.'' Since Jamie had been giving her trouble while she struggled to get a new job, she decided to put all her effort into studying Chandier Jewelry¡¯s best selling products. The staff were busy with their customers and had no time to serve Catelyn, but she did not mind. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Catelyn was impressed by Chandier Jewelry''s designers and noticed each of the designs had its unique points. Two hours passed by quickly. Most customers had left at that point. All of a sudden, ady in her seventies walked into the shop when Catelyn had the staff show her one of the jewelry. She wore a long, dark dress with minimal patterns on it. A cane apanied her as she walked, and her gaze was sharp as des. One could tell from the way she dressed that she was undeniably wealthy, if not of royalty. The eyes of the staff that assisted Catelyn immediately sparkled in anticipation. This woman had to be a heavy spender! "Wee to Chandier Jewelry, Ma''am." The staff immediately went to assist thedy instead. "How can I help you today?" The olddy looked at the staff and said, "I''m looking for a birthday gift for a young family member of mine, and she''s in her twenties. What would you rmend?" The staff thought for a brief moment before carefully retrieving a tray ofvish gemstones with her gloved hands. Those gemstones had just arrived and were in tip-top condition. Most importantly, they were extremely costly. "Ma''am, what do you think of these?" The staff was afraid that the olddy might not like it and was trying her best to sway her. " Even though diamonds are still the more popr choice amongst the majority of people, these sapphires and rubies are of top grades and a rare find. Since you''ve mentioned that it''s a gift for a younger family member, she''ll surely be ecstatic to receive such a gift from you." The olddy had a pure jadeite on her ring finger, and it was obvious that she was well-versed in gemstones. She red at the staff and scoffed, "Do you usually sell your products this way?" The staff was dumbfounded at this remark. Had she somehow offended the olddy? Did she not like her rmendations? "If you don''t like these, I can rmend something else for you... n The olddy looked at the namete on her chest and said, " Where''s your manager?" The staff panicked in an instant. What did she do to offend her? Catelyn heard everything and learned that the olddy was unsatisfied with the staff''s professionalism. The gemstones that she rmended werevish, but they were not suitable for a youngdy in her twenties. They were more suitable for maturedies, instead. "Ma''am, why don''t you have a look at this?" The olddy paid no attention to Catelyn at first and was slightly offended when she heard her. Kids these days; utterly disrespectful. However, the olddy froze in ce when she saw Catelyn''s face. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Chapter 264 ''That face looked so much like her,'' thought the olddy wistfully.'' No, it''s just her face. It''s her smile and her demeanor. ''Even the faint dimples on her cheeks are identical to hers.'' The olddy stared at Catelyn in disbelief. "What do you rmend?" "What about this one?" Catelyn pointed her slender finger from outside of the ss window at a ring that she adored. "I''ve had my mind on this pink diamond for a while now, and it''s fitting for a lady in her twenties. Its design is refined and luxurious, so it should be able to match your title." The staff noticed that the olddy seemed pleased and immediately took the ring out. "Ma''am, please have a look." The olddy picked up the pink diamond and thought that the size was just right; it would make a surely well-thought-out gift. She continued staring at Catelyn, her eyes filled with a myriad of emotions. "Miss, do you mind putting this on for me?" "Of course not." Catelyn thought nothing of this, assuming it was because she was about the same age as the person she wanted to give this ring to. She thus stretched out her hand as the olddy held her finger and put the ring on her. The pink diamond dazzled brightly under the light. The olddy had her eyes glued onto Catelyn as if she was looking into her soul. Somehow, her cold, stern face slowly softened into a kind and loving expression instead. She turned around and told the staff that she wanted the ring, to which the staff carefully took the ring off and packed it nicely for her. At that moment, Catelyn''s phone rang. She saw that it was a call from Cedrick and bade the olddy goodbye before leaving the store. The olddy had thought of asking Catelyn''s name after she exited the shop, but when she went outside to chase after her, Catelyn was nowhere to be seen. Regret haunted the olddy. She did not expect that after so many years, she would see a person that looked so much like that person. "Grandma, what are you doing here?" Edwin had just left the office and came over to pick up a ne he had reserved earlier. He went over to help Granny Atherton as he looked at his surroundings. "Where''s Kelly? Why isn''t she with you?" Granny Atherton was getting old and would usually have apanion with her wherever she went. Granny Atherton gave up trying to look for Catelyn and said, "I told her I''d like to be alone for a while." "That''s not a good idea! You shouldn''t do it again," said Edwin sternly. "Edwin, I..." Granny Atherton pointed in the direction where Catelyn went and said, "A young woman was with me. She looked so much like your aunt when she was young." Edwin looked in the direction where his grandmother had pointed. The ce was filled with people, and the girl that supposedly looked like his aunt was nowhere to be found. Edwin thought it was just his grandmother missing his aunt again. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. 20 years ago, Granny Atherton had a terrible argument with his aunt because of a man, and she even kicked her out of the family because of that. No one could have foretold that it would be the last time the pair would ever see each other again. Ever since then, Granny Atherton would call other young girls that looked like his aunt her name. Even though he was only about five to six years old when his aunt left, he vividly remembered the way she smiled. She was probably the gentlest woman he had ever met. The reason L was well-loved by Granny Atherton was that she shared a few simrities with her daughter when she smiled. It was just a slight resemnce, though. Catelyn resembled Granny Atherton''s daughter even more when she smiled. Of course, Catelyn came from the rk family and had no rtions with Edwin''s aunt at all. "Grandma, it''s getting chilly here. Let''s head back." Cedrick was not pleased when he heard about the usation they made about Catelyn from Edwin. She was his woman, yet never once had she told him about these things. It was as if she was still trying to leave him out of her world, even though they had been physically intimate with each other. Cedrick stopped his car outside of the mall where he was told to meet Catelyn and waited patiently for her. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Cedrick waited for a short while before he spotted Catelyn among the crowd across the street. When he saw her a few days ago, she did not have much makeup on, but she was all dressed up today. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. A handful of men would turn to get a second look when they walked past her, and Cedrick felt oddly territorial at that moment. Honk, honk! Catelyn saw the high beam from a Bagatti Veiron from across the street and knew that Cedrick was gesturing for her to get in quickly. ''The traffic signal is still red! Is he trying to get me to fly there or something? Isn''t it a man''s job to wait for their woman? Why is he so impatient?!'' However, she had just gotten the invitation for the finals and was in a good mood, so she decided to ignore it. Catelyn finally ran over and got into the car, quickly taking a seat as she buckled her seatbelt before turning to look at the backseat excitedly. Ollie was not there. It seemed that Cedrick had nned to spend some alone time with her. She was disappointed. "What are we having?" Cedrick started the engine and looked at her through the mirror. " You seem to be in a good mood today." Catelyn patted her flushed cheeks and said, "I''m always in a good mood." "Don''t you have anything to share with me at all?" Cedrick turned the steering wheel and turned into the main road. It was hard to tell what he was feeling from his tone. However, Catelyn felt that there was something he was not telling her. She knew she had to please him if she wanted to see her child, thus she answered with a smile, "Of course I do!" Cedrick''s stern face softened slightly as he asked, "What is it?" "When is Little Ollieing back from his grandma''s?" Cedrick turned his head and stared at her. "That''s all?" Catelyn was slightly stunned. ''Is he angry?'' "What would you like to know, then?" Catelyn did not want to guess anymore. Cedrick''s face sank without uttering a single word as he drove them to an Italean restaurant. Catelyn was not too fond of the food, though; she much preferred good-ol'' diner food. She could be casual and not care too much about how she ate. However, Cedrick had picked the ce already, and she was not going to risk angering him. Cedrick had been waiting for her to try to patch things up, but she said nothing even after the waiters took their order and served their food. She was silent and cold throughout. Cedrick poured himself a ss full of wine and finished it. Catelyn silently observed Cedrick as she ate from the fruit tter. Fruit tters served in Italean restaurants were usually luxurious. Cedrick finished three sses of wine before finally putting his ss down. He looked at Catelyn with a raised eyebrow. "Was it good?" Catelyn swallowed a piece of watermelon before uttering, "It''s pretty good. Would you like some?" She then picked up a piece of fruit and brought it up to Cedrick''s mouth. Her clear eyes seemed to twinkle at this moment, while her longshes fluttered as she batted them. Cedrick''s heart immediately softened when he saw her face, so much so that half of his anger vanished. Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Cedrick opened his mouth and took the watermelon into his mouth, the tip of the fork included. Catelyn tried pulling the fork out of his mouth, thinking that Cedrick would bite the watermelon, but he did not budge. The end of the fork was stained with a bit of lipstick. Cedrick stared at her meaningfully and sucked at the red lipstick mark on the tip of the silver fork cleanly. It felt as though the fork was scalding hot at that moment that channeled its way to Catelyn''s chest. Her hand trembled, and she almost dropped the fork. Just as Catelyn was about to excuse herself to the washroom, Cedrick let go of the fork and gracefully picked up the napkin to wipe the corners of his mouth. A smile gradually formed on his face. "The lipstick tasted good. Do use it again next time," said Cedrick. Catelyn wanted to scold him, she truly did, yet all that came out of her was, "This is a very expensive lipstick." She decided to never use this lipstick ever again! However, Cedrickdid not seem to catch what she meant. "I''ll buy it for you," he said, raising his eyebrows. Catelyn was speechless. That was not what she meant! Defeated, she decided that it was perhaps best to just be silent. Cedrick was in a surprisingly good mood, so much so that he did not even seem to mind too much about Catelyn keeping secrets from him. "Don''t forget that I¡¯m your boyfriend now. If there is anything you wish for, you have to tell me," he reminded her. Catelyn supposed that Cedrick probably knew what happened in Chandier Jewelry today. "I don''t want to trouble you. I know you''re busy with work." "It''s not all about being happy when I''m with you," said Cedrick. He pushed the te of cut steak in front of her and brought over the te which she did not cut. His movements and actions were so smooth that he looked natural. Catelyn smiled. Could she bear everything? She knew that she went to him for Miles'' sake. It would gut her to separate from him in the future if she spent more time with him, would it not? The moment they called the bill, Catelyn thought of paying for the meal as she was the one who invited Cedrick out. One look at the bill, however, made her eyes widen. It was more than 4500 dors. Why was it so expensive? Cedrick noticed her expression and teased her deliberately, "I remembered ordering a bottle of wine," he said innocently. "Is it expensive?" Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn swallowed her pride and answered, "No, it''s not." The bottle of wine was worth 4000 dors, and to Catelyn, it was definitely expensive. To Cedrick, however, it was not even worth raising a brow. "In that case, waiter, get me another bottle of red wine," said Cedrick. Catelyn was speechless. She thought of her bank bnce and realized that she could not bear the cost. In a hurry, she quickly tugged Cedrick¡¯s shirt and said, "I see there''s a lot of red wine stored in your estate, and there are few other better ones. Should we just forget about this?" However, Cedrick was serious. "This bottle has low alcohol content. It''s a sweet wine, so you can drink it, too." Catelyn had a tendency to cause trouble when she was drunk. This bottle of wine seemed to be just right for her. "Madam, your husband already bought it for you," said the waiter with a smile, apparently not aware of Cedrick''s identity. "My husband?" muttered Catelyn. She was stunned for a moment as she realized the waiter had misunderstood their rtionship. Forget about chickening out, then. They would just get that bottle! Catelyn had worked hard for Chandier Jewelry Competition, anyway, and surely grand rewards for entering the top ten. Gritting her teeth, Catelyn took out her purse. Just as she was about to take out her credit card and hand it to the waiter, Cedrick''s palm suddenly stretched out and held the back of her hand. Catelyn looked at him, puzzled. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Chapter 267 "I''d never allow a woman to pay for me," said Cedrickwith a smirk in his eyes before he handed the waiter a ck card. Catelyn froze. Did he just toy with her deliberately? This man was downright infuriating! She had told Cedrick that dinner was on her; she could not just let him pay for every date. She did not want to take advantage of him like this. Catelyn took his ck card. "It''s my treat. You don''t have to pay." Cedrick''s face sank. "Do you have to be so calctive about this?" "But¡ª" Before Catelyn could finish, Cedrick suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her toward him. She could even smell the scent of the wine he had drunk Catelyn was stunned. Was he...taking advantage of her? "You''re already indebted from the moment you came to me," remarked Cedrick as he pinched her pink- tinted cheeks. His voice was low and mellow, and his eyes darkened. "If you want to be calctive with me, then I''ll buy you a kiss." This was madness! Catelyn was so nervous that her heart raced at a breakneck speed. There was no way out at this point. All she could do was wait for Chandier Jewelry Competition to end, and she could then find a way to return the money to him. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g As soon as Catelyn came to the door of the restaurant, she heard someone calling her name. Catelyn nced sideways. "Miss rk, what a coincidence!" said L. She, too, had nned toe to this restaurant for dinner. She never thought she would see Cedrick and her kissing as she entered the premises. There was a look of remorse and guilt on her face, and the arrogance she had during her previous interrogation at the police station instantly vanished. "I didn''t expect to see you here," said L. "It was a colleague of mine who disqualified you from the competition before, and it''s my fault that I didn''t find out the truth. I''m here to apologize to you." She then noticed Cedrick, who had just walked out, and greeted him with a pretense of surprise. "Oh, Cedrick! You''re here as well?" Cedrick did not even bother looking at her. He handed the bottle of red wine to Catelyn. "I''m heading back to mypany, so I won''t be taking you home. Why don''t you take this bottle back?" He bought the wine after all? Catelyn thought he was joking! "No, it''s alright, I¡¯m not good at drinking. You can have it." Catelyn pushed the red wine back to Cedrick. L waspletely stunned when he heard the conversation between the two of them. Cedrick was taking her home? How could they have developed a rtionship so quickly? Did Cedrick even care about his engagement with Maia? There were so many women out there, and if Catelyn could do it, so could she! L squeezed out an innocent gesture. "Master Cedrick, I knew I was wrong, that I went too far in BrightGene Group that day, but Miss rk didn''t suffer any serious or substantial harm and injury. Please forgive me, alright?" There was a hint of sympathy in her pitiful tone of voice. However, Cedrick did not even bother about her. He did not try to force Catelyn to take the bottle of wine. "Be careful on your way back," he said to her. With that, Cedrick instantly walked away. Catelyn nodded unconsciously and watched him leave before turning to look at L, noticing her embarrassed expression. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Since both L and Jamie were on the same side, Catelyn did not need to please her. However, L sweetened her expression and smiled at Catelyn. "I can make you the champion of the Chandier Jewelry Competition." Catelyn was about to take a taxi home when she heard L''s words. She turned and looked at her with a slight smile on her face. "I¡¯ve heard the winner of this competition is determined by Granny Atherton. How can you make me the champion?" "The olddy is old and frail. Do you really think she can read all the manuscripts for the finals?" said L. "As long as I screen out the top selections, your design will be the best among all, and you''ll be the winner." Catelyn suddenly felt a little sick. She knew that there would be shady tactics behind the scenes in thispetition, but L did not seem to take the other contestants seriously, too. "You have an agenda to have offered me this," Catelyn pointed out. "Exactly. I like Master Cedrick, and I want you to invite him to a hotel forme." Catelyn could not believe her ears. L still had feelings for Cedrick! "Don''t you think too highly of me," said Catelyn. "Why should he listen to what I say?" "Then it all depends on you." L¡¯s tone wasced with malice as she added, "You can help me and be the champion. Otherwise, even if you managed to get into the finals by sheer luck, Granny Atherton won¡¯t even look you in the eye!" Catelyn sneered, and her expression darkened with disdain. Since L wanted to get close to Cedrick so desperately, she would fulfill her request. "I haven''t reached the stage where I can just convince Cedrick to sleep with you, but I can tell you that he often goes to Riverdale Entertainment Club, where he has his year-round private room." If L could cause Cedrick some trouble, perhaps Catelyn would have the chance to see her child. Regardless, Catelyn felt that Cedrick would not even take L seriously. L¡¯s eyes brightened, yet her wariness remained. "Really?" "I want to win thepetition. Why would I lie to you?" Since Catelyn has lost her job, it would be difficult for her to turn around her career if she did not win. In this case, it seemed that Catelyn did not truly love Cedrick, that she would even do such things for the sake of winning thepetition. What a shame that he was so fond of her, too. Back at Mason Group, at the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor. A few documents and informationid on Cedrick¡¯s table, all of which were about Catelyn. Catelyn clearly did not want to be with him before, but after just a few days, she suddenly changed her mind. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Cedrick was not a fool, and he could guess that something must have happened. What was it that made Catelyn change her mind? Charles had dutifully conducted a background check on Catelyn, but for some reason, there seemed to be a mysterious force that prevented him from investigating Catelyn''s affairs, hiding many important clues away from him. All he could find were trivial little things. "You mean that''s all you''ve found about Catelyn?" asked Cedrick, his eyebrows furrowed tightly as he stared at the pile of documents on the table. These documents were nothing more than just some failed attempts at job applications and some information about her entanglement with Jamie previously. Other than that, there was nothing of importance to Cedrick. Charles was not sure whether there was someone behind him who was stopping him from checking on Catelyn, so he did not tell the truth. "My apologies, Master Cedrick. I''ll continue to dig deeper." Cedrick stroked his forehead. Did he overthink things after all? Did Catelyn agree to be with him just to battle Jamie in their fight for child custody? Speaking of which, Cedrick has never seen Miles even once. As Catelyn''s boyfriend, he was starting to feel a little ipetent. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Chapter 269 "By the way, Master Cedrick, I forgot to mention one more thing," said Charles all of a sudden. "Miss rk had submitted a resume to ourpany ten days ago, intending to apply for the position of an architectural designer." Mason Groupprised a number of industries and branches. Thepany that Catelyn was applying for was, to be precise, Mason International Construction Co. Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mason Group. "Applying?" asked Cedrick with raised eyebrows. "Yes. Normally, our group''s architects must have at least a master''s degree, and Miss rk hasn''t even graduated from university, so she''d surely be rejected. However, the human resources department saw that she was involved in the design of the Bubsville Vi and gave her a pass." Cedrick pondered for a while. "Let her pass the preliminary test together as well." Charles understood that this meant that Catelyn''s application would be sessful. "Yes, but... Are you nning to hire Miss rk as a construction engineer?" After all, the position of architect was nothing to joke about. Although Charles had been very optimistic about Catelyn, he could not help but doubt if she would bepetent for such a big role. Cedrick pursed his thin lips deeply and nced at Charles. Charles hurriedly nodded. Catelyn came home that evening. As she put Miles to bed, she habitually checked her mailbox to see if there were any updates on her application. The resumes she submitted a few days ago were all in vain, and nopany dared to send her a message. However, there was a reply in her mailbox today. Catelyn was pleasantly surprised and hurriedly opened the email. It was from the human resources department of Mason Group! ording to the email, she had passed the preliminary test and was asked to go to the headquarters for a second test next Wednesday at 4.30 p.m. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn then remembered that after she knew that Jamie would not allow her to find a job. She submitted her resume to manypanies, one of which happened to be Mason Group. At that time, her rtionship with Cedrick was not what it was at this moment. If she had known, she would not have applied for hispany. However... No one else seemed to want to hire her. Should she just proceed with Mason Group? After a series of conflicting thoughts, Catelyn decided to go for it. She did not have many choices anyway, and Mason Group''s employee benefits had always been pretty decent. On Saturday, Catelyn took Miles to pick up Joanne Winters. Joanne''s return was kept a secret, so not many fans knew about it. She had arge gathering of antis, too. Every move she made would cause a huge discussion and gossip online, and her news would appear on the hot search list of major entertainment websites. What a queen! Catelyn had fully dressed Miles up as they were heading out. He wore a mask, sunsses, and a small hooded jacket. He would put on the hood in crowded ces and take it off only when no one was around. Miles was not keen about this at all. If he was covered up like this, no one could see his handsome face anymore! However, Catelyn still insisted for the sake of his safety. No one could know that he looked exactly like Ollie. The airport broadcast just announced that Joanne''s flight hadnded. Catelyn took Miles to the airport and waited. Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Momentster, a beautiful, fashionable-looking woman walked out of the airport. With a ck face mask on her face and her brown curly cascading down her shoulders, she pulled along a suitcase with one hand. ¡°Ah, my dear Miles! I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± Joanne happily ran toward Catelyn and Miles as she took off her mask, revealing her baby face. She threw her bag aside and picked up Miles, rubbing his face excitedly. ¡°Why are you so cute?! ¡± she squealed as she kissed him. Miles was wearing a mask, thus Joanne¡¯s kissesnded on the cloth instead of his cheek. As the boy returned Joanne¡¯s hug, he silently thanked his luck that he was wearing his mask, as his godmother would always kiss him incessantly every time she returned from movie shootings. ¡°Godmother, you¡¯re so noisy,¡± said Miles as he rolled his eyes cooly. Joanne was not angry at all. Instead, she thought his remarks were very cute. ¡°I brought you a gift. Do you like it?¡± she asked. Miles disagreed. ¡°Is it a pacifier, or a snack?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a snack gift package! How smart of you, Miles, you guessed right!¡± chirped Joanne. ¡°It¡¯s a specialty of the ce where I filmed abroad, and it tastes very good!¡± She could not helpughing. Her smile was sweet and bright, it was a wonder why she even had so many anti-fans. Miles rolled his eyes again. ¡°Your gifts are always the same. I don¡¯t know what else you could¡¯ve gotten me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to your godmother like that.¡± Catelyn flicked a finger against Miles¡¯ little forehead. She and Joanne were ssmates back in college. During her sophomore year, the rk family suddenly went bankrupt, and Catelyn¡¯s ssmates, who used to be her close friends, started avoiding her. During her lowest point of the moment, she was even chased out by herndlord, and she had to sleep on the streets. Joanne was the only one who did not care about her family¡¯s plight and even lent her some money that she earned from her part-timemercial jobs. If it was not for Joanne, Catelyn could not imagine what would have happened to her. How was she supposed to support Ste and Miles on her own? After all, she was pregnant during that time with twins. She could not do much in her state even if she went to work. Miles squeezed out a reluctant smile. ¡°Thank you for the gift, Godmother.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± eximed Joanne excitedly. She gave him another big hug, refusing to let him go. A Catelyn pulled Joanne¡¯s luggage along, and the three of them went home together. Joanne¡¯s anti-fans had been circting her home address on the inte, and that was why she bought a house in Ocean Path Residence under Catelyn¡¯s name. Moreover, the house happened to be next to hers, and even their balconies were connected. Being extravagant, Joanne had bought two lots in one go. She asked Catelyn to redesign her house, and the whole ce was beautified on a whole new level. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g While Joanne was abroad for her filming, Catelyn would regrly keep her room clean. Since Joanne had returned, Catelyn wanted to buy some ingredients to prepare a feast for dinner, but because Joanne suffered from jetg, she fell asleep as soon as she got home. The next afternoon, Catelyn assumed Joanne should be awake after many hours of sleep and prepared some chicken stew in advance for her. She rang her doorbell for a while, but no one responded. Catelyn could not help but wonder where she went off to. It was only after she gave her a call and found out that Joanne had woken up earlier, called to the Barricade Club by her manager. Knowing that Joanne had to socialize a lot, Catelyn told her to be careful. After hanging up the phone, Catelyn muttered to herself. Barricade Club? Her heart sank slightly It was only yesterday that L had asked Catelyn about Cedrick, and she had told her that he often went to the Barricade Club. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Was Cedrick alright at the club? Catelyn shook her head. Even if L wanted to harm Cedrick, knowing his ability, she could not even do anything to him. Night fell, and it was misty and drizzling. Catelyn, upon taking her son home from school, went next door to check up on Joanne. She was not home. Looking at the time, it was almost 8 p.m. Catelyn decided to call Joanne, yet no one answered. Worried that something might have happened to Joanne, Catelyn called a car-hailing service and went to the Barricade Club. There were not many people around the clubhouse, probably due to the rainy weather. Catelyn somehow got the number of the private room where Joanne was, which happened to be on the top floor and was next to Cedrick¡¯s private room at 6809. The people in the entertainment industry were pretty extravagant, and it was normal for the likes of them to book such a private room. Catelyn felt her heart sinking in worry for Joanne, thus without hesitation, she hurriedly looked for her. She pretended to be in the wrong private room and identally pushed the door in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, excuse me¡­¡± she muttered. She looked around the room and was instantly stunned. The light in the private room was as bright as day, and she saw Cedrick sitting on a sofa by the window. Around him were several couples of men and women, some of which she was acquainted with. Other than Edwin Atherton, Benjamin Anderson, and Mister Lewis, there were a few more middle-aged men whom Catelyn had never met before. However, she could recognize them vaguely from magazines, and they seemed to be some famous people in Sapphire City. Edwin and several men were sitting on the sofa with women around their arms, all dressed in revealing clothes. Catelyn had often seen these women¡¯s faces on the television, too. One of them was Alice Morgan, a girl that Catelyn had heard Joannein about countless times. As Catelyn entered the room, all eyes fell on her instantly. ¡°We¡¯re in a private party. Who let you in? Get out!¡± Alice raised her hand and pointed at Catelyn. It seemed that Joanne was not in the room. The waiter earlier had told Catelyn the private room number, and this was the room she was told. There were so many celebrities here, so where else could Joanne be? Had she left? ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you! Are you listening to me?¡± snapped Alice as she red at Catelyn, seeing that she was ignoring her. Catelyn was somewhat ufortable being stared at by so many people. Since Joanne was not here, it would be meaningless for her to stay. She hesitated to ask Edwin if he knew about Joanne¡¯s whereabouts. Cedrick gazed at Catelyn.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g She was just wearing a casual shirt jacket with her hair tied up into a bun, looking as if she had juste out of college. Cedrick crushed the cigarette butt on the ashtray and whispered to the moring Alice, ¡°She¡¯s with me.¡± Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Chapter 272 ¡°She¡¯s¡­with you?¡± muttered Alice in shock. She could feel chills down her spine when she saw Cedrick staring at her, so she hurriedly smiled, stood up, and greeted Catelyn, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss! That was very rude of me. Please, have a seat.¡± That exined why Cedrick did not care about Alice when she presented herself to him; he already had someone else in mind! Cedrick looked at Catelyn and patted the empty seat beside him. The meaning was obvious-he was asking her to sit with him. Catelyn was in a dilemma. However, looking at Alice¡¯s aggrieved appearance, she smiled brightly and walked toward Cedrick, sitting next to him. Cedrick put his arms around her and could smell the faint scent of gardenias on her body. It was intoxicating, much unlike any other woman. ¡°Why are you here? You missed me?¡± teased Cedrick, thinking that Catelyn was here for him, and he held her closer to his body. Catelyn, however, was more concerned about finding Joanne as soon as possible. She exerted a bit more force as she tried to push him away, feeling ufortable in the process. There was a slight pain on her waist as Cedrick kept hugging her. Catelyn could not help but stare at him angrily. W Before she could say anything, Cedrick leaned over and whispered to her ear, ¡°Stop moving, or I¡¯ll kiss you right here and now.¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened as she was at a loss for words. She knew Cedrick was not joking; she knew he could and would do it. Catelyn slightly turned her head away and whispered back to Cedrick, ¡°I wasn¡¯t here for you.¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes sank. Edwin saw both of them whispering from afar. Catelyn looked as if she was biting into Cedrick¡¯s ear. He grinned yfully. ¡°Did Kitty stalk you here?¡± asked Edwin. Cedrick calmly patted Catelyn¡¯s head and said, ¡°She¡¯s still young, and it¡¯s natural for her to be clingy to me.¡± Catelyn did not say anything. She just wanted to find Joanne. Suddenly, she recalled Cedrick telling her that Edwin was the boss of the Barricade Club. -272 Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Mister Atherton, I want to ask you about someone.¡± Edwin raised his eyeszily. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Her name is Joanne Winters. Do you know her?¡± The moment Edwin heard her, his expression instantly changed, and she was puzzled by this. She looked at Cedrick nkly, subtly asking if he knew anything about this. Perhaps Cedrick did not understand Catelyn that he did not even look at her. It looked like he was in one of his moods again. ¡°Is she your friend?¡± Edwin finally spoke. Strangely, he lost his usual sarcastic tone. The anxious Catelyn nodded repeatedly to show how serious she was. ¡°She¡¯s my ssmate from college. I have heard that she¡¯s also here in the Barricade Club today, and it happens to be this private room. Why isn¡¯t she here?¡± ¡°Because that woman has already been banished by security,¡± Alice interjected triumphantly. Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened with a worried expression on her face. ¡°What? Why was she banished?¡± Alice paused. She only knew that Joanne¡¯s agent had brought her here earlier in the afternoon. Edwin had seen her coming from a distance and had security take her away. She did not know the exact reason for this. Catelyn looked at Edwin. Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Edwin raised his eyelids, returning to his usual impish self. ¡°The inte has shown Joanne¡¯s true colors. That woman has a messy life, and she often sells her privacy for money to gain fame and poprity. I don¡¯t want the Barricade Club¡¯s reputation and, more importantly, our customer¡¯s privacy to be compromised just because of her.¡± Catelyn instinctively shot up from her seat upon hearing Edwin¡¯s response. Thosements about Joanne aren¡¯t true at all; they¡¯re all biased!¡± Since Catelyn knew that Joanne had been kicked out, she was concerned about her whereabouts. Feeling worried, Catelyn pushed Cedrick away and was about to leave the ce to continue looking for Joanne when someone grabbed her wrist. She turned and noticed that it was Cedrick ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked, staring at her. ¡°Joanne is my friend. I¡¯m going to find her,¡± replied Catelyn Catelyn removed Cedrick¡¯s hand away from her and left without looking back Cedrick remained seated. He thought that she came to look for him, but that did not seem to be the case anymore. Edwin stared at Catelyn¡¯s back as she left, rubbing his temples as he asked Cedrick irritably, ** Aren¡¯t you going after her?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just chase after a woman like that,¡± said Cedrick as he frowned Edwin rolled his eyes. Everybody knew he had broken up his engagement with Maia for Catelyn, so why did he not go after her? Edwin never thought that Cedrick could spoil a woman so much the moment he was in love with her.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Cedrick¡¯s gang of friends burst intoughter when they knew about this L had been doing a lot of thinking for the past few days Just because Catelyn told her that Cedrick often went to the Barricade Club, did not mean she would just blindly believe it. L was always prepared for everything, but Cedrick was the one man whom she could conquer. She bribed one of the staff of the clubhouse and received news that Cedrick and there, and they might even stay there for a long time as they were busy discusing -rted matters in the movie industry. Y ar273 L put on some delicate makeup and threw a wink at the mirror. She had always been very proud of her figure. She was sure that if she took the initiative to hug Cedrick, she would get some response from him. As she was leaving home, Loue happened to be watching TV in the living room, listening to some light music. ¡°L, it¡¯s gettingte. Where are you going?¡± asked Loue. ¡°The Masons had caused so much suffering in our family, and I have to find a way to fix it,¡± said L. She did not bother with Loue¡¯s concerned gaze and strutted away in her high heels. She arrived and parked at the entrance of the Barricade Club. As she stopped the vehicle, she happened to see Catelyn running across the street in a hurry. L paused, and her eyes instantly lit up. She was told that Cedrick was still in the private room on the top floor, but here Catelyn was¡­ Did these two get into a fight? This was godsent! Momentster, Edwin had sent most of the people from the entertainment industry out of the room, and only a few of his closer friends remained. As the night got darker, Cedrick got up and went to the washroom. Just as he was about to reach the door, however, a waiter suddenly came in with a tray of several cocktails on it. The two of them bumped into each other by ident, and a few drinks spilled onto Cedrick¡¯s suit. The waiter was so frightened that his legs turned to jelly. ¡°Sir¡­ Master Cedrick, I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± he stammered feebly. ¡°Let me wipe it for you!¡± Cedrick¡¯s suits were all custom-made, and they were sent to a specific ce for cleaning every time. He frowned, and without saying anything, he left and went straight to Private Room No. 6808. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Chapter 274 There was a built-in wardrobe in the suite where Cedrick would usually hang a few of his coats in the closet. On the asions when Cedrick got drunk with his friends, he would spend the night sleeping in this room. As he opened the door, Cedrick took off his jacket and frowned when he noticed the wine stain from earlier. He stripped his clothes as he walked inside the suite and eventually reached the wardrobe naked. Just as he was about to open the wardrobe door, his sharp eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of a small bag arched under the quilt on the bed, as if a person was lying there. He sniffed around a little, but instead of smelling the familiar gardenia fragrance, it was a strong and pungent jasmine scent. Cedrick raised his eyebrows coldly and took out his mobile phone to make a call. ¡°There¡¯s a woman in my room. Call security,¡± said Cedrick as he continued to dress calmly. L, who was under the quilt, quickly shouted to him anxiously, ¡°Master Cedrick, it¡¯s me!¡± Cedrick, at this point, had buttoned his shirt and shot her a sharp re. ¡°Get out of here, or should I call someone to drag you out?¡± snapped Cedrick with the same cold tone. L refused to believe that Cedrick would not want a woman who presented herself in his room. She got off the bed and walked up to him, barefooted. A deep disgust shed in Cedrick¡¯s eyes, and he grabbed her neck with his big palm. L was in pain, but still managed to force out a charming expression. She winked at him, though her eyes glistened with tears. ¡°Master Cedrick, d-don¡¯t push me away,¡± pleaded L. ¡°I really like you. I¡¯m not asking you to treat me like you do with Catelyn, but as long as you¡¯re willing to let me stay by your side, I -I¡¯m willing to be your servant!¡± She deliberately bit her plump lips as she spoke. However, this made Cedrick even more disgusted. Not a secondter, he pushed L out of the door with a flick of his hand, sending her tumbling onto the red carpet outside the room. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. L was only wearing light undergarments and a thin ck veil, and security wasing any minute! L¡¯s heart sank. She got up from the ground and continued pleading to Cedrick. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be so ruthless to me, Master Cedrick! Catelyn had called me here!¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes turned gloomy the moment he heard Catelyn¡¯s name. ¡°What did you say?¡± he growled. ¡°I¡¯m honest! It was Catelyn who told me that you were here in the Barricade Club, and she asked me to come to you. Shall we go back into your room?¡± said L, noticing that Cedrick was not pushing her around so harshly anymore. After a short moment of calmness, Cedrick suddenly became aggressive. His eyes turned cold as he shoved L away. Thump! She hit the back of her head against the wall, causing her to gasp in pain. Before she could return to her senses, a group of security guards had arrived, staring directly at L¡¯s revealing outfit. She tried her best to cover herself, but she could not do anything. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Chapter 275 ¡°Send her to the police station,¡± demanded Cedrick. ¡°I¡¯m using her of sexual harassment L froze upon hearing this, and even the head security guard gaped in shock. Ever since the guard had been in charge of security at the Barricade Club for so many years, he has seen many female clientsining about harassment issues from men. Never had he seen any men comining about a woman who sexually harassed him, though. ¡°Understood,¡± said the head guard. Two of his men came forward and pulled L up from the ground. Knowing that her actions were irreversible, L burst into tears while she internally raged against Catelyn, wanting to drag that woman deeper into the waters. ¡°Wake up, Master Cedrick! Catelyn doesn¡¯t truly love you; she¡¯s only using you as a stepping stone to climb up her careerdder! ¡°She also offered that if she handed you to me, I¡¯ll then make her the winner of the Chandier Jewelry Competition. Your love means nothing to her!¡± L¡¯s pleading voice eventually faded as the guards dragged her away. Cedrick¡¯s face darkened. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. As soon as Catelyn left, L came to him. Was it all a coincidence? Edwin heard what happened to Cedrick, and he spat his wine in shock. ¡°Pfft-hahaha! Ced, who knew that you¡¯d be a better chick ma than me?¡± Cedrick gave him a cold look in response. ¡°The security here in the Barricade Club is horrible! Not only Calelyn, but L had managed to sneak into the ce. You should be ashamed, being the boss of this ce! Just close the whole ce down already!¡± he grumbled. Edwin knew that he was about to make Cedrick blow up, but he did not bother sugarcoating his words. This was just too much fun for him. Eventually, Catelyn found Joanne at a street food stall, having some barbeque. She poured a crazy amount of hot sauce on her meat skewers and coated them in anotheryer of mustard before she proceeded to chew them. Despite Joanne being such a big eater, she could not gain any weight. She would always remain 45 kilograms no matter how much she ate. ¡°I was at the Barricade Club looking for you! They said you got kicked out. What happened?¡± asked Catelyn. Joanne swallowed the tenderloin meat in one gulp and wiped the sweat from her forehead. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the investor who my manager mentioned was Edwin Atherton,¡± she mumbled. ¡°If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t even show up at the club.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Catelyn was stunned. ¡°Do you hold grudges against him?¡± Joanne chuckled a little, looking embarrassed. Seeing how worried Catelyn looked, she quickly cleared her throat and exined, ¡°Many years ago, Edwin was at our academy to recruit some talents. While he was there, one thing led to another, and I poured my bowl of chicken stew on his head. It happened in the cafeteria, and many people saw it. He probably felt very ashamed of that experience and hated me ever since.¡± ¡°What a story¡­¡± muttered Catelyn. She could not believe that Joanne dared to provoke someone like Edwin. The baby-faced Joanne rolled her eyes, that serious expression of hers remaining. ¡°It was all his fault for molesting a female ssmate of mine. He even grabbed her butt! She told him to stop, but he still did it! What a pervert!¡± Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Catelyn tried to imagine it. Edwin had been dissolute for years. He had a reputable family background, was generous, and good- looking. Many women must have clung to him voluntarily. Edwin wanted to reject the girl, but she still came onto him anyway. Unfortunately, Joanne had misunderstood Edwin to be the bad guy in the scenario. The scene was too perfect. Catelyn ceased her imagination. ¡°What did your manager say about it?¡± Catelyn knew that Joanne was always obedient to her manager, and was a little worried about it. Joanne smiled and waved her hand dismissively. ¡°No worries, I can handle this.¡± That night, even though Joanne was back, Catelyn could not sleep well, and it baffled her. The next morning, Ollie video-called her from Mason Estate. Janice had sent him to the Estate by Saturday night and had video-called Catelyn from time to time to inform her of his whereabouts. He would tell her about his breakfast, sometimes about the fun he had at his grandmother¡¯s, and he would then ask when she woulde to the estate again. All the while, Catelyn responded patiently to him. It was an adorable conversation between the mother and the son. Nheless, Ollie grew anxious. He had waited for Catelyn to bring up anything about his father, yet she never did. He did, however, overhear the maids gossiping this morning that another woman was in his father¡¯s bed last night. Catelyn was at Ocean Park Residencest night, so it was not her. ¡°Mommy, Father wasn¡¯t homest night,¡± Ollie deliberately diverted the conversation to that topic. Catelyn¡¯s eyelid pulsed as though it was an omen. She maintained a casual tone as she nonchntly replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t he always busy? Maybe he just slept overnight in the office.¡± Ollie was dead worried. Cedrick had brought Catelyn back to the Estate before, and that meant he was serious about her. Why, then, did she say nothing when she knew that Cedrick was not home at allst night? ¡°I heard from Uncle Eason that he spent the night at the Barricade Club, and there was a woman in his bed.¡± Catelyn should be showing some signs of concern at this. L¡¯s pretty face shed before Catelyn¡¯s eyes as she heard this. She had told L before that Cedrick used to frequent the Barricade Club. However, L had never taken any action so far¡­ Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Was the woman L after all? Catelyn could not resist but asked, ¡°Oh? What did your father do, then?¡± Ollie shook his head and blinked innocently. ¡°I have no idea. Just give him a call, Mommy, and you¡¯ll know about it.¡± In truth, Ollie knew it all, but he did not just want to answer everything for her. He wanted her to call Cedrick He was relentlessly creating opportunities for them both! Catelyn¡¯s gaze fixated on the call log. She hesitated to call Cedrick For the longest time, Cedrick had given L the cold shoulder. What if he just could not resist her this time? Catelyn gnawed on her lower lip. Even if anything happened between L and Cedrick, it had nothing to do with her. She was only his girlfriend in title. Catelyn decided not to meddle with this anymore. As long as it did not involve her son, she would not care so much. However, when she exited the call log, her finger identally slid across Cedrick¡¯s name. §£§Ö§Ö§â! She identally dialed Cedrick¡¯s contact number. Just when she wanted to hang up, she heard a man¡¯s hoarse voice from the speaker. ¡°Yes?¡± Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Cedrick¡¯s voice was nasally and sounded like he was up all night. The time on Catelyn¡¯s screen showed that it was nine in the morning. Cedrick was probably still in bed by this hour. ¡°Nothing, I identally pressed on your contact. Have a good rest.¡± Catelyn hung up without hesitation. The thought that Cedrick and L had slept together made her feel queasy, but Catelyn quickly shook her head. ¡®Sweet, sweet Catelyn. Why do you even care?¡¯ No, she did not care. She just could not ept that, after sleeping with L, there might still be a chance that Cedrick would sleep with her. Yes, that must be the reason. Catelyn tried to exin to herself, but the agitation did not leave her. She regretted having dialed him. Cedrick, who just sat up from his bed in the Barricade Club and heard the end-call beeps, had a simrly grim expression. Catelyn slipped L into his room, yet she was the one throwing a tantrum? He really should not have spoiled her so much. He lifted the duvet and wanted to get off the bed, but a faint dizzy spell hit him. Cedrick rubbed his temples. After chasing L away yesterday, he was a little drunk and fell asleep on the sofa. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Maybe he caught a cold. Catelyn vehemently tried to eradicate the thoughts of L and Cedrick. Her interview at Mason Group would be on Wednesday, and that weekend would be the final round for Chandier Jewelry designing competition. She did not have much time left, especially when everyone else had started preparing for the finals half a month ago. Catelyn, on the other hand, only got in halfway through, so time was not on her side at all. She had to buckle up. However, feelings of conflict would still haunt her every time she thought of Cedrick L promised that if Catelyn allowed her to sleep with Cedrick, she would let Catelyn be the champion. She supposed that in this case, she had betrayed Cedrick somehow. The following few days, both Cedrick and Catelyn never contacted each other, as though forgetting each other¡¯s presence. Even if Ollie deliberately talked about Cedrick, Catelyn would casually respond and divert the conversation to something else. Simrly, she would do this at Mason Estate. Ollie longed for Catelyn to be back at the Estate again, but his wish was never fulfilled. He knew that Catelyn was very tied down recently, so he had been obedient at the Estate, as he should. During dinner, Ollie looked at the nd dishes on the table and quietly took a bite. It puzzled him, too, why he craved spices and vors already. Cedrick took one nce at Ollie and frowned slightly. He then scooped some vegetables onto his te. ¡°Don¡¯t be picky,¡± chastised Cedrick, his tone awkward yet gentle altogether. It was rare for Ollie to see such a patient Cedrick He looked at his father, and pursed his tiny lips before saying, ¡°Father, did you make Aunt Catelyn angry?¡± Cedrick¡¯s gentle expression grew taut once more. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°She had not visited me in a long time.¡± Ollie noticed that Cedrick¡¯s temper was better than he usually was. Even if his face was still indifferent, he was not as unapproachable as he usually was. He frowned and said, ¡°I read a lot of books recently, and these books said men are born to spoil women, so you need to stop being mysterious, or Aunt Catelyn might not want you anymore.¡± Cedrick looked at him through the corner of his eyes and did not say anything. Ollie grew more confident, however, as he shrugged. ¡°Like how you are right now; refusing to say anything if you are not happy.¡± Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Chapter 278 ¡°¡­¡± Cedrick could feel his temples pulsing as his fingers wrapped tightly around his cutleries. Ollie imitated Miles¡¯ way of fawning to his mom and said gently to Cedrick, ¡°Father, it¡¯s generous of Aunt Catelyn to not mind your previous engagement with Aunt Maia at all. Don¡¯t annoy her anymore. Go on and console her, alright? I¡¯d like her to be my mother.¡± Since Cedrick did not know the truth, it did not matter even if he called Catelyn his mother. Cedrick lost his appetitepletely. It was always ¡®Catelyn this¡¯, ¡®Catelyn that¡¯. Ollie would never stop talking about her! Could he not give him a break? He put his cutleries aside and shot Ollie a cold re. ¡°You want her to be your mother, but would she agree?¡± Ollie knew she was his birth mother, except that Cedrick was not aware of it. However, Ollie was well aware of how much Cedrick hated the term ¡®legitimate mother¡¯. He pretended to be disappointed and hung his head low. He then gave Cedrick an encouraging look and said, ¡°If you never give it a try, Aunt Catelyn will never agree to it, right?¡± Cedrick tugged at his necktie. ¡°Why are you giving me a life lecture now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re almost thirty. I¡¯m just afraid that you won¡¯t settle down with a good wife, and I won¡¯t have a mother.¡± Finishing his sentence carefully, his little bum nudged across his chair as he quickly slid down and made a beeline to his room on the second floor, as though afraid Cedrick would be irked by his words, Cedrick did not know how to respond. Albert, who was watching this in the corner, was so touched that he almost teared up. His Young Master Ollie was so introverted when he was younger, but at this moment, he could already hold a conversation with his father about his marriage! Kids should never be deprived of love, and Catelyn rk¡¯s presence greatly changed the father -son pair¡¯s rtionship. Albert even contemted asking Catelyn to proactively approach Cedrick. He then turned to look at Cedrick¡¯s flustered expression and decided to suppress this thought. Cedrick did not want to talk about Catelyn, but he was somehow distracted at work. He was putting Catelyn aside, but Catelyn did the same, too. She was only approaching him for her own agenda after all, huh? Why did she stop showing up? Was it because she achieved what she wanted, or was she ying hard to get? ¡°Master Cedrick.¡± Charles was reading to Cedrick a research report sent by the marketing team, but even as he finished, Cedrick did not respond to him. Charles could not help but nudged him. This was weird; he had never seen Cedrick zoned out at work before. With Cedrick¡¯s train of thoughts interjected, he looked up absent-mindedly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead with what the marketing manager suggested.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Charles nodded and pulled out the next document, about to read it to Cedrick However, Cedrick took out his personal phone from his drawer. It was normal for someone like Cedrick to have a few phones and devices. One for business, one for personal matters. He had never let the two get mixed. Charles pretended to not have seen this and continued reading the document. Cedrick tapped open his conversation with Catelyn, and his fingertips typed a string of alphabets and characters. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. (Was it you who sent L to me?) He finished typing, but he could not bring himself to send it. He paused impatiently and tapped open Catelyn¡¯s profile. She posted somethingst night. She made a table full of dishes and even baked cinnamon rolls. Her photos and captions showed her love and passion for her life. Cedrick¡¯s face was grim. He deleted the entire text he had typed out in the conversation bar and mmed his phone onto the table. His entire being reeked of hostility, enough to repel anyone from even talking to him. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Charles stretched his neck to peek and noticed that Cedrick wanted to send a message but did not. It then dawned on him. It made sense why he was in such a bad mood; he must have quarreled with Miss rk. ¡°Cedrick, Miss rk ising for an interview this afternoon at four. Would you like me to pass on a message to the human resource department for you to interview her personally?¡± Cedrick looked displeased. ¡°Office time for personal matters? Do you still want your bonus for this month?¡± Charles felt like he had been wronged. Catelyn finished her design draft and was about to send it to Chandier Jewelry personally. Of course, she still felt the jitters when she handed in her draft. It was because she was a little bold with her design this time to not have done something mainstream. However, to win the contest, she had to take some risks. She had done all that she could, and the rest was up to fate. L spent two days in the police station because of Cedrick¡¯s sexual harassment charges, and she was eventually released because of Edwin¡¯s influence. L happened to experience soft torture while she was locked up, too. However, she had always been spoiled as the rich daughter of the Atherton family and had never lived in a slum like Catelyn did, so her tolerance for stress was not as good. She looked like a hot mess when she was finally released. Her eye sockets were sunken, and her eyeballs were bloodshot. She looked exhausted and pitiful. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. However, today was the submission date for the finalpetition, and she had to personally be at the office to watch. When Catelyn came out after her submission, she bumped into L at the door. Catelyn almost thought she bumped into a ghost because that was how pale L looked. L, on the other hand, did not look too pleased to meet Catelyn. ¡°Looks like you are ready with your draft for the finals?¡± she snidelymented. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it?¡± Catelyn suddenly remembered that L slept with Cedrick and felt very iffy about it. Still, why did she look so disoriented? L¡¯s face was so pale like a dried tree trunk in the winter, so much so that she had to rely on her makeup to look a little more human. Lp2/4 Catelyn wasmitted to attending the interview and, therefore, was all dressed up for it. The two were such a contrast to each other. L had to me Catelyn for her locked-up experience. ¡°You must¡¯ve done something. You annoyed Cedrick that night, and that was why he lost interest in me that night. I wasn¡¯t satisfied, so don¡¯t you dare dream of getting the first prize! You¡¯ll regret this, Catelyn.¡± She should not have met Cedrick that night. She should have chosen a better time! On the other hand, Catelyn was confused. She annoyed Cedrick? Soon, she understood why. L must have not aplished what she wanted to be this mad. Did that mean she failed to sleep with Cedrick? Catelyn suddenly perked up as this as she evenughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that your wish wasn¡¯t fulfilled, and I¡¯m sorry to have troubled you to volunteer yourself to sleep with him.¡± L was triggered at this and was about to start a fight. s, they were in the office, so she held her urges in. Not only did she hold it in, but her lips were even curving upward. She bent forward and whispered into Catelyn¡¯s ears, ¡°We have more toe. Let¡¯s see who¡¯ll be smiling till the end. The other staff at the office witnessed how L and Catelyn were whispering secrets with each other. Catelyn could only imagine what L would do to her now that she offended her. There was no way around it, too, apart from facing it head-on. Plus, she did not believe that L could get away with what she did every time. in Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Mason Group and Chandier Jewelry were both located in the same business district and were only a stone¡¯s throw away from each other. Catelyn headed to Mason Group for her interview. Mason Group was one of the top multinational corporations in Sapphire City, and there were also numerousplex influences behind it. Catelyn thus exhibited her best self and went straight to the concierge. The concierge did not stop her like they used to, but instead enthusiastically pointed her to the human resource department floor. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. On the twelfth.floor where the human resource department was located, Catelyn saw a row of candidates waiting to be interviewed. Many of them were graduates from reputable universities with masters and doctorates. There were also talents with years of experience in the construction industry. Catelyn sat on a bench when the girl next to her winked at her and asked, ¡°Miss, may I know which university you did your master¡¯s program in?¡± Catelyn held her resume in her hands tightly. ¡°I¡¯m not a master¡¯s student.¡± ¡°You have a doctorate? Oh my God, you¡¯re so young!¡± The girl, though surprised, also pouted disappointedly. ¡°No way¡­ Everyone here has great qualifications, while I¡¯m just a master¡¯s student from an ordinary college. I can never outperform you guys. I should have just continued doing my doctorate!¡± Catelyn was about to exin herself but stopped. ¡°Does everyone here have an impressive background?¡± ¡°Of course! This is Mason Group we¡¯re talking about, and the front office has graduates from reputable universities!¡± Catelyn was a little unnerved to hear this. She was not a master¡¯s student, nor did she have a doctorate. She was also not some experienced talent in the industry, so why did she even qualify to sit here among all these people, waiting for her turn to be interviewed? Was this the power Cedrick had extended to help her in? The girl next to her was still bbering. Her name was Samantha Smith, and she recently graduated from her master¡¯s program. She did not get recruited on campus and decided to interview for the jobs on her own. Catelyn chatted with her but did not mention her background or education. Finally, an interviewer called her in. She took a deep breath and stood up from her seat when all of a sudden, a girl dashed out of the interview room. L -280 She had failed the interview, it seemed. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she covered her mouth with one hand. Smack! When Catelyn moved along to avoid bumping into the girl, her document folder dropped on the floor identally. It contained the certificates that she obtained over the years while in the industry. Catelyn quickly bent down to pick up her certificates. Samantha came over to help her and was not surprised to see all the certificates that she got. After all, most people who came for the interview had simr certificates, too. ¡°Let me help you¡­¡± However, Samantha¡¯s smile suddenly froze as she was speaking. When she helped Catelyn to pick up her certificates, she saw a pink booklet of¡­high school transcripts? Catelyn quickly took her certificates back and smiled politely. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Samantha¡¯s gaze was a little awkward. If she was a Ph.D. student, why did she only bring along her high school transcripts? Catelyn entered the meeting room for the interview. She took out the relevant certificates that she prepared, which were about six of them. Over the years, even though she was in the renovation scene, she had never given up on her dream to be an architect. The human resource department only asked a few simple questions, and by the end of it, concluded that she could report to the role by next week. Catelyn initially prepared a lot of talking points before the interview, but she did not talk about them entirely. Why was this interview a little too easy? ¡°Wee to Mason Group, Miss rk.¡± Catelyn still had not recollected herself, but the human resource officer had already held out his hand to offer a warm wee. Catelyn quickly stood up and took his hand to shake it firmly. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Chapter 281 ¡°Thank you for offering me this opportunity.¡± The supervisorplimented Catelyn out of formality for a little bit before introducing her to thepany strategy and reorganization. Catelyn was hired as the Assistant Architect. Meanwhile, on the top floor, in the CEO¡¯s office¡­ Charles was having a hard time. Cedrick had very drastic mood swings today. He could appear to be normal, but within the next second, he would be interrogating a person until they could not answer. Charles checked the time and figured that it should be about time. ¡°Cedrick, Miss rk should be on the twelfth floor for her interview already.¡± Cedrick did not say anything but merely continued working on his documents. When he finally finished thest document in his hand, he waved, signaling that Charles could leave already. Charles felt relieved and fled immediately. Cedrick fell silent for a brief moment before he turned on hisputer and worked on it. Suddenly, a window popped up, showing the surveince footage of the 12th-floor interview room. The scene that appeared on his screen was the very moment that Catelyn shook hands with the human resource officer, smiling. Cedrick stared at it nkly for a second. He felt that there was a rock on his chest, and it was hard for him to breathe, yet his gaze lingered on the screen and did not move away. The girl on his screen had her hair tied up crisply, wearing a white blouse and a pencil skirt. Her nose was dainty but prominent, her lips painted red with lipstick. Despite not hearing what they were talking about, their smiles were evident. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn stood right in front of the surveince camera, so her face was clearly seen on screen. It looked as though she was smiling at him. When Catelyn came out of the interview room, the smile she had was no longer seen. Her instincts told her that she only got in because of Cedrick. If this was the old her, she would decline the offer instantly, but she could not do this at this moment. The closer she was to the Mason family, the closer she would be to her sons. Samantha saw Catelyne out of the room, looking disappointed, and quickly came forward to console her, ¡°Why do you look so sad? Did you fail the interview? Don¡¯t worry; you are so talented that I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get a better job!¡± Catelyn smiled at her but said nothing else. She then went to the store nearby to get a few things. Even though she did not get in due to her skills, she deserved a reward or two for herself. She had been working hard all along, anyway. However, as soon as she arrived at Ocean Park Residence, she saw a man leaning against his car. His tall figure was nted, his eyes dark. He looked distant and approachable to just anyone. In between his fingers was a burning cigarette. His leather shoes were slightly dusted, but he did not seem to care. Catelyn almost dropped her shopping bag in sheer shock at the sight. What was he doing here? Catelyn, wanting to avoid him instinctively, decided to go in through the backdoor. However, Cedrick had already noticed her and called her name, ¡°Catelyn!¡± Catelyn stiffened upon hearing him calling her name. Nheless, she turned and went up to him, pretending nothing happened. ¡°Hi! What a coincidence. I just did some grocery shopping and didn¡¯t notice you were here. Were you waiting for me?¡± Cedrick looked at her coldly. She seemed to be in a good mood. Was it because she got the offer? Was it because he did not bug her in the past few days? ¡°I wasn¡¯t waiting for you. I was waiting for your son.¡± Cedrick pretended to not have seen Catelyn attempting to avoid him but went straight to his boot to retrieve something that looked to be a huge present box. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Chapter 282 It was a toy robot model, which was the dream toy of every kid. Catelyn grew nervous when she heard Cedrick¡¯s response. ¡°You¡¯re waiting for my son?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been together for some time, and you¡¯ve been to Mason Estate as well. However, I don¡¯t recall meeting your son in person.¡± Cedrick studied her panicked expression and frowned. ¡°Is it too abrupt for me to suddenly visit today?¡± ¡°Of course it is! My son¡ª¡± ¡°No worries, he won¡¯t mind. I came with a present.¡± Catelyn wanted to argue, but Cedrick did not give her a chance to decline as he pulled her into the premises. Catelyn¡¯s temples were suddenly pulsing. Drats! She never expected Cedrick to suddenly visit. She then tried to make excuses to stop Cedrick from going up to her apartment, even using her body to impede his progress. ¡°I haven¡¯t cleaned my ce the past few days, and it¡¯s horrendous now. I¡¯ll help give your gift to Miles. How about we go out for some good food?¡± In the lift, Catelyn coquettishly held Cedrick by his arm and added, ¡°There is a new restaurant downstairs, and I¡¯ve heard good things about it! I¡¯d love to try it out, Ced¡­¡± Cedrick looked at her body leaning against his, his eyes pensive. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. All this while, she had been avoiding him, yet all of a sudden, she clung to him without any prompts. Was she scared, or was she guilty of something else? ¡°I¡¯ll take your silence as a yes. Let me make a reservation online, alright? You¡¯re the best!¡± Catelyn fished out her phone, but before she could turn on her device, a big palm snatched her phone from her. Catelyn stamped down her bubbling anxiety as she shot him a questioning look. She stood on her toes as she tried to grab it back from him. However, Cedrick was just too tall. He then swung his arm to the side, and Catelyn could not reach her phone at all. Instead, she lost her bnce because she was too desperate to get it back, and fell into his chest. ¡°Why are you not allowing me to go to your home?¡± Cedrick ignored her struggles and stretched one arm out past her head. His body leaned slightly forward, supported by his hand that mmed against the wall behind her. Catelyn was trapped between his warm chest and the wall, unable to move away from his predatory gaze. Catelyn¡¯s longshes trembled. However, when she spoke, she sounded affectionate like baby. ¡°I didn¡¯t let you in because it was too messy, and I¡­didn¡¯t manage to clean up. I didn¡¯t want to ruin my perfect image in your impression. Quick, let me have my phone back.¡± Cedrick listened to her but only smiled coldly. ¡°Or, are you hiding a man at home and are afraid to let me bump into him?¡± Catelyn¡¯s smile froze. A man? What nonsense was he talking about? The most she was hiding¡­was a little boy! The next moment, Cedrick took a step forward. Hisrge form stuck up to Catelyn¡¯s intimately. He leaned forward and ran his lips to caress her earlobe lightly, causing Catelyn¡¯s breath to hitch. She held him by his wrist, pretending to be calm as she looked into Cedrick¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re just being oversensitive. I¡¯ll never forget about our deal! You¡¯re Miles¡¯ and I¡¯s savior, and as long as you don¡¯t call it off, I¡¯ll always be yours. ¡°Still, my home is really¡­really¡­¡± Her voice got softer and softer when met with Cedrick¡¯s piercing gaze, as though he was able to see it right through her, giving her no room to lie. ¡°If there is nothing to be guilty of, let me in.¡± Cedrick¡¯s lips curved upward in a half smile. His long hands stroked her long hair gently. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Catelyn¡¯s long hair was natural; it was not dyed nor was it permed. Cedrick¡¯s long finger twined around strands of her hair slowly, the interaction downright intimate like actual lovers. However, his gaze was cold and distant. Deal? So, Catelyn only defined what was between them as a deal. All the good and bad things he had done for her had never won her over. Catelyn lost her words. Her hair was in his hands, and he was sniffing lightly on it. His low and deep voice was heard again, dripping with an ominous undertone, ¡°Unless you¡¯re in someone else¡¯s bed right after you left mine?¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened as it all dawned on her. She shook her head furiously. The elevator door opened, and Catelyn was forced to the door of her apartment. What should she do? Miles was already home after school. Everything she had treasured would be gone if he saw this! Catelyn slowly fumbled through her pockets for her keys. Just when she was going to lie that she did not bring her keys, Cedrick¡¯s thumb gently caressed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t quite like this color.¡± She was wearing a lip tint in a darker shade than what she used to wear. The area that he just touched seemed to feel slightly warmer than the rest. Catelyn tried hard to conceal her nervousness as she maintained the smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve just finished my older one. Doesn¡¯t this suit myplexion more?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said casually. Suddenly, Cedrick leaned forward, and his lips locked onto hers. ¡°Let me remove it for you.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Her airway was seized with the kiss as his fingers ran through her hair. Unbeknown to her, however, his slender hand reached into her purse and fumbled slightly, and it did not take him long to fish out a bunch of keys. It was not long until she heard her front door clicking open. It was nearing dusk, and the remaining rays from the sunset painted her floor golden. Catelyn¡¯s brain stopped working at that very moment, and all she could think of was Oh, no! However, Cedrick¡¯s eyes scanned around her living room, and finally, his gaze was fixated on the pile of¡­ Designer bags, clothes, and shoes. Cedrick did not expect the living room to turn out such clutter, and his temples pulsed at the sight. Catelyn was so nervous that she almost forgot to breathe, but after a few seconds, her apartment was still silent. Usually, if Miles heard the door open, he woulde running to the front door and get her slippers for her. Miles was out of sight today. Was he¡­not home? Catelyn followed Cedrick¡¯s gaze to look toward her messy bags, clothes, and purses. Everything was new, unopened, and piling on top of each other. She was relieved, and her eyes curved into a smile again., ¡°See? I told you not toe in. I¡¯m embarrassed!¡± Then, she deliberately brought her face close to Cedrick¡¯s and winked. ¡°You won¡¯t loathe me now, will you?¡± However, Catelyn was still puzzled by the situation. Miles should be at home after school, so where could he have gone at this hour? ¡°A little loathsome, yes¡­¡± Cedrick pulled her back into his chest and inhaled into her hair once more. ¡°Though, this is the woman that I chose; no returns and no exchanges.¡± She should be the one to have said that. ¡°Where is your son? Ask him toe here, I¡¯ve brought him a present.¡± Cedrick brushed his cheek lightly against hers and released her to wander around the living room like an explorer would. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Cedrick¡¯s sharp gaze scanned everything around the apartment carefully, from the coffee table and cups to theundry hanging by the balcony. Everything looked normal. Other than some feminine products, all he saw were children¡¯s clothes and toys. There was no sign of another man living in this space. If that was it, why did she refuse to let him visit? He did not buy Catelyn¡¯s excuse of the apartment being ¡®too messy¡¯. He remembered that the other day aftering back from the amusement park, he had already sent her to her doorstep, but she insisted that he took a detour to the hotel. She was avoiding him¡­or, perhaps, was instead hiding something from him. Catelyn was thinking about how to answer when all of a sudden, her phone buzzed. She slid her finger across the screen to answer the call. It was Joanne. She knew that Catelyn was busy, so she took Miles out for a walk. The bags and clothes on the couch were all brand new, mostly still with their tags on. They were all gifted by the sponsors, and she left them for Catelyn when she went to fetch Miles earlier. Catelyn was just so grateful for Joanne that she did not know how to thank her enough; be it for the clothes or for taking out Miles. ¡°You have fun with Miles! I¡¯ll pick him up in a few days,¡± said Catelyn into the phone, deliberately raising her voice to make sure Cedrick had heard her. Joanne, on the other end of the line, was confused. ¡®In a few days¡¯? There was only a wall between them, no? However, Catelyn hung up before she could reply, shrugging. She then said to Cedrick, ¡°Miles¡¯ godmother had taken him out to y, so it looks like you can only meet him next time! You can leave your present here, and I¡¯ll tell him that you bought it for him when he gets back.¡± ¡°Someone took your kid out, but you didn¡¯t know about it beforehand?¡± Cedrick frowned slightly. Something did not add up to him. He looked into the apartment again. The room was very clean and tidy, except that he noticed that there was not one photo of Miles at all. There were, however, a few photos of Catelyn with Ste. Catelyn did not want to continue this conversation with him anymore. As long as Miles was not home, she did not care what Cedrick was thinking. ¡°Miles¡¯ godmother has the key to my apartment. I usually don¡¯t interfere.¡± Then, Catelyn took her groceries into the kitchen, not wanting to talk about Miles anymore. Cedrick sat in the living room quietly for a short while and then tiptoed to Catelyn¡¯s room. He could not find one photo of Catelyn with Miles together at all, even in her room! Cedrick¡¯s frown deepened into his forehead. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. This was strange. Catelyn¡¯s room was minimalistic with only a bed and a dresser. Opposite the bed was a working desk, and on top of it was a studymp, a stack of documents, and papers. What stood out more was the draft design of Bubsville Vi and a few of her drafts for the jewelry designpetition. Maybe she did not reckon that there would be anyoneing to her room, so her drafts were all left on the table. Cedrick took a brief look at them. He gasped in shock. Ding, dong! Catelyn was still preparing dinner in the kitchen when she heard the doorbell. Assuming it was Ste, she went to open the door, only to be shocked by the sight that greeted her. ¡°Hey, Cat! Did you miss me?¡± Joanne was grinning from ear to ear while waving enthusiastically at her. Next to her was a single 61-centimeter luggage. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Catelyn¡¯s expression froze as she hastily pushed Joanne out. ¡°Why are you here? Go, go! I¡¯m a little caught up right now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Miles has told me that you¡¯re very busy right now.¡± Joanne then winked at her and pushed the luggage to her. ¡°Here, this is your present. I¡¯ll get going!¡± Catelyn did not think too much about it. After all, Joanne frequently gifted her presents from time to time. She took the luggage in and threw her a nce, signaling she should leave. She was in such a hurry that she did not notice the cunning look on Joanne¡¯s face, how her eyes curved into crescents as she said, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb your precious time with the mysterious man. Though, I am quite curious who this ¡®Big Demon¡¯ is that Miles keeps talking about.¡± What answered her was Catelyn¡¯s door mming shut. Catelyn felt something was off when she dragged the luggage into the room. Why was the luggage so heavy? It did not feel like clothes or the likes. Finally, she dragged the luggage across the living room. There was still a pile of clothes sitting on her couch, so she settled in one corner and pulled open the luggage. Suddenly, a tiny fleshy hand reached out from within and grabbed Catelyn by the wrist, and Catelyn almost let out a shriek. was The zipper was only pulled halfway, too. The tiny hand helped himself to unzip the bag entirely. ¡°I¡¯ve gifted myself to you, Mommy! Do you like it?¡± Miles sat up in the luggage, his tiny pink lips parting as he gasped for air. He was so tiny that there was still ample room in the luggage after stuffing him in. Nheless, it was stuffy. Catelyn did not expect it to be Miles in the luggage, and she stuttered, ¡°Why¡­ Why are you back? Big Demon is at home! Quick, go hide-I¡¯ll send you back to Joanne¡¯s.¡± Miles blinked innocently, tugging and swinging her hand. ¡°No. I purposely asked Godmother to send me back here so I can protect you. Big Demon doesn¡¯t have good intentions, and I can never let you be alone with him.¡± ¡°What if you get busted?¡± challenged Catelyn. She tried not to raise her voice, and it sounded weird. Miles patted his tiny chest. ¡°I¡¯ll hide so well that he won¡¯t notice!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t risk this.¡± Catelyn attempted to stuff Miles back into the luggage. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for you to do this. Consider yourself lucky thatst time, you weren¡¯t discovered by Cedrick even though you made noises.¡± Miles blinked his watery eyes. He did not want to be sent away! ¡°If you are sending me away, I¡¯ll jump out and scream so that Big Demon sees me!¡± Catelyn fell speechless at this. Her son was threatening her! He always had this tendency! Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Cedrick was waiting in Catelyn¡¯s bedroom when he heard noisesing from the living room. He pulled the door open and walked out slowly. He saw Catelyn still in her apron, her hair tied up in a ponytail and her back facing him. She was standing next to the couch, decluttering the pile of clothes and bags. Next to her feet was a pink suitcase. ¡°Who was here?¡± ¡°The delivery man.¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard Cedrick. She took a deep breath and made sure that she looked normal before turning to look at Cedrick. However, his aura was too strong. She pointed at the kitchen and diverted the conversation, saying, ¡°It might take a while for dinner to be ready. You¡¯re not in a rush, are you?¡± Cedrick massaged his temples and sat on the chair in the dining room. ¡°Do you have flu medicine?¡± Catelyn saw that he looked a little pale and was shocked. ¡°Did you catch a cold?¡± Cedrick suddenly red at her. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Catelyn flinched. She was only caring about him. Why did Cedrick look at her so sharply? Cedrick pulled his tie open elegantly and ced his coat over the back of the chair, then rolled his sleeves up his elbow, exposing a small section of his muscr wrist. ¡°Get me some medicine first,¡± he spoke, his voice sounding rather husky. Could he have gotten the flu because of her? If it were not for her, would he be pestered by L at the Barricade Club and caught a cold after? Catelyn could not understand him. She nodded and nced at the suitcase from the corner of her eye before she went to get the medicine from the first-aid box under her television cab. She had a few types of flu medicine ready at home, ranging from ordinary ones to super effective ones. Her fingertip hovered over the regr flu medicine before she settled for the super-effective one. This one would make the consumer drowsy, though. Since Cedrick did not seem to be leaving anytime soon, she decided to let him fall asleep. Catelyn prepared a simple meal for them both. She finished her meal quicker as she was worried her son was starving. She kept checking the time and was expecting that within half an hour, Cedrick¡¯s medicine would kick in. Cedrick¡¯s appetite was simr to Ollie¡¯s; he liked simple, nd dishes. Hence, Catelyn did not make something too vourful for the dinner. He ate quietly with his cutlery without making any remarks. However, he did not pause at all while eating. Catelyn considered this her first time cooking for him. Before this, she only made him a sandwich, and he only got to eat some dessert that Catelyn made for Ollie. ¡°Tastes okay. Did you use to cook for Jamie?¡± he suddenly asked, and it caught Catelyn off guard. She did not expect him to mention Jamie. ¡°He never tasted anything I made. Four years ago, when my dad was still around, he wouldn¡¯t let me cook.¡± Ezekiel hired a lot of servants back then so that his daughter did not have to cook. Catelyn felt her nostrils warming when she thought of her father. Ezekiel was sent to prison four years ago, and unfortunately, they ran into an ident while on their way. Her father fell into the river with the vehicle, and no one had heard from him ever since. Her memories shed across her mind. She noticed Cedrick was watching her, and his gaze was iprehensible. Catelyn blinked, and her eyelids wiped away theyer of mist in her eyes. ¡°Finish the food while it¡¯s still warm,¡± she spoke. Cedrick looked away and did not say anything. She looked so depressed. Did she think of Jamie?All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Catelyn and Jamie must have been madly in love back then. Why else would she give birth to his child in secret? When Cedrick finished his food, Catelyn cleaned up the table and brought the dishes to the sink, all while she sneaked a peek at the suitcase. The luggage stood still and showed no signs of movement. Catelyn could not help but felt a little worried that her son might be suffocated. ¡°You just had your medicine. Would you like to take a rest in my room?¡± Catelyn suggested, thinking of getting an opportunity for her son to have a breather. Cedrick paused his motion of tidying his cor. He raised his eyebrows in interest. ¡°Do you know what it means when you ask a man to go to your room at night?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­just concerned to see you unwell.¡± Miles was still in the living room, too. What kind of adult conversation was he trying to have? Cedrick scooched her into his arms and bit on her ear lightly. ¡°What do you think I¡¯d do?¡± Cedrick deliberately exhaled into her ear, and his warm breath fanned the side of her face. Her son was in the living room, all scrunched up into a tiny ball, stuffed in the small luggage, while she was having a shameless conversation with Cedrick. ¡°Cedrick, you¡¯re a little ill now, and I don¡¯t want to get infected. Let me go! Let me cut some fruits for you so you¡¯ll replenish your vitamins and boost your immunity, alright?¡± Cedrick looked displeased to have heard the first sentence. All she cared about was not getting infected by him? Of course, Catelyn understood what he meant earlier. She was just afraid that her son would jump out of the suitcase impulsively. ¡°We can wait until you recover.¡± Catelyn knew that he would listen to her sweet talk. She blinked at him innocently like a doe, her eyes dewy and innocent. She flung her arm around his neck and looked at him affectionately. ¡°You know that I was just hired by yourpany, and I have to submit my health screening results before reporting to duty. Plus, I have to attend the final round of the jewelrypetition this weekend. I need to be at my peak health.¡± Cedrick was silent. So, he was nothingpared to thepetition? All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Somehow, Catelyn seemed to notice the suitcase had moved a little, and coupled with the arousal that Cedrick had just induced, she felt very antsy. Was her son trying to get out? Catelyn was going insane! She bit Cedrick¡¯s chin in desperation and coquettishly added, ¡°I¡¯lle find you right after mypetition, and I¡¯ll be sure to keep you satisfied. Now let me go; I will clean things up.¡± The girl was looking at him nervously, her eyes glittering as she stared at him. Even though Cedrick was not that happy about it, he was used to indulging in most of Catelyn¡¯s requests. He then released her and went to the bedroom. Catelyn looked at his back and finally took a long breath in relief. She wanted to cut some fruits and serve them, but she heard water sshing in the bathroom. She realized that he could be relieving his needs in the shower and felt a little guilty about it. She was just trying, but she did not expect him to have released her immediately. She then looked at her son in the living room. Well, she supposed it was alright to havemitted a white lie. After all, it was him who ruined her life four years ago. That was what she told herself, yet her guilt did not leave. Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Chapter 288 While Cedrick was taking a shower, Miles took the opportunity to pull open the zipper of the luggage. His tiny eyes first scanned the living room. He saw that Catelyn was alone in the living room and let his guard down immediately. He climbed out of the suitcase. Catelyn could not care much either. She knew that it was bad for his blood cirction that he had spent such a long time in such a small space. She massaged Miles¡¯ tiny hands and feet. Miles scrutinized his mother. Good, she was alright. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, Mommy.¡± He pointed at his small belly. Catelyn immediately washed an apple and cut it into small pieces, then served it to him. ¡°Here, have some apples.¡± ¡°Feed me.¡± The boy became a little demanding at that point, his eyshes fluttering as he did. Catelyn, instead of getting mad, took one look at him and grabbed a fork, sending one apple slice to his mouth. ¡°Now you feel bad. Did you regret not staying at Joanne¡¯s?¡± ¡°No.¡± Miles enjoyed being served with the apple, but suddenly diverted the conversation.¡± Mommy, what secrets did you and Big Demon whisper about?¡± He was stuffed in the small suitcase, and his ears were buzzing. He could not make out what they were talking about, but he was certain that they exchanged secrets behind his back. Catelyn immediately blushed. ¡°Quickly, finish your fruits,¡± she snapped, mustering a more strict approach. ¡°Once you¡¯re done, you should either hide back in the suitcase or go back to Godmother¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Miles shook his head, scoffing indignantly. He knew that Catelyn was lying to him. Something must have happened. Why else would she blush? Water was still sshing in the shower. Catalyn allowed Miles to finish his fruits in the living room while she kept the dishes in the kitchen and packed the trash. When she noticed that sounds of water sshing were gone, she nudged Miles to hide back in the suitcase. Miles was a little reluctant, but he went in and hid anyway. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn then cut a few more slices of fruits, awaiting for Cedrick toe out of the shower, but even after she waited for a while, he did note out. ¡°Cedrick?¡± she called out gently, yet no responses came to her. She pushed the door open and noticed that on the bed that was hers and Miles slept a tall guy. His long legs even hung on the edge of the bed. There was no sleeping robe for a man, so he was wrapped in a towel. Under the dim light, the man¡¯s towel was ruffled and lifted a little, exposing his muscr thighs. It was, honestly, a little seductive. His breaths were even and calm. Catelyn called his name again, but he did not move at all. It must be the side effects of the medicine. He fell asleep. Catelyn sighed in relief. When she was about to leave the room, a tiny head snuck in. Miles grabbed Cetelyn¡¯s pant leg, his tiny body stuck between Catelyn¡¯s knees and the door frame. His head leaned slightly forward, and when he finally took a good look at the room, he let out a little cry, ¡°No! Why is Big Demon sleeping on our bed?¡± He felt as though his privacy was intruded on and was instantly annoyed. Catelyn pulled him out of the room. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to sleep in our bed!¡± he whined, evidently pissed. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Catelyn ced a hand over Miles¡¯ mouth and carried him out of the room by the waist. ¡°If you wake him up, I¡¯ll dump you at Jamie¡¯s.¡± Miles slowly ceased his struggling as he grabbed Catelyn by the hem of her blouse and feebly reasoned, ¡°I will be obedient! I won¡¯t wake Big Demon up. Don¡¯t send me away, please?¡± Cedrick was fast asleep, so Catelyn was not worried that Miles would be noticed. She thus left him to have a rest in the living room and went to clean up the dishes. After Catelyn left, Miles¡¯ innocent expression vanished and was instead reced with a mischievous grin. So, Big Demon dared to sleep on his bed and harass his mother, huh? He would regret this. When Catelyn came out of the kitchen, she saw Miles sitting quietly in the living room, watching the television. The volume was turned so low that it would wake Cedrick up. Catelyn was d to see that her son was on his best behavior. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Just as she was about to ask Miles to go back to Joanne¡¯s, Miles suddenly turned off the television and slid down the couch. His little face turned as he gazed up at Catelyn. ¡°Mommy, I can¡¯t watch television freely here. It¡¯s boring, and I want to go back to Godmother¡¯s ce.¡± Music to Catelyn¡¯s ears. After all, the longer her son stayed, the more dangerous it would be. ¡°Right, give me a minute. I¡¯ll pack a few clean clothes for you.¡± Catelyn then turned, intending to go into the master bedroom when Miles suddenly grabbed her wrist, his expression grim. ¡°Why are you getting clean clothes for me? Is Big Demon going to stay at our ce for long?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t need clean clothes to change.¡± Miles then dragged Catelyn out of the door. Catelyn felt rather confused. Why was her son acting out of it all of a sudden? Joanne, upon hearing her doorbell ringing, came to open the door. She was barely surprised to see the pair standing at her door. Cedrick had a deep sleep. In fact, he already caught a cold when he was at the Barricade Club. He did not like to take medicine, preferring to just recover on his own, but he did not expect his condition to worsen. He only took a shower but felt drowsy immediately after and fell asleep on Catelyn¡¯s bed. After a long rest, fortunately, he sweated a little and felt much better. Cedrick did not bring clothes to change into, so he decided to put his clothes back on. He deliberately left the top few buttons loose and adjusted his cor, exposing his sexy vicle, and even his chest muscles peaked out a little. He then rolled his sleeves up his elbow, and his vibe changed from being serious and formal into casual and nonchnt. Who said men could not be sexy, too? Cedrick finally came out of Catelyn¡¯s room after he adjusted himself. At this point, it waste at night, nearly 11 p.m. He had to get back to Mason Estate. He turned the doorknob and soon appeared in front of Catelyn. Ste had been home long ago and was already in bed at this point. Since Cedrick was sleeping in Catelyn¡¯s bed, she settled for watching the television in the living room. She was holding a mug in her hand and sipped on the water from time to time. She instinctively stood up upon spotting Cedrick from the corner of her eyes. However, when she saw the funny drawings on Cedrick¡¯s face, the water in her mouth spurted out. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Chapter 290 ¡°Cough, cough!¡± A heart shape was painted on Cedrick¡¯s face with a heart in lipstick, and it started on his forehead, went along his cheeks, then closed at his chin. There were also two strokes above his lips like a red mustache. Miles did this. That exined why he offered to return to Joanne¡¯s ce. He was technically fleeing before his wonderful act got busted! She regretted having believed his behavior and did not go into the room to check on Cedrick when she wanted to. What was she supposed to do at this moment?! The red mustache was hrious, though. He could turn heads if he walked out! Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. She must punish Miles for this. Cedrick did not miss the split second of shock on Catelyn¡¯s face, but he was rather used to this kind of admiring gaze. He was a little doubtful, though. He knew he was dashing, but she did not have to spurt out her water. ¡°Catelyn, behave yourself.¡± He behaved coolly. Catelyn, on the other hand, scratched her head. How should she convince Cedrick to wash his face without getting him angry? ¡°I¡­I purchased a new face-washing device recently!¡± A face-washing device? What did that have to do with him? Cedrick did not give any time more to Catelyn to make amends. He looked at his expensive watch-it was late. ¡°Since you¡¯re rather upied tonight, I¡¯ll head out now.¡± He paused, then smirked cunningly, adding, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up this weekend to attend your final competition. Remember what you promised me.¡± Catelyn realized he was hinting that she promised to keep him satisfied after thepetition That was not important, though. What was more important was his ridiculous-looking face! ¡°Cedrick, wait!¡± Catelyn chased after him. She grabbed his wrist as he reached the lift lobby, looking both guilty and awkward. ¡°I¡­ I have something to tell you! Your face¡ª¡± Ding! The elevator door opened. Cedrick¡¯s gaze was gentle. He smoothed her hair affectionately and leaned forward. His lips brushed lightly against her earlobe as he spoke, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to sleep with me, then don¡¯t make me stay. I can¡¯t promise you what¡¯ll happen.¡± Catelyn did not have the heart to stop him anymore. She watched as Cedrick entered the lift, and then¡­ ¡°Miles, youe out now!¡± She strode across to the apartment next door and furiously banged on Joanne¡¯s door. After a short while, Joanne spoke, sounding a little hesitant as she did, ¡°Miles is asleep now, so we¡¯ll speak tomorrow. He¡¯s just a kid, so you should educate him patiently. Don¡¯t be so mad at him.¡± Catelyn tried to breathe to calm herself, counting to three. Try as she did, however, she could not hold her anger. ¡°Joanne, tell the little brat that if he doesn¡¯t exin this to me, I¡¯ll never bring him to the yground again!¡± He should have a limit, even if he was pulling a prank. He should have told her that he drew on Cedrick¡¯s face, at least, so she could have tried to resolve the problem! She could not imagine what Cedrick would think when he discovered the painting on his face. There were only the two of them in the room, he must think it was her. Joanne did not want to open the door for Catelyn but instead coaxed her to go home. Minutester, after resting against the door, Joanne peeked through the tiny lens. When she noticed that Catelyn was nowhere in sight, she felt relieved. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Chapter 291 ¡°Your mother is a nightmare when she¡¯s angry,¡± Joanne mumbled, then leaned back against the couch. ¡°Tell me,¡± she spoke as she smiled at Miles, ¡°what did you do to make your mother this angry?¡± Miles immediately tried to appear as pathetic as possible. ¡°Mommy brought Big Demon into the room to make babies with him. No one will love me from now on¡­¡± ¡°Goodness, what are you even talking about? I¡¯ll always love and care for you, Miles!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Miles stopped fake-sobbing and stared at Joanne unblinkingly with his innocent,rge eyes. He did not y the victim card all that often, but when he did, the way he looked at people with doe-like eyes could melt hearts. Joanne¡¯s heart softened at the sight and nodded. ¡°Of course. No one can bully Miles! Still, you have to tell me what you did.¡± Miles hesitated for a moment before, finally, he came clean. Joanne gulped audibly at his exnation with resignation. ¡°You¡¯re too much! It¡¯s no wonder your mother got so angry. That guy is going to think that Catelyn was the one who drew on his face!¡± ¡°Godmother, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Miles batted his eyshes, and Joanne admitted defeat. Cedrick felt slightly better after taking the medicine Catelyn gave him, yet he still felt dazed. By the time he drove back to Mason Estate, it was already past twelve. The lights on both sides of the road that led to Mason Estate were always on, shining brightly as though they were awaiting the return of their master. Upon arrival, Cedrick handed the hand over to his servant to help drive it back to the garage. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Albert overheard the sound of the car engine and ordered the servants to bring the reheated soup out, but when he saw Cedrick, he could not help but stumble, almost spilling the soup in his hands. Cedrick removed his jacket and the servant took it respectfully. The servant, too, was trembling as he suppressed hisughter while looking at Cedrick¡¯s face. The smile on the servant¡¯s face was only for a brief moment before his usual serious expression returned. Cedrick had always been superior with countless people fawning over him. Naturally, he would not expect someone would be bold enough to draw on his face. The temperature of the soup was just right, and Cedrick took his seat before the dining table elegantly. Albert¡¯s heart throbbed anxiously as he thought to himself, ¡®Who¡¯d dare y such a prank on Master Cedrick? Master Cedrick has always been sharp, so it¡¯s not like him to not notice anything after being made to look like that. Was it¡­Miss rk?¡¯ ¡°Master Cedrick, did you go to visit Miss rk this evening?¡± Albert probed gingerly. Cedrick took a sip of soup. He could still smell the citrus scent of Catelyn¡¯s lipstick somehow. He lifted an eyebrowzily. ¡°We ran into each other. Why?¡± Albert realized that it was indeed Catelyn who drew on Cedrick¡¯s face. ¡®It¡¯s no wonder that Master Cedrick didn¡¯t bother to wipe it off! It¡¯s just¡­ Since when has romance between younger people be so odd?¡¯ he thought ¡°No-nothing,¡± Albert responded with his usual smile as he felt d. ¡°I¡¯m just amazed by how loving your rtionship with Miss rk is.¡± Cedrick set the ceramic bowl down and wiped the corner of his mouth. ¡°She¡¯s clingy, so I have topromise.¡± Cedrick¡¯s tone sounded defeated, but his expression was smug, and the sight made Albert reel in shock. He had never seen Cedrick behave in such a way, like a man that was deeply in love. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Cedrick finished his soup and went to stay in the mansion¡¯s study by habit. He had left the office early, after all, and there was unfinished work that needed to be done. By the time hepleted all the tasks, it was already half past two in the morning. He pinched the bridge of his nose and felt a thinyer of sweat on his skin, so he reached out for a tissue paper and wiped his face, only to see a sh of red. Cedrick¡¯sposed feature froze. Where did this red smudgee from? He thought back to the odd expressions on Albert and the servants¡¯ faces and hurried to the bathroom. He kicked the door open and stared at his reflection in the mirror to find a face painted red as though his face was a whiteboard meant for children. The faint citrus scent he smelt was indeed from Catelyn¡¯s lipstick when he foolishly thought that it was merely her scent lingering on him. His expression darkened maliciously. ¡®Darn that Catelyn rk!¡¯ he growled internally. ¡®She dared to draw on my face? Not one of the servants in Mason Estate told me about this!¡¯ ¡°Achoo!¡± Catelyn woke up with a sneeze as though something ominous was about to happen. Miles knew that he had made a mistake and hid in Joanne¡¯s house, refusing toe out; Joanne had locked the door and refused to let Catelyn in. Catelyn gritted her teeth furiously as she sent message after message to Miles. In the end, Joanne replied to all her messages, seemingly siding with Miles. Just as Catelyn considered if she should find someone to break the lock on Joanne¡¯s door, her phone rang Chills ran down her spine the moment she saw the caller disy. It was Cedrick She came close to dropping the phone at the sight of his number like she was holding onto a burning piece of charcoal. It would be a disaster whether she chose to answer the call or not, so despite the guilt, she wordlessly pressed the (Answer) button. With a sweet voice, she said, ¡°Hello? Good morning, Master Cedrick! Have you had your breakfast yet? The weather is a bit chilly today, so remember to wear an extra jacket¡­¡± Cedrick was about to lose his temper, but he choked on his words when he heard her sweet, ttering tone. It was not that he felt less furious, but he realized how childish his action was. It almost felt like persistently confronting someone for stepping on his feet. Snap! With a dark expression, he hung up. Catelyn was struggling to think of a way to appease his anger when she heard the line being Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. cut off. ¡®He hung up?¡¯ she confusedly asked herself. ¡®Did he just hang up?¡¯ Not daring to call him back, she intended to pretend that nothing had happened since Cedrick hung up. However, she kept getting a feeling that Cedrick was building his anger up to a bigger act of revenge. The weekend arrived within a blink of an eye. Catelyn had wanted to visit Ollie in Mason Estate but refrained from doing so out of fear of Cedrick¡¯s wrath. Since she had the time, she went to the hospital on Saturday for a full body check and submitted the medical report to Mason Group. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Chapter 293 It was the day for the Chandier Jewelry contest¡¯s final round. Catelyn had heard that the initial rule of the contest dictated that the higher management, including L, was to collect the drafts before submitting them to Granny Atherton to ensure fairness when the winner was chosen. However, she had a change of heart and amended the rules as she wanted to appear in the contest herself. All the contestants were divided into three groups to go up to the stage to exin the concept behind their designs. Granny Atherton and the other judges were to mark the design on the spot until they eventually settled on a winner. The fact that L was no longer involved in the process was good news to Catelyn as she would not have to worry about L trying to screw her chances. Catelyn happened to be in the group that was scheduled in the morning. She had to head out earlier and had skipped breakfast, deciding that she would simply pick up food from stalls by the road. She went downstairs and was about to cross the road to get to the bus station when she noticed that Cedrick had been waiting for her. After not seeing one another for two days, Catelyn was slightly taken by surprise. He had been so angry the other day that she thought he would not be willing to drive her to the contest. Cedrick unlocked the car door and red coldly at her through the ss window. ¡°What are you doing, standing on the side of the road? Get in.¡± Catelyn pouted at his short temper, but smiled regardless and said, ¡°Thank you for giving me a ride. Sorry for the trouble.¡± She pulled the door open and went in. Before she could fasten her seatbelt, Cedrick stepped onto the elerator and the car darted forward onto the highway. Catelyn was tossed backward by the sudden shift of gravity, bumping her head into the door. She gritted her teeth at the sharp pain and turned to re at Cedrick. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She had not asked him to pick her up, and he could have note at all if he was not willing to. Satisfied by the disgruntled look on her face, he narrowed his eyes casually. At least he was not the only one who could be pranked. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He curled his finger and tapped calmly on the steering wheel. ¡°My feet slipped.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Catelyn knew he did it on purpose. It was his way of taking revenge on her for drawing on his face. She could not actually exin to him that she was not the one who did it, however, so she could only ept it in silence. Catelyn looked away to stare outside the window, sulking. The sun was gentle early in the morning and the streets were filled with people hurrying to work; they all had different identities and different looks on their faces but were all working toward a better future. They drove past a restaurant. Feeling hungry, Catelyn asked Cedrick to stop the car so that she could buy something for breakfast. Cedrick nced over at the restaurant she was pointing at. It was located by the highway with their stoves set up on the road with dust in the air and crowds swamping the ce. He scowled in disgust and said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat things that aren¡¯t good for your body.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good enough if it¡¯s filling. I¡¯ve eaten those sorts of things all these years, and I¡¯m healthy. The things picky-eaters like you eat are the ones that have no nutrition.¡± Catelyn did not attempt to correct Cedrick¡¯s view; after all, she used to frown upon roadside stalls as well four years ago. Cedrick showed no intention of stopping the car. Catelyn watched as the car drove past the restaurant and patiently reminded him. ¡°Stop driving. Just park right here. Thatne ahead is strictly for buses only.¡± Cedrick stepped on the elerator and the restaurant instantly disappeared from her sight. Catelyn gaped and stared at Cedrick with disbelief. ¡®Is he still angry with me to the point that he won¡¯t even let me have my breakfast?¡¯ she thought to herself. ¡°Cedrick Mason, is this fun for you?¡± Catelyn had never seen a man this petty. Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened at her question and he turned to re at her, which sent chills down her spine. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that it¡¯s my fault for identally painting your face redst time. I¡¯m apologizing now, but since you¡¯ve yed your fair share of pranks on me now, we¡¯re even, right? Alright, I canpromise further. Just tell me what I can do to make you less angry, okay?¡± Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Cedrick¡¯s features tensed further as Catelyn spoke, and he pursed his lips. Seeing that he did not respond, Catelyn turned to look at him and sincerely added, ¡°There¡¯s an old saying that says children and women are the hardest to please. You¡¯re not a woman nor a child, so can¡¯t you just forgive me? Maybe I can give you my lipstick and you can draw on my face as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The silence in the air remained. Catelyn hated the silence treatment more than anything and began to develop an urge to stop the car by grabbing the steering wheel. Screech! He stepped onto the brake abruptly, followed by the piercing noise of the tires, and Catelyn came close to jerking forward again. Wordlessly, Cedrick unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Catelyn was not sure what he was doing at first until she nced in the direction he was heading toward. The car was stopped before the door of a known restaurant, and Cedrick had gone inside to buy breakfast. It was likely that Cedrick had informed the restaurant ahead of time, because he walked out carrying a few bags and two cups of coffee in merely a couple of minutes. He handed the coffee and food to Catelyn and said, ¡°Not everyone has such low standards for food like you do.¡± She opened the bag to find steaming pancakes inside. They were pan-fried to a golden color with syrup drizzled on top of them, oozing a salivating scent as she opened the bag. ¡°T-These are for me?¡± Catelyn was shocked. Cedrick scowled. ¡°Who else are these for?¡± Catelyn suddenly realized that she had falsely used Cedrick of being petty. Although he did not stop the car at the restaurant she pointed at earlier, he only did so to bring her here for breakfast instead. He knew that she was in a hurry and even ordered it ahead of time for her. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So you weren¡¯t trying to get back at me?¡± Cedrick started the car and reminded her to fasten her seatbelt before giving her a sidelong nce. ¡°I¡¯m not as childish as you think I am.¡± Catelyn took a bite of the pancake. It tasted different from any pancake she had ever had. It looked as though it was fried but was soft, and though she could not quite describe the taste, it was wonderful. She licked the oil on her lips and felt slightly guilty. After swallowing the bite, she leaned toward him, coquettishly asking, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you exin just now? 1 ¡­misunderstood you.¡± Cedrick was focusing on driving when he nced at her face, only to notice her motion of licking the oil at the corner of her mouth. The sunlight shone into the car, and her lips appeared shiny with the coat of oil on them. ¡®Kissing her now must taste good,¡¯ he thought to himself as his eyes darkened eagerly. He looked away calmly and said, ¡°I just wanted to see just how bad a person you think I am.¡± Considering the things he had done for her, she decided not to argue with him and grinned at him cheerfully. ¡°I was wrong for thinking of you that way. I apologize, okay?¡± Her eyes darted away before she pinched a piece off the pancake and held it next to Cedrick¡¯s mouth. ¡°The pancake says to tell you thanks for buying it for me. It¡¯s time to repay you now. Master Cedrick, will you do me the honor and eat this?¡± she pleaded feebly. When Cedrick caught a whiff of the scent of syrup, he nced at her sticky fingers and moved away. ¡°Did you even wash your hands? Feeding it to me like that¡± Before he could finish, she immediately shoved the bite-size pancake into his mouth as he spoke. Cedrick¡¯s grip on the steering wheel tightened, and the car came close to swerving. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Catelyn leaned back against her seat innocently and batted her eyes at Cedrick. ¡°Taste good?¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes gleamed as though he tried to refrain from certain urges. After a while, he gritted out, ¡°I¡¯ll make you pay tonight!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Catelyn sensed that she had provoked something other than anger within him. All things aside, she realized that she had finally appeased his anger. She had to put out the fire that her son had lit. The life of a mother was hard. There was already a crowd in the meeting hall owned by Chandier Jewelry by the time Catelyn arrived. Every contestant was assigned a number, and Catelyn was assigned number 17. She waited patiently below the stage and asionally chatted with the other contestants sitting next to her. Because the waiting time was longer than expected, Chandier Jewelry had prepared bottles of water for all the contestants. A young woman with long hair walked around, handing bottles of water to everyone. When it was Catelyn¡¯s turn, she thanked the woman immediately. She did not like the coffee Cedrick bought in the morning, so the bottle of water came just in time to ease her thirst. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Time ticked by and the twelfth candidate was called. Catelyn suddenly felt a stomachache stirring. She had been trying to hold it in, but as time went by, her stomach hurt to the point that beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Her stomach even began rumbling, and she could no longer stand it. After apologizing to the girl sitting next to her, Catelyn walked past her and went straight to the bathroom. Catelyn had not expected to have diarrhea at such an important time when she had not had any unhygienic foodtely. She sat on the toilet with a hand cradled on her abdomen in pain. She sank into thoughts as she tried to figure out what had happened to her, until she started questioning whether it was caused by the pancakes Cedrick bought her. Remembering Cedrick¡¯s tendency of taking revenge on people who crossed him, she shuddered at the possibility that he might have done it. However, Cedrick also knew that today was the final contest and would not actually submit her to such a horrible prank. She wrote a message and sent it to Cedrick. At that moment, Cedrick was attending a meeting with the upper management of Mason Group as there was a recent project for Sapphire City Center. It was the main focus for Mason Group for theter half of the year and they were determined to gain control over it. Just as a heated discussion took ce, Cedrick¡¯s private phone rang. He frowned and was about to turn his phone off when he noticed that the message was from Catelyn. [Do you have a stomachache?] Cedrick stared at the screen and tapped on it swiftly to reply. (No. Do you?] Catelyn saw his reply, and for some reason, she was willing to believe him as she did not think of him as someone who would not dare to admit to what he did. She had reached the conclusion that she had identally consumed something that caused the stomachache. (Catelyn: A bit, but I¡¯m fine. I won¡¯t take you away from your work now.] Catelyn quickly silenced her phone afterward. After spending some more time on the toilet, she stumbled outside and nced at her own reflection in the bathroom mirror, only to find her face and lips pale to the point that they looked transparent. She had to present her designter on stage, and she could not show up looking this way! Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Inside the meeting hall capable of housing hundreds of people, the contestants for Chandier Jewelry¡¯s contest went up the stage to describe their designs while the judges sat on the front row. Among the judges sat an old woman in her seventies, and she sported a pair ofrge spectacles with ck frames. She asionally lowered her head to intently stare at the submitted drafts while she listened to the presentations, only to grow more and more disappointed. She did not particrly enjoy the hassle, but she had created Chandier Jewelry in the memory of her daughter. Summer used to study jewelry design, and her biggest dream was to be one of the most renowned jewelry designers. It was a shame that she eventually gave up her dream for the sake of a man. As Granny Atherton grew older, she began dreaming more often of the events in the past 20 years ago. Had she not been so stubborn, Summer might still be with her. She could not help but wonder where Summer had been in the past 20 years and if she had been well. L sat obediently next to Granny Atherton. Seeing the crease between her eyebrows, L immediately consoled her, ¡°Grandma, we haven¡¯t even reviewed twenty of the designs. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t see anything you like at the moment; there are plenty of contestants waiting. We¡¯ll surely find a designer that you like.¡± Granny Atherton sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not about whether I like it or not, but it¡¯s the fact that these designs are soulless. I don¡¯t want something new. I just want¡­¡± She paused before finishing her sentence. The designer contest was held for the sole purpose of finding Summer or to at least find something that resembled her. However, all the designs that were submitted mostly focused on the exterior, and she simply could not find a design that contained the boldness in Summer¡¯s past designs. Soon, 16 contestants had gone upstage to present their designs, and the host then called for the next candidate. Silence loomed over the hall as no one responded. ¡°Next up will be candidate number seventeen, Miss Catelyn rk. She has brought to us a delicately designed ring.¡± There was no response. The host repeated himself, but still, there was no response. A quiet discussion erupted down the stage. ¡°Catelyn rk? Who¡¯s Catelyn rk?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the girl sitting over there just now? She looked sick just now and went off to the bathroom¡­¡± ¡°Seriously? How can she go off to the bathroom at such an important time? Hasn¡¯t she heard that Old Madam Atherton hates tardiness the most?¡± ¡°One of the rules in this contest states that they won¡¯t wait for tardy contestants. I guess she¡¯s losing her ce.¡± Granny Atherton was much more patient than her younger self. Thus, with a simple nce, the host immediately announced that they would be waiting for another three minutes. If Catelyn failed to appear within three minutes, she would be automatically eliminated. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. L smirked at the announcement. ¡°Grandma, it baffles me that someone would dare to be tardy, even when they know that you¡¯re here as one of the judges. They don¡¯t have any respect for you!¡± Granny Atherton¡¯s wrinkled features tightened. ¡°I don¡¯t like tardy people, but I can be reasonable about it as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very thoughtful, Grandma, but¡­¡± L continued in a soft, innocent voice without a hint of maliciousness, ¡°You might not remember, but Catelyn rk is the same girl who was used of giarism before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s her?¡± The somewhat mild expression on Granny Atherton¡¯s face instantly darkened in contempt. ¡°Indeed. Cousin Edwin insists that she has to be included in the final contest, and I thought that she¡¯d at least try to be more respectful. She simply ends up ignoring the rules of the contest because she thinks Cousin Edwin will be there to support her whenever.¡± The contempt in the olddy¡¯s eyes thickened as the host announced that three minutes had passed. Following the rules, Catelyn was eliminated. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Chapter 297 As for the draft that Catelyn had submitted, it was cast aside before Granny Atherton could even see it-not that she had the mood to view it, regardless. L sneered smugly. ¡®You dare stand against me, Catelyn? Try again in your next life!¡¯ L had put in a lot of effort and purposefully arranged the contestants with poorer designs ahead of Catelyn so their presentation time on stage would be minimized, making sure that Catelyn would not make it back in time. Catelyn was stuck in the bathroom. She had thought that she simply had food poisoning and would soon recover after taking some rest, but the reality had proved her wrong. She had stayed in the bathroom for almost an hour, and she had asked for the staff¡¯s help to purchase extremely strong antidiarrheal. Eventually, her diarrhea finally subsided. By the time she came out of the bathroom, she was as pale as a ghost. Her lips were numb, and she felt like she would lose consciousness at any moment. Keeping her hand on the wall as a support, she slowly moved toward the meeting hall. Catelyn knew that it was long past her number. She had no hope of making it to the stage in time, and the worst oue would be that she had been eliminated. However, the rules of the contest also stated that contestants could apply for ater spot under special circumstances. She would like to consider her current situation a ¡®special circumstance¡¯. There were a few bodyguards guarding the entrance, and when Catelyn gave them her name, they informed her that it was past her number and that she was not allowed back inside to disturb the others. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn calmly went to sit on a bench in the corridor, trying desperately to breathe and recover, but all strength was drained from her. She did not even notice her phone ringing in her pocket In Mason Group. ¡°Sorry, the number you¡¯ve dialed is unavable. Please try againter.¡± Cedrick scowled at the sound of the monotone voice message. He had called Catelyn multiple times during the meeting, and not once had she picked up. His eyebrows twitched in irritation. The meeting was important with all the stakeholders of Mason Group gathered in one ce. Some of the members were seniors of the Mason family, and Cedrick could not afford to leave. Since the Atherton farnily was running Chandier Jewelry, he went ahead and called Edwin. ¡°What? Go help now? No, no way! I still have loads of work here with the entertainment firms I¡¯m running!¡± Edwin shouted his reluctance at Cedrick¡¯s request. Although matters of the entertainment firms were not pressing, he had to remain in the office. ¡°Catelyn won¡¯t pick up her phone. You check on her,¡± said Cedrick, sounding concerned.¡± Eclipse Entertainment is located near Chandier Jewelry. If you hurry, you should get there in ten minutes.¡± Edwin was slightly shocked. ¡°Did something happen to Kitty?¡± ¡°I suspect so.¡± Edwin did not reject the request again but mumbled, ¡°Why don¡¯t you check on her yourself? This is a chance for you to show what a caring boyfriend you are! Don¡¯tin to meter about stealing your thunder¡­¡± ¡°If Kitty falls for me after I rescue her, I¡¯d feel sorry for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overthink this. With me by her side, she won¡¯t even dare to think of cheating,¡± said Cedrick confidently before hanging up. He nced at herst message and wondered if her stomachache had not subsided. 11 Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Chapter 298 In the corridor outside the Chandier Jewelry¡¯s meeting hall, Catelyn sat on a bench with her back pressed against the wall. Her consciousness was drifting, while her entire body felt like it was swaying. Her head dropped slightly from time to time, only for her to be woken by the motion. The process repeated multiple times, and just when she thought she was reaching her limit, she heard the door to the meeting hall opening, followed by sounds of people talking. She stood abruptly, before falling back onto the bench helplessly. By the time she managed to stand upright again, L had led Granny Atherton outside. Catelyn ran after them. L spotted Catelyn from the corner of her eye and felt pleased by how miserable she visibly looked. ¡®This is what you get for crossing me! She carefully supported Granny Atherton as she ordered the bodyguards, ¡°There are too many people here. Stop any unidentified persons froming to us; don¡¯t let them get in Old Madam¡¯s way.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The bodyguards sharpened at hermand. Granny Atherton was the person with the highest status in the Atherton Family, so they could not afford anything to happen to her. Catelyn was powerless and could not be swift to begin with; very soon, she was left behind. With the bodyguards there to stop her, she could not get close enough to Granny Atherton to plead for another chance. She scanned the crowd and the environment around her before hurrying toward the parking lot determinedly. Granny Atherton probably would leave by car. From a distance, Catelyn spotted Granny Atherton stepping into a Bently with a car te number ending with 86. She summoned the courage and darted to the center of the road just when the car was about to drive right by the green belt she was standing on. She opened her arms and waved frantically for them to stop the car. ¡°Old Madam Atherton, I¡¯m Catelyn rk! I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t show up on time, but it was caused by special circumstances. Can you please give me another chance?¡± she shouted, mustering everyst ounce of her strength as she did. L would no doubt try to toy with her if Catelyn went to her, which was why she had to go to Granny Atherton directly, her frail frame swaying in the wind. At that moment, the driver of the Bently spotted a girl suddenly appearing in the middle of the road and hastily stepped on the brake. The car instantly slowed, and both Granny Atherton and L jerked forward from the sudden shift of gravity. L instinctively reached over to cover Granny Atherton¡¯s forehead with one hand and wrapped her other arm around the old woman¡¯s body to steady her. Still, Granny Atherton saw stars from the sudden halt. She rubbed her head and sat back, unable to recover from the shock ¡°Why did you drive like that? Don¡¯t you know that Grandma has a weak spine?!¡± snarled L at the driver. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Terrified, the driver exined with trembling lips, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Miss Atherton! Something came before the car, so I¡­¡± L looked outside through the windshield and recognized Catelyn right away, despite the distance. Catelyn was dressed in a professional office outfit with her hair tied up. At the moment, strands of her hair loosely hung by the sides of her ears with no trace of her previous elegance. L sneered internally yet outwardly spoke, ¡°Whoever that crazy woman is, she must really want to meet Grandma, but she doesn¡¯t have time for people who aren¡¯t determined enough to do what¡¯s needed. Run over her!¡± The driver was stunned at hermand and turned to stare at L in disbelief, wondering if he had heard her wrong. L just ordered him to ¡®run over her¡¯! Did she seriously just ask him that? ¡°Are you deaf?¡± L barked in frustration, appearing as though she made themand for Granny Atherton¡¯s sake. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this kind of woman around. She just wants to stop the car. If you start driving, she¡¯ll move away. ¡°Or are you asking Grandma to lower herself to meet with that woman? She isn¡¯t worthy of Grandma¡¯s time!¡± Her tone was filled with frustration toward Catelyn yet somehow sounded as though she was caring for Granny Atherton altogether. Granny Atherton, too, saw someone standing before the car, but before she could see the woman¡¯s face, the car came to a sudden halt. She had always had a weak spine, and the impact had made her dizzy. She dropped her head into her hands dazedly, and when the driver noticed that she was not saying a word, he took it as a silent approval of L¡¯smand. The driver gulped at this, his grip on the steering wheel tightening before he slowly stepped on the elerator once more. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Catelyn noticed that the car Granny Atherton was in slowed down. Assuming that the driver had stopped, she moved to run toward the car. Much to her bewilderment, the engine roared again as the car seemingly drove toward her. There was a layer of tinted frame on the window of the Bently, so she could not see into the car, but she could sense an icy, viscous stare directed at her, almost like the way a hunter would stare at his dying prey. It had to be L. The driver had not expected Catelyn to stand her ground in the middle of the road, even when he sped up. His hands started shaking, and a thinyer of sweat gathered on his forehead as the car got closer to Catelyn. Catelyn froze in ce, unable to move as her feet felt extremely heavy. ¡®L had the gall to run over me with Old Madam Atherton by her side? Or is this Old Madam Atherton¡¯smand?¡¯ she thought as her heart sank into her stomach. Screech! The driver steered the steering wheel. ¨C Just as the car was about to race past Catelyn¡¯s body, she felt a pair of strong arms around her waist from behind. Following the deafening sound of wind blowing by her ears, she fell to the ground, rolling. The rocks on the road scraped her arms, and blood started gushing out of the wounds. Catelyn¡¯s rescuer held her up and nervously scanned her injuries. Catelyn narrowed her eyes, and the sight of the man¡¯s seductive features came into sight. With a lump forming in her throat, she sighed quietly, not knowing if she felt disappointed or d. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± With that, she closed her eyes and fell into darkness. Edwin¡¯s face tightened as he moved swiftly to lift her. The car nearly ran into Catelyn but had not caused much damage. Although the driver did not hit her, his eyes widened in fear as he spun his head to speak to Granny Atherton. ¡°That¡­ That man who just ran over seems to be Master Edwin.¡± Edwin? Granny Atherton slowly recovered from the car¡¯s sudden halt and hastily nced outside the window. Edwin was walking toward the car with the unconscious woman in his arms. Seeing that he was not injured, the olddy sighed in relief. L knew that Edwin hated her and would surely snap at her for Catelyn¡¯s sake, so she looked to Granny Atherton timidly and said, ¡°Grandma, it looks like cousin Edwin really cares about Catelyn. I told the driver to run her over¡­ Am I getting into trouble?¡± Although she had a tendency to spoil Edwin, the olddy did not approve of his lifestyle. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯m right here.¡± L forced a smile at Granny Atherton¡¯s reassurance. Momentster, Edwin arrived by the car, carrying Catelyn. As expected, he spotted L in the backseat of the car. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He had already guessed that L was behind everything, thus he shot her a cold stare andmanded, ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°1-I¡¯m sorry, Cousin. I really didn¡¯t think that she¡¯d just stand there¡­¡± L bit her lower lip with tears in her eyes as she was about to open the door and get out. Granny Atherton, however, grabbed her arm and stopped L from getting off. It was unpleasant enough that Edwin had not greeted her immediately, but he had confronted L right before her face! Her expression darkened. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Chapter 300 ¡°Edwin, I was the one who ordered the driver to run her over. It has nothing to do with L.¡± Edwin sneered and said nothing. He forced the driver out of the car and ced Catelyn in the passenger¡¯s seat before driving to the hospital, much to Granny Atherton¡¯s chagrin at how much Edwin seemed to care for Catelyn. ¡°Are you taking her to the hospital?¡± Edwin kept both hands on the steering wheel and through the rear-view mirror, he saw the enraged expression on his grandmother. He turned his attention to L¡¯s innocent-looking face and narrowed his fox-like eyes coldly. ¡°Catelyn rk isn¡¯t as horrible as you pictured her to be.¡± At this moment, Granny Atherton sat at the back and could not see Catelyn¡¯s face as she was seated in the passenger¡¯s seat. She had already had a bad impression on Catelyn before this, and the more Edwin defended her, the more irritated she became. ¡°I¡¯m not too old to tell right from wrong. Catelyn rk was used of giarism. She ignored the rules of the contest, waste to her presentation, and tried to stop my car by standing in front of it. How is any of that something an ordinary woman would do?¡± Edwin did not respond and simply focused on driving. The car raced forward to the closest hospital in the city center. Granny Atherton grew more agitated and red at Edwin, losing the usual majesty in her tone, yet Edwin still would not respond to what she said at all! ¡°Are you even hearing me?!¡± Edwin hummed absently, and her chest burned with frustration at his careless attitude. Soon, they arrived at the hospital. Edwin stepped on the brake and carried Catelyn up the stairs to the entrance. Seeing that he was leaving without responding, Granny Atherton hurried out of the car and shouted, ¡°Edwin, I might be the one who ran her over, but sending her to the hospital is more than enough! Just get the doctor to bring her in; you stay right there. I need to talk to you!¡± Edwin nced at Catelyn, who was resting in his arms. Due to dehydration, her face was pale and her lips were dry; the faint heaving of her chest was the only visible sign that she was breathing. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to what you need to say once I get her to the doctor.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Without pausing, he continued his way into the hospital at a faster pace. Granny Atherton scowled and went after him. L was more than happy to watch the drama unfold and supported Granny Atherton¡¯s weight to ensure she would walk properly. Because Granny Atherton was frail, she started to pant after taking a dozen steps forward, her face flushing. When they finally caught up to Edwin as he stopped to wait for the elevator, Granny Atherton grabbed hold of his clothes before catching her breath, forcing Edwin to turn and face her. ¡°I said to let that woman down-¡°. Before she could finish, Granny Atherton suddenly had a clear look of the woman in Edwin¡¯s arms and instantly froze. The rage on her face froze in ce, and her lips shivered. ¡°Grandma, this is Catelyn.¡± Taking her chance, L wrapped her arms around Granny Atherton¡¯s and said, ¡°She sure is pretty. It¡¯s no wonder that Cousin Edwin here decides to ignore your words for her sake.¡± ¡°This is Catelyn rk?¡± Granny Atherton¡¯s eyes were filled with awe as she recognized that the young woman before her was the same person who rmended jewelry to her in Chandier Jewelry¡¯s boutique a few days ago. L¡¯s heart danced in joy at the shock on Granny Atherton¡¯s face, thinking that Granny Atherton had come to hate Catelyn. Desperate to fan her anger, L jumped at the chance of adding oil to the fire. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s Catelyn rk, the woman who gave birth to Jamie Mason¡¯s child. She¡¯s been clinging onto the eldest son of the Mason Family, and now, she even got her hands on Cousin Edwin.¡± She paused briefly and continued before the olddy could respond. ¡°Of course, Cousin is a brilliant man, so I know he won¡¯t be fooled. I¡¯m just worried that some women are far too skilled in the art of seduction.¡± Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Granny Atherton growled as she knocked her cane on the solid ground. Granny Atherton had always been the most respected person among the Athertons. She was no ordinary person, and L rarely got to see her in such anger, hence why she was ecstatic. Catelyn had managed to anger Granny Atherton to such length. She could never win! ¡°I know Catelyn did go overboard, Grandma, but she¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Granny Atherton turned and red at L. The air froze in seconds. L stiffened, and she could barely breathe. It felt as though an invisible hand squeezed her heart as her mouth gaped open in disbelief. ¡°G¡­Grandma, you must be mistaken, right? Catelyn was the one you were angry at, and she-¡°. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that this woman was Catelyn?¡± Granny Atherton had someone that she trusted to look for Catelyn after leaving the Chandier Jewelry shop. However, the shop¡¯s surveince cameras had only managed to capture Catelyn¡¯s side profile; no one could trace her. Granny Atherton was, in fact, close to giving up on finding the woman. She could not believe that Catelyn was the woman she had been looking for. She was the same Catelyn that L had said to be a giarizing, dissolute, shameless, and despicable woman, no less! That day in the shop, Catelyn helped out a staff member whom she had no business or rtions with. How could someone like her be whatever L had described her to be? Granny Atherton was already biased toward Catelyn based on her appearance alone; she was furious when she thought back on how she had allowed L to run the car into her earlier. L waspletely stunned at that point. Had she not been saying that the woman was Catelyn? Edwin carried Catelyn all the way to the patient¡¯s room. Before the doctor could check on her, Cedrick arrived at the hospital. He headed straight to the hospital when he received Edwin¡¯s text message after his meeting. At this moment, Edwin had just ced Catelyn on the bed when Cedrick strode into the room and saw everything. Her face was as pale as a sheet of paper and with blood on her sleeves. This was the same woman who talked to him endearingly and teased him while they had breakfast earlier that day. Her face was scrunched in a lifeless way, and if it was not for her faint, rhythmic, breaths, he would have thought she was dead. Cedrick¡¯s heart ached; he was furious and mostly distressed. What had she gotten herself into by just joining apetition? Edwin ced her on the bed and retrieved his hands. He felt the air in the room suffocating as he turned to find Cedrick frozen on the spot, his face dark and sunken. ¡°Calm down, Ced. Cat will be alright.¡± Nothing was going through Cedrick at all. He shoved Edwin aside and sat next to Catelyn on the bed. He slowly lifted her upper body and put her into his arms. His warm, big hand stroked her forehead and tested her temperature. ¡®No fever. That¡¯s a good sign.¡¯ ¡°Check on her,¡± Cedrick ordered the doctor, to which a checkup was conducted on the unconscious woman. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. At this point, Catelyn was falling in and out of consciousness. She had notpletely lost her senses yet as she could hear conversations in the room, but she was unable to make out who was talking. Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Catelyn did, however, feel someone lifting her while she was still in a daze. She then felt someone cutting the sleeve off, and the wound on her arm burned in pain as the fabric grazed over it. ¡°Mmph!¡± Catelyn moaned faintly in pain as she frowned subconsciously. Her pale face was scrunched in agony, and her pale lips pursed tightly. Cedrick, with Catelyn still in his arms, straightened his back when he heard her pained moan and shot the female doctor, who was cleaning her wound, a sharp re. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that? Can¡¯t you be more gentle?¡± he growled. The doctor shuddered and almost spilled all of the iodine on Catelyn¡¯s wound. The air in the room felt stifling and ominous. The doctor knew that if Catelyn moaned again, Cedrick would throw her out of the window without a doubt. She thus squeezed out a smile as she said to Cedrick, ¡°The wound had been left to bleed for a while, and the fabric was stuck on her wound, so we have to pull it off.¡± Cedrick looked away as he saw no point in talking to the doctor. He then looked at Catelyn again, and his gaze immediately softened. Even his cold, sunken expression had softened by a great deal. ¡°Hurts¡­¡± Catelyn drawled feebly. Her lips were dry and had started to crack Cedrick leaned over and ced his lips on hers as he sucked on it gently. ¡°Just a little bit more,¡± he uttered softly, ¡°we¡¯re almost done.¡± Catelyn felt a source of water in her mouth and sucked on it instinctively until her lips werepletely moist. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After the kiss, Cedrick felt the woman in his embrace had quieted down and was no longer struggling. Cedrick felt something knock on his chest as he looked down and found Catelyn passed outpletely in his embrace. Hershes had stopped shivering, too. The afternoon sun was bright and lively, its rays shining past the ss window and into the room. Cedrick stayed by Catelyn¡¯s side the whole time when the doctor cleaned her wound and put her on a drip. The intravenous drip was not going fast at all, thus Catelyn did not feel pain from it. Her crumpled face slowly softened, and her pale lips slowly regained their pinkness. However, Cedrick¡¯s cold and sunken expression remained the same. If anything, it had be even colder. The room was silent with only the rhythmic sounds of heartbeats and breathing heard. Soon after, Catelyn¡¯s report came out, which Cedrick had been waiting for. ¡°What¡¯s her condition?¡± He looked at the doctor. The doctor passed the report to him politely and said, ¡°We found traces ofxatives in Miss rk¡¯s system, and it was a heavy dosage that caused her to have continuous diarrhea and dehydration. Fortunately, she had also taken some medicine to stop her diarrhea, or she might¡¯ve been in danger.¡± The doctor saw how dark Cedrick¡¯s face had gotten and quickly added, ¡°If you¡¯re worried, we can observe her for two more days. Also, her diet for the next few days has to be in and light to not trigger another diarrhea.¡± ¡°Laxatives?¡± spoke Cedrick and Edwin simultaneously, taken byplete shock. Why would Catelyn have anyxatives in her system? ¡°There are plenty of diet pills in the market now that are just fancyxatives. Could it be,¡± said the doctor, sounding spective, ¡°that Miss rk¡­has been taking some diet pills?¡± Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Cedrick red coldly at the doctor. ¡°Why would she be on diet pills when she¡¯s already so skinny?¡± uttered Cedrick coldly, and the air in the room became suffocating once more. The doctor did not respond. Cedrick looked back at Catelyn once again. He had never seen any sort of diet pill when he was over at her house, and on top of that, she had always been particr with her diet and her well-being. There was no need for any sort of diet pills at all. In other words, Cedrick was certain that Catelyn had not been taking anyxatives. The other possibilities were that she had either taken it by mistake, or someone had poisoned her. Cedrick was the one who bought her breakfast that morning, and he ate the same thing as her as well, so it could not have been that. The biggest possibility was¡­that someone bore ill intentions toward her. Granny Atherton frowned when she heard that Catelyn had takenxatives, but what she was trying to understand more than anything was the rtionships between Cedrick, Catelyn, and Edwin. Edwin seemed to care deeply about Catelyn, but¡­ It seemed that Cedrick was closer and more intimate with Catelyn. ¡°Eddy¡­¡±Granny Atherton called out to him and paused before asking, ¡°What exactly is your rtionship with Catelyn?¡± Edwin understood what his grandmother was trying to get at and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you saw.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she your girlfriend?¡± Granny Atherton frowned. ¡°Since when have I ever had such a good girl as my girlfriend?¡± Edwin smirked and exined, ¡°Catelyn has always been Ced¡¯s, Grandma.¡± Granny Atherton felt oddly disappointed. She thought Edwin was pursuing Catelyn, seeing as how much he cared about her. Edwin, after all, was good in everything except for romantic rtionships. People had called him a yer, but Granny Atherton knew that it was only because he had not met the right person. Granny Atherton looked at Edwin, annoyed, as sheined, ¡°You¡¯re always talking about Ced this, Ced that. I know you grew up together and are close friends, but look at him now-he even has a son now. When will you bring someone serious home?¡± Edwin had never been fond of talking about his romantic lives with his grandmother; Granny Atherton would start nagging endlessly whenever she talked about Edwin¡¯s rtionship status. Cedrick eventually released Catelyn from his embrace and draped a nket over her form. He then stood up and stared into Granny Atherton¡¯s eyes. ¡°Granny Atherton, I¡¯d like an exnation for what happened.¡± Granny Atherton gazed at Catelyn with her cane in hand, and her eyes filled with traces of regret and heartache. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened either. All I know is that she tried to call for a cab but failed, and she came out again in an attempt to hitch a hike.¡± Granny Atherton paused for a moment and realized she did not owe Cedrick an exnation. She looked at him coldly and said, ¡°Exin? Even if she¡¯s your girlfriend, this is still mypany, Chandier Jewelry¡¯s private matter. Not even your grandfather would ask me for an exnation, so why should I exin anything to you at all?¡± Cedrick then thought of the text message Catelyn sent to him about diarrhea, and his eyes slowly turned icy-cold. He rolled up his sleeves slowly and casually as he uttered, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always been a protective person. Also,st I heard, I¡¯m the head of the Masons now.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Granny Atherton¡¯s face sank as she continued, ¡°Alright, then. The Athertons¡¯ and Masons¡¯ have been peaceful for so long now. I¡¯d like to see which of us raised a better generation.¡± The pair red arrogantly at each other. Even though Granny Atherton was in her seventies, her aura and energy when she was angry were still powerful and intimidating. However, Edwin knew that his grandmother had given up on her title, and on top of that, the inner rtionships of the Athertons were pretty messy.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. A war with the Masons was not something that they wanted. Edwin uttered under his breath in Granny Atherton¡¯s ear, ¡°Grandma, we should focus on finding out the truth and clearing Chandier Jewelry¡¯s name.¡¯ Catelyn¡­ Granny Atherton¡¯s eyes twitched as she looked at Catelyn. The moment she first saw her, she had already felt an odd familiarity with her. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Well, things did escte before her. She did allow the driver to run into Catelyn. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Fine. You want an exnation, no? I¡¯ll give you one.¡± ¡°All I need is a word from you, Granny Atherton. I¡¯ll investigate the rest myself.¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes were cold and stem. All he wanted was Granny Atherton¡¯s agreement. Catelyn woke up to the smell of faint disinfectant. She forcibly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a clean white ceiling Her brain was still foggy at this point. She stared at the ceiling for a while before she stared at her surroundings. A bag of intravenous drip was hung by the bed frame, sending fluids down the line and into her body. Thest thing she remembered was Edwin running toward her and shielding her with his body. She faintly remembered the Athertons¡¯ car running over her. Catelyn tried moving her body and realized that her left hand was held tightly by another hand. She traced the hand only to find Cedrick sitting on a chair in front of the bed, his hand holding tight onto hers as he slept soundly. The color under his eyes was dark and green as if he had not gotten enough sleep. At this moment, the sky was dark, and the air felt rather cold. With her hand still in his, however, she could feel his warmth through his hand. He looked peaceful and quiet when he was asleep; the usual arrogance was nowhere to be seen. Catelyn¡¯s eyes were glued onto him, and somehow, she slowly became captivated. His face was eerily simr to Ollie and Miles. What happened four years ago? How did Ollie end up with the Masons? If they did not start things off the way they did, and if it was not for the bad timings, she might have fallen head over heels for him. ¡®Why can¡¯t you be crueler, Cedrick Mason? It would¡¯ve been much easier to lie to you then¡­¡¯ Catelyn thought to herself as words that Cedrick had said to her in the past rang in her ears. ¡°Would you like to try dating me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for a woman, not a business partner. What¡¯s your answer, Catelyn?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who came to me this time!¡± The words rang in her ears endlessly. She frowned deeply, trying to shake the voices out of her head. Not only did the voices continue, but there was a particr sentence that stood out the most, one that he had said so casually yet filled with determination. ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± Catelyn felt her chest burn as if something within her was brewing. How did things escte? It was supposed to be just a trade between them. Her hand tightened in his. Catelyn¡¯s movement somehow awakened Cedrick, and he looked up to meet Catelyn¡¯s gloomy eyes that were filled with mixed emotions. She hurriedly averted her gaze, but Cedrick¡¯s sharp and charming face managed to fall into her peripheral vision. He stood up and checked the fluids in the drip, pretending to ignore Catelyn¡¯s gaze earlier as he asked nonchntly, ¡°You¡¯re up? How are you feeling?¡± Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Chapter 305 ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­just a little thirsty.¡± Catelyn wanted to sit up when a pair of hands pinned her down. The warmth from Cedrick¡¯s hands spread to her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll bring you water.¡± Catelyn froze in ce. She did not want him to notice that she was feeling a certain way. ¡°Okay.¡± Cedrick turned around to fill a ss with water, and his eyes darkened. ¡®What was she thinking of earlier? Why did she look so sad and dazed?¡¯ Cedrick filled the ss up with warm water and took a sip to test the temperature of the water before putting a straw in and pointing it toward Catelyn¡¯s lips. ¡°Open your mouth. Drink up.¡± Catelyn did not even have to sit up; all she had to do was open her mouth to drink Seeing as Catelyn did not open her mouth, Cedrick raised his brows and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you thirsty? Drink¡± Catelyn felt extremely embarrassed. She just had diarrhea. Why was he treating him like she was a three-year-old child that needed help? ¡°I¡¯d like to sit up.¡± ¡°The doctor said that you¡¯re still too weak, so it¡¯s better to rest in bed,¡± said Cedrick gently as if he was trying to console a child. ¡°Come on now, be good.¡± His tone was not threatening at all. If anything, it was endearing. He had never even been that patient with Ollie before. Catelyn refused to listen to him. She propped herself up with one arm in an attempt to sit up, but since laxatives were still present in her system, her movements seemed to have triggered something as she felt something growling inside her. Followed by that, an embarrassing sound escaped from her body, breaking the silence of the room. She could not believe it! Her face flushed red in an instant. She froze in ce with her hand still grabbing theer of the nket. Cedrick was stunned for a brief moment before reeling to where that sound came from. He looked at Catelyn. At first, he was worried that Catelyn might be feeling unwell, but he then noticed how stunned and wide- eyed she was, like a frightened doe. ¡°Are you done messing around?¡± Catelyn wished there was a hole for her to bury herself in. She did not even care about the water at this point as she dug into the nket. ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty anymore. Leave me alone!¡± grumbled Catelyn, though muffled. She did not expect to embarrass herself in such a way. Her stomach had growled! She had a bad feeling that she might make a worse fool out of herself in front of Cedrick in the next second. Cedrick tugged on the nket, but Catelyn did not cave in. To be fair, however, he was not even trying. ¡°Come out. I have something to say to you.¡± He realized how stubborn Catelyn could be sometimes. Atherton Manor. Granny Atherton did not stay long in the hospital as she went back home to rest shortly after. Chapter 305 She sat on the sofa. On the table in front of her were photos from about 20 years ago, all framed. She stared at the girl in one of the photos. Summer smiled back at her in the photo, as if she wasughing at her. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Granny Atherton had three children, and Summer, her youngest daughter, was her favorite. She never understood nor epted the fact that Summer would leave the house for the sake of a man. Her wrinkly hand grazed over the photo as she fell into deep thought. Chapter 306 Chapter 306 ¨C Chapter 306 Granny Atherton fell deep into a memoryne, struggling to pull herself back out. Knock, knock! Someone knocked at the door, and it brought Granny Atherton back to reality as she blinked away her tears. ¡°Come in,¡± she replied. Kelly walked in with what seemed like a secretive folder. ¡°Old Madam, here¡¯s the draft by Miss Catelyn that you asked for.¡± Granny Atherton put the photos aside cautiously and epted the folder. She had only nned on scanning through, but her eyes were glued onto it. 11 It was a dark, edgy design of a ring. With a bright red rose with silver-ck skulls as its pistils, the contrast between the red and white was strong and edgy. It brought Granny Atherton back in the day when Summer, her daughter, was in her twenties and how she liked all sorts of jewelry. She even promised herself that she would head toward a different path and design a series of edgy jewelry. fied power as well as war, death, and the devil. A red rose, on the other hand, advocated auspiciousness-bright like a me and blinding like the sun. The two were perfect together. Edginess and not following the trend; the things Summer would have done. Kelly looked at Granny Atherton, her mouth gaped open from shock. ¡®What a bold and rare style, especially in the finals of such a hugepetition! These were the things that Miss Summer would¡¯ve done if she stayed¡­¡¯ Kelly sneaked a look at Granny Atherton and realized that her eyes were brimmed with tears. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Granny, this could¡¯ve just been a coincidence, but Catelyn¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s just like Summer,¡± said Granny Atherton. Kelly knew her name was a forbidden term, and no one dared to mention her name in front of the old lady. Kelly¡¯s heart tightened when she heard Granny Atherton mention Summer¡¯s name. After a brief silence, Kelly added, ¡°Miss Summer was graceful, kind, and generous, and Miss Catelyn was a far cry from her.¡± Was she, though? Granny Atherton took a deep breath and ced the drafts on the table. ¡°Tell me everything about the giarizing incident.¡± Kelly, of course, did not oppose and told everything and how Catelyn and Queenie¡¯s designs were the same. Granny Atherton¡¯s frown deepened the more she heard. ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned before that I wanted to be involved in thispetition. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this when it first happened?¡± Kelly exined hurriedly, ¡°Miss Atherton said that you¡¯ve been feeling unwell and that you didn¡¯t have to know these things. On top of that, Queenie did submit her draft earlier than Catelyn did.¡± ¡°So you only listen to her now? Am I nothing to you?¡± Granny Atherton spat in frustration, to which Kelly fell silent. Granny Atherton then added, ¡°Something happened to Catelyn again at the office. Go investigate.¡± Kelly nodded quietly and was about to leave to start the investigation. Just as she was about to go, however, Granny Atherton¡¯s voice called out to her from behind, ¡°Wait.¡± Kelly stopped and awaited her order. ¡°Keep this away from L. She doesn¡¯t have to know what you¡¯re doing this time.¡± Kelly was stunned at this and realized that L had lost Granny Atherton¡¯s trust. Meanwhile, Cedrick and Edwin were trying to find out the truth behind Catelyn¡¯sxative incident. Catelyn did not have much energy at first and spent most days in her bed. When she finally regained a fraction of her strength once more and woke up from her sleep, the first thing she asked Cedrick was about thepetition. Cedrick frowned when he realized just how absorbed Catelyn was about thepetition. ¡°Is thepetition worth more than your life that you¡¯d run to the middle of the road to stop a car?¡± Do you think the water was spiked?¡± wa Cedrick¡¯s eyes were filled with cold rage as he said, ¡°Give me more details. I¡¯ll have Edwin check the surveince cameras.¡± Catelyn told him the exact location and approximate time, including what row she was seated in. Cedrick sent Edwin the details and swore to himself to find the person behind this mess. Cedrick then turned around to face Catelyn. ¡°You¡¯re such an idiot. You knew there were people in Chandier Jewelry that hated you, yet you drank the water they gave you?¡± Catelyn had been lectured by him all day and started feeling upset after he called her an idiot. ¡°If I¡¯m not dumb enough, how are you supposed to look smart around me?¡± ¡°Really now?¡± Cedrick uttered deeply. Catelyn dug into her nket and was ready to talk back to him. 11 Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Joanne rushed to the hospital with some hot soup in her hands. ¡°Cat, I heard that you got admitted into the hospital because of diarrhea, so I bought-¡± The moment she pushed the door open, the first thing she saw was a man with his back facing the door and his upper body on top of Catelyn¡¯s. His arm cradled the back of her head as he gazed deep into her eyes, as if their lips were going to mesh together any second. Their faces were literally just a breath away. How many centimeters was that, anyway? It was probably shorter than half her pinky. They could have moved their mouth to say something, and their lips would have touched! That position they were in was downright suggestive, and one would blush when they witnessed it. Joanne¡¯s worry-filled face shifted into a mouth-gaping shock. She did not even get to finish her sentence. Was this the man Miles had been calling ¡®Big Demon? He did look pretty tall and strong from the back. At that moment, Cedrick and Catelyn both heard the soundsing from the entrance. Catelyn smacked his chest once, to which he slowly got up and tidied his cor. In the blink of an eye, he turned into a cold, charming prince. Catelyn blinked at her best friend and asked, ¡°Joanna? What are you doing here?¡± Joanne raised the takeout box in her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you have nothing to eat, so I came to send you some food. But¡­since your boyfriend is here, I¡¯ll save this for myself.¡± Joanne observed Cedrick cautiously. ¡®What a handsome man! Still, he looks oddly familiar¡­ Where have I seen him before?¡¯ SIII Cedrick heard Joanne¡¯s name and recalled that this was the same girl Catelyn was looking for when they were in the private room in the Barricade Club. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Cedrick.¡± Cedrick reached his hand out to Joanne politely. Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Chapter 309 Joanne nodded cautiously and wiped her hand before reaching her hand out. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Joanne. Mister Mason, right? Wait¡­ Cedrick Mason?¡± Joanne widened her eyes in shock, her gaze drifting between Catelyn and Cedrick. She gulped and asked nervously, ¡°Cedrick Mason? You¡¯re that guy, aren¡¯t you?¡± Cedrick¡¯s lips curled upward arrogantly as he responded, ¡°Is there another Cedrick Mason in this world?¡± ¡°Oh my god!¡± Joanna was so shocked that her lower jaw dropped, and her heart thumped against her ribcage. ¡°Wow, Cat, what a good friend you are! Why haven¡¯t you told me that you¡¯ve been seeing the great Master Cedrick?! I thought we¡¯re besties, and I even take care of Miles for you! No wonder you¡¯re always bringing Miles to mine.¡± Catelyn felt embarrassed by her friend during the first half of the sentence, and she almost jumped from the bed to stop her from continuing. She had to gesture with her eyes for Joanne to stop talking Joanne, though aware of what Catelyn was doing, pretended to be a fool. ¡°Stop blinking so hard with your eyes; you¡¯re going to get an infection!¡± Joanne was in disbelief that Catelyn did not tell her that this ¡®Big Demon¡¯was Cedrick Mason all along Catelyn, on the other hand, was infuriated. She was worried that Cedrick would be suspicious of what Joanne said, but it seemed like she was just overthinking as Cedrick did not react to any of it, merely asking her to rest instead. He took the jacket from the chair and was ready to walk out of the room when Catelyn grabbed his hand and asked, ¡°Are you leaving? It¡¯s sote.¡± Cedrick looked back at her. ¡°Are you sad that I¡¯m leaving?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Catelyn took the small pillow next to her and snuggled it as she muttered, ¡°Go, just go. Joanna is here anyway, and we¡¯re going to have some girl talk.¡± ¡°I have an international meeting shortly, and I have to head back to the office now. I¡¯ll drop by again tomorrow.¡± Cedrick tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and buttoned up his suit gracefully and nobly. It was definitely a view. Joanne¡¯s eyes were glued onto him, and she looked visibly starry-eyed. ¡®Goodness! How charming! She touched the corner of her mouth and was d that she had not drooled. Joanne spent the night with Catelyn. She slept on another bed next to Catelyn¡¯s, and since they had always been close, they had decided tobine the beds with only about 10 centimeters between the two beds. Ollie and Miles¡¯ identities were aplicated topic, and Catelyn had no idea where to even begin exining them to Joanne. She fell into a deep contemtion in bed when Joanne jumped up from her bed with a face of excitement and looked at Catelyn excitedly. ¡°W¡­Why are you staring at me?¡± Catelyn felt her face getting warm from being stared at. She pretended to be thirsty as she picked up the ss of water next to the bed. ¡°I never knew how handsome Cedrick Mason is!¡± gushed Joanne. ¡°Pft¡ª¡± Catelyn spat out the water that she had just drunk. Joanne was sitting upright and was opposite her. Even though there was some distance between them, stters of water droplets still got onto her. Joanne was not angry at all. If anything, she was curious about Catelyn¡¯s overreaction. ¡°Whoa! What¡¯s with that reaction? Hehe!¡± Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Joanne nodded cautiously and wiped her hand before reaching her hand out. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Joanne. Mister Mason, right? Wait¡­ Cedrick Mason?¡± Joanne widened her eyes in shock, her gaze drifting between Catelyn and Cedrick. She gulped and asked nervously, ¡°Cedrick Mason? You¡¯re that guy, aren¡¯t you?¡± Cedrick¡¯s lips curled upward arrogantly as he responded, ¡°Is there another Cedrick Mason in this world?¡± ¡°Oh my god!¡± Joanna was so shocked that her lower jaw dropped, and her heart thumped against her ribcage. ¡°Wow, Cat, what a good friend you are! Why haven¡¯t you told me that you¡¯ve been seeing the great Master Cedrick?! I thought we¡¯re besties, and I even take care of Miles for you! No wonder you¡¯re always bringing Miles to mine.¡± Catelyn felt embarrassed by her friend during the first half of the sentence, and she almost jumped from the bed to stop her from continuing. She had to gesture with her eyes for Joanne to stop talking Joanne, though aware of what Catelyn was doing, pretended to be a fool. ¡°Stop blinking so hard with your eyes; you¡¯re going to get an infection!¡± Joanne was in disbelief that Catelyn did not tell her that this ¡®Big Demon¡¯was Cedrick Mason all along Catelyn, on the other hand, was infuriated. She was worried that Cedrick would be suspicious of what Joanne said, but it seemed like she was just overthinking as Cedrick did not react to any of it, merely asking her to rest instead. He took the jacket from the chair and was ready to walk out of the room when Catelyn grabbed his hand and asked, ¡°Are you leaving? It¡¯s sote.¡± Cedrick looked back at her. ¡°Are you sad that I¡¯m leaving?¡± Catelyn took the small pillow next to her and snuggled it as she muttered, ¡°Go, just go. Joanna is here anyway, and we¡¯re going to have some girl talk.¡± ¡°I have an international meeting shortly, and I have to head back to the office now. I¡¯ll drop by again tomorrow.¡± Cedrick tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and buttoned up his suit gracefully and nobly. It was definitely a view. Joanne¡¯s eyes were glued onto him, and she looked visibly starry-eyed. ¡®Goodness! How charming! She touched the corner of her mouth and was d that she had not drooled. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Joanne spent the night with Catelyn. She slept on another bed next to Catelyn¡¯s, and since they had always been close, they had decided tobine the beds with only about 10 centimeters between the two beds. Ollie and Miles¡¯ identities were aplicated topic, and Catelyn had no idea where to even begin exining them to Joanne. She fell into a deep contemtion in bed when Joanne jumped up from her bed with a face of excitement and looked at Catelyn excitedly. ¡°W¡­Why are you staring at me?¡± Catelyn felt her face getting warm from being stared at. She pretended to be thirsty as she picked up the ss of water next to the bed. ¡°I never knew how handsome Cedrick Mason is!¡± gushed Joanne. ¡°Pft¡ª¡± Catelyn spat out the water that she had just drunk. Joanne was sitting upright and was opposite her. Even though there was some distance between them, stters of water droplets still got onto her. Joanne was not angry at all. If anything, she was curious about Catelyn¡¯s overreaction. ¡°Whoa! What¡¯s with that reaction? Hehe!¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Chapter 310 ¡°Joanne Winters, our friendship ends now if you don¡¯t shut your mouth.¡± Joanne merely grinned impishly in return, and it was evident she would not stop talking. ¡°Is your tiny body able to take on Cedrick? Look at the size of his body! Should I buy some medicine that encourages early ejaction? Better not, though-it¡¯s not good for him to take them.¡± Catelyn was mystified by her behavior. She chose to ignore it altogether as she covered her ears and laid back in bed. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. The next day, Catelyn received a text from Cedrick the moment the sun rose. He told her that he would be bringing her breakfast and ordered her to not eat anything else before that. Catelyn felt oddly pleased. Cedrick had started treating her better every day. He was thoughtful and took good care of her while she, on the other side, was unable to give back to him. The doorknob twisted open. Catelyn thought it was Cedrick who hade bearing breakfast, but it was actually.. An unweed guest, L Atherton. L had chosen toe early in the morning and even dressed up beforeing to see her. She was wearing a matching Channel suit with a pair of stockings and high heels. Her wavy hair fell gracefully on her back, emitting an enchanting and graceful aura. The nurses and doctors could not help but steal a second look at her when she walked into the corridor toward the room. Even Catelyn had to admit that L was, indeed, a charmingdy. With a basket of fruits with her, L walked into the room nonchntly and set the basket on the bedside table. Joanne heard noisesing from outside and came out of the washroom to check. It was early in the morning, and L was in the middle of washing up with a bunny-eared headband that held her hair back. She looked at L once before scowling, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡®What a hypocrite. She¡¯s the reason why Cat ended up in the hospital.¡¯ Lpletely ignored Joanne as she observed the room. It was a VIP suite room, and a night in would probably cost the same amount as any six-star hotel. Cedrick was such a generous man. L seethed with envy. ¡°I¡¯m here to visit Miss Catelyn, of course.¡± L smiled gently at Catelyn and added, ¡°How do you feel today?¡± Catelyn leaned back on the bed frame, a pillow stuffed under her lower back. She took a sip of the water and cleared her throat before looking at L. She had no time circling around with L. ¡°You were the one who spiked my water withxatives. What do you think?¡± ¡°Laxatives?¡± blurted L innocently as she waved her hands. ¡°Miss Catelyn, you shouldn¡¯t joke about these things! Why would I ever spike your drink withxatives?¡± Catelyn managed to catch L¡¯s subtle arrogance in her eyes. She red coldly at her, her expression still as dead water. ¡°I know it was you; there¡¯s no need to pretend.¡± ¡°Miss Catelyn, I honestly have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± L continued to act as she empathetically said, ¡°I felt so guilty when the driver almost ran into you yesterday, so I came to visit and see how you¡¯re doing. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d nder me! Are you sure you didn¡¯t eat anything bad by mistake? There are so many things that could cause diarrhea, and you can¡¯t just pin this on me. I can¡¯t tolerate that!¡± Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Chapter 311 L paused for a brief moment before she added, ¡°Or is it because you¡¯re still bitter about the fact that I kicked you out of thepetition, and you¡¯re just doing this now so that my grandmother would hate me?¡± Catelyn was at aplete loss for words when she heard this. Thankfully, she had swallowed the water in her mouth, or she might have spat it out. L was a downright shameless woman. Her sad, innocent demeanor made her look like she was the victim there. ¡°Are you brainless or something? Cat¡¯s not crazy; she¡¯d never do anything like that!¡± growled Joanne through gritted teeth, furious on Catelyn¡¯s behalf. ¡°Not only did she lose thepetition, but she had to be admitted to the hospital, too! What did she gain from any of these?! You¡¯re such a heartless woman!¡± L bit her lip down and muttered, ¡°Miss Winters, I know you¡¯re close to Miss Catelyn, but sometimes, it¡¯s hard to tell what a person¡¯s real intentions are.¡± Joanne¡¯s eyes reddened as she cursed at L. What a treacherous woman! Catelyn had been admitted to the hospital, yet L had the gall toe and provoke her! Catelyn, on the other hand, was amused as she watched Joanne¡¯s behavior and reaction. L, upon hearing Joanne¡¯s words toward her, innocentlymented, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to give you solid advice. Why are you cussing at me?¡± ¡°So what if I cussed at you? I¡¯d hit you, too!¡± Joanne¡¯s face twisted in anger as she picked up the knife next to the fruits and pointed it at L. ¡°You¡¯re not wee here. Get out now, or I¡¯ll slice your face up!¡± ¡°Y¨CYou guys¡­ This is ridiculous!¡± L acted as if she had been ndered and med for the most heinous crime and turned, ready to flee the room. However, she froze the moment she turned. Cedrick and Edwin were standing outside of the room in the corridor. A range of emotions appeared on their faces, but it was evident how they knew what went down in Catelyn¡¯s ward. L¡¯s pupils dted upon seeing the two men standing outside. She pretended to sniffle as a bead of tear rolled down her cheek. ¡°It seems that Miss Catelyn is still angry at me,¡± she remarked feebly. ¡°I should go now¡­ Take care.¡± Cedrick, however, stepped forward and stood right in front of L to stop her from leaving, to which L looked up nervously at him. ¡°What¡­are you doing, Master Cedrick?¡± she asked. ¡°That thing in your bag; give it to me now,¡± snapped Cedrick, his tone so cold that L felt This name : like she had been put in an invisible chokehold, and she visibly turned pale. ¡®That thing!? What did he mean by that? The confused Catelyn widened her eyes and looked at the pair. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re referring to, Master Cedrick. Please excuse me¡­¡± L was about to push Cedrick aside and walk past him. All she wanted was to disappear at that moment. Just as L¡¯s hand touched his shirt, Cedrick grabbed her forearm and swung away, causing her handbag-along with its contents-to fall to the floor in the process. Aside from the regr items a woman would carry in her bag, her smartphone that was shown to be recording slipped out of the bag as well. Catelyn realized what was happening. This exined why L came all the way to victimize herself¡­All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. She did it all on purpose! L panicked and freed herself from Cedrick, quickly squatting to pick up her belongings. Just as she was about to reach for her phone, a pair of squeaky clean leather shoes stepped on the back of her hand. Her palm was pressed firmly onto her hard, bulky phone, and immense pain shot up her entire arm. ¡°Agh! It¡­hurts! Let go!¡± L looked at Edwin with tears in her eyes as she begged, ¡°Edwin, you¡¯re¡­ stepping on my hand!¡±. Edwin stared down at her from above and smirked in disdain. Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Chapter 312 ¡°Oh, dear¨CI did step on you! So sorry about that. ¡°Still, my dear cousin, didn¡¯t I tell you before to not touch Catelyn?¡± Edwin¡¯s tone shifted at that point. His usual nonchnt self had vanished, and his eyes were sharp as des. ¡°Have you forgotten about that?¡± L lost herposure, and her expression shifted as tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry, Edwin. Please, just let go of my hand!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Edwin¡¯s expression was unforgiving. Not only did he not remove his feet, but he even pressed down on her hand even more harshly. ¡°You¡¯re hurt, huh?¡± L sobbed as she nodded aggressively, her eyes red with tears. ¡°Now, you¡¯ll remember that no matter how lowly someone is to you, you can¡¯t just do whatever you want with them,¡± enunciated Edwin as he eventually removed his feet from her hand. With a face scrunched in agony, L pulled her hand back without even picking her phone up. The back of her hand was imprinted with Edwin¡¯s shoe print, creased with deep and shallow lines. There were even scratch marks as her hand looked visibly swollen and red. L was enraged. She hated how everyone was on Catelyn¡¯s side! At that moment, Joanne picked up L¡¯s phone on the floor and gave it to Catelyn, who yed the recorded audio with the click of a button. It was a conversation between all three women. From the audio alone, it sounded like Catelyn and Joanne were the viins, while L was the one spouting apologies. Moreover, Joanne¡¯sst sentence about slicing her face up truly made L look like the victim in their argument. It was obvious that L came prepared. Catelyn eventually concluded that L did this so she could have Granny Atherton listen, all so that L would appear to be a saint among them. L listened to the audio, and her face was pale as a sheet of paper. She saw how kindly Granny Atherton was to Catelyn the day before, and even though she had no idea why she did that, she was not going to risk letting Catelyn have the upper hand again. This was why she wanted to show how arrogant Catelyn could be so that Granny Atherton would dislike her! ¡°I¡¯m such a klutz¡­ I didn¡¯t even know when it started recording!¡± L tried her best to hide the guilt in her eyes and pretended to be innocent. ¡°I¡¯ll switch it off right now. I really have no bad intentions.¡± The veins on Cedrick¡¯s forehead had be visible with his evident disgust toward L. Did she think everyone here was stupid? ¨C 0-312 ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± Cedrick¡¯s re was ruthless. ¡°It seems that the punishment the Athertons gave you wasn¡¯t enough, thus enabling you to make more mistakes!¡± L was stunned by his cold rage. At that moment, someone else pushed the door open from outside. It was none other than Granny Atherton herself. Granny Atherton walked in with the help of Kelly, and following closely behind were two tall, strong bodyguards. L felt relieved as if she had just found her savior. She ran over to her and sobbed,¡± Grandma, thank god you¡¯re here! ¡°Catelyn insisted that I harmed her, but I¡¯m innocent!¡± L¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. Her hair was messy, and the back of her hand was covered in fresh wounds. She was, to put it simply, in shambles. Catelyn was stunned for a brief moment as she stared at Granny Atherton. ¡®Isn¡¯t she the olddy from Chandier Jewelry shop the other day?¡¯ Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Kelly fetched a chair and a cushion for Granny Atherton to sit on. The olddy thus sat, her aura impable even when she did. L balled her small fists tightly as she aired her feelings to Granny Atherton. ¡°Grandma, I admit that it¡¯s my fault that I allowed the driver to run Catelyn over, but I¡¯ve apologized for that already. Still, Miss Catelyn insisted that I had spiked her water withxatives! I swear that I didn¡¯t even know what bottle of water she took. How am I supposed to spike her?¡± Granny Atherton gestured for Kelly to help L up from kneeling. Pride swelled within L as she nced at Catelyn. ¡®I have nothing to be afraid of as long as I have Granny with me! ¡°Edwin is probably going to hate me for this, but I have to say it. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by Catelyn, Edwin. She¡¯s always been wild and uncultured since she was young, and the one thing she does best was seducing men by pretending to be weak. This supposedxative incident probably is all made up, and she must¡¯ve hated me to the point she could eatxatives just so she could nder me.¡± Cedrick looked up at L. His lips curled upward as he asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying that she ingestedxatives just for revenge?¡± L felt diffident when her eyes met Cedrick¡¯s. However, she remembered that the employees that were in it had all been sent overseas. With this, she nodded in response. ¡°If it¡¯s not for revenge, it¡¯s nder, because I didn¡¯t do it!¡± Cedrick was expressionless. He stared nkly at L as if he was looking at a circus clown. He then turned toward Eason and gestured at him with his eyes. Eason understood what he meant immediately and took out aptop, injecting a USB into the port. Secondster, the screen showed a video divided into two parts. The first part was of L walking in the corridor and whispering into a female employee¡¯s ear before passing a small bottle of white liquid to her. The second part of the video showed the same female employee injecting the white liquid into an unopened bottle of mineral water, and her giving the bottle to Catelyn. She then watched as Catelyn drank the water and left with a smile. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. L waspletely frozen in ce. How¡­was that possible? She was certain that she was cautious and avoided the ces where she knew had cameras! Where were these footage clips from?! Cedrick stared at L contemptuously like he would with an ant on the floor. Nobody but him could bully Catelyn! Meanwhile, Catelyn was stupefied to see the clip. She, too, was just as shocked at how quick they were to find the footage. Everyone in the room was spotted with different emotions. Kelly, for one, was in disbelief. She could not believe L, whom she had respected all this while, turned out to be such a woman. Granny Atherton, on the other hand, remained cold and expressionless. It was as if she already knew, as if none of it had anything to do with her. Arge bead of sweat rolled down from L¡¯s forehead. She was shivering in fear as her face was drained of blood. ¡°Grandma, this is a misunderstanding! The footage has been edited; you have to believe me!¡± L panicked as she stammered in defending herself, ¡°Cedrick, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d fabricate a video just to protect Catelyn!¡± Cedrick pursed his lips, his eyes filled with cold rage. He could not believe that this woman would still try to get away from the truth! Catelyn trusted Cedrick to not fabricate anything and said, ¡°If Miss Atherton and Granny Atherton insisted that it¡¯s fake, you¡¯re free to have someone investigate it professionally.¡± Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Infuriated, L pointed at Catelyn exasperatedly and spat, ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s all because of you. You¡¯re just bitter that I kicked you out of thepetition for giarism!¡± ¡°You shut your mouth,¡± snarled Cedrick through gritted teeth. L shriveled when Cedrick stared at her so viciously. It felt as though someone pulled her by the legs to hell. Granny Atherton was herst hope! ¡°You have to believe me, Grandma. I¡¯ve been with you for so many years! Why would I do anything despicable?¡± sobbed L as she tugged on Granny Atherton¡¯s hand feebly. However, not only did Granny Atherton not console her, but she even shoved her hand away heartlessly and looked at her as if she was a stranger. ¡°You truly disappoint me, L.¡± L copsed onto the floor as disbelief overtook her face. ¡°What¡­do you mean?¡± ¡°Miss L, you can stop acting now. Granny Atherton had ordered me to track your recent activities, and I¡¯ve discovered that you¡¯ve recently stationed a female employee out of the country. I managed to stop the employee before she flew off. Should I call her over for an interrogation?¡± spoke Kelly as she stared at L. ¡°W¡­what?!¡± L shuddered in disbelief. ¡®She¡¯s been stopped? It¡­can¡¯t be!¡¯ L saw the ne take off with her own eyes! How could they have stopped her? Granny Atherton took one look at L and knew at that instant that she had refused to give up. ¡°Kelly, bring her in.¡± Kelly nodded politely in response and gestured for the bodyguards to bring the employee in. The bodyguard quickly brought a woman in and tossed her onto the floor. Her hair was messy, and her eyes dted in fear as if she had been through something traumatic. She took one look at L and immediately begged her, ¡°Miss Atherton, I only did what you¡¯ve told me and gave Catelyn thexatives. Please, help me¡­ Help me!¡± L shuddered. She could not believe that they had managed to catch the employee. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. That exined why Granny Atherton was so cold to her! ¡°I don¡¯t even know you. I¡¯ve no idea what you¡¯re talking about!¡± L knew she had nowhere else to run, but she knew if she gave in at this moment, she would be done for She had to keep the act up. The employee became vicious upon hearing L¡¯s response. ¡°You¡­ How can you say that? During thepetition, when Queenie submitted her entry and you noticed that it was the same as Catelyn¡¯s, you were the one who ordered for me to change Queenie¡¯s submission date to make it seem like Catelyn giarized her design! ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you who told me that Catelyn was just a broke woman with no titles, I¡¯d never dare spike her withxatives! ¡°Also, you wrote me a seventy thousand-dor check that I haven¡¯t cashed yet; it¡¯s still in my luggage. That¡¯s the proof that you¡¯ve paid me off to do your dirty job!¡± L, not expecting the employee to spit out everything, lost herposure as she staggered a few steps back. ¡°N-no¡­ That¡¯s not true!¡± Granny Atherton looked away and said to Kelly, ¡°Search the luggage.¡± The bodyguards dragged the luggage into the room and found the check within seconds. It was indeed a check worth 70000 dors, written by L Atherton. Granny Atherton tossed the paper onto L¡¯s face. ¡°How do you exin this?¡± The paper, though barely weighing anything, felt sharp like a de against L¡¯s skin. Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Chapter 315 L felt as though her soul had left her body. However, in just two seconds, she gathered herposure and stared at the employee suspiciously. ¡°How much did Catelyn pay you to nder me? A hundred thousand? Three hundred thousand? If you tell the truth now, I¡¯ll pay you double the amount!¡± The employee understood what she was implying, but what use did money have at that moment? Both Edwin and Cedrick were ring at her, and if she teamed up with L to attack Catelyn, she would not be able to leave the hospital alive! Thus, she shook her head aggressively and looked at L. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. You were the one behind everything, and you were the one who ordered me to do it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! This is nder! 1-¡°. Granny Atherton, upon noticing how stubborn L was, ordered the bodyguard, ¡°Get her out of here now. She¡¯s not wee at the mansion anymore.¡± The bodyguards obeyed as they restrained L, who immediately panicked when she heard thest sentence. The only reason she was able to enjoy and live a luxurious life was because of Granny Atherton. If Granny Atherton kicked her out of home, she would be a joke within the socialite circle. That, for her, was worse than death! Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She dropped to her knees and arms before Granny Atherton. ¡°Grandma, please don¡¯t kick me out. Please let me stay by your side! ¡°I¡¯m willing to do anything at all; I can even be your maid!¡± Granny Atherton frowned deeply at this. The livid Kelly ordered the bodyguards to drag L away, but thetter grabbed tightly onto Granny Atherton¡¯s chair, refusing to let go. Edwin red at her coldly and hissed, ¡°If she refuses to leave willingly, knock her out and drag her out of here!¡± L stopped moving for a second. The bodyguards had no other choice but to pull her by the cor and dragged her out by force, leaving a trail of marks on the floor from the friction. With that, the room fell silent. Despite what happened, Catelyn did not feel happy. It felt odd because Granny Atherton used to love and spoil L, but after everything that happened just seconds ago¡­ Shepletely abandoned L without hesitation. Catelyn thought of the first time she saw Granny Atherton, and again about the time when she did not stop the driver from running the car over her. What felt the worst for Catelyn was that the car had clearly stopped moving, but the driver stepped on the pedal again. That alone said plenty about what kind of person Granny Atherton was. ¡°I apologize, Miss Catelyn. It¡¯s my fault for not raising L right and, in turn, causing you so much harm.¡± Granny Atherton looked at Catelyn, and her gaze softened. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry; I¡¯ll make it up for you.¡± Cedrick stood silently, his gaze deep and unpredictable. ¡°We appreciate the thought, Old Madam Atherton, but I¡¯ll take care of my woman.¡± Granny Atherton exchanged a cold gaze with Cedrick and said, ¡°I¡¯m talking to Catelyn.¡± She basically said that Cedrick had no room to retort. Granny Atherton looked back at Catelyn and said in a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯ve already decided to crown you as the champion of thepetition.¡± Champion? Thepetition had not officially ended, yet Granny Atherton had straight up told her that she was the champion! Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Before Granny Atherton spoke about this, Catelyn did have some expectations for the Chandier Jewelry Competition. At this point, however, she felt somewhat disgusted about it. ¡°Granny Atherton, do I have to ept the championship?¡± spoke Catelyn in a tone implying that she wanted to reject her victory, much to Granny Atherton¡¯s shock. She did not expect Catelyn to say such a thing. Kelly quickly interjected, ¡°Miss rk, Granny Atherton had personally investigated Miss L and apologized to you. Don¡¯t be so full of yourself.¡± Full of herself? Catelyn looked Granny Atherton in the eye with no signs of cowardice. ¡°I¡¯m here to win with what I got, not by some sort ofpensation. Now that you¡¯ve made me the champion, what about the other contestants? Was the so-called fairness of yourpetition just a gimmick from the beginning?¡± Catelyn knew that the olddy was trying to show her goodwill, and she should stop being difficult. However, for some reason, she just could not help but feel angry. Kelly was even more furious seeing Catelyn being rude to Granny Atherton. ¡°Miss rk, watch your tone!¡± she scolded. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Granny Atherton reached her hand out and stopped Kelly as she slowly spoke, ¡°No one has dared to talk to me like this for a long time.¡± Catelyn continued, ¡°If you¡¯re not happy with this, the door is right over there.¡± Initially, Granny Atherton had a good impression of Catelyn because of her face, but at this point, she liked her even more. ¡°No one can say no to me. You can reject your win or expose the shady stuff in my Chandier Jewelry Competition, as long as you¡¯re willing to let the efforts of all the contestants go to waste.¡± With that, Granny Atherton turned and left, leaving a dibobted Catelyn. She did not want this, but Granny Atherton was not making this any easier for her. Joanne hid in the corner silently, panicking when she saw Edwin. How she wished she was invisible! Of course, Edwin had also noticed Joanne, huddled behind Catelyn like a little mole as if no one could see her. However, his face sank the moment he thought of the time when Joanne wielded the fruit knife angrily at L, and thus walked away with Granny Atherton. Only four people were left in the ward: Cedrick, Catelyn, Joanne, and Eason. Joanne did not wish to stay here any longer. She ran to the bathroom and washed her face, nning to leave in a while. Cedrick, on the other hand, took a thermal food box and took out the breakfast from it, revealing chicken soup. Catelyn¡¯s stomach was not in its best condition, so he prepared something light for her. Catelyn had been looking forward to the breakfast Cedrick had brought her. However, she quickly lost her appetite the moment she saw the chicken soup. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have diarrhea anymore. Can I have something tastier, please?¡± pleaded Catelyn as she stared at Cedrick in a doe-like manner. Cedrick did not even bother with her request as he scooped a spoonful of soup and brought it to his lips to test the temperature. Lukewarm, just right. He then brought the spoon to the corner of Catelyn¡¯s mouth. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± From the corner of Catelyn¡¯s eyes, she nced at Eason, and then at Joanne in the bathroom in a flustered manner. She was not that weak, so she could still eat. ¡°I¡¯ll do this myself,¡± said Catelyn, attempting to take the spoon and bowl from Cedrick. However, Cedrick did not budge. His eyes narrowed as he asked solemnly, ¡°You don¡¯t like me feeding you with a spoon. How about I use my mouth instead?¡± Catelyn was speechless. Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Chapter 317 What kind of question was that? Cedrick clearly did not give Catelyn another choice. She secretly nced at Eason, still feeling embarrassed. Eason, however, quickly left upon sensing the awkward atmosphere in the room. With that, Catelyn had no more excuses. She opened her mouth obediently and let Cedrick feed her with the spoon. Cedrick¡¯s way of feeding was obviously a bit blunt, but he was gentle. When Catelyn had some soup droplets at the corner of her mouth, Cedrick would lovingly wipe it clean with a napkin. Catelyn¡¯s initial resistance to the feeding gradually turned into enjoyment. She could feel her stomach warming as the warm soup slid into her esophagus. Catelyn could not help but admire Cedrick¡¯s gentle movements. She nced at his beautiful jaw and realized that she had not seen it up close before. What a perfect-looking jaw¡­ Catelyn wondered what it would feel like to give it a poke. However, she looked at Cedrick¡¯s deep, cold eyes, and decided that it was perhaps not a very good idea. Joanne came out of the bathroom and happened to witness Cedrick feeding Catelyn. She could see the tenderness in his eyes as if Catelyn was the only thing in his world. Joanne sighed. Everything would have been better if the father of Catelyn¡¯s child was not Jamie. If only Catelyn was not the ex-girlfriend of Cedrick¡¯s nephew. She left the ward quietly without disturbing the two of them. As Joanne left the hospital, she walked in the direction of a certain Asean food store by memory. She might have been terrible in her sense of direction, but this would not stop her from hunting for food. However, just as she was about to cross the street, she saw a fluffy kitten running from the side of the road. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. The little milk-colored cat was a stray, seemingly coated with a bit of dirt and dust. Looking at the pedestrians and carsing and going, the kitten was evidently frightened and kept running around. It looked like it was about to run into the middle of the road ¡°Oh, no!¡± Joanne hurriedly went after the milk-colored cat. The kitten might be small, but it was agile enough that it nimbly moved around. Joanne chased after the cat, thinking that since she had returned to her home country anyway, she could adopt the kitten and raise it as her own. Finally, she caught it at the intersection of a street, and the kitten purred softly. Joanne squatted and gently stroked the kitten¡¯s head, swooned by its adorable looks. Before she could even smile, a pair of shiny leather shoes suddenly broke into her sight. Joanne looked up. Edwin¡¯s devilishly handsome face stared back at her. Joanne¡¯s legs instantly became weak, and she almost fell to the ground. Holding the kitten she just picked up in her arms, she stammered, ¡°Ed¡­ Master Edwin? Hey, what a coincidence Look what I got here; ain¡¯t it cute?¡± Edwin raised his eyebrows slightly and nked at the girl squatting at his feet. ¡°You¡¯re in my way,¡± he said coldly. Joanne quickly realized what he meant. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll leave right away.¡± She held the kitten close to her chest and ran away like it was a 100-meter sprint, as though something was chasing her. The corners of Edwin¡¯s lips twitched at the sight as his expression grew disdainful. The cell phone in his pocket rang at this moment He picked it up and coldly spoke into the phone, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The person on the other end of the phone was obviously startled. Edwin was always a chatty person. Was he in a bad mood today? Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Chapter 318 ¡°Mister Atherton, the artist director of Monique Entertainment is here again. He still wishes to talk business with you, saying that he won¡¯t leave until he sees you. What should we do?¡± said Edwin¡¯s assistant over the phone. Edwin¡¯s beautiful peach eyes narrowed slightly. Monique Entertainment? Was that not the agency of that stupid woman, Joanne Winters? Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. It was said that Monique Entertainment was facing bankruptcy due to poor management. Moreover, most of the artists under its banner were also terrible. ¡°Let him wait,¡± replied Edwin. ¡°Have the secretary prepare some tea for him.¡± ¡°But if hees every day-¡± ¡°Let him wait since he likes waiting so much. I have all the time anyway,¡± said Edwin. He nced in the direction where Joanne disappeared to and drawled, ¡°Also, spread the words. Whoever dares to lend money to Monique Entertainment will have to deal with me.¡± The assistant was even more shocked this time. Did Edwin bear some sort of hatred for Monique Entertainment or something? Why did it feel as if he was deliberately targeting it? Catelyn rested for a while in the afternoon. With her eyes closed, she could sense someone moving around her. The female nurse was changing the infusion bottle for Catelyn. This was thest bottle. When Ollie learned that Catelyn was sick, he could not wait for Eason to pick him up and bring him to Catelyn. As the nurse was changing the infusion bottle, she lowered her voice and gently reminded Catelyn, ¡°Miss, please be careful with your movements.¡± The female nurse looked at the little boy, who was a little taller than the edge of the bed, and her heart almost melted. Catelyn was already awake at this moment. ¡°Little Ollie?¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes flickered with surprise with a hint of worry. She did not want her son to know that she was sick. Ollie felt disappointed when he realized Catelyn was awakened. Immediately, he went to pick up a ss of warm water and handed it to her. ¡°Mommy, did I wake you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve slept for a long time, and I should¡¯ve woken up earlier,¡± replied Catelyn. She sat up from the bed and took the warm water from him. Ollie would only address Catelyn as ¡®Mommy¡¯ when the both of them were alone, and this moment was a rare mother-son moment. Catelyn felt really thirsty after waking up and thus drank half a ss of water in one gulp. It was just in water, but at this moment, it tasted like it was a heavenly sweet nectar to Catelyn. Seeing Catelyn drinking the water so quickly, Ollie could not help but worry that she was still dehydrated. He stretched out his small hands and took the cup from her, asking, ¡°Do you want more water?¡± Catelyn actually had enough water, but when she saw Ollie¡¯s hopeful eyes, she nodded to him. ¡°Yes, please.¡± Ollie did not question her as he quickly ran to the dispenser to fill another cup up. This time, it was a full ss of water. Ollie stared at Catelyn, hisrge ck eyes unblinking. Catelyn felt a little messed up within. She took the cup and drank the water. As she finished, she felt so bloated that her belly even made gurgling noises. Ollie scratched his head. Why was Mommy drinking so fast? Did she eat something too salty earlier? ¡°I¡¯ll get you another cup,¡± said Ollie as he took the cup from Catelyn¡¯s hand again. Catelyn¡¯s mind was clear at this point, and she could finally think straight. If she had another drink, she would have vomited. She waved her hands hastily. ¡°No, I¡¯m not thirsty anymore,¡± said Catelyn. ¡°Anyway, how did you know that I¡¯m in the hospital?¡± ¡°Last night, Grandpa Albert prepared some breakfast meal for my father, and I overheard him telling him to send it to the hospital,¡± said Ollie. He paused for a moment and quickly added, ¡° I didn¡¯t tell Miles. I was afraid he¡¯de to see you too, and that¡¯d be troublesome.¡± Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Catelyn¡¯s two sons, one innocent and lively while the other was silent and mature, were godsent. Ollie just so happened to have homework in the afternoon, so Eason quickly picked him up and drove him back to Mason Estate. Catelyn did not want him to stay in the hospital too long, too, so she coaxed him to go home as well. However, the two sses of water that she drank earlier seemed to be indigestible at the moment. The infusion bottle happened to be bottoming out, so Catelyn simply walked around the room to ease the digestion process in her body. Suddenly, she received a multimedia message from a mysterious person. [I don¡¯t want Cedrick to know the truth. Come to the private room V312 of the coffee shop on the top floor of Riverdale Mall at 7 a.m. I¡¯ll be there.) Two photos were attached to the text message. One of them was a surveince screenshot of her identally entering the private room 520 of Four Seasons Hotel four years ago The other one was aparison of the recent photos of Miles and Ollie. Judging from the picture, the two children looked like exact prints of each other. Anyone would just see them both as twin brothers. Catelyn¡¯s rxed nerves grew taut at these messages. Trembling, she replied to the text. (Who are you? What do you know?] The screen changed from bright to ck, but it did not light up again. The mysterious individual did not reply anymore. Obviously, this person knew a lot of inside information, even knowing that both Miles and Ollie were twin brothers. Why did they send these messages to her? What did they want? Catelyn could not figure out the possible identity of this mysterious person at all. It would not be Jamie. If he knew the truth, he would no doubt want to strangle or ckmail her. As for the others¡­ L had just recently suffered a heavy blow, so it could not have been her. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. After thinking it through, she decided to meet this mysterious person. Catelyn changed her coat and left the hospital in a hurry. The top floor of Riverdale Mall was semi-open-spaced, with a very high-end coffee shop located in the middle of it. Other than the usual shopping customers, there were many angel investors lurking nearby as well, which made the ce seem very crowded. Catelyn gathered up her courage and took a deep breath¡­ Just as she reached the corridor, Catelyn hurriedly pressed the up button and waited for the elevator. A nearby elevator door, which was half-closed, reopened. Catelyn took a deep breath and hurried into the elevator. The elevator, though somewhat vacant, had excellent venttion features. At this moment, there was only a man in a brown suit standing in the elevator. The man wore a pair of gold-rimmed sses, covering his sharp cold eyes. His hair was ink like dark, and he had striking facial features. The man also had an indifferent aura around him, but there was also a feeling of warmth as he could be seen smiling kindly. The elevator wall was bright and reflective, and Catelyn nced at the man beside her through the elevator wall. He was a very handsome man with a good temperament. She might have been in the mood to appreciate his good-looking face had it been any other day, but at this moment, her mind was racing as she thought of the mysterious texter. ¡°Miss, what floor are you heading to?¡± the man suddenly asked. Catelyn was stunned for a moment, only to realize that she had been standing around stupidly the moment she entered the elevator. She did not press any buttons, so the elevator was still on the same floor. ¡°Sorry-the top floor,¡± apologized Catelyn with a sheepish smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to the top floor too,¡± said the man. He knuckled his fingers lightly and pressed the button to the top floor. With that, the elevator started ascending upward. Catelyn felt uneasy due to her rising anxiety. She stared at the elevator floor nervously without moving her eyes. Finally, the elevator arrived at the top floor. Catelyn was about to rush out as the elevator door opened when out of the blue, someone grabbed her wrist from behind. Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Catelyn looked back at the man in displeasure and tly spoke, ¡°Mister, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to tell you that you dropped something,¡± replied the man. He quickly realized that his actions were inappropriate and quickly let go of Catelyn¡¯s hand before pointing to the ground with a warm smile on his face. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Catelyn looked in the direction of his finger and saw a dor lying on the ground. She withdrew her gaze and looked at the man. ¡°Mister, your approach is a little old-fashioned. I was in a rush today, and I didn¡¯t bring any money along,¡± said Catelyn before she walked away without giving the man a second look. The man stared in the direction where Catelyn disappeared, and his startled expression suddenly changed as he curled his lips into a sinister smile. He picked up the banknote. ¡°Didn¡¯t bring any money along, huh?¡± he murmured in amusement. He had seen the banknote fall out of Catelyn¡¯s pocket with his own eyes. Did Cedrick really like silly women like her? The aroma of caffeine was all over the air in the VIP section of the coffee shop, which was on the top floor of Riverdale Mall. Cedrick sat by a coffee table draped with a light-colored tablecloth as he sipped his coffee slowly. Sitting across from him was a cheerful-looking boy who was about 17 or 18 years old. He had short brown hair with a strand of green-colored dye across. ¡°Cousin, just promise me that I can be an intern in yourpany! I¡¯ll never cause any trouble! ¡°pleaded Javier Mason as he stared at Cedrick with hope-filled eyes. Cedrick took a sip of his coffee and said, ¡°You know your aunt doesn¡¯t want you to join thepany too early and get involved in family affairs.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m already a mature adult. I have a girlfriend!¡± wailed Javier. Cedrick paused and raised his eyelidszily. ¡°Seriously?¡± he muttered. ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll do well if you allow me to intern in yourpany. There is so much inside work politics, and with me by your side, I can help you identify the culprit,¡± said Javier, his expression ambitious. Cedrick¡¯s temple bulged a little. If he did not allow Javier to join hispany, the young adult would no doubt harass him until the end of time. ¡°Okay, you may join as an intern,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°However, you¡¯re only allowed to be in the secretarial department. Start working yourself from a low position. If you can¡¯t handle the hardship, leave as soon as possible and continue your studies abroad.¡± Javier nodded desperately and eximed, ¡°Thank you, cousin. You¡¯re the best! ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard that you were going to call off your marriage with Maia and that you¡¯ve fallen in love with another woman from the rk family. Is she prettier than Miss Maia?¡± Cedrick red back at Javier with a cold, murderous look. Javier quickly understood what that meant. ¡°Welp! I guess it¡¯s time for me to go. Anyway, I¡¯ll be reporting to yourpany tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Cedrick stopped him. Javier thought he was going to get punished. He knew Cedrick hated it if others meddled in his private affairs. However¡­ ¡°Get rid of your brown hair. Dye it back to ck, or I¡¯ll have someone shave it all off for you,¡± said Cedrick Javier touched his brown hair childishly. ¡°Aww, really? I¡¯ve been growing it for years, and I¡¯m attached to it already! I¡¯ll be so sad to see it go¡­ Well, I guess I¡¯ll just have to dye it back again next time.¡± Javier left as he finished speaking, leaving Cedrick alone in the cafe. Cedrick continued to enjoy his coffee as he nced out of the window inadvertently. Suddenly, his fierce ck eyes narrowed. Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Chapter 321 The cafe was full of people when Catelyn arrived at its doorstep. Instead of heading to the meeting point immediately, she secretly observed the private room V312 at a corner of the cafe from afar. She wanted to know who this mysterious person was. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Who could be that all-knowing? Not even Cedrick knew that Ollie and Miles were twins, and Catelyn hid that from him all this while! However, she did not expect that someone else would be watching her from the dark. Little did she expect it to be Cedrick. She waited for a while, but the door to the private room remained closed the entire time. Nobody went in or came out of the room-not even any servants. Catelyn could not help but feel suspicious. In the end, she summoned up the courage to walk forward. She barely noticed it, but fine beads of sweat oozed out of her clenched palm. As she walked toward the room, a figure appeared and stood before her abruptly. Catelyn did not manage to stop and almost bumped into the person. She looked up slowly, only to see Cedrick¡¯s handsome face in front of her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked, sounding rather annoyed. Catelyn¡¯s body was obviously still weak, yet here she was; lurking all over the ce instead of resting in the hospital. Catelyn¡¯s expression contorted into one of horror as she felt her heart racing. ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?¡± A dash of coldness shed across Cedrick¡¯s eyes. ¡°Answer my question.¡± Catelyn¡¯s mind quickly raced for a response as she eventually replied, ¡°I¡¯ve almost fully recovered, and the doctor said that I can be discharged from the hospital.¡± One of Cedrick¡¯s hands grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look him in the eye. ¡°Who are you meeting here?¡± he asked. This diforted Catelyn. It felt as if she was in an interrogation. ¡°I¡¯m here for some coffee,¡± she answered. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing anyone.¡± Cedrick looked at her andughed angrily. He folded his fingers that were squeezing Catelyn¡¯s chin. ¡°Are you sure about that? If that¡¯s true, why do you look so guilty now?¡± Catelyn felt at a loss for words, unable to reply. Of course, she could not tell him that she was here to meet the person who knew Miles and Ollie¡¯s true identities! Catelyn¡¯s expression changed slightly. Her fist on her side clenched a little before it eventually loosened For the next few moments, she repeated the same action. Deep down, she was trying her best to suppress her deepest emotions, being very careful to not lose her cool. Cedrick, however, noticed how she clenched and unclenched her fist, and he suddenly grabbed her by the neck His body turned against the radiant light of the cafe, making him look like a demon from hell. His every word wasced with venom. ¡°Catelyn, if you¡¯re thinking of seeing anyone else while you¡¯re in a rtionship with me, I¡¯ll crush your heart,¡± snarled Cedrick sinisterly. ¡°Enough is enough!¡± Catelyn suddenly threw him off with great force. Her eyes were red rimmed as she bit her lip stubbornly. ¡°You want to crush my heart? Why don¡¯t you ask me if I even have one?!¡± cried Catelyn. ¡°If you are doubting me, we can just break up!¡± Little did Cedrick know that Catelyn¡¯s heart was already broken four years ago. Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Not only did Catelyn suffer from her family¡¯s bankruptcy, but her rtives made it worse by trampling on her, too. She even gave birth out of wedlock! Her life was already in shambles. What did it matter if Cedrick wanted to destroy it again? All Catelyn wanted was to protect her children. To add to the mix, a mysterious person appeared out of nowhere and threatened her with photos of her two children. She did not even know what the person wanted from her! What could she do? She was tired of everything. All Catelyn wanted was to be reunited with her children! Catelyn shed no tears even as she stared at Cedrick. Her rise in anger caused her blood vessels at her temple to darken and bulge a little. Her sudden resistance stunned Cedrick. Ever since that night at the Riverdale Mall, Catelyn had been humbly cautious of him, and she never lost her temper in front of him. Yet, at this moment, it was as if Catelyn was venting out all her suppressed emotions to Cedrick all at once. Cedrick¡¯s heart raced. He suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. Then, he sped the back of her head with his big palm and seized her lips with his. When they finally parted, Catelyn¡¯s beautiful cheeks were tinted red as she seemed visibly out of breath. Cedrick was in no better state than her. ¡°Keep this dirty look of yours away. I¡¯m taking you back to the hospital,¡± he said to Catelyn. ¡°You¡¯re shameless¡­¡± She never expected that he would mock her after the kiss. Holding her breath, she raised her hand and swung it toward Cedrick¡¯s handsome profile. However, she was so weak she could not even summon the strength to do it. Cedrick easily caught her hand before it could reach him. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± he sneered. Catelyn was speechless. This man downright infuriated her. How she wanted to stab his face with a needle! ¡°Unhand me right now! I¡¯ll go back to the hospital myself.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? I¡¯ll take you there,¡± said Cedrick, not giving Catelyn a chance to refuse him. He looked at her and added, ¡°Can you walk? Or would you like me to carry you to the parking lot?¡± Catelyn became even more furious as her heart burned with anger. ¡°I can walk just fine! I don¡¯t need you to carry me!¡± she hissed. Catelyn followed closely behind Cedrick as they arrived at the underground parking lot. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Half an hour had passed since the meeting time between Catelyn and the mysterious person. Should she send him a text? Perhaps she should make another appointment? As Catelyn was pondering, her phone suddenly rang. She took the phone out and saw the number on the phone screen¡­ It was the mysterious man! Catelyn¡¯s hand shook in fear, so much so that the phone almost fell to the ground. Her pupils shrank as she squeezed the phone tightly in her hand. Hearing shuffles from behind him, Cedrick turned and saw Catelyn¡¯s nervous face. ¡°Your phone is ringing. Why don¡¯t you answer it?¡± Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Chapter 323 ¡°It¡¯s just a spam call. There¡¯s no need to answer it,¡± said Catelyn, pretending to be nonchnt about it as she hung up the phone. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Deep down, however, she was very distressed. The mysterious man had called. What was he going to say to her? Her instincts were telling her to quickly find a way to get back to meet him, but since Cedrick was with her, she could not leave! Catelyn straightened her back as she got into the car, while Cedrick glimpsed at the phone in her calm, saying nothing. The car did not get that far before Catelyn¡¯s phone rang again. Thinking it was the mysterious person, Catelyn intended to hang up the call without even looking at the caller ID. Before she could do it, Cedrick, who was in the driver¡¯s seat, grabbed Catelyn¡¯s phone. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Who¡¯d actually spam calls on you?¡± he sneered. Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened in horror, looking as if she had just lost her soul. ¡°No!¡± she stretched out her hand to grab it from him. ¡°Give it back to me!¡± What if Cedrick discovered the truth? She could not imagine the consequences. She desperately tried to get her phone back. However, being a man, Cedrick was naturally stronger than Catelyn. She identally fell against his chest as she tried to reach for her phone, but Cedrick remained motionless as a mountain. He slid his finger across the phone screen and answered the call. Catelyn¡¯s heart leaped to her throat, and her whole body instantly froze. To her surprise, what came next was not the voice of a man, but the voice of a child. ¡°Big Kitty, why didn¡¯t youe home these two days?¡± Catelyn was startled. Cedrick also narrowed his eyes. Over the phone, Miles was not aware of what was happening. He was just worried that Catelyn would note home. ¡°Big Kitty, are you okay?¡± he asked, audibly concerned. ¡°Is it because of the competition?¡± Catelyn¡¯s tense nerves slowly loosened. It was Miles-not the mysterious person. ¡°Your Mommy is with me, and she won¡¯t be going home tonight,¡± said Cedrick as he frowned lightly. He could clearly feel that Catelyn was less nervous. He muttered something into the phone and ended the call. Later, while Cedrick was absent-minded, Catelyn took the opportunity to push him away and snatched her phone from his hand before she quickly opened the car door, running away. It seems that it was just a matter of time before her secret would be discovered. Cedrick stared as Catelyn left, and his eyes dulled with coldness. Who was she meeting? Whose call was she waiting for? ¡°Find out who Catelyn was supposed to meet at the coffee shop, and find out what they did,¡± said Cedrick over the phone to Eason. Catelyn ran out of Riverdale Mall and called a cab. She clutched her phone tightly, and the veins on the back of her hands seemed to be bulging. She was evidently affected by the incident with Cedrick earlier. Once in a while, she would even nervously look around, as if someone was watching her. After making sure that Cedrick was not after her, she finally turned on her phone and opened her recent call logs, finding the number from the second previous call. Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Catelyn dialed the mysterious person¡¯s number, and the wait felt long and arduous. ¡°Miss rk, I¡¯ve been waiting,¡± a deep, pleasant male voice rang into Catelyn¡¯s eardrums as the call went through. Apparently, he did not use any voice-changing device, not bothering to hide his identity at all. Catelyn could not recognize his voice, though; she probably did not know him. ¡°Who are you? How do you know about me and Cedrick?¡± asked Catelyn, holding her breath and with clenched fists. The man¡¯s voice was very gentle, though there was also a hint of sharpness, like a dormant beast. ¡°Not only do I know about you and Cedrick, but I also know that Ollie is also your son, and Miles had swapped ces with him once.¡± Catelyn was horrified. ¡°Who are you?!¡± she asked nervously. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What matters is¡­ What would Cedrick do if he found out that you stole his son?¡± taunted the man, his tone sloppy and elusive. Catelyn was not afraid of Cedrick knowing the truth about Ollie being her biological son, but she was worried that he would take Miles from her. ¡°How dare you!¡± hissed Catelyn. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The man seemed to chuckle as he added, ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve joined Mason Group. Excellent. If you want to keep your two sons safe, there¡¯s just one thing I need you to do for me.¡± OII Catelyn had a bad feeling about this. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯d listen to you?¡± she scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch,¡± said the man, and he hung up the phone. Catelyn yelled back quickly at the phone, but all she heard was the beeping dial. The person was someone from Mason Group. Could he be one of Cedrick¡¯s business rivals? Catelyn felt so agitated that she wanted to dig a hole and just bury herself in it. Suddenly, she thought of running away. She would take Ollie and Miles with her, and they would go as far as they could from Sapphire City! N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. In fact, that was exactly what Catelyn decided to do. She quickly told the cab driver to divert the route and pick up Joanne. She told Joanne all the absurd things that happened to her. ¡°Joanne, I want to bring my two kids away from here,¡± said Catelyn, still visibly shaken and choked up when she spoke. She would never imagine that someone would find out the truth about Miles and Ollie, even threatening her with it. Would this mysterious man ask her to betray Cedrick? Moreover, Cedrick was suspicious of everything. It was just a matter of time before he uncovered everything. ¡°You¡­ Are you saying that Miles isn¡¯t the son of that scumbag Jamie, but he¡¯s Cedrick¡¯s instead?¡± gasped Joanne. ¡°God, how lucky of you! Imagine if Miles goes back to Cedrick as his biological father-you¡¯re gonna be instantly rich overnight! Why are you trying to run away? I¡¯m sure Miles and Ollie would be on your side!¡± Immersed in this terrifying secret, Joanne could not help but imagine this whole incident to be a dramatic plot of a TV series. Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Catelyn looked at Joanne coldly and said, ¡°Do you think Cedrick treats me well because of Miles? Besides, I will never betray my own child for money.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just joking, don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± said Joanne. She knew Catelyn would never be able to have Miles acknowledge Cedrick as his father, but she could not help but wonder. ¡°Kitty, I know you¡¯re afraid of your child being taken away, but you need to know how powerful Cedrick is. The Mason Family would turn your whole world upside down if you kidnap their child,¡± Joanne warned. ¡°And that¡¯s why I need a brand new identity and passport. You mentioned before that you know someone in the ck market. Can you help me with this?¡± asked Catelyn. Joanne immediately understood and answered, ¡°No problem, leave this to me.¡± ¡°Thank you. I feel much better now,¡± said Catelyn. She started sobbing as she hugged Joanne. Joanne gave her a big bear hug in return. ¡°What if the mysterious person is just trying to deceive you? Maybe he wouldn¡¯t even say anything to Cedrick?¡± ¡°No.¡± Catelyn raised her eyes and said firmly, ¡°I won¡¯t bet on that at all.¡± Her child was her priority, and she would do her best to keep him. Meanwhile, L had been kneeling in front of the Atherton Manor for a full day, and both her legs felt numb. The servants would pass her constantly throughout the day, and whisper to each other as they saw L kneeling on the spot. She had just returned to the Atherton Manor yesterday. She felt extremely exhausted, and she wanted to get some good rest at home. Unexpectedly, as soon as she got home, Henry came downstairs and swiftly gave her a p without hesitation. Missus Atherton wanted tofort her, only to learn from him that Cedrick had issued a ban order to close down his constructionpany within a month. Countless of Henry¡¯s business partners had requested to cancel their cooperation ventures, not wanting to have any affiliation with him any longer after that. L knew the only person who could save the Atherton Family was Granny Atherton herself. She panicked and came to the gates of the manor and knelt the entire night. She really had no other choices apart from begging Granny to forgive her. However, no matter how L apologized, Granny Atherton never showed up. It was freezing, and L¡¯s body was so stiff that it was almost numb. A misty drizzle gradually clouded the sky, and raindrops started falling on L¡¯s long hair. SO A gust of cold wind blew. She leaned forward and stumbled onto the ground. Just when she felt like she was about to pass out, she saw a woman¡¯s figureing from the hall, facing her. L bit the tip of her tongue, and blood oozed out from the corners of her mouth, making her look even more miserable and pitiful. She looked up and saw that it was Kelly Preston. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Aunt Kelly?¡± There was obvious disappointment in L¡¯s voice, but there was still a trace of hopefulness. ¡°Aunt Kelly, is Granny willing to see me?¡± Kelly held a ck umbre in her hand and answered, ¡°Miss L, I¡¯ve done everything I can for you. Granny said that she would keep the Atherton Family from going bankrupt. However, please don¡¯t return.¡± L was shocked, feeling as if her soul had just left her body as she heard Kelly¡¯s words. If Granny Atherton abandoned L, all of her hard work over the years would be lost. What¡¯s the point of protecting the Atherton Family? It would never return to its former glory anyways. Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Chapter 326 She was crying while reaching out for Kelly¡¯s shoes. ¡°Aunt Kelly, bring me to see Granny, okay? I will apologize to her. I will not make impulsive decisions anymore. I just hated Catelyn that¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use for that.¡± Kelly interjected before L could finish her sentence. ¡°Granny had never changed her decisions once made. Plus, do you know why she was always so tolerant and amodating to you?¡± L froze and shook her head cluelessly. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you resemble Miss Summer.¡± It was a short answer but so sharp that it pierced right through L¡¯s heart. She looked at Kelly in disbelief. Of course, she knew. She was Granny Atherton¡¯s daughter who went missing twenty years ago. ¡°If I look like her, why is Granny not willing to forgive me!¡± She wept and regretted it deep down. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Granny brought her back to Atherton Manor when she was still in middle school. Granny Atherton was kind to her, and she treated Granny Atherton as though she was her own Granny too. The Atherton family also grew because of this. However, now she was told that it was only because she looked like Summer Atherton! Kelly mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s because Miss rk looks like Summer more than you do.¡± L slid to the ground. She was useless after Granny Atherton found a substitute? Why Catelyn? Why did it have to be Catelyn? Henry was still waiting at the hospital, only to see L being sent to the hospital too. He was very clear that this was the end for his family. Loue was exhausted too. She also felt bad to see her family in this condition. Loue was trying to stay hopeful. ¡°Dad, perhaps I should ask Jamie for help. Even though Jamie is not a direct rtive, he has been doing rather well recently. Maybe he could be helpful. Henry would not consider Jamie if this was in the past. Nheless, he did not have any other options. Most importantly, he wanted to retain all his coborations. Otherwise, even if Granny Atherton agreed to provide a guarantee for hispany, his name would still be too tarnished beyond repair in the industry¡­ However, when Loue called Jamie, her call was answered by his secretary. ¡°Miss Atherton, I¡¯m sorry, Jamie is in a meeting now. I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t speak to you now. If there¡¯s any urgent matter, I could pass on the message for you.¡± The secretary was smiling while beating around the bush. Loue held firmer onto her phone. ¡°When will his meeting be over?¡± ¡°I am not certain about that. Once his meeting is finished, I will get him to return the call. Is that okay?¡± The secretary was still hard to crack Loue was desperate. Right now, there are businesses calling to cancel the coboration every now and then. If she did not do something to stop the situation, the factory would not have any orders and would have to stop its operations. That would mean that thepany was making losses every minute. That would be disastrous! ¡°Was Jamie hiding from me?¡± She was annoyed and asked. Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chapter 327 The secretary paused again before answering, ¡°I have noment on your personal matter with Jamie.¡± Loue hung up and felt extremely on edge. She decided to go straight to Jamie¡¯s office. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. In the meantime, Jamie was sitting on the leather couch in the office. In his arms was a female secretary. He was also holding a cigarette in between his fingers. White smoke wafted up into the air¡­. His best friend, Joseph Welsh, sat on the couch opposite him. ¡°Jamie, do you really not care about Loue anymore?¡± Joseph Welsh rubbed his palm against his chin, and he looked as though he was up to no good. Jamie knew what he was up to and waved his hand impatiently. ¡°I was with her only because of her family. Now I got bored, plus Granny Atherton did not really care about her anymore. Why should I care for her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s pregnant with your child.¡± Jamie suddenly smiled sinisterly. ¡°If you could transfer the title of thatnd in the East City to me, I would get her to keep youpany.¡± Joseph¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You promise?¡± ¡°Yes, I promise.¡± Jamie tapped his cigarette, and the secretary¡¯s body trembled. She bumped her fist on his chest yfully and said flirtatiously, ¡°You¡¯re so naughty, Jamie.¡± Catelyn was nervous when she went to work at the Mason Group. She was worried about attracting Cedrick¡¯s attention by breaching the contract right after signing it, so she could onlye to the office for now. However, she was also concerned that once she reported for duty, the mysterious man would be after her. What should she do then? When she first joined thepany, Cedrick was outstation. She did not get to know about this through Cedrick himself but heard it from Ollie. ¡°Mummy, my father is going to Nathends for a meeting. When are you free? I will get Grandpa Albert to arrange for someone to pick you up?¡± Since Cedrick was away, this meant he could have more quality time together with his mother. Catelyn was a little surprised. ¡°He is outstation?¡± ¡°Yes, didn¡¯t he tell you? He flew off this morning. He may be away for a week. I thought you knew about this.¡± Catelyn was a little shocked to hear this. She opened her call log on the phone and then checked all her social media applications. Cedrick certainly did not leave any messages for her and did not inform her about his trip. Even though they had never been equal in the rtionship, Catelyn was still feeling a little iffy about this. She wondered if she had pissed him off that day in the garage. On the flip side, this was good for her. She could avoid him and investigate things further. Soon, her anxiety about adapting to the newpany was distracted by her insecurity about her rtionship. She was ced in the Design Department. Her role was Assistant Architect. There was a big project going on recently, so everyone in the department was very upied. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Chapter 328 The department had around thirty members in total. Five of them were engineers, while the rest were architects and designers. The Design Director was an infamous international engineer cum architect, Winnie Mason. She was also Cedrick¡¯s cousin. She was very much respected as the leader and mastermind of the entire team. George Graham was also her subordinate. Catelyn started her new job that morning. Another designer did so too. Coincidentally, it was the girl she met the other day at the interview, Samantha. She put on dainty makeup and looked extra youthful and energetic. Samantha was really shocked to see her. Did she pass the interview too? ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Samantha carried her bang, smiled, and strode across to Catelyn. She gave her a big hug. ¡°I heard there are two new designers who are joining the department today. I did not expect the other one to be you! We are colleagues from now on. My name is Samantha¡­¡± Catelyn was not used to her friendliness and politely shook her hand. ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Catelyn.¡± ¡°Catelyn, beautiful name.¡± Samantha was smiling sincerely. At this very moment, a fashionable yet professional woman walked in. Her tiny waist moved side to side as she walked. She looked at Catelyn and Samantha. ¡°Are two of you the new Assistant Architects?¡± Catelyn and Samantha nodded at the same time. Before Catelyn could say anything, Samantha went up to her, smiling, and shook her hand.¡± Miss Monroe, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I am Samantha. Our school showcased your designs before, and they are exemry. Pleased to be your colleague.¡± The woman grinned upon hearing thepliments and asked happily, ¡°Your school showcased my designs?¡± ¡°Yes, Designer Jennifer Monroe, that is you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jennifer subconsciously straightened her back in pride and said proudly, ¡°Great. You and Catelyn would be following me. However, there is a big project going on recently, and everyone is tied down. I don¡¯t have much time to guide both of you. You will need to be attentive and proactive in learning.¡± Samantha and Catelyn both nodded. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. They both sat at the desks outside of Jennifer¡¯s office, side by side. There was no separator in between As soon as Jennifer¡¯s office door was shut, Samantha stuck her tongue out at Catelyn and said, ¡°I heard about her. She is a Scorpio, famous for being revengeful. Thankfully I have = = = SEL entertained her well¡­¡± Then, Samantha continued to bber about the internal culture of thepany. She had long dreamed of joining Mason Group when she was still in college, and she had seniors doing internships in the firm before. It was natural for her to have some insights and gossip about thepany. She talked about how tyrannic Winnie was, how hierarchical thepany was, and how good the employee perks were¡­ However, in the end, Catelyn¡¯s attention was on one gossip¡­ ¡°You are saying that Jennifer has a crush on George?¡± ¡°Shh¡­¡± Samantha quickly covered Catelyn¡¯s mouth, trying to hush her. She said sternly,¡± Don¡¯t you be so loud. If Jennifer finds out that I am gossiping about her personal life, I would be ruined!¡± Catelyn stuck her tongue out too. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is too surprising¡­¡± She had worked with George before, and he was excellent. He was also a very handsome man, and it was normal for Jennifer to be fond of him. Toward the end of the third day, Catelyn was packing her stuff, and nning to have dinner with Samantha at a nearby ce after work. After all, they both just met. Dinner would be helpful to bond the two. However, George was unexpectedly waiting for her at the door. Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Samantha recognized George from his photo, so she walked to him, grinning. ¡°Mister Graham?¡± Samantha shook his hand. ¡°Are you here to see Miss Monroe? She is still working. I can help you to call her¡­¡± George frowned slightly, hearing Jennifer¡¯s name. When he saw that Catelyn was walking out with Samantha, he smiled again and shook his head lightly ¡°No, I am here to meet Catelyn.¡± ¡°Catelyn?¡± Samantha¡¯s jaw went unhinged. Her gaze alternated between George and Catelyn.¡± You¡­ You both knew each other? Oh my gosh, Catelyn, no wonder you were so interested in the gossip between Miss Monroe and Mister Graham. You were jealous!¡± Catelyn was sweating, and she was worried that George had misunderstood it. She exined,¡± Don¡¯t you make assumptions. I had worked with George before on a project. Therefore we know each other. There¡¯s no gossip like you thought. I guess you should find a better career as a paparazzi instead of an Assistant Architect¡­¡± ¡°Haha, no way, I will not be a paparazzi. I need to climb the corporatedder,¡± Samantha said and pushed Catelyn to George and then waved. ¡°Looks like I have to have dinner alone tonight. I will not stand in your way. Go on¡­¡± George then gave Samantha a grateful look and then asked Catelyn, ¡°May I have the honor of inviting you for dinner?¡± ¡°Of course, you still owe me a meal.¡± Catelyn did not reject it. Otherwise, it would be awkward. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The two walked away together as the smile on Samantha¡¯s face vanished. No wonder Catelyn could make it into thepany just with a high school certificate. It was George giving her support behind her. Samantha pouted her pink lips and scanned around the office. Suddenly, her gaze fixated on Jennifer¡¯s office door. An iprehensible smile appeared on her face. Cedrick got back to Sapphire City in the wee hours. Charles had been waiting for his return. As soon as Cedrick touched down, he handed a secretive folder to Cedrick. ¡°Master Cedrick, this is the result of the investigation you requested before you left.¡± Cedrick received the folder and did not immediately check its content. Instead, he threw it into the passenger seat and revved the car. He pressed on the elerator and sped along the highway. He was unsure how long he drove, and he stopped by a gas station when he was almost at an empty tank. While the worker was refilling his tank, his gaze fell upon the folder¡­ It felt like a pandora¡¯s box. He had a strong feeling that the content was not something he wished to know about. In the end, he still opened the seal of the folder, and a stack of photos slid out into his vision. Based on the surveince footage, Catelyn changed her coat in a hurry and took a cab to the Riverdale Mall¡¯s rooftop cafe. She did not meet anyone along the way, and the only suspicious ce was at the stairwell¡­ The photo clearly showed a man pulling Catelyn¡¯s hand. He had gentle eyes, and he was chatting with Catelyn, smiling. Cedrick¡¯s eyes were cold, looking at the handsome man¡¯s smile. vas Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Chapter 330 He stared at the photo for a long time. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He was the person she met? In the days that Catelyn was waiting for Joanne and the mysterious man, she was mostly just languishing. She would not take much initiative at work, but she would not drag the team¡¯s progress either. She tried to lie low and be invisible. Today, she finished her task given by Jennifer and then helped Samantha with a dataparison table. Halfway through, Samantha suddenly nudged her shoulder, signaling toward the doorway. Catelyn looked to where she pointed. George was here again, smiling at her gently, seemingly trying to have a conversation. ¡°Catelyn, Mister Graham have been here to see you three times this week, no?¡± Samantha giggled yfully. Catelyn pretended to be annoyed and buried herself in the table. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s looking for someone else.¡± ¡°He is obviously looking at you.¡± Samantha then snatched her papers away and pushed her to the door. ¡°Here, this was originally my task. You go on with your date, I can handle this.¡± Catelyn did not say anything more. She indeed had something to rify with George She was no fool, and she knew what George was up to. She would be lying if she said she had no idea why George looked for her so frequently. She took a deep breath, and kept the documents on her desk, then walked to the door. It was nearing the end of the day, but Jennifer had not logged off. People could not help but take a few looks at Catelyn when she left. Catelyn did not care much either. George brought Catelyn to an Italean restaurant, George remembered the first meal that Catelyn bought him was a steak, and it tasted good. He went back to the ce a few times after that, sometimes even with his friends. However, when it was not with Catelyn, it felt as though something was missing. George had ordered the food beforehand. After the two got seated, the waiter served a bottle of red wine and some fruits as appetizers. George nervously gulped two sses of wine down his throat, and he blushed. Before Catelyn could say anything, George looked right into her eyes, mustered his courage, and said, ¡°Cat¡­ Catelyn, I have something to tell you.¡± His face grew even redder. Under the warm light, he looked very sincere. Catelyn did not have the heart to hurt him. es ¡°I have something to tell you too.¡± ¡°No, let me say it first.¡± George then gulped another ss of wine down, riding on the extra courage that the alcohol provided, and he said, ¡°I like you, Catelyn. Would you like to be my girlfriend?¡± The world paused for a few seconds. Catelyn did not expect him to be so straightforward, and the smile on her face faded a little. She poured herself a ss of wine too. The wine was a little strong, and she could feel her throat burning. ¡°I like you too, George.¡± George¡¯s nervous eyes immediately lit up, but before he could hold Catelyn¡¯s hands, Catelyn said, ¡°I only like you as a friend, as a colleague. Not romantically.¡± The light in George¡¯s eyes went out. He asked anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t you reject me so soon. Are you concerned for your child? I promise I will treat him as my own.¡± ¡°What about your parents?¡± Catelyn went straight to the point. ¡°Can they ept a girl who has never been married but has a child already? George, I am grateful for all the care and guidance that you gave me in the office. You deserve a better girl.¡± Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Chapter 331 ¡°They¡­ They can¡¯t ept it yet. Trust me, give me some time. I can convince them.¡± George panicked and grabbed Catelyn¡¯s hands. His heart was racing just at the thought of it. George then promised earnestly, ¡°To me, you are the best. I have fallen for you since the first time we met. However, you were still with BrightGene Group back then. I knew that it was not time yet, but now¡­ Everything has fallen into ce. Can you give me a chance and allow me to take care of you and Miles, okay?¡± Their eyes interlocked. Catelyn could see her own reflection in his eyes. She believed he was being serious. However, she also believed that she was a problem ma for now. She had a lot of problems to solve, and whoever hooked up with her would be unfortunate too. She did not want to involve any other people. Furthermore¡­ She might leave Mason Group very soon. ¡°I am sorry, George, we can be friends.¡± Catelyn slowly pulled her hands out of his, ced two red bills on the table, turned, and walked away. If she could not answer him, then she should not keep his hopes up. The breeze kissed her face when she stepped out of the Italean restaurant. Her flowy hair waved by the wind by her ears. She felt refreshed when her phone rang. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. She saw Cedrick¡¯s name on the caller, and her pupils constricted slightly. Other than nervousness, she felt a little bit of anticipation. They did not contact each other after that unpleasant day in the car. He went outstation for work, and she joined thepany. They did not cross paths, but now¡­ Was he back in the country? Catelyn bit her lower lip, and once she was certain that her voice sounded normal again, she picked up the phone. Before she could say hello, she heard his cold voice. ¡°I am about 50 meters in the street to your right. Come over.¡± Her chest full of enthusiasm was immediately dampened. Catelyn¡¯s expression was stiff too. She looked to her left and saw a ck Spiker under an old oak tree. She had seen this car in the garage at Mason Estate before. Shepartmentalized her emotions, gave herself a little cheer, and then sprinted toward Cedrick¡¯s Spiker. However, she could smell the smoke as soon as she got near. ¡°Ollie said you would be outstation for a week. I thought you would only be back after a few days.¡± Cedrick could tell that she was not being sincere but instead was merely trying to please him. He was not exactly happy about that. ¡°Of course, you would not wish for me to be back earlier.¡± ¡°That is not the case. Plus, you did not inform me when you left.¡± Cedrick responded with a cold smile, ¡°Are you ming me for not telling you?¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± Catelyn was patient at first, but she got a little annoyed by Cedrick¡¯s attitude. ¡°If you are still mad at me, just let me leave! Out of sight, out of mind.¡± Catelyn stared right into his eyes after saying that. She sounded like she really would leave without any hesitation if he asked her to. Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Cedrick was triggered. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Looks like you really are still mad at me. I will leave now.¡± Catelyn did not want to stay and argue with him. That would ruin her mood. Cedrick did not expect her to leave and shouted at the top of his lungs through the ss window pane in between them, ¡°Catelyn, leave if you dare!¡± Catelyn did not say anything. What was he ying? The air was still. Cedrick¡¯s cigarette burnt halfway through, and the ashes fell lightly on the back of his hand. He could not bother to dust them off. He tugged at his tie impatiently and pushed the passenger seat door open. ¡°Get in, or are you waiting for an invite?¡± Catelyn wondered if his brain was damaged by something; otherwise, why did he be in such a horrible mood? However, Catelyn did not have the heart to annoy him any further, not after that incident that day. She got in the car obediently and fastened her seatbelt. She looked up from the car and realized that it was a perfect angle to see where she was sitting with George in the restaurant. Did that mean¡­ Cedrick watched her entire dinner with George? She tried to observe his expression through the corner of her eyes. His facial muscles were tense, seemingly angry. Was he so angry because he saw her having dinner with George? ¡°I got into the Design Department of yourpany.¡± Catelyn seemed to be excited and continued bbering, ¡°I did not expect George to be part of the team too. He is popr across the department. My supervisor even has a crush on him. You hired him to design Ollie¡¯s mansion. Was it because he is just so good at it?¡± The more she talked, the worse he looked. His face was grim. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°George helped me a lot in thepany too. I decided to treat him to lunch tomorrow.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Cedrick took a big breath on his cigarette. He snickered and puffed the smoke on Catelyn¡¯s face. Defenseless, Catelyn choked on the smoke. She could feel the smoke stuck in her lungs and was coughing furiously. She held the cor of her blouse, and she felt nauseated. Cedrick was finally at peace, not hearing George¡¯s name. However, she was coughing incessantly, and he could not help but frown. He held the steering wheel in one hand and pulled over by the roadside. His other hand patted her back, attempting to soothe her. ¡°Did you choke?¡± ¡°Try getting hot boxed by me.¡± Catelyn red furiously at him with her bloodshot eyes. Cedrick did not say anything but continued to smoke. The smoke was a little too strong, and Catelyn frowned. ¡°I am feeling unwell. If you want to continue smoking, please let me get out of the car now.¡± Cedrick flinched lightly and slowly ced his hand holding the cigarette out of the window. ¡°You went on a date with George while I was away. Now that I am back, you can¡¯t stop talking about him. Are you testing if I am jealous?¡± ¡°You are the Master Cedrick. There are so many women out there who would plunge themselves into you. How is it possible for you to be jealous?¡± ¡°Good that you¡¯re aware of it.¡± Cedrick pinched at his cigarette and put it off a little more forceful than necessary. The cigarette butt was crumpled. He then said defiantly, ¡°I am not jealous because of you.¡± Just like how you lied to me. How could you expect me to be honest when you lied to me? Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Chapter 333 In fact, Catelyn and George¡¯s dinner had ended as soon as it started. Cedrick brought Catelyn to one of the restaurants he frequented and opened a bottle of red wine. Catelyn had drunk a bit of wine during the dinner with George, and she was aware that she was not much of a drinker, so she declined it at first. After the waiter¡¯s introduction and exnation that the alcohol content was lower, she finally took one sip of it. The taste was sweet and was not at all bitter like most reds. It had a faint hint of fruity fragrance, and so she took a few more sips. Her attention was all on the wine and had missed out on Cedrick¡¯s silent gaze. Little did she know that this wine was indeed low in alcohol content, but the after-effects were expected to be strong. Cedrick picked up a few business calls during dinner. Catelyn quietly cut the steak into pieces and sent them to his te. Cedrick noticed her gesture, and somehow his gaze was a little sharp. Catelyn pretended to have not noticed and wondered that if she really left Sapphire City with Miles, they probably would not ever cross paths again. Not sure why, but she was a little depressed at the thought. Catelyn then poured herself a ss of wine and gulped it down her throat. She could feel the bitter and warm liquid gliding down her esophagus. ¡°One more bottle, please,¡± Catelyn ordered. The waiter came by but looked at Cedrick. ¡°Give it to her,¡± Cedrick said. ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡± The waiter then recorded the table number and promptly retrieved another bottle of the same wine. Catelyn got it uncorked, and one ss after another, she gulped the bottle down in an attempt to forget about her unhappy thoughts. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Cedrick did not stop her but even started drinking with her. ¡°This is not strong enough. Would you like to change to another one?¡± Catelyn was already slightly tipsy by now. Her clear face was blushing, and her gaze was unable to focus. She tilted her head and looked at Cedrick. His lips were red, his teeth pearly white, and his eyes were calm. With the alcohol, he looked a little casual, unlike his usual self. ¡°Yes, please.¡± Catelyn nodded her head firmly. After twenty minutes, Catelyn¡¯s brain was entirely under the alcohol¡¯s control, and the table was full of wine bottles. Catelyn finished herst sip and called for the check. She then stumbled her way out of the restaurant. She identally tripped on a chair on her way and felt the world spinning. She was about to hit the ground when a big palm caught her in time. ¡°Careful.¡± Cedrick held her by her waist in his arms. Her cheek was on his chest, her hands fumbled around, trying to get hold of something, and she finally settled on grabbing his shirt. Yes, she was holding his shirt, not his coat. She reached out, grabbed his shirt from underneath his coat, and pulled it down. Cedrick was a little ufortable to be pulled like that, but he did not let go of her, instead, his lips were brushing against the back of her ear lightly. ¡°You¡¯re drunk. Let me find you a ce to rest.¡± The man¡¯s voice and scent surrounded her, and she looked up to take a good look at his face. She could only see a ring of light re around his silhouette. His face was magnified in the warm light. She reached her hand out, attempting to stabilize his face by grabbing hold of his chin. Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Chapter 334 ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Maybe because she was drunk, her voice was soft. Cedrick held her tightly by her waist and walked across the red carpet in the restaurant to the six-star hotel next to it. As soon as they went into the elevator, Catelyn tugged at her own cor. Cedrick got hold of her hands, and she could not get out of his grip. She stood on her toes and bit his chin indignantly. It was not a forceful bite, just a gentle one with her teeth grinding on his chin. Cedrick¡¯s hand exerted more pressure on hers. He was very conscious about the reason why he made her so drunk. It was not just for this. Her brain was not functioning well, and she was mumbling something he could not make out. ¡°Catelyn?¡± Cedrick pinned her to the wall of the room. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Catelyn tilted her head to one side and took one look at him. Her nostrils were filled with the scent of his shaving cream. ¡°Cedrick Mason¡­¡± ¡°Good.¡± Cedrick patted her head, like petting a little kitten. ¡°Tell me, do you like me?¡± Catelyn flinched, her stomach was not feeling too well, and the alcohol effects were still strong. Her face was as red as a cooked shrimp. She giggled and murmured something as though she was thinking hard about the question. Did she like him? She first nodded, then shook her head. ¡°Like¡­ but also don¡¯t like¡­¡± Cedrick grabbed her hand and ced it on his chest right over where his heart was. His body was scorching hot under the sheeryer of his shirt. Catelyn wanted to withdraw her hand, but Cedrick did not even give her a chance. ¡°Why can¡¯t you like me?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Catelyn felt that she could barely breathe, and her head was heavy. Cedrick forcefully kissed her earlobe and said, ¡°Tell me, why can¡¯t you like me?¡± ¡°He¡­ He doesn¡¯t like it if I¡­ We can¡¯t.¡± Cedrick frowned, hearing the broken sentence. ¡°What is your rtionship with Alexander?¡± Cedrick was grim. She could not think straight anymore, her head was getting heavier, and her brain foggy. She could only repeat herself, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t know him¡­ I want to rest already¡­¡± Don¡¯t know him? Cedrick snickered. ¡°What did Alexander ask you to do? Tell me, and I will let you rest, okay?¡± His deep voice echoed in her ears. She waspletely drunk. Cedrick¡¯s long arm was still wrapped around her waist, and he was patiently coaxed, ¡°Tell me, what is your rtionship with Alexander?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Right after he finished his sentence, Catelyn looked up and kissed his lips. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Cedrick wanted to pull her away because he still had not finished asking his questions. Catelyn was already presumptuous and was all over him. The one tiny string holding his conscience together was about to break. Amidst the silent chaos, Cedrick then hugged her by her waist. Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Catelyn woke up with a hangover and a headache so bad that she felt her head splitting. Her body was also aching, with an indescribable sore spreading from her head. Catelyn supported her head with one hand and sat up from the bed. Something felt heavy in her hand. She opened her palm and saw a pendant. It was made of a thick clear piece of crystal. The sunlight refracted through it, causing beautiful shimmers as though glittery stars were contained within. On the t side of it, an initial ¡®CM¡¯ was engraved on it. It was one rare piece of clear opal crystal. Catelyn was a little surprised. Where did thise from? A few forgotten scenes shed back in her mind. Catelyn stared at the big bed in front of her, and her body suddenly froze. Was she¡­ too drunk yesterday and did something out of the line? On this very same bed, her soul went back to the night before, watching herself like a bystander Catelyn felt the chills down her spine. She recalled it. This pendant belonged to Cedrick. She saw it on him before, at Riverdale Mall. Catelyn covered her face with the nket in shame. She must have embarrassed herself too much beyond repair. Why did she drink so much even though she was well aware that she was not much of a drinker? ¡°Catelyn, no matter what your intention is, you should not quit this game until I say so.¡± ck! The door knob was turned open. Cedrick¡¯s tall figure appeared, and he looked slightly rxed, seeing Catelyn was still sleeping All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. in. It was not a good idea to have her drunk. He would try other ways to fish information out of her next time. ¡°Breakfast is ready. Would you like to have it in bed or at the restaurant?¡± He ced a bag of clothes at the end of the bed. Catelyn saw a deep scratch on his corbone. It was obviously a mark caused by a fingernail scratch. ¡°I¡­ I will have it at the restaurant. Just give me a minute to wash up.¡± Catelyn was embarrassed. She snuck to the end of the bed under the duvet and grabbed the bag of clothes. Even though it was a little embarrassing, she was hidden under the duvet and could not be seen. She changed quickly and left the bed. She remembered something and ran back to the bed, picking up the opal crystal pendant under her pillow, and passed it to Cedrick. ¡°This is your pendant. I¡¯m sorry to have pulled it out.¡± The pendant was originally hung on a silver ne, which was already broken. Cedrick pulled her into his arms. His lips were slightly curved upward, smiling yfully.¡± Looks like you remember what happened yesterday night?¡± She could not help but think about how they could not resist buty together in bedst night. Catelyn¡¯s face grew redder and redder, and her breathing was uneven. ¡°I¡­ I could not drink much. You knew about this¡­¡± Why did he not stop her? She even let him pay for all the wine that she ordered. Cedrick said affectionately with his deep voice, ¡°Yes, you are not much of a drinker, but I would forgive you since you were so funst night.¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart was beating aggressively. She pushed him away and dashed into the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, Catelyn started brushing her teeth and washing herself up. Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Chapter 336 She squeezed the toothpaste onto her toothbrush and was about to put it into her mouth when she noticed the hickeys on her neck. There were a lot of them, in different shades of red. The clothes that Cedrick bought for her that she had just changed had a low-cut front, revealing the hickeys on her neck. Catelyn was feeling embarrassed and troubled about it. There was no scarf for her to match the dress. How should she hide the hickeys? She had to go to the office shortly, and it would be awkward for her to go in with a neck full of marks. She would be the hottest topic for gossip. Cedrick noticed that she had been in the bathroom for a long time, so he knocked on the door and reminded her, ¡°Your breakfast is turning cold soon, don¡¯t take too long.¡± Catelyn felt exasperated. If it were not for these hickeys that he nted on her, would she need to take this long in the bathroom? Finally, she decided to put on her clothes from yesterday. Cedrick was still standing by the door, waiting for her, when she came out. He saw that she was wearing her dirty clothes and frowned slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t like the dress that I bought for you?¡± He handpicked the dress himself. It was a dress that would snatch her waist beautifully. Catelyn had a petite frame. Cedrick thought it would suit her and bring out her body figure very well. I Catelyn was a little shy. ¡°I do like it, but¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no but, if you like it, just put it on. How could you feel comfortable in dirty clothes?¡± Cedrick¡¯s tone left no room for negotiation. He actually liked Catelyn to wear his dress, that way he would feel aplished. Catelyn stood still, and so Cedrick looked at her threateningly. ¡°Are you waiting for me to change it for you?¡± Catelyn knew that she could not hide it anymore, so she decided to just put her ego aside and suddenly pulled down her cor. She closed her eyes and said, ¡°Look at this. It¡¯s all over my neck! The cor of the dress is so low. How could I wear that today?¡± Cedrick looked to where she pointed. The hickeys on her cor bones were too obvious. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He smiled subconsciously. ¡°How dare youugh!¡± Catelyn was furious and red at him. Cedrick¡¯s big palmnded on her head. He rubbed around, ruffling her hair. He said, ¡°Yes, I did that.¡± Catelyn was enraged. She did not expect him to be so nonchnt about it. Her cheeks were puffy. She stepped on his shoes angrily for a while before running away from the bathroom. Catelyn was picking out another outfit at the mall, with Cedrick as herpany. Her body was sore. Cedrick sent her to the street near thepany as she did not allow Cedrick to send her any closer. There were not many cars, so Catelyn arrived at the office rather early. Samantha, on the other hand, waste. Her seat was still empty. Jennifer came in. She took one nce at Catelyn and Samantha¡¯s empty seat and said with obvious disdain in her voice, ¡°Have you finished the dataparison task that I assigned yesterday?¡± Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Chapter 337 It was the task that Samantha did not manage to finish, and she asked Catelyn for her help. ¡°It should bepleted. Hold on, let me search for it¡­¡± Catelyn pretended not to have seen Jennifer¡¯s dissatisfaction and searched around Samantha¡¯s table. Soon, she found the data tables for Jennifer. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Jennifer took the documents from her but did not leave immediately. She nced at Catelyn¡¯s arm. ¡°Some people dream of getting to the top, but they forgot to do a reality check on their background and education.¡± Catelyn felt strange, hearing that. What did she even mean? When did she want to get to the top? Could it be¡­ Jennifer saw Cedrick sending her to thepany? Catelyn decided to ignore what she said and continued to work. Samantha came in half an hourte. She peeked at Jennifer¡¯s office and was relieved. She winked at Catelyn and said, ¡°Thank God she is not in. I thought I was going to be reprimanded ¡°She asked for your report, and I had given her the one that you did yesterday,¡± Catelyn said while pointing at her desk. Samantha did not care much but looked at Catelyn cheekily. ¡°How did your date with George go? You look weak. You must have had very little sleepst night. Was he amazing in bed?¡± Catelyn choked on her water and looked at Samantha in shock. She looked so young, but her thoughts were surprisingly dirty. ¡°Oh my God, don¡¯t tell me you are shy!¡± Samantha grinned and poured her a ss of water, and said with her know-it-all expression, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be shy about in front of me. Mister Graham is such a wonderful person. You should appreciate this opportunity. You don¡¯t have to work anymore in the future, just stay home and be a hot wife.¡± Catelyn did not want to continue this conversation with her anymore. ¡°Samantha, George and I are just friends. Don¡¯t you talk about this anymore. I don¡¯t wish this to affect him.¡± ¡°What are you scared of¡­¡± Samantha grinned, her gaze fixated on Catelyn¡¯s wrist. ¡°I already saw your hickeys here!¡± Catelyn only noticed there were red marks all over her arm. The marks were in a lighter shade, which was why she overlooked them¡­ However, it was still obvious at a closer distance. No wonder Jennifer was talking to her that way. She probably thought Catelyn was hooking up with someonest night. Catelyn hastily pulled her sleeves down a little and covered up the marks. In the afternoon, Catelyn went to the pantry to refill her water. She was secretly cursing Cedrick in her head. As soon as she turned around the corner, she heard a few female colleagues gossiping. ¡°Do you guys think that was real?¡± ¡°Catelyn and George are really dating?¡± ¡°I heard that they went to the famous Italean restaurant for dinner together and hung out together until late. Did you not see that Catelyn had dark eye circles around her eyes today and she looked really tired¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you make false usations. She looks quite demure. She is not that kind of girl.¡± ¡°False usations? It¡¯s usually the more innocent-looking women who are the horniest! She is so pretty, and she was born with privilege.¡± Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Chapter 338 ¡°Also, did you see what she is wearing today? I saw it in the magazine before. It costs ten thousand dors. It is thetest season design. It must have been gifted by Mister Graham. Otherwise, how could she possibly afford that with her wages?¡± Catelyn was gripping hard on her mug. She felt that the pantry suddenly became an unpleasant ce. She turned and returned to her seat quietly. Samantha saw that she looked a little off after returning from the pantry. Samantha approached and asked caringly, ¡°Catelyn, you don¡¯t look too good. Are you okay?¡± Catelyn smiled and answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting off work soon. I have a date with my boyfriend tonight. If Miss Monroe asks, just say I went to the bathroom¡­¡± Catelyn showed her an ¡®Ok¡¯ sign with her fingers. Samantha then quietly packed her bag and snuck out. As soon as Samantha stepped out of the office, Jennifer came by her seat. However, judging by how outraged she was, she did not look like she was there to check on them but more like she was there to question someone. Smack! She mmed a stack of documents on the desk and pointed at Catelyn¡¯s nose. ¡°So this is the data that you submitted to me?¡± Catelyn looked at Jennifer, dumbfounded. ¡°What was wrong with the data?¡± ¡°You take a look at it yourself. How many mistakes are there?¡± Jennifer crossed her arms in front of her chest, and she was venting furiously, ¡°The most obvious one was the wholesale price of the P.0.42.5 R Cement we purchased from Johnson Construction Materialsst year. The cost was 520 dors per tonne. At the same time, the price of the cement elerator was 1,500 dors per tonne. You have mixed the two up! Do you know that this schedule was submitted to the Director? The Director will need to use this for the business negotiation. Are you dumb? How could you make such a silly mistake on sohing so simple!¡± Jennifer had juste out of Winnie¡¯s office, and she had just been reprimanded too. Of course, she had to pass on the me from the top to her bottom. Catelyn picked up the messy document folders on her table and found the field that she imed to be wrong. There was indeed such a silly mistake in the deliverable. Plus, there were also a few other spots that showed very obvious mistakes in the pricing. ¡°The data at the back was not done by me. I only helped with the first half of it¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who did the front or back. The document was handed to me by you and only you, so I only know it is you!¡± Jennifer was furious and red at Catelyn coldly. ¡°Redo this dataparison. I want to see this on my table tomorrow morning.¡± There were many staff who were still in the office at this hour. A lot of people were attracted by the noise, and all snuck their heads out to watch the drama. Catelyn could sense a few less than friendly andAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org. judgemental gazes from around her. She took a deep breath. Jennifer was not wrong either. She did not make a thorough check before handing the document to her. Catelyn remainedposed and said, ¡°Understood. I will send it to you on time tomorrow.¡± Jennifer was initially waiting for her to answer back and did not expect her to promise so soon. After all, this was a rather tedious task. It would take two people to finish it within a day. However, since Catelyn had made her promise, she would wait for the oue. Catelyn sat in front of her desk and sighed. What was wrong with Samantha? However, she was already out on her date with her boyfriend. Catelyn did not want to tell her about this either. Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Catelyn continued working until midnight. Everyone in the office had left except her, and even the janitor left too. Catelyn was stillparing her data, she was about to finish when her stomach started rumbling. She thought she could finish before midnight, but it seemed that she might need another half an hour for it¡­ In the quiet office, the windows were left ajar. Wind gushed through, smacking the ss panes of the window, and the curtains were whistling in the wind. It was a breezy night. Catelyn could literally feel the chills down her spine, so she rose from her seat to close the windows. When she returned to her seat, she was shocked to see a tall silhouette standing by the door! All the lights in the corridor were turned off. His shadow was cast onto the ss door, which looked a little eerie in the quiet night. Catelyn¡¯s heart skipped a beat as well, as though her soul had left her body for one second and returned. The shadow moved, and Catelyn took a few steps back, her heart racing. Finally, the shadow came under the light. His prominent features were finally clearly visible. His leather shoes squeaked as he strode across. Catelyn¡¯s heart beat rhythmically to every sound of his footsteps. It was Cedrick, not a ghost. Cedrick was frowning. He looked around and said, ¡°Did I scare you?¡± ¡°I almost passed out!¡± Catelyn was relieved but was also surprised to see him. ¡°It¡¯ste. Why are you still at the office?¡±. ¡°Aren¡¯t you still at the office as well?¡± Cedrick took one look at his watch, and it was past twelve. The lights of other houses were mostly turned off, and only the street lights and traffic lights were still shining in the quiet night.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. He looked at herputer and asked, ¡°Are you still working?¡± ¡°Yes, I have just a little bit more to finish. You go ahead.¡± Cedrick walked to her desk and looked at the screen. He understood that she wasparing the pricing. He clicked save, and before Catelyn could react, he clicked on the button to shut theputer down. The screen went ck, and Catelyn leaped forward, trying to protect herputer, ¡°What are you doing? I have not finished it!¡± ¡°Work is endless.¡± Catelyn was about to say that they needed the data by tomorrow, but she did not feel like getting into an argument with him either. She thought just toe in early tomorrow to finish it. She noticed Cedrick was watching her, not blinking once as she was thinking. She could not help but touch her cheeks. Did she have something on her face? Under the bright office light, her skin was silky smooth. Twenty-four hours ago, she was still lying in his arms, looking at him with her watery, doe-like eyes. Cedrick took a step forward, getting right close up to her, and asked, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± His voice was deep. It sounded extraordinarily seductive in such a quiet office where no one was around. Catelyn was confused. She had no clue what he was referring to without any context. ¡°What?¡± Cedrick¡¯s voice was a little too dangerously sexy. Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Chapter 340 His words brought her back to the night before. She pretended not to have heard it, but the man watched her intensely. ¡°Not saying anything?¡± Cedrick observed her reactions and deliberately said very slowly. She did not want to say anything because she did not want to think about it. Why was this man so shamelessly bugging her about that? ¡°No!¡± Catelyn¡¯s ears were red, and she finally spitted out one word. ¡°If it is no longer hurting, why were your legs shaking when you got out of the car this morning?¡± Cedrick enjoyed teasing her, hunched forward, and nted a gentle kiss on her soft lips. The familiar scent of after-shave filled her nostrils again, and Catelyn took one step back. However, the desk was behind her, and she had nowhere to hide. She could only lean backward. Catelyn¡¯s body was flexible. Her body was half bent, and her hands were on his chest, resisting him. ¡°I just slipped this morning! Let me go. This is the office, and there are surveince cameras around¡­¡± Catelyn was a little nervous but thrilled at the same time. ¡°The security system is going through maintenance and upgrade. The surveince cameras are off now.¡± Catelyn looked at the handsome face before her nervously, and hershes were trembling. Her fists that were pushing against him were also let loose, turning into a gentle grab on his cor. However, when she closed her eyes, and his kiss was about tond on her¡­ Snap! The office was pitch ck. A few light rays shone through the window, and Catelyn pushed him away. ¡°Office is where you work. You should be more serious as the CEO.¡± Behind Cedrick was a chair. He was caught off guard and knocked onto the chair, making a loud thud. The chair then fell to the ground and made a loud noise uponnding on the ground. The lovey-dovey atmosphere vanished all at once and was reced with Cedrick¡¯s dangerous aura. Catelyn could only imagine how bad he looked in this pitch ckness. ¡°Cedrick, are you okay?¡± Catelyn felt around, wanting to pick him up. Not sure if he got injured? Silence answered her. After a while, Cedrick said rhetorically, ¡°Why don¡¯t you fall and find out? Catelyn was not sure if he was unhappy that she interjected him or that she pushed him onto the chair. She took out her phone from her bag, and with the aid of the light from her screen, she could see Cedrick standing about one meter away from her, looking at her sharply. His gaze was piercing like a hawk in the night sky as though he had managed to catch his prey. Catelyn was a little nervous and immediately diverted the conversation. ¡°You were saying that the security systems are going through an update? Is the ckout happening because of that?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Cedrick¡¯s brows were furrowed but then smoothed out shortly after. His necktie was messy too. He looked flustered, which was a total contrast to his usual elegant and graceful self. ¡°The Administrative Department had sent out a memo to everyone. Did you not receive it?¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart sank a little. She did not arrive early at the office today, but she was definitely notte either. She should have already received the memo if there was one. She shook her head in all honesty. ¡°No one told me that the security systems are going through an upgrade tonight, and I did not know that there would be a ckout.¡± Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Why else would Catelyn remain in the office to work overtime? All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Even if she did not have enough time topare the data, she could have taken them home to analyze. The only thing she could take away from the situation was that the data analysis had been saved and that she would not have to start over again the next day. Cedrick looked at her intently before calling Charles. Though the power went out, Cedrick¡¯s phone was fully charged, and he managed to reach Charles shortly after. It waste at night, and Charles had not been expecting a phone call from Cedrick, so there was a drawl to his voice. ¡°Hello? Master Cedrick?¡± Cedrick cut to the chase and asked, ¡°Who was the one who notified everyone about the upgrade in the office¡¯s security system?¡± ¡°It may have been the admin department. I haven¡¯t paid much attention to that.¡± Charles slowly began to snap out from his drowsy state. It was a quiet night, and even though Cedrick¡¯s phone was not on speaker, Catelyn could hear faint shuffles which sounded like Charles was getting out of bed. Both Charles and Cedrick remained quiet for two seconds when Charles realized that something was wrong. ¡°Master Cedrick, what happened?¡± he asked hastily. ¡°I¡¯m stuck in the office right now. All the electronic locks have been shut down and are pending for upgrade, so I can¡¯t get out,¡± he answered. ¡°I¡¯m with Catelyn.¡± Charles sobered up at this. ¡°What? I¡¯ll contact the security team to let you out right away!¡± Silence fell in the room. Because of the power outage, there was no heater in the empty room, and it grew colder and colder by the minute. Catelyn began to shiver due to the cold, especially with the thin shirt she was wearing All of a sudden, something weighed down on her shoulders. She nced at the ck suit jacket on her shoulder and gazed up. Cedrick had removed his jacket and given it to her before pulling her into his arms. ¡°You won¡¯t be cold if I hold you.¡± Catelyn nced up at him in awe. She had not mentioned that she was cold, yet he had given her his jacket and warmed her up when she needed it most. She had not mentioned that she was afraid of the dark, yet he provided a shoulder for her to lean on in the dark. She felt¡­touched. Was it because it had been too long since someone took care of her? ¡°Do you still have the cross you wore this morning?¡± she whispered. She was not afraid of the dark, of course, but she was terrified of the things that lurked in the darkness. Cedrick hummed in response. ¡°Can I¡­borrow it for a second? I heard that a cross repels evil spirits.¡± Cedrick fell silent at this. Mistaking his silence as concern that she would break it, she muttered, ¡°Rx, I¡¯ll take care of it and make sure that I don¡¯t break it. I¡¯ll give it back tomorrow. I just had this weird feeling when I went to close the window. Aren¡¯t you getting chills down your spine? Like someone is blowing air at the back of your neck?¡± ¡°Superstitions,¡± scoffed Cedrick but retrieved his cross from a small pouch regardless. He ced the cross on her palm and wrapped her hands tightly with his own. ¡°Keep it safe. You can¡¯t afford to lose it.¡± Catelyn smirked at her. ¡°It¡¯s just a silver cross.¡± Cedrick tightened his grip around her waist abruptly. ¡®Catelyn rk, do not betray my trust in you.¡± Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Charles arrived shortly within half an hour after his phone call with Cedrick, followed by the staff in the security department. When the security department employees saw Catelyn with Cedrick and noticed that she had Cedrick¡¯s jacket, everyone gaped at the sight. Since the entire building was still in progress with a security upgrade, they could not open the electronic lock until the upgrade waspleted. Cedrick nced at Catelyn before he gave them the order to destroy the lock on the door. The process of breaking the lock was quick and only took a few minutes, but the entire door would need to be reinstalled the next day. When Catelyn heard the sound of the lock being disassembled outside, she was ovee by a bad premonition that this would trigger waves of gossip in the office tomorrow. However, as Cedrick had already given the order, she could not stop them in any way. Once they exited the building, Cedrick took Catelyn to a restaurant right away. He had noticed her stomach rumbling a few times when they were stuck inside the office. Since she had been working overtime in the office, she must have been starving. The next day, Catelyn arrived at the office an hour early without having her breakfast to work on the upleted data analysis. She managed toplete it and ced the report on Jennifer¡¯s desk before finally heading out for breakfast. To her bewilderment, she returned to the office after breakfast only to hear rumors of her being stuck in the office with Cedrick going around the entirepany. On top of that, the details of the rumor were far more outrageous than the previous rumors concerning her and George. No one knew where the rumor started, so everyone came to ask Catelyn if she had truly spent the night with Cedrick. There were even people asking if Cedrick had suggested anything to her when they were alone at night. Catelyn simply maintained a fake smile and brushed them off. Jennifer arrived at the office from the top floor. She seemed to have been summoned for questioning and appeared extremely pale. Her eyes glittered with disgust when she walked over to Catelyn. Without mentioning a word concerning work, she red coldly at Catelyn and questioned her about the gossip. ¡°Did you do that on purpose?¡± ¡°Did what on purpose?¡± Catelyn retorted. ¡°You knew that the security system in the office would be upgradedst night and the power would go out. You stayed behind to work on purpose so that Master Cedrick would see you. That way, you can show him how hard-working you are and point the me on me for bullying new employees! On top of that, you¡¯d get a chance¡­to seduce Master Cedrick!¡± Catelyn was utterly confused as she listened to Jennifer and was stunned at her final sentence that sounded all too using. She did not know Jennifer held such unreasonable prejudice toward her. ¡°I¡¯m not as sly as you picture me to be,¡± Catelyn argued. ¡°Truth is, I didn¡¯t receive any notice and wasn¡¯t aware that the power would go outst night. I only worked overtime because you said that the analysis was wrong. I¡¯m just as clueless as to why Master Cedrick was in the office at the time, so how am I supposed to plot to run into him?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to believe that?¡± Jennifer sneered. ¡°I saw with my own eyes that the admin department had distributed a notice regarding the security upgrade to every employee¡¯s desk in the afternoon the day before yesterday. How can you not know? Are you blind or something?!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. It then dawned on her why she did not see the notice; the notice was given the day before yesterday. She was about to exin that she had gone out to dine with George but hesitated as everyone knew that Jennifer was in love with George. Just as Catelyn contemted her answer, a man raised his voice behind her. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Chapter 343 ¡°Jennifer, I took Catelyn out for dinner the day before yesterday, and I can stand witness to prove that she didn¡¯t see any notice. I¡¯ve been working with her for some time now, so I believe that she¡¯s not the social-climbing woman you painted her to be.¡± Catelyn and Jennifer looked over and saw George walking toward them. After readjusting himself yesterday, he appeared slightly more energized than before, but the complicated look in his eyes remained when he looked at Catelyn. Catelyn had not expected George to be in their office. Though they belonged to the same department, not everyone shared the same office. George¡¯s office was two doors next to Catelyn¡¯s office, which meant that there was a distance in between. He quickly made his way when he overheard someone saying that Jennifer was arguing with Catelyn, and true enough, he immediately heard Jennifer using Catelyn of scheming as soon as he arrived. Jennifer had been secretly in love with George and beamed when she saw him, but when she realized that George was here to defend Catelyn, her eyes were filled with anger. She stared daggers at Catelyn before confronting George. ¡°Just because you invited her out for dinner doesn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t see the notice! Samantha is close with her, so she would¡¯ve told Catelyn about it yesterday, even if that¡¯s the case. George, this is a workce and everything requires concrete proof, not your personal im.¡± Still frustrated, she added,¡± Or maybe, the rumors going around are true, and you two are an item. Are you trying to defend your girlfriend now?¡± ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Not wanting to cause any trouble for Catelyn, George immediately snapped,¡± Catelyn and I are just friends. Stop trying to bring our private lives into this!¡± ¡°You are the one bringing your private life into work! If she¡¯s just a friend, would you take her out for meals three times throughout the week? Would you care so much for her?¡± Jennifer had long forgotten about the notice and was obsessed with the rtionship between George and Catelyn. She was confident that she was far more brilliant and good at her job than Catelyn ever would be, and she had tried to flirt with George multiple times, so how would George ignore her? Annoyed by the question, George retorted, ¡°That¡¯s my business, and I don¡¯t have to tell you anything- certainly not here in the office. Miss Monroe, I¡¯d like to remind you to hold your tongue.¡± With that, he took Catelyn¡¯s hand and strode out. ¡°I¡¯ll submit an application to the Design Director to make you my assistant so that you won¡¯t have to stay here to deal with this harassment.¡± To George, someone as superior as Cedrick would not be associated with Catelyn. He remembered when Catelyn had to stay in Cedrick¡¯s mansion because of the rain at the time, and she still rejected Cedrick. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. George refused to believe that Catelyn would seduce Cedrick and thus med everything on Jennifer¡¯s false usation. Catelyn had yet to recover from the argument between George and Jennifer and was even more confused when she heard George saying that he would apply for her to be his assistant. ¡°Uhm, listen to me, George. Actually, I-¡± ¡°Master Cedrick?¡± To their surprise, they ran into Cedrick on their way past the design department. Catelyn stilled. Cedrick stood in the distance with one hand inside his pocket, while Charles and the design director stood closely behind him. Through the ss door, she noticed that his expression twisted for a moment. He nced at the joined hands of George and Catelyn and his lips curled into a faint, icy smile. When everyone finally stopped talking, he asked rhetorically, ¡°Are you done?¡± Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Chapter 344 When Cedrick appeared, every employee in the office stopped what they were doing and held their breaths as they looked over gingerly. Cedrick remained outside and did not step into the office. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard enough. Why don¡¯t you keep the drama going?¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Everyone held their breaths as chills ran down their spines. Sensing that something was wrong, Jennifer hurried toward Cedrick in hopes to exin herself. ¡°Master Cedrick, it¡¯s not what you think! There¡¯s some issue with my subordinate¡¯s work, and I just wanted to educate her about it. Mister Graham here might have seen it differently, and that¡¯s why we had a little argument. We¡¯re usually very close friends!¡± George froze, intimidated by Cedrick¡¯s sudden appearance. Meanwhile, Catelyn frantically pulled her hand away from George¡¯s. ¡°Master Cedrick, it¡¯s my fault for interrupting the others¡¯ work.¡± After a brief silence, George bowed and apologized to Cedrick sincerely. However, Cedrick had not spared him a single nce and, instead, turned to look at Winnie. Winnie was about a year or two older than Catelyn and appeared dominating with her long hair tied up, sporting the professional outfit and heels she was wearing. Without a doubt, she was a standard beauty who had a small face and pouty lips with just a touch of valiance. ¡°Winnie.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Mason?¡± Winnie would address Cedrick as ¡®Mister Mason¡¯ whenever they were in the office as that would be inore appropriate and would effectively avoid being the subjects of gossiping as well. Cedrick parted his lips and, without a moment of hesitation, ordered, ¡°Jennifer Monroe has disrupted the order in the office by bringing her personal emotions into work and framing another employee. Give her a six-month worth of sry and fire her.¡± Winnie¡¯s eyes widened with shock. She knew that Cedrick would be upset, but she had not imagined that he would fire Jennifer right away! ¡°Noted, I¡¯ll notify the human resource department,¡± answered Winnie immediately. Chills ran down Jennifer¡¯s spine as coldness took over her entire body. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Cedrick! I won¡¯t do this ever again! Please give me another chance¡­¡± she pleaded with quivering lips. He ignored her and nced at Catelyn before leaving. All strength was drained from Jennifer as she turned to Winnie for help. She tugged at the hem of Winnie¡¯s clothes weakly and begged, ¡°Director, I¡¯ve been working for you for years, and I¡¯ve done so much for you! Please help me talk to Master Cedrick. I have a mother who¡¯s sick in bed, and I can¡¯t afford to lose this job!¡± Winnie narrowed her eyes and helped Jennifer up. ¡°Have you done anything ¡®for¡¯ me?¡± Her hands were ice-cold, and Jennifer shivered to the touch. ¡°Miss Monroe, I¡¯ll write you a rmendation letter to one of the best architectural firms in the country. I¡¯ll also inform the human resource department topensate you with a whole year¡¯s worth of your sry. You should know that once Mister Mason makes up his mind, no one can change it.¡± Losing all strength once again, Jennifer copsed onto the ground. Winnie did not make an effort to help her up again and turned to study Catelyn intently instead. ¡°Catelyn rk, right?¡± One nce was all it took for Catelyn to be overwhelmed by the illusion that she had been targeted by a predator. She felt wary, but as Winnie was Cedrick¡¯s cousin and the design director of the firm, Catelyn responded with a respectful smile. ¡°Hello, Director.¡± ¡°I heard that you were stuck in the office with Mister Masonst night. Are you okay now?¡± Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Winnie¡¯s tone was gentle, but Catelyn could not decide what she meant with her question.¡± I¡¯m fine. The power just went off, and we got stuck because the electronic lock wouldn¡¯t open. I¡¯m alright now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Mister Mason seems to trust you, so work hard,¡± remarked Winnie before walking off. Catelyn sighed a long breath of relief after Winnie was gone. Noticing how nervous she had been, George consoled her, ¡°You¡¯re new here, but our director has always been like that. She might seem difficult to please, but she¡¯s actually very nice. Don¡¯t feel pressured, and just focus on your own tasks.¡± Catelyn nodded with a smile. ¡°I will.¡± ¡®Seemingly hard to please? Well, I¡¯m just an employee here. I won¡¯t actually have to report directly to the Director, so whatever,¡¯mused Catelyn to herself. Once everyone left, the office returned to silence. Perhaps the punishment Cedrick had given was far too severe, no one else dared to mention the event of the night before again. Catelyn, meanwhile, was still confused. If the notices were distributed to everyone¡¯s desk, where was hers? Where had it gone? She was sure that apart from normal documents, she had not seen anything else on her desk the next day. Samantha returned to the office just after the conflict hade to an end. She pulled Catelyn to the side secretively and nced at her timidly. ¡°Catelyn, um¡­ I heard what happened. I¡¯m sorry. The admin department dide to distribute the notices the day before yesterday. I just thought that I¡¯d tell you about it the next day and threw it away, then I was too upied asking you about George that I forgot to tell you. I¡¯m sorry for causing you to stay the night here with Master Cedrick.¡± Catelyn studied the panicked expression on Samantha¡¯s face wordlessly. Flustered, Samantha added, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you? I swear, I just forgot to tell you! Don¡¯t be mad at me, okay? How about I just stay in the office for tonight to make it up to you?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not mad at you.¡± Catelyn tapped her on the shoulder and added, ¡°Don¡¯t be so careless next time. The data analysis you submitted to Jennifer also had a lot of issues. It¡¯s a good thing that she is gone now, or we¡¯re going to suffer a lot more from now on.¡± Samantha sighed a breath of relief and beamed at Catelyn. ¡°As long as you¡¯re not mad at me. It¡¯s a dream to be able to spend the night with Mister Cedrick, though. It¡¯s a shame I don¡¯t have that kind of luck. Hey, how about I buy you dinner tonight?¡±. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Catelyn gave her that smile thatcked sincerity. Before Samantha could say anything else, she pointed at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so I should get back to work.¡± Samantha nodded and smirked when Catelyn turned her back. Catelyn returned to her post, and her heart sank when her previous theory was proven. Samantha was determined to start her career in Mason Group and graduated as a postgraduate student, so she could not have made mistakes in such simple data analysis. On the day when Jennifer came to collect the report, Samantha, who had never beente before, arrived late because she knew that the report would be rejected due to the error in the analysis Samantha timed it so that she would leave before Jennifer came back with the report, and in the end, Jennifer was left with Catelyn to vent her frustration. Since Jennifer had not liked Catelyn to begin with, she picked on her and demanded that she re-do the report. Catelyn could only work overtime when the security system in the office was upgraded. Not only would she be stuck in the office for the night, but she might not be able toplete the task Jennifer handed to her and would take the me for it. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. As a result, Jennifer would only resent her even more. Catelyn smiled bitterly. She had entered Mason Group at the same time as Samantha did, and she just could not figure out what she had done for Samantha to put together a scheme like that. Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Chapter 346 When Catelyn returned home that night, Joanneforted her while munching on potato chips. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink this; it¡¯s not like everyone would return your kindness. Besides, you¡¯re both in the same position of the same firm, so there¡¯s bound to be a sense ofpetition!¡± Catelyn watched as her mouth opened and closed. She reached out to grab the bag of chips before securing it within her arms and starting munching on the chips as well. ¡°I knew there would bepetition, but we¡¯ve just entered thepany, right? I didn¡¯t think I¡¯de across as a threat to her at present.¡± The two watched television in the living room for a while when Miles suddenly trotted over with Catelyn¡¯s phone in his hand to show her something. ¡°Mommy, there is a three-million transaction to your bank.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Three million?¡± Catelyn studied her son in confusion. Where did that moneye from? Granny Atherton had offered her one million as the price of winning thepetition organized by Chandier Jewelry, but she had refused it and returned every single penny to Edwin. Knowing how stubborn she could be, Edwin simply donated the money to charity. Even so, the amount did not match what Miles had said. Amid her confusion, she received another text message from the mysterious person from before. (Have you received the money?] Catelyn¡¯s blood ran cold, and she immediately turned to the balcony to call the person, who was apparently waiting for her to respond as well. ¡°Why did you transfer me three million dors to my bank?¡± ¡°Congrattions on getting into Mason Group. Next, I¡¯m going to need you to steal the details regarding the city center project for me,¡± the personmanded firmly. Catelyn had heard about the city center project and knew that it was the most important project for Mason Group in the next half of the year. If the core details of the project leaked, leading to a failure in the bidding¡­ Catelyn could not bring herself to imagine the consequence. ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary employee of thepany at the moment who hasn¡¯t even passed probation. What makes you think that I can get my hands on the information? I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I would be capable of this even if I try!¡± ¡°So you prefer that I hand the photos to Cedrick Mason?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Catelyn gritted out. Not daring to risk en raging him, she could only resort to stalling. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll ept your terms for my son, but I really have no means to get to the data right now. Just give me some time.¡± The only response she received was the person hanging up. Catelyn sank deep into deep thoughts. The mysterious person wanted her to be a spy, as she had expected. Was she really going to betray Cedrick? The three million she received out of the blue had brought her a nightmare that night as she drifted off to sleep. She dreamed of the mysterious person telling Cedrick about Miles. In that very dream, Cedrick, upon realizing that Miles was also his son, took Miles away in a moment of rage and threw Catelyn into prison for kidnapping. Waking from the dream, Catelyn¡¯s shoulders slumped in despair. When she returned to Mason Group, she was struck with another shocking news¡­ George had been assigned to cooperate with apany in a certain Europaen country to build a landmark that would take up a year and a half. Someone said that it was a promotion since his sry would double from his long business trip. However, some said that he was being banished due to his argument with Jennifer. Even though Cedrick had not punished him at the time, this was his way of showing that he was not pleased with George¡¯s action. Catelyn could not help but be reminded of the looks Cedrick shot her and George that day. George sent her a message through social media. (Catelyn, I¡¯ll be leaving next week. Can we go out for dinner tomorrow?] Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Chapter 347 In the end, Catelyn rejected George¡¯s invitation. (I wish you all the best in the future.) The screen on her phone did not light up again for a long time after that, and she had thought that George had finally gained rity on the situation, but the phone buzzed again after a while. [I mean everything I said to you before. If you still haven¡¯t found anyone by the time Ie back, consider me, will you?] She could almost picture the sincere and shy expression on George when he typed the message. She knew that he did not volunteer to go to Europae, at least not in the present During lunchtime, everyone headed to Mason Group¡¯s canteen for employees. Catelyn did not have much of an appetite and thus ced down her spoon and fork after just a few bites. Concerned, Samantha asked, ¡°Catelyn, why are you eating so little?¡± ¡°My stomach feels a bit ufortabletely, so I¡¯m already full,¡± she answered before tossing the utensils back into the basket that collected used cutleries. She dragged her feet toward the elevator and nced at the floor indication on the right. Her finger stopped right before she was about to press on the floor of her office as she gazed up at the top floor button. With an arm-full of documents, she headed to the CEO¡¯s office. By the time she arrived, she noticed that the door was left slightly open, and she could distinctly hear the sounds of the people talking inside the room. It was Winnie, giving updates to Cedrick on work. ¡°Cousin Cedrick, I¡¯ve proofread the data, and there won¡¯t be any issue concerning the contract with Mister Hyatt. We¡¯ll seal the deal by next week.¡± Catelyn decided against going in and stood on the side to wait. ¡°Good work. Go have your lunch,¡± Cedrick¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°There¡¯s also something else that I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡± Winnie did not leave right away and continued after Cedrick nodded his permission. ¡°I¡¯ve observed Catelyn rk for a while, and not only is she under-educated, she hasn¡¯t even graduated from college. The human resource department only brought her in because of her connection with Ollie, but she¡¯s too careless and incapable, and I¡¯d like to fire her.¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart sank into her stomach at Winnie¡¯sment regarding her, and she could not help but fear Cedrick would agree. ¡°You¡¯re wrong about something,¡± Cedrick¡¯s low, rumbling voice filled the room. Confused, Winnie questioned, ¡°About what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that they gave Catelyn rk a job, but not because of her connection with Ollie. It¡¯s because of her connection with me,¡± Cedrick drawled. ¡°She is my girlfriend now.¡± Winnie was instantly at loss for words and gaped at Cedrick, seemingly thrown off by the information. ¡°As for her being careless, I know which report you¡¯re referring to, and she was only responsible for some part of it, so you can¡¯t simply me it all on her. Winnie, she¡¯s still young. Be more lenient to her.¡± ¡°So she¡¯s the woman who got you to cancel your engagement to Maia rk.¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart raced at their conversation. She had only wanted to hand him the documents and talk about George, but¡­ After an internal struggle, she decided to retreat and mention it again in the future. However, she only managed to walk two steps away before remembering that she still had his cross, and she promised to return it to him. Just then, the office door opened, and Winnie strode out. When she saw Catelyn standing by the door, her features stiffened awkwardly. ¡°Catelyn? Are you here to see my cousin?¡± Overwhelmed by a feeling that she had been caught doing something bad, Catelyn pointed sheepishly at the documents and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver some documents to Master Cedrick. Have I interrupted something?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t know who you were before, but let¡¯s get along from now on. I¡¯ll be sure to look after you,¡± said Winnie before leaving.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Catelyn hesitated from entering the office, but Cedrick had spotted her and thus called out to her, ¡°What are you doing out there?¡± Catelyn stepped inside with resignation and handed the documents to Cedrick for his signature Cedrick tossed them aside and asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t had your lunch?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Catelyn nodded, before shaking her head again. ¡°I did, but I didn¡¯t eat much, so I finished rather quickly. ¡°L..want to ask if you were the one who gave the order to send George to Europae.¡± Cedrick poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you eaten much?¡± Catelyn scowled. ¡°I¡¯m talking about George right now.¡± ¡°So am I.¡± Cedrick set his cup down and stared at her intently. Her reflection filled his eyes as he stood, and the office instantly appeared less spacious with his towering figure. ¡°You used to have George around, and with him now gone, you¡¯ve lost your appetite for food and simply couldn¡¯t wait toe and plead for him?¡± He studied her expression without letting the slightest change escape his eyes. Catelyn bit her lower lip as she finally understood his logic behind the matter. ¡°I¡¯m just concerned because his family and friends are here in Sapphire City. Have you even asked about his opinion on sending him away? He would¡¯ve been of more use to you here¡­¡± ¡°You know about his family and friends?¡± He questioned sharply. This was not the point, Catelyn wanted to tell him. Feeling slightly defeated, she continued, ¡°Did you transfer him because of me? That day at the restaurant, he did say something, but we¡¯re just friends-¡°. ¡°This is a workce, and I¡¯m not interested in the details of your romantic dramas.¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression hardened into an unforgiving mask, and the tenderness of when he first spotted Catelyn faded. The sunlight shone into the room, and his face seemed to have twisted in a more ruthless manner. Refusing to give up, Catelyn said, ¡°There has never been any kind of romantic drama between me and him. You fired Jennifer for bringing personal emotions into work; isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± Thest drop of kindness disappeared into the depths of his eyes, leaving nothing but rage behind. ¡°Are you confronting me for his sake?¡± ¡°Both George and Jennifer had brought their personal emotions into the workce and argued in front of everyone. Consider it a mercy that I didn¡¯t fire him. If you say anything else, I can¡¯t promise that I won¡¯t kick him out of thispany!¡± With eyes filled with frustration, his tone turned as cold as ice. ¡®Who does George think he is? How dare he hold Catelyn¡¯s hand in front of everyone? I¡¯ve only sent him away instead of firing him, and now, she¡¯s lost her appetite and came all the way here to plead for the guy? I asked her toe up and make me coffee before, yet she kept saying that she doesn¡¯t want others to see her. What happened to not wanting others to see her now?¡¯ Catelyn swallowed the words she was about to say to defend George, knowing that anything she said would only add fuel to the me. She wanted to return the cross to him, but as soon as she opened her mouth, he barked coldly, ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°I just want to -¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Do I need to get the security to throw you out?¡± Cedrick interrupted her. She thus left the top floor. The cross she held slowly turned warm from her own temperature. Her head throbbed in pain at the thought of failing to give it back to him. Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Time flew by swiftly, and Catelyn never had the chance to talk to Cedrick after what happened in his office. The day George boarded the flight leaving Sapphire City, she received a call from Janice. Janice said that she was going to Ringo Park for a movie with Ollie and wanted to invite Catelyn along It had been days since Catelyn hadst seen Ollie, and though she informed Miles about the ns of their grand escape, she had not informed Ollie about it. She dabbed some light makeup onto her face before she headed out to meet Janice and Ollie. Perhaps it was because Janice was identally introduced into the entertainment business when she was younger that she enjoyed movies and would often go to theaters in Sapphire City whenever she had time. Ringo Park was a famous green building in Sapphire City. Surrounded by gardens, the area was decorated with flowers and nts that grew dense during summer. There werenterns on the edges of the roof, which added a touch of festive colors. Cedrick, too, was one of the owners of Ringo Park. It was Catelyn¡¯s first time visiting, and she was guided to where Janice was seated. However, the staff was called to execute another task, so he simply pointed out the direction for her. Catelyn lost her way when she reached the fish pond as Ringo Park was simply too big. All the buildings looked simr, and without a map or someone familiar with this ce, one could easily lose their way. In the end, she stumbled upon a closed door where she could hear ¡®Marry Popins¡¯ ying through the door. She tried to go in, but the door was tightly sealed. As she was left with no other option but to look for another way¡­ Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. She subconsciously gazed up and spotted a man standing by the blue lotus flowers with his back facing her. Catelyn beamed and hurried over. ¡°Mister, do you know how I can get to theater room number 6?¡± she asked politely. The man turned around, and his lips instantly curled into a gentle smile when he saw Catelyn. ¡°It¡¯s you! What a coincidence that we¡¯ve met again.¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re the gentleman in the Riverdale Mall¡¯s elevator!¡± Catelyn was slightly taken by surprise and felt awkward at the same time. That day, she went home and realized that she had, indeed, lost 100 dors when she originally thought that the man was trying to flirt with her. ¡°You¡¯re going to theater number 6?¡± The gold-framed spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose made his eyes appear gentle. ¡°The coincidence in this is uncanny; I¡¯m going there, too. Do you mind if I take you there?¡± Her instinct told her that this man was not a liar, and since one theater could seat arge group of customers, she had no reason to reject his help. The man casually tossed the fish food in his hand into the pond. The nket of blue lotus flowers floated on the pond and bloomed peacefully under the sun. She followed the man as he stepped away from the pond, yet she forgot that the ground by the pond was often moist. Thus, she failed to notice the moss on the stone she stepped on. As she slipped and fell backward, she came to a realization and cursed inwardly, ¡®Crap!¡¯ ¡°Careful!¡± The man moved swiftly and reached over to hold her in ce. Before Catelyn could register what had happened, she felt his warm breath on her cheek and heard his gentle voice by her ears, saying, ¡°You¡¯ll ruin that pretty face if you fall.¡± The adrenaline coursed through her body from the fall, sending her heart racing. All of a sudden, she noticed footsteps approaching behind her. She nced in the direction and saw Cedrick walking over with a manager and two waiters behind him. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Cedrick, standing in a distance, pursed his lips as he shot Catelyn an icy re. Worried that he would misunderstand the situation, Catelyn hastily stepped away from the man¡¯s arms and smiled sheepishly. Cedrick strode toward them while Catelyn met him halfway. She had no idea why he did not reply to her message the day before, but she was willing to let it pass since he sent her lilies. To her bewilderment, he abruptly pulled her into his arms when they were half a meter away from one another. The sheer strength in the motion ced Catelyn in an illusion that her lungs were pressed together, and she struggled to catch her breath. Catelyn gazed up at Cedrick in shock, not knowing what possessed him. The next instant, Cedrick nced at the man standing across him casually and uttered jokingly, ¡°Nine, I might just get angry if you keep staring at my woman like that.¡± David tore his eyes off Catelyn expressionlessly. ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to congratte you on finding a new girlfriend, cousin.¡± Among the main family branch of the Mason family, Cedrick was the only grandchild of the family¡¯s elder, while the elder¡¯s sister had nine grandchildren, with David being the youngest Everyone would address him as the Ninth Master. Cedrick and David were cousins and were both around theirte twenties. They rarely talked and even held grudges due to certain events in the past. When Catelyn heard Cedrick addressing the man ¡®Nine¡¯, she realized that the gentle-looking man before was the celebrated Ninth Master of the Mason family. She had heard tales of him forcing three industrial giants into selling their properties to the Mason family with ease over a single night. Since then, he was infamously known as Cedrick¡¯s equal. ¡°I¡¯ll notify you when we get married.¡± David took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the hand he used to hold the fish meal before responding casually, ¡°I¡¯m alright with it. I¡¯m just concerned that Miss Maia rk would be upset.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something you need to worry about.¡± ¡°The lotus could hardly hold a candle to the beauty of a woman.¡± David tossed the stained handkerchief into the rubbish bin and smirked. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you, Miss rk. I look forward to weing you into our family.¡± Even after David left, Catelyn was left baffled, wondering if thatst sentence was meant to be a compliment to her. Sensing the icy presence looming over her, she nced at the man standing next to her while he observed her with dark eyes. He tilted her chin up, applying slight force on the tips of his fingers. ¡°What did Nine say to you?¡± ¡°I slipped, and he helped steady me. We didn¡¯t say anything to each other.¡± She tried to push N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. him away to escape the unpleasant feeling of having her chin held in ce. He simply reached down to grab her wrist and lowered his head to retrieve wet tissues from his bag, before proceeding to wipe every single finger on her hand that David had touched thoroughly. He was practically scrubbing her skin off as though she had touched something extremely filthy. Suddenly, Catelyn realized that David seemed to have touched her wrist when he was helping her up earlier. ¡®Is that why Cedrick thinks my hand is dirty?¡± she thought. Rumor had it that Cedrick was not close to his cousin David, but judging from the circumstances, it seemed as though the two even resented one another. The back of her hand soon turned red and she jerked it away. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s clean now! I will just go wash my handster. My skin is going toe off if you keep going.¡± Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Chapter 351 ¡°You definitely deserve that,¡± remarked Cedrick as he red at Catelyn, ¡°for secretly meeting him here.¡± The frustrated Catelyn fumed, ¡°It sounds to me like you¡¯re just jealous.¡± Cedrick squinted at this and turned away from Catelyn. ¡°I never liked it when others touch what¡¯s mine. If you think that¡¯s jealousy, you¡¯re wrong.¡± Catelyn scoffed. The pair then headed toward theater room no.6, where Janice and Ollie were. Before they left, Catelyn peeped in the direction where David was slowly disappearing into. David was at the rooftop cafe at Riverdale Mall the other day as well, and he seemed to be in a pretty intense conflict with Cedrick. Could he be the mysterious man? Cedrick caught Catelyn¡¯s eyes and looked in the direction she was peeping at to find David¡¯s disappearing figure. He squinted his eyes coldly. Did Catelyn not know David at all? All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Her eyes seemed to have betrayed her. The theater room no.6 in Ringo Park would not typically open for the public; it was the hall that Janice had booked for herself. Catelyn and Cedrick could hear the sounds of a musical inside the hall from the ssic ¡®Marry Popins¡¯. A round of apuse was heard after it ended. ¡°Aunt Janice, where¡¯d you manage to find these great musicals?¡± came the voice of a youthful sounding boy, questioning. ¡°The ones I used to watch were awfulpared to these.¡± Janice chuckled and pulled him back to his seat, gazing at him with adoration. ¡°If you like it, you cane here more often.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure!¡± said Javier with a raised brow. He then teased Ollie, who was sitting on the bench, for a bit before digging around his bag to find a colorful lollipop. ¡°Ta-dah! Look what I have for you, Little Ollie.¡± Javier was about 17 to 18 years old at that point, having skipped grades in elementary school and was in his third year of university. He did not wish to continue his studies, so he came back to the country and talked to Cedrick so he could get a job in Mason Group. His rtionship with Ollie was good enough, even though they had not spent a lot of time together. Ollie pursed his lips together and pretended to be shocked, but internally, he looked down on his uncle¡¯s cheap attempt of getting along with him. ¡°A lollipop? Are you giving it to me?¡± ¡°Of course! Do you like it? Come, try it!¡± Javier unwrapped the lollipop and sent it to Ollie¡¯s mouth. Ollie was visibly displeased at this as he said, ¡°Aunt Catelyn told me not to eat too much candy, that I¡¯ll have cavities if I eat too much of it. You can save the lollipop for yourself, Uncle. ¡°Aunt Catelyn?¡± Javier had not been back in the country for long, but he had already heard that name mentioned multiple times by his cousins. He had even heard that Cedrick dumped Maia because of her. Javier got excited and squatted before Ollie with his elbows on his knees and palms on his cheeks. ¡°You seem to really like this Aunt Catelyn. Come on, tell me! What kind of woman is she?¡± This made Ollie think for a good few seconds before he subconsciously looked up in the direction behind Javier before he could respond. Catelyn made eye contact with Ollie at that moment, and it was as if they could sense each other beforehand. Javier turned around and noticed a woman with long hair standing next to Cedrick, smiling, Her smile was sweet, revealing two dimples on her cheeks, and her pale skin glowed angelic under the sunlight. Javier was shocked. Was that¡­Catelyn rk? Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Chapter 352 ¡°Aunt Catelyn, you¡¯re here!¡± Ollie slid down from the bench and hugged his mother lovingly. Catelyn scooped up Ollie with one arm under his rear, and his tiny arms wound around her neck. He nuzzled into the nape of her neck like a kitten. ¡°Sorry to have kept everyone waiting. We got lost in the theater.¡± She felt apologetic because it was a rare asion for Janice to invite her out to watch a musical, yet she only arrived after the first act had ended. Janice was not bothered at all. Instead, she ordered a staff member to bring out a chair so she could sit. Catelyn sat between Janice and Cedrick, blocking Javier¡¯s view of further observing Catelyn. Javier pursed his lips and looked away as he mumbled to himself, ¡°That¡¯s it? How is she prettier than Maia, enough for Cedrick to leave Maia for her?¡± ¡°Ceddy, since you don¡¯t always get toe, what do you feel like watching?¡± asked Janice. Cedrick looked at Catelyn, and she, thinking he was asking for her opinion, shook her head.¡± I¡¯m not too familiar with musicals. I¡¯ll watch anything you guys pick.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s watch Rameo and Julia.¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes fell on the stage. A few willow trees were nted when they were renovating the theatre, thus the air was filled with a faint floral scent. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Everyone fell silent except for Javier, who could be heard cracking open pumpkin seeds with his teeth. He wanted to give the lollipop to Ollie, but the boy seemed to give him the cold shoulder while he rested peacefully in Catelyn¡¯s arms, his eyes glued to the stage. Catelyn was also paying full attention to the musical while cuddling the adorable boy. The performers for Rameo and Julia were spectacr. They spoke and sang with such deep emotions that it provoked something within Catelyn, even though she was not familiar with musicals. ¡°However soft, what light through the yonder window breaks? It is the West, and Julia is the sun.¡± ¡°Come, bitter conducte hither, ye unsavory guide! My true chemist! Thy drugs are quick, and thus with a kiss, I sleep eternal.¡± ¡°What do we have here? A ss, closed in my true love¡¯s palm? Poison, I see, hath been his demise. O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop for me! ¡°I will kiss thy lips. Mayhaps some poison still clings to them, to have me sleep eternal with a restorative.¡± The moment Julia snatched Rameo¡¯s dagger and stabbed herself, Catelyn¡¯s heart ached along with her. She ached for their tragic end; ached for Julia¡¯s unconditional love for Rameo. It was a shame that the couple did not get the happy ending they deserved. Catelyn could see from the corner of her eyes that Cedrick waspletely immersed in the musical. He seemed to really like that scene and was even mouthing the lines. Catelyn could not help but wonder-would they have ended the same way as Rameo and Julia? Catelyn got up from her seat and ced Ollie on the bench. ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Cedrick, his eyes glued to the stage still. Catelyn pointed in the direction of the washroom and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± Cedrick ced his coffee down and got up from his seat. ¡°I want toe, too!¡± Ollie heard their conversation and volunteered to join them. Cedrick looked at Javier and said to him, ¡°Watch Ollie. Don¡¯t let him run around by himself.¡± Ollie pursed his lips in frustration. Catelyn could not stop Cedrick from going with her, so she gave in and walked toward the toilet with him. Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Cedrick and Catelyn walked along the long corridor and passed by the willow trees. The tree leaves hung lowly, casting star-like shadows on the floor as the sunlight shone through the leaves. The wind blew faintly, causing the branches to dance and sending strands of Catelyn¡¯s hair fluttering Catelyn tucked the strands of hair that blocked her vision behind her ear. Cedrick stopped walking and turned to look at Catelyn wordlessly. Catelyn was flustered from being stared at by Cedrick and thus asked shyly, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to the washroom?¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes shed with a myriad of emotions, and the creases between his eyebrows became deeper. Catelyn had never liked it when Cedrick frowned, yet he frowned a lot as a habit. She reached her hand out to smoothen his frowns, but as soon as her fingertip grazed his skin, Cedrick grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. Catelyn thought he was going to say something, but he bent down to nt a kiss in between her eyebrows. His kiss was so soft and gentle, like a dove that flew past without leaving a trace behind. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Catelyn felt a spark in her heart. She could sense that Cedrick had something in his mind, and she wanted nothing more than to take away his worry but had no idea where to start. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up, deepening their kiss. Catelyn washed her hands and looked at her reflection in the washroom mirror before she scooped a handful of water and sshed it onto her cheeks. Catelyn¡¯s phone rang at that moment. It was Joanne, calling. ¡°Joanne?¡± ¡°Cat, I¡¯ve contacted the person you¡¯ve asked me to. He¡¯s a fan of mine, and he said he could get you a new identity card and passport with two hundred thousand dors. He¡¯s even able to send you to another country safely,¡± Joanne started bbering the moment Catelyn picked up the phone, sounding excited and nervous. ¡°Cat, I got to ask you, though¡­ Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Catelyn listened to Joanne and peeped outside the washroom. Cedrick should still be in the male washroom and would not be able to hear her. However, she walked over to another corner and uttered softly under her breath, ¡°Just help me get it done. I¡¯ll transfer the money over.¡± Joanne paused for a moment. ¡°Alright, I respect your decision.¡± Catelyn walked out of the washroom and found Cedrick leaning on a wall outside of the washroom. With a cigarette between his fingers, he inhaled the smoke produced by the tobo without taking a puff. She leaned forward. ¡°You seem to be smoking a lottely,¡± she remarked as she took the cigarette from his hand and took a puff. The smoke of the cigarette was not as strong, and Catelyn was not bothered by it. She then took a second puff, and a third, when Cedrick finally said, ¡°Put it out.¡± Catelyn blew out a cloud of smoke toward him. ¡°I¡¯ll finish it for you; let¡¯s not be so wasteful.¡± The cloud of smoke blurred his vision. He repeated himself, but sternly and more determined, ¡°Put it out.¡± Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Chapter 354 ¡°You¡¯re allowed to smoke, but I¡¯m not?¡± teased Catelyn as she then put out the cigarette, tossing it into the trash can. Cedrick pulled her into his arms once again, and together, they walked toward theater room no.6, looking like a couple in their honeymoon phase. ¡°Smoking is a man¡¯s prerogative,¡± replied Cedrick. ¡°Do you know how many toxins are in a cigarette stick? Nicotine, tar¡ªthere are more than three thousand different types of harmful substances, and more than thirty of them could cause cancer. There were even studies and experiments that showed that the amount of nicotine in one stick of cigarette is enough to kill a mouse.¡± Catelyn listened to him as he exined how harmful cigarettes were, ¡°If you¡¯re aware of it, why do you smoke?¡± she shot back. Cedrick looked at her and said, ¡°Because I¡¯m a man, and you¡­are a woman.¡± They finished watching the musical, and Cedrick had nothing else nned afterward as it was not appropriate for Janice to stay out for too long. Hence, they decided to dine in a vegetarian restaurant. Before they left, a staff member ran toward them from behind and called out to Catelyn. ¡°Are you Miss Catelyn?¡± The staff member looked at Catelyn nervously, ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Catelyn responded, confused. ¡°The Ninth Master had ordered for me to pass this to you before he left.¡± He took out a pendant with a red string and pointed at the fish pond behind them. ¡°He said you dropped this earlier and to please take care of your belongings.¡± Catelyn saw the pendant and felt her pocket¡­realizing it was empty. The pendant was given to her by Cedrick for good luck, she was supposed to give it back to him the next day, yet she had almost lost it. When Janice saw the pendant, her eyes widened in shock. She looked at both Cedrick and Catelyn before taking a deep breath, almost as if she was repressing something. ¡°Thank you.¡± Catelyn did not dare to look at Cedrick¡¯s expression just yet, she thanked the staff member and took the pendant from his hands. Cedrick snatched the pendant from her and shot her an incredulous stare. ¡°Do you just leave the things I give you around?¡±. The tenderness in his gaze was nowhere to be found; bone-chilling harshness darkened his eyes. Catelyn felt a chill down her spine. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! I probably dropped it when I almost slipped earlier. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll clean it¡­¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± Cedrick refused to listen to her exnation as he took out a tissue paper and wiped the pendant with care as if he was taking care of a precious national treasure. ¡°What¡¯s the point when it¡¯s evident you don¡¯t appreciate it?¡± Catelyn¡¯s mouth gaped open, but she decided to not say anything. She had already decided to flee the country with Miles, so she did not have to exin herself. Cedrick wiped at the pendant gently and tenderly. He looked like he was waiting for a response of sorts, but there was nothing. Infuriated, he removed the red string off of the pendant and tossed it into the trash can along with the tissue paper before he started walking without looking back. Janice did not follow him immediately, however. She looked at Catelyn with mixed emotions in her eyes and said, ¡°Do you know what that pendant is to Cedrick?¡± Catelyn shook her head. ¡°That pendant was the only thing my sister had left for Cedrick, and he was only able to take over the Mason family because of it. I didn¡¯t expect him to give something so precious to you, and worse, for you to drop it¡­¡± Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Catelyn felt something pierce through her heart as she throbbed in pain. It was summer and there was no wind, but she felt a bone-chilling air rushing over her, sinking into her skin. She shuddered. That pendant was that important, huh? ¡®Take good care of it. You can¡¯t afford to lose it.¡¯ Cedrick was right; she would never be able to find him another one if she were to lose his mother¡¯s relic that she had left for him. ¡®But why didn¡¯t he just tell me?¡¯ Cedrick was not present during the meal, which meant only Janice, Javier, and Ollie were there. Javier was talkative as usual, not once stopping even after they sat down, but he never really looked at nor acknowledged Catelyn either. He was only talking to Janice and Ollie. This did not bother Catelyn, however, as she continued having her meal. In the middle of the meal, Catelyn gave Ollie a knowing nce, and the boy immediately got up from his seat and said that he needed to go to the washroom. ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± Javier put his cutleries down and volunteered to follow. Ollie pouted. ¡°I¡¯m not a three-year-old anymore,¡± he grumbled. ¡°I can use the washroom by myself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only slightly over three!¡± Javier smirked and continued, ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re afraid that your uncle is going to see your weewee?¡± Catelyn thought that the conversation would end there, but Ollie widened his jewel-like eyes and nodded. ¡°Of course! Only my Mommy is allowed to see.¡± ¡°Pft! Your Mommy could be dead already.¡± Catelyn¡¯s hand quivered. Ollie¡¯s expression froze at this before fury overtook him as he shot a heated stare at Javier.¡± Apologize. Apologize to my mother right now! She¡¯s not dead, so don¡¯t ever say that again!¡± ¡°Little Ollie, I -¡°! ¡°I¡¯ll never call you my uncle anymore if you don¡¯t apologize!¡± Ollie was determined, asserting himself with his gaze. Javier knew that even though Ollie was young, he was a child with strong beliefs. Javier scratched his head and looked at Catelyn, embarrassed at being scolded by a child in front of her Catelyn cleared her throat and tugged at Ollie¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, now. Didn¡¯t you want to go to the washroom? Let¡¯s go together.¡± TE Ollie pouted and red angrily at Javier before spreading his arms out toward Catelyn with sparkly eyes as if asking to be carried. Javier was shocked at the stark difference between how Ollie treated him and Catelyn. The pair pushed the wooden door carved with intricate patterns, and Catelyn pulled Ollie over to an obscure corner. Ollie mentally prepared himself as he knew his mother had something important to talk to him about. Still, it had not even been a month yet. If it was not about exchanging identities with Miles, what else could it be? ¡°Ollie, are you willing to leave the country with Miles and I?¡± asked Catelyn, answering Ollie¡¯s thoughts. Ollie froze upon hearing this question. Hisrge round eyes widened as he stared nkly at Catelyn. ¡°What do you mean by¡­ leaving the country?¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Is Mommy leaving? What about me? What about my father? Haven¡¯t they gotten along well all this while?¡¯ Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Chapter 356 ¡°I¡¯ve bought a new passport and identity card from the ck market. Once everything is ready, I¡¯ll be leaving with Miles. We¡¯ll be heading to Europae first, and then some other countries, and eventually settling down somewhere.¡± Catelyn was nervous as she stared at Ollie with her dark eyes. ¡°You have the right to decide. I won¡¯t force you into doing anything.¡± Ollie frowned, his pale, squishy face darkening with gloom. ¡°Why do we have to leave? Father and Grandma are here, Mommy. Didn¡¯t we agree that Miles and I will be switching identities every month?¡± Catelyn did not mention anything about the mysterious man who had been constantly on her back as she uttered softly, ¡°That¡¯s because I have a feeling that our secret will be exposed soon. She would rather flee the country with her children before their secret got exposed to Cedrick. She would at least be able to keep one child. ¡°Do I really have to pick?¡± Ollie was upset and torn at this. Catelyn¡¯s heart ached for him, but she had no other choice as she nodded. ¡°You have to pick between Daddy and Mommy. However, I believe that he¡¯ll still be good to you if you decide to stay.¡± All that was left for Catelyn was to wait for Joanne¡¯s news. Once the new identity card was done, she would be able to leave with Miles. Catelyn had wanted to bring Ste along with her, but it would be tough for her as Ste would have trouble withmunication, and she would even be discriminated against in some ways. It was better for Catelyn to settle down before bringing her over. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. This was why Catelyn never mentioned her ns to Ste. She packed with Miles and prepared for their next steps¡­ It was a shame that Catelyn had to leave Mason Group, but she had no regrets. What she did not expect was for Cedrick to still have her follow Winnie for their City Center project after the incident in Ringo Park theater. The things she was most afraid of eventually came to her. She used the mysterious man as an excuse to reject the City Center project; if she was to be transferred, the mysterious man would be even more aggressive. She only wished for the mysterious man to not receive the news that soon, so she would have time to flee. s, things would never go the way she wanted them to. Catelyn had just left the office and was about to get her lunch from the shop opposite the building when she spotted a ck car parked across the street. Next to the car was a bodyguard dressed in a ck suit. ¡°Miss Catelyn,¡± said the bodyguard, approaching her, ¡°the Ninth Master invites you to have a word with him in the car.¡± Catelyn thought about Cedrick¡¯s rtionship with David and thought cautiously about it. ¡°I¡¯m busy, and I don¡¯t have time for the Ninth Master now. I¡¯ll let him know when I have time.¡± The bodyguard did not move an inch, however, and he interjected, ¡°Miss Catelyn, the Ninth Master insists.¡± Rejection was not eptable, it seemed. ¡°Ray.¡± The car window rolled down, revealing David¡¯s face. ¡°Miss Catelyn is my client, so you should be more respectful.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± answered Ray as he slid the door open and grabbed Catelyn¡¯s arm before pushing her into the car. The bodyguard was so strong that Catelyn¡¯s whole body copsed onto the car seat and bounced. The impact was so strong that she was starry-eyed. She quivered in fear and red defensively at David. ¡°David Mason, what are you doing?¡± David Mason? Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Chapter 357 David smiled faintly at her. Everyone always referred to him as the Ninth Master, and it had been a while since he was called by his full name. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you something. I believe you¡¯d want to stay once you see what it is.¡± ¡°Open the door now. Let me out!¡± Catelyn refused to believe David and shot him a deadly re. Nobody would like being shoved into a car in the middle of the street. Davidpletely ignored her plea and opened the box, retrieving a stack of photographs. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not interested?¡± Catelyn froze in ce the moment she saw the photographs. Those were pictures of Ollie and Miles-the exact ones she received the card from the mysterious man. ¡°So you are the mysterious man!¡± Catelyn snatched the photographs from him and red at him repulsively. ¡°The only thing you¡¯re good at is using my children to threaten me. How despicable!¡± David chuckled and asked in a serious tone, ¡°Do you know Cedrick has been investigating you and your son?¡± Catelyn¡¯s face twitched as she tried to repress her emotions. ¡°I¡¯ve asked him to help me in my custody case, so it¡¯s normal for him to investigate me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me. You know what I¡¯m referring to.¡± If Cedrick had been investigating Catelyn and Miles, he could not have possibly not known that Miles and Ollie looked identical. The reason Cedrick had not found out that yet was that David had diverted Cedrick¡¯s source of information ¡°You have two choices. ¡°Choice A: I¡¯ll hand these photographs and DNA test results to Cedrick, and I won¡¯t be able to guarantee what consequences this option would bring. ¡°Choice B: give me the information I need.¡± ¡°David Mason, don¡¯t you think this is a scummy move?!¡± Catelyn paused for a moment before she continued, ¡°If you want to fight Cedrick, do it publicly in an honorable way. Even if you win using a harmless woman like me as bait, it won¡¯t be something to be proud of!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to provoke me All I want is an answer.¡± David waspletely immune to Catelyn¡¯s words and insisted that she make her choice, much to her dismay secret had not been exposed was all because of David. A ck Spiker was parked in another corner outside of the building. ¡°Cedrick¡­¡± Javier sat on the passenger seat, witnessing everything that happened across the street, and gulped. ¡°Did my eyes deceive me, or did Nine just pull your girlfriend into his car?¡± The man who was sitting at the back emitted an icy-cold aura. His eyes, too, were glued to the ck car across the street. The car was parked still, and even though the ss was tinted, he was able to make out the silhouette of the figures inside the car. He was at least able to tell that no one was fighting inside. Javier observed Cedrick¡¯s expression, and his bitterly cold expression sent chills down Javier¡¯s spine. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. They were right outside Mason Group¡¯s building. Nine had the guts to pull Catelyn into the car in such a manner! Was he trying to tell everyone that Catelyn was in cahoots with him? ¡°C¡­Cedrick, I heard that you¡¯ve picked Catelyn to work on the City Center project, and Nine has been eyeing this project for a long time now. If she¡¯s working under Nine, then¡­¡± Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Chapter 358 N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°He won¡¯t seed,¡± interjected Cedrick, cutting off Javier from continuing. ¡°It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡± The worried Javier nervously continued, ¡°Nine has always been a cunning man, and no one knows who¡¯s working with him. Cedrick, you should remove Catelyn from the company. Let me help you¡ª¡± Cedrick red at him and rolled the car window up. ¡°Drive!¡± Javier sighed deeply. ¡®Has Cedrick been lured senseless by a woman? I must find a way to kick Catelyn out! That afternoon. Catelyn got out of the car and felt anxious for the rest of the day. Thest thing she wanted to do was to betray Cedrick. Even if it was for her sons, he was their father! Still, what was she supposed to do, being under the pressure of such an aggressive man? Her sons and she became the casualties of a battle between two rtives the moment she got forcefully involved. ¡°Catelyn.¡± Winnie tapped her fingers on her table when she nked out. ¡°Mister Cedrick had requested for me to guide you. Please stay over tonight; I have something that I¡¯d like you to help me with.¡± Catelyn snapped out of her thoughts instantly as she replied, ¡°Understood, Miss Winnie.¡± Catelyn did not even have dinner when she got off from work and headed straight to see Winnie. Winnie had her own office, with a few employees working in their respective cubicles outside of her office. At this moment, Javier spotted Catelyn. Titling his head up, he ordered, ¡°Hey, Catelyn, good timing! I have a bidding document here that needs your help in verifying the numbers, and we need it for the bid.¡± Catelyn was stunned for a moment. Bidding documents were the most important thing for a bid. The numbers and statistics in the documents were confidential, and she was just a middle-level employee who was on probation. Why would she be asked to look over something like that? Catelyn observed Javier quietly. If it was not for the fact that he was Cedrick¡¯s blood-rted cousin, she would have suspected that David had sent him to test her. Catelyn did not want to ept the USB sh nor did she want to look at the contents inside. She was worried that she would get herself into deeper trouble if she looked at them. ¡°What¡¯s up? Is there a problem?¡± Javier pursed his lips in annoyance when he saw that Catelyn was hesitant in epting the task. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re cking because Cedrick isn¡¯t in the office?¡± Cedrick, after all, had left the office earlier to attend an important gathering with a client. Catelyn had no choice but to ept the USB sh and reluctantly muttered, ¡°No. I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± Javier looked at her again and added, ¡°The information in there is very important. Make sure to not tell anyone about it after you¡¯re done with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± What Catelyn did not understand was why Javier would give her such an important task when he seemed to dislike her. Javier realized she was confused and thus sneered, ¡°If it¡¯s not for the fact that you¡¯re Cedrick¡¯s girlfriend, I wouldn¡¯t even have let you do it!¡± He stared at her and continued, ¡°Do you know that Nine likes to nt his people to work under Cedrick? We call them spies.¡± Catelyn was about to insert the USB sh into herputer when she heard that and froze in ce. If she copied the information from the USB sh and gave it to David, she would be a spy, too. The term ¡®spy¡¯ sounded so painful in her ears. Winnie overheard their conversation and frowned. ¡°Get back to work, Javier. Cedrick didn¡¯t give you a job to gossip.¡± Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Javier pursed his lips together and hopped out of the office. He did not resume his work right away, instead sitting in front of hisputer and taking out his smartphone to type out a text. [Be more alert tonight. Make sure everything goes smoothly.] He quickly received a reply. [Consider it done, sir.] Javier thus clicked out of his messaging app to his camera app, switching it to self mode to look at his reflection. He rubbed his chin and was pleased with how handsome he looked from this angle. The sky grew darker, while the clouds were cker than usual like it was brewing for a storm. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. It was 11 p.m. when Catelyn finished her work. She had done verifying all the numbers and cleaned them up before handing the sh drive back to Winnie. ¡°I¡¯m done with these, Miss Winnie.¡± ¡°Alright, you can leave the office,¡± said Winnie as she epted the drive. ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving? It¡¯s after eleven,¡± Catelyn asked, surprised. ¡°I¡¯ll leave shortly. Don¡¯t wait up.¡± Winnie did not exin herself any further, her eyes remained glued to herputer screen. Theputer screen was filled with texts and numbers, and the brightness on the screen was reflected on Winnie¡¯s face. ¡°You should get more rest. Staying up is bad for your health,¡± suggested Catelyn thoughtfully. Winnie shut her eyes gently and drew a curve on theputer with her mouse. Catelyn was by the exit when Winnie called out to her. ¡°Catelyn.¡± She stopped in her tracks and turned. ¡°Yes, Miss Winnie?¡± Winnie smiled gently and said, ¡°Get home safely. It¡¯s getting really dark, and it¡¯s not safe for a woman to go home alone. I¡¯ll have Javier send you home.¡± ¡°What? Oh, you don¡¯t have to! I¡¯ll call for an e-hailing service.¡± Javier was still a teenager, after all. Was he a responsible driver? Catelyn highly doubted it. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Javier. He used to race cars as a hobby when he was in Ostralia.¡± Winnie then dialed Javier¡¯s number in front of Catelyn. With that, Javier was forced to send Catelyn home eventually. The pair walked to the car park together, walking past some green belt areas. Barely anyone was around since it waste at night, and the buildings around were all office buildings. Their shadows stretched under the dim, yellow street lights. Javier looked at Catelyn contemptuously. He wanted to go home and y some video games while he waited for his n to work, yet he was forced to send Catelyn home! Javier began brainstorming how he would have to actter when they arrived. Catelyn remained a safe distance from Javier when all of a sudden, beams of lights shot from behind them, along with sounds of motorcycle engines rumbling. As the motorbikes approached them, sounds of chatter andughter could be heard. ¡°Someone¡¯s here, boy.¡± Catelyn was getting anxious since it was gettingte. ¡°Finally!¡± Javier muttered to himself under his breath. ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡± Catelyn could not hear him clearly. ¡°Nothing.¡± Javier was frustrated at them internally for arriving sote but was expressionless on the outside. He looked at Catelyn from head to toe in disdain, ¡°Say, what exactly did you do to get Cedrick? Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Catelyn did not reply. ¡°Maia was with him for four years, yet you came out of nowhere and snatched him! I warn you: if you dare betray him in any way, I¡¯ll feed you to the sharks!¡± ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± Catelyn sensed danger at that moment and, grabbing onto Javier¡¯s arm, sprinted toward the parking lot. ¡°These people are dangerous. Run, and don¡¯t look back!¡± Javier leaned forward from the sudden impact. He turned around to find that the bikers were getting closer to them. The bikes stopped and a few men in leather jackets and helmets got down from their bikes with bats in their hands. Javier wanted to curse at the riders but stopped himself when he saw them. U11 VATAT He internally cursed himself. These men were not whom he had called for! They looked far too intimidating and ruthless. Where did theye from then? Catelyn dragged Javier away, which prompted the men to chase after her. ¡°Stop running!¡± Catelyn merely picked up the pace. It would be stupid for anyone to stop running in such a situation. She took off her high heels, finding them a hassle to run in, as she continued running barefooted. She did not have the time to wonder who those men were; the only thing in her mind was to run for her life. However, there was no way for them to overrun the men. They came prepared. Javier was confused, even though he had experience, he was still just a teenager. Summoning his courage, he feebly asked, ¡°W- What are these people here for?¡± Catelyn thought about it for a second and said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re Cedrick¡¯s enemies, or Nine¡¯s mnen. They¡¯re probably trying to get information about the City Center project from us.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Javier gulped at this, wondering why everyone thought of doing the same thing. He, too, had wanted to test Catelyn. He did not expect to lure out the real enemies! What should he do? Those men won in terms of quantity and size! Catelyn looked around anxiously as she ran. Amid her panic, she saw a ck trash can a short distance away from them. The trash can was cleaned out every night, so there should be barely any trash in it. She pulled Javier¡¯s arm and shoved him into a corner, nning on turning the trash can around to cover him. Javier noticed this and fearfully hissed, ¡°W-What are you trying to do?!¡± ¡°You stay inside while I steer them away!¡± ordered Catelyn, unable toe up with a better n. Javier tried to protest this, staring at her like she was crazy, and stammered incredulously, ¡°A¡­ Are you crazy? That should be my job. I¡¯m a man!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even turned eighteen yet, and you¡¯re still a child to me! Listen: once they¡¯re done chasing me, find a way to leave and get Cedrick to save me.¡± SSE Time was of the essence, and Catelyn quickly ced the trash can over him. Javier struggled to get out, but the footsteps of those men sounded dangerously close to them. ¡°She¡¯s right there! Go after her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her escape; she must have the information we need!¡± Chapter 361 Chapter 361 Chapter 361 The yells and footsteps of the men disappeared in another direction. Javier held his breath and hid quietly under the trash can. At that moment, he felt a sudden rush of regret. If it was not for him, this might not have happened. Still, how did the men know that Catelyn would leave the building at this hour? Javier fell into deep contemtion. Catelyn kept running barefoot on the gravel road, and the soles of her feet had been cut open by the rough sands, so much so that it was excruciating. She could not stop running, though. She could not begin to imagine what would happen if Once Javier was safe and managed to get help, she would be fine. Catelyn summoned every bit of her zeal solely from that belief alone and kept on sprinting, but outrunning the gangsters was impossible. Soon enough, Catelyn was surrounded. Cedrick returned to Mason Estate once he was done with the gathering, but at this moment, he was quite tired yet. Sweat rained from his body as he ran on the treadmill machine. His toned muscles glistened under the warm lighting, and when he got off the treadmill, his shirt and towel werepletely soaked. Strands of wet hair stuck to his forehead. Ever since he could remember, he had always had the pendant with him. Not once had he ever taken it off of him. The only time he ever took it off was that night when Catelyn snatched it off, along with the string attached to it. She held onto it so tightly that he tried to take it back from her. To his surprise, she hissed and wed at him like a feral cat, scratching his chest with her nails, painting it with streaks of red lines. Eventually, he had no other choice than to enable her. His dark eyes were filled with traces of regret. He tilted his head back and finished the water in a single breath. Bzz, bzz, bzz! His phone that was next to him vibrated. Cedrick frowned upon seeing Javier¡¯s name on the screen. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ced¡­Cedrick, please don¡¯t punch me!¡± stammered Javier under his breath anxiously. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I swear! I just wanted to test her loyalty.¡± ¡°Test her loyalty¡¯? Was this about Catelyn? Crunch! The stic bottle ttened in his hand. His eyes darkened as he snarled, ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Catelyn was brought to an abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere, and not a single pedestrian was in sight. The ce looked creepy under the dim moonlight. Catelyn was thrown to the ground like a chicken waiting to be butchered. The man was still wearing his helmet that obscured most of his face, probably not wanting to be recognized. Still, he red at her with a murderous look, and she felt like she would be devoured. ¡°Miss Catelyn, we¡¯re not here to hurt you. We promise to release you as soon as you tell us the information we need about the City Center project, okay?¡± The man waved the knife in his hand around, the metal glinting under the light, blinding Catelyn¡¯s eyes. She was overwhelmed with terror. ¡°I¡¯m just a mere, insignificant employee in Mason Group, and I don¡¯t know anything about the project at all! ¡°You got the wrong person, so please, just let me go¡­ I¡¯ll pretend like this whole thing never even happened!¡± She staggered back fearfully. Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Chapter 362 ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me! You¡¯re Cedrick¡¯s woman, so you should know what I¡¯m talking about,¡± sneered the man with a sinister smirk. Catelyn felt her soul leave her body when she realized that they knew about her rtionship with Cedrick Who were those people? Were they David¡¯s men? ¡°I really don¡¯t know¡­ You got the wrong person!¡± She vehemently shook her head. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know?¡± The man scoffed coldly and growled, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell us, I¡¯ll cut your face up and ruin your beauty! Cedrick would surely dump you then.¡± The man traced the back of the knife along Catelyn¡¯s skin, the icy-cold metal sending shivers throughout her body as every hair on her body raised. Her neck was strained as she leaned her head back, and the back of her shirt had beenpletely soaked with cold sweat. Still, her answer never changed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I swear! No matter how many times you ask, my answer will be the same!¡± She could not do it, whether it be for herself or Cedrick. If she refused to say anything, she might have a chance of surviving. If she told them, they might just kill her off right after! Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°You leave us no choice, then!¡± The man was about to slice her throat with the knife when a man stopped him from behind. ¡°Let it go, Three; no woman would risk their beauty like this. I think she genuinely has no ¡°What do we do with her, then?¡± The man gave her a once-over and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to do with a useless woman?¡± Catelyn had forgotten to breathe at that point. Her fists tightened as she looked at them with fear in her eyes. ¡°What are you trying to do? Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Vroom! A ck Spiker zipped through the streets, passing numerous traffic lights as the driver headed straight to the city¡¯s outskirts. When the car stopped in the middle of the freeway, there were already people waiting by the street. The sky was dark and foggy, covering everything with a thin veil, thus making it hard to see the road ahead clearly. The car lights shone brightly as Cedrick got out of the car, while Javier and Charles started searching around. Javier shuddered and hid behind Winnie upon seeing Cedrick. ¡°Winnie, you have to help me. I didn¡¯t mean to cause this!¡± Winnie had learned about the incident only after Catelyn was captured and started gathering people with Javier to search. She patted Javier¡¯s shoulder lightly in an attempt to console him. Cedrick walked toward them without scolding Javier. He looked at Eason without much of an expression, but the air had suddenly turned bone-chilling cold. ¡°Where are they?¡± Eason pointed at the skid marks on the street and answered, albeit warily, ¡°Thetest surveince footage showed that the biker gang had brought Miss Catelyn here.¡± The road was just like any other countryside road-long and endless. Catelyn could have been brought to any of those directions. Cedrick had not been there before, but he quickly began to give out orders. ¡°Call the police now. We¡¯ll start searching from here. I don¡¯t care if you flip the ground inside out; just find her. ¡°Also, contact the locals here. Anyone who¡¯s able to provide any information about the biker gang and Catelyn will be rewarded with fifteen thousand dors, and anyone who managed to find them will be rewarded with a hundred thousand!¡± Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Chapter 363 ¡°Cedrick, can I participate in getting the reward?¡± Javier raised his hand up greedily, traces of guilt evident on his youthful face. He had joined Mason Group without telling his mother, and because of that, she punished him by cutting off his pocket money when she found out. red at him coldly. Javier felt a chill down his spine. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. He had never seen Cedrick acting the way he did. Cedrick had never looked at him with such a cold look before; it was like he was looking at a ¡°Cedrick, Catelyn and I really had been yed! All I did was call a few friends to capture her and put some fear in her to see if she¡¯d betray you. I didn¡¯t expect actual gangsters to show up! ¡°The consequence is what matters to me!¡± Cedrick cut him off coldly, sounding like he could barely tolerate him. Javier dared not to look at Cedrick and hung his head low like a child that had been punished. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cedrick,¡± he apologized sincerely. At that moment, Javier seemed to have spotted a feminine figure walking on the field toward them from a distance. The woman¡¯s clothes seemed thin. Her arms were crossed together as she rubbed her arms together, seemingly to create some heat as she endured the cold night. ¡°Cedrick, look!¡± He pointed toward the field, which Cedrick¡¯s gaze trailed after. The weak figure walked slowly in the dark, her pale face exposed before the car¡¯s headlights. Her shadow was stretched under the light. She staggered slowly as though she had gone through grueling pain. The woman was Catelyn. Cedrick noticed her bare feet. Since they were on the outskirts, where the ground was covered with stones and branches, her feet must have suffered from cuts after walking without shoes. Cedrick¡¯s fist tightened at this, and the veins at the back of his hand were visible. Catelyn had no idea how long she had been walking, but it had probably been about 30 minutes. The sky was dark, and the moonlight was not bright enough that night. She had walked by herself in the dark, all the way from the warehouse. She then saw a faint source of light and decided to walk toward it. Perhaps she would be able to hitch a ride or something. She thus forced herself to walk all the way to the freeway, only to find Cedrick and the rest there. ¡°Cedrick?¡± she uttered under her breath. The headlight shone on his handsome face, illuminating his features. Catelyn finally realized that she was not hallucinating big piece of rock in front, causing her to stumble with her arms spread out. It was not the most graceful position. In just a second, Cedrick was in front of her as she fell into his arms. Her heart was racing as she was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. She looked up at his face, and her eyes were filled with gratitude and excitement. ¡°Are¡­ Are you here to save me?¡± No matter where she was, no matter howte it was, it seemed that he was always the first to rescue her whenever she was in danger. She felt incredibly touched. Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Even though Catelyn did not want to admit it, it was obvious that she had slowly fallen for how Cedrick cared for her and pampered her. The moment she saw him walking toward her, back-facing the light source, he looked like a hero that had just descended from above,ing to rescue her from the darkness. There was a voice in her head that was telling her that ¨C She had fallen for him. ¡°What else am I doing here? For the view?¡± Catelyn¡¯s gratitude vanished within seconds. Cedrick stared at her battered, dirt-covered feet. Her toes were curled up, and traces of dried blood were seen in between her toenails, along with specks of sand and dirt. Catelyn felt him observing her feet and rubbed her feet together in an attempt to rub the dirty leaves and dirt off. He put his arm behind her back and thighs and hoisted her up in an instant. Catelyn¡¯s lips parted slightly as she hesitated for a brief moment before looping her arms behind his neck and nuzzling into his chest as if she was showing him affection. It was truly not her intention to drop the pendant¡­and she never expected that the man Cedrick despised would be the one to pick it up. On the way back to the city, Winnie sat in the backseat with Catelyn while Cedrick drove the car. He drove steadily, looking at the person in the backseat through the mirror from time to time. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°There¡¯s a nket at the back,¡± uttered Cedrick. Winnieughed to herself faintly. ¡°How forgetful of me.¡± Catelyn¡¯s body¡¯s warmth immediately came back the moment she was covered in it. She grabbed onto her nket and smiled at Winnie. She did not expect Winnie toe along to the rescue. ¡°How¡¯s Javier? Is he okay?¡± asked Catelyn, concerned, since she had not seen Javier. The moment Javier saw Catelyn fall into Cedrick¡¯s arms, he immediately sneaked into Eason¡¯s car, too ashamed to face Catelyn. Cedrick¡¯s lips pursed tightly together without answering her. He seemed to still be angry at her. Winnie smiled at Catelyn apologetically and said, ¡°Javier probably felt too ashamed to face you and followed the other¡¯s car back.¡± ¡°Saving one person out of two was the best option in that scenario. He didn¡¯t have to feel sorry or anything.¡± Catelyn¡¯s longshes batted slightly, repressing her fear when thinking back about what happened. ¡°If it¡¯s not for him, you guys wouldn¡¯t have found me so quickly¡­¡± ¡°Do you have any injuries on you? Should we go to the hospital?¡± Cedrick looked at Catelyn upon hearing that question. She felt everyone looking at her and quickly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. They didn¡¯t really do anything to me. All I have are some minor cuts on my feet, so I¡¯ll just put some medicine on when I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Winnie sounded suspicious. ¡°I heard from Javier that they came for the City Center project. Why would they let you off without getting any information?¡± Catelyn turned stiff at this. Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened. The air seemed to have frozen over, and all fell silent for a moment She had asked herself the same question¡­.but she did not have an answer to it. The man was saying how ¡®useless¡¯ she was. and she thought they would kill her. She did not expect to be released without having to say anything. yet I kept my silence, so¡­ Either they truly did believe me, or they realized that they¡¯ve gotten the wrong person. Maybe they just didn¡¯t want to risk getting caught for murder.¡± Winnie stretched her lips as she exchanged a gaze with Cedrick, and neither of them said anything That answer sure sounded ridiculous. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Chapter 365 The biker gang went as far as kidnapping an employee from Mason Group¡¯s building and dragged her to the city¡¯s outskirts, only to release her eventually. Not only that, but they even believed that she was telling the truth, or better yet, afraid of getting arrested for murder? Why would men like them be afraid of death if they dared to do all that in the first ce? ¡°Did you manage to see their faces? If you did, I¡¯ll ask the policemen toe take a statement for the best if they could be arrested so you don¡¯t have to worry about them anymore in the Catelyn fell silent. Winnie saw how pale she looked and felt her forehead. ¡°Why do you look so pale? Did you get a cold?¡± She then looked at Cedrick and said, ¡°Cedrick, Miss Catelyn¡¯s hands are freezing. Please turn the temperature up.¡± Cedrick looked at Catelyn, his gaze darkening with conflict and his lips pursed tightly. Catelyn¡¯s hands went underneath the nket as she felt a sudden bout of panic. It dawned on her¡­that she had been fooled. The men were after her, not Javier. They had never intended on getting anything out of her today; their true intention was to disrupt her rtionship with Cedrick. She was captured and released without any major injuries, so anyone would have thought that she must have said something to them to have gotten out unscathed. Catelyn frowned deeply. A wave of fear washed over her. ¡°I¡¯ve not uttered a single word about the project at all,¡± announced Catelyn in an attempt to uphold herself.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Catelyn. We didn¡¯t say that you¡¯re lying.¡± Winnie held onto Catelyn¡¯s hand, giving her warmth. Catelyn could faintly see a faint smirk on Cedrick¡¯s face, and at that moment, she felt something pierced through her heart. Did he not believe her? Catelyn was brought to the Mason Estate, where Cedrick carried her into the living room since she had no shoes on. Albert was waiting by the entrance and retrieved a pair of pink sandals. The sandals had been waiting for their owner for a long time. warm water when he saw how dirty her feet were. Warm water could encourage blood cirction and soothe fatigue. The maid knelt before the pail and was about to wash Catelyn¡¯s feet. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I can do it myself.¡± Catelyn had lived independently for a long time and was not used to being served by a maid anymore. On top of that, it was something so simple that she could get by without help. The maid did not get up, however, ncing at Cedrick as though awaiting hismand. ¡°It¡¯s fine, then,¡± Cedrick uttered coldly, without much emotion on his face. The maid then got up and left. Catelyn bent down and started washing her feet. The cuts were not deep, but the sheer pain still made her wince. Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Chapter 366 His facial features were already well-defined, but his face looked even sharper with him being tense. Cedrick might lookposed from the outside, but Catelyn could feel that he was not all that calm at the moment. ¡°Cedrick, I didn¡¯t betray you¡­¡± Catelyn spoke up after having mustered her courage. ¡°Mhm,¡± Cedrick replied loosely. Catelyn quickly stretched out her slender fingers and held his hand, her eyes focused on his. ¡°I know that I slip up sometimes, but I¡¯m serious this time-please believe me!¡± cried Catelyn.¡± No matter what happened, I didn¡¯t reveal any of that information to the outside world!¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn was so anxious that her exnations were a little incoherent. She used to not care about what Cedrick thought of her, but things have changed. ¡°Think about it: when Javier and I came out of the company, those motorcyclists were waiting for us since morning! Also, they were just trying to intimidate me into confessing, but I wasn¡¯t hurt by them. It was obvious they were trying to divide us.¡± Catelyn tried her best to exin to Cedrick, and her voice became high-pitched as she spoke. However, Cedrick never answered her. ¡°What do I have to do to convince you to believe me?¡± asked Catelyn worriedly. She reached out and grabbed his wrist. ¡°Do you want me to be tortured by those people? Is that what you The next moment, Cedrick suddenly gripped her jaw. Cedrick¡¯s eyes lit up with anger in an instance as he looked into her eyes demeaningly. ¡°I can believe that you didn¡¯t say anything. Tell me: what did you and the Ninth Master talk about in the car yesterday afternoon?¡± For a split second, Catelyn¡¯s face turned pale, and there was panic in her eyes. He saw her being dragged into the car by David? Cedrick looked at her quietly, and there was a small spark of hope that she would tell him everything. Even if there was any questionable deal between her and The Ninth Master, he was willing to listen. However, even after a while, Catelyn did not answer. Cedrick shook off her jaw. ¡°Before you want others to believe you, shouldn¡¯t you look at yourself in the mirror first?¡± he sneered. ¡°Catelyn, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯ve leaked any project information, but I am curious about the fact that you¡¯ve been into the Ninth Master¡¯s car.¡± With that, Cedrick went upstairs without looking back once. Catelyn, already in a vulnerable state at the moment, slumped down the sofa cushion when Cedrick flung her away by the chin. She felt like she had been stabbed in the heart. So this was how it felt to be abandoned by someone who used to care for her. Catelyn sat numbly in the living room for a while until the servant came to remind her that the room had been tidied. Just as she thought, Cedrick did not allow her to step into the master bedroom but a secondary bedroom inside the children¡¯s room instead. Catelynid in bed for a long time, not falling asleep. To set something up like this, many conditions must be met at the same time. Two of them were very subtle. Winnie had suddenly asked her to work overtime this afternoon, and Javier even brought all that information to her. If Catelyn did not see the project¡¯s core information, no matter what David did, she would be innocent. Were Winnie and Javier the ones who framed her, or was it all just a coincidence? Catelyn sat up from the bed abruptly, feeling the coldness creeping into her skin. Javier¡¯s guilt toward her was pretty strange. It seems that it was not just because she diverted those bikers away in the parking lot, but it was him feeling guilty instead. He could not even have the courage to look her in the eye. No. Javier must have had something to do with this! Not caring that it was practicallyte at night, Catelyn took the phone and dialed Javier¡¯s number straight away. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Javier¡¯s parents were overseas all year round. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. At this hour, he was the only one living in a vi near the Mason Estate. He sat on the carpet on the bedroom floor with a gamepad in his hand, killing monsters on the LCD screen that hung on the wall. He kept yelling as he yed as if venting out his anger within. This was when his phone started to ring, but with him so immersed in his game, he had no intention of picking up. s, the phone kept ringing, and even when it stopped, another round of ringing would start. In the end, Javier threw the gamepad in annoyance and went to get his phone. Just as he wanted to start swearing as he picked up the phone, he saw the number on his phone screen. It was Catelyn. Javier almost dropped his phone at the name, but he cleared his throat and stammered, ¡°C¡­ Catelyn? You¡¯re still up sote?¡± With an obvious guilty conscience and ttery in his voice, Catelyn was almost certain that Javier was up to something. She could feel the blood in her body start boiling. She tightened her fist and snarled, ¡°Did you call those people? Why would you do this to me?¡± Cedrick, who was in the master bedroom just next door, was also tossing and turning on his bed. He got up from his bed and went toward the small balcony in his bedroom. He stood quietly beside the railing, his gaze falling faintly into the distance. His phone vibrated, and a text message came in. It was from an anonymous number. (Master Cedrick, shall we proceed with the next n?) Cedrick frowned deeply as he read the text. After what seemed to be a long time, he replied, (Everything is going ording to n.) ¡®You betrayed me first, Catelyn.¡¯ He pinched the cigarette butt on the ashtray and quietly came to the second bedroom. Cedrick¡¯s eyes fell on the door, and after a while, he twisted the doorknob and opened the door. The room was quiet and dark, save for a small dim light next to the bed. Catelyn was lying on the bed, breathing evenly as if she had fallen asleep. There was also an opened fairytale book on the bedside table as if she had read it before falling asleep. Cedrick pursed his thin lips tightly. He stood quietly at the side of the bed and watched her for a while After a long time, he walked slowly to the edge of the bed and brushed his fingers across her evebrows. His fingertips moved down her slightly frowning brows andnded on her lips, and he then gently traced the shape of her lips with his fingers. Cedrick leaned over and dropped a kiss on her lips. A light breeze blew in from the window, quickly blowing away the kiss he gave her as if it never happened. Ollie came to the Mason Estate early that morning the moment he learned that Catelyn was resting here. ¡°Mommy, why didn¡¯t you sleep with Daddy?¡± As soon as Catelyn woke up, she saw the little boy lying beside her on the bed with an excited look Catelyn opened her sleepy eyes and blinked a few times, only to realize that she was not dreaming After she finished the phone call with Javierst night, her whole body was so tense. It took her a while, but she finally rxed and fell asleep eventually. In her sleep, she could faintly feel that someone was staring at her. Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Catelyn could feel someone watching her in her sleep, perhaps even kissing her. However, all she saw when she woke up was Ollie. It was just a dream after all. ¡°Mommy¡¯s foot was injured, and your father is afraid of hurting me,¡± said Catelyn to Ollie. Hearing these words, Ollie scurried around with her, trying to lift her quilt. He did so cautiously, however, fearing that a slight wrong move would make Catelyn¡¯s wounds worse. Catelyn quickly stopped the boy and pulled him to her. ¡°It¡¯s not that serious, don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s just¡­ Ollie, have you considered what I¡¯ve told you?¡± Suddenly, Ollie¡¯s drooping eyshes trembled as he tightly grasped the hem of Catelyn¡¯s clothes. Solemnly, earnestly, he said, ¡°I want everyone to stay here with me.¡± Catelyn looked at Ollie. He had always been a sensible boy and never demanded more from her. This request, however, was something Catelyn could not fulfill. Moreover, she also did not want to be entangled in the Mason family¡¯s mess anymore. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Catelyn closed her eyes, and imperceptible wetness shed across her eyes. Ollie pursed his mouth tightly, probably knowing that this request was too demanding. After some thought, he finally shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize, because¡­ it¡¯s me. I have to stay. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy, but I can¡¯t go with you. I¡¯m not staying for the Mason family¡¯s wealth. Daddy will be alone after you all left, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be lonely.¡± Catelyn lowered her head and kissed Ollie¡¯s forehead affectionately. She rested her chin on the top of his head, hugging him tightly. She had repeatedly thought about Ollie giving her such an answer beforehand. With him saying it, she was not surprised at all. Catelyn knew Ollie could take care of himself. Even with such an answer, there was a more important reason behind this. If Catelyn had taken Ollie away as well, Cedrick would never let her leave. He would probably have the entire city searched to hunt them down, and she and Miles would never be able to escape. Ollie snuggled against Catelyn¡¯s arms, and the twinkle in his eyes vanished as his grip on Catelyn became a little tighter. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Mommy, but I lied to you. What I want is. If I stay, you stay, too. ¡®I¡¯ll find a way to have you all stay with me.¡¯ ¡°Miss rk, I¡¯m the doctor that Mister Mason called to treat your wound. May Ie in?¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. asked the female doctor respectfully. The wound on Catelyn¡¯s back was not serious at first, and she did not get any medication the night before. Throughout the night, some of the small incisions had scabbed over, and only some deep scratches were more obvious. Still, Catelyn did not expect Cedrick to call a doctor for her. ¡°Come in.¡± tender. Please be careful while bandaging her, and be sure to not leave any scars.¡± The female doctor was stunned for a moment before a smile made its way to her face. ¡°Alright. She looked at the wound on Catelyn¡¯s foot. To be frank, these wounds were not deep, and they should not leave any scars. Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Chapter 369 The doctor thus said to Catelyn, ¡°Mister Mason had called to see you, not only to inspect the wound on your foot but also to see if there are any other injuries on your body. If you don¡¯t mind, please take off your clothes, and I¡¯ll give you a thorough checkup.¡± Listening to the doctor¡¯s words, Catelyn remembered that her back felt rather sore. ¡°Do you want to take off your clothes?¡± asked Ollie. ¡°I¡¯ll help you!¡± Catelyn was wearing a simple nightdress, which was light and flirtatious. Just as Ollie reached out his hands, about to undo Catelyn¡¯s belt, a tall figure suddenly appeared at the door. ¡°Ollie Mason.¡± Ollie¡¯s hands froze mid-air when he heard his father calling his name. He looked back and saw Cedrick walking in. The man pursed his lips tightly. Without saying a word, he leaned forward and hoisted Ollie into his arms, and walked out. ¡°Really? What¡¯s the use of calling a doctor, then?¡± Cedrick¡¯s harsh words instantly disrupted Ollie¡¯s thoughts. Cedrick carried him out of the room like a big plush toy in his arms, Ollie leaned on his shoulders and looked at Catelyn from a distance as they left the room. He could see Catelyn on the bed in the room, smiling and waving at him, motioning him to follow his father. Ollie fell quiet for a moment. Children could be sensitive, and he could feel that his father and Catelyn were unhappy again. Cedrick closed the door as he left Catelyn¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Why did Aunt Catelyn get hurt?¡± asked Ollie. Cedrick did not answer him. ¡°Father, did you do anything to Aunt Catelyn?¡± Ollie was unrelenting. Cedrick carried Ollie to the living room downstairs and shoved him onto the sofa. He turned around, his back looking extraordinarily tall. Suddenly, he felt his thighs embraced by two little hands. Cedrick lowered his eyes. anymore. I don¡¯t want to lose her! I¡¯m begging you-go coax her a little. I really want her to stay¡­¡± It was rare for Ollie to ask anything from Cedrick. However, Cedrick maintained a cold expression. ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°No!¡± Ollie looked at him stubbornly as if he would lose something if he let go. ¡°Aunt Catelyn is gentle, considerate, beautiful, sensible¡­ If you lose her, you won¡¯t find a more suitable wife ever again!¡± Cedrick merely sneered in response. He grabbed Ollie¡¯s hands, trying to break his grip on his legs, but Ollie hugged him back even more tightly. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. For some reason, he felt disconcerted. Somehow, he had a gut feeling that if he released his grip on Cedrick at this very second, he would lose Catelyn forever! s, how could Ollie fight him? He was just a child. Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Chapter 370 In the end, Cedrick yanked Ollie¡¯s hands off and walked away without ncing back. Ollie¡¯s eyes instantly reddened as he began sobbing, biting his lower lip. Indescribable grief loomed over him. ¡®Father, did you know that Aunt Catelyn and Miles have decided to leave forever?¡¯ Catelyn was granted a half-day rest at the Mason Estate, which she used as paid leave from her job. When she returned to workter in the afternoon, the atmosphere seemed suspiciously ominous. The police were there early in the morning to obtain thepany entrance¡¯s surveince footage from last night. It was rumored that Javier had called the police, using someone of attacking him and Catelyn. Everyone knew that she was kidnapped by a group of racersst night. Catelyn had just reached the company¡¯s doorstep for a minute before she was bombarded with questions from other employees. ¡°I heard that those ouws were secretly hired by business rivals! Since they released Catelyn, they probably got what they want,¡± said a female employee with her hands folded as she satzily at her work desk, not realizing how much damage her words would bring to Catelyn¡¯s reputation. Catelyn nced at the employee. Thedy was an architectural designer with high qualifications, but she had yet to be given any big projects to handle, and she had always been jealous of Catelyn¡¯s unusual transfer. ¡°Sheryl, watch what you¡¯re saying. Kitty looked fine, and she¡¯s not what you say she is,¡± said Samantha Smith as she quickly came out between Catelyn and Sheryl. ¡°But I¡¯m not wrong!¡± Sheryl seemed even more excited. ¡°Whenever a man sees her charming face, they would kneel before her. Why would they let her go? She probably leaked ourpany¡¯s secrets to them!¡± Thud! As soon as Sheryl finished, she saw Catelyn mming a ss cup on the table harshly, making a loud thud. A secondter, Catelyn took a cutting knife from the table and walked over to Sheryl with a nk expression, to which Sheryl¡¯s expression changed drastically. Her eyes shed, and she stared at Catelyn with a guilty conscience. ¡°You¡­ Stay away! What are you trying to do?!¡± ¡°Kitty, calm down!¡± eximed Samantha, trying to stop Catelyn. Who would imagine that Catelyn, who was usually a chatty person, would suddenly be so Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. terrifying? ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Catelyn just looked at Sheryl calmly, unblinking. ¡°It¡¯s just a small knife. Even if I cut your throat with it, it won¡¯t cause serious bleeding.¡± ¡°You¡­ Why are you telling me this?!¡± shrieked Sheryl in horror, subconsciously touching her throat. They took me awayst night and were adamant to extract information from me. I was threatened with knives way sharper than the one I¡¯m holding now, yet I didn¡¯t give in to them. I didn¡¯t do any of those things you said I did, so keep your mouth shut!¡± Catelyn continued, ¡°I¡¯ll say it to you again: I didn¡¯t betray thepany. If I hear anything like this from you again¡­¡± Catelyn gave Sheryl a cold smile, which resembled a little of that of Cedrick¡¯s. Sheryl felt her heart beating fast as she struggled to breath, and her eyes widened in horror. Suddenly, Catelyn mmed the knife on the table, which left it standing on the spot. ¡°Agh!¡± Sheryl screamed, so frightened that her face turned pale. She ran away as she yelled, ¡°You¡¯re crazy, Catelyn! You¡¯re insane!¡± Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Chapter 371 As Catelyn watched Sheryl scurry away in horror, she silently took the cutting knife and put it away. Sheryl, running toward the door like a headless chicken, rammed into Winnie who had just walked in. Winnie nearly tripped by the sudden bump, but her assistant was fortunately there to prevent her from falling. ¡°Why are you running around in the office?¡± Winnie frowned. Sheryl gulped and pointed at Catelyn. ¡°She¡­ She¡¯s crazy! She took a knife and said that she wanted to cut my throat!¡± Winnie looked at Catelyn dubiously. ¡°Director, this is all a misunderstanding,¡± said Catelyn, losing the coldness from just moments ago. ¡°I was just wiping my cutting knife clean.¡± Sheryl pointed at Catelyn angrily. ¡°Bitch, you-¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± snapped Winnie. ¡°Get back to work! I don¡¯t want to hear any more of this.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Sheryl stopped yelling, but she did not return to her cubicle. It was not until Winnie gave her another cold look that she reluctantly walked up to her seat. Catelyn sneered. She and Winnie both looked at each other, and Winnie returned a reassuring look to her as if to calm her. Winnie turned and left before Catelyn suddenly called out to her, ¡°Director.¡± Winnie paused. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Catelyn walked toward her smilingly without breaking eye contact. She lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Do you know anything about Javier¡¯s nst night?¡± Winnie frowned. ¡°n? What n does Javier have?¡± Catelyn chuckled lightly and shook her head. ¡°Since you don¡¯t know anything, I¡¯m probably overthinking it.¡± ¡°Catelyn, I value you very much. You should work hard now and focus on this project,¡± said Winnie as she patted Catelyn¡¯s shoulder gently. Then, she turned and left. Catelyn stared at her back, and the smile in the corner of her eyes became even colder. She had called Javierst night. He and Cedrick happened to see Catelyn get into David¡¯s car that day. Since they were a littlete, they did not manage to see that she was actually dragged into the car forcibly, and therefore, Javier had misunderstood her. That was why he got a group of friends and nned to intimidate her to see if she would betray Cedrick. However, he did not expect the group of racers to actually appearter. ording to Javier, he said that he had only told his group of friends to prank her, and he did not tell them the real purpose of it. Plus, it was also he and Winnie who asked her to work overtime. Winnie, meanwhile, did not question much at that moment and just agreed to it. Compared with Javier, Catelyn was more suspicious of Winnie. From the first time they met, she already had a bad feeling about her. When Winnie stared at Catelyn earlier, she could feel a chill down her spine as if she was tightly entangled by a snake. Samantha leaned over and asked Catelyn in curiosity, ¡°What did you say to the director?¡± Catelyn shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. I just thought our director is a rather peculiar character.¡± Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Samantha looked around anxiously before she nudged Catelyn to the corner beside a potted nt in the corridor. She whispered to Catelyn, ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t offend Winnie. I have a senior who used to work here. He told me that she won¡¯t take this kind of thing lightly.¡± Catelyn asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There was once a female employee in the finance department who identally offended Winnie and ndered her to open apany of her own in private. She also used the Mason family name to buy back her materials at a high price so as to obtain big profits from it. As a result, Winnie spent less than three days and got rid of her through a bank run.¡± This stunned Catelyn for a good few seconds before she asked, ¡°Do you remember the name of that female employee?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know about that,¡± replied Samantha. She seemed to be at a loss before something urred to her. ¡°But I remember that this incident was very sensational at the time. This senior of mine told me that there were many discussions in thepany¡¯s internal forum. The administrator never deletes the post, so perhaps you can find the post if it¡¯s still there.¡± When Catelyn returned to her workce, the first thing she did was to open thepany¡¯s internal forum. Searching for keywords, she easily found what she wanted. Most of the content in the post was just fragmentary information, but Catelyn could sense something fishyy beneath it all. Perhaps these things were silently approved by Cedrick, seeing as Winnie was from the Mason family. WON Catelyn had only visited the internal forum page in the morning when she was given a warning for her actions. She was called to Winnie¡¯s office. ¡°Catelyn, terminate your investigation,¡± said Winnie coldly. Catelyn¡¯s clear eyes widened slightly as she seemed visibly puzzled. ¡°Investigation? Director, what do you mean? I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y games with me,¡± said Winnie, no longer her usual pretentious self. She looked at Catelyn as if she was an ant. ¡°Even if you find something, nothing will happen to me.¡± Catelyn was determined not to be fooled by her and decided to y dumb. ¡°Director, you belong to the Mason family. Even if thepany copses, you¡¯ll still be fine, so what are you trying to say to me?¡± ¡°Stop ying with fire. You¡¯ll burn yourself,¡± warned Winnie. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m feeling the heat already, and I can¡¯t stop myself.¡± Catelyn smirked. Winnie raised her eyes slightly. ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight with me?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Of course not! How would I dare fight with you?¡± said Catelyn, her chest seerningly heaving. All she wanted was to just spend thest few days in thepany in peace before taking Miles and leaving this ce as far as she could. However, things seem to have changed. Even if she escaped at this moment, in Cedrick¡¯s eyes, he would have thought that she had taken advantage of David and left, would he not? How could Catelyn endure this? How did she end up like a doll that others could just suppress and harass?! Little did Catelyn know, a scandal about her was already rapidly growing under her nose¡­ When Samantha showed Catelyn the link to the internal forum, she had a bad feeling about it. True enough, the moment she clicked on the webpage link, a shocking title sprang out right in front of her eyes. Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Chapter 373 (Where did the bankruptdy go in the end? Answer: Continue to leech off and cling to her wealthy cousins!) Seeing the title of the post, Catelyn knew something was off. She quickly clicked on it and scrolled down the page. The post had just been posted for less than two hours, but the number of views on it had already exceeded 10,000. There were also even morements on it, and the amount kept increasing when the page was refreshed. Everything about the posts revealed Catelyn¡¯s past, from when she was the daughter of the rk family to when her father went bankrupt and got sent to jail. ording to the post, Catelyn devoted herself to her fiance to save her dignity. The post also mentioned how she, upon being fed up with him, secretly gave birth to his child as leverage, but her fiance did not care about her illegitimate child at all. In the end, she got angry and hooked up with her ex fiance¡¯s uncle, who was the president of Mason Group, Cedrick Mason. Photos were added to the post, some of which were old photos from a long time ago. Catelyn did not even remember taking those pictures. However, whatever was written in the post had been shown to the employees. With all this proof, everything seemed legitimate, and even Catelyn could not refute anything when she read them herself. The content inside was mixed. Catelyn felt as if she was reviewing her life story as she continued reading. ¡°Oh my god! Is Catelyn Ezekiel¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Ezekiel disappear mysteriously four years ago?¡± ¡°Hey, there are so many photos of Catelyn and other men in this post. Why isn¡¯t there a photo of her son? I¡¯d like to see if her son looks like Jamie.¡± ¡°Maybe she gave birth to him with another man so Jamie couldn¡¯t recognize it. Haha!¡± ¡°Hey, watch what you¡¯re saying! I¡¯m sure Catelyn isn¡¯t that kind of person¡­¡± ¡°The fact is right in your face! Also, she knew that thepany wanted to upgrade the security system that night, so she deliberately stayed behind to seduce Cedrick. I feel sorry for Jennifer Monroe. She was ignored because of Catelyn, who was only an unknown employee in her probation period.¡± ¡°Do you think Jennifer was the one who wrote this post to get revenge on Catelyn?¡± ¡°Who cares! Catelyn did this all to get Cedrick and seeded! This is Cedrick we¡¯re talking about¨Cthe president of Mason Group!¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn briefly nced at thements. Her fists clenched tightly, and her heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, there were no pictures of Miles. She can ept any abuse and nder, but she would never want Miles to be involved in this. The post grew viral. Catelyn tried to contact the administrator to delete the post, but the administrator replied and said that the post was already official and could only be deleted under the president¡¯s order. Meanwhile, Samantha had beenforting Catelyn. ¡°How could such a post be published?! Did¡­ Did you offend anyone?¡± Catelyn did not have to think too much about it to know that Winnie must have been the one behind this. In the afternoon, Winnie printed andpiled all the information on the forum, throwing them on Catelyn¡¯s desk. ¡°Catelyn, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a person. Your personal life is a mess! You seduced the president, and this affected thepany¡¯s image!¡± she hissed. ¡°It seems that I¡¯ve misunderstood you. Ourpany doesn¡¯t have a ce for someone like you. Catelyn, you¡¯re fired!¡± Catelyn did not panic at all hearing Winnie¡¯s words. In fact, she had long expected that the post was run by Winnie to ruin her reputation. She raised her chin and calmly replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the CEO was the one who hired me in. You want me to leave? Have hime say it to my face instead.¡± Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Despite showing Winnie a brave front, Catelyn was, in fact, seething. The post¡¯s influence would only grow until it was deleted. Eventually, it would affect her life¡­ and Cedrick¡¯s as well. Catelyn mustered her courage and, with Charles¡¯ help, went to the top floor to find Cedrick. It was summer, but the air conditioner on the top floor was downright cold. ¡°Miss rk, I think I have to remind you that Master Cedrick¡¯s mood¡­isn¡¯t at its best right now,¡± said Charles. Usually, he would be more cheerful when Catelyn was here to look for Cedrick. Today, however, was different. Ever since Cedrick saw Catelyn get into The Ninth Master¡¯s car, he seemed to have changed as a person. Catelyn took a deep breath. ¡°Alright. I understand.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go in,¡± said Charles as he made a fist-bump gesture toward Catelyn and pushed the door open. The moment Catelyn entered the room, she felt a strong cold breeze blowing toward her face. Cedrick was buried in a pile of documents, seemingly very busy with his work. ¡°Have you negotiated the contract with President Nielson?¡± asked Cedrick without lifting his head, thinking that it was Charles who came in. There was a long silence. Cedrick frowned and put down the ck pen in his hand. He looked up and saw Catelyn standing dazedly not far from his desk. She was wearing professional-looking office attire. Her long hair was pulled up, and she held a few pieces of paper in her hand. Catelyn just stood there, as if she was struggling with something ¡°Why are you here?¡± said Cedrick, sounding rather annoyed. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to see me now, but¡­¡± Catelyn stared at Cedrick¡¯s handsome face with an indescribable grievance in her heart. After pausing for a while, she mustered up the courage and handed him the few pieces of paper in her hand, The papers were about the scandalous post from the forum, describing how Catelyn seduced Cedrick. There were also photos of the both of them meeting at thepany door entrance and the corridor. They both appeared to look very affectionate in the picture. Cedrick swept over the words and pictures on the paper and said calmly, ¡°This is such good writing.¡± Catelyn bit her lip all of a sudden. Judging from Cedrick¡¯s calm appearance, he should have known about the posts on the forum early in the morning. However, he seemed indifferent about the matter, not intending to delete the post or even notify Catelyn about it. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Some said that Cedrick was only interested in one woman, Maia rk. Other than that, she had always been dismissive of other women. Catelyn was initially doubtful about this fact, but she finally believed it. He did anything she asked him to when he cared for her. Now that the tables have turned, she was nothing but a speck of dust to him. It was difficult for Catelyn, but she finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve sent a private message to the administrator, requesting him to delete the post, but he said that the employee¡¯s forum of Mason Group has always been given the freedom of speech and disclosure. Unless you order it, the post will not be deleted.¡± Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Chapter 375 ¡°So what?¡± sneered Cedrick. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. In just a span of a few days, he became his old self when Catelyn had first met him¡­perhaps an even colder version of that. Her heart tightened instantly at the change. Catelyn took a deep breath and earnestly persisted, ¡°I want you to ask the administrator to delete this post.¡± Such a simple sentence, but it took Catelyn all the bravery she could muster just to say it. Every word was overdrawing her dignity in front of him. However, Cedrick did not buy it and even smiled sarcastically. ¡°Delete the post? The employee¡¯s forum of Mason Group had never had a post deleted in its history, so why should you get special treatment?¡± Catelyn froze in embarrassment as inexplicable coldness took ce in her heart and quickly spread throughout her body. ¡°It¡¯s not entirely for me. After all, many things were fabricated in this post. If you don¡¯t delete it, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll affect your reputation, too.¡± ¡°Really? But I don¡¯t think there is any fabrication,¡± said Cedrick as hezily picked up the sheets of paper and looked at them indifferently. His words were like sharp knives that plunged into Catelyn¡¯s heart. It was so painful that she struggled to breathe. Cedrick actually thought the post was not fabricating things! Tears pooled in Catelyn¡¯s eyes at the thought. After enduring her silent internal war for a long time, tears rolled down her cheeks without relief. She wiped her tears away stubbornly, but her vision was instantly blurred by the next wave of tears. Cedrick put those pieces of paper into the shredder. With a loud grinding noise, the pieces of paper turned into a pile of shredded garbage. To Catelyn, it felt like her heart was shredded into strings instead of the papers. Without saying anything else, she silently turned and left. As soon as she walked to the door, Charles stepped forward eagerly. ¡°How did it go with Master Cedrick? Did he-¡± Before he could finish, Cedrick¡¯s cold voice interjected him from afar, ¡°Charles Peterson, if you¡¯re not happy with your job, just resign already. Otherwise, don¡¯t ever send an irrelevant woman like this into my office again!¡± For a moment, Catelyn felt as if she was strangled, suffocating in despair. Irrelevant¡­ He was right. Without the two boys, what did she have to do with him? Nothing. Who was she to ask him to delete the post? In Cedrick¡¯s eyes, she meant nothing. Although Cedrick had rejected her, Catelyn still did not want others to see her cowardice. She wiped away her tears as she washed her face in the bathroom before reapplying her makeup, which made her face look wless as usual. She came out of the bathroom and entered the elevator which led to the design department. However, when she reached her desk, it was empty. All her belongings were put into a cardboard box that was thrown to the ground. The content was a complete mess, too. Catelyn picked up the box slowly. There were many things in it that she brought from BrightGene Group. Samantha came over to help her and, sounding apologetic, muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kitty. Winnie threw all your stuff in the box earlier. I¡¯m just a clerk, and I couldn¡¯t stop her¡­¡± Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Chapter 376 ¡°This is between her and me,¡± said Catelyn indifferently. ¡°I won¡¯t me you for that.¡± ¡°The director has to fire you now. Did you see Cedrick earlier? What did he say? Will he bail you out on this one? If that¡¯s the case, you won¡¯t have to be scared of the director!¡± Catelyn felt rather¡­ufortable to hear this. ¡°This isn¡¯t finished.¡± With that, she dragged her suitcase and, along with her belongings, left the office. Catelyn took a shower as soon as she got back home. She kept her mind nk, not wanting to think of anything as she did. She then took a long nap in her bed, and only got up when it was nearing the end of school for Miles. She tried to smile to herself in the mirror, only to find herself looking awkward. She patted her cheeks harshly until a bit of color returned to her face. With that, she went out to fetch Miles. Miles was a sharp kid, and he could tell something was wrong when Catelyn came to pick him up. His chubby fingers grabbed onto Catelyn¡¯s palm tightly, and they both went home together, feeling equally wary. ¡°Big Kitty, Miss Jane praised me at school today,¡± Miles piped up, trying to initiate a conversation. However, Catelyn was a little absent-minded at the moment. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Miss Jane said that I¡¯m diligent and have shown improvement. She awarded me with two little flowers,¡± replied Miles as he took out a crayon painting from his bag. On the painting was a big scorching red sun, with green grass underneath it. On the field was a pair of mother and son, holding hands as they ran to the end of the field. The golden rays from the sun shone on the mother and son, and it made a lovely painting. Catelyn flipped the painting over and noticed that there were a few words on it, written by Miss Jane. (Even better if you could paint your father in as well! It would be beautiful.] His father¡­ Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears as she read this, but she blinked them away and wiped off any remaining wetness in her eyes. She held her son in her arms and nted a gentle kiss on his head. ¡°Well done. I¡¯ll buy a frame tomorrow and frame your painting, okay?¡± ¡°No,¡± Miles declined firmly. Catelyn was stunned. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I only got second ce for this. Miss Jane said there is somethingcking in my painting, and that¡¯s why I lost first ce. Why would you want to frame my second-ce painting? Are you trying to remind me about my failure?¡± Miles pouted defiantly, regretting having shown his painting to Catelyn. He only got second ce when all this while, he thought he was exceptional! There was green grass, the sun, the river, and the hills in his painting. He even drew a doting mother and a son hugging each other as though they were the happiest in the world! Catelyn smiled. She hugged her son tighter and said gently, ¡°No matter what your teacher said, this is the best painting for Mommy, and it¡¯s number one to me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Miles pursed his lips, then said shyly, ¡°I¡¯ll reward you with making pasta for me because you praised me!¡± That night, Catelyn, all smiles, was preparing pasta for Miles when she suddenly received a call from Winnie. She thought Winnie was calling her to parade her victory over her, but never did she expect to hear hysterical barks instead as though she went through something traumatic. ¡°You thought you could topple me like that, Catelyn?! I am Cedrick¡¯s cousin, and he¡¯ll always side with me!¡± she roared. Catelyn waspletely out of the loop of what had happened, yet she replied intuitively,¡± Since you think Cedrick would protect you, then why are you still ringing me up?¡± Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Chapter 377 ¡°Even if you¡¯ve sent those things to the Board of Directors, I¡¯ve already fired you, and you¡¯ll only end up in a worse state than I¡¯ll be in!¡± ¡®Sent these things to the Board of Directors¡¯? Catelyn had no idea what Winnie was talking about. ¡°Are you done? If you are, I am hanging up.¡± Winnie gasped on the other end. However, just when Catelyn was about to hang up, she said something that immediately stopped Catelyn from doing so. ¡°Catelyn, do you really think I released bad information about you?¡± Catelyn paused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Yes, I wished to fire you, but I couldn¡¯t have worked on it that fast. I couldn¡¯t have gathered so much information about you in such a short time!¡± Winnie hung up right after. Catelyn immediately contacted her old schoolmate from herputer science faculty. Even though they were not exactly close with each other, they were happy to help investigate the exposer¡¯s IP address when Catelyn sent her request. Once she got information about the IP address, she could roughly figure out who was behind all this. Catelyn strongly believed that the person would be rted to Winnie, but her information being released into thepany¡¯s internal forum was a little strange. Soon, the thumbnail of the social media application was bouncing. She clicked open the page, and there was one message from her old schoolmate. (All I can get is that the IP address belongs to Mason Group. I can¡¯t go into the intr of Mason Group, and I can¡¯t find out whichyer it is. This is the best that I can help you with.] Catelyn replied immediately, (Thanks for helping me!) The exposer was someone within thepany. If it was not Winnie, who was it? At the same time, Samantha¡¯s avatar popped up and ¡®poked¡¯ Catelyn. Catelyn looked at Samantha¡¯s bouncing profile picture, and at that moment, a thought urred to her. She clicked open their conversation window. Samantha sent her a few photos that looked like they were sneakily taken. The screen showed that it was the memo from the Board of Directors, requesting Winnie to step down. Winnie had already packed her stuff in the office and hastily left. She did not look too good, much like how Catelyn left¨Cif not worse. Baffled at these photos, Catelyn asked Samantha, (What happened?] (Oh, stop pretending, Cat! The person who sent the mysterious information about Winnie to the Board of Directors was you, wasn¡¯t it? How could you not know what happened?] Samantha then sent a smiley and a proud emoji. (I knew you had more to bring to the table! You¡¯re amazing, and you even managed to find out about Winnie¡¯s dark history!) Catelyn¡¯s gaze fixated on the words ¡®sent the mysterious information about Winnie to the Board of Directors.¡¯ [Mysterious information about Winnie?) [Yes! Everyone in thepany knows about it by now. Not only did she set up her ownpany outside and steal thepany¡¯s benefit, but she also took some rebates right into her pocket! Worse, she was leveraging on both ends, a few projects under her were screwed up. She used the funds from other projects to make amends while having the finance staff create fraudulent entries, but they¡¯re all exposed now.) Catelyn was shocked to read the message. (I¡¯ve never sent any mysterious package.] [Stop denying it. You just left, and she was screwed immediately! If it wasn¡¯t you, who could it be?] Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Catelyn could imagine Samantha¡¯s expression at the moment; she had to be sporting that usual grin she had. She firmly believed that Catelyn was the person who exposed Winnie, and no matter how Catelyn exined herself, she would not change her mind. Catelyn opened the internal forum of thepany. As expected, everyone was talking about Winnie and her. [I heard that as soon as Winnie sacked Catelyn, she was investigated by the Board of Directors the same day!] Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Chapter 378 ¡°Do you think this is Catelyn¡¯s revenge?¡± ¡°Where did Catelyn get so much information about her?¡± ¡°Are you silly? Catelyn may not have it, but Cedrick would have it! She could just sweet talk Cedrick and get it easily from him.¡± ¡°It was strange, though. It had not happened before or after the event. It was right before theunch of Project Castle in the City. I wonder who will be the next Director of the Design Department?¡± Everyone came up with all sorts of theories and discussions. Catelyn could feel herself sweating as she was reading them. It seemed that everyone thought that it was her that exposed Winnie! Just like that night, she did not say anything to the racer group, but other people thought otherwise¡­ She had a very strange feeling that she and Winnie were both puppets, and someone was pulling the strings behind them. If what Winnie said was true, the post was not uploaded by her, and this mysterious package was not sent by her¡­ Then there must be an unknown person behind all this, making the both of them think that they were sabotaging each other! In fact, everything was under their control. What was their intention then? She only joined thepany not too long ago. Why was she worth their effort? Was their intention to chase Winnie out of thepany? She was a Mason, Cedrick¡¯s cousin, and the Director of the Design Department. There must be concrete evidence to use her that her role was just to be the ck sheep! It suddenly dawned on Catelyn that when she was bullied by Winnie, it was Samantha who reminded her that Winnie had information against her¡­ Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Could it be her? However, she was only a fresh Master¡¯s graduate, Setting her up with Jennifer was in her personal interest. Catelyn did not think that she had the guts to expose Winnie. At the Mason Estate. Ollie just ended his call with Miles. He kept his lips pursed and looked grim. Miles said Mummy was not happy. While Ollie also mentioned that his father was not happy either. Javier was by his side, trying to console him. ¡°Ollie, listen, it is natural for a couple to split and get back together from time to time. Don¡¯t be so worried. You are only three and a half years old. You would not understand this¡­¡± ¡°Of course you are not worried about this. They are not your parents.¡± Ollie sounded irritated, just like his father¡¯s temper. Javier scratched his head. He did not know what to say about this. ¡°Do you really like to have Catelyn as your stepmother?¡± Ollie¡¯s face turned gentle, hearing Catelyn¡¯s name. He smiled and said, ¡°No one else can be my mother other than Aunt Catelyn.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Can I give you a suggestion to help your father and Aunt Catelyn?¡± Ollie¡¯s face lit up, ¡°What is it?¡± Catelyn went to Mason Group to settle her resignation from thepany. There was no more reason for her to stay. She would only sink deeper if she did. The Mason Group was trickier than she imagined¡­ As soon as she left the office, her phone rang. Catelyn saw that it was Javier and answered the call, ¡°Hello?¡± Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Catelyn, your son wants to jump off the balcony! Pleasee over now!¡± Javier was shouting ver the call, and his voice was trembling. atelyn¡¯s face turned green immediately. ¡°What? Miles wants to jump off the balcony??¡± Yes, he is¡­ Wait, it¡¯s not Miles. It¡¯s your soon-to-be stepson, Ollie.¡± Javier almost exposed imself. He looked at Ollie¡¯s blinking eyes and continued, ¡°Ollie said his father does not want im anymore, and you don¡¯t want him too. There is no more purpose for him to live anymore¡­ atelyn¡¯s heart wrenched, and her fingers gripped tighter onto her phone, ¡°What did Cedrick o to Ollie? What are you guys doing? Stop him now!¡± Catelyn, we could stop him this time, but not every time.¡± avier pinched his thigh hard, and he felt a pain so acute that he almost cried. Poor Ollie, he did not have a mother ever since he was born. Now his father does not go home very day. He is more pathetic than an orphan. He could not feel the warmth from this world tall¡­¡± Put your phone on speaker and ce it somewhere that Ollie can hear.¡± Catelyn¡¯s brain wentnk. She could feel her blood flowing backward as her lips were numb. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Mason Estate, Javier and Ollie exchanged looks. llie took a deep breath and signaled ¡®Okay¡¯ to Javier. avier then put his phone on speaker¡­ Aunt Catelyn?¡± Ollie¡¯s innocent voice could be heard over the phone. atelyn¡¯s wrenched heart rxed slightly, and she consoled him, ¡°Aunt Catelyn still wants ou, and your father still wants you as well. Don¡¯t do something silly. Give me a moment, and I rill be with you in a bit, alright?¡± Ilie pouted and answered, ¡°Will you reallye over?¡± Yes, I will, but you must promise me that before I reach, you will not do anything bad. therwise, I will not forgive you forever,¡± Catelyn said to Ollie in a determined voice. avier hung up. He was delighted. Look, my n worked, your Aunt Catelyn would be with you in a while¡­¡± illie was expressionless. He said with a tad bit of arrogance, ¡°Uncle, you are teaching me to 1. No wonder father was not too pleased that I hung out with you.¡± ough cough. avier tried to avoid his eyes. ¡°You wished to see your Aunt Catelyn, and I helped you to make : happen. Plus, it is a good n as long as it works, right?¡± illie nodded, then said, ¡°Then, you help me to drip some eyedrops in my eyes. It will look nore real.¡± Javier rolled his eyes. Javier helped Ollie to drip some eye drops and then called Cedrick. He used the same excuse to lure Cedrick back However, Cedrick was not anxious like Catelyn. He only said calmly, ¡°Get Albert to put an intable below. Let him jump if he wants to. If he gets injured and disabled, I will take care of him. Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Chapter 380 ¡°¡­oh dear, cousin, he¡¯s your son!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I knew he would not have the guts to do it.¡± Javier was speechless. The next moment, Javier heard him say, ¡°Javier, if you keep teaching nonsense like this to Ollie, I will make you regret this.¡± Javier shivered and hung up. He looked at Ollie, terrified. Ollie held his head down in disappointment. He then thought, ¡®It¡¯s okay if my father is not here. As long as Aunt Catelyn stays, my father wille back! Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Catelyn took a cab to Mason Estate as Javier was still upstairs practicing scripts with Ollie. He saw a green car driving toward Mason Estate from afar. ¡°She¡¯s here! Your Aunt Catelyn is here!¡± Ollie dripped another two drops of eye drop into his eyes, took off his shoes, and climbed up to the window sill. Javier, on the other hand, went downstairs to wee Catelyn. Catelyn dashed in and yelled, ¡°Where¡¯s Ollie? Where is he? Has he calmed down by now?¡± Javier then secretly pinched his thighs again, and his tears rolled down. ¡°Poor Ollie, I called my cousin, but he said just let him jump. As long as he is not dead, he could take care of him.¡± Catelyn paused and looked straight into Javier¡¯s eyes. Other than disbelief, she looked enraged. ¡°Did he really say that?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you could ask Ollie. He heard this, and that was why¡­¡± Before Javier could finish his sentence, Catelyn dashed into Ollie¡¯s room on the second floor. On the window sill, Ollie was sitting dangerously by the rail, his two feet hanging in the air. His tiny body was shaky in the cold wind, and he looked like he would fall any second now. His eyes were red. His lips were also unusually red, and his tiny face was wet with tears. Catelyn¡¯s heart was wrenching. She felt her face heat up, and she almost burst into tears. She walked toward the little boy with her arms wide open. Her footsteps were a little unconfident.¡± Ollie, Aunt Catelyn is here. Get down here first. We can have a chat, alright?¡± ¡°Am I being abandoned?¡± His eyes were misty, underneath which were secretly filled with anticipation. Catelyn pounced forward and held him tightly in her arms, pulling him away from the dangerous rail. She hunched and kissed his tiny forehead. ¡°No, you are always my precious baby, Cedrick may not want you, but I do.¡± Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Catelyn was worried that he was still emotionally unstable, so she decided to stay at Mason Estate to keep himpany. Albert was used to her staying over at Mason Estate, so he asked the servants to prepare the guest room for her. However, Catelyn decided to sleep with Ollie. She was about to fall asleep when she heard some noise downstairs. She woke up to check and realized that the water hose was broken. Albert was leading other servants to fix the hose. All of them were wet and filthy from top to toe. She was about to ask if there was anything that she could help with, but Albert was calling Cedrick. Albert then told her that Cedrick needed an important document to be delivered and hoped that Catelyn could pass it to Uncle Benny so that he could deliver it to the office. Catelyn agreed and went to the study to retrieve the document. Albert said it was kept in the third drawer from the left. Catelyn followed the instructions, but she saw a funding document underneath. Somehow, Catelyn opened the funding document to have a read. Cedrick sponsored a batch of underprivileged students for their studies with his private fund. At first, Catelyn was just skimming through the document, but her facial expressions changed when she saw the list of students being sponsored. Cedrick finished his work. It was already four in the morning when he finally reached Mason Estate The Project Castle in the City was going to be open for tender soon. There would be more public rtions effort needed. Cedrick took a shower and smoked a cigarette out of habit. He then went to the kids¡¯ room to take a look at Ollie, Ollie was sleeping soundly and had not remotely seemed suicidal like Javier described. He smiled gently as he knew that Ollie was not stupid. He faintly heard some noise from the study, Cedrick frowned, and put off his cigarette, then walked toward the study. Unlike its usual darkness, theputer was on when he entered the room. He never had a password on hisputer because he trusted everyone in Mason Estate. Even Ollie would not normally go into his study. However, theputer on his table was brightly lit. In front of the white screen sat a pale woman, looking really eerie as the light from theputer shone on her face. Tap. Cedrick turned on the lights and saw Catelyn. His face was grim as he asked, ¡°Who allowed you in here?¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn was sitting mindlessly in front of theputer. He was unsure how long she had been sitting there. When she heard Cedrick¡¯s voice, she finally lifted her head to take a look at him nkly. She took one expressionless look at Cedrick and walked out of the room¡­ She looked like a soulless body dragging its way across the room. Cedrick grabbed her by her arm when she passed by. Catelyn flung his hand away. She used a little too much force, and his arm hit the door frame. He frowned, then pulled her again. He said in a cold voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Catelyn was triggered as she red at him with his bloodshot eyes. ¡°Cedrick, do I look stupid to you? Is that why you yed me over and over again?¡± ¡°Samantha was under you. You were the one instructing her right from the start, and you used her to destroy my rtionship with Jennifer and Winnie!¡± ¡°You were the one who posted about me and mailed the mysterious package about Winnie to the Board of Directors!¡± ¡°You purposely moved me to Project Castle in the City, and you are using me all along. Tell me, who is the crazy one? Yes, I may be crazy. I would only fall for you because I am crazy!¡± ¡®I feel like crying, but Catelyn, you must hold it in, do not cry!¡¯ ¡®Do not cry, especially now, in front of him!¡¯ She tried so hard to suppress her tears, but they just rebelliously rolled down her cheeks¡­ Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Cedrick was enraged too. He choked her by her neck and pinned her against the wall. ¡°You love me? Your so-called love is to conspire against me with Nine, neglect the things I gave to you, and lie to me over and over again? I would rather not have your love!¡± He gave her chances, so many chances¡­ She disappointed him over and over again. ¡°Haha!¡± Catelyn decided not to struggle anymore and let him choke her. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was lying, throwing your important things away, and conspiring against you with Nine. Are you happy now?¡± Cedrick¡¯s veins were bulging on his forehead, and his face darkened. ¡°You are Nine¡¯s associate¡­¡± His hand was gripping tighter onto her throat. Catelyn was in pain. Her head was forced to tilt upward. She looked at his enraged re and somehow found it amusing. She had been nothing but truthful before, begging for him to believe them, but he never did. She only lied this once, but he believed it all. He firmly believed it. Her face was red, but she managed to force a cold smile. ¡°You are right. Not only am I an associate to Nine, but Nine had strategically nted me beside you so that your son would eventually call me Mummy. I would then kidnap your son and ditch you! You got your answer now. Can you let me go now?¡± Cedrick waspletely driven crazy by what she had just said. His palm mustered the strength and pushed her onto the table. AD 10 Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°You better be dreaming, Catelyn! You wished for me to let you go so that you could flee with Nine? I said it. This game would only be over when I say so!¡± Catelyn was pressed against the table, and her head was dizzy. She did not manage to regain much of her senses when Cedrick¡¯s big body hovered over hers¡­ His lips were pressing against hers and biting on them furiously. It was so painful that Catelyn teared up. She tried to push him and punched him, attempting to stop him from whatever he wanted to do next, but it only enraged him even more. He took off the strap from his bathrobe, tied her hands up, then forced her toy on her back. ¡°Did Nine sleep with you?¡± Images of David Mason hugging her shed before his eyes, and his hands were all over her waist. ¡°Here, and here¡­ I forgot that Nine loved to snatch my things away from me, including you! Since you are so despicable, I will help you with it!¡± Catelyn looked at the man right in front of her. He was once so gentle and caring toward her, providing her with warmth andfort, but now he was insulting her with the most hurtfulnguage he could use! She suddenly remembered the information she had seen on hisputer. He was willing to be involved in the scandal so that she could believe that Winnie had posted about her. When did Samantha first make an appearance? Yes, it was when she was interviewing at Mason Group. Since then, no, maybe earlier on, he was already treating her well so that she would fall for him, but at the same time conspiring such a scary plot against her so that she would fall for it! She was only a pawn in his game of chess¡­ Her heart was cold. She felt hopeless. Nothing else mattered¡­ His kiss and gestures were soon turning into vengeful actions. Catelyn closed her eyes, no longer fighting. She will leave this ce. She will bring her kids and leave. She will! Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Chapter 383 She was unsure how long the tormentsted. If what happened four years ago was an ident, then what he was doing right now was revenge. ¡°So, are you still thinking about Nine?¡± Cedrick was furious when he realized the woman under him was not giving him any response. Other than rage, he felt jealousy. ¡°Do you think he would be here to save you? No! You are only a pawn that he nted beside me. You are nothing to him!¡± Catelyn red at him coldly as though looking at a pile of trash. Yes, trash! Cedrick wished to choke her to death. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. However, when his fingersced around her neck, he could not bring himself to do it. Darn it. He could not¡­ Their past sweet memories were shing before his eyes as Cedrick red at her, his heart twitched. ¡°Are you done?¡± Perhaps she was crying, hershes were wet, but she was stubbornly staring at him. ¡°Let me go if you are done. You don¡¯t want your son to see this, do you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to talk about my son!¡± Her actions were all fake and intentional. She did not deserve Ollie¡¯s love! Catelyn was shouting back at him in her head, ¡®You are the one who doesn¡¯t deserve it!¡¯ However, she only spitted out one sentence, ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate for Ollie to have a father like you.¡± It was also her misfortune. Why did she walk into the wrong room that night to end up meeting this demon? ¡°Go away!¡± Cedrick¡¯s tone was icy cold. Catelyn rolled down from the table, lost her bnce, and fell onto the floor. She was kneeling on the floor, and she felt as though her body was falling apart. Catelyn¡¯s face was pale, and it took her a long while to regain some strength. She picked up her clothes on the floor, wrapped them around her, and stumbled her way out of the room. Cedrick watched as she walked out of the room. His fingers clenched into fists by his side. One step, two steps, three steps. She reached the door but never turned her head back. She did not look at him, nor did she plead for forgiveness or exnation. She was adamant about leaving He was both exasperated and bitter about it. ¡°Stop!¡± he shouted. He wanted to see her suffer, and now he did, but his heart was in pain. Catelyn did not turn around. She only stopped walking. With her back facing him, she said in a calm and emotionless tone, ¡°Anything else I can do for you, Cedrick?¡± ¡°If you apologize to me right now and promise not to see Nine again, I can forgive you and allow you to stay by my side¡­¡± ¡°Haha! Should I be grateful for your generosity?¡± How could he act so noble after using her? How could he make bold promises again after abusing her? Did she even ask for his forgiveness? ¡°This is yourst chance!¡± ¡°Your so-called chance is to stay by your side and live without dignity? I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t need such a chance!¡± Cedrick was infuriated to hear the disdain in her voice. Cold winds swept the empty streets at midnight. All Catelyn felt was cold. Other than her skin, her heart felt it too. Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Chapter 384 She was strolling down the streets like a ghost, trying to look for the closest hotel. She smiled weakly. She could not go home in this state, or else Miles would be traumatized. she grabbed her crumpled pajamas, perhaps with a little too much strength than necessary, and her heart spasmed. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. She stood still, hands still on her cor, breathing hard, trying to heal her pain. She did not want to cry, but she could not resist and sob. Finally, her sobs turned into a soft wail, and then she was crying her lungs out. She sounded extra pathetic on the empty street. She wished it was just a bad dream. When she woke up, there would be no Cedrick, no David, only her and her two cute babies¡­ ¡°Why are you crying, pretty girl?¡± Suddenly, some drunkards appeared. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The men were making disrespectful remarks while approaching Catelyn. Catelyn realized something was wrong, wiped her tears, turned, and ran away. However, her body was sore, and she could barely move an inch. Suddenly, a hand pulled her hair from behind and dragged her into a small dark alley. Someone even touched her thigh. ¡°Get your hands off me!¡± Catelyn refrained from vomiting and flung her hand forward, scratching someone¡¯s face. ¡°D*mn it!¡± the man cussed and touched his face in reflex. He was enraged to see the blood on his hand. Without hesitation, he held Catelyn¡¯s head and banged it into the wall. Thump, thump, thump. A pool of blood oozed out from her forehead and glided down her cheeks. Her skull almost shattered Soon, she ran out of energy to even struggle. Just when she thought she was going to die, the men grinned sinisterly. She closed her eyes. For the first time ever, Cedrick smashed everything in his study. It was a mess. Albert was shocked to hear the crashing noises in the middle of the night. He ran upstairs, trying to stop Cedrick. However, when he arrived, there was no one to be seen at the study. Papers, stationery, and furniture were all scattered on the floor. Most terrifying was theputer, which was supposed to be on top of his desk, was now shattered into pieces on the floor. The screen was cracked. The moonlight was reflected in the irregr cracks, looking extra eerie in the night. What happened? Albert could not find Cedrick, so he hurried to check the security footage. He was shocked to find that Cedrick and Catelyn were having a fight in the study, and Catelyn ran out, then Cedrick went to the wine cer alone! ¡°Master Cedrick?¡± Albert was banging on the door of the wine cer and coaxed in a worried tone, ¡°You have gastric. The physician suggested refraining from drinking¡­¡± ¡°Master Cedrick, are you still listening?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t the door be opened? Can you open the door, please? I¡­¡± ¡°F*ck off.¡± An outraged voice said from within, followed by the sound of ss bottles shattering on the floor. Albert was shocked to hear that, and his pupils constricted in fear. He had been a butler at the Mason family for over ten years, but it was his first time seeing Cedrick this angry. He was really concerned for him. However, the wine cer was locked from the inside, and he could not open it. Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Chapter 385 A group of servants was discussing the situation. Finally, Albert got connected to Nandose Vi¡¯sndline Cedrick would still listen to Janice. Albert could not care what time it was. Soon, the phone was picked up by someone. However, it was not Janice. It was, instead, Maia. Maia had been quiet ever since she got her lesson from her father. She also kept in contact with Richard while coming over to keep Janicepany from time to time. Of course, Maia would not give up on Cedrick easily. She was just waiting for a better time. That night, she heard that Janice¡¯s migraine was hurting again, so she came to give her a massage. She did not expect to hear this in the middle of the night! This was such good news to her! Albert was stunned. ¡°Miss rk?¡± ¡°Albert, is Cedrick still in the wine cer? How is he doing? He has gastric. The doctor said he could not take alcohol! Is Catelyn taking care of him?¡± Maia sounded concerned and anxious, and then she started acting again. She was obviously plotting something in her head. Albert was concerned about Cedrick and did not have time to listen to her story. ¡°Is Miss Coleman around?¡± Maia could only pass the phone to Janice. Janice was sitting on her bed, her lumbar supported by a soft pillow, and her face was unusually pale. ¡°Albert¡­ It¡¯s me,¡± she said while coughing. ¡°Miss Coleman!¡± Albert was happy to hear her voice. ¡°It¡¯s great to hear from you! Cedrick does not listen to anyone. Could you pleasee over?¡± Janice listened to the story from Albert and understood that Cedrick locked himself up in the wine cer after a big fight with Catelyn. She was a little dissatisfied with this. She hung up and got the maid to prepare a thick jacket before departing to Mason Estate, Maia held her by her arms affectionately, This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Aunty, you are weak. How could you go out in the middle of the night? if you can¡¯t, I will go on your behalf.¡± Janice paused and was a little hesitant. ¡°It is not that I don¡¯t trust you, but your engagement with Cedrick has already been canceled. It does not look good on you for you to go over at this wee hour.¡± Maia promised sincerely, ¡°I don¡¯t mind! I just want to take care of him from afar¡­¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Cough¡­ cough¡­ Janice wanted to say something, but she was coughing hard, and her voice was breaking up. The maid quickly pulled a chair for Janice to sit. ¡°Miss Coleman, it¡¯s autumn soon. Your condition usually worsens when the season changes. Even if you insist on going, you should take some medicine before going.¡± The maid joined in to advise. Janice was coughing so much that her train of thoughts were halted too. Finally, Maia boarded the car proudly and headed to Mason Estate. Mason Estate was where Missus Mason would live. As long as she could spend the night at Mason Estate tonight, Cedrick could not ditch her anymore! Maia was thrilled at the idea. Soon, she arrived at Mason Estate. The journey was long, so by the time Maia arrived, Cedrick had been in the cer for more than two hours. Albert was worried, but he had no other options. He heard the car and dashed to the door to wee Janice. However, much to his surprise, it was Maia! The smile on his face was stered. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss rk?¡± ¡°Where is Cedrick? Quick, bring me to him.¡± Maia acted as though she was the hostess, full of authority. Albert wanted to say something, but Maia was aggressive. ¡°Do you wish to see Cedrick¡¯s gastric kicking in again? Aunt Janice sent me here. Even if you don¡¯t respect my decision, you should respect Aunt Janice¡¯s decision! We are all for Cedrick¡¯s good¡­¡± Albert had no choice but to lead her to the wine cer. Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Chapter 386 The wine cer was locked from the inside and could not be opened from the outside¡­ Maia instructed for the door to be axed open! The wine cer was maintained at a cool temperature all year long and was very dimly lit. On the bar sat a tall man leaning against the counter. He was gulping on the wine, one ss after another. He looked extra sober and not at all drunk. His stomach was hurting excruciatingly. Maia secretly cussed that he was not drunk. However, she put on her worried face and strode across. Her eyes were watery, and she said with concern, ¡°Cedrick, why are you drinking this much? Catelyn does not appreciate you. You still have me, and I will stay by your side forever¡­¡± ¡°F*ck off¡­¡± Cedrick was still saying the same two words. He rose and wanted to leave the cer. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Perhaps he was drunk, and perhaps it was his stomach, he stumbled as soon as he stood up. ¡°Watch out.¡± Maia tried to hold him. Cedrick¡¯s long arms flung and pushed her away. His motion was so swift that there was not a split second of hesitation. ¡°Leave me alone.¡± Maja almost fell. She stood straight and saw Cedrick leaving She would not let her opportunity slip away just like that, and she then chased him. She did not go to Cedrick, who was full of grudges. Instead, she hushed her voice and said to Albert, ¡°Albert, please go to the kitchen to prepare some pick-me-up drinks. I will get Cedrick to drink that.¡± Ollie could not sleep well that night. He imagined that he heard some noise of someone walking, talking, and smashing the wooden door He wanted to open his eyes. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not. It felt as though someone was pressing on him, refusing to let him up. When he finally escaped from this nightmare and woke up, it was five in the morning. His forehead was sweaty in the coldest hour before sunrise. He looked to his side instinctively. He deliberately left a spot for his mummy. However, no one could be seen on his bed now¡­ Where¡¯s Mummy? He felt that someone had run out of Mason Estate while he was still half asleep. Was it Mummy? He lifted his duvet and hopped off the bed, put on his slippers with little frogs at the toes, and sprinted out of his room to look for Albert. He opened the door and saw a woman walking out of Cedrick¡¯s room from the other end of the corridor. The woman wore a pink sleeping gown. Her long hair draped over her shoulders. ¡°Aunt Catelyn!¡± Ollie ran toward her. However, the woman heard him and turned around slowly. She was not Catelyn. It was Maia! Maia wore Mummy¡¯s sleeping gown and was walking out of Father¡¯s bedroom! Thud! Ollie¡¯s slipper was flung away. He looked at the woman before him in disbelief. His tone went from shocked to questioning, ¡°Why are you here!¡± Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Maia flipped her hairzily and smiled. ¡°Ollie, I will be your mummy soon. Are you happy?¡± ¡°No, you are not my mummy! I only have one mummy, and that is Aunt Catelyn!¡± Ollie looked past her into the room. The door was left ajar. Ollie pursed his lips, not caring about his lost slipper, and immediately dashed into the room. Maia was shocked. She pulled the door as though trying to cover something up. Nevertheless, Ollie was rather agile. His tiny hand pushed the door, and it opened up immediately. There was only one bright light in the room, so bright that it blurred his vision. The worst part was that Cedrick was lying on the humongous bed with half his body naked under the duvet. A man¡¯s and a woman¡¯s clothes were scattered all over the floor. Ollie took two steps back in shock. Father and Maia slept on the same bed! He asked Albert before how he came about and why did his mother abandon him. Albert was not very clear about it. However, he remembered very vividly that Albert said when a man and a womany together on the same bed, they would eventually have babies! Father betrayed Mummy! Ollie¡¯s heart was almost broken. He wished for Father and Mummy to be together so desperately. He kept his lips pursed firmly together, trying hard to suppress the disappointment and sadness. He ran to the bed, attempting to wake his father up, only to smell alcohol on him. Before he could get closer, Maia grabbed his wrist from behind. Her red nails dug into his skin, and he could hear the smugness in her tone. ¡°Ollie, your father was exhaustedst night. Don¡¯t wake him up. Let him sleep in¡­¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± Ollie struggled and tried to get rid of Maia. Maiaughed and carried him up by his waist. ¡°Don¡¯t you be so agitated. When Ced wakes up tomorrow, I will tell him that you came by.¡± ¡°This is my home. You go away!¡± Ollie was hanging in the air, his feet kicking frantically, and his tiny face was flushing in a fury. He could smell the gardenia scented perfume on her. He was furious, waved his hand, and scratched her face, leaving three red marks behind. Maia gasped. Her pretty little face looked ruthless, and she dropped Ollie to the ground. ¡°You scratched my face?¡± Ollie was dropped onto the floor and even skidded half a meter before he stopped. His head was knocked against the wall. It hurt so much that he was a little dizzy. He finally climbed up with his teary eyes after a long while. He was triggered. He red at the intruder ferociously like a little beast. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be my mummy. I will not ept you forever!¡± Maia was enraged. She went forward to kick the little boy. Ollie pushed her away really hard and stumbled his way down the staircase. Maia stared in the direction that Ollie went off furiously. ¡®You little brat, wait till I move into Mason Estate. The most important thing now is for me to handle Cedrick¡­¡¯ She went into the kitchen and poured all the pick-me-up drinks away, then went back to the bedroom. Cedrick was sleeping soundly on the bed.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Maia red at him. Earlier, she served him the pick-me-up and thought she could coax him into drinking it. However, he looked sober but was, in fact, very drunk right from the start. The morning sun shone in. ¡®Pretty girl, why are you crying?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry¡­! The hysterical and presumptuousugh rang in her ears again. Catelyn was lying on her bed, still trapped in the nightmare. ¡°No!¡± She sprang up from her bed, gasping for air, panting. She also identally pulled on the wounds on her forehead and shoulders. The pain woke her up, and she realized there was a tube in her veins. The wound on her forehead had been treated. She was at a ce that she was unfamiliar with. Where is this? ¡°Miss rk, you are finally awake,¡± a man with a deep voice said. She looked in the direction of the voice. She saw David, with Winnie following behind him, walking toward her. He was smiling lightly, and his gaze was gentle under his framed sses. Nevertheless, Catelyn was not pleased to see him at all. ¡°You are an associate to David!¡± Catelyn looked at Winnie, keeping her guard up. Winnie was much calmer andposed after all this while. She was no longer hysterical like when she left Mason Group. Her arms were folded across her chest. Her tone was cold. ¡°I spent so much time getting close to Cedrick. Now all thanks to you, I am out. I really don¡¯t understand why Nine decided to save youst night.¡± They were forced to take a detour yesterday because there was a massive ident on the highway that they usually use. They had not expected to bump into Catelyn and the creeps. Catelyn had not expected to be rescued by David in the end. She was supposed to thank him, but she just could not bring herself to say it. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. It was him who pushed her into this bottomless pit. She took a deep breath and pulled out the tubes in her hand, bearing the pain. She did not care if her body could take it and was adamant to leave. David pressed his big palm against her shoulder, stopping her from moving. ¡°You are weak, and you have a fever. I would not rmend you to leave now.¡± ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°Usually, I respect a woman¡¯s consent, but I also pretend that I am not a gentleman asionally.¡± Catelyn thought she heard the worst joke in the world and replied sarcastically, ¡°Gentleman? I didn¡¯t know if you could call yourself a gentleman. So a gentleman to you means using a weak woman as a pawn? I now officially burnt bridges with Cedrick. You cannot get the information that you need anymore.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Unless they were totally broken up, it was not possible for Catelyn to run out of the house alone in the middle of the night. Right from the moment Winnie was fired from thepany, David was very well aware that there was someone behind it, Cedrick had long realized that Winnie was an associate of David. However¡­ He had not lost yet. ¡°Then why are you keeping me around? I would advise you not to waste your time on me!¡± Winnie was one of the most loyal people around David. She saw that Catelyn was being disrespectful and immediately reprimanded, ¡°Catelyn, watch your words. Know who you are talking to.¡± ¡°Are you expecting me to worship someone who framed me?¡± Catelyn was still nonchnt. She even sounded a little sarcastic. ¡°Maybe, you should not have saved mest night. Isn¡¯t that what you usually do to people you abandon?¡± Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Chapter 389 ¡°You¡­¡± Winnie wanted to say something but was stopped by David. ¡°Winnie, let Miss rk finish her sentence.¡± Catelyn knew that without David¡¯s greenlight, she could never leave this ce. This looked like his private residence. She tried topose herself so that she could calm down. ¡°Did you nt those races therest night?¡± David did not deny it, instead said, ¡°If they hurt you, I will punish them for you.¡± ¡°I am not aware that I am so important. You could punish your most loyal associates just for me. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you hurt their feelings?¡± David slowly walked to the tea table and poured a ss of water for himself. He took a small sip and said, ¡°Who would know that it was me?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Of course, you are Nine. I am impressed by how ruthless you are.¡± Catelyn could roughly guess what happened and did not want to beat around the bush anymore. She looked straight into David¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°You would not save me without any reason. Tell me, what do you want?¡± She was out of reach to the Project Castle in the City, but he was still keeping her around. He must have some other intentions. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so badly of me. We both share the same purpose.¡± David ced his ss down on the table, and the refreshing taste of the water lingered in his mouth. Catelyn was even more guarded to have heard this. However, after a long pause, she said tentatively, ¡°I just wanted to leave Sapphire City with my sons.¡± David did not say a word. Nheless, his smile grew wider. The light re made him look even more mysterious. He asked Catelyn to have a good rest and did not forget to add, ¡°I would send your son to reunite with youter.¡± Cedrick could not really remember what happened after he came out of the cer. He briefly remembered that he had a dream about Catelyn. Cedrick rubbed his forehead. He turned around and identally touched someone. A strong scent wafted toward him, and he was immediately wide awake. He saw a woman lying next to him. ¡°Cedrick, you¡¯re awake.¡± Maia woke up too. She was holding the corner of the duvet and looked at Cedrick shyly. Her gaze was full of affection and anticipation. ¡°Why are you here?¡± His tone was cold. Maia¡¯s expressions were awkward for a split second, then she took one hand out from the nket, stroked lovingly across Cedrick¡¯s chest, and said, ¡°You are so naughty. You pulled me into your bed, don¡¯t you remember?¡± Cedrick flung her hand away in reflex. He frowned and stood up, his pants on the floor already soiled. He took out a fresh pair from the closet and took one cold nce at Maia. ¡°Put on your clothes and leave. Nothing happened between us.¡± Maia could no longer hold the smile on her face. ¡°However,st night we¡­ You were hugging me, shouting Catelyn¡¯s name¡­¡± Cedrick was not certain if he had done something out of the linest night. He dreamt about Catelyn, but his brain was heavy. ¡°Ced, I know there were many things that I did wrong before, but I am willing to make amends.¡± Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Chapter 390 ¡°I don¡¯t need you to marry me. I just want you to stay by my side.¡± Then, Maia knelt before Cedrick, tugging at his pants, looking all pitiful. ¡°I had already cut ties with that man! I only have eyes for you. You could see me as Catelyn¡¯s recement. I will not mind it! Really! I just wish to keep you company.¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression was cold as he ordered, ¡°Stand up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to stand up unless you promise me..¡± Albert¡¯s voice could be heard from the door. ¡°Master Cedrick? Are you up? Miss Coleman is here¡­¡± Miles was kidnapped while on his way to school and was brought to the mansion. He took a few steps back as soon as he hopped off the car and looked defensively at David. ¡°Based on the criminalws, kidnapping children couldnd you a death sentence, plus having all your possessions confiscated. You better release me unscathed. I would consider letting this slide!¡± David did not expect Miles to be able to remain calm andposed in the face of adversity but was even threatening him. He could not help but smile. He pointed at the flower patch at the front. It was filled with a big patch of red roses. ¡°Do you see the bed of roses?¡± Miles did not care about the roses and said sternly, ¡°I give you three minutes to send me back.¡± ¡°If I turn you into fertilizer and shed you in the flower bed, even if there were people using me of kidnapping a child, there would be no evidence for it. Do you believe me?¡± David intended to scare the kid a little. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Even though Miles had the exact same face as Ollie¡¯s, their personalities were very different. Miles looked in the direction he pointed and felt chills down his spine. However, he would never conform. He pretended to remain calm and said, ¡°You have two minutes left¡­¡± ¡°Miles?¡± Catelyn¡¯s voice was heard. Catelyn rested for a long while in bed and only woke up by the afternoon. She sat in the living room for a bit and heard Miles¡¯ voice. She walked out and saw that David had brought Miles over! ¡°Big Kitty?¡± Miles immediately dashed to Catelyn as soon as he saw her. His little face lit up and he was about to hug her legs when he noticed the wounds all over her body. He could even see blood stains on her forehead under the bandage. Her arms were all covered in abrasions, and her face was pale. Miles was shocked. He looked at Catelyn and felt sorry. ¡°Who bullied you? Miles will take revenge for you!¡± Other than guilt, he felt outraged. David slowly walked in. Miles immediately hid Catelyn behind him. ¡°Did you hurt Mummy?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so guarded. I am not a bad guy. Technically, you should be like Ollie and call me Uncle Nine.¡± David walked past them and sat on the couch. Ollie¡¯s Uncle Nine? Miles was doubtful and looked to Catelyn for verification. Catelyn hesitated but nodded. David was not wrong. The next moment, David said, ¡°I received the information. Cedrick ns to have a wedding with Maia three dayster at the Victoria Hotel. Are you interested to know more?¡± Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Catelyn swayed ever so slightly. Her features stiffened as she clenched her fists. A few secondster, she responded coldly, ¡°I have nothing to do with Cedrick anymore.¡± David¡¯s smile lingered on his face as he grabbed the remote controller of the television to switch it on. Instantly, a news report appeared on the screen. It was the press conference Cedrick and Maia had held. The two stood next to one another, and under the spotlights, it almost seemed as though there was no other couple aspatible as they were. Countless reporters flooded the hall, and the sounds of camera shing did not cease. ¡°Mister Mason, rumor has it that you¡¯ve been engaged to Miss Maia rk for four years now. You haven¡¯t shown any intention of getting married so far, so why are you deciding on it now? ¡°Both the Mason and rk families are powerful ns in Sapphire City. The union of the two families is a big deal, so why are you spending only three days on the wedding preparation?¡± ¡°Miss rk, there have been whispers saying that there was another woman that came between you and Mister Mason, which led to your rtionship going sour. Is that true?¡± Cedrick¡¯s narrowed re swept the room as he scanned each reporter, sending chills down the spines of those who met his gaze. Little did everyone else know, Maia had bribed a few of the reporters, and they continued shooting questions. ¡°Who is this other woman in your rtionship? The inte seems to suggest that it¡¯s a certain female actress.¡± Before Cedrick could say anything, Maia took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his intimately. ¡°Sorry, but this is all we¡¯re going to say. Of course, we wee all to attend our wedding!¡± Inside the living room, Catelyn¡¯s face grew pale at the realization that Cedrick was marrying Maia. Marriage¡­ It had seemed to be such a far-fetched concept, yet it was suddenly realized before her. Cedrick would be married and be someone else¡¯s husband in three days. Would he take another woman¡¯s arm and demand that her son call someone else his mother? As sorrow took over her, Miles was also affected by the atmosphere and shot a resentful re at the screen. He was certain that ¡®Big Demon¡¯ had hurt his mother¡¯s feelings. They had all been to theme parks and supermarkets together. They had gotten on a Ferris wheel together, and Miles had seen the two whispering secrets into each other¡¯s ears in Catelyn¡¯s apartment. All that, and Cedrick turned his back and abandoned her so swiftly! How dare he hurt Mommy?!¡¯ seethed Miles as rage filled his eyes. The next day, David decided to release Miles and Catelyn all of a sudden and sent his car to bring them back to the city. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Winnie watched as the car drove off, confused by David¡¯s intention on this. ¡°Nine, Miles is the biggest leverage we have. Are we really letting him go?¡± David broke the stem of a rose mindlessly and said, ¡°Letting him go? It¡¯s just a big world out there, so where can he go?¡± Winnie was still confused. ¡°I had thought that Catelyn rk was Cedrick¡¯s weakness before, but as you can see, Cedrick is clearly more rational than we thought him to be.¡± ¡°And what if he continues to be rational?¡± ¡°Want to bet? I bet that his wedding won¡¯t go on sessfully.¡± David had yed the news on purpose to study Catelyn and Miles¡¯ reaction, and the results were interesting. Winnie hesitated for a moment, before curling her lips into a smile. ¡°We¡¯re betting on that piece ofnd east of the city.¡± Back in Ocean Path Residence, Joanne was losing her mind. She had Catelyn¡¯s personal information and passport ready, but she had not been able to reach Catelyn for the past two days. Heck, even Miles had gone missing since yesterday. She had gone to the police, and they said that they would not look into it as they had not gone missing for over 24 hours! Luckily, the two eventually returned. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I saw the news¡­ Cedrick Mason is marrying Maia rk?¡± Joanne observed Catelyn¡¯s expression gingerly. Catelyn squeezed a faint smile on her face. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s over between me and him.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Chapter 392 ¡°It¡¯s over?¡± Joanne leaped from the couch. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?! I was so moved when I saw him taking care of you in the hospital that day! Why on earth did you two break up?¡± ¡°I lied to him, and he lied to me. It¡¯s just a scaming to its end.¡± Catelyn smiled bitterly and took a deep breath before deadpanning, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to leave Sapphire City tomorrow. ording to the information the hacker provided me, I¡¯ll be going to Mrn tomorrow. Let¡¯s drink until we drop tonight.¡± Noticing that she was forcing a smile, Joanne persisted, saying, ¡°Just cry if you want to. I know you still like him.¡± ¡®Cry?¡¯ Catelyn mused to herself. ¡®I want to, but how¡¯s that going to help? Crying won¡¯t solve the problem. The only thing I care about is whether Maia would mistreat Ollie once she bes his stepmother. What happens if Ollie regrets his choice and wants toe with me, but can¡¯t manage to reach me?¡¯ Little did Catelyn know, however, that while she talked to Joanne about her schedule, Miles hid inside the room and video-called Ollie. Locking the door, Miles¡¯ eyes darted around the screen and immediately spotted the bruise on Ollie¡¯s forehead. ¡°What happened to your forehead?¡± Ollie rubbed his forehead and pursed his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want Father to marry that bad woman.¡± ¡®It¡¯s the Big Demon and that terrible old woman!¡¯ hissed Miles internally. ¡®Curse them! Not only did they bully Mommy, but they¡¯re bullying Ollie, too! They think they can just do whatever they want to my family?!¡¯ Miles red furiously. Rolling his eyes, he said, ¡°Pretend to be sick and go to the hospital tomorrow. I¡¯ll wait for you in the bathroom.¡± Ollie hesitated. He instinctively knew that Miles was nning to do something by exchanging identities, but he nodded regardless due to the disappointment he felt toward Cedrick. The next morning, Catelyn bought the flight ticket for an evening flight to Mrn with her new identity as an Amarican. Unexpectedly, Miles came down with a fever right before they headed to the airport, and Catelyn had to take him to the pediatrician. In the end, he was diagnosed with flu and determined unfit to travel as a transfusion was needed. What surprised Catelyn was that her son seemed to have developed a sudden fondness over his hoodie since he stepped out of the bathroom, keeping his head wrappedpletely under the fabric. However, she was too worried about him to see through the act, despite the horrible feeling in her guts. Meanwhile, Miles was taken back to the Mason Estate by Albert as he wished and spotted the bad woman¡¯, Maia, by the outdoor pool. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. tgunging trails for her, and it be ameelear that madaiready started yn anstrotted toward the maid before circling the bar with his hands ak the color of this juice looks weird Have the oranges gone bad r al and shook her head with a panicked smile ¡°Master Ollie, don¡¯t make jokes mat? A the fruits arrived freshly today¡± To make me a ss, too.¡± d was instantly enarnored with how adorable he was and leaped in joy at the fact that talked to her. The maid turned around to make the juice, not knowing that Miles was scanning the bar table with a devilish smirk. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 393 Chapter 393 Chapter 393 After the maid was done with the juice, she turned around and realized that ¡®ollie¡¯ was missing. She looked around in confusion searchingly, thinking to herself, ¡®Huh? Where has Master Ollie gone?¡¯ ¡°Violet, is my juice ready?¡± Maia called out impatiently. ¡°Coming, Miss rk!¡± The maid, Violet, walked toward her smilingly. ¡°Here¡¯s your juice.¡± Maia lifted the ss leisurely. Ever since they had announced that the wedding would be held next week, Maia could barely contain herself from executing her right as thedy of the estate. Although she was respected in Mason Estate before, she was merely a fiance. With the wedding date announced, however, she was about to legally be Cedrick¡¯s wife, so she had hurried to Mason Estate before even going to a wedding dress shop. She caught the straw between her lips and took a deep sip. However¡­ ¡°Pfft!¡± She turned green and spat the juice out abruptly, causing Violet to gape at her. ¡°Miss rk, what are you¡ª¡±. ¡°What did you put in this juice?!¡± Maia, feeling her tongue turning numb, stared daggers at the maid pathetically drenched with juice on her face. Violet waved her hands frantically. ¡°No, no! I didn¡¯t add anything¡­¡± ¡°Who else would¡¯ve-wait. Did that brat Ollie just arrive?¡± Maia suddenly remembered that she had seen the young boy earlier. Dazed, Violet nodded nkly. ¡°M-Master Ollie was here for a moment just now.¡± ¡°So it was him!¡± Maia tossed her ss away furiously before storming toward the living room. The door, though opened earlier, was loosely shut, and she pushed it open. Ssh! A bucket of water dropped from above the door frame. ¡°Ah!¡± Maia¡¯s shriek echoed throughout the hall. Her dress was a recent purchase of thetest design delivered from Parees and was worth over 450,000 dors. Her nose twitched at the horrible scent and, for a moment, dared to wonder where Ollie had gotten the water. ¡°Ollie Mason! Get out here right now!¡± The servants hurried over in response to her scream to find her drenched. Her hair stuck to her cheeks with a twig on top of her head. Albert tried his best to smother hisughter at the realization that the bucket was the one they used for cleaning the floor. ¡°Wow!¡± Miles¡¯ head popped out by the stairs on the second floor with his chin held high.¡± Terrible woman. You¡¯re drenched from head to toe, but it suits you¡­¡± Overwhelmed by murderous urges, she pulled the twig off her head roughly before storming upstairs. ¡°You brat. I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson today!¡± Miles simply shrugged innocently at her vicious words. ¡°Hey, Bad Aunt, aren¡¯t you worried that I might have other ¡®gifts¡¯ for you?¡± Maia had already arrived before the stairs and was about to climb up, but she froze and stared at him warily. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡®This brat is looking for trouble today,¡¯ she snarled internally, ¡®just like that little demon who threw food to my face before!¡¯ Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Maia scanned her surroundings swiftly and sneered when she noticed nothing suspicious around them. She thus paced toward ¡®Ollie¡¯. ¡°You want to scare me off, huh? It¡¯s not going to be that easy! I¡¯m going to beat some sense into you¡ª¡±. She came to a sudden halt when Miles took out a toy air gun from his pocket and began loading it with orange-colored bullets. Horror took over her features. ¡°W¡­What are you doing, Ollie? L-Let¡¯s talk! We can live together peacefully, and I promise that I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Bam!¡± Miles shot at Maia¡¯s heels. She barely dodged the bullet and bumped into the handrail as a result, which sent numbing pain up her arm. ¡°Wow, you look cool dodging the bullet!¡± Miles imitated the way cowboys on television would blow the smoke off the pipe and pouted. ¡°s, you won¡¯t be so lucky after this. ¡°Bam! Bam! Bam!¡± He fired a few more shots. One for bullying Ollie, another for taking Cedrick away and hurting Catelyn in the process, and thest with wishes that she would remain with Cedrick forever so that they would never break another heart again. A total of three shotsnded precisely on Maia¡¯s body, and even though it was an air gun, it still hurt a ton, especially with the thinyer of fabric Maia wore. ¡°Agh!¡± As she attempted to dodge again, she twisted her ankle and fell down the stairs after finally losing her bnce. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Just then, Cedrick arrived home, having spotted Maia falling off the stairs as soon as he stepped into the living room. Although there were only three flights of stairs, she did not manage to reach out for Cedrick until after rolling off the ground. ¡°Master Cedrick, Ollie¡­ Does he hate me this much?¡± she demanded pathetically, appearing as though she could suffocate at any moment. Cedrick pursed his lips and shot an icy nce at the second floor. Miles was once again reminded of how pale and wounded Catelyn was as soon as he saw Cedrick¡¯s face. He could have taught him a lesson like he did with Maia, but he realized that he did not have the heart to and wanted to give Cedrick a chance. After all, Cedrick was his father, and they had shared some happy moments together. ¡°I hate that bad woman. I won¡¯t let you marry her!¡± he shouted stubbornly at Cedrick with his hands on his hip, his voiceced with a barely noticeable sniffle. Cedrick knew that Ollie had drastic mood swings, but he had thought that his son had recovered from it, seeing that he appeared more obedienttely. He had not expected Ollie to do such a thing to Maia. Three flights of stairs were not too high, but if it had been 10 or even 20 flights of stairs¡­Maia could have died. Cedrick had never considered himself a good man, but neither did he intend on raising his son to be a lawless criminal. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Get down here and apologize to Maia,¡± Cedrickmanded coldly. Miles gripped the handrail tightly as he stared down at Cedrick before repeating, ¡°I said I won¡¯t let you marry that bad woman. Only Big Kitty can be my mother.¡¯ Cedrick sneered. Since when had Ollie been given the right to determine how he lived his life? ¡°This is yourst chance,¡± Miles warned, his heart throbbing with hope. ¡°Cancel the wedding and apologize to Mommy. Otherwise¡­ I¡¯ll make you pay for what you did!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not apologizing, then? Servants! Ollie has lost his manners and challenged his father. Bring him to the ck room. He¡¯s not to be allowed outside until he agrees to kneel before Maia and apologize!¡± Furious, Cedrick¡¯s voice was as chilling as a raging storm. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Miles could hear his heart shattering into pieces as rage burned within him. He wants me to kneel and apologize to that woman? In his dreams!¡¯ Silence fell over the house once Miles was taken to the ck room. Maia suppressed the resentment boiling within her and got up elegantly from the ground.¡± Cedrick, I¡­ think Ollie probably didn¡¯t do that on purpose. He just can¡¯t ept the fact that we are getting married, so that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°If you dare tell Aunt Janice about this, I¡¯ll make you regret that you were ever born,¡± he snarled threateningly at the mention of marriage. He had wanted to settle the incident peacefully with Maia when he woke up that morning, but Janice coincidentally came to visit at the time. When she saw the mess on the ground and watched Maia run out of Cedrick¡¯s room in tears, she instantly realized what had happened and demanded justice from Cedrick. Cedrick did not intend on exining himself. Although he was downright wasted and drunk, his body¡¯s reaction was undeceiving, and he could tell that he had not done anything with Maia the night before when he went to shower. It was yet another Maia¡¯s trick, and she stood by it. When Cedrick mentioned that he had called off their engagement, Janice was so shocked that she fell unconscious. When she finally woke up, she insisted that the two get married to one another. She was as pale as the sheet on the bed she wasying on and could not stop coughing as she spoke. Even the doctor had to stand by anxiously while monitoring her condition. Since the situation had gotten out of hand, Cedrick had no other choice but to eventuallypromise. The only thing he did not expect was how much Ollie hated Maia. In the past, even though he did not like her, he never embarrassed her in public as Ollie was never an aggressive child. Maia¡¯s features stiffened as she tried to grab his arm. ¡°Cedrick, Aunt Janice never approved of your rtionship with Catelyn. I¡¯ll take good care of her once we get married.¡± He pulled his arm away from her. ¡°If you keep ying tricks behind my back and I find out about it, you won¡¯t enjoy the wedding you are about to have.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Maia forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll behave. I promise.¡± To ease the tension, Maia looked away and noticed a delicately wrapped ck box on the coffee table. She had not seen it before, and when she went to open it, an elegant, blinding ring came into sight. The diamonds at the center were arranged in the shape of fireworks, which made it seem absolutely stunning. ¡°What a beautiful ring¡­¡± She smiled at Cedrick as she imagined their wedding. ¡°Is this for me? I like it so much!¡± She tried it on her ring finger as she spoke, but the ring was stuck at the joint. ¡°Cedrick, the ring is too small. You¡¯ll need to have it modified¡­¡± Cedrick finished a cigarette expressionlessly, and as his face was shrouded by the smoke, he growled, ¡°Take it off!¡± Stunned, she stammered, ¡°W¡ªWhat?¡± Without the slightest trace of affection on his face, he repeated, ¡°This ring isn¡¯t for you.¡± ¡°Who else can it be for?¡± The smile on her face fell apart, and jealousy filled her heart as she thought of one possibility. ¡®Can this be for that b*tch, Catelyn?¡¯ she hissed internally. ¡®I thought they broke up! Why is he getting her a ring?!¡¯ Under his intimidating presence, Maia had no choice but to remove the ring. She tossed the ring back into the ck box out of frustration, but it bounced off the box and the coffee table because of the force and fell onto the marble flooring, Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Cedrick¡¯s eyes narrowed coldly. ¡°Pick it up.¡± Feeling humiliated, Maia retorted, ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid ring!¡± ¡°I said, pick it up!¡± His tone grew hauntingly dark, and his features tightened in an intimidating manner. Feeling as though she was choked in a vice-like grip, Maia struggled to breathe. Her eyes reddened pathetically as she, admitting defeat, headed to pick up the ring. She held onto the ring so tightly that a mark in the shape of the ring formed on the palm of her hand. Cedrick took the ring from her hand and ced it back into the box. Unable to stomach how she was treated, Maia¡¯s face twisted with resentment. ¡°Is this how you treat your soon-to-be wife?!¡± ¡°You can go and buy whatever you want. I¡¯ll send Alex with you to pay the bills.¡± ¡®How generous!¡¯ she scoffed inwardly. ¡®I¡¯m from the rk family, and I¡¯m not asking for your money! All I want is your heart, and it can only be mine! Cedrick put the box back into the pocket in his suit jacket and strode into his study. Albert followed closely behind without a word, but he did not leave either. Cedrick stilled before the stairs and turned to look at him. ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°Master Cedrick, Master Ollie-¡°. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time if you¡¯re trying to speak for him. I won¡¯t allow my son to step on the wrong path from a young age,¡± Cedrick interrupted with resignation. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to do so. It¡¯s just that¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Cedrick. It¡¯s my fault,¡± Albert blurted out painstakingly. ¡°I should¡¯ve never let Miss rk take care of you that night; Master Ollie wouldn¡¯t have hated her so much if only I stopped her!¡± Cedrick scowled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Albert pulled out a USB sh drive with footage of the surveince cameras concerning what had happened that night. ¡°You¡¯ll understand once you watch what¡¯s inside.¡± Albert handed it to Cedrick before heading back to work without another word. Cedrick¡¯s heart sank as he stared at the drive in his hand. Meanwhile, in the children¡¯s hospital, Ollie had gulped downrge sses of hot water every two hours to fool the nurse who came to test his temperature. Concerned by his fever, Catelyn¡¯s heart twisted with fear and anxiety. She eventually fell asleep while leaning against the bed, and Ollie carefully covered her with a nket He tried calling Miles countless times after that, but he could not even reach him, much to his worry Catelyn had rescheduled her flight to two dayster, which happened to be his father¡¯s wedding day. If Miles could not return, was he supposed to leave with Catelyn? Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Although he felt disappointed at Cedrick, he was still Ollie¡¯s father, and while Catelyn had Miles by her side, Cedrick would be truly on his own if Ollie left. Just then, Catelyn¡¯s features tensed as she murmured warily, ¡°Why won¡¯t you believe me? The kids¡­are mine! Give them back¡­ Don¡¯t take them away from me!¡± She seemed to have sunk deep into a nightmare, and Ollie snapped out of his thoughts. He stroked her back gently and cooed softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mommy, we¡¯re both here. No one can take us away from you¡­¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Catelyn visibly rxed at the sound of the familiar sweet voice. Ollie pursed his lips with a mature look that did not suit a child his age. ¡®Mom doesn¡¯t want to leave Father either, right?¡¯ Two dayster, all online tforms and all screens across every street were broadcasting the news of the union between the Mason and rk families. Catelyn had thought that she would feel hurt when she learned the news, but she was unexpectedly calm and numb. After all, she had already bought her flight ticket and nned to leave Sapphire City on Cedrick¡¯s wedding day. ¡®From now on, we¡¯re just strangers, Cedrick Mason,¡¯ she thought. Joanne came to the airport to send them off. ¡°Mom, are we really leaving Ollie?¡± Ollie clung onto Catelyn¡¯s leg innocently, trying to imitate Miles as best as he could. Catelyn struggled to suppress the sorrow within him and said, ¡°Miles, I know that you don¡¯t want to part with Ollie as well, but¡­he¡¯s already made his choice. I promise that we¡¯ll sneak back to see him when we have the chance, okay?¡± Knowing that the sweet, innocent act would not work any longer, Ollie nodded and followed Catelyn quietly. Joanne watched as they went through the security check and gave Catelyn a big hug before they went. She then crouched and pointed at her cheek while looking at Ollie. ¡°This is farewell to your godmother now, Miles. I just hate seeing you leave so much. I feel so sad whenever I remember the fact that I won¡¯t be able to hold such an adorable boy in my arms from now on. ¡°C¡¯mon, give me a kiss.¡± Ollie scratched his head shyly as he pecked Joanne¡¯s cheek lightly. Joanne flung her arms around him as she struggled to keep her tears from scrolling down her cheeks. Ollie suddenly pursed his lips. ¡°Mommy, I want to use the bathroom.¡± With one hand on the luggage, Catelyn offered, ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You should spend some time talking to Godmother. I can go alone,¡± he insisted before trotting off awkwardly, as he had never run in public like Miles did. A lump formed in Catelyn¡¯s throat as she watched the boy disappear into the crowd. She was finally leaving the city that she had spent the past 20 years in. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Joanne, please look after my mother.¡± Catelyn, after all, had not mentioned a word of her n to escape to Ste. ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry. So long as I¡¯m around, I won¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spoil her, though. She¡­ She¡¯s the kind of person that probably thinks she can fly if someone lifted her high enough.¡± It was not a funny metaphor, but Joanne forced a smile regardless. ¡°You¡¯re leaving now, so I won¡¯t say too much. I wish you all the best. Find a man that¡¯s better-looking, richer, and taller than Cedrick Mason in Mrn, then bring him back to show Cedrick what he lost!¡± ¡®How dare he abandon his child and woman to marry Maia?¡¯ was what she thought but refrained from saying out loud. Catelyn smiled bitterly. She did not know if she had the courage to fall in love with another person after Cedrick. Just then, her phone rang. She thought that it was the airline notifying her about her flight, thus casually unlocked her phone. A secondter, she turned pale as her blood ran cold. On her phone was the photo of Miles being carried into a car by someone with his mouth covered Her hand trembled, and the luggage fell to the ground. Joanne hastily steadied her and said, ¡°Look, there¡¯s an additional message.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Chapter 398 The message read¡­ (Catelyn rk, how dare you try to hide my child from me?] Chills ran down Catelyn¡¯s spine as her lips went numb. ¡°Did¡­ Did Cedrick find out?¡± she gasped. ¡°Did he take Miles away?¡± The grand Victoria Hotel was booked by the Mason family for the wedding. Countless guests gathered in the building with important political figures at every corner. Camera shutters were unceasing, and the flower baskets were lined from the entrance to the end of the red carpet. Countless bodyguards stood on both sides of the walkway, standing meters away from one another while guarding the perimeter. The interior of the hotel was decorated with splendid lighting. The chandelier spun steadily, casting its light over every corner. All seniors of the Mason and rk families stood by the entrance to greet the guests enthusiastically. Dressed in a full-ck tuxedo, Cedrick stood next to the Mason family¡¯s elder expressionlessly. His brooding brows and dark features gave him a majestic, godlike untouchable aura as he stood. When facing the guests who hade to congratte him, he merely nodded briefly in response. Edwin made his way to the wedding. He had been overseas to take care of certain private matters and arrived home to the most rming news. He had thought that the media had caught the wrong tips and, holding a wine ss, eximed, ¡°Crap! So you¡¯re marrying Maia? For real? What about Kitty?¡± The red liquid in Edwin¡¯s ss glittered seductively under the light. Cedrick snatched the ss of wine from his hand and gulped it down. ¡°Do not mention that woman¡¯s name in front of me ever again.¡± Edwin smirked. ¡°You know what this is?¡± ¡°Just say it, or shut up.¡± ¡°This is you digging your grave. You¡¯re going to regret this!¡± Cedrick shot him a sharp re and turned to wee Janice, who was naturally present for his wedding day. ¡°I heard that even though this wedding between the two families was rushed, everything was prepared years ago and every detail is of the highest quality¡­¡± ¡°I heard that, too. The wedding dress Maia wears has nine thousand nine hundred ny nine diamonds that the Masons mined from the Afican mines.¡± ¡°Tsk! I thought that there would never be a proper wedding since they¡¯ve been engaged for so long¡­¡± ¡°Sigh! I¡¯m so jealous of Maia. I want a husband as rich and handsome as hers¡­¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. In the corner,dies of different families gathered to gossip, their tones mostly envious and longing as they wondered why they had not been as lucky. Maia stepped out of the bride¡¯s preparation room, just in time to overhear their conversation. She beamed upon hearing these whispers and held her chin high. Enveloped in warm light, she appeared like a graceful goddess. Walking toward the washroom, she saw Richard leaning against the bathroom door when she came out. She instantly paled at the sight and ordered the two servants who were responsible for serving her, ¡°Go guard the front. Don¡¯t let anyone through.¡± She could not move to her content in the wedding dress, and both servants who worked for the rk family had been tending to her daily needs before the wedding. They suppressed their curiosity and walked to the end of the corridor to keep watch at hermand. Richard looked at her longingly. Dressed in white, she looked like a fallen angel. Though his heart throbbed at her beauty, his heart shattered the next instant at the sight. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯re marrying Cedrick Mason?¡± he demanded in frustration. Previous Chapter Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Maia held the hem of her dress up and cast Richard a sidelong nce. ¡°I thought you understood that our rtionship was strictly physical. Besides, I told you that we¡¯re strangers if we meet outside. Why did you trouble yourself toe here, confronting me like this?¡± With that, she tried to leave, but Richard pulled her back by the arm. ¡°Mai, can you not marry Cedrick Mason?¡± He held her close and propped his chin against her shoulder. The wedding dress had far too manyyers for the hug to feel real to him, but he had to try his luck. He had to pour out his feelings on that single question. Maia struggled against his embrace but was concerned that she would wrinkle her dress. Thus, she took a deep breath before whispering gently, ¡°Cedrick and I were supposed to get married four years ago. Richard, if you truly love me, let me go.¡± ¡°Miss, someone ising¡­¡± reminded the servant. Maia anxiously tried to shove Richard away, but he could not bear to let her go. He dipped his head to kiss her deeply, before smiling devilishly with a hint of undetected danger. ¡°I¡¯ll always love you, Mai, even if you be Cedrick¡¯s wife.¡± He then let her go. When Janice walked toward the washroom, she spotted Maia¡¯s servants helping Maia with her dress. There was a bathroom attached to the bride¡¯s room, so she was taken by surprise as she did not expect to see Maia here. ¡°Aunt Janice? You¡¯re here, too?¡± Noticing that it was Janice, Maia swiftlyposed herself from the antsy feeling that bugged her, approaching Janice with a smile and holding her arm. Janice tapped the back of her hand gently. ¡°It¡¯s your wedding day. How could I not?¡± While she spoke, Janice caught a whiff of a male cologne, and when she nced at Maia¡¯s lips, she noticed that her lipstick seemed smudged. Eventually, the clock struck 11 a.m., and the wedding ceremony officially started. The host tried his best to light up the room on stage, but the hall was lively enough without him trying Countless people held their breaths in anticipation of the grand wedding. Flower petals were all over the floor, and the hall was filled with the fragrance of lilies and roses. ¡°Next up, let us invite our bride, apanied by her father, to walk down the aisle!¡± The host pointed at the red carpet, where Maia stood hand-in-hand with her father under the arched entrance made with lilies. Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, she stepped onto the red carpet and walked toward Cedrick. Apart from feeling slightly shy, she was beaming excitedly. She was finally going to be Missus Mason. So what if she was not the woman from four years ago when she would be by Cedrick¡¯s side, in the end, four yearster? Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Her father handed her hand to Cedrick. The look in Cedrick¡¯s eyes wavered slightly, but he did not refuse despite the increasing tension coursing through his body. The priest gave a speech on the backgrounds of both Maia and Cedrick, before proceeding with the vows. ¡°Maia rk, do you take Cedrick Mason to be yourwful husband?¡± Without a moment of hesitation, she said, ¡°I do.¡± The priest looked over at Cedrick. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Chapter 400 ¡°Cedrick Mason, do you take Maia rk to be yourwful wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward; for better or for worse; for richer or poorer; in sickness and in health; to love, respect, and protect her?¡± Cedrick listened quietly to the priest¡¯s cue¡­but he did not respond. Thinking that he had not heard the question, the priest repeated himself, but Cedrick simply remained silent and pursed his lips tightly. The smile on Maia¡¯s face slowly stiffened as she turned to look at him, wordlessly urging him to answer the question. . Just then, a figure stormed through the entrance before he could say a word. With her back toward the light, her face was overshadowed. Everyone was stunned by her sudden appearance as they struggled to get a clearer look on her face. The next instant, what she said stirred the crowd. ¡°Cedrick Mason, where did you take my son? Give him back!¡± She slowly stepped onto the red carpet and into sight, her face bing more distinct as she moved closer. Her features were delicate and elegant, her skin fair and her eyes alluring. Her cheeks flushed red as she red at the man from below the stage. Maia¡¯s eyes narrowed viciously when she spotted Catelyn, daring to ruin her wedding. Cedrick, too, had not expected Catelyn to be there. She had slimmed down a lot, and the witty look in her eyes had vanished. ¡°What does your son¡¯s disappearance have to do with me?¡± Catelyn¡¯s mind was filled with the content of the message and the fact that the sender¡¯s number was linked to the phone in Mason Estate, Who else could have taken her son? ¡°Cedrick Mason, I thought you were vicious enough, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be this brazen! Hand my son back, or I¡¯m going to wreak havoc at your wedding!¡± Time seemed to have frozen in ce for a moment before the hall erupted into chaos. ¡°Goodness! Who is that woman? Why is she asking Cedrick for her son?¡± ¡°Could she be Master Ollie¡¯s mother?!¡± ¡°Impossible! Master Cedrick had been looking for her for four years now, so why would she show herself here?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Who knows? Maybe she¡¯s here to destroy Master Cedrick and Miss Maia¡¯s wedding!¡± ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t that woman look familiar? I feel like I¡¯ve seen her before during Mister James¡¯ party.¡± ¡°Hey, you got a point there! I think her name is¡­ She¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Catelyn rk!¡± Maia gritted out her name, her beautiful face contorting with barely contained anger. ¡°You should¡¯ve gone to Jamie Mason if your son is missing! Why are you here?! Somebody! Come and drag her out!¡± The security guard immediately stormed toward Catelyn at Maia¡¯smand. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Catelyn red at them with bloodshot eyes, determined to find Miles or die trying. Suddenly, she seemed to have remembered something and sneered. ¡°Miss rk, I forgot to remind you that I¡¯m still in possession of a photo of you and a certain someone. If they chase me out of here, this photo is going to appear on the cover page of every magazine tomorrow!¡± Maia knew that she was referring to the photo of her and Richard when they were spotted at the hotel, and she gaped at this realization. She risked a nce at Cedrick and noticed his expression darkening ruthlessly. ¡°Catelyn rk, are you sure you¡¯re not leaving?¡± he asked. Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Catelyn had no intentions of backing out and stood her ground. ¡°I¡¯ll leave after you return my son to me.¡± ¡°Alright, then. This is what you asked for.¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes were cold as ice. He then did something no one had expected He took the brooch on his chest that said (Groom] off and tossed it into the wine ss on stage. Baddum! Without waiting for the guests to react, his deep, maic voice was heard announcing into the microphone. ¡°Thank you everyone foring over to Maia and I¡¯s wedding. It is with deep regret for me to announce that the wedding today has been canceled.¡± The hall was filled with mor in an instance like a firework that had just exploded. ¡°What? Canceled?!¡± ¡°This woman must be the rumored mistress. She¡¯s here to ruin Master Cedrick¡¯s wedding!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe Master Cedrick would agree to it!! ¡°Did you notice that she¡¯s been mentioning a ¡®son¡¯? Perhaps Young Master Ollie is her son, after all?¡± Following the explosion of gasps and tattles, the faces of the rks and Masons sank. Catelyn, too, was frozen with shock. All she wanted was to threaten him with the wedding so that Cedrick would give Miles back to her. She did not expect him to go that far! He had always been one step ahead of her¡­ Grandpa Mason limbed furiously forward with his cane and growled, ¡°You b*stard! You were the one who wanted to go ahead with the wedding, and you want to cancel it now? Who do you think you are?!¡± Janice, too, walked forward with the help of her maid to remind Cedrick gently, ¡°Ceddy, watch what you¡¯re saying.¡± Maia¡¯s parents, simrly, were enraged. The guests attended the wedding and the ceremony nearly drew to a close, only for the groom to expose himself for being involved with another woman and cancel the wedding. What would the public think of the rks?! Betty shot Catelyn an angry re. ¡°Catty, I¡¯m still your aunt, you know? I¡¯m more than happy to wee you if you¡¯re here to celebrate Cedrick and Maia¡¯s wedding, but if you¡¯re only here to mess things up, don¡¯t me me for what I¡¯m about to do!¡± Maia¡¯s father, Jason, the head of the rks, warned sternly, ¡°Catelyn rk, leave the venue now, and I¡¯ll pretend like this has never happened.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Catelyn. Their gazes were sharp as knives, cutting her into pieces. Catelyn was aware of the trouble she had gotten herself into. Even so, she had to find out where Miles was! In the photos sent to her, Miles was seen being taken away by force.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Catelyn¡¯s eyes sharpened with determination. ¡°I¡¯ve stated my intention loud and clear: I¡¯m here for my son. Mister Cedrick and Miss Maia¡¯s wedding has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Nothing to do with you?¡± sneered Cedrick, gritting his teeth as he walked down the stage and toward Catelyn. He reached his arm out and pulled her into his embrace, earning gasps of shock from all the attendees. Maia¡¯s face twisted iprehensively. Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Chapter 402 ¡°Aunt Janice, I¡¯ll take full responsibility over Catelyn. Her son, Miles, is also mine. We¡¯ve been together for four years and broke up due to some misunderstandings. I owe them too much. ¡°Please forgive me, but I can¡¯t go through the wedding ceremony,¡± confessed Cedrick earnestly Janice¡¯s jaw hung open in disbelief. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°W¡­ What did you just say?¡± stammered Draco without waiting for Janice¡¯s reply. He tried to suppress his shock, but it was clear in his tone that he was surprised. Maia¡¯s eyes widened in bewilderment. ¡°Ceddy, what bullsh*t is that? Catelyn¡¯s b*stard child belongs to Jamie!¡± Betty¡¯s face flushed red in pure anger. ¡°Cedrick Mason, has this vixen hypnotized you or something? Everyone knew Catelyn was with Jamie four years ago, and the reason Jamie dumped Catelyn was because Ezekiel was used of murder. She¡¯s just trying to ruin your wedding with Mai with such a ridiculous story!¡± Betty was right; everyone knew that Catelyn¡¯s son was Jamie¡¯s. However, the words flew past Cedrick¡¯s ears as his eyes were locked on Catelyn¡¯s. It was as if the rest of the world did not exist, that the only person in his universe was Catelyn. Catelyn¡¯s head exploded at that point. In between the gossiping and discussions of the crowd and their families¡¯ questions, the only sentence floating in her head was ¡°Her son, Miles, is also mine.¡± His son. Did he know the truth the whole time? Was that why he kidnapped Miles from the airport? Did he lure her out to the hotel, only to use her as a scapegoat for his wedding?! ¡°Cedrick Mason! How could you-mmph!¡± Before Catelyn could finish, Cedrick cradled the back of her head with one hand as he bent down and connected their lips together, ceasing her words. The crowd fell into yet another pandemonium. The journalists at the scene started clicking their cameras away, probably nning on making that their headline for tomorrow. Inhaling his scent, Catelyn felt a sudden rage of anger as she pounded at his chest with her fists in an attempt to shove him away. ¡°If you want Mile to be safe, you better do as I say,¡± uttered a deep, cold voice into her ear, causing Catelyn to freeze. Miles was clearly her soft spot, yet Cedrick was using him to threaten her! ¡®Why did you have to work under Nine, Catelyn? Why did you approach him with ill intentions? Maia¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears as she grabbed the hem of her dress and stormed toward Catelyn. ¡°You b*tch! How dare you seduce my husband at my wedding?!¡± Maia then raised her hand, ready to strike Catelyn across the face. Catelyn closed her eyes hopelessly. She refused to fight back. However, Cedrick intercepted the hand as he grabbed Maia¡¯s wrist. ¡°Did you not hear what I said? She¡¯s my child¡¯s mother. Seek the permission of the owner before you hit the dog, got it? ¡°She¡¯s lying to you, Ceddy! That b*stard child isn¡¯t yours!¡± Maia tugged at Cedrick¡¯s shirt. Seeing as Cedrick had no reaction to change his mind, she turned her attention toward Janice.¡± Aunt Janice, please talk to Cedrick for me¡­ Catelyn is a lying b*tch!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Janice¡¯s face turned pale as she looked at Cedrick with a myriad of emotions and traces of doubts. ¡°Ceddy, are you certain that Catelyn¡¯s son is yours?¡± ¡°I have no reason to lie to you,¡± Cedrick answered straightforwardly. Janice wanted to stop Cedrick, but the words were stuck in her throat. If Cedrick was telling the truth¡­he was, and had to be, responsible for Catelyn. OWI Catelyn, too, must have suffered plenty, having to raise the child on her own. It made sense why Cedrick always looked at Catelyn differently. The most anticipated wedding of the year ended in utter chaos, and the guests continued with their fiery discussions and gossip. Some were discussing Catelyn¡¯s identity, while some gossiped about Miles, who came out of nowhere. Catelyn had vanished from the public eye for four whole years, and her name was slowly forgotten within the socialite circle, what more her son. Some people even talked about how Ollie, the spoiled young master, might lose the attention he had to Miles. Little did anyone know, one of the boys they had been talking about was just hiding in the corner. It was Ollie, sporting a cute hoodie his size that covered his head, as well as a pair of sunsses and a face mask. Beyond the mask, his mouth widened in shock. He was never kidnapped at all. He came up with that idea only because he did not want Catelyn to leave and, on top of that, to stop the wedding. He did not expect things to escte the way they did! His father had announced to the public that Miles was his son. Did that mean he knew all along? Since when? There was no sign of him knowing the truth at all! It all felt surreal to Ollie. Where was Miles, anyway? Did he not attend Cedrick¡¯s wedding? All the unanswered questions were so overwhelming that Ollie felt like his head could explode. Of course, Miles would not miss Cedrick and Maia¡¯s wedding. Janice was the one who had ordered him to be released. At that moment, in a private room on the second floor, two giant-looking bodyguards guarded the child, making sure that he did not move an inch away from them. It was the day of the wedding, and they could not risk letting the child out to make a mess out of everything. This was why Cedrick had ordered men to watch over him. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± All of a sudden, Miles crouched with his arms around his abdomen. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The bodyguards exchanged a knowing eye and said, ¡°Young Master, stop acting Master Cedrick had ordered for us to not trust you.¡± ¡°Mm¡­ My tummy hurts¡­¡± The child¡¯s face turned pale as droplets of sweat rolled down his face. He propped himself up with one hand on the ground and knelt on one knee, grimacing. The bodyguard was unfazed at first, but as they watched how he did not move, and how his breaths quickened. ¡°Ugh¡­ I feel sick. I can¡¯t breathe¡­¡± whimpered the boy as he tugged on one of the bodyguard¡¯s pant legs, his eyes reddened with tears. Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Chapter 404 ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re scaring me! Tell me where it hurts!¡± One of the bodyguards was worried as he squatted to check on ¡®Ollie¡¯, who was actually Miles, Miles¡¯ lips pursed tightly as he moaned in pain, ¡°Please..spread my ashes when I¡¯m gone. I ¨C I want to be with Mommy¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. , ¡°Quick, get the doctor! The young master is sick!¡± yelled one bodyguard to the other. The other bodyguard was hesitant, but Miles seemed to be genuinely in agony, If that was an act, he could be an award-winning actor. The bodyguard ran outside to get the doctor without realizing the boy¡¯s eyes were gleaming wickedly. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ll carry you over there¡ª¡±. Bam! Before the bodyguard could finish, Miles mustered every ounce of strength he had and shoved the guard. Realistically, Miles should not have been able to push the bodyguard, but the man was half squatting before him and worrying about his sickness, thus was distracted. The bodyguard knocked the back of his head against the corner of the table as he was shoved backward Miles¡¯ eyes twinkled as he hopped up from the ground. He waited for the man to pounce at him and crawled under his armpit to escape. The guard bit back the pain as he limped toward Miles. ¡°Young Master, you can¡¯t go outside! Master Cedrick had ordered for you to stay here¡­¡± Miles would never listen to Cedrick¡¯s words. After all, Big Demon had crushed his Mommy and grounded him, forcing him to kneel before the evil woman to apologize to her. He would never forgive him ever again! Ollie must have taken that flight to Mrn with his mother at this point, He nned on flying to them so that all three of them could be together, with Cedrick entirely out of the picture, The bodyguard, being a fully grown man with long limbs, was able to catch up to Miles quickly. The boy panicked when he spotted a door that was slightly ajar at the backstage. He quickly turned and ran through the door. He shut the door behind him and ced his ear on the door to listen to the bodyguard¡¯s footsteps, sighing in relief after making sure that the bodyguard had not caught up to him. His eyes widened as he looked at his surroundings. After the wedding was canceled, Cedrick dragged Catelyn to the empty backstage where the hotel stored the sound system. It was quiet as no one else was in there. The sounds of their breaths were loud and clear. Catelyn, having sprained her ankle as she was dragged by him with brute force, struggled to free herself from his hands and shivered in anger. ¡°Are you happy now? You used me as your scapegoat once again. Everyone knows that I, Catelyn rk, am the evil mistress that ruined you and Maia¡¯s wedding! I¡¯m the shameless mistress!¡± Cedrick studied how Catelyn, with her long hair in disarray, yelled at him hysterically, and his gaze sharpened He parted his lips and uttered, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m happy.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re happy with how things turned out, when do you n on returning my son?¡± Catelyn took a deep breath, her heart aching so badly that she struggled to breathe. Cedrick smiled coldly. ¡°Since when have I said that Miles is with me?¡±. Catelyn¡¯s head buzzed with white noise upon hearing this. She hadpletely lost it at that point. ¡°What do you mean? You said that -¡°. ¡°Said what? Said that Miles is mine? That¡¯s just something I made up on the spot. You didn¡¯t actually believe that I¡¯d want a b*stard child as my own, did you?¡± sneered Cedrick, chuckling in disdain as he stared at her like she was a circus monkey. Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Chapter 405 ¡®B*stard child?¡¯ Did Cedrick just say Miles was a b*stard? Catelyn looked at Cedrick incredulously as she felt lightning strike through her, fiery rage coursing throughout her body. At the same time, however, she felt relieved. Cedrick did not know the truth after all; he was just using her and Miles as his scapegoat. ¡°I¡¯m fine with you using me, Cedrick Mason, but to use Miles, my son? Disgustingly deplorable!¡± spat Catelyn as her eyes reddened. Cedrick shot a cold re at her and took out a checkbook from his pocket, writing on one piece with his ck fountain pen. ¡°One hundred thousand. Is that enough?¡± Staring at the check, Catelyn felt unadulterated rage rushing through her veins as she snatched it and tore it into pieces, tossing them over his head. ¡°So what if you¡¯re loaded? You can¡¯t restore a child¡¯s reputation with money!¡± The pieces of paper rained on them, and a few pieces evennded on Cedrick¡¯s cor. His charming face sank and darkened in an instant. ¡°Miles is the light of my life and my everything. I won¡¯t allow you to stain his purity with your filthy definition of a ¡®moral¡¯! ¡°Congrattions, Cedrick Mason. You¡¯ve yet again overstepped my boundaries. You disgust me!¡± Catelyn¡¯s patience had been stripped awaypletely as she shoved him away and walked away from him. Since Cedrick had yet to know the truth, Miles should not have been taken away by him. If that was the case, where was he? Could this be one of his pranks? ¡®Filthy.¡¯ ¡®Disgusting.¡¯ Those words rang in Cedrick¡¯s ears, filling his entire being with anger. Eventually, Cedrick exploded with rage and pulled Catelyn into his arms. ¡°You think I¡¯m disgusting? I¡¯ll stain you with my filth, then!¡± He grabbed her by the cor and pulled her to his face, his boiling-hot breath fanning her face with anger. It was as if he had been possessed by a beast, about to tear her into pieces. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me!¡± Catelyn looked at him with fear in her eyes. Cedrick closed the gap between them by forcing a kiss on her lips. ¡°Mmph!¡± Catelyn shivered in terror and struggled to free herself. Not only did he despise her to such an extent, but he even shamed her and Miles so tantly. What made him even think he could kiss her? What was she to him? Was she just a tool for him to take his anger out on? Why did she fall for a man like him? His aggression took over himpletely that it tore Catelyn¡¯s lip, the taste of iron seeping into their mouths Catelyn¡¯s feeble attempt to free herself would only tire her out more. Thus, she gave it up and stared at the ceiling nkly. ¡°Are you going to force yourself onto me again?¡± Cedrick froze at this question, freezing and looking at her with defeat. Thump! He kicked the chair closest to him with all his strength. ¡°Catelyn rk, I¡¯ve tolerated enough. Don¡¯t take my mercy for granted.¡± Catelyn chuckled coldly. Since when was violence considered a form of mercy? She would rather not have any of his ¡®mercy¡¯! At that moment, noises were heard from the store shelf across from them. 1. Secondster, a child walked toward them. ncing in the child¡¯s direction, Cedrick had a rough idea of what happened. ¡°Useless bunch of people; can¡¯t even look after a mere child!¡± Catelyn followed the direction of his gaze, only to meet eyes with a boy, much to her shock. She used to not be able to differentiate between Ollie and Miles, but not anymore. That boy¡­ Previous Chapter This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Chapter 406 It was Miles, eyes reddening with tears as he shot Cedrick a fiery re. Despite that, a vague smirk was seen on his face. It was a mix of love and hate. Catelyn¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°M-Ollie?¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Miles ran straight into Catelyn¡¯s arms, his face glued onto her neck, his eyes filled with tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not protecting you.¡± Miles was furious when he witnessed how Cedrick, the demon that he was, bullied his mother. However, he was small and weak, and he could not possibly go up against Big Demon. Catelyn, not having the energy to mind how the boy addressed her in front of Cedrick, squatted and embraced her son. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine. I really am¡­¡± ¡°I did avenge you,¡± muttered Miles ominously. ¡°I turned on the microphone backstage earlier, and everyone in the hotel will be able to hear how Big Demon bullied you. They¡¯ll never believe his words ever again. He¡¯s a bad guy!¡± Catelyn did not process it at first and wanted to reassure him how everything was fine, but when she finally processed his words.. She froze in shock ¡°What¡­did you say you did?¡± Miles wiped his tears and said, ¡°I want everyone to know that Big Demon is a bad guy!¡± The air froze in an instant. Catelyn could see the cold mes forming on Cedrick¡¯s already bluish-gray face. He looked like a demon from hell as his eyes glued on Miles angrily. His phone rang at that moment, an iing call from Eason. Cedrick epted the call, and ¡°Master Cedrick, the microphone backstage was switched on, and everyone in the hotel heard your conversation with Miss Catelyn! Everyone is talking about how you used Miss Catelyn and her son as your scapegoat. ¡°The rks are furious, and they want to talk to you-¡± Cedrick¡¯s grip on his phone tightened. He threw his phone without waiting for Eason to finish. The phone fell to the floor and bounced back up in the air. Catelyn pulled Miles toward her instinctively. Cedrick then turned and looked at the pair on the floor. More urately, at the child in Catelyn¡¯s arms. He had just used Catelyn and Miles as a reason to cancel the wedding..and ¡®ollie¡¯ was able to burst that bubble of lies to everyone! What a joke. His son betrayed him in front of everyone for a mere outsider? ¡®Mommy¡¯? What right did Catelyn have to be his mother? Did his son naively think that Catelyn would be his mother after staying in Mason Estate for just a couple of days? Cedrick¡¯s entire being felt as though it was set aze as he inched slowly toward the pair, as though about to engulf them both with his rage. Catelyn was horror- stricken as she shivered uncontrobly. She had no idea what Cedrick would do to her son¡­ She pulled Miles behind her and got up to face Cedrick. ¡°Cedrick Mason, the young master didn¡¯t do it on purpose-calm down. I can still be your scapegoat; just tell everyone that we just had a quarrel and that your words were just spouted out of anger.¡± ¡°F*ck off!¡± Cedrick shoved Catelyn to the side. Catelyn was already out of breath and had no energy to fight back at all. Thus, she fell against the corner of a table and winced in pain. ¡°Mommy!¡± Miles was even more infuriated now that he saw Catelyn hurt right in front of him. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Miles huffed in fury as he bitterly stared into Cedrick¡¯s eyes. At this point, gone was his respect and the faint attachment he had for Cedrick. All he had left for him was doubt and disdain. ¡°You¡¯ve hurt Mommy. I¡¯ll never forgive you ever again!¡± spat Miles as he swung his tiny fist. Before it could even reach Cedrick, however, he felt his cor being grabbed as Cedrick lifted him. The boy never stood a chance against a fully grown man. Thus, he felt his body lifted off the ground as Cedrick pulled him up by the cor. His limbs iled pathetically as he tried to break free. He was starting to get out of breath as he was lifted by his cor, and his face flushed in deep crimson. ¡®Argh! Why are my arms so short?! I want to p this evil Big Demon on his face for Mommy! I can¡¯t forgive him for hurting Mommy! ¡®He even split Mommy¡¯s lips! What an evil, evil demon!¡¯ The more Miles struggled, the lesser the air in his lungs became. He was slowly losing his breath. Everything was getting blurry, and he was even seeing doubles. Just when he thought he was going to pass out¡­ Thomp! Catelyn hit Cedrick¡¯s back with a wooden bat. While it did not deal any significant blow, it was enough to hurt Cedrick. He turned and red at her incredulously as though mocking her for hitting him. Catelyn shuddered as she met his venomous re, but there was no turning back once something was done. She could not watch her son being harmed! Did he not notice how the boy was having trouble breathing?! Miles was finally able to catch a breath while Cedrick and Catelyn were caught in a staredown. At that moment, he immediately recalled a move he had seen on the television. p! The boy pped Cedrick with both his hands. As if that was not enough, Miles started kicking his face with his tiny legs before Cedrick could react to the ps. Cedrick did not feel much pain from all of that. Compared to the pain he felt in his back, that was nothing. However¡­ How could he, the Master of the Masons, get kicked in the face by his own son? ¡°Ollie Mason, have you lost your mind?!¡± Cedrick let go of Miles¡¯ cor, causing the boy to fall on the floor. Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened as she tossed the bat aside and rushed to catch her son. The boy was trying to catch his breath when Catelyn uttered hurriedly to him, ¡°Cedrick is angry. Run, quickly! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Miles looked at the demonic Cedrick and at Catelyn once more, his eyes filled with tears as he picked himself up and ran. He had to stop slowing down his mother! Cedrick spotted how Miles was running away and went to chase after him, but Catelyn quickly wound her arms tightly around his waist from behind to stop him. Cedrick began to pry off her fingers from him so roughly that she felt her hands aching terribly. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡®No¡­ I can¡¯t let him go after Miles!¡¯ Cedrick turned around, his face covered with the dark outlines of Miles¡¯ shoe print. Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Catelyn¡¯s eyes reddened as she cradled the back of his head with her hands, stopping it from moving around as she leaned in for a kiss. Cedrick did not move away from her at all. She attacked him like a clueless yet aggressive soldier. Seeing as he was not taking the bait, she grabbed his hand and brought it down her body. Cedrick felt like he was engulfed by mes of lust. ¡°You asked for this, Catelyn rk!¡± Cedrick finally had her under his skin. Miles ran out of the backstage room and would turn back every few seconds, checking if Cedrick was out to get him. It seemed that Catelyn managed to hold him back Miles stomped. He made his mother take care of things for him yet again. He should have kicked that man more powerfully to take all of his anger out on him! His n was to find Ollie and convince him to leave with him. He could not allow Ollie to bear the responsibilities on his own anymore. The boy looked at his surroundings, looking for a staff member to borrow a phone from. After all, his phone had been confiscated when he was grounded in the small ck room. Just when Miles turned to a corner, he walked straight into a pair of legs, unable to stop in time. The man, too, was in a hurry. Miles held his nose in pain and looked up¡­only to frown in disgust at his sight. ¡°It¡¯s you, you little b*stard.¡± Jamie red angrily at him. Miles was stunned for a brief moment before he quipped, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder Kitty hates you; nothing good everes out of your mouth. What a deplorable man you are. Thank God we¡¯re not rted.¡± Miles turned to leave, knowing he had more important tasks at hand, but Jamie grabbed onto his cor before he could run away. Miles tried to run but was unable to move. He puffed his cheeks out in frustration as his tiny hands formed into fists. ¡®Why do these people like to grab people by their cor? How rude of them!¡¯ ¡°Hah. We¡¯re not rted, you say? Do you really think Cedrick is your father? Stop dreaming! Let¡¯s go see Grandpa Mason now. We¡¯ll get Cedrick to give you back to me, and then¡­¡± Jamie paused and grinned sinfully, causing chills to run down Miles¡¯ spine. If they were to go see Grandpa Mason, his identity as well as Ollie¡¯s would be exposed! With that thought in mind, Miles chomped on Jamie¡¯s hand harshly. His teeth dug into the back of his hand, causing Jamie to yelp in pain as he tossed Miles away instinctively. Miles felt like he was seeing stars the moment he fell to the floor, but he quickly got up on his feet and sprinted. Thest thing he wanted was to run into other people he knew! However, since Cedrick and Catelyn¡¯s heated argument was leaked to the public in the hotel, things would not go as easily as Miles wished. Maia took off her wedding gown and changed into a white dress as she strode toward the backstage room angrily. She wanted to stare at both Cedrick and Catelyn, wanting to know what they took her for. Unexpectedly, Miles was seen scurrying toward her. Running after him was the angry-looking Jamie. ¡°Miles rk! Stop running!¡± Maia¡¯s face froze as she grimaced in confusion. Miles rk? Is that not Ollie Mason? Seeing as Miles was about to escape, she gestured for her maid to stop him. The corridor was narrow enough for two maids to block Miles from running further. In front of him was Maia, and behind him was Jamie. Miles had nowhere else to run to. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Jamie caught up to Miles and sneered, ¡°Look at you, running with those tiny legs of yours!¡± Miles stared at both Maia and Jamie warily. Before he could even think of a n to escape, Jamie smacked the back of his neck with force, causing him to see stars. He felt his eyelids getting heavier as he felt himself losing consciousness. Jamie lifted the boy into his arms and thanked Maia, saying, ¡°Thanks for stopping my son for me, Miss Maia.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± she blurted, pointing at Miles. ¡°Your son?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jamie nodded confidently. ¡°What Cedrick said were all lies; it¡¯s been exposed. This kid right here is Miles rk-mine, whom Catelyn bore.¡± It was as if Maia had just discovered the secret of the century, and her head exploded with fireworks. She was certain that the woman in Cedrick¡¯s room from four years ago was Catelyn, and that she gave birth to Cedrick¡¯s children! This also meant that Catelyn was the one who left Ollie by the doorstep of Mason Estate four years ago, just so she could pretend to reunite with two brothers in the future and be Missus Mason. ¡°Miss Maia, is there a problem?¡± Jamie noticed that Maia¡¯s expression was odd. Maia roughly exined everything to Jamie. Jamie felt something sharp poking at his throat as he uttered, ¡°Are you saying that Catelyn cheated on me, and that this little b*stard right here is Cedrick¡¯s son? Why would Cedrick say things like that earlier in the backstage room?¡±. Maia shut her eyes hopelessly. ¡°I don¡¯t think he knew the truth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right! I¡¯m certain I slept with Catelyn four years ago. Heck, she had the same gardenia-scented perfume on!¡± Maia¡¯s face went pale upon hearing that. Was the man she slept with four years ago¡­ Jamie Mason?! Had they all gotten the wrong person all this time? Maia felt her stomach churning in disgust. Jamie noticed the shift in Maia¡¯s expression and smirked when a thought crossed him. ¡°That¡¯s right. Miss Maia likes gardenia too, don¡¯t you? I see Cedrick found himself a fake!¡± The enraged Maia growled, ¡°Shut up!¡± She lost herposure and struck Jamie across the face. ¡°Shut your filthy mouth!¡± Jamie felt his ear ringing from the p. However, not only did he not be angry, but hisughter grew louder, too. He lifted one side of his mouth into an evil smirk, and that expression of his resembled Cedrick. ¡°Why are you so angry? We¡¯re in the same boat now. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll expose you?¡± Jamie then gestured at Miles, who was in in his arms, and asked, ¡°What shall we do with this little b*stard, Mai?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me that!¡± Maia felt sick to her stomach. Still, she looked at Miles with nothing but loathe and said, ¡°Hide him somewhere for now. I want him to disappear without leaving a trace.¡± ¡°Fine, fine, whatever you say.¡± The pair then discussed what they wanted to do with Miles, but little did they know¡­ A woman was standing just behind the corner. Loue bit her lip as her face shifted from shock to disdain. She quietly took her phone out to record everything Maia and Jamie had said to each other. Ever since the incident that happened with the Athertons, Jamie dumped her and even gifted her to his working partners. She even lost her baby. Worse still, the doctor told her that she would never be able to give birth again! The reason why she first came to the hotel was to drag him down with her, but she¡­ never thought she would hear a groundbreaking secret while she silently followed him! Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Chapter 410 It turned out that Cedrick mistreated Maia because she was just Catelyn¡¯s recement, and Catelyn did not bear Jamie¡¯s child! If she recorded everything and sent it to Cedrick, Jamie would be done for! Loue¡¯s usual gentle demeanor was reced by a twisted smirk. Beep, beep, beep! Her phone¡¯s low battery notification abruptly went off at that moment, effectively alerting both Maia and Jamie as they looked in her direction. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Loue tightened her grip on the phone and started running toward the opposite direction. When the pair ran over to check, all they saw was the shadow of a figure running away, and they exchanged knowing nces. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t allow her to leak our secret,¡± Jamie promised Maia. Maia¡¯s beautiful face twisted. Nothing felt like it was going her way! She then looked at Miles and thought¡­ Would it not have been perfect if he was hers and Cedrick¡¯s child? She despised everything she used to wish for. B In a guest room on the third floor of the hotel. Cedrick dominated Catelyn in bed, propping himself up with both arms next to Catelyn¡¯s face as he leaned in for a deep kiss. His eyes were not gleaming with lust. Instead, his pupils seemed to be foggy with ayer of eeriness. Catelyn, lying in bed, could only think of Miles despite her predicament. She was almost certain it was Miles and not Ollie. If that was Miles, where could Ollie have gone? Could they have switched identities once again without telling her? ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about Little Ollie?¡± ¡°Kiss me.¡± He leaned in again as strands of his hair brushed against her cheeks. Catelyn felt ticklish and turned her face away. ¡°Everyone heard us. They must be thinking how horrible of a man you are, using me as a scapegoat to cancel your wedding. Aren¡¯t you going to do something about it?¡± ¡°I said, kiss me!¡± Cedrick grasped her jaw. Catelyn felt like they were having twopletely different conversations. She shut her eyes, pretending not to hear him. ¡°Cedrick Mason, I don¡¯t like this!¡± Catelyn disliked not being able to see his face while being under him. It felt like he had stripped her dignity from her. With her putting up a fight, he then took his tie off and tied her hands before he pulled the nket over her head, covering her face. ¡°You have no right to deny me!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Everything was getting out of hand. Both Cedrick and Catelyn were oblivious to what was happening downstairs. Catelyn had not fully recovered from the previous incident where she was dragged into the dark alley by some gangsters and knocked on her head. Thus, she felt extremely fatigued. She bit on her tongue and forced herself to stay conscious. She could not afford to pass out; not when Ollie and Miles were waiting for her. She propped herself up and attempted to pick up her jacket that was on the floor, but a muscr arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back down to the bed. ¡°You¡¯re willing to go this far for Ollie, but why can¡¯t you cut ties with Nine?¡± Cedrick was aware that when she left Mason Estate, she was sent straight to David¡¯s private mansion. Outsiders could barely get into the mansion, yet she stayed there for one whole night! Cedrick actually hesitated in his wedding with Maia. He only agreed to Aunt Janice after receiving this news from Eason. Catelyn¡¯s lips pursed tightly as she stared at him in defeat. ¡°You can assume whatever you want. You never listened to my exnation, anyway.¡± ¡°I want to hear it from you now. Speak,¡± demanded Cedrick, his husky voice sounding alluring vet intimidating. It was the first time Catelyn looked at him with such seriousness and calmness. Ever since they broke up, she had thought of cutting contact with himpletely However, as she looked deep into his eyes and saw her reflection in his dark pupils, she started second- guessing herself. What a failure she was. She could not even control her feelings. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She batted her longshes and decided to go all out. ¡°If I were to tell you that I never had the intention to be in cahoots with David to harm, and that a lot of things that happened were just coincidence, will you believe me?¡± The pair looked into each other¡¯s eyes silently. A breeze blew into the room from outside the window, causing the curtains to lift. ¡°Yes,¡± uttered Cedrick. Catelyn¡¯s heart which had died long ago suddenly perked up with hope. She gripped the corner of his shirt as emotions overwhelmed her. ¡°Really?¡± His next sentence sent her straight back to hell ¨C ¡°I¡¯d be a fool to believe you!¡± Just as she expected; he did not believe her. Catelyn thought of the moments they had spent together and felt her heart ache. He probably never once believed her, too. They were both just pretending to be with each other, that was a fact. However, she never expected to lose herself in the process of it. Catelyn got up and pushed him away, wanting to leave, but Cedrick refused to let her go. ¡°If you never thought of hurting me and joined Nine, why did you suddenly decide to be with me after rejecting me twice? Why did you sneak out to see Nine?¡± Catelyn felt defeated as she chuckled bitterly. Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Catelyn did it all because she wanted to be closer to her son. She wanted to reunite with her children! N?velDrama.Org (C) content. How could she tell Cedrick this? Cedrick took Catelyn¡¯s silence as an agreement to his question. She was still lying to him! At that moment, an urge to break down Catelyn rushed within him, all so she could no longer escape. However, his phone rang, breaking his thoughts. Seizing this chance, Catelyn escaped from under his arm when he bent to pick his phone up. Cedrick watched as she left without running after her. He was on the verge of breaking, anyway. He unlocked his phone and noted that it was an unknown number calling him. ¡°Mister Cedrick, right? I¡¯m Loue Atherton.¡± It was Loue, hiding at a hidden corner as she called Cedrick, albeit anxiously. Cedrick frowned and sat up at the edge of the bed. ¡°You have thirty seconds.¡± ¡°I have a video that contains information about Catelyn rk, and I believe this is crucial information for both the rks and Masons. I¡¯ll send it to you as long as you promise to get me back into the socialite circle!¡± Cedrick chuckled, however, as though having heard a joke. ¡°I was the one who ordered to take down the Athertons. Won¡¯t it be odd if I help you back up again?¡± ¡°No, Mister Cedrick. I understand there are some misunderstandings between us, but I can guarantee that this video will be worth it! You won¡¯t be losing anything from this trade!¡± Loue was rattled with fear and nervousness at this point. L used to be the one who would be doing these things, but since the Atherton family had fallen out of grace and L had given uppletely, she had no choice but to do it herself. Cedrick remained silent for a good while. Loue was worried that Cedrick would think that she was lying to him and thus hurriedly offered, ¡°I have a deal to offer you. This evening at six o¡¯clock, I¡¯lle to you with the video. You can watch the first half of it, and if you¡¯re happy with it, we can proceed with the partnership. What do you think?¡± ¡°Deal,¡± said Cedrick. Catelyn¡¯s secret, huh? What secret did she have? Loue¡¯s phone was about to die when she hung up. Jamie and Maia must be looking everywhere for her. Loue thought for a brief moment before hiding her phone in the washroom under a pot of nts. Even if they caught her, the evidence would still be safe. Loue hid her phone and came out of the washroom, only to find Jamie walking toward her. Loue turned around to run, deciding to make it to the stairs as she could not wait for the elevator. ¡°Quickly! Miss Maia ordered us to apprehend that woman!¡± The bodyguards were heard talking to each other at the base of the staircase. Loue stopped herself from going down the stairs, but Jamie was catching up from behind. She had no other choice than to walk up the stairs. She took off her heels and started dashing. s, since she had suffered from a miscarriage, she could not possibly outrun Jamie. ¡°Where is it?¡± snarled Jamie. With Loue pressed against the wall, she noted in horror that she had nowhere else to run. Regardless, she mustered a response and said, ¡°What? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about ¡°If you have no idea, why did you run when you saw me?¡± Jamie stared at her coldly. ¡°You can either hand it over now, or I¡¯ll look for it myself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± ¡°Stop wasting time with her; I¡¯ll search her.¡± Maia walked over with two bodyguards and reached her hands out to Loue¡¯s handbag. Previous Chapter Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Loue¡¯s grip on her bag tightened instinctively. ¡°Hold her down!¡± ordered Maia to the two bodyguards as she then snatched the bag from Loue. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Loue wanted to pull back her bag, but she stood no chance against the bodyguards. Moreover, her abdomen started aching amid her struggles. Her face slowly turned pale as she bent down and cackled in despair. ¡°I loved you with all my heart, Jamie. How blind I was! ¡°Not only did I hurt myself, but I also dragged the Athertons with me¡­!¡± Seeing as Maia could not find the phone, Jamie¡¯s face softened as he stared deeply into Loue¡¯s eyes. ¡°Loue, I know I mistreated you, but you have to believe that I¡¯ve always loved you. I was drunk that night, which was why Joseph had to do what he did. I cut ties with him after that.¡± Loue merely shot Jamie a nk stare. She would have believed him back in the day, but not anymore. ¡°Listen to me: Just hand it to me, and we¡¯ll get engaged next month-no, we¡¯ll get married. You¡¯ll be my wife, and I promise to help get the Athertons back on their feet, okay?¡± Loue looked up at him and muttered, ¡°You really want the video?¡± There was a video after all! Jamie¡¯s eyes glowed as he replied, ¡°You¡¯re willing to give it to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the video if youe to thewyer with me and sign off all of your property under my name. Otherwise, I¡¯ll send it to Cedrick, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see your faces when all your dirty deeds are exposed; it¡¯ll be amazing,¡± p! ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Jamie was infuriated as he pped Loue and dragged her toward the windowsill. Opening the window, he then pushed her upper body over the edge, holding her by the cor. The sounds of cars and wind drifting by were heard from outside the window. Loue was unable to free herself as she bent over the edge of the window. She felt her blood rushing to her head as she looked at how small the world seemed beneath her. ¡°Jamie Mason, what are you doing? Let go of me!¡± she shrieked frantically. Jamie¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he tightened and released his grip on her. ¡°Hand over the video now, or I¡¯ll send you straight to hell myself!¡± he growled, his voice deep and hoarse like a demon rising from hell. Loue¡¯s face flushed in deep crimson as blood rushed to her head. She shivered. She felt nothing but loath. She hated Jamie, and she hated herself for having fallen for him. As hatred consumed her, she started bbering without considering the situation. ¡°I¡¯ll never hand over the video. I¡¯ve actually hidden it in a perfect ce, waiting for Cedrick to find out himself! Haha! Even if I die here today, you two will join me soon after!¡± ¡°You b*tch! I should¡¯ve allowed Joseph to kill you that night!¡± If Cedrick was to see the video, the consequences that awaited them would be horrendous! ¡°Jamie Mason, I curse that you¡¯ll never be able to reproduce ever again, that you¡¯ll live a life much worse than mine. The baby that I lost will be yourst! You deserve nothing but regret for the rest of your life!¡± Loue added a few words here and there to threaten him, but she was, in fact, shaken to the core. Consumed by rage, Jamie pushed Loue further out of the window, and Loue¡¯s body hung out of the window as Jamie held her by the ankle. ¡°Tell me, now!¡± ¡°Jamie Mason, pull me back up!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Chapter 414 As the breeze outside the window pped against her face, Loue felt stricken with fear. She did not want to die just yet. She wanted to witness how Maia and Jamie would suffer from the consequences they deserved. She wanted to hand Cedrick the video herself! Jamie swung her by the ankle as he threatened her to hand over the video, all while she struggled to get back inside whilst being hung mid-air. However, the force of his swing was too great as Loue¡¯s ankle somehow slipped from his grasp. ¡°Aaahhh!¡± An ear-piercing shriek echoed through the air, followed by what horrifyingly sounded like a loud thud. Loue fatally plummeted to the ground as her head bled. Her eyes were still wide open when she stopped breathing. Maia watched in terror as Loue fell from the window of the seventh floor they were on. ¡°Have you lost your mind?! How are we going to get the video now that you¡¯ve killed her?¡± she growled. Jamie felt a freezing chill down his spine as he looked at his hands. Had he just¡­murdered someone with his own hands? Had he just pushed Loue out of the window? ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll find it,¡± stammered Jamie in cold sweat. ¡°What¡¯s important now is to clear both our names. We¡¯ll have to be each other¡¯s alibister on. I¡¯ll find a way to delete the hotel¡¯s surveince footage.¡± His mind was no longer on the video as he fled the scene hurriedly. The frustrated Maia stomped her feet, knowing she had no choice but to leave, too. After all, she could not afford to be involved in a murder. She had to rid herself of it. Miles rk suddenly appeared in her mind. To prevent herself from worrying about her future, she had to find a way to get Miles! ¡°Head to the parking lot now. Find Miles rk, kill him, and throw him into the ocean. Do it quickly, and don¡¯t let him escape. That kid is smart,¡± uttered Maia under her breath to her bodyguard. The bodyguard had worked under Maia for a long time and had always obeyed without second guessing her The bodyguard thus nodded and disappeared from the room. Maia went to the washroom and cleaned herself up as she nonchntly walked back to the venue of the wedding. It seemed as though the dust had not settled. She gripped the wine ss in her palm tightly as her eyes sharpened coldly. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Judging by the situation, it could not have been Ollie who had harassed her relentlessly. It must have been Miles instead. Catelyn must have ordered him to do those ¡®pranks¡¯, too. How would she feel if she saw her son¡¯s lifeless body? The mere thought made Maia giddy as she downed the rest of her wine. The corner of her lips was stained with red wine. Before her smile got any bigger, her bodyguard contacted her with news. ¡°Miss Maia, the boy has disappeared!¡± ¡°What?¡± Maia¡¯s eyes dted. ¡°What do you mean? His limbs were bound with ropes. Where¡¯s Jamie¡¯s driver? Wasn¡¯t he looking after the kid?¡± The bodyguard looked around before he spoke into the phone, ¡°The driver is t on the ground, and he seemed to have passed out. Miss Maia, I think someone came to the boy¡¯s rescue.¡± ¡°Ugh! Useless!¡± Catelyn escaped from Cedrick¡¯s room and found Ollie hiding in an obscure corner. The boys did swap ces again after all. At least they were both safe. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Catelyn heaved a deep sigh of relief. Ollie had changed his mind and decided to leave with them! Catelyn did not press for a reason. All she wanted was to leave the hotel immediately. Miles, on the other hand, should be alright. After all, he was a smart boy. They should make haste and escape before they could think of a way to get himter on. After all, they could not afford to wait for Cedrick to regain his senses and catch on to them. What Catelyn did not expect was to stumble upon David, waiting for her at the entrance. Catelyn wanted to ignore him as she grabbed Ollie¡¯s head and strode forward. David stood before her and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know where Miles is?¡± Catelyn stopped and looked at him. David then made a gesture to his henchman, who then went across the street to a van and carried a boy out of it. The boy seemed to be sound asleep in his arms, but his face seemed to be faintly twitching. It was Miles! ¡°Miles? Miles, wake up!¡± Catelyn began to panic, her eyes reddening with tears as she gently patted Miles¡¯ cheeks. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. s, Miles showed no signs of waking up. Catelyn took her son into her arms and demanded, ¡°What did you do to Miles?!¡± Without waiting for David to exin himself, Winnie said to her, ¡°You should be thanking Nine, Catelyn. After all, Jamie would¡¯ve killed your son had it not been for him.¡± ¡°J¡­ Jamie?¡± What did this have to do with Jamie? Catelyn was confused, but she knew anything involving him was bad news. Even though she hated the fact that David had used her, him rescuing Miles more than once was an indisputable fact. ¡°Thank you, Nine.¡± David looked into Catelyn¡¯s tear-filled eyes. It was the look of a mother who worried for her child. It was also a look of gratitude toward him. David pushed up his gold-rimmed sses. The sunlight shone through the strands of hair on his forehead, casting a shadow on his face. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to hear a ¡®thank you¡¯ from you. You¡¯re wee.¡± David then looked at the boy standing next to Catelyn. Ollie was still wearing a hoodie, face mask, and sunsses. It was hard not to spot him, but he insisted on keeping his mask on. David crouched before him, and his lips curved into a gentle smile. ¡°Little Ollie, have you decided to leave with your Mommy?¡± Ollie looked up at Catelyn as if asking her how he knew of his identity. His lips remained pursed, not answering David. David was used to the quiet, introverted Ollie. After all, he was Cedrick¡¯s enemy for quite some time already, so he was not too familiar with Ollie. Moreover, the child would only ever show his softer side to his family. With those outside of this circle, he would revert to his cold, defensive self. David got up and said to Catelyn, ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for you to be sent to the airport.¡± ¡°Why?¡± blurted Catelyn. ¡°Why did you save Miles and¡­also help us in leaving?¡± David put one hand into his pocket, bathing under the afternoon sun. His sses somehow softened the sharpness in his gaze, albeit only a little, as he patted Ollie¡¯s head with a gentle smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that we share one interest. Helping you in taking Ced¡¯s son from him is something I¡¯ll be proud of.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Chapter 416 What a naive reason! Catelyn, meanwhile, had no idea what had transpired between Cedrick and David. Was there a dispute between them? Before she got into the car, Catelyn nced at the hotel onest time. Cedrick had to be handling the aftermath inside, was he not? The thought of leaving this ce with Miles made her heart hurt as though it was wrung tightly. However, since both Miles and Ollie had chosen Catelyn, she would never look back again, even if the path ahead would be difficult. ¡®Cedrick¡­ I wish you all the best.¡¯ Cedrick came down from upstairs and saw the crowd gathering on the road outside of the main hall. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked Eason. ¡°It¡¯s Loue¡ªshe fell from upstairs and died instantly. The ambnce is on its way,¡± replied Eason. ¡°Loue?¡± Cedrick¡¯s deep, cold eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Was it idental, or was there foul y?¡± ¡°The surveince was cut off right before the incident urred. It looks like a murder,¡± dered Eason straightforwardly. The moment this happened, he was already at the scene to investigate. The culprit might have gotten away at the moment, but many sloppy mistakes were made in their haste. A thorough investigation would eventually uncover the perpetrator¡¯s identity. This murder case had overturned the entire event. Coupled with the rumor of ¡®false sons¡¯, the wedding was entirely ruined. Cedrick had listed downpensation terms to the rk family. Without batting an eye to anyone around him, he and Eason swiftly left the scene. The rk family tried to send someone to decline Cedrick¡¯s offer, but Jason did not allow this. Nheless, thesepensation uses Cedrick proposed¡­were undeniably beneficial. As soon as Cedrick walked out of the hotel door, his eyes fell to the surroundings. ¡°Where¡¯s Ollie?¡± To this, Eason grew flustered. ¡°The young master¡­is gone again.¡± ¡°What do you mean, gone again? ¡°The surveince cameras were cut off, so we only knew that he had run into the corridor. There was no trace at all about his whereabouts thereafter.¡± Ollie usually could be tracked down since a chip was installed in his phone. With his phone confiscated this time, however¡­ He had vanished without a trace. Despite a growing headache, Eason felt surprisingly calm. He was probably about to get used to this boy¡¯s trick of disappearing every once in a while. ¡°Gather your men. Find him,¡± ordered Cedrick. ¡°Understood,¡± said Eason. Cedrick wind down all the windows of the car. The vehicle was elerating at a steady speed, thus the warm breeze blew against his cheek like a gentle handforting his restless heart. He found himself slowly calming down eventually, but still¡­ Something felt off. Loue mentioned that she had a video about Catelyn¡¯s secret. Since she had been killed, Cedrick could not help but wonder what the mysterious video was about. When he was backstage during that moment, he recalled Ollie appearing all of a sudden, throwing himself into Catelyn¡¯s arms. He even blurted out and called her ¡®Mommy¡¯. Cedrick¡¯s temple pulsed the more he thought about it. He felt as if there was something faintly sprouting within. It was the seed of doubt, which eventually grew into a towering tree. Suddenly, his expression changed. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Find out the truth about Loue¡¯s death,¡± he ordered. Cedrick had a very strong premonition about this. He would no doubt unravel the truth, sooner orter. Little did he expect, however, that another explosive news would hit him sooner than he could take a breather. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Chapter 417 A major core information of the power grid project in Ostralia was leaked on the inte, which led to an emergency suspension. Multiple online news outlets reported that hackers had breached the Mason Group¡¯s internalwork while insider information regarding thepany was sold, which caused the stock market to plunge. The elders in the Mason family expressed their dissatisfaction with the incident, and they awaited an exnation from Cedrick. Cedrick¡¯s expression instantly darkened. Those materials were the top-core secrets of Mason Group, and only a very few people had ess to them. Who had stolen the information and exposed it right under his nose? Any regr hacker would have asked for ransom instead! A monthter in Parees-a fashionable, romantic city. Catelyn took the twins on the road, first making a stop at Mrn before they transited to Swetzend, before they finally made their way to Parees. Despite enjoying their journey, Catelyn and the boys were always cautious in case Cedrick had sent someone to get them. Perhaps it was all in their heads. Cedrick did not send anyone after them. Better yet, he was probably too wrapped up in a predicament back in their home country. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Although Catelyn did not deliberately check the news about Cedrick, she kept in touch with Joanne. Every time she went to a new ce, Joanne would send her greetings and gossip about Cedrick. Apparently, someone had rebelled within Mason Group and messed up the power grip project, which was one of the key projects of the year. Since the disaster, Cedrick was leading the team to bid on another city-scale project. Based on the time, the bidding results should be announced soon as well. Considering Cedrick¡¯s current state, and the fact that the two little boys enjoyed Parees very much, Catelyn did not want the children to follow her around, so she finally decided to stay. In this new country, she was working in an internationally renowned construction group, and it was by sheer coincidence that she scored this job. She was unfamiliar with the foreign country when she first arrived in Franche with Miles and Ollie. Nheless, she participated in an online program to supervise some infrastructure points of certain construction projects. She remembered giving her two cents and some suggestions on the project, too. One thing led to another, she somehow got the job. On this clear, sunny weekend, Catelyn took the two boys to the amusement park. There were many famous amusement parks in the city, the most famous being Deesnend. Since this was not a children¡¯s amusement park, neither of the boys could y many of the adult amusement rides. Catelyn had nned ahead of time to bring Miles and Ollie to watch the fireworks show at night, which was said to be a major feature of the premise. After all, domestic fireworks were strictly controlled. Their first stop was Little World, where they sat on a cruise ship and watched all kinds of cute little puppets shows. The puppets were uniquely designed with the cultures of various countries. Watching all of this, Catelyn felt like she was a young girl again, full of childlike innocence. However¡­ ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t you think this is boring?¡± Miles held his cheek with one hand, yawning in boredom. Ollie sat on the other side in an orderly manner. Although he did not express boredom, he was not particrly excited either. Catelyn¡¯s excitement instantly dissipated. To be precise, she was not experiencing the pride of a mother bringing her children out to y. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Chapter 418 ¡°Miles, you¡¯re only three years old. Can¡¯t you just give me a normal childlike response?¡± asked Catelyn. Miles opened his eyes widely and haughtily snorted. ¡°It¡¯s boring! I thought you were going to take me on a roller coaster. I want to ride on one!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re too young for that,¡± declined Catelyn. Miles pouted reluctantly and turned to look at Ollie. Ollieforted him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can ride one when we¡¯re a little older.¡± ¡°How long is that going to take?¡± Miles sighed. Ollie pondered for a while before he answered ambitiously, ¡°When I grow up, I¡¯ll be taller and more handsome than my father. After all, we have Mommy¡¯s genes.¡± In just a few words, he praised both Miles and Catelyn, to which Miles seemed to. His little ears perked up as he gave Ollie a thumbs-up expression. Catelyn looked at the twin sons with a smile. They knew how to make each other feel better somehow! At the second stop, Catelyn took the boys to watch arge-scale indoor stage y, hoping to ease their boredom. They were not interested in any other amusement rides, so they came and queued up early in the morning. Lucky for them, they managed to grab special seats in the middle-front row. From this angle, they had a very good view of the stage. It seems that the two boys had never seen such arge- scale stage y. Although the show had not started, the posters stered on the front were so well- designed that they intrigued Miles and Ollie. However¡­ ¡°Hey, you! Amaricandy! Take your two children and swap ces with us. I¡¯ll give you some money for it,¡± rang an arrogant voice. Catelyn looked back, looking toward the source of the voice, and saw a beautiful, fashionably dressed blonde woman standing behind her. The woman raised her chin slightly as if looking at Catelyn through her nostrils. Behind her were two cute-looking children. However, just like the woman, they both seemed arrogant as well. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Catelyn looked around as if she was not the only Amarican person in the room. The woman¡¯s expression soured at this. ¡°Who else can I be talking to? Hurry up!¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn did not budge, however. Instead, she offered a decent smile and replied in fluent Franch, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my children and I have queued for a long time to get our tickets. We liked the seats very much, and we don¡¯t want to swap with yours.¡± Ezekiel rk had loved Catelyn very much since she was a child and had hired many private tutors for her education. Despite not being too proficient in Franch, she had no problem with basic daily communication. ¡°You¡­¡± The woman, not expecting Catelyn¡¯s Franch to be so fluent, was taken aback for a moment before she took out a few cash notes from her bag. ¡°You want more money?¡± she grumbled impatiently. ¡°I¡¯ll give you more! Is that enough?¡± Miles and Ollie both rolled their eyes in unison. The two of them also studied Franch, so they could understand what the woman was saying. It was strange for them that incidents like this urred almost everywhere they went. Back then, they had seen people discriminate against foreigners, but they had never experienced being discriminated against themselves. Ollie¡¯s pink lips pursed slightly as he spoke, ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve dropped something.¡± As everyone knew, the pronunciation of the Franchnguage was very tricky. It was difficult to learn. However, Ollie¡¯s Franch was so fluent that it might be better than locals of the country! Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Women typically could not resist adorable toddlers. Thus, at that moment, the blonde woman instantly believed Ollie¡¯s words. She subconsciously looked to the ground¡­but saw nothing at her feet. ¡°What have I lost, little boy?¡± she asked. Ollie showed a kind smile, his neat, pearly teeth shining brightly as he said, ¡°Miss, you lost your grace, kindness, andpassion.¡± Miles secretly gave Ollie a thumbs up, followed by a wicked smile. ¡°Miss, there are even kindergarteners around. You¡¯re such a failure,¡± Ollie continued. The two boys, who looked identical to one another, grinned at themselves. It was at that moment that woman realized that she had been fooled. Many of the people who came to watch the y were from Franche, and when they heard the commotion, they instantly turned and looked their way. Being watched by so many people, the blonde woman became even more furious, and she raised her hand. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Lowly foreigners! I offered you money to buy your seats, yet you dare to humiliate me!¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Before the woman could do anything, a man from a corner got up and walked over.¡± They said they don¡¯t want to exchange seats with you. Why are you so forceful?¡± ¡°Uncle George?¡± Miles and Ollie said in unison. Yes, it was none other than George Graham, who had been sent to Europae-in Franche, to be specific. Catelyn and George had also met coincidentally just not long ago. What a small world this was. With her two boys around her, Catelyn was often inconvenienced in many ces. Fortunately, George was there and helped her a lot. Although Miles hated men who had ns for Catelyn, he could tell that George only had good intentions and thus did not trouble him. asionally, he would also receive small gifts from George. ¡°Look, another foreigner! Seems like you have friends. Is that why you are so arrogant?¡± sneered the blonde woman as she noticed how George defended Catelyn. Catelyn knew that women were discriminatory and xenophobic; they had a natural feeling of being superior to others. This was a verymon phenomenon abroad. ¡°Miss, even dark-skinned people can be a president now. Please keep your sense of superiority in check. All human beings are equal,¡± said Catelyn. There were a few Franch people who witnessed the entire drama from the very start. They, too, stood up for Catelyn. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the foreigners? They pay taxes as well.¡± ¡°Why do you ask others to make way for you? Didn¡¯t you see that she has two young boys with her?!¡± ¡°What a shamefuldy you are!¡± Hearing everyone¡¯s usations, the blonde woman¡¯s expression contorted bitterly. At this moment, an old Franch couple happened to pass by, seemingly looking for their seats which were just a little further ahead of Catelyn and her two boys. Catelyn nced at the blonde woman¡¯s angry face and decided to teach her about the traditional virtues of her home country-to respect the old and cherish the young. She took Miles with her and offered their seats to the old couple. ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am, let¡¯s exchange seats. Our seats here have a better view of the stage,¡± said Catelyn. Ollie also smiled and helped the old couple to their seats. The two old folks thanked them repeatedly for their offer, while the blonde woman¡¯s face was almost dark blue at this point. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Catelyn helped the old man to his seat before looking at the blonde woman with a firm smile.¡± This person here is a man older than all three of youbined. Would you force them to give you his seat?¡± The blonde woman¡¯s face immediately flushed red at this. She then dragged her two children and left. ¡°No, don¡¯t go! I want to watch the show!¡± One of the blonde woman¡¯s sons sat on the floor, refusing to leave. ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ll smack you if you don¡¯t listen to me,¡± hissed the blonde woman. She covered the little boy¡¯s mouth and forcibly carried him away. The boy struggled so vehemently that he even dropped one of his shoes amid his squirming. Catelyn, meanwhile, was in a good mood. Having been in Franche for so long, she had encountered various kinds of discrimination, and it felt undeniably good to stand her ground aggressively for once! George looked at Catelyn¡¯s smile, and his heart fluttered at the sight. He hurriedly looked away, his ears tingling with heat. Catelyn greeted George and went to the old couple¡¯s original seat, sitting next to him and talking with him. They were so focused on their conversation that they did not notice a shadowy gaze staring at them in the dark, like a falcon in the night staring at its prey. Eason, always nearby Cedrick to be at his beck and call, stopped at the corner of the theater when Cedrick did. He knew that Cedrick did note for the show; he was here for Catelyn and the two boys. Only God knew that the big incident that happened a month ago brought a great crisis in Cedrick¡¯s life. Due to the Ostralia power grid project¡¯s information leak, the Mason family elders began to question Cedrick¡¯s ountabilities. Although Cedrick was in charge of Mason Group, he did not have enough equity in his hands. In other words, he was just the spokesperson chosen by the group. If anything, he could be reced at any time, but it was due to his capability to overwhelm his peers that kept him as the group¡¯s president. The issue in the power grid project once led to a leadership crisis. Fortunately, Cedrick managed to win the bid for the City Center Project, which eventually restored the confidence of his fellow employees. After the incident, Cedrick conducted an investigation of the matter, which led to ¡®Ollie Mason On the day of the wedding, ¡®Ollie Mason¡¯ apparently sneaked into his study and copied the confidential documents from hisputer, exposing everything in one go before he disappeared. What was more ridiculous was the fact that Eason managed to find the cellphone Loue had hidden as he was investigating her death, which led to the discovery¡­of a well-recorded video recording The dialogue between Jamie and Maia was clear as day. Four years ago, Maia had taken Catelyn¡¯s identity and slept with Jamie, which caused misunderstandings thereafter. Miles was not Jamie¡¯s son after all, but Cedrick¡¯s instead! During this period, the twins asionally yed the game of ¡®exchanging identities¡¯, which would lead to a big change in personality, such as developing a liking for spicy food all of a sudden and bing a good swimmer in an instance. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. David, Maia, and Loue knew about it as well. It was as if Cedrick was the only one who was kept in the dark like a fool. Cedrick finally understood Catelyn¡¯s abnormal behavior. She was afraid that he would find photos of her and Miles whenever he visited her home. That was because she¡¯s Ollie¡¯s biological mother. For four years, she was the woman he had been looking for! All along, Cedrick assumed that Miles was Jamie¡¯s son. He even publicly said that Miles was a wild breed in a live broadcast. Charles could not help but be surprised as well. This exined why there always seemed to be a mysterious force intervening when he was investigating Catelyn. David Mason was the mastermind behind it all! Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Chapter 421 ¡®Here Comes the Storm¡¯ was one of Deesnend¡¯s featured stage performances. Starring Captain Jacks, he performed fantastic stunts and cool fights, Coupled with a unique stage prop set, he led the crew to repel the Inglish Royal Navy in the waves. Both Ollie and Miles watched the y with amazement. ¡°Wow! That was awesome!¡± Miles¡¯ eyes widened as he pped excitedly. After that, George and Catelyn brought the boys to watch the fireworks show again. Under the dazzling fireworks, George secretly nced at the fair-skinned Catelyn. Her long hair loosely cascaded down her shoulders, herplexion crystal clear, and there seemed to be a rosy glow behind her, which was indescribably bright and moving. Aftering out of Deesnend, George invited them to dinner and offered to drive them back. Noticing how worn out the boys were after all the activities they had, Catelyn did not refuse him. Before leaving, George, with a heavy heart, escorted them to the corridor of the apartment downstairs. He opened his mouth several times, wanting to say something, but he eventually could not find it in him to fess up. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll be back next week,¡± he muttered. Catelyn got the two boys to enter their room and stayed outside to talk with George. ¡°George, I¡¯m very grateful for everything you¡¯ve done, but¡­I can¡¯t promise you anything,¡± said Catelyn. George smiled shyly, hiding the disappointment in his eyes. He remembered the first day of his reunion with Catelyn not long ago, when she brought her two children to take the subway. George thought his eyes were ying tricks on him when he first spotted her, but after catching up to them, he realized that it was Catelyn after all. The boy standing beside her was the young master of the Mason family, and the other was a boy who looked exactly like him as well. George was not a fool. He immediately understood. It turned out that the things mentioned on thepany¡¯s internal forum posts were not groundless after all. At first, George found it hard to believe. When he saw the two children, he thought that Cedrick had transferred him to Europae out of possible revenge. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Gradually, however, he convinced himself that¡­ Catelyn was a woman with a good heart. He believed those rumors were nothing but smears. As long as Cedrick was not here, he had a chance. can give it all to you,¡± Catelyn desperately offered. ¡°With money, you can have any woman you want.¡± As soon as she finished, she felt a strong breeze hitting her face. Catelyn could feel the man standing up. Thud. Thud. Thud. The sound of leather shoes stepping on the wooden floor was heard. Catelyn could hear her heartbeat thrashing against her ribcage. Her whole body trembled so evidently that she felt like she was on the verge of copsing. ¡°Sir, please just let me go! I¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened,¡± pleaded Catelyn. ¡°I promise! I can¡¯t even see your face-ah!¡± Out of the blue, she felt like her waist was grabbed onto, and Catelyn felt her world spinning. The next moment, the man threw her onto the soft, big bed. Catelyn stretched her arms out. ¡°Stay away!¡± she screamed. ¡°Please, let¡¯s just talk! I¡¯m an employee of the Franche VSApany. Just tell me what you want!¡± Beep, beep, beep! It was early in the morning, and the piercing sound of the rm clock rang through the silence. Catelyn frantically woke up from the nightmare, drenched in her sweat. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Aftering out of Deesnend, George invited them to dinner and offered to drive them back. Noticing how worn out the boys were after all the activities they had, Catelyn did not refuse him. Before leaving, George, with a heavy heart, escorted them to the corridor of the apartment downstairs. He opened his mouth several times, wanting to say something, but he eventually could not find it in him to fess up. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll be back next week,¡± he muttered. Catelyn got the two boys to enter their room and stayed outside to talk with George. ¡°George, I¡¯m very grateful for everything you¡¯ve done, but¡­I can¡¯t promise you anything,¡± said Catelyn. George smiled shyly, hiding the disappointment in his eyes. He remembered the first day of his reunion with Catelyn not long ago, when she brought her two children to take the subway. George thought his eyes were ying tricks on him when he first spotted her, but after catching up to them, he realized that it was Catelyn after all. The boy standing beside her was the young master of the Mason family, and the other was a boy who looked exactly like him as well. George was not a fool. He immediately understood. It turned out that the things mentioned on thepany¡¯s internal forum posts were not groundless after all. At first, George found it hard to believe. When he saw the two children, he thought that Cedrick had transferred him to Europae out of possible revenge. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Gradually, however, he convinced himself that¡­ Catelyn was a woman with a good heart. He believed those rumors were nothing but smears. As long as Cedrick was not here, he had a chance. can give it all to you,¡± Catelyn desperately offered. ¡°With money, you can have any woman you want.¡± As soon as she finished, she felt a strong breeze hitting her face. Catelyn could feel the man standing up. Thud. Thud. Thud. The sound of leather shoes stepping on the wooden floor was heard. Catelyn could hear her heartbeat thrashing against her ribcage. Her whole body trembled so evidently that she felt like she was on the verge of copsing. ¡°Sir, please just let me go! I¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened,¡± pleaded Catelyn. ¡°I promise! I can¡¯t even see your face-ah!¡± Out of the blue, she felt like her waist was grabbed onto, and Catelyn felt her world spinning. The next moment, the man threw her onto the soft, big bed. Catelyn stretched her arms out. ¡°Stay away!¡± she screamed. ¡°Please, let¡¯s just talk! I¡¯m an employee of the Franche VSApany. Just tell me what you want!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Catelyn stared at her bed, and it took her a while before she regained her senses. Once she did, she took the cellphone by the bed and turned off the rm. At that moment, the breeze blew into her room and made Catelyn¡¯s skin tingle, despite wearing her pajamas. She was so cold that she had goosebumps all over her body. What happened? Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She remembered how she got dragged into a dark room and was vited by a man. Yet, there she was: awake and still in her apartment. Was it all a dream? Catelyn removed the nket from her form and ran to the bathroom quickly. She then unbuttoned her pajamas and looked at herself in the mirror. Her fair skin was delicate and smooth as usual, without a single hickey spotted. There was no hot, tingling feeling in her lower regions, yet her knees felt strangely sore. It was probably from all the exhaustion from taking the boys to the amusement park the day before, though. It was a dream, after all-a whole strange dream. Catelyn wiped off the beads of cold sweat on her forehead. She was still quivering at the thought of being vited by a man. The dream just seemed a little too real, so much so that she could hear the man¡¯s rapid breathing Catelyn shook her head and decided to stop thinking about it. Above all, she was not hurt at all, and everything seemed to be fine. However¡­ Upon noticing the small bruise on her left knee, her rxed expression contorted instantly. If Catelyn remembered correctly, she had bumped into the bedside table while she was running away from the man, which happened to be her left knee. Moreover, her knees had no bruises or injuries the day before. Realizing this, Catelyn¡¯s face instantly turned paper-white as her lips quivered. She took her phone and dialed Joanne¡¯s number. Due to the time difference, it was currently afternoon in Amarica. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you missing me already?¡± rang Joanne¡¯s cheerful voice from the other end of the line. In contrast, Catelyn¡¯s entire body was surging with anxiety. ¡°Joanne, have you been following news about Cedrick recently? Has hee to Franche?¡± she asked. ¡°Ah? Cedrick?¡± said Joanne, not expecting that Catelyn would take the initiative to inquire about the news of Cedrick. After all, she was the one who would usually gossip about him instead. ¡°Wait a moment. Let me check.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Within five minutes, Joanne responded, ¡°The City Center project was officially signed the day before, and Cedrick should be attending the signing ceremony.¡± ¡°Yesterday?¡± asked Catelyn, sounding desperate. ¡°It¡¯s¡­not him, then,¡± she murmured. ¡±Not him? Kitty, what happened? Why do you sound like you¡¯re shaking?¡± asked Joanne worriedly. Catelyn¡¯s thoughts were in chaos, and it was difficult for her to think straight. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she muttered. ¡°I just saw a man who looked like Cedrick. I must¡¯ve mistaken that person as him.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± said Joanne. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ll keep an eye on Cedrick for you. If there¡¯s any trouble, I¡¯ll be the first to tell you to run.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Catelyn, albeit bitterly so. If Cedrick was in the country, then it was not himst night. So, she was taken into the small dark room by an unfamiliar man, after all. Why did that scum send her back after everything? What did he want?! Catelyn felt nauseous at the mere thought of this, but she was not in the mood to entertain it forever. She quickly started looking around the room, checking everything thoroughly. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Chapter 424 After all, Catelyn could never be too sure that the assaulter installed a hidden camera somewhere in her house. Halfway through the inspection, Catelyn paused for a moment of thought. No. Since this man could bring her back to her apartment stealthily, he probably had ess to her locks and keys already Catelyn nned to move away. Without hesitation, she used the 450,000 dors given to her by David to rent another ce in a more advanced, securemunity. There were six guards here who provided heavy security, so the pervert would never have a chance to break in again! Catelyn had thought about calling the police, but since she had two boys with her, she did not want them to be involved in this. In the end, she swallowed her pride and decided to forget about the pervert, which had to be one of the most disgusting decisions she had ever made. From then onward, Catelyn took strict precautions every day and even bought a lot of self defense items such as a taser baton and a dozen pepper sprays. Surprisingly, nothing happened to her ever since, and life fell to normalcy once more. Catelyn regretted renting such a cheap apartment back then. A community with heavy security guards on duty would be the first choice for a single woman with children like herself. Catelyn returned to work at VSA Group. She was more serious in her current job than she was back in Mason Group. After all, David was like an invisible bomb at that time, which could explode at any moment. At this moment, Catelyn needed achievement and recognition in her career to realize her goals. Her colleague, Jolene, was stunned when saw Catelyn¡¯s eyebags. Walking up to her, she asked, ¡°What were you up tost night? What¡¯s with the two big panda eyes of yours?¡± Catelyn threw Jolene a nk stare. ¡°Go away.¡± Catelyn had experienced Samantha¡¯s backstabbing before. Since she was in a newpany, she would be warier of her colleagues. Fortunately, after getting to know her better, Catelyn realized that Jolene and Samantha were two very different people, Jolene was a Franch student who joined VSA Group straight after her graduation. She and Catelyn were about the same age, and they both quickly became acquainted. Jolene smirked once more and nudged at Catelyn. ¡°Have you heard? Ourpany is going to have business coboration with Mason Group, and it¡¯s about the infrastructure project that was hyped up some time ago. I heard that a representative from Mason Group will being over in two days¡­¡± ¡°Ugh-ack!¡± Catelyn almost coughed up her lungs while she was drinking her water. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s Mason Group? Did you hear that right?¡± said Catelyn, her tone wavering in fear. Her worst fears wereing true. ¡°Oh, please! I have good ears. Heck, I can even hear the manager¡¯s fart from the office.¡± Catelyn silently swallowed the question and asked cautiously, ¡°Is the representative of Mason Group named Cedrick?¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Jolene did not answer her. She casually took a sip of water from her ss while giving Catelyn a nted look ¡°You¡¯re so funny!¡± said Jolene. ¡°Mason Group is headquartered in Sapphire City. The representative who¡¯ll being over is from the Franch construction branch, of course! ¡°I heard that his family name is Graham and is a super handsome guy with a seven-figure annual sry! If I can hook him up, I¡¯ll quit my job and be a full-time housewife¡­.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Only George Graham would being, after all. Catelyn heaved a sigh of relief. Mason Group had so many projects every year, and Cedrick would probably not want to attend a foreign business cooperation like this. Sure enough, the manager, Ivan, gave an order that afternoon. Apparently, there was not enough manpower in the early stage of the infrastructure project. All designers needed to write a detailed report to the assistant director, and a few people would be selected from it. Both Jolene and Catelyn wanted to try it out, so they hurried back after lunch and conducted a study to write the report Finally, before they got off work in the afternoon, the report was handed in. ¡°Why are you here?¡± came the sharp voice of a female from behind Catelyn and Jolene, causing them to turn. It was that blonde woman from Deesnend. She was also the designer here! ¡®You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me,¡¯ grumbled Catelyn internally. The woman, apanied by severalpanions, walked over arrogantly and looked at Catelyn disdainfully. ¡°VSA hasn¡¯t seen a new Amarican face for a while,¡± she sneered. ¡°You¡¯re amazing. Whose support did you get to havended yourself here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re a world-renowned constructionpany! Even if the contract has been signed, the employees will still have a job assessment every month,¡± said one of the woman¡¯s attendants sarcastically. ¡°If you Amaricans fail to meet thepany¡¯s standards, then out you go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a person of action,¡± said Catelyn, ¡°and you¡¯ll soon know whether or not I came in here with any sort of support.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± the blonde woman sneered contemptuously. ¡°You have a very big mouth. You better watch your words.¡± Another attendant had seen Catelyning out of the assistant director¡¯s office earlier and suddenly changed the subject, saying, ¡°Are you trying to participate in this infrastructure project?¡± Before Catelyn could answer, Amy burst outughing. ¡°Just because you¡¯re an Amarican? Ha! Go home; you¡¯ll lose this one!¡± With that, Amy and herpanions left. Catelyn was never a patriot, but in the face of their contempt, she was surprisingly angry. Did they not know that the headquarters of Mason Group was located in Amarica? ¡°Are you alright?¡± Jolene asked Catelyn. ¡°That woman is Amy Jacqueline. Her father is affiliated with our supervisor, so everyone had to tolerate her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that,¡± said Catelyn. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect her to discriminate against foreigners so much.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Just get used to it, really,¡±forted Jolene as she patted her shoulder, ¡°Those people think our country is a slum. We don¡¯t even have high-speed trains. Just forget about her already.¡± Catelyn knew that the last thing she wanted to do was to pick fights with disgusting people like Amy. She could only helplessly smile. ¡°I¡¯ll show her how stupid it is to look down on foreigners.¡± Two dayster, a delegation from Mason Construction Company led by George Graham visited VSA Group to discuss uing business ventures. Catelyn did not want her rtionship with George to be known. In addition, she did not know if any of the people from Mason Group who came to visit would recognize her, so she hid in the washroom. Unexpectedly, Amy and her little group of valets were in there, too. Amy turned in her report rtivelyte, almost in thest few hours of the scheduled time. When she learned that Catelyn and Jolene were the first to hand in their report, her eyes turned red with jealousy. Amy and herckeys blocked Catelyn at the door. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 426 Chapter 426 Chapter 426 ¡°Let me be generous and give you a chance, Amaricandy. If you apologize to me now, I could waive off whatever happened before,¡± taunted Amy condescendingly, even poking Catelyn¡¯s chest with her finger. ¡°Otherwise, when the project staff name list is announced this afternoon, I¡¯ll get Uncle Ivan to fire you, regardless of the reason!¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes were glossed with faint traces of tears. ¡°Did your mom not teach you that it¡¯s rude to point at people? Is this how people from Franch behave?¡± scoffed Catelyn. Amy¡¯s pupils dted at this remark, yet she quickly regained her smug attitude. ¡°Well, get ready to pack your bags and roll off, then!¡± Catelyn looked at her, expressionless. ¡°You look certain about that. Let¡¯s see, then.¡± ¡°You !¡± ¡°Move along, don¡¯t block my way.¡± After a few hours, the representative of Mason Group left VSA Company while the director¡¯s assistant had decided on the name list of staff for the project. Amy, while she waited for the name list eagerly, also looked forward to Catelyn failing the selection. To her absolute horror, Catelyn¡¯s name was the first one on the list! ¡°How is this possible?¡± The furious Amy pointed at Catelyn and indignantly hissed, ¡°What did you do to have bribed the director¡¯s assistant?¡± Catelyn and Jolene exchanged looks, both toozy to respond to her. Seeing the both of them were about to leave, Amy hurriedly stopped them in their tracks.¡± Stop! Are you hooking up with the director¡¯s assistant?¡± Silently, Catelyn¡¯s expression hardened. She wanted to say something in retaliation, but Jolene had beaten her to it, saying, ¡°Amy, you¡¯re always talking about pulling wires, but didn¡¯t you join thepany the same way, too?¡± A few other colleagues shot questioning nces their way the moment Jolene said this, causing Amy to redden in anger. Casting a final re at Catelyn, she ran away and went straight into Ivan¡¯s office. A sliver of regret rose within Jolene at this. ¡°Mister Ivan is Amy¡¯s uncle. Will he be giving you a hard time after this?¡± ¡°The hate will only grow stronger. I¡¯ll react ordingly.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that earlier.¡± ¡°I feel very much satisfied when you snapped back.¡± Catelyn knew that she was always standing by her side and was not irked at all. She would not give in to this herself, either. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Meanwhile, in Ivan¡¯s office, Amy vented her frustration to Ivan. ¡°Uncle Ivan, you should find an excuse to fire Catelyn! She¡¯s a low-ss Amarican, and she doesn¡¯t deserve to be included in such an important project.¡± Ivan was a 35-year-old man. Even if it was already autumn, he still wore shorts and flip-flops out of habit. Nheless, his capabilities were exemry. The team that he led had won numerous awards, which was why thepany never really bothered about what he wore to work. Frowning at Amy, he pensively replied, ¡°The owner of Mason Group is from Sapphire City, and this project has to include participation from the Amaricans.¡± Previous Chapter Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Chapter 427 ¡°Isn¡¯t Jolene an Amarican as well? Uncle, please just fulfill my wish. If you decide to keep Catelyn, I¡¯ll leave! The decision is yours.¡± This would put the coboration with Mason Group at stake. Ivan pondered for a short while. Amy went around the working desk and propped one hand against Ivan¡¯s chest, drawing circles on his chest with a finger as she whined, ¡°Uncle, please¡­ Just say yes.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do as you wish,¡± came Ivan¡¯s eventual answer, relenting, much to Amy¡¯s joy. She would get Catelyn to pack her bags and scram today! However, before her lips could crack into a smile, she saw Ivan shrugging helplessly. ¡°Since you can¡¯t work with Catelyn, I guess my only choice is to remove you from the project.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± Amy¡¯s jaw dropped unhinged. ¡°Uncle Ivan, you must¡¯ve made a mistake! Didn¡¯t you intend to fire Catelyn?¡± ¡°I said that this project has to include the Amaricans. Catelyn and Jolene were the only two in our department, and we can¡¯t give up the quota to other departments.¡± Ivan then knocked the tabletop with his knuckles and said, ¡°You go and pack your stuff. I¡¯ll remove your name from the project.¡± ¡®No, no, no! I-I was just joking!¡± Of course, Amy would never quit the project because of Catelyn. She then grinned and added, ¡°Don¡¯t remove my name; this project is important!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard for you to work with Catelyn?¡± ¡°¡­I was just saying.¡± Amy hastily winked at Ivan, then made an awkward excuse to leave. She was, in fact, very upset about the situation. If it were not because the coboration counterparty was an Amarican, Catelyn would not have posed a threat to her! The project was finalized. VSA Group and Mason Construction Company decided to pull off a coborative event so that both parties could have some interaction. The event venue was fixed at the holiday resort, and everyone looked forward to it. Catelyn was ted about it, but at the same time, she could not help but feel somewhat concerned. Simrly, some people who were thrilled about it, while some were worried. In a presidential suite of a hotel in Franche, Cedrick was holding a few pieces of photo in his hand. His gaze was fixated on them, sharpened with hostility. Edwin, meanwhile, was swirling the wine ss in his hand casually and teased, ¡°Tsk, tsk! You flew all the way here only to peek at her from afar. You should have some balls to appear to Kitty!¡± The photos that Cedrick was holding were the ones they took while on a trip together. George would visit Catelyn every once in a while. When Catelyn moved, George even purposely drove her and helped her diligently with the luggage. Cedrick smacked the photos down on the table and looked at Edwin coldly. ¡°You have too much free time at hand. Do you need my help to inform Granny Atherton that you¡¯re taking refuge in Franche?¡± ¡°How dare you open up my scar?¡± Annoyed, Edwin ced his wine ss down. Edwin was no better off than Cedrick as ofte. Of course, Cedrick was not teasing him without a reason. After all, he was forced to be married. Granny Atherton had long wished to reunite with her daughter but to no avail. At this point, knowing she was growing old, she could only put her hopes on Edwin. She desperately wanted to see Edwin getting married and have kids while she was still around. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. In fact, Edwin was rather cooperative in the beginning, and he would actively select the ones that he thought would qualify. However¡­ All the girls that Granny Atherton picked were either too boring, only having the unity of the two families in mind, or were even more promiscuous than he was. Could he not hide from these? Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Edwin then fled to Franche to hide and to watch Cedrick¡¯s drama up close. ¡°Speaking of which, Ced, how does it feel to be fooled by your own sons? I would probably not experience this. After all, I can¡¯t even give birth to a pair of twins.¡± Cedrick threw him a shady look again. Edwin was totally satisfied to see his reaction. ¡°I totally did not expect Kitty to be the woman that you have been searching for the past four years. You always thought the woman from Four Seasons Hotel and Ollie¡¯s mother were two different people. What a shame¡­¡± Cedrick picked up the ss from the table and tossed it at Edwin. ¡°Shut up!¡± Edwin dodged and whistled. ¡°Why are you so pissed? Are you jealous to see Catelyn and George together? You asked for this¡­¡± Cedrick threw a cold nce at him and then called Eason. ¡°Eason, send a message to Granny Atherton, tell her that Edwin is currently in Franche, so she can arrange for people toe over¡­¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You really are going to tell her.¡± Before Cedrick could finish his sentence, Edwin quickly interjected, ¡°Fine, I don¡¯t want to argue with you anymore. Let¡¯s keep it friendly. I have a secret about Kitty to tell you¡­¡± It was the weekend. The twopanies¡¯ coborative event was here. All the single men and women prepared their personal information beforehand and swapped it with the counterpartypany. The people who sessfully registered would be able to meet each other at the resort. Jolene dragged Catelyn to participate in this. The resort was very near the beach, and there was a hot spring nearby. It was quite an attraction on its own. There were also numerous couples here to experience the retreat. VSA Group gave everyone an all-ess pass, so that they could attend all activities around the resort. The match-making activity will be held at two in the afternoon. Catelyn was dragged by Jolene to the hot spring. She used a towel to wrap around her bikini. Both of them went to the recreation area by the beach. Catelyn video-called her little ones after lunch, as usual. The twins were now attending a kindergarten, and within a short half month, they had risen in poprity in the kindergarten The afternoon sun was warm and cozy. The golden rays shone down, brightening the area. Catelyny on the folding chair and felt sleepy after the call. Right at this moment, Ivan came by. He was holding a ss of juice in his hand and dragged a chair next to Catelyn. Catelyn felt someone¡¯s gaze fall upon herself and saw Ivan as soon as she opened her eyes. She sat up from the folding chair and said, ¡°Manager?¡± Her towel slipped down as she sat up, revealing her fair and smooth skin underneath. She was wearing a conservative ck swimsuit, contrasting with her fair skin. Ivan was a little impressed. ¡°I did not expect the Amaricans to have such a belle like you.¡± Catelyn did not like how he was discriminating against her own country. ¡°I am quite average looking. Sapphire City has plenty of beautifuldies. Mister Ivan could explore yourself if you get the chance to. I¡¯m sure you would be full from the eye candies.¡± ¡°You are one eye candy yourself.¡± Ivan brushed his chin with his palm and then took a sip of the juice. Her ck hair, ck eyes, and dainty facial features. Her neck was long and beautiful like a swan, arching elegantly all the way to her chest. Her legs were slender and straight, and even her nail polish was a dainty little pink. Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Ivan had not gotten a response as he saw Catelyn fast asleep on the chair, just when he was about to continue chatting. Heughed lightly and saw Amy in a sexy bikini as soon as he turned around. A few male colleagues whistled at her as she passed by. Heughed. Catelyn was uninterested in chatting with Ivan at first and fell asleep soon after. She could faintly hear some colleagues shouting that the match-making event was about to start. She opened her eyeszily and was shocked to see what was before her eyes. Not only was Ivan next to her, but even Amy also pulled a chair to sit down next to her, her big eyes ring at her. The match-making activity started, and the first activity was to let any random pair of men and women go onto the stage. The man would need to squat half while carrying the woman. Whichever pair could hold the pose for the longest time would be the winner. The prizes were lucrative. Amy winked at Ivan as soon as she heard the instructions, ¡°Uncle Ivan, you are so muscr, how about we participate in this together?¡± Catelyn thought it was a good idea so that they did not have to cram up next to her. She got a shock earlier. Amy had always hated her, but she was sitting right in front of her! Ivan¡¯s gaze unexpectedly fell upon Catelyn again. ¡°Catelyn, you are new. I should be giving you some exposure. Come join this activity with me.¡± BELLE ¨C Catelyn almost choked on her juice and answered quickly, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well. Let Amy participate in this with you.¡± ¡°Yes, Uncle Ivan, I even deliberately wore a little less. We can win this!¡± The way that Amy looked at Catelyn was different from before, filled with jealousy that was too strong to hide. Catelyn did not wish to get this kind of exposure and wanted to leave while the two were talking. However, the next moment, Ivan announced to the event host, ¡°I volunteer myself with Catelyn rk.¡± Didn¡¯t he hear that she did not want to participate? Was he deaf? Right at this moment, a few men in suits strode across! This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. The one in the lead was George. Even though George was only in Franche for a month, he was verypetent and was the special representative of thepany, so he had a lot of authority. He was wearing ck casual attire. His face was handsome as ever, turning heads as he walked past. Even George Graham was here for the match-making activity! What was the point? The point was, he was single! If anyone could match with him, they might not need to worry for the rest of their life! Catelyn could clearly see that Amy¡¯s eyes lit up. It was the kind of gaze that females cast upon males. Then, Catelyn saw George bidding goodbye to his friends and strode right across to where Catelyn was at. Ivan thought that George was there to say hello to him. After all, he was the manager. He rolled his shoulders back in reflex and held out his hand. ¡°I did not expect Mister Graham to be here. It¡¯s not easy to pick up the Franch girls, is it?¡± His tone was somewhat mocking. Like Amy, Ivan was discriminative toward foreigners. George was still smiling as he answered, ¡°Did yourpany organize this to run an orgy?¡± Ivan did not believe he was here for exposure. ¡°So you are not here to pick up girls?¡± ¡°Catelyn was my schoolmate and my former colleague. In other words, I am only here for Catelyn.¡± Ivan was in utter shock. Schoolmate, former colleague? George was not bothered by Ivan¡¯s disbelief expression and walked straight to Catelyn. Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Chapter 430 ¡°Can you do me the honors and join me in this game?¡± Catelyn took one look at Ivan and thought since she had already registered, she had to decide between either Ivan or George¡­ Catelyn held her hand out to George without hesitation. Both of them went to the games area, leaving Amy and Ivan behind.. Amy looked at Catelyn with strong repulsion. Such a handsome Amarican man, but again, lured away by Catelyn¡­ ¡°Uncle Ivan, let¡¯s participate in this¡­¡± Amy suppressed her jealousy and grinned at Ivan. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Ivan was not reserved in public and his voice was loud. Amy could feel her cheeks burning when he said,¡± This little bitch.¡± When Amy knew that he was talking about Catelyn, her annoyance vanished. ¡®Haha, Amarican woman, wait and see how Uncle Ivan will screw you! On the stage, George carried Catelyn as soon as the emcee instructed. He was half squatting, steadily. He carried Catelyn horizontally with her arms around his neck. ¡°We are just here for fun. If you cannot hold on anymore, just let me down¡­¡± Catelyn whispered to George. Her skin was silky smooth, and his nostrils were filled with her gardenia-scented perfume. George was feeling butterflies in his stomach. George suppressed the desire inside of him and replied with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t you look down on me. Ever since I arrived in Franche, I have been spending my time at the gym every day.¡± God knew how long he had waited for a moment like this to be so close to her, hugging her. Even if his arms were getting sore, he would not let her down, just so he could cherish this moment a little longer. There were altogether seven teamspeting. As time ticked away, a few other teams started giving up. The first team that gave up was Ivan and Amy. Ivan had not trained regrly. This was a posture that put the arm strength to the test, and his legs were already shaking two minutes into thepetition. He wanted to hold on a little longer. However, he could not do it anymore. Thump¡­ His hands slipped, and Amy was dropped right onto the ground. The ground was covered in sand, and Amy fell on her all fours with her face right into the sand. The crowdughed. Ivan was a renowned architect, and he was a little embarrassed. The emcee was kind enough to say, ¡°Mister Ivan must have been exhausted by the recent project, and Miss Amy must have very smooth skin. That was why she slipped¡­¡± Ivan did not look any better but worse. He looked at George, who was carrying Catelyn steadily. Ivan left unhappily. Catelyn seemed to be secretly enjoying it. ¡°Luckily you did not participate in this with him,¡± George joked. After a few minutes, a few other teams gave up too. Finally, there was only George and a muscr Franch guy, who was carrying a blonde girl in his arms. His biceps were flexing, looking extra tough. ¡°Oh my, Mister Graham may look thin, but he is strong!¡± ¡°Did you notice the way Mister Graham looked at Catelyn?¡± ¡°No wonder as soon as she joined thepany, Mister Graham then coborated with ourpany¡­¡± There were a few women gossiping away in the corner, and suddenly, everyone heard a shriek. ¡°Oh my God! Look! Who¡¯s there!¡± Chapter 431 Chapter 431 Chapter 431 Everyone looked to where she pointed after hearing her scream. A few bodyguards in ck suits were escorting a tall, slender man, walking in their direction. As though a rose among the thorns, the man, who was 188cm tall, had short, crisp hair, almost perfect facial features, and was wearing a pair of sunsses. Nobody could tell his actual emotions underneath those shades. His suit was so perfectly ironed that not a single wrinkle could be found. His strides were steady, and every woman gasped as he walked past. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. The air was frozen. Catelyn felt an invisible hand clutching her throat. It was Cedrick! Why was he in Franche!? Shouldn¡¯t he be working on Project Castle in the City at home? There were only a few meters between them, and Catelyn was already panicking. She felt like a prey being targeted by the beast and was frozen in George¡¯s arms. George could sense the unusual reaction from Catelyn and ask, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Catelyn tried hard to maintain herposure. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I could not continue the game with you anymore. Catelyn hastily got down from George¡¯s arms. ¡°Miss rk, why did you get down? This means you gave up thepetition,¡± The emcee said, bewildered. Catelyn¡¯s feet were nailed to the ground, and her heart was pounding fast. ¡°It was my mistake.¡± ¡°No worries, we had fun,¡± George smiled and said but immediately felt someone¡¯s gaze on him. He turned around and saw Cedrick¡¯s tall figure moving in his direction. He suddenly understood the reason for Catelyn¡¯s strange reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m here,¡± George consoled her gently and grabbed her hand. Cedrick caught this moment in hindsight and smirked. Before this, he wondered how Catelyn would react too. Terrified, panicked, shocked¡­ He guessed it all. There was only one exception, happiness. His gaze swept past George¡¯s and Catelyn¡¯s hands that were interlinked with each other¡¯s. Did she only flee to Franche so that she could be together with this man? She better be dreaming about it. Cedrick was the CEO of Mason Group. The Design Director of VSA Group knew about his arrival and immediately brought his people along to wee his arrival warmly. Soon, the space was filled with people. Everyone was watching Cedrick intensely, including Amy. She thought George was already the hottest Amarican she had seen all her life but was pleasantly surprised to know there was someone even hotter! The Director, William, shook hands with Cedrick. The crowd grew bigger and bigger, and Catelyn only wished to escape right now. Amy did not leave after losing the previous round but stayed on to prepare for the next one. She saw Catelyn backing out and looked back at Cedrick¡¯s cold face. She snickered and then pushed Catelyn hard from behind. Thud! Catelyn got caught off guard and lost her bnce. She immediately fell to the ground on her knees, and her hands stretched out in an attempt to get hold of something to support herself. Thump¡­ Finally, shended on the ground on all fours and somehow looked like she was worshiping him. Her hands held onto his¡­ leather shoe tips! Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Cedrick was forced to a halt. He looked down upon the woman who was kneeling before him and took the shades off with one hand like a tyrant. He used his pointy shoe tip to lift Catelyn¡¯s chin, full of mockery. ¡°There are a lot of people who would butter me up, but you are the first one to kneel before me.¡± The way that he lifted her chin with the tip of his shoes was full of disdain. Catelyn could feel her cheeks burning and turning red instantly. She was not shy, she was in rage! Everyone who was originally noisy at the scene fell silent too. Catelyn saw Amy from the corner of her eye. She was looking at her, satisfied. William was not pleased to see Catelyn being impolite toward Cedrick. ¡°Catelyn, what are you doing? Even if you are desperate for exposure, you should not be doing this! Get up now!¡± Desperate for exposure? Catelyn ground her teeth hard hearing this. She wanted to avoid him but was forcefully pushed before him. She pushed away his shoe angrily and wanted to get up, but she saw Cedrick squatting down slowly. Before she could respond, he grabbed her wrist¡­ Cedrick¡¯s strength was massive, and Catelyn felt as though her wrist was about to break. Her heart. She looked at him stubbornly, coldly. ¡°I¡¯m done worshiping you. What are you trying to do?¡± Her tone was cold. Cedrick could hear her sarcasm. He pulled her up from the ground aggressively. His actions were too sudden, Catelyn had not regained her bnce, and fell forward. Cedrick took the opportunity to slip his hand into her palm. When he felt the sweat in her palm, his wrinkled forehead finally smoothened out. So she was scared? ¡°Cedrick, Catelyn is not feeling too well. Please be gentle.¡± George immediately came forward and looked at Catelyn¡¯s hand protectively, keeping his guard up. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick smirked and threw Catelyn¡¯s hand away without hesitation. Then, he took out a clean sheet of wet wipe from his pocket and wiped his fingers that held Catelyn¡¯s earlier, one by one. He then tossed the used wipe into the bin like trash. Catelyn suddenly recalled that when they first met outside of the kindergarten, he behaved this way too. The way he loathed her touch, and the way he mocked her, were too deliberate. ¡°I was only helping her up. Why are you so concerned, Mister Graham?¡± George could feel his blood boiling. However, Catelyn grabbed him before he could say a thing. Catelyn shook her head at him, signaling for him to keep his cool. ¡°Cedrick, my subordinate was a little rude today. I will discipline her properly when we get back. I have arranged a holiday vi for you by the seaside. How about you go ahead and have a rest?¡± William suggested after sensing the tension in the air. Cedrick walked past Catelyn, expressionless. He then disappeared from her vision¡­ Catelyn¡¯s heart was wrenched and dropped heavily to the floor. She felt as though she had just escaped death, and sighed in relief. However, what followed was an even more intense feeling of wariness. He had found his way to Franche. Does that mean he found out about the truth? When she fled to the airport together with Ollie and Miles, Miles was so disappointed in Cedrick and decided to expose the project information about Austrelian Network. Catelyn knew about it, but she did not stop him. She was thinking of keeping Cedrick a little upied so that he did not have the time to track them down. However¡­ He appeared too soon. Was he here to bring the two babies back? The first thought that crossed her mind was to run away, but she came here with thepany¡¯s transportation. There was almost no way for her to run away alone¡­ Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Soon, the event was back in full swing, and the emcee announced the next game, which was a treasure hunt There was amemorative que of VSA Group hidden in the resort, which was rumored to be invaluable. Whoever could find it would be its legitimate owner¡­ Other than the treasure hunt, people were talking about Cedrick¡¯s identity. Catelyn was not in the mood to gossip. She walked to the corner alone and waited until recess time to give Miles and Ollie a call to remind them that Cedrick had appeared. Even though she was wary, she understood one thing very clearly. He was already here, and there was nowhere for her to escape. Even if she could, would she want to live such a life with her two babies, forever on the run? They were still so young, she did not have the heart to take away their sweet childhood. After reminding her two babies, the sky got darker. Catelyn then only realized that she was very deep into the forest, Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Thankfully, the treasure hunt was ongoing, and there were still people around. Catelyn took out her phone and was about to rely on the light on her phone to find her way back. Suddenly, a ck shadow swooped past, and before she could respond, the shadow covered her mouth from behind and dragged her into the bushes. There was a row of tall bushes nearby and a few rockery stones surrounding a water fountain. It was a gorgeous hidden spot! Her guard was up. The next moment, she smelled a familiar aftershave scent. It was the one that Cedrick usually uses. Catelyn immediately felt mixed feelings about this. The person who dragged her here was Cedrick! Cedrick felt that the woman in his arms stopped struggling and pinned her onto the rockery stone. He looked mockingly into her eyes. It was him. Catelyn could feel her hair standing, and the atmosphere was so tense that she felt suffocated. ¡°Cedrick, what are you¡­ Hmm¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he pressed his lips pressed right onto hers. ¡°No!¡± Cedrick hunched forward to the side of her ear and whispered mockingly, ¡°So the woman from four years ago would say no? You conceived my children in secret and worked with my enemies to fool me as though I was an idiot. You are happy to see me, clueless about what was happening. aren¡¯t you?¡± Conceived his children in secret¡­ So he knew the truth! Catelyn was trembling. Rage spread from her chest to the rest of her body, followed by bitterness and torment. ¡°Do you really think that I wanted to give birth to your children? Four years ago, I was only eighteen years old! I could have had a wonderful future, I could have lived a different life, but all because of you, my life was messed up!¡± ¡°Did you even know the feeling of being pregnant with a pair of twins and sleeping by the roadside in winter?¡± ¡°Did you know how it feels to be rejected when I was looking for a job because I was one certificate away from it?¡± ¡°Did you know how it feels to be suicidal, but if you die, you will be killing the two children as well?¡± ¡°No! You didn¡¯t know about anything at all! You are the mighty Cedrick Mason, with your fiance in your bed every night. Your career was always sessful. What about me?¡± ¡°The babies were premature. The nurse announced the baby dead as soon as it was born! I was not even out of confinement yet, but I had to return to work already. When I was at my lowest, I did not even dare to spend money on a fruit for myself. I was so malnourished that I was admitted to the hospital. Cedrick Mason, what makes you think you are in the position to reprimand me?¡± Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Cedrick watched as her beautiful little face reddened in rage. Her eyes were covered in a thickyer of tears, and her longshes were trembling agitatedly, like a butterfly who had its wings wet. He felt his heart wrenched. He felt a lump in his throat as he gripped tighter onto her clothes. His eyes grew colder. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®announced dead as soon as it was born¡¯? Didn¡¯t you dump Ollie at my doorstep?¡± Catelyn looked at him angrily. Then, she suddenly burst intoughter. She had done something that she never thought she would do. She lifted her knee and jammed it right through Cedrick¡¯s lower belly. Cedrick was caught off guard. He gasped and hugged his belly in pain. Catelyn surprised herself too. She saw beads of sweat forming on his forehead and immediately turned away and ran. ¡°Catelyn rk, are you looking for death!¡± Cedrick could barely say anything more. Any lower than where she hit, he would be neutered! Catelyn wiped away her tears and ran to the source of light with all her might. She dumped Ollie at his doorstep? If she knew that Ollie was alive, would she give him to Cedrick? If both her babies were in her hands back then, would she still cross paths with Cedrick after four years? Catelyn was flustered. However, as soon as she made it to the exit among the rockery stones, the man grabbed her again. He had not given her a chance to escape this time and pinned her onto the stone wall. He lowered his head and kissed right onto her lips. He was crazily reaping whatever he could get. Catelyn attempted to struggle, but he grabbed the back of her head. She had never seen him act this insanely before Her back was hurting, brushing against the rough surface of the rock. However, she clenched her jaw and kept her defense up. She did not want to give in. Cedrick snickered. She was so reserved huh? He vowed to make her surrender! Even if Catelyn fled to the end of the world, she would never be able to escape from him. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. The kissing had turned into a power battle. Even if her lips were already chapped, Catelyn refused to let him in. Right at this moment, they could hear some footsteps approaching. ¡°I heard that the reward this time is thememorative que. If we could sell it and mize¡­¡± ¡°Haha, I would not sell it. I would keep it as my heirloom! I heard that there was a senior management¡¯s 434 daughter looking to purchase it at an insanely high price¡­¡± ¡°We have been on the search for so long. Could someone have found it already?¡±. The noises got closer and closer. Catelyn¡¯s body muscles were all tensed up. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened in terror, and she started struggling. She was in such a panic that her pitch changed, and she murmured, ¡°Someone¡¯s here, let¡¯s get out¡­¡± Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Cedrick could not care less. His actions became even more aggressive. He trapped her within this small space. He suddenly thought about George. ¡°Has he ever kissed you this way?¡± he said in a hoarse yet sexy tone. Crack! Someone stepped on the branches, near the scrubs, not too far away from the rockery stone that they were hiding at. ¡°Could it be behind the rockery stones?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check it out.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The light from a torchlight swept past their surroundings, lengthening the shadows of the scrubs. Catelyn felt as though her soul had almost left her body. ¡°You kidnapped my sons just to be together with George?¡± Cedrick¡¯s lips curved up in a smile full of sarcasm, and his long fingers pinched onto her chin. ¡°Answer me! How close is your rtionship? Did he kiss you like this?¡± His interrogation echoed, like a piece of demonic music, amplified. Catelyn had to bear the physical and emotional pressure. She wished to just respond with a silent protest, but she could hear the footsteps getting nearer and nearer to them, and she was on the verge of breaking down. Finally, under his persistent interrogation, she broke. ¡°No! We have not done anything! Are you happy now? They areing close¡­¡± Cedrick smiled sinisterly, with zero intention of letting her leave. Catelyn wanted to run away, but she had no escape. Swoop! The two-person walked past the scrubs and shone their torch in Catelyn and Cedrick¡¯s direction. ¡°Hey, there are some people over there.¡± ¡°Maybe they found the que?¡± The two people walked toward them. Catelyn¡¯s face was blushing but immediately turned green and pale with fear. She could feel a disastering. Catelyn thought, ¡®Just let it be.¡¯ After all, her life had always been a mess. She only wished for her two babies not to have to go through the hurtfulnguage thrown by people around her. It was all because of the man right in front of her! However, as soon as the torchlight shone in their direction, Cedrick suddenly stood in the source of light. His long arms reached out and scooped her into his arms protectively. He looked at the two people who came by and said, ¡°Get out of here!¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The two people were taken aback. Even though they could not see too clearly, they could briefly figure out ¡°So¡­ Sorry, we did not see anything. We will leave now,¡± the men stuttered and hastily left. They dropped their torch on the ground in a hurry, and the surrounding returned back to darkness. Catelyn¡¯s cheek was pressed against Cedrick¡¯s muscr chest. Her ears could hear his steady heartbeat, one after another. Chapter 436 Chapter 436 Chapter 436 When the footsteps finally faded away, Catelyn realized that her back was covered in sweat. Before she could regain her senses, the man was already kissing her. Ever so softly, all over the ce and all at once. George wanted to keep Catelyn apanied. However, William was talking to him for a bit, and then he lost Catelyn. He searched for her, but to no avail, then he called Catelyn on his phone. Catelyn¡¯s phone was busy. George was concerned, but the call was answered. What answered him was silence, like in a quiet little corner. ¡°Catelyn?¡± George called out, worried, ¡°Are you okay? I am at the beach. I have brought you¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Before George could finish his sentence, he could hear a low groan and breathing sound, apanied by some random background noises. George became nervous and asked, ¡°Kitty, what happened? Did you fall? Share with me your location, and I wille over.¡± On the other end of the line, Catelyn was holding her phone in one hand, and her whole body was in Cedrick¡¯s arms. The torment was driving her nuts. She could not take this anymore and was extremely traumatized. She told George, ¡°I am fine. I am just walking around. You don¡¯t have to worry. I will go back in a bit.¡± Then, she hung up in a hurry. Catelyn gasped. Her back was blistered because of the friction against the stone. She red at him and yelled, ¡°You beast!¡± ¡°A beast is better than your mouth full of lies!¡± Cedrick suddenly exerted more force, and the situation became tenser. ¡°Do you really think kidnapping my sons would do it? Catelyn, let me tell you, don¡¯t you even dream about it! I don¡¯t care how much torture you had been through four years ago. Four years later, you crashed my wedding, kidnapped my sons, and leaked mypany information. I will make you pay back for all these¡­¡± Catelyn bit her lower lips, unsatisfied. Her brain was a little low on oxygen, and she fought back. When everything finally fell into silence once again. Catelyn¡¯s face was pale, and her stomach was almost going through a spasm. She stood on her weak and trembling knees and hunched to pick up her clothes from the ground. Tears smudged on her cheeks, but she refused to let herself cry again. She buttoned thest button on her top and could not find her shoes, so she just walked away barefooted. ¡°David dropped you alone in Franche. Did he abandon you?¡± Suddenly, a man¡¯s voice said behind her. Catelyn paused. She turned to look at the man resting against the stone wall.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. His clothes were messy too. However,pared to hers, it was much more put together. Once he strapped his leather belt on, no one would know what he did. Her heart felt as though being sliced by a blunt knife, and she looked at him with her dead eyes. ¡°Yes, I am one useless pawn. That¡¯s why Nine abandoned me. However, I do think that Nine is a real man. Cedrick, you don¡¯t even deserve to pick his shoes up.¡± Her sarcasm echoes in the woods. Her words rang in Cedrick¡¯s ears one by one. He suddenly grabbed her by her wrist, and his eyes lit up in anger. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Did you not catch it?¡± Catelyn did not look terrified at all but instead stood straight up. ¡°What a shame, you¡¯re deaf at such a young age. Fine, I¡¯ll repeat, Cedrick, you don¡¯t even deserve to pick David¡¯s shoes¡­¡± Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Chapter 437 ¡°linstructed Miles to steal the project, and it was also me who exposed it to the Austrelian Network. Did you like my farewell present?¡± ¡°This was nothingpared to what you did to me. I hope you appreciate it.¡± Catelyn could feel her heart bleeding with every word she said. However, it felt so good to say all these. She had held this in for too long. Finally, she could make him suffer. Even if it was not tormenting enough, infuriating him would be sufficient. Who said only he could torment her? Nheless, her body was not feeling good at all¡­ Her stomach was turning upside down. His final acts almost broke her, and she could feel some acidic liquid rolling in her throat¡­ Cedrick¡¯s eyes were lit up with fire, and it grew more and more intense. ¡°So it was you behind the incident about Austrelian Network! What did Nine give you for you to be ving yourself for him?¡± He grabbed her shoulders and shook furiously. She could feel the world turning upside down, and the acidic liquid was already in her throat. ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± she said in great difficulty. Cedrick clenched her jaw and threatened, ¡°If you have the guts to do it, then I will¡­¡± argh! Catelyn hunched and vomited uncontrobly. She bent down, with one hand supporting her stomach and her shoulders trembling. Cedrick did not manage to withdraw his hand. His suit and arms were covered in filth. Veins bulged on his forehead, but he did not implode with anger and shifted his gaze onto Catelyn. Catelyn¡¯s action of holding her stomach while half squatting made it look like she was holding her lower belly Suddenly, a hypothesis popped into his head. ¡°How many months has it been?¡± Catelyn¡¯s mind was nk, and her ears were buzzing. She could not hear him clearly, * Answer me!¡± The man¡¯s voice was heard from above her head again. He would not give up without an answer ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are trying to say,¡± Catelyn replied, However, it sounded like she meant something else in Cedrick¡¯s ears. She was avoiding his question and was reluctant to let him know the truth! ¡°Whose child is this?¡± He wanted to get to the bottom of this. Catelyn froze and looked at him in disbelief. Child? N?velDrama.Org (C) content. What child? She had already stopped crying, but her tears would not stop falling from her eyes. There was only one person that she had slept with, but here he was, asking who did the child belong to? So he really thought she was such a promiscuous woman. She suddenlyughed. Sheughed even more sarcastically than ever. Her heart was cold. ¡°I had only been apart from you for one and a half months. I had only spent a month in Franche. You are asking me who the child belongs to? Of course, it is not yours!¡± She betrayed him! This immediately lit a fire in his heart. His cold gaze fell upon her t belly. The man¡¯s cold facial features were covered in the night¡¯s darkness. She could only hear his icy, cold, monotonous voice. ¡°So this was what you meant by having done nothing with George. Fine, no matter who the child belongs to, I will not allow it to stay!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Catelyn panicked and took a step back. Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Cedrick did not answer but instead grabbed her wrist and dragged her out. She was dragged for a distance. There were onlookers along the way, but he was not even bothered. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Catelyn was panicking. She was not pregnant at all. She could feel chills down her spine. She wanted to exin. However, when they passed by an alley, they bumped into George. George was holding a hot water bottle in his hand. When he saw Cedrick and Catelyn, he dropped his thermos bottle to the ground. ¡°Cedrick, it¡¯s you again? Let go of Kitty!¡± George was reprimanding Cedrick. His usually calm face was red. Cedrick¡¯s dark eyes looked at George coldly. The way that he was so concerned about Catelyn seemed to have proven something. He smirked. ¡°You are bolder than I imagined. You dare to touch my woman?¡± He was intimidating. Even though George was shaken, he did not back down. ¡°I should thank Cedrick for allowing me toe to Europae, so I can be reunited with Kitty. If you don¡¯t let Kitty go now, I will lodge a police report. I think you do not wish to see yourself in the news saying you are bullying your female staff.¡± ¡°Kitty, what a sweet nickname¡­¡± Cedrick did not care about the news coverage. He smiled and looked absolutely dangerous. ¡°Do you want to know about what this woman and I did just now?¡± George saw Catelyn¡¯s face and immediately turned pale. He was adamant and said, ¡°Cedrick, I know you have been together with Catelyn. This meant that I had epted all of it. I will ept her no matter what she does.¡± The moonlight was dimmed, and his prominent facial features were no longer clearly visible. She could never believe what he had said, He was humiliating her in front of George and threatening George to leave. Was this his revenge? That really suited him then! ¡°Leave her alone. I will pay you two million dors,¡± he said sarcastically, as though he had to make sure of something George¡¯s pupils constricted in shock and terror. He looked at Catelyn. Catelyn, however, smiled as well. Cedrick himself did not expect Catelyn to be smiling too. His words were in fact¡­ very insulting and hurtful. ¡°Right, I am conceiving someone else¡¯s child. I was just with you, but I am promiscuous deep down. So, why do you even waste two million dors to get George to leave me? You should just leave. You even think I am disgusting to look at.¡± Her tone was surprisingly calm, without a hint of sarcasm. She was talking about herself but also sounded as though she was talking about another irrelevant stranger. George was even more terrified. Was she pregnant? However, what came immediately was a feeling of rage! He held Catelyn¡¯s hand and then raised it up, deliberately showing it to Cedrick. ¡°Cedrick, there is something we have to tell you.¡± ¡°I am engaged to Kitty. She is now my fiance.¡± ¡°The child is mine.¡± Then, George took off his coat and ced it over Catelyn¡¯s shoulders. His tone was gentle and affectionate, ¡°Weather is cold. Let me send you back.¡± Catelyn looked at him, stunned. George seemed not to have seen her shock but helped her to button her clothes and gave her a gentle smile. Cedrick watched as they interacted intimately, clenching his fist beside his legs. Chapter 439 Chapter 439 Chapter 439 ¡°If two million dors were not enough, I could give you a billion. If a billion is not enough, I could give you a nk check. You could fill in any number you like! George Graham, as long as she aborts the child, I could fulfill any one wish of yours. This is yourst chance!¡± Cedrick said before the two left. However, as soon as he finished saying it, he realized he had lost control of his emotions again. ¡ª That was even more hurtful than what he said earlier, and he was even trying to break the two up¡­ George could no longer hold it in and was about to punch Cedrick right into his face. Catelyn tugged on his clothes, Then¡­ Smack. A loud pnded on Cedrick¡¯s cheek. Catelyn¡¯s hand dropped, and her palm was numbed. Cedrick could taste iron in his mouth from the p. His eyes were looking straight into Catelyn¡¯s. The streetlight was dim, but he could see her red eyes. He then heard Catelyn saying word by word, ¡°You humiliated a woman, and you even insulted George¡¯s character. That only makes you even more loathsome.¡± Her short sentences were like a big hammer,nding a big blow on his heart. A lump formed in his throat. He saw her red eyes and her lips tightly pursed together as though there were numerous feelings flooding in her. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. However, everything returned to peace soon after. Made him even more loathsome? So she already hated him. Right, when did she even like him? Fe ¡°Cedrick, my fiance had made it very clear. I hope you do not disturb our peaceful life anymore! You don¡¯t have toe to our wedding day!¡± George took one nce at Cedrick and pulled Catelyn away. Next to the pathway were two rows of lush green trees, with streetlights on the tree tops. Catelyn¡¯s hand was held by George, and slowly they walked away from Cedrick¡¯s vision. The breeze kissed his cheeks, and it was even chillier than the winter winds. He stood quietly; his eyes were so dark that no one could see the bottom of them, and he slowly pulled out a dainty ck ring box from his bag. He opened the box, and a gorgeous fireworks ring sat quietly in the middle, glittering. She had George¡¯s child. Did he just kill his veryst chance? He should have kept her out of sight and out of mind, but he had once again stuck right up to her to see if she was doing okay. He could not bear seeing George and Catelyn being close together. He was hurting her but was also hurting himself. However, even if that were the case, he would not let go of her. He could never. George brought Catelyn out of there. It was breezy. The two did not say anything, and it was just silence between them. Near the beach, the treasure hunt game was over, and the emcee announced the winning participant and the prizes. It was noisy, contrasting with their silence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Catelyn took a deep breath and said softly, ¡°For involving you.¡± Her voice was so soft that it was barely audible in the noisy surroundings. George pursed his lips and then asked weakly, ¡°Does your child belong to Cedrick?¡± Child? Right, they thought she was pregnant. She shook her head and replied, ¡°No.¡± Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Chapter 440 George was shocked and looked at her in disbelief. ¡°I mean, I am not pregnant. He just misunderstood. I did not bother exining it to him. Just let him believe what he liked,¡± Catelyn said, but at the same time, a little sad and concerned about it. George could now see a silver lining. He was holding her arm a little too tightly because of the excitement ¡°Catelyn, what about we run away together with your sons? We could go to the countryside, somewhere far away. Cedrick would not be able to find us! We could change our names and start all over again¡­¡± Catelyn was a little taken aback by his sudden excitement. ¡°George, you know you could not run away from this. Even if you can, should the two babies live such a life forever?¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn felt helpless. She peeled away George¡¯s fingers, one by one, and frowned. ¡°That is impossible, plus¡­ We are really not suitable for each other. Don¡¯t you waste time on me anymore. I am grateful for what you have done for me, but we are only friends. Please don¡¯t let me be your burden. From now on, you should not meddle in things between Cedrick and me.¡± Cedrick was the kind of person that would go out of his way for revenge. She did not want to involve an innocent person in this. ¡°I am not scared to be involved. I am just scared that you will leave me¡­¡± George shouted agitatedly. He felt helpless to see the girl that he loved dearly being bullied, but he could not do anything about it. When he was listening to Cedrick¡¯s insulting remarks about Catelyn, he had to muster all his might to resist fighting with him. ¡°All I said was from the bottom of my heart. I wish to take care of you and your sons. If you are willing to, we can get married anytime, and so Cedrick would not be disturbing you anymore.¡± Their eyes locked onto each other. Catelyn was feeling flustered. ¡°Don¡¯t oversimplify things, George. Otherwise, we may not even be friends. Let¡¯s call it a night. I have to get back.¡± Then, she got out of his grip and disappeared into the crowd. George felt that he could not let it just be and decided to go after her. However, he only managed to take a few steps before his phone rang. The caller showed it was the subsidiarypany¡¯s Deputy CEO. He frowned again. Catelyn returned to the assigned amodation and took a quick shower. She was standing in the bathroom and could see the scars on her back. She did not have any ointment or medicine, and she could not care more about it. She put on her coat and went to the balcony to call her two babies. They were much calmer than her. She could not fall asleep the entire night and tossed around in bed. When the dawn broke, she finally fell asleep. She had a nightmare. She dreamt that Cedrick forcefully took away her two kids, and while she was standing on the trial stand, the judge announced that Cedrick won custody of the kids, and she had no right to take care of and be near to the kids. Her body was drenched when she woke up. On the other hand, outside of a kindergarten in Franche. A ck Bently was parked quietly across the road. It was the Physical Education period in the morning. The school was built with its borders securely surrounded by a ck fence. The situation on the field could be clearly seen through the fence. Cedrick was sitting in the passenger seat at the back, and on hisp was a businessptop. His fingers were typing away briskly on the keyboard, working. ¡°Master Cedrick, young masters are in the field now,¡± Eason reminded him from the front passenger seat. Cedrick closed hisptop slowly and looked out of the window. He could immediately see the twins having fun in the field. They were wearing a pair of blue uniforms and cute little shoes. In the sun, they looked exactly identical. They had the same looks, the same height, and even their voices were almost the same. The only thing to tell them apart was their facial expression. Miles wasughing wholeheartedly and looked very carefree, while Ollie was more reserved and more elegant. Chapter 441 Chapter 441 Chapter 441 There was no doubt that both Miles and Ollie were the centers of attention wherever they went. As the boys were ying with a brown-colored ball, a few of the girls in kindergarten could not help but nce at them from time to time unblinkingly. Cedrick¡¯s eyes followed the two boys the entire time. Miles and Ollie were running around in the yground, but both instantly sensed that someone was looking at them. They gave each other a look before whipping their heads to look at the car parked outside the fence. The windows were up, but they were certain that someone was staring at them from inside the car. ¡°Is it Big Demon?¡± Miles batted his doe-like eyes. Ollie had received Catelyn¡¯s call before this and pursed his lips. ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°If you want to go back to Big Demon, you can go. I¡¯m not leaving Mommy no matter what.¡± Ollie scowled. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about leaving with him.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Miles set the ball down, pinned it to the ground with one leg, and stuck his fingers out as he counted, ¡°Big Demon married the bad woman, locked me up, and bullied Big Kitty. I¡¯m never going to forgive him.¡± The scowl on Ollie¡¯s face remained as he mumbled, ¡°He betrayed Mommy. I won¡¯t forgive him for that.¡± As the siblings talked to one another, the door to the ck Bently opened abruptly, and a towering figure walked out His exceptionally long legs were wrapped in trousers. Dressed in a ck suit, he gave off a stern appearance. Miles pouted. So it is him,¡¯ he thought. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick met the siblings¡¯ eyes and saw the way contempt filled their eyes. Miles even gave Cedrick a thumbs-down straight away with no respect toward his father or concern for the reason for his sudden appearance. Alex felt his heart sink into his stomach and gingerly tried to exin, ¡°Master Cedrick, maybe the young masters¡­don¡¯t recognize you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blind.¡± It was clear as day that Miles¡¯ thumb-down was meant for him, and Cedrick realized the child who had been making a fool of him had been Miles all along. Miles and Ollie remained in the yground to y with the ball for another 15 minutes, and Cedrick stood outside the gate to watch them the entire time. Finally, the bell rang, and the kindergarten teachers came to ask the children to head back inside. Ollie picked up the ball and shot Cedrick aplicated look before heading inside without further dy. Miles, on the other hand, perked up his bottom sassily as he trotted away cheerfully. Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°¡­¡± Alex wondered if the twins were trying to add oil to the fire. Cedrick went back into the car expressionlessly. ¡°Drive.¡± Alex hesitated for a moment. ¡°To the office, or¡­¡± ¡°Mason Estate.¡± Mason Estate did not only exist in Sapphire City alone. Whichever city Mason Group extended to, there would be a Mason Estate in that city, too. All the butlers were trained together, and servants would clean the mansion even when it was vacant. Moreover, staff from the Old House would check on the staff every three months. Meanwhile, in the VSA Group¡¯s building, Catelyn, while executing her tasks, oddly kept sneezing, and Jolene eyed her suspiciously. ¡°I heard that the president of Mason Group participated in the party and you¡­kneeled before him?¡± Catelyn rolled her eyes at Jolene. ¡°All this work and still you won¡¯t shut up, huh?¡± ¡°Work is important, but so is health and gossiping!¡± Jolene deadpanned before whispering, ¡°It¡¯s a shamel wasn¡¯t there. What happened? Amy has been going around, spreading rumors about you. She said that you tried to seduce Mister Mason and got rejected.¡± Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Catelyn briefly exined what actually went down to Jolene. Jolene mmed her palms against the table. ¡°I thought so, you wouldn¡¯t do such a thing just to stand out. That b*tch pushed you!¡± ¡°Shh! Not so loud.¡± Catelyn tugged at her clothes. ¡°What are you worried about? She thinks too highly of herself to learn ournguage, so she doesn¡¯t understand a word we¡¯re saying.¡± Indeed, since Amy made a fool out of herself because of Catelyn the day before, she started spreading rumors of Catelyn trying to seduce Cedrick and kneeled before him in an attempt to do so as soon as she arrived at the office. She had been quietly waiting for Catelyn to confront her so that she would have an excuse to cause a scene. However, Catelyn did not seem to care at all and was chatting with Jolene casually. Amy tried to eavesdrop on them but realized that they were speaking their nativenguage, and she could not understand a thing. Amy snorted and nced at Ivan¡¯s office. Ivan was just as humiliated regarding the day before, and someone as petty as him would never let Catelyn off the hook easily. Amy felt slightly better at the thought of that. Although Catelyn was annoyed that Amy had framed her, she was mostly concerned about her children. She had checked and found out that Cedrick had no reason to visit Franche, which meant he hade for her and her children. Amid her frustration, the nanny she hired called and informed her that both Miles and Ollie had arrived home safely. Catelyn sighed a breath of relief that Cedrick had not taken the children away. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. If he dared to do so, she would report him to the police. This was Franche, after all, so the Mason family would not be able to escape thews here. i Finally, the day had ended, despite the constant anxiety Catelyn felt. She returned home after work, and the nanny had already brought the children home and did the grocery shopping along the way. Although her sons were bright, Catelyn had to work and hired a nanny to pick the children up from school. Moreover, because she often got off work ratherte, the nanny would do the grocery shopping for her as well. Catelyn made it a habit to cook for her sons, so the nanny would not stay overnight. Like clockwork, Miles and Ollie would often sit in the living room to y or watch television while Catelyn cooked, and all three of them seemed to have reached a consensus to not mention Cedrick¡¯s name. Ollie helped Catelyn with her purse and pulled out a pair of pink slippers from the shoe cab. ¡°Your slippers, Mommy.¡± ¡°Water, Big Kitty.¡± Not to be outdone, Miles poured her a ss of warm water. It was a routine that Catelyn had grown ustomed to. She changed into her slippers and sipped on the warm water. She nted a kiss on both of her sons and went to wash her hands to get ready for dinner. A few minutes after she had gone into the kitchen¡­ Ding, dong! The doorbell rang. Catelyn happened to be washing the vegetables at the moment, and she poked her head outside with both hands dripping wet. ¡°Miles?¡± ¡°Roger that. I¡¯ll open the door! Grandma May probably left something behind again¡­¡± Miles leaped from the ground and hurried toward the door. Grandma May, the nanny Catelyn hired, would frequently forget her phone and turn back around to retrieve it. Miles had gotten used to it, but Ollie sensed something different and shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± However, it was toote and the door opened. Creak! Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Miles was about to tease Grandma May, but to his bewilderment, a towering figure appeared before him instead. As his eyes traveled up the trousers, he saw a face that was extremely simr to his own. The smile on his face copsed as he eximed, ¡°Big Demon?!¡± Miles immediately tried to close the door, but Cedrick beat him to it and propped his arm against the door, overpowering Miles¡¯ effort. Ollie instinctively went to help, but as he raised his arms and was about to touch the door, Cedrick red at him coldly, warning him to stay out of it. Ollie pursed his chapped lips and went to help Miles with holding the door without hesitation. Noticing that she did not hear Grandma May¡¯s voice after the boys went to the door, Catelyn dried her hands and went out, only to find her sons desperately trying to shut the door. Their faces were a shade of crimson, and the veins on the back of their hands protruded. Through the open gap of the door, Cedrick stood outside and stared down at their small ¡®rebellion¡¯ with a casual look on his face. When they managed to push until there was only a finger-wide gap, he would push slightly harder until there was a fist-sized gap, and they would push harder again. The same cycle repeated multiple times, to the point that it became obvious that he was toying with them. Catelyn continued to dry her hands on her apron and lowered her voice as shemanded, ¡°Miles, Ollie, let go.¡± However, her sons were reluctant to oblige. ¡°We can¡¯t let Big Demon in! This is our home!¡± Catelyn wanted to argue that they would not be able to win against Cedrick in terms of strength, and out of concern that her sons would exhaust themselves, she sternly warned, ¡°Are you going to ignore my words?¡± Miles and Ollie gave each other regretful expressions and counted to three in their heads before withdrawing their hands at the same time. Cedrick had not expected that the door would open abruptly and stumbled forward. Luckily, he was able to bnce himself and did not fall. Miles red daggers at Cedrick in the exact manner a small animal would at its enemy. Alex poked his head out from behind Cedrick with an enormous suitcase in his hands. ¡°Good evening, young masters.¡± Ollie nced at Alex quietly before finally greeting him, ¡°Good evening, Uncle Alex.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°This must be Master Ollie, and this would be¡­ Master Miles?¡± Seeing that the twins were dressed in the same outfit, Alex was worried that he would make a fool of himself for addressing them wrongly. Miles snorted proudly and lifted his chin. ¡°Who are you calling ¡®master¡¯? I¡¯m not rted to Big Demon!¡± Alex recoiled and turned to look at Ollie. ¡°Master Ollie?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already decided to follow Mommy,¡± answered Ollie calmly without hesitation. An intimidating presence from behind sent chills down Alex¡¯s spine. He risked a nce at Cedrick¡¯s face, thinking that he would be furious, but Cedrick simply stepped into the living room without a word. Miles and Ollie tried to say something, but Catelyn stopped them by standing before the two to face the approaching man. His towering figure filled the room in an instant to the point that it felt as though the ceiling would crumble in his presence. His icy gaze traveled across the room and noticed toys, models, and books that belonged to the children. ¡°Slippers,¡± hemanded condescendingly at Catelyn. Catelyn steadied her emotions and urge to retort before taking out a pair of gray slippers from the shoe cab and chucking them at him. Chapter 444 Chapter 444 Chapter 444 The slippers were dusty and had clearly been worn by someone else. Cedrick realized who it was who wore them, and the look in his eyes darkened. ¡°How hideous.¡± Catelyn choked at his tone and retorted, ¡°If you¡¯re only here to tell me how hideous my slippers look, you sure have a lot of free time at hand.¡± Cedrick snarled as he nced at the shoe cab. Noticing that these were the only slippers for men, he decided against changing his shoes altogether and walked into the living room in his polished leather shoes. Catelyn scowled at the ck footprint on the floor. Before she could get angry, Alex hurriedly pushed the luggage he had brought along. ¡°Miss rk, this is Master Ollie¡¯s trunk.¡± It was an enormous piece of luggage that was half the height of a normal person. ¡°Master Ollie left in a hurry and left a lot of his belongings behind. These are his favorite books and toys, along with some of his clothes,¡± Alex exined. Ollie did not approach the luggage when he heard that it belonged to him, ncing at Catelyn instead. It was not until Catelyn nodded that he epted the luggage and said courteously. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Alex. Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Alex nodded, before shaking his head shortly after. ¡°Not yet. I came here with Master Cedrick immediately after work.¡± Ollie was a sweet child, and Catelyn knew Ollie¡¯s intention. If Cedrick was going to stay, it would be best to keep one more person around. ¡°I was just preparing dinner. Why don¡¯t you stay for dinner as well, Alex?¡± Catelyn invited him warmly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. He needs to go back to the hotel,¡± Cedrick responded in Alex¡¯s ce. The hesitation on Alex¡¯s expression faded, and he immediately agreed. ¡°Yes, Miss. rk, I need to go back to the hotel.¡± Catelyn knew that Cedrick was purposely trying to drive out Alex. ¡°Uncle Alex, I want you to stay!¡± Miles ran toward Alex and grabbed onto his arm, before shooting Cedrick a smug smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Big Demon. Big Kitty is a really good cook, so you¡¯re in for a treat.¡± Cedrick nced at Miles expressionlessly, his lips curling into a faint smile when he turned his attention back to Catelyn. ¡°He¡¯s going to find himself a woman in the hotelter. Are you sure you want to get in the way of that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Catelyn blushed. Alex¡¯s face turned into a bright shade of red. He mumbled something before turning on his heels to run. Miles, on the other hand, did not understand what Cedrick meant and turned to stare at Catelyn in confusion. ¡°Mommy, why did Uncle Alex run away after what Big Demon said?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because¡­he has work to do,¡± Catelyn blurted out before pointing at the luggage. ¡°Go put this into your room and unpack it with your older brother.¡± Miles was reluctant to admit that he was the younger one, but Catelyn had proven to him that it was true. The boys struggled to move the luggage that was taller than either one of them back into the room, while Cedrick sat on the couch leisurely to scan his environment. There were a lot of photo frames on the table with photos of the twins and Catelyn. Their smiles were genuine and sweet, but not only was he not included in any of them, but George was even seen in one of the photos. His expression darkened when he heard Catelyn¡¯s wary voice asking, ¡°Why did you come here uninvited?¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Chapter 445 N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°The boys are mine!¡± stressed Catelyn, raising her voice without even knowing it. Cedrick seemed to enjoy her panicked state. The more anxious she became, the more leverage he had. ¡°Without me, would you be able to give birth to them? Catelyn, I didn¡¯t realize that you were a single- celled organism.¡± He steadily moved to pour himself a cup of tea and sipped on it. It was simply one of themon brands that one would find in local markets, so the taste was rough and odd, but he found it eptable given his good mood. He even took a few sips of it. Despite theplicated look on Catelyn¡¯s face, her tone remained determined, ¡°This is Franche, not Sapphire City. If you try to take my children away, I¡¯ll call the cops! Cedrick Mason, don¡¯t push me into a dire situation! I have nothing but them, and those kids are the one thing that I¡¯m not willing to compromise.¡± ¡°Are you scared?¡± Cedrick lifted an eyebrow as he studied the determination in her eyes. Catelyn straightened her back, her fists slowly clenching on her sides. She did not want to admit it, but she could not deny that she was scared as she was clearly losing in this confrontation. ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯m scared that you¡¯d take my kids away from me, and that what happened four years ago would repeat itself. Just get this over with, Cedrick. What are you trying to do?¡± Silence loomed and he remained quiet, sipping on his tea while Catelyn waited anxiously. Just when Catelyn was about to lose patience from waiting, he set the cup down and met her eyes with his sharp, eagle-like gaze. His eyes were filled with determination that resembled that of a predator that had locked onto its prey. ¡°You are not to marry George.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± Catelyn doubted her ears for a moment. Cedrick stood abruptly and approached her. ¡°I said, I won¡¯t allow you to marry him. You must cut all ties with him, or I¡¯ll hire awyer to fight for the boys¡¯ custody. You should know that you won¡¯t stand a chance against me!¡± The confidence in his tone faded toward the end. The look in his eyes grew cold as he imagined what it had been like for Catelyn and George to be together. Both of his sons were calling him ¡®Uncle George¡¯, and there were slippers that were meant only for him. Cedrick had never thought that he would be jealous and lose control over a woman, but at this very moment, he realized that he was driven mad by jealousy. ¡°Biologically, or officially, my sons are only allowed to have me as their father! I will not let you find them a stepfather, so you must leave George!¡± Catelyn¡¯s mind went nk when she realized that Cedrick was doing everything because George told him that they were engaged. Threatening her with what she cared most about was precisely what she would expect from Cedrick, so she made a point by cing a hand on her stomach and smiling. ¡°But what about the baby I¡¯m carrying now? It needs a father.¡± ¡°I can¡­ept it.¡± Cedrick pursed his lips until they started turning pale. ¡°There are countless Mason Estates in the world. You can pick any, and I¡¯ll make sure that he or she grows up safely to be a child of the Mason family.¡± ¡°But I thought you said you won¡¯t keep it?¡± Cedrick stiffened, clenching his fists as he nced at her abdomen. ¡°Which is why you should know your ce and call George right now to cancel your engagement right away.¡± Catelyn was taken by shock as though her heart was struck. She had never imagined that Cedrick would be willing to make apromise one day for her sake, however ridiculous thepromise he made sounded. !! TEATTENTE Chapter 446 Chapter 446 Chapter 446 He narrowed his eyes dangerously when she failed to respond right away. ¡°You don¡¯t agree?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that.¡± ¡°Make the call, then!¡± interjected Cedrick as he handed her a ck phone. ¡°George¡¯s number is here. Call him, exin, and I¡¯ll forget that this has ever happened. I won¡¯t fight you for custody over the children.¡± Catelyn¡¯s mind was tangled in a mess. After all, she was neither engaged to George nor pregnant, but she was not sure how she could exin it to him. At the same time, she was furious at Cedrick¡¯s tone as he sounded as though he was being generous. The situation escted, and Catelyn did not ept the phone. ¡°Cedrick, 14¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Miles¡¯ sweet voice suddenly rang from the children¡¯s room. Catelyn stilled. Both Miles and Ollie ran out of their bedroom cheerfully with a book they liked in hand. Seeing as the books they were holding were brought from Mason Estate, it was clear that the two had been unpacking. The two noticed that Catelyn and Cedrick were at a stand-off as soon as they came into the living room. When they spotted the phone that Cedrick was holding out to Catelyn, their eyes glittered warily. In the end, Catelyn returned to the kitchen to cook without saying anything but telling the children to stay with Cedrick. Cedrick¡¯s grip around the phone tightened as he shot a furious re at Miles for interrupting them. Miles knew that Cedrick was angry at him¡­but he was not intimidated at all. After all, he had already challenged Cedrick countless times back in Mason Estate. SOE ¡°What are you looking at? You can stare all you want, but I¡¯m still better-looking than you.¡± He made a face toward Cedrick before going back to his technology-based book on the dining table. Ollie, on the other hand, did not know what to say to Cedrick, so he simply ignored him altogether and went over to the dining table to read with Miles, It was quiet for a while with nothing but the sound of Catelyn cooking from the kitchen. Sometimeter, as the two werepletely absorbed into their books, a shadow loomed over them. It was nighttime, and the light over their heads was bright, so Cedrick¡¯s shadow had stretched to the point that it loomed over the two of them entirely. Ollie snapped his head up and saw Cedrick had walked over and was staring at their books. ¡°Can you understand the books?¡± he asked in a low voice. ¡°¡­¡± Miles and Ollie decided to ignore him. Cedrick neglected the frustration burning within him and searched for patience. He pulled the chair next to Miles back to take his seat when all of a sudden, Miles suddenly pointed at the chair and shouted, ¡°That¡¯s Uncle George¡¯s seat! You can¡¯t sit on that!¡± ¡®George¡¯s seat?¡¯ Cedrick sneered. ¡®He has slippers of his own in this ce and even a special seat?¡¯ He snarled and got up, purposely knocking the chair onto the ground, which dropped with a deafening m. ¡°What happened?¡± Catelyn hurried out of the kitchen, rmed by the noise. Cedrick lifted the chair and deadpanned, ¡°The legs of the chair are crooked. Let me get someone to fix it for you.¡± With that, he dragged the chair toward the door before Catelyn and threw it away.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Cedrick moved smoothly without a pause, and Miles rolled his eyes at him. ¡®Is Big Demon really doing that? How childish!¡¯ he scoffed internally. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Catelyn, still holding a spat in her hand, went back into the kitchen when she confirmed that nothing bad had happened. Ollie studied Cedrick intently and remarked, ¡°Father, that¡¯s rude.¡± ¡°If you still remember that I¡¯m your senior, you should shut up.¡± Cedrick moved to sit on Catelyn¡¯s seat. There was a soft, pink cushion on the chair as it was almost winter, so he could tell it was hers right away. Ollie frowned, doubting if the man was truly the Cedrick Mason he knew. After dinner, Cedrick showed no intention of leaving. Miles struggled to stay awake, hoping to chase Cedrick out, but Catelyn coaxed them into sleeping out of fear of a ticking time bomb like Cedrick. Soon, the two fell asleep on the couch. Catelyn gently lifted Miles and headed into the bedroom. Cedrick nced at Ollie and picked him up as well, before following Catelyn¡¯s lead. Catelyn set Miles onto the bed and pulled the nket to the side, pointing at the space next to Miles.¡± ce him there.¡± Miles and Ollie slept soundly next to one another, and Catelyn helped to take off their jackets, revealing the adorable pajamas they were wearing underneath. She covered them with the nket and lowered her head to nt kisses on their foreheads. A strand of hair draped over Miles¡¯ face. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t leave me,¡± Miles mumbled, causing Catelyn¡¯s heart to soften in an instant. She would never leave them. She got up and noticed Cedrick leaning against the door and staring at her intently, so she closed the lights and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go outside to talk.¡± Without the two children, the living room seemed eerily quiet. ¡°Where am I sleeping tonight?¡± Cedrick¡¯s husky voice echoed in the room. Catelyn gaped and stared at him in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t have a spare room for you. Are you staying?¡± Although they stayed in a residential area, it was still a two-bedroom apartment with one study room and one bedroom, so there was no extra room. Cedrick unbuttoned his suit jacket and his shirt before continuing with a tone that left no space for rejection, ¡°It¡¯s been a month and a half sincest saw my sons. I miss them. If you insist on making me leave in the middle of the night, I can¡¯t promise that I won¡¯t hire Benjamin to get me their custody so that I can see them anytime I want.¡± Catelyn was enraged that Cedrick had, yet again, threatened her. Biting her lower lip, she hissed, ¡°You¡¯re sleeping on the couch if you want to stay!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there another room?¡± He took off his jacket, and the defined muscles of his upper body came into sight. Catelyn gritted her teeth and turned away from him. ¡°That¡¯s my room, and there¡¯s only a single bed¡­¡± ¡°A single bed will be enough.¡± He removed all the clothes and started unbuckling his belt. Catelyn clenched her fists at the sound and inhaled deeply to suppress her urge to scream. She desperately did not want to wake up her sons. ¡°Fine, you take the bedroom. I¡¯ll sleep on the couch,¡± she said and went to take her nket from the bedroom. ¡°What are you getting all worked up for? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to fight you over a single bed. Alright, just go grab me towels and things to wash up with.¡± Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Chapter 448 TH! There was a smirk in Cedrick¡¯s tone, and it sounded as though the devil himself was whispering into her ear. OLEA Catelyn tensed, but she then thought of thewyer¡¯s letter she received from him. Slowly, the anger in her eyes faded. She was not afraid of awsuit, but it would be traumatizing for her sons to endure court trials. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. By the time she opened them again, her emotions were already at bay. ¡°There are new towels and toothbrushes. Let me go, and I¡¯ll grab them for you.¡± Cedrick followed her closely into the bathroom. The bathroom in Catelyn¡¯s apartment was small with bottles and items piling up on the counter next to the sink. There was no partition between the shower and the toilet, while the shower head was just across the sink. The look in Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened. Ollie had been raised in a wealthy household, and it was difficult to picture that he would enjoy himself while living in such an environment. He turned to look at the woman standing before him. He could have offered her so much more if only she asked. Catelyn was looking for new toothpaste and toothbrush; those were purchased at a cheap price from the market and the toothbrush was disposable. Once she found them, she pulled out a brand-new blue colored towel and turned around to pass the items to Cedrick. All of a sudden, a warm chest pressed up against her back. Cedrick wrapped his arms around her tightly and inhaled the scent of her hair greedily. It was too dark the night before, and he could not quite see her.. He held her in his arms and noticed that she had gotten thinner than he realized. ¡°Catelyn, I can turn a blind eye to what happened with George as long as youe back to me,¡± he muttered in a hoarse voice. What he did not know, however¡­was that there was arge wound on Catelyn¡¯s back, and his embrace only inflicted her excruciating pain. She could not hear what he had said as she shoved him away by reflex. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Cedrick had only wanted to hold her, to take in her scent, but he did not expect her to fight him off. He stumbled backward awkwardly, and his expression darkened. Thuck! The toothbrush and toothpaste dropped onto the floor, and Catelyn was pinned against the wall by Cedrick as he pressed a rough kiss onto her lips. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Rage was burning in his eyes as he was determined to force her into submission. Whatever he wanted, she had no right to refuse. Ssh! Catelyn was shoved against the shower head, and they identally bumped into the switch, causing cold water to rain down on them. The sudden change of temperature struck her back, and Catelyn was struggling to stand from the pain. Her stomach twisted at the shock, and she could not even breathe. Cedrick was still kissing her with all his might, even though they were both soaking wet. As the water ran down her back, she could no longer stomach the agony as she feebly sputtered, ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Cedrick froze and scowled. ¡°You¡¯re hurt?¡± Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Chapter 449 ¡°No¡­¡± muttered Catelyn stubbornly, feeling pathetic that she had to endure the pain and his intrusion. She stared at the floor and prayed that the pain would subside, but a lump formed in her throat, and a sob escaped her. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Tears scrolled down her cheeks, and it took Cedrick by surprise. She had responded with indifference, even when he pushed her up against the rockery stone, and she knew exactly what to say to provoke him. At this moment, however, her face was pale as a ghost as she curled up and panted from either pain or sobbing. ¡°Let me see where you are hurt,¡± he spoke, softening his tone as his heart sank at the sight of her tears. However, as soon as he touched her, Catelyn pped his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Cedrick¡¯s voice grew cold at the rejection, hissing. ¡°Will you listen if I go and wake up Miles and Ollie?¡± Catelyn bit the inside of her cheek at the threat. She bit on her lower lip to the brink of drawing blood without another word while Cedrick turned her around to face the wall and lifted her clothes. The fabric was glued to her skin with the water, so he moved with extreme caution, which Catelyn failed to notice as even the tiniest movement hurt. When Cedrick saw the wound on her back, he noticed specks of sand and rock stuck in her skin, while her back was inmed with signs of pus and infection. It was a frightful sight, and Cedrick realized it was from their interaction behind the rockery stone. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?!¡± roared Cedrick, enraged that Catelyn did not take care of herself. Catelyn suppressed her tears, refusing to look at his face by facing the wall as she retorted, ¡°Would you have stopped if I did?¡± Cedrick clenched his fists. She was not wrong. Considering the situation at the time, his senses were ovee by rage after having to watch George carry her, so he might not have let her go even if he knew she was hurting. He loosened his fists and grabbed his jacket to cover Catelyn before dragging her out. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to the hospital.¡± Catelyn, however, refused to go out with her hair tangled in a mess and her form drenched from head to toe. ¡°I can go on my own tomorrow.¡± ¡°Catelyn rk! Do you really have to fight me on every single thing?¡± He tightened his grip around her hand and red at her coldly. ¡°Is there a point in refusing to listen until 1 threaten you?¡± Catelyn lowered her gaze and allowed Cedrick to drag her downstairs where his car was parked by the road. Quickly unlocking the car, they entered as Cedrick then drove toward the nearest hospital speedily. Catelynid on the passenger seat with a loose jacket on her and watched as the scenery passed them by. She nced at the man next to her from the corner of her eyes. He seemed to be extremely anxious and was speeding the entire way. Thankfully, there were fewer cars on the road tonight. The one thing that upset her most, however, was that he had been in such a hurry that he was only wearing a white shirt on top. While that was excusable, his trousers werepletely soaked, and the water from the shower left an awkward-looking mark because his pants were not ck. He looked difited. Her eyes glittered with overwhelming emotions, and slowly, she began to drift off to sleep. Chapter 450 Chapter 450 Chapter 450 They had arrived at the hospital by the time Catelyn woke up. Cedrick did not carry her, of course, out of concern that he would tear her wound on the back. Instead, he woke her up so she could walk into the hospital on her own. It waste into the night, and Cedrick stormed into the doctor¡¯s office. As not many doctors were on the night shift, there were long lines outside every office with nurses monitoring the patients, so Cedrick¡¯s action triggered a wave ofints, especially with his drenched appearance as water was dripping off the tips of his hair. The nurse beamed at Cedrick¡¯s handsome features but stopped them dutifully. ¡°Sir, please line up. We have a lot of patients waiting here.¡± The patients in line muttered their disapproval. ¡°Move,¡± he uttered coldly. ¡°Cedrick¡­¡± Catelyn noticed the other patients staring daggers at them and pulled at his clothes, despite the pain. ¡°Don¡¯t. Let¡¯s just line up.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to speak,¡± he said before turning back to the nurse. ¡°I¡¯m buying this hospital. Treat her wound for her, now!¡± Catelyn could hear the others gasping and flushed in embarrassment. The admiration in the nurse¡¯s eyes quickly transformed into pity as she thought to herself, ¡®Tsk! He seems too handsome to be a dimwit. What a shame! Catelyn could not bear it any longer and dragged Cedrick toward the end of the line. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯ll go line up.¡± ¡°Why are you lining up?¡± He stopped her and quickly fished out his phone, intending to actually purchase the hospital. She could feel her cheeks burning as she grabbed his hand to stop him. ¡°Stop it already!¡± The wound on her back pounded as she moved. Hershes trembled, and her voice sounded muffled, so it almost sounded as though she was pleading. Cedrick looked into her eyes and, in the end, gave up. He helped her to the bench outside the office and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get a number.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Seeing the way he hurried to head to the counter, she pursed her lips and added, ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you think it is, so there¡¯s no need to hurry.¡± Cedrick did not pause, so she did not know if he had heard her. She stared as he disappeared into the distance dazedly. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She had always wanted someone to be there for her through the pain and sorrow, but when that someone was Cedrick, everything seemed so unreal. Cedrick returned once he had the queue number and waited outside the office with Catelyn. The two did not speak for a while and simply sat as time ticked by. Sometimeter, Catelyn still had not gotten her turn as a patient was taking his time with the doctor ahead. Cedrick searched for patience but stood abruptly when he caught sight of how pale Catelyn looked. Catelyn thought he was going to buy the hospital like he had imed earlier and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Cedrick did not respond and simply took out a thick pile of dor bills before barging into the doctor¡¯s office and mming it toward the young patient¡¯s face. ¡°My girlfriend is hurt, and your wound doesn¡¯t seem all that severe. I want to buy your queue number. Is this enough?¡± The patient gaped at him and turned to look at Catelyn through the ss window. ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± The man¡¯s wound was not severe to begin with and thus left with the money giddily. Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Cedrick turned toward Catelyn and asked her to go see the doctor, Catelyn thus walked into the doctor¡¯s room, all while many pairs of eyes were on her. Without much of a choice, she steeled herself and ignored the gazes. It was a male doctor. Catelyny on her stomach on top of the emergency room¡¯s bed while the doctor asked the routine questions. The doctor was about to check Catelyn¡¯s wound, reaching for her shirt, but Cedrick grabbed his wrist with a frown. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°L¡­I¡¯m checking her wound.¡± The doctor froze at how suddenly he was halted and said in frustration, ¡°How am I supposed to look at it without taking her shirt off?¡± Catelyn turned her head and said to Cedrick softly, ¡°Just lift the shirt and show the doctor the wound.¡± ¡°I¡¯m requesting a female doctor!¡± demanded Cedrick. He would never allow another man to take her shirt off, ¡°Are you crazy? It¡¯s in the middle of the night, and there are only two doctors on call at the moment. You either let me do it, or get the hell out!¡± the doctor growled as he shot a heated re at Cedrick. Catelyn wanted to say something to ease the tension, but when she looked at Cedrick, she noticed how his lips were pursed tightly together as he shot the doctor a cold, murderous re The sight sent chills down her spine. It was as if he was looking at his prey.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. The male doctor felt the chills from his re and eventually gave up, asking the nurse to call in a female doctor that was on duty. Catelyn¡¯s inmed wound looked ghastly against the white bed sheet. The female doctor carefully picked e tiny rocks that were still on the wound before disinfecting and wrapping it up. Cedrick dragged a chair and sat next to Catelyn by the bed, holding her hand tightly. Catelyn tightened her grip as the doctor disinfected her wound, and Cedrick could even feel her palm getting sweaty. It was moist and sticky, but not once had he let her hand go. His eyes traveled to her arms and slender hands, with nails painted crystal-like pink. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant. Make sure to prescribe medicines that are safe for pregnancy,¡± came Cedrick¡¯s deep voice that broke the silence in the room. The doctor looked at Catelyn with envy and said with a chuckle, ¡°That exins why your boyfriend is treating you with such care. Our obstetrics department is just across the room. Would you like to do a check-up while you¡¯re here?¡± Catelyn felt her scalp tingling upon being stared at so intensely. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m good.¡± Cedrick sat up immediately and red at Catelyn¡¯s abdomen before saying, ¡°You stay here while I register for a walk-in.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine.¡± Catelyn grabbed his hand, refusing to let go. ¡°I¡¯m also really tired, and I don¡¯t want to stay out here any longer.¡± Cedrick looked down at her and said hoarsely, ¡°You¡¯re the one that¡¯s refusing a check-up, not me. Don¡¯t me me if anything happens to the baby!¡± Catelyn felt like a joke. Should he not be wishing that she would have a miscarriage? It was hard for her to imagine him expressing care toward the baby. ¡°Cedrick, I didn¡¯t-¡± Beep, beep, beep! Catelyn¡¯s sentence was cut off by her phone¡¯s ringtone. She swiped her phone and picked up the call from her sons. They were probably anxious since no one was home at such ate hour. After consoling the two boys, she looked at Cedrick¡¯s cold, intimidating face and decided that there was no point in exining herself to him. Next time, then. Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Catelyn¡¯s wound looked gnarly, but it had been taken care of and was recovering speedily. With that, she was able to move around freely the next morning. However, she still could not perform rigorous movements as overly stretching the wound was bad for recovery. Cedrick drove her and sent the boys to kindergarten. Miles swung his legs around in the car, his eyes traveling around casually. Ollie, on the other hand, sat still. Catelyn sat in between two boys, her hands holding theirs. Cedrick looked at Miles¡¯ cautious gaze toward him from the front mirror and stretched his lips into a cold smirk. ¡°You¡¯re the one who stole my belongings, no?¡± Miles lifted his chin haughtily. ¡°And what about it?¡± HILLETTE 10 ¡°Pretty ballsy of you. As expected of my child.* Cedrick chuckled coldly. ¡°I haven¡¯t acknowledged you as part of my family yet, so don¡¯t just assume things,¡± Miles shot back with a frown and buried his head in Catelyn¡¯s arms. He shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep. It was clear that he wanted nothing to do with Cedrick at that moment. Ollie looked at Cedrick defeatedly and sypathizingly. He pursed his tiny lips, keeping his silence. Ollie had yet to tell Catelyn that he saw Maiaing out from his father¡¯s bedroom in the middle of the night. His mother¡¯s heart would probably break into pieces if he was to tell her. Considering that he had to maintain the current bnce between his father and mother, he chose to not say anything. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. It was the first time Cedrick sent his children to school, and it was also the first time their ssmates and teachers saw him. Plenty of the parents waved at Cedrick in a friendly manner. However, Cedrick¡¯s expression was so frigid that he scared a few mothers who had wanted to greet him. Catelyn stood next to him and uttered under her breath, ¡°Smile, or get back into the car if you¡¯re so sour as to send your kids to school.¡± Cedrick turned to shoot a shocking re at her. ¡®Smile¡¯? What was he supposed to be happy about? Seeing as his face turned even sourer, she frowned. ¡°This is kindergarten, and your face is going to scare all the kids away.¡± the car without saying anything. His mood had Cedrick looked away in frustration and walked turnedpletely rotten. Cedrick then drove Catelyn to the VSA Company building. She had no idea what kind of rtionship they were in at the moment, but he insisted on doing these things, and she had no say in it. Catelyn got out of the car and walked into the building before Amy caught up to her. Unlike the jealousy and envy from before, Amy curiously asked, ¡°That must be your sponsor, the man who just dropped you off, right?¡± Catelyn, not expecting Amy to see her, suppressed her panic and uttered expressionlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Heh! Stop acting. I saw everything!¡± Amy realized she was ying dumb and uttered arrogantly, ¡°It¡¯s George, isn¡¯t it? How else were you able to join thepany? ¡°I have an idea. I¡¯m pretty keen on his muscr body, and if you introduce him to me, I promise to stop bullying you!¡± Catelyn¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t you look down on foreigners?¡± she scoffed. ¡°Who knew some of you foreigners were able tost long? It must¡¯ve felt good being ¡®hugged¡¯ by him the other day, no?¡± said Amy with a smirk and a raised brow. Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Catelyn suppressed the urge to punch Amy. Was that how Amy decided whether or not she would look down on a foreigner-based on how long they lasted? ¡°I¡¯m at my office. I have to work.¡± ¡°Catelyn¡­¡± Seeing as Catelyn refused to say anything to her at all, Amy finally flipped. ¡°Who do you think you are? I only ask favors from people I acknowledge! You better not piss me off.¡± Catelyn turned and walked into her office, not bothering to respond. Amy stomped as she watched Catelyn leave. ¡°How dare you ignore me, you disgusting foreigner?!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Catelyn froze and turned around slowly. She shot a cold re at Amy and said, ¡°We¡¯re all born equals. I wonder where you got that sense of superiority from? This is myst warning, stop discriminating against us foreigners. I¡¯m toozy to waste my effort in responding to you, but you better watch out if you intend on keeping up with that behavior of yours!¡± ¡°You¡± ¡°A person¡¯s worth is defined by their abilities and talents, not the color of their skin!¡± Amy¡¯s face flushed in crimson, she wanted to say more but stopped when she saw Ivan a short distance away from Catelyn. Ivan was oblivious to the tension in the air and asked Amy from across the room, ¡°Do you have the things that I asked for? Send it to my office, I need themter.¡± ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll be there shortly¡­¡± Amy had no choice but to go get her materials after shooting a heated re at Catelyn. Catelyn walked to her cubicle and started her day at work. Sheunched the 3D rendering program and started building the base of her work. This was supposed to be Ivan¡¯s work, but he was concerned about being seen as a gatekeeper and refusing to share his skills, so he ordered Catelyn and Amy to each build a base for him to work on. Ivan looked at her screen and waspletely glued to it. Catelyn, meanwhile, had no idea that someone was watching her from behind as she worked on the base effortlessly. ¡°What¡¯s your thought process behind this design, over here?¡± Ivan¡¯s voice was heard from behind her. Catelyn turned around and saw the sparks in Ivan¡¯s eyes as he pointed at the screen. Catelyn was startled, but she quickly regained herposure. ¡°Curvatures in buildings require skills from the builders, and a good design in the curvatures will bring life to a building. One of the most important things about curves is their flow. With that in mind, the base will be built upon a top surface and three dimensions that are aligned with each other. On top of that, it¡¯s contemporary.¡± Ivan rubbed his chin and said, ¡°Try adding in the curtain walls.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Catelyn worked effortlessly as she was instructed. After a brief moment, Catelyn was able to apply the curtain walls as instructed by Ivan. The flow of the building was smooth, and the overall design of the building was sophisticated. Ivan waspletely drawn by the finished base. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t even finish college. Where did you learn these from?¡± asked Ivan as he looked at Catelyn warily. ¡°I worked hard for it, even though I didn¡¯t graduate.¡± ¡°Alright, then. You¡¯ll be the one in charge of the base from now on. Send everything to me when you¡¯re done,¡± Ivan ordered. Amy had just walked in with the materials Ivan asked for, and as she overheard the conversation, her eyes reddened. Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Chapter 454 ¡°Uncle Ivan, didn¡¯t you promise that you¡¯d guide me through building the base for this? Why did you give it to Catelyn?¡± ¡°Catelyn has better knowledge in this, so she¡¯s more fit to do this. I¡¯ll arrange other tasks for you.¡± ¡°But you promised me first!¡± Amy stomped and pointed at Catelyn. ¡°What did this woman say or do to you? Don¡¯t let her fool you, Uncle Ivan! She¡¯s a foreigner, and she¡¯s probably dirty and has some sort of weird disease!¡± Burning with rage, Amy raised her hand and was ready to strike Catelyn across the face. Catelyn¡¯s gaze dulled coldly as she grabbed Amy by the wrist and swung her arm away. ¡°The manager gave us the task some time ago, and you¡¯re the one who hasn¡¯t been taking it seriously. Now that I¡¯ve been chosen to be in charge of it, you¡¯re throwing a fit? Is this what you Franch people are like? How noble of you!¡± Catelyn had no intention of arguing with Amy, but her continuous verbal assault and discrimination had triggered Catelyn to a point of no return. Amy was taken aback by Catelyn¡¯s cold rage. She turned to Ivan and started crying, acting vulnerable.¡± Uncle Ivan, look at what Catelyn is saying! I did take it seriously¡­¡± Ivan was irritated by the arguments. He looked at Amy and asked, ¡°If you did take it seriously, where¡¯s your submission? If yours is better than Catelyn¡¯s, I¡¯m open to changing my mind anytime.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amy¡¯s eyes twitched and uttered under her breath, ¡°I¡¯m not done with it yet¡­¡± ¡°Then why are you throwing a fit? Did I say I¡¯ll stop giving you other tasks or stop guiding you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just irritated that you¡¯d let an Amarican be in charge of this¡­¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you questioning my ability and decision?¡± warned Ivan, his expression darkening. Amy silently shook her head. Ivan thus looked away and ordered Catelyn to finish the task soonest. Amy, unable to formte any response, waited for Ivan to leave before ring at Catelyn contemptuously. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Uncle Ivan would let a university dropout take charge of building the base and mold. You must¡¯ve done something with him in private. How dirty!¡± snarled Amy through gritted teeth before she left the scene. Catelyn frowned. She did not quite understand thest bit of her sentence. ¡®Did something¡¯? What sort of things? What an odd woman she was. Catelyn decided to stay back for work that day during lunch to finish the workload given to her. She had something quick and simple for lunch and went back to the office to finish her work immediately. The office was quiet and vacant since most people were still out for lunch break. She walked past the washroom and turned to the pantry to get herself some coffee when all of a sudden, she heard what sounded like heavy panting. She followed the source of the noise and walked a few steps forward. Through the door¡¯s tiny gap, she saw a man and woman tangled in each other¡¯s arms. The man was dressed neatly as he sat on top of a shelf. The woman¡¯s long, blond hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her shirt was loose and would asionally slip off her body in the slightest movement. Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Catelyn felt disgusted at the scene as instant regret rushed up her mind Why did she give into her curiosity? What an unholy sight! Catelyn held her breath and tip-toed to leave the scene when she heard Amy uttering her name ¡°Uncle Ivan, when are you going to do the thing that you promised me? I hate that Amarican woman¡¯s guts Heck she even embarrassed you when we were at the beach! Why did you keep her around?¡± Catelyn froze in ce the moment she overheard Amy¡¯s words, Amy hated her so much that she would trade her body for it, it seemed What would Ivan say next? Were they nning on firing her? Catelyn listened carefully, and what Ivan said next was¡­ ¡°Catelyn is pretty talented when ites to building the base and mold. I¡¯ll keep her around until she hands me the finished product, and I¡¯ll kick her out afterward.¡± ¡°There are plenty of people who¡¯s able to perform well. Why does it have to be her, an Amarican?¡± whined Amy as she shook and twisted her body in an unsightly way. Ivan gasped. His eyes were filled with lust as he groaned under his breath, ¡°Oh, baby, you¡¯re driving me nuts.¡± Catelyn no longer wanted to stay and listen to the rest of the conversation. Nothing good was going to come out anyway. She did not expect that those two were in such a rtionship. The thing about Amy¡¯s father and Ivan being friends must have been made up since Amy probably got into thepany through secret arrangements like this! Catelyn looked at the screen, losing her motivationpletely as she knew she had to finish the product and give it to Ivan After about 10 or so minutes, Amy walked into the office as she hummed a song and twisted her hips. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. She thought the office was empty until she saw Catelyn. She was stunned in ce for a brief moment before pretending to be casual and continued humming her tune. Catelyn suppressed the rush of emotions within her and put on her headphones, turning the volume up to drown out everything. Cedrick came to pick her up from work that night. Even then, Catelyn¡¯s head was upied with Amy and Ivan¡¯s conversation, and she was furious. She regretted leaving the scene so quickly. She should have stayed longer to listen since they might have been nning on how to kick her out of thepany. ¡°Mommy,¡± Ollie caringly called out to her, ¡°what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Nothing much Just something from work.¡± Catelyn snapped out of her mini trance and gave Ollie a grin. Cedrick sat in the driver¡¯s seat and saw Catelyn¡¯s smile in the mirror His face sank. She had not smiled at him like that ever since he came all the way to Franch for her. ¡°I¡¯m flying to Italey tomorrow,¡± Cedrick chimed in, breaking the mother and sons¡¯ conversation. Miles pped, ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± he remarked. Cedrick sourly replied, ¡°You seem happy.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m happy that I don¡¯t have to see your face,¡± said Miles with raised eyebrows, visibly ecstatic. Ollie, on the other hand, showed no strong reaction as he calmly asked, ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°One week,¡± answered Cedrick as he then looked at Catelyn. ¡°Behave when I¡¯m gone for a week. Remember what you promised me. I need an answer in a week.¡± Catelyn paused for a brief moment and remembered their promise about her and George¡¯s engagement. He promised to not go after her for custody if she called off the engagement. It was a very simple task, seeing that she was never engaged to George in the first ce. However, she did feel sorry for George. With that, Catelyn closed her eyes as she remained silent. Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Miles pouted and shrugged regretfully. ¡°Aww¡­ Big Demon will only be away for a week.¡± ¡°Stop being so irritating!¡± Cedrick¡¯s grip on the steering wheel tightened. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you learned to lie and steal at such a young age! You better not annoy me anymore, or the elders will be waiting in the Old House to discipline you.¡± Miles leaned into Catelyn¡¯s arms. ¡°Hmph. Did you hear a crow cawing or something, Mommy? It¡¯s annoying.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Catelyn was speechless. Meanwhile, Ollie opened a water bottle and handed it to Cedrick when he saw the veins on his forehead bulging. ¡°You seem to be sweating, Father. Drink some water to calm down.¡± Cedrick shot him a nce before he took the bottle. ¡°I¡¯m not a father to you, am I?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Father the one who chose Aunt Maia and abandoned us?¡± Ollie had begged Cedrick not to do so, yet he did not listen and even pulled his hand off of him. Ever since then, Ollie had been brooding. Oddly, Cedrick found no sorrow in Ollie¡¯s bright eyes. He was put to silence by Ollie¡¯s rhetorical question. Soon, they arrived. Cedrick walked them downstairs and did not go upstairs. Catelyn and the children needed to catch their flight. Both kids climbed upstairs to open the door. Catelyn initially intended to catch them up but was stopped by Cedrick. ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± ¡°The doctor said that your wound must be kept away from water. Change the medicine every two days. I¡¯ll have Eason stay around. If you need anything or want to go anywhere, let him apany you.¡± Catelyn could see her tiny reflection in Cedrick¡¯s pupils. He seemed very serious. Still, it felt as though his aggressive side was gone at this point, and she felt that he was somehow closer to her at that very moment. ¡°I see,¡± answered Catelyn in a light tone. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be heading up now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± Cedrick stubbornly took a step forward and was only half a meter away from Catelyn as he did. Cedrick¡¯s approach was still antipathetic to Catelyn. She instinctively wanted to step back but eventually suppressed her urge to run away. She asked earnestly, ¡°And what about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be flying to Italeyter, and I won¡¯t be back until a weekter.¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯ve mentioned it in the car just now.¡± Catelyn could not understand why Cedrick had to repeat himself. She never knew, however, how Cedrick had been clenching and loosening his fist in his pocket recurrently as he tried to suppress his emotions. ¡°Take good care of the children and yourself. I¡¯lle to see you as soon as Ie back. Don¡¯t try to escape, or I¡¯ll take it as you provoking me.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve caught me once, I won¡¯t run away foolishly again. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll take good care of them.¡± After making a solemn promise and seeing that Cedrick had nothing else to say, Catelyn turned around and went upstairs. The moment Catelyn slowly disappeared into the corridor, Cedrick took out a ck ring box. There was a reddish mark on his palm since he had gripped it in a vice-like grip. He smiled bitterly. He knew even if he had given it to her just seconds ago, she would have thrown it away without hesitation. ¡®What were you thinking?¡¯ he mused to himself. ¡®What did you say after the rockery that day?¡¯ Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Chapter 457 That night, Joanne had begged to see Miles and Ollie through texts, thus Catelyn relented and video called her. Fortunately, Joanne was on a break from filming a night scene, so she had time to spare. At that moment, Catelyn had a moisturizing face mask on, which made it difficult for her to move her head. Meanwhile, Miles was massaging her while Ollie fed both Catelyn and Miles bits of fruit. The three of them were practically glued to one another, squeezing their heads in front of the phone when Joanne picked up the call. She envied how lovely the family was as she whined repeatedly, ¡°That¡¯s unfair!¡± She had wanted to give birth to such lovely twins too for a long time. Shortly afterward, when it was half past nine, the boys went to bed obediently. When Catelyn finished up with her skincare, she started gossiping with Joanne about the things that happened in thepany. ¡°Those two hooked up? God, why is Amy that annoying?! She not only discriminates against people, but she even slept with the old man! Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s loathsome?¡± Catelyn was piqued because Joanne had missed the whole point. ¡°Girl, that¡¯s not the point. What should I do next?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. Don¡¯t worry, Cat. Since Ivan still values your talent, he won¡¯t drive you out so quickly! The most important thing now is to not leave any loose ends behind.¡± She then continued after a pause, ¡°How about you report to your boss about the filthy rtionship they had?¡± ¡°Ivan has been serving thepany for years. He has won many awards and sessfully carried out many projects over the years. Do you think thepany will fire him just because of his affair with Amy? We want to catch him red-handed, not spook him.¡± Joanne struggled toe out with a new idea as she scratched her head. ¡°Well, let¡¯s pretend we don¡¯t know anything and wait for a chance. We can secretly collect evidence from now.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the only way to do it.¡± A thought then crossed Catelyn¡¯s mind as she added, ¡°How are you doing recently? I haven¡¯t heard much about you.¡± Joanne¡¯s expression faltered as she sighed deeply. ¡°Ourpany will soon go bankrupt, and the fate of our future is unpredictable. My contract is still in their hands, and I don¡¯t know what to do when the timees.¡± ¡°Bankrupt?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m the only actress who earns money because of thepany¡¯s poor management.¡± Joanne was an optimisticdy and was rarely mncholic. Fortunately, her sadness did notst long, and she soon started gossipping about other stuff. ¡°Oh, Cat, did you know that our old arrogant, L, is back again?¡± Catelyn was shocked. She had not paid much attention to Sapphire City for a long time, so she could not help but ask, ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange. Earlier, Master Cedrick ordered to suppress the Atherton family¡¯s business. Although the Old Lady Atherton had helped the family, they lost all their business contracts in the end. But guess what? To our surprise, Master Cedrick has now taken the initiative to help the Atherton family! Some reporters even spotted L meeting with Master Cedrick privately.¡± L and Cedrick? Catelyn knew that L used to be deeply infatuated with him. She felt a twinge of paining from the wound on her back all of a sudden. She did not even want to take the medicine Cedrick bought for her. At that moment, she was annoyed and disconcerted. Catelyn did not sleep well that night. Still, she managed by lying on her chest to not irritate her wound. Time ticked by, and dawn came not long after. The doorbell rang. Having learned the lesson from a past incident, Catelyn looked out through the cat¡¯s eye before slowly opening the door. To her surprise, arge bouquet of beautiful gardenias greeted her first. She then suspiciously opened the door even more, and Edwin¡¯s face showed up from behind the bouquet. ¡°It¡¯s been a century, Kitty! Did you miss me?¡± Edwin handed the gardenias to Catelyn. It was not a season of gardenias, yet Edwin went through the trouble to bring her these!N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ted to have reunited with a friend in a foreign country, Catelyn simply replied, ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to invite me to go in and have a seat?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Catelyn took the bouquet from Edwin and moved aside to let him in. At this point, Ollie and Miles had just gotten out of bed, sleepily rubbing their eyes before they spotted Edwin standing in the living room. They instantly perked up and called out to him. ¡°Uncle Edwin?¡± ¡°Uncle Sissy?¡± Edwin gave them the gifts he had brought for them. He then studied the cramped two-bedroom apartment and praised, ¡°Not bad. You managed to keep the house clean, even though you¡¯re living with two kids! It¡¯s a blessing to whoever will marry you in the future. Catelyn sheepishly smiled as she ced the gardenias in a vase. ¡°Why did you suddenlye to Franche?¡± ¡°If I said I came to see you with Cedrick, would you believe it?¡± ¡°I will, if you give me one million dors,¡± joked Catelyn. Catelyn indescribably trusted Edwin, probably because he had helped her many times before. Edwinughed. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Cedrick will give you that, even if you asked for ten million!¡± Not wanting to talk about Cedrick, Catelyn changed their topic, saying, ¡°By the way, have you eaten? I was cooking when you arrived. Do you want to eat with us?! Edwin was a discerning and sensible person, so he epted it immediately. ¡°If you insist, I¡¯ll be your free cuisine connoisseur and see if you need to improve in any aspect. Don¡¯t mention it!¡± Catelyn rolled her eyes at him. She did not feel that Edwin was good at pleasingdies as rumor had it. Edwin seemed to have guessed what she was thinking, so he grabbed a chair and satzily with his slender legs folded wantonly. ¡°Those gold-digging women were all superficial. They¡¯re easy to please as long as you give a little something.¡± I¡¯m superficial, too. Please, insult me with your money!¡¯ joked Catelyn to herself. During breakfast, Edwin mentioned that he hade with Cedrick. He came to visit because Cedrick had gone to Italey, and he felt bored and alone. asionally, he talked about how difficult it was for him to solve the mess left back in thepany after Catelyn had fled with the twins. It did not help that the powerful, high-status Mason family also coveted his position as CEO for a long time. It took Cedrick a great deal of effort to stabilize everything. Catelyn and the two children did not seem to care. However, Miles pouted and mumbled secretly about how he would not have exposed crucial information had he not hurt Catelyn in the backstage room. Catelyn kept eating silently. After the meal, Catelyn tried to shrug off all negative emotions and returned to VSA Company. Ever since she discovered Amy and Ivan¡¯s horrendous affair, she could not look directly at the office. The way Amy called Ivan ¡®Uncle Ivan¡¯ disgusted her, too. Fortunately, Ivan still needed her model, and that seemed to remind Amy that she would do better than provoke her for the next few days. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Catelyn ended up working overtime and finished the initial model before sending it to Ivan. The continental decoration in Ivan¡¯s office was extravagant and elegant. Every piece of furniture was designed ording to his preferences. Ivan made an excuse to have Jolene leave the office, leaving only him and Catelyn inside. Ivan then slowly crossed his legs, slightly bent his fingers, and tapped his desk. He asked with a half smile, ¡°Catelyn, what do you think of my desk?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 459 Chapter 459 ¨C Chapter 459 CHINESE ¡°Looks nice. It looks like a high-end custom-made desk. I guess it costs a lot of money, doesn¡¯t it?¡± NO ¡°I had someone customize this desk to my liking, and the shipping fee cost me hundreds of thousands of pounds.¡± LOLA Catelyn noticed how Ivan wore shorts that dragged up to reveal his thighs when he crossed his legs. The sight appalled her. 11 Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. To her, Cedrick¡¯s body hair was more pleasing than his. Her eyes sank. She had no idea why she had thought of Cedrick all of a sudden, but she quickly detached herself from the feeling. Shortly afterward, Ivan piped up once more, asking, ¡°Do you know the exchange rate between pounds and your country? In other words, this desk is worth a sports car in your country.¡± CIU Yep, he was a jerk, alright. Did he, like Amy, think she came from a rural vige and had never seen the world? ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m surprised! You can buy an expensive sports car with the amount used to have this small desk?¡± Catelyn exaggerated her doubtful expression. Ivan failed to see her smirk. ¡°Your model looks good to me, but there are a few modifications that I¡¯d like to suggest. Are you free after getting off in the evening? Let¡¯s have a drink together.¡± Catelyn declined, ¡°I still have a lot of work to do.¡± ¡°Amy can help you.¡± (D . ¡°I¡¯m used to doing my work myself, and I have two sons at home who don¡¯t like me drinking.¡± Y WO 11 Surprisingly, Ivan was not angry when she refused. He squinted maliciously at her. 1 = ¡°You should know that if our coborating partner chooses your model, you¡¯ll get famous in Franche. And from that, you can reach a new peak in your career.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m aware of my capability.¡± ni. Ym4 PLE ¡°What if I say that even if they choose mine eventually, I still can tell them that¡¯s your design?¡± WEST LLLLLL LLLLL LL ¡°How can I ask for that?¡± Catelyn shook her head with a surprised look and righteously added, ¡°That won¡¯t be fair for you.¡± ELDING TO Ivan would be a true fool at this point if rejecting his innuendo. notprehend that Catelyn was circling around VI Ivan sneered. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve decided to be up against me.¡± ¡°Amy, you came just in time! The manager said that he has something to discuss with you¡­¡± Catelyn hurriedly stopped Amy when she spotted Amy passing by with documents in her hands. Amy turned her head and saw Catelyn smiling at her. She thought Catelyn had learned from her mistakes and wanted to please her, so she arrogantly ordered Catelyn, ¡°Go and make a copy of these documents for me, and put them on my deskter.¡± Catelyn had never been so grateful to Amy as she was at this moment. ¡°Alright.¡± She took the documents and ran away, Amy, not knowing what happened, gave Ivan a sweet smile. ¡°Uncle Ivan, what¡¯s yourmand?¡± What awaited her was Ivan¡¯s sarcasm. Amy visibly shrank from his roar, thinking she had done something wrong. Edwin had nothing to do that afternoon, so he came to pick up Catelyn for authentic diner food. Catelyn had been thinking about it too, so she epted the invitation. In the restaurant, Edwin mentioned that he was busy dealing with something in Amarica, so he might not stay any longer in Franche. ¡°You¡¯re heading back soon?¡± The food was so good that Catelyn¡¯s lips were stained with oil and sauce as she ate. With a smile on his face, Edwin sweetly handed her a napkin. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to leave so soon, I can consider staying with you for a bit longer.¡± ¡°But you still need to work,¡± responded Catelyn smilingly. As the two of them were talking, the door of the private room suddenly opened from the outside. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Chapter 460 The overwhelming smell of cheap perfume wafted in through the door as Catelyn spotted Amy walking in. She wore a sexy camisole with a low neckline and a long coat. Catelyn stopped her hand that held a ss of juice when she saw the smiling Amy. ¡°Cat, how could you not include me? Seriously, you¡¯re dating a gorgeous man without telling me about it?¡± Amy sat next to Catelyn and stretched her hand toward Edwin with her pinkie finger raised. ¡°Hello, handsome! I¡¯m Amy, Cat¡¯s colleague. You sent her to thepanyst time, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡®She¡¯s calling me Cat? Since when were we close?¡¯ Catelyn satirized. Edwin could already tell their rtionship just by paying attention to Catelyn¡¯s expression. He ced down the cutlery in his hand gracefully and sped his fingers with Amy¡¯s. When he released his hand, his fingertips seemed to slip through her palm inadvertently. The action made her skin tingle as her cheeks turned red and her beautiful eyes glowed shyly. This was the first time Catelyn saw Amy being shy, not to mention that it was in front of an Amarican man. ¡°Hello, Miss Amy. Edwin. Edwin Atherton.¡± ¡°Edwin Atherton,¡± Amy repeated Edwin¡¯s name politely without being contemptuous. ¡°What a nice name. Your name matches well with mine.¡± Edwin slightly raised his eyebrows. ¡°Great minds think alike.¡± Amy¡¯s eyes widened at his response as she quickly took out several hotel experience coupons from her purse. ¡°A new five-star hotel has opened on the opposite street. Do you want to try it?¡± ¡®She¡¯s that straightforward?!¡¯ Catelyn was shocked. Edwin nced at Catelyn before replying, ¡°My apologies, but my time has been reserved for my friend.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just call a cab to send her back to thepany!¡± Amy gave Edwin a good once-over. She did not know that Catelyn was popr among good-looking Amarican men, and their looks were not in the slightest inferior to the Franch. Edwin passed the question to Catelyn, ¡°Kitty, Miss Amy seems to be very enthusiastic. Do you think i should go?¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Catelyn wanted to refute that that had nothing to do with her, but she suddenly thought of what Amy and Ivan had been doing in the office. She frowned. Amy¡¯s personal life seemed to be quite messy, but Edwin¡¯s seemed to be more chaotic. Neither of them was someone easy-going. Catelyn did not answer the question straightforwardly. ¡°I¡¯m quite busy in the afternoon. You can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Cat agreed. Mr. Atherton, don¡¯t be so heartless!¡± Amy deliberately distorted Catelyn¡¯s meaning, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she did. Edwin held his chin, then took the experience coupons that Amy handed over. Catelyn was about to leave after lunch. Before leaving, she looked at both of them and whispered into Edwin¡¯s ear, ¡°Be careful. You might not want to get yourself any sex-rted diseases.¡± Then, she left with Amy¡¯s impatient look. The next morning, Amy seemed to be in a good mood as she was being talkative and instructive in the office Jolene secretly motioned to Catelyn to ask what had happened. Catelyn pretended to be ignorant and shrugged, but deep down, she was mystified. Did Amy get what she wantedst night? Since when does Edwin have such a strong desire that he¡¯s not picky about his partner?¡¯ Chapter 461 Chapter 461 Chapter 461 ¡°Catelyn, for the sake of your sense of humor yesterday, I kindly remind you¡­¡± said Amy as she haughtily walked up to Catelyn, ¡°that it¡¯s toote for you to resign now.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be something that bothers you.¡± ¡°Hmph. You¡¯ll regret that you¡¯ve taken my kindness as malice today. If it weren¡¯t for Mister Atherton, 1 wouldn¡¯t even care to tell you this.¡± Amy hummed a little tune and walked away with a grin. The suspicion in Catelyn¡¯s heart reached its peak at that moment. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She could not help but secretly phoned Edwin and got straight to the point, ¡°Did you really¡­ with Amy?¡± ¡°What?¡± Edwin teased. Catelyn gritted her teeth and spoke in a deep tone, ¡°Get in bed!¡± ¡°She dared to bluff about that, huh?¡± Edwin sneered in disdain. ¡°Do you think I like that kind of chick?¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t even touch her?¡± ¡®Why was she so haughty, then?¡¯ wondered Catelyn to herself. Edwin did not exin the matter as he yfully responded, ¡°You sound like you want me to bed her or something.¡± ¡°You wish!¡± Although Catelyn did not know Edwin very well, she did not want him to catch filthy things, so she kindly reminded him, ¡°You better take a medical examination if you guys did anything. Her personal life seems to be¡­not so prudent.¡± Catelyn felt like she had given enough hints to Edwin. He should be able to get what she meant with how sharp he was. Edwinughed ambiguously at the other end of the phone. ¡°You seldom care so much about me, Kitty, I¡¯m touched! But don¡¯t think of me too badly. Although I¡¯m not a good person, I don¡¯t easily fall for any woman either.¡± ¡®What? Well, it seems that he didn¡¯t take Amy seriously after all.¡¯ That night, Edwin brought Catelyn and the two children to eat diner food again. Since he was to return to Sapphire City the next day, Catelyn thought this could be a decent farewell meal for him. ¡°Take this.¡± When they finished the meal, Edwin took out a sh drive from his pocket and handed it to Catelyn. She wiped the oil stains on the mouths of both Miles and Ollie before staring at the item suspiciously, What¡¯s in that thing?¡± ¡°Why do you ask so many questions? Just keep it safe, and take it out to have a look when you¡¯re not happy.¡± Edwin stood up and went to pay the bill, seemingly towering with his tall and muscr form. He ruffled Catelyn¡¯s hair gently as he walked past her. Catelyn squinted at the big palm on top of her head and was speechless. Edwin always treated her like a child by messing up her hair. ¡®Why don¡¯t you pat the two boys like that?¡¯ she thought. Keeping the sh drive, Catelyn then said to her sons, ¡°Wait here for a while. I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± they answered in unison. Catelyn stood before the sink in the bathroom as she gently sshed water onto her cheeks. Ady was standing next to her, applying lipstick. Thedy deliberately peeked at Catelyn and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, you must¡¯ve been sticking to your skincare routine strictly.¡± Catelyn raised her head and got a better look at the woman. She was a beautiful and tall Franch woman. After meeting her gaze in the mirror for a moment, Catelyn returned a smile. ¡°Thank you! You¡¯re very beautiful yourself.¡± Thedy soon left. While Catelyn wiped off the water droplets on her hands, she spotted a delicate-looking red leather purse on the sink. She suddenly thought of the Franchdy and immediately ran out of the washroom. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you forgot your purse!¡± shouted Catelyn at the door. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Chapter 462 What shocked Catelyn was that in just a few seconds, thedy had disappeared. Even as she looked around, the Franchdy was nowhere in sight. In the end, she handed the bag to the lost-and-found counter in the restaurant. Little did she know that her kind act would bring her big trouble in the future. Somewhere in Italey, Cedrick had just finished his work. He habitually opened his mailbox and saw an email from Eason. He had instructed Eason to report Catelyn¡¯s daily routine to him every day, after all. There were a few photos attached to the email, which were photos of Catelyn eating with Edwin the two little children. One caught Cedrick¡¯s attention the most. It was a photo of Edwin putting his hand on Catelyn¡¯s head, and he even stared at Catelyn so fondly. Cedrick¡¯s gaze sharpened. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. George was irritating enough, but at this point, he might also have to deal with Edwin. Catelyn had a gentle smile in the photo, while the two kids ate happily. Their eyes were narrowed into crescents as their cheeks blushed prominently. Cedrick felt his heart hurt. They had never been that happy with him. Charles was handling the remaining chores for Cedrick, but he immediately detected the drastic change in Cedrick¡¯s demeanor as the man tensed. He lined up with Cedrick¡¯s sight and nced at the monitor. It was what he had guessed. It was something rted to Miss rk again. If Master Cedrick could forget the past he shared with her, why would he bother following her to Franche? ¡°Master Cedrick, if you miss Miss rk, a phone call will solve your problem.¡± Cedrick nced at the time disyed on the monitor¡¯s lower right corner. It was already 10 p.m. Descending into a sour mood, he lit up a cigarette and started smoking. ¡°Why can¡¯t she call me?¡± Charles kept silent. ¡®Because it was you who couldn¡¯t let go.¡¯ ¡°I can fight for the children¡¯s custody if I want. She shoulde to please me!¡± hissed Cedrick harshly, yet it evidently disyed how awkward he felt too. However, when he looked up at the dark sky through the window, he thought about Catelyn and their children in Franche. Are they sleeping now?¡¯ Charles was speechless. After a while, he suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll ask awyer to file awsuit against Miss rk tomorrow. She¡¯ll surely come to you on her own initiative after that.¡± Cedrick glimpsed coldly at Charles Charles then faked a smile, took the document, and left the room. The huge Presidential Suite fell intoplete silence at that moment. Cedrick went to take a shower and returned to the empty room afterward. He could not help but turn on theputer again. One photo after another, he could only reach out to his loved ones by sliding his fingers on the screen. She dressed up so nicely, but It was not for him. Back in Catelyn¡¯s residence in Franche, Catelyn was woken up by a phone call at dawn. She had been working overtime and staying upte for her modeltely, so she had nned to take a long sleep. She nced at the two kids that were sleeping soundly before walking to the balcony to pick the phone up. ¡°Hello?¡± She heard no response. Catelyn suspected that the caller had made a wrong call, so she nced at the screen and noticed that the caller ID disyed Cedrick¡¯s name. Immediately, she bit her lip and stopped talking. She did not know what to say. Previous Chapter Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Although he did not make it clear that he wanted the children¡¯s custody, Cedrick had always been unpredictable, so he might change his mind at any point. Hearing Catelyn¡¯s breaths, he realized how the pent-up anger and sadness he felt before inexplicably dissipated. ¡°Are you still here?¡± Catelyn was baffled as to why Cedrick did not even say a thing. ¡°Did you make the wrong call? I¡¯ll hang up-¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± came Cedrick¡¯s response before she could hang up the phone. His deep voice sounded vague in the dawn. Even so, Catelyn tensed when she heard his voice. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you calling this early in the morning?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I call you even if I have nothing to say?¡± He sounded rather stiff and somewhat angry altogether. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be quite busy.¡± Catelyn was guessing that he was too bored and had spare time that he called her to talk about such a boring topic. The atmosphere turned awkward all of a sudden. Cedrick was sitting in front of his desk with the ck ring box on the table. He opened the box and looked at the ring attentively. The ring was created by her as an idea when she participated in the Chandier Jewelry Competition. He pursed his pale lips and asked, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in two days. Is there anything you want as a gift?¡± Catelyn thought he was talking about the two children as she answered naturally, ¡°You can bring anything for Miles and Ollies. They won¡¯t hate that.¡± Then, the atmosphere became awkward again. However, Catelyn could make out how Cedrick¡¯s breathing quickened. She immediately added after a short pause, ¡°Miles recently likes to read books about space and technology, so you can buy some gifts in this regard. Ollie doesn¡¯t care much; you can give him a toy model.¡± She always wanted Ollie to retain a piece of his childishness. Cedrick closed the ring box with a ck and asked quietly, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any gift you want?¡± This caught her off-guard. ¡°I have my loved ones by my side, and that¡¯s all I can ever ask for. I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s nothing I need for now.¡± He fell silent again, and this time, the silence remained for a good few seconds. Just when Catelyn thought he would not answer anymore, he suddenly spoke, albeit in a hushed tone, ¡°1 see. Wait for me toe back.¡± Catelyn responded lightly. She stared at the screen of her phone that showed the call had ended, thinking about the conversation they had just had. Her drowsiness had vanished at this point. She looked into the distance in silence and thought, ¡®Did he yerine call this early in the morning just to ask what gift I want?¡¯ The gift she wanted the most was the custody of her two children¡­but that was the most effective leverage that he was holding against her. He surely would not let go of it so easily. Later on, Catelyn prepared breakfast for the two kids, then went to a supermarket for milk powder-they were running low on that. The two children were premature babies, so she needed to make sure they drank powdered milk every day. At first, Ollie did not like it. The obedient boy was particrly stubborn about drinking milk. Because of that, Catelyn even bought milk powder for women to drink with him, just so she could coax him to drink milk. On her way, however, she received a text from Ivan. Surprisingly, he had lost his arrogant manner and sounded polite in the text. He was asking her to go to thepany in the afternoon. Because Catelyn did not receive any notification beforehand, she had to rush to thepany. When she arrived in the office, she heard her colleagues gossiping about the design director having chosen her model. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn came up with the overall idea of the model, from the general setting to those details. However, Ivan added some features to her slightly imperfect design, and it instantly became unique. The model had been sent to the investingpany. Catelyn was initially happy to hear the news, but her mood was ruined when she found out that Ivan had signed to be the beneficiary. That was her design, yet Ivan would be taking the money! William, the director, even publicly praised Ivan for his bold design, saying that was out of the box. Catelyn found Ivan in the office, sipping coffee in his iconic shorts and slippers. He looked into the distance as he held his cup of coffee. He was not surprised when he saw Catelyne in angrily. ¡°Manager, shouldn¡¯t you give me an exnation for this?¡± Ivan was not even fazed when he was caught. He took out a check from the drawer and said, ¡°Is this money enough? I¡¯ve bought your design.¡± She nced at the check. It was not signed, and there was a series of numbers written on it. It was a total of 15000 dors. ¡°I don¡¯t want the money. I just want the authorship.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Catelyn. No one will believe you even if you tell them that¡¯s your model. The customers will only think that you¡¯re cheating. Calm down, and take the money. I can tell the others that you¡¯ve also participated in designing the model, so you would be regarded as the second designer, though barely.¡± She sneered, ¡°So you¡¯re the first designer?¡± ¡°Am I not?¡± Ivan shrugged solemnly. ¡°The wholepany has witnessed how hard I¡¯ve worked for this projecttely.¡± Ivan¡¯s shameless manner had truly disgusted Catelyn. ¡®How could there be such a shameless person?¡¯ The man should feel embarrassed the moment he stole her model and gave it to their investing partner. However, he was so shameless to the extent that he confidently emphasized how hard he had worked for ¡®Is your effort f*cking with Amy in the office?¡¯ Catelyn was furious at this point. Knowing that it was useless to talk to him any further, Catelyn nned to find director William. However, Amy and William arrived at the door when she was about to leave. Behind the two were a few men in suits and leather shoes. They wore uniform suits with red armbands near their elbows, representing the authority of the Investigation Department. VSA Company had set up an Investigation Department to tackle internal corruption. Catelyn had a bad feeling when she saw them approach her aggressively. Not a minuteter, Amy pointed at her and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s her! I want to report this lowly Amarican woman for epting bribes! She was an undercover agent sent by otherpanies to steal our ¡°What undercover agent? Don¡¯t you dare lie!¡± Catelyn clenched her fists tightly. Her breath was cold as she stared at Amy coldly. ¡°I¡¯ve worked for VSA Company earnestly for a long time, and everyone knows you¡¯ve always disliked and belittled me for being an Amarican. How could you frame me as undercover? Do you have any evidence?!¡± ¡°You want evidence? I¡¯ll make you shut up with that!¡± Amy evilly grinned, took out her phone from her purse, and yed a video. It was a recording outside of the diner¡¯s washroom that Catelyn went to that night. She entered after a Franchdy had walked in before her. That was the same woman she had talked to, the woman who had a red purse when Catelyn walked in. When the woman walked out, the purse was gone. Soon, the recording showed that Catelyn walked out of the bathroom at a fast pace with the purse in her hands. Catelyn frowned. She did not realize what the video was meant for. ¡°What kind of evidence is this? She forgot her purse, so I chased after her to return it. How could someone use me of being an undercover agent by returning a lost property?¡± . Strong Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Chapter 465 ¡°Director, she¡¯s making it up.¡± Amy raised her head proudly, nced at Catelyn, and said, ¡°I secretly recorded this! I saw it with my own eyes! That woman filled her purse with money and gave it to Catelyn!¡± At that very moment, the onlookers burst into an uproar and discussion. ¡°My, my! Is Catelyn a mole in thepany?¡± ¡°That purse does seem loaded with money¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Catelyn would be such a person. They trade in the bathroom to avoid being photographed, right?¡± Hearing her colleagues discussing her, Catelyn felt a chill running through her body, and her limbs stiffened. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Catelyn realized, at that moment, that thedy had deliberately left the purse that day. She had tricked Catelyn to notice her purse by taking the initiative to talk to her. Amy had tricked her. Jolene quickly stepped forward to support Catelyn when she saw her about to faint. She tried to defend her, ¡°Director, I believe in Catelyn. She¡¯s nothing like the person they¡¯re cursing. I¡¯ve witnessed her staying upte and working overtime to finish the model. It¡¯s impossible,¡± ¡°Jolene, what do you mean by that?¡± Ivan suddenly stood up and interrupted Jolene. He stared at Jolene sternly as hemented, ¡°I know that you and Catelyn are both from the Amarica, but I want to tell you that I was shocked and sad too when I found out that Catelyn would do anything to achieve her goal. Look! She gave me a check for fifteen thousand dors just now to buy me off, so I could give her the authorship of the second designer!¡± ; Ivan then took out the check that Catelyn did not ept. The amount on the check was exactly 15000 dors, and Catelyn¡¯s name was written in the nk space of the signature. The handwriting¡¯s ink had dried up. It did not seem like it was fabricated. Ivan has been working in thepany for many years, so his utterance carried great weight. The more righteous he sounded, the more people would believe him. At this moment, many pairs of eyes stared at Catelyn with disdain. ¡®It¡¯s not surprising. Lowly people do lowly things.¡¯ Catelyn stared at the signature on the check, and her heart ached because of her anger. She could not believe how shameless they were! ¡°I didn¡¯t! You were the one who was trying to buy me off! You want to shut me up because the model you handed over to William was designed by me!¡± Everyone was surprised at Catelyn¡¯s outburst as they began whispering to one another. Not only did Ivan not panic, but he was even more distressed. ¡°I always thought you were a potential designer, but I didn¡¯t expect you to use me of stealing your design. You¡¯re just a rookie. Why would I need to steal your work? Catelyn, I¡¯m so disappointed in you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve disgraced your country with your behavior!¡± Amy¡¯s arrogance grew, retorting with all the sarcasm Catelyn used to aim against her. Then, she turned to William and said, ¡°Director, you¡¯ve heard all the facts now. It¡¯s time to send her to jail.¡± William was livid. He suddenly recalled what happened at the resort that day. When Cedrick arrived at the scene, Catelyn seemed to fall on him on purpose to seek his attention. It was not surprising at all to know a person like her would sell thepany¡¯s confidentialities for the sake of money. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that I thought you were talented and recruited you!¡± ¡°No!¡± Catelyn stared pleadingly into William¡¯s eyes, ¡°Director, please, believe me! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in the purse, and I didn¡¯t make any so-called trade with thatdy. I designed that model Ivan showed you! Ivan-¡± ¡°Enough!¡± William did not want to listen anymore. Between a new designer who had just joined for a month and a well-known designer who had already made a name for himself, of course he would believe in thetter. Catelyn could tell from William¡¯s expression that he had deemed her as the bad guy. ¡°Director, give Catelyn another chance! She can¡¯t possibly be a mole¡­¡± Jolene desperately pleaded for Catelyn. However, William waved his hand and said impatiently, ¡°Thepany has decided to suspend you for inspection. Once more definite evidence is found, we¡¯ll call the police and resolutely defend the Jolene wanted to retort, but Catelyn grabbed the hem of her sleeve. She was relieved already that Jolene was still willing to voice out for her at a time like this, but she also knew that there was nothing they could do to change the situation. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Catelyn could not do anything¡­unless she gathered evidence that Amy and Ivan were in cahoots on this mess. It was ridiculous. She knew that they had been setting her up for this, but she did not even notice it. Looking at Ivan¡¯s level of proficiency, who knew how many rookie designers had fallen prey to this trick of his. They could either take the money or be framed by him to be banished from thepany! Catelyn silently packed her things and left the VSA Company building in despair, all while Amy viciously stared at her. Meanwhile, Eason has been following Catelyn from a distance. Before Cedrick left, he instructed Eason to pick up Catelyn and the two boys, and Catelyn would usually not turn him down. Additionally, Eason would take a few photos and send them to Cedrick. Today, however, something seemed off with Catelyn. Something was wrong. Eason quickly took a few more photos and sent them to Cedrick¡¯s mailbox before he got out of the car and walked toward Catelyn. ¡°Miss rk, are you okay?¡± Raising her gaze, Catelyn noticed it was Eason. She took a deep breath and squeezed out a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°You seem a little different today. Is something wrong?¡± asked Eason out of concern. Catelyn did not answer, however. She just wanted to be alone. She could not just carry on after what happened in thepany. If she was convicted of her ¡®crimes¡¯, her future would be ruined. Bing an architect had been her biggest dream, and she could not give up just because of a few viins. ¡ª¡ª Eason did not pressure Catelyn to answer him. ¨C ¨C Soon, he received a call from Cedrick. ¡°What¡¯s up with these photos?¡± he asked. Catelyn was strolling on the nearby road in the afternoon. She wanted to think of what her next step should be, but she drew a nk. At that moment, the whole conflict with Amy and Ivan was put aside, and so was the episode of Cedrick and L. She even put away her thoughts about Miles and Ollie for the moment. At this moment, she felt unusually calm. Ever since Cedrick resurfaced in her life, Catelyn¡¯s nerves had been strung tight. Moreover, she was busy designing a model for her job. She had no personal space at all. Amy and Ivan framing her like that¡­actually opened an opportunity for Catelyn to finally rx a little. As the evening approached, it started raining. Since Catelyn did not bring an umbre, she inevitably got wet She was nning to go to the nearby supermarket to buy an umbre, but on her way, the rain got heavier. She raised her face slightly, allowing the raindrops to fall on her face. Suddenly, she felt something covering her line of sight as a shadow was overcast on her head. Catelyn slowly opened her eyes, noticing that it was an umbre. Trailing her gaze downward, she realized Cedrick was standing right in front of her. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Chapter 467 With an umbre in one hand, Cedrick¡¯s stern features were overshadowed as the light around them illuminated him from behind. All this made his expression somewhat gloomy. Catelyn¡¯s pupils dted at the sight. She could not believe her eyes and felt as though she was hallucinating Cedrick? Was he not in Italey? ¡°Why are you standing here without an umbre? What if you catch a cold?¡± spoke Cedrick, his words uttered with an irritated undertone, making Catelyn certain that she was, in fact, not hallucinating. Due to their height difference, Cedrick¡¯s line of sight was slightly lower, overlooking Catelyn.. Catelyn¡¯s eyes met his for a moment. ¡°You¡­ You came back?¡± she blurted. ¡°You know you can call me if you need anything,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°Even if you want to catch a cold, think of the child in your belly!¡± Cedrick nced at her t stomach while forcing the umbre into her hand. He then took off his heavy coat and draped it over her thin shoulders. Catelyn was startled for a moment. Was he¡­caring about her and the child in her womb? She stammered, ¡°Cedrick, 1¨C¡± ¡°What are you waiting for? Get in the car, and I¡¯ll take you home,¡± said Cedrick.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Catelyn stopped talking and followed after him. The downpour was relentless upon them, pelting against the umbre loudly as it rained. Cedrick¡¯s temples pulsed as he watched Catelyn walking painfully slow. Suddenly, he came forward and carried her from behind. The umbre in Catelyn¡¯s hand almost fell as she stared at him, baffled. Cedrick did not even give her a second look. ¡°Hold your umbre tightly,¡± he said. Only then did Catelyn grasp the umbre a little tighter while resting against his chest, allowing him to carry her to the opposite side of the parking lot. Cedrick put Catelyn into the car before he went to the driver¡¯s seat on the other side. The rain hit him, drenching his hair wet. m! The door to the car mmed shut. Catelyn did not need to look at his face to know how displeased he was. Originally, she did not want to be bothered with him, but she could not help but feel awkward since he appeared out of nowhere like that. Catelyn took a clean towel from the storagepartment and handed it to Cedrick. She raised an eyebrow, motioning him to wipe his hair. Cedrick, however, took the towel and suddenly grabbed Catelyn¡¯s slender waist and pulled her into his arms. Before Catelyn came back to her senses, the dry towel was draped over her head as he gently dried the top of her hair, then her shoulders, and the water stains on her clothes. Cednck was evidently careful in his actions. ¡°You can just tell me if you don¡¯t want this child, and I can arrange a painless operation for you,¡± came Cedrick¡¯s gloomy voice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stand in the rain yourself like that.¡± Catelyn was speechless. Cedrick was actually thinking of this ¡®child¡¯ all the time. Did she have to be thankful to him? Catelyn suddenly felt that it would be good for him to misunderstand her. Cedrick had always been all high and mighty, and by virtue of Catelyn¡¯s status as a pregnant woman, she actually had quite a few privileges. ¡°I forgot to bring my umbre, that¡¯s all.¡± Catelyn pushed the towel back to him and slowly fastened her seatbelt. ¡°As you said, I do care about my child very much.¡± Cedrick looked at her abdomen with a dark expression. After what seemed to be a long time, he threw the towel back into the storagepartment and said casually, ¡°So, what¡¯s happening in yourpany now?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 468 Chapter 468 Chapter 468 ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Catelyn. Cedrick gave her an ambiguous expression and coldly replied, ¡°You ran out of the VSA Company building all mopey. Did someone bully you?¡± She knew it. Cedrick had Eason look out for her! ¡°The grass isn¡¯t greener on the other side. Those who look down on Amaricans will pay for it,¡± said Catelyn. Cedrick lowered his face while listening to her. ¡°I¡¯m here now,¡± he said. He meant that he could help her out. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. However, Catelyn did not seem to understand what he meant and instead asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going away for a week?¡± ¡°Those two boys didn¡¯t want to see me, so I had toe back early,¡± said Cedrick after a moment of silence. Catelyn snorted. She tilted her head and pretended to sleep. Cedrick had an urge to shake her awake, but when his eyes swept across theyer of faint bruises under the corner of her eyes, he stopped. A trace of self-humiliation rose in Cedrick¡¯s heart. When did he be so paranoid about losing her? Sure enough, Miles and Ollie were shocked to see Cedrick already back. Miles even showed his signature look of disgust. ¡°Didn¡¯t Big Demon say that he¡¯d be gone for a week? Why is he back so soon?¡± said Miles, clearly bitter that Cedrick returned so early. Although he despised Cedrick, he knew the situation clearly. If Cedrick had awsuit going on against his mother, he and his brother would have to return to Mason Estate. Catelyn changed into a pair of women¡¯s slippers at the entrance and exined to Miles, ¡°He missed you so much that he decided toe back earlier. He also bought you a gift! Are you excited?¡± ¡°No!¡± grunted Miles, his face contorting in disdain. Ollie pursed his lips, equally as reluctant to see Cedrick back so soon. In the past, when he was celebrating his birthday, Cedrick would ask Uncle Charles to choose some cool toy models for him. Otherwise, he would also give him some books. Ollie could already guess what the gift was. Catelyn was speechless. Why were the boys so disrespectful? Cedrick was just as upset upon noticing Miles and Ollie behaving so indifferently. ¡°I¡¯ve ordered two little ponies from Royal Turf Club. If you don¡¯t want them, I¡¯ll return them,¡± he said. ¡°Little ponies?¡± Gone was the look of disgust on Miles¡¯ face, reced by a bright expression instead. Ollie was just as surprised. ¡°How old are the ponies? Can we ride them already?¡± Cedrick put one hand in his pocket and nced at the shoe cab. He had not bought his slippers yet, so he simply walked in without changing his shoes. ¡°Big Demon dirtied the floor!¡± eximed Miles. ¡°It¡¯s expensive to keep two ponies. Let¡¯s return them,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°¡­can help Big Kitty mop the floorter,¡± came Miles¡¯ feeble response as he scratched his ear. He remembered the oil painting he once saw in Mason Estate. It was a painting of Ollie in a knight¡¯s attire, sitting on a pony, looking all too majestic. Miles, too, wished to have an oil painting of himself like that. However, he refused to admit that Cedrick had swayed him! Seeing that Miles had given in, Ollie looked at Cedrick with his clear eyes. ¡°Mommy has a pair ofrge slippers. Do you want to wear them?¡± The corners of Catelyn¡¯s eyes twitched. How could Cedrick wear her slippers? Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 469 Chapter 469 Chapter 469 ¡°Bring the slippers to me,¡± said Cedrick. Miles was stunned at this, and it was evident on his face. Cedrick changed into Catelyn¡¯sdy¡¯s slippers. These shoes were two sizesrger than Catelyn¡¯s usual size, but it was still too small for Cedrick¡¯s feet. He nced at the pink-colored slippers. Momentster, he quickly withdrew his gaze and kindly spoke to the boys, ¡°Let¡¯s go horseback riding next weekend.¡± Miles¡¯rge ck eyes shed with hope as he muttered under his breath, ¡°You stretched out Mommy¡¯s shoes. If you didn¡¯t wash your feet, they¡¯re probably getting stinky now!¡± ¡°Father¡¯s feet don¡¯t sweat, and they don¡¯t stink,¡± Ollie subconsciously exined. Miles immediately red at him. What a traitor. He was bought so easily! Ollie quickly defended himself, ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± ¡°Traitor!¡± eximed Miles. ¡°I¡¯m only three-and-a-half years old, so I¡¯m not ashamed even if I¡¯m a scumbag,¡± Ollie¡¯s face was sullen as he answered solemnly, which only irked Miles even more. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Instead of firing back at Ollie, Miles aimed at Cedrick. ¡°Hurry up and wash your feet, Big Demon! You stink!¡± A wicked look shed across Cedrick¡¯s eyes as he raised his feet and stretched them toward Miles¡¯ little nose, not even taking off his socks. ¡°How does it smell?¡± he asked with a smirk. Miles waved his short hands angrily as he fanned his nose. ¡°It smells terrible!¡± He ran toward Catelyn and wailed like a spoiled kid, ¡°Mommy, hurry and drive out Big Demon!¡± ¡°Since you think his feet are smelly, why don¡¯t you get a basin here and wash it for him?¡± asked Catelyn. She could see that Miles was secretly hoping for the horseback ride and thus did not expose his duplicity. Miles raised his head arrogantly. ¡°Never!¡± ¡°Father promised to take us on a horseback ride on the weekend,¡± Ollie said alertly. ¡°He gave us a gift. The least we could do is to wash his feet, and it¡¯ll be settled.¡± Miles nced at Cedrick in disgust. Cedrick nced at Miles¡¯ thin appearance. ¡°I bet he can¡¯t even carry a water basin.¡± ¡°Are you underestimating me?¡± growled Miles. Unable to refrain himself from the taunt, he quickly turned around and ran to the bathroom. Momentster, he came out with a blue water basin half-filled with water. Miles managed to carry the basin on his own, despite the water sloshing about. He raised his eyebrows slightly, showing arrogance. Catelyn was actually relieved to see the awkward rtionship between her son and Cedrick. After all, Miles did not have a father growing up. Catelyn realized she could not be selfish. Just because she was not happy with Cedrick did not mean she could deprive Miles of the fatherly love he deserved. Of course, Cedrick was not ustomed to using cheap daily necessities. He ordered Eason to bring some toiletries and stuffed the small bathroom with many new items. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Catelyn wanted to drive Cedrick away, but he could use the two boys as an excuse that they forced him to stay Cedrick went to the bathroom to take a shower, and the sound of water running was heard. At that moment, Catelyn had just finished telling her bedtime stories to Miles and Ollie. When she came out to the living room, she suddenly remembered the USB sh drive that Edwin gave her before he left. She recalled that he told her to take it out and look at what was inside in moments she was unhappy. Catelyn immediately returned to the guest bedroom, rummaged through her handbag, and found a silver white USB sh drive inside. She took herptop and went to the living room. After the drive was read, a dozen videos popped up in the folder. All the videos were different. Some were very dark, some were taken in a bar, and some were from a hotel. One thing they had inmon is that they seemed to be recorded from an obscure, secretive angle. Catelyn was a little curious about what Edwin did for her with these videos. Without much of a clue, she clicked on one of the files. Before the footage even started ying, a numb voice sounded first. What came next was very explicit footage that made Catelyn blush. She quickly lowered the volume of herptop while subsciously ncing at the boys¡¯ bedroom. Nothing. Miles and Ollie seemed to be asleep, fortunately. How unreliable of Edwin! Catelyn was about to just turn off the videos and close herptop when suddenly, she saw the face of the woman in the video. It was Amy! Catelyn calmed down and hurriedly opened another video. Just as expected, it was Amy in every video, but the men she was with were all different. ¨C ¡ª Catelyn patted her reddening cheeks. ¨C ¡ª She was so focused that she did not even notice the sound of water in the bathroom had stopped. Cedrick wiped his wet short hair with a towel in his hand and inadvertently caught sight of Catelyn lying on the sofa, holding aptop and watching videos. The room was dark with only a small light illuminating the room, and the glow from theputer screen was particrly conspicuous. Cedrick silently walked over and saw the video she was ying. It turned out to be¡­ Tap! The overhead lights abruptly came on. The bright light lit up the entire room so abruptly, stunning Catelyn that she did not have the time to restrain her expression. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. She raised her head in astonishment, just in time to meet Cedrick¡¯s deep ck eyes. He stared back at her arrogantly, his firm chest muscles looming over her as he walked toward her. Catelyn¡¯s cheeks suddenly turned bright red as she saw him. To hide her embarrassment, she quickly averted her gaze elsewhere in guilt. ¡°This was given to me by Mister Atherton. He told me to watch it if I¡¯m unhappy. I¡¯m just studying how can use these videos to make me feel happier.¡± Catelyn¡¯s original intention was to use these videos to take revenge on Amy. The atmosphere suddenly morphed awkwardly. At that moment, Catelyn immediately realized that her sentence sounded quite ambiguous. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 471 Chapter 471 Chapter 471 The bathrobe slid down Cedrick¡¯s slender body, revealing his perfect eight-pack abs. The smell of his aftershave and the strong scent of testosterone hung in the air. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn froze, holding theptop tightly in her arms. ¡°You¡­ Why are you taking off your clothes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be happy?¡± said Cedrick as he slowly approached Catelyn, his hands resting on both ends of the sofa above her head. ¡°Tell me: how can I make you happy?¡± He leaned over slightly. The two were so close to each other that Catelyn could see his long eyshes clearly. Catelyn did not even bother to wear her slippers as she tilted her head and took a few steps back. Her heartbeat was racing off the tracks. ¡°The woman in this video was the colleague who framed me! I was just thinking about how to get revenge on her¡­¡± muttered Catelyn. Cedrick did not speak and just stared straight at her. She could not tell if he believed her words. Not wanting to talk about Amy and the whole mess about her conflict at work, Catelyn suddenly thought of George. ¡°By the way, I forgot to tell you that my engagement with George has been terminated. You promised me that you won¡¯t fight with me for custody of the two boys,¡± said Catelyn. Catelyn originally thought that Cedrick would be very concerned, but he merely hummed lightly. ¡°George isn¡¯t worthy of you. The child in your womb¡­ I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡± Catelyn¡¯s chest tightened. It was not that George was unworthy of her, but Catelyn did not want to implicate him in any of this. Catelyn had not been in contact with George for a long time, not knowing about his recent whereabouts. ¡°The woman in the video framed you. Shall I settle her for you?¡± Cedrick asked suddenly, his thin lips pursed slightly as he spoke. Catelyn shook her head. ¡°No need for that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the father of your children. You don¡¯t have to be so calctive with me,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°She and Ivan framed me. Whatever I¡¯ve lost, I¡¯ll take them all back on my own,¡± replied Catelyn. Cedrick¡¯s eyes swept across her t abdomen. ¡°Whatever you want,¡± he said, mumbling softly and leaning on the sofa. Catelyn could not bear spending another minute talking to him, so she quickly returned to the bedroom with herptop. Many things happened today, causing Catelyn to sleep very deeply through the night. Sheid weakly on the bed with a low whimper hanging on her lips. Dreams and reality felt undistinguishable at the moment. Catelyn felt as if she was struggling to breathe. She suddenly opened her eyes and saw Cedrick! ¨C Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Chapter 472 A sturdy body unexpectedly got into her bed at some point. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Horrified, Catelyn clenched the quilt in horror and shrank into the corner of the bed while she frantically checked her clothes. The button on her neckline was a little crooked. Nothing happened, apparently. Catelyn could have sworn she had locked the door! Cedrick sat up from the bed, somewhat in a daze. His gaze seemed unfocused as he looked at Catelyn for a moment and said, ¡°Why are you yelling? Just get back to sleep.¡± Catelyn was stunned. ¡°Get out! Get out now!¡± She kicked Cedrick¡¯s waist and belly, but he quickly grabbed her ankle. The entire house was dark, save only the moonlight that peered through the windows. Cedrick involuntarily rubbed her toes with his fingertips. Catelyn tried desperately to pull her feet back, but he was so strong that she could not even move. She could only stare at him fiercely. Catelyn used to sleep together with the two boys. However, due to her working overtime recently, she would stay up at night. Fearing of disturbing the children in their sleep, she chose to sleep in the guest bedroom alone. How could she ever foresee that Cedrick would sneak into her room in the middle of the night?! ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, and the sofa is too soft. My back hurts after sleeping on it for a while,¡± muttered Cedrick.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Catelyn bit her lower lip. ¡°You can just spend the night in a hotel. No one asked you to stay here.¡± ¡°Miles and I have been separated for three and a half years, and I have the right to visit him,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°You-! I didn¡¯t stop you froming to see him, but why are you here in my room in the middle of the night?¡± Catelyn was so embarrassed that her face turned red. ¡°You gave birth to twins for me. What does it matter?¡± ¡°Of course it has something to do with it!¡± Catelyn was downright shocked as she did not expect him to be able to speak so righteously. ¡°We¡¯ve broken up!¡± ¡°If you get divorced, you can remarry. Why can¡¯t we get back together again after we¡¯ve broken up?¡± asked Cedrick. Catelyn was stunned speechless. Cedrick smiled. ¡°Speaking of which, you started it!¡± ¡°What? Since when did I start hooking up with you?¡± ¡°No? Then why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± Was Cedrick actually ming her? Catelyn looked at the man¡¯s calm appearance, and the anger that umted for many days suddenly burst, spilling over Catelyn took a pillow and smashed it toward Cedrick¡¯s handsome face. Chapter 472 A sturdy body unexpectedly got into her bed at some point. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Horrified, Catelyn clenched the quilt in horror and shrank into the corner of the bed while she frantically checked her clothes. The button on her neckline was a little crooked. Nothing happened, apparently. Catelyn could have sworn she had locked the door! Cedrick sat up from the bed, somewhat in a daze. His gaze seemed unfocused as he looked at Catelyn for a moment and said, ¡°Why are you yelling? Just get back to sleep.¡± Catelyn was stunned. ¡°Get out! Get out now!¡± She kicked Cedrick¡¯s waist and belly, but he quickly grabbed her ankle. The entire house was dark, save only the moonlight that peered through the windows. Cedrick involuntarily rubbed her toes with his fingertips. Catelyn tried desperately to pull her feet back, but he was so strong that she could not even move. She could only stare at him fiercely. Catelyn used to sleep together with the two boys. However, due to her working overtime recently, she would stay up at night. Fearing of disturbing the children in their sleep, she chose to sleep in the guest bedroom alone. How could she ever foresee that Cedrick would sneak into her room in the middle of the night?! ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, and the sofa is too soft. My back hurts after sleeping on it for a while,¡± muttered Cedrick. Catelyn bit her lower lip. ¡°You can just spend the night in a hotel. No one asked you to stay here.¡± ¡°Miles and I have been separated for three and a half years, and I have the right to visit him,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°You-! I didn¡¯t stop you froming to see him, but why are you here in my room in the middle of the night?¡± Catelyn was so embarrassed that her face turned red. ¡°You gave birth to twins for me. What does it matter?¡± | ¡°Of course it has something to do with it!¡± Catelyn was downright shocked as she did not expect him to be able to speak so righteously. ¡°We¡¯ve broken up!¡± !¡± ¡°If you get divorced, you can remarry. Why can¡¯t we get back together again after we¡¯ve broken up?¡± asked Cedrick. Catelyn was stunned speechless. Cedrick smiled. ¡°Speaking of which, you started it!¡± ¡°What? Since when did I start hooking up with you?¡± ¡°No? Then why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± Was Cedrick actually ming her? Catelyn looked at the man¡¯s calm appearance, and the anger that umted for many days suddenly burst, spilling over. Catelyn took a pillow and smashed it toward Cedrick¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?! Cedrick, I hate you so much!¡± she cried. ¡°Why are you so full of yourself? Why are you ckmailing me with custody over the children? And why must I listen to you? Just go back to L or Maia. Why do you have toe to me?!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 473 Chapter 473 Chapter 473 N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Catelyn mmed the pillow against Cedrick with all her might. She never imagined herself to be this angry. After a while, Catelyn started losing her strength and sat back on the bed, panting. Cedrick removed the pillow and revealed his wicked, handsome face. He stared at the girl sitting opposite him as the moonlight illuminated the room faintly. He wanted to reach out and take her hand, but Catelyn shook him away. Cedrick¡¯s expression faltered slightly at this. She would not let him touch her, so he stubbornly grabbed her small hand. Catelyn struggled. After a series of pulling and shoving, all she got were sweaty palms. When she noticed that Cedrick was not paying attention for a few seconds, Catelyn scratched his face with her nails, causing him to bleed. Cedrick sucked in a breath of cold air as his face burned in pain. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart was beating like a drum as she suddenly palmed her lower abdomen in pain. Cedrick was worried that she might have exerted too much energy and that the fetus in her womb was affected. Not bothered or angry that Catelyn just scratched his face, he asked with concern, ¡°Where does it hurt? Let me see-¡± The moment he let go of her hand, Catelyn spotted another window of opportunity and pushed him out of the bed, causing Cedrick¡¯s bathrobe to fall off. Before he could pick it up and put it back on, Catelyn kicked him out of the room, mmed the door, and quickly locked it. Tired from all the fiasco, she leaned against the door panel and panted heavily. Cedrick nced at the closed door. He raised his eyebrows as he looked down at his feet. He was only wearing one pink slipper, too. With that, Cedrick said a few words to Catelyn through the door panel and walked toward the sofa, lying down. Tsk. Her temper had worsened. After tossing and turning around, Cedrick simply sat up, took his mobile phone, and sent a message to Edwin. [Don¡¯t show Catelyn any more messed-up stuff.) At this moment, it was already daytime in Amarica. Edwin quickly replied, (What are you doing, sending me a text in the middle of the night? It seems that you haven¡¯t gotten back with Kitty. Poor old Ced¡­) Cedrick clenched his eyebrows tightly as he read his text. He then leaked the address of Edwin¡¯s new private vi to Old Lady Atherton. As dawn came, Miles rubbed his sleepy eyes and ran to the bathroom. As soon as he reached the door, he stopped abruptly. Cedrick was sleeping soundly on the sofa! Miles¡¯ delicate eyebrows immediately tightened as he quietly ran back to the bedroom and took out two watercolor pens from the drawer. He grinned impishly. Miles unscrewed the cap of the pen, and a strong watercolor smell hit him immediately. Standing at the other end of the sofa, he took the watercolor pen, ready to draw on Cedrick¡¯s face. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Before Miles could do anything, however, Cedrick suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Startled, Miles identally dropped the watercolor pen on Cedrick, smearing a long ck line on his chest. Cedrick suddenly remembered back then when he was in Ocean Path Residence, his face was used as a drawing board, painted with childish graffiti. Not realizing what happened, he returned to Mason Estate with that face. His servants evenughed at him! ¡°So it¡¯s you?!¡± Miles¡¯ mouth widened in horror. Cedrick was about to do something! He tried slipping away, but Cedrick was faster as he quickly grabbed him by the arm. What awoke Catelyn was not the sound of her rm clock but was, instead, her son¡¯s cry from the living room. She quickly got up and opened the door. She saw Milesying on Cedrick¡¯sp. His cute underwear was pulled down a little above his knees, revealing his fair buttocks. Miles turned his face down and was struggling desperately, but he was no match for Cedrick. He could not move. Smack! Cedrick spanked him and hissed, ¡°You got awayst time, and you still dare to do it again now?¡± Miles¡¯ little eyes were about to burst into mes. Big Demon was spanking him, again! When he looked up, he happened to see Catelyn and Ollie standing at the door, watching him being beaten. Miles instantly felt that he lost all his dignity. ¡°Mommy, Big Demon is bullying me! I don¡¯t want him anymore. I want Uncle George to be my father!¡± George¡¯s name was taboo for Cedrick for the moment. The next spank was intentionally harsher, and Miles¡¯ chubby butt instantly turned reddish. Miles struggled desperately, downright furious at his predicament. ¡°Cedrick!¡± Catelyn hurriedly stepped forward to persuade him. ¡°What did Miles do to offend you?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Ollie also grabbed Cedrick¡¯s, trying to stop him from spanking Miles. Miles whimpered and shouted, ¡°My butt hurts! Mommy, please see if it¡¯s swollen¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not swollen yet, it¡¯s just a little red,¡± Ollie immediatelyforted him. Sobbing, Miles¡¯ beautiful eyshes quivered, making him look all the more miserable. Catelyn¡¯s heart was broken. In addition tost night¡¯s incident, she looked at Cedrick with great dissatisfaction. Ollie was also on Catelyn¡¯s side, his expression reproachful. Seeing that the three of them were on the same side, Cedrick¡¯s face turned gloomy. Miles took the opportunity and jumped off his knees and hid behind Catelyn. ¡°It hurts so bad,¡± whimpered Miles as he clung to Catelyn¡¯s leg. Catelyn immediately hugged back her son tenderly and stared at Cedrick keenly. ¡°Miles is only three and a half years old,¡± she said. ¡°Even if he did something wrong, shouldn¡¯t you consider my opinion before hitting him?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 475 Chapter 475 Chapter 475 Miles nestled into Catelyn¡¯s arms. While she was not paying attention, he secretly gave Cedrick a dirty smirk Cedrick was speechless. That boy was aplete brat! Miles was nothing like a regr three-and-a-half-year-old! Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Staring at Catelyn and Miles with his deep eyes, Cedrick pursed his thin lips tightly and said nothing. Catelyn frowned. She squatted in front of Miles and asked earnestly, ¡°What happened just now?¡± ¡°Big Demon bullied me.¡± Miles shrewdly changed the subject and pouted. ¡°My butt hurts. I know I won¡¯t be able to sit well today¡­¡± Although Catelyn was on Miles¡¯ side and called out Cedrick for spanking him, she would not condone it if he was in the wrong. ¡°I saw a watercolor ink line on your father¡¯s chest. Did you do that?¡± she asked. Miles pursed his lips. Ollie looked around on the sofa and spotted a ck watercolor pen. His eyebrows raised as he finally understood why Cedrick was so angry. Miles felt that perhaps he went a little overboard with his actions. His curled eyshes drooped slightly, and there was a faint grievance in his expression. ¡°I wanted to drive away Big Demon from you. He always looks at your belly with a strange face,¡± said Miles. ¡°Why does he stare at your belly like that? Did he want to do something to you?¡± Catelyn¡¯s heart felt sour. She did not even notice that Cedrick was staring at her abdomen. He probably thought she had George¡¯s child¡­ Perhaps Cedrick wanted to get rid of the ¡®child¡¯ but had no choice but to refrain himself. On Monday morning, VSA Group finally decided Catelyn¡¯s fate. She was fired. The reason for her dismissal was not because of Amy¡¯s usation, but the bribe given by Ivan. That check for 15,000 dors was the reason that caused VSA Group to fire Catelyn. It was Jolene who ryed this news to Catelyn. Worrying that she would be devastated, sheforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kitty. With your strength and capabilities, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find a better job elsewhere!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not sad at all. Really,¡± replied Catelyn smilingly. ¡°This is only the beginning.¡± ¡°What¡¯ll you do now?¡± Jolene asked curiously. An ominous smile made its way to Catelyn¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Half a dayter, a video went viral on Phasebook. The duration was as long as five minutes, and there were no codings done for it. The content of the video was very exciting, and it quickly garnered widespread attention. In just a few hours, the number of reposts, likes, and downloads increased exponentially. Just when the poprity of the video was about to climb to a new height, it was suddenly deleted by the officials on the grounds that the content of the video was too discordant. Even so, the video had managed to spread on a small scale. Inside a bar, Jolene was holding herptop. She had seen the video going viral, and it was suddenly blocked, much to her confusion. ¡°You know that this kind of video will eventually die off if it stops spreading. Why didn¡¯t you code it?¡± asked Jolene. Despite being able to hold a cup of warm juice, Catelyn was, in fact, a little nervous. ¡°Do you know about hunger marketing?¡± Jolene¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s human nature. The more you can¡¯t get it, the more you want it,¡± said Catelyn. ¡°This video has sparked everyone¡¯s interest and was suddenly deleted, creating a very mysterious illusion. I think people will definitely look for resources in various ways. I¡¯ll process the videos again and send them to major forums and socialworking sites.¡± ¡°That¡¯s brilliant, I¡¯ll give you that!¡± praised Jolene, but she was also a little worried. ¡°But how can you be sure that they¡¯ll look into the video and its origin?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Catelyn¡¯s heartbeat slowly quickened. ¡°I can¡¯t be a hundred percent certain, of course. All I can do is sit back and see how it goes.¡± After all, it was the informative era, and this kind of ¡®disharmony¡¯ wasmon. If there was nothing new, maybe everyone would lose interest quickly. However, something told her that this video would go viral. She only needed to expose a little more information that this was the evidence of VSA Group¡¯s staff messing around internally. It would already be a hot topic on its own, given the group¡¯s poprity. Meanwhile, in the main office of Mason Group¡¯s Franche subsidiarypany¡­ Cedrick received a report from Charles. ¡°Master Cedrick, Miss rk¡­ seems to intend to use the public opinion as leverage against VSA Group. Do we need to help them?¡± Cedrick closed the document in his hand and turned on hisptop. Soon, he got a guess on Catelyn¡¯s tactics, and his dark eyes shed. Justst night, he wondered how she would put that video to use¡­ ¡°Why aren¡¯t we helping?¡± He raised his eyebrows, his rhetorical remarks sounding a little cold. ¡°I don¡¯t even have the heart to bully them. What even are the two Franch people to us?¡± Charles nodded. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to hype up the video¡¯s poprity,¡± ¡°Wait a second,¡± Cedrick stopped Charles just as thetter reached the door. Charles turned to look at Cedrick, waiting for his next instruction. Cedrick pulled his index finger back. ¡°Find out the woman who framed Catelyn.¡± Charles immediately understood. Cedrick was talking about the woman that Catelyn had met at the restroom. ¡°Understood.¡± Soon, the video that Catelyn exposed gained even more traction. Things escted quickly, and some people even started to find out that the man and woman in the video were the gold medal designers of VSA Group, Ivan and Amy! After all, Ivan, in his short pants and flip-flops, was too obvious to not recognize. It seemed that there was an invisible hand behind it to push the video higher. Plus, the video was posted at night, so when VSA Group¡¯s public rtions department noticed, the public opinions online were already too chaotic to contain. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. At first, everyone was just watching the drama and discussing the office romance within VSA Group. However, they were all shocked with more spicy details as time ticked by. Someone found out the photos of Ivan and Amy tantly frolicking around at a nightclub! Not long after, Amy¡¯s education and background were exposed. She was an ordinary graduate from an unknown university, but she made it into thepany because she was Ivan¡¯s niece. Moreover, she was aplete tyrant at work! She was, on one hand, calling Ivan her uncle, but on the other hand, in the little dark room¡­ Theizens were thrilled. This was not just romance; this was an hical deal! What would the job applicants to VSA Group careers feel about this? This caught the attention of the senior management, too. Other than requesting for the public rtions department to manage the situation, they requested Ivan and Amy toe up with a solution. The senior management insisted on preserving thepany¡¯s good reputation. Ivan was initially preupied with the project model. Even when other staff reminded him to check Phasebook, he did not care, either. That was until the director bombarded him with messages. Amy, meanwhile, had discovered the video from the very beginning, panicking as she downloaded it. How did this get posted online? It was even in high resolution! ¡°B*tch!¡± In the meantime, Ivan came in with a stack of photos that he downloaded and mmed it onto her head. ¡°You were secretly photographing me?!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 477 Chapter 477 Chapter 477 ¡°N-No, it wasn¡¯t me!¡± Amy shook her head as she feebly exined, ¡°Exposing this would ruin my image, too. Why would I secretly photograph you?¡± Ivan swung his leg to Amy¡¯s belly, causing her to stagger backward with the impact. She mmed into the corner of the table and fell to the floor. She was sweating in pain, but before she could say anything, Ivan sent another kick her way. ¡°Ack!¡± Amy coughed as she held her chest, struggling to breathe. ¡°Who¡¯d record this kind of video except you? How dare you deny it?!¡± ¡°I swear, I never recorded this! ¡°Wait¡­ Could it be her?¡± Amy suddenly thought about a possibility, and her expression contorted. That exined why she looked so calm when she was kicked out of thepany. She even declined Jolene and William¡¯s offer to plead for her! ¡°Are you saying that Catelyn did it?¡± Ivan seemed to have realized what Amy meant and mmed the table in bitterness. Amy got up from the ground hastily and tugged at Ivan¡¯s hand, exining, ¡°Listen, Uncle Ivan¡­ We can¡¯t panic now; it¡¯s just a viral video. When the timees, we just have to admit that we¡¯re in a rtionship, then I¡¯ll show off the design awards that I got in school. With some help from the public rtions, we could contain this gossip online¡­¡± Ivan snickered. ¡°You really think you could be my girlfriend?¡± ¡°I know I don¡¯t qualify for it, but aren¡¯t we forced by the situation?¡± Amy gritted her teeth. ¡°It¡¯s all Catelyn¡¯s fault! She framed us!¡± Ivan took a deep breath. He did not wish to be involved with Amy at all. Her idiocy would no doubt doom him someday. However, since the video was exposed, he had no choice but to y along with Amy for a while. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You have to be clear that it wasn¡¯t ¡®us¡¯-it was you. You dragged me into this. If it wasn¡¯t because you were always picking on her, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Amy blinked, feeling wronged. She wanted to say that it was because he spotted Catelyn¡¯s model. However, as soon as she saw Ivan¡¯s furious expression, she swallowed everything she wanted to say. Catelyn had paid off people to help her to post the edited videos and animated images on different forums. Somehow, it seemed that someone was helping her, so much so that the posts were hyped. Soon, it became the hottest topic of discussion in town. Most importantly, Ivan himself was rather popr on Phasebook, and when he got attacked by the netizens, smaller designers that had previously worked with him also came out to expose more scandals about him. Ivan and Amy¡¯s indecent rtionship was all over the Inte. Ivan and Amy decided to do a live stream to exin themselves. The two seemed madly in love in the video. Some people spammed the live chat, asking about the scandalous past of Ivan and Amy. ¡°Those were the past. I believe my girlfriend loves me very much right now, and we¡¯ll be happy in the future, too.¡± Ivan showed his friendliest smile and looked at Amy affectionately. Amy seemed visibly touched by what Ivan had said, and her eyes were brimming with tears. She looked into the camera lens and apologized, ¡°We¡¯re sorry to have upied the public resources and attention on this matter; I was young and dumb. I won¡¯t repeat the same mistakes anymore. Please ept our apology and forgive me. Moreover, I got into VSA Group because I won the first prize in the local designpetition back then¡­¡± Catelyn secretly registered a fake ount to sneak in to watch the live stream as well. When she saw this scene, she could feel goosebumps all over her arms. This was top-tier acting. However, not everyone online believed what they said. Someone brought up that Amy was seen to be at a hotel with an Amaricanst week and asked if this was her evidence of loving Ivan. Moreover, someone mocked Ivan if what he meant by ¡®being happily together¡¯ meant ice-skating with another hot girl. Sarcasm and mockery filled the live chat, so much so that Ivan and Amy could not continue with the live stream. William asked to put a halt to the live stream and reprimanded the two in private. Their issue had already affected thepany¡¯s name. In contrast to Ivan and Amy¡¯s stormy mood, Catelyn was very delightful. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 478 Chapter 478 Chapter 478 She brought the two kids to a restaurant for Franch food that night. She got a call from Ivan while they were on the way there. He was furious, so much so that Catelyn could imagine how ferocious he looked right now. ¡°Catelyn, what did you want?¡± Catelyn could feel immense satisfaction. Sheughed and said, ¡°For Amy to admit that she was the one who hired the woman to frame me, and I need you to return the sign off credits to me.¡± Ivan gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t even dream about it, I advise you to stop your childish defamation act immediately. Otherwise, I would sue you for it!¡± ¡°If I get charged, I will just pay for it. If I, such a low-ss Amarican, could easily ruin the name of infamous Mister Designer Ivan, I would be dly paying for it.¡± Catelyn took a sip of tea slowly, savoring the moment. She could hear the sound of something smashing over the phone. After a long while, Ivan gave in, ¡°I could help you to rify that Amy framed you, but the entire company knew that the model was done by me. Even if I give you the sign off credits now, my name would still be ruined beyond repair.¡± ¡°Then what else is there for us to negotiate? I will see you on the inte.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°Do you really have to burn the bridge?¡± Ivan saw that she did not want to give in, and started to panic. ¡°I have been contributing to the group, and the group will not just ditch me like that¡­ You can continue with the drama, and it will only be bad for both of us! What benefit would this bring you?¡¯ ¡°I would be very happy.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Contact me after you have considered it. By the way, I forgot to remind you, those on the inte now are only one small part of what I have.¡± She did not give Ivan another chance to threaten her and hung up. She was relieved. Back at the dining table, the two babies were happily ordering food. ¡°Mummy, there is onion chowder and creamy baked seafood soup with puff pastry, which one would you prefer?¡± Miles looked up, asking her in a fawning way. Catelyn scanned through the menu. The two little ones ordered quite a lot of food, including scallops, baked potatoes, and foie gras, which are all signature dishes. ¡°Onion chowder, I think that will taste great.¡± Ollie selected the soup on the tablet and then looked at Catelyn. ¡°Mummy, you seem to be in a good mood.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Catelyn was smiling wide. There was no need for an answer. Ever since Cedrick¡¯s appearance, it was rare for the little ones to see Catelyn in such a good mood. ¡°Why are you so happy?¡± the little one asked as he poured his mother a ss of water. ¡°It just happened that I had taken a little revenge on two annoying little flies.¡± Miles¡¯ remarks were shocking. ¡°The flies deserve pesticides. You should not leave them a chance to live.¡± Catelyn was stunned¡­ Cedrick was preupied that night. However, he called Catelyn with the excuse of wishing to see his son. Catelyn fulfilled his wish and passed her phone to Ollie. Ollie was holding the phone, looking at his old man on the screen, feeling a little disappointed. What a useless man, he had coaxed for so long, but Mummy was still mad at him. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Miles knew that Ollie was video-calling Cedrick. He had an idea. He ran to the kitchen to wash an apple, then used a small knife to cut it into pieces. He ced the apple pieces on a te and brought them to his mother. ¡°Mummy, I am very hungry¡­¡± The little one blinked his big eyes and said, very adorably. Catelyn carried him up and sat him down next to her. ¡°Let me feed you?¡± Miles immediately brought a box of toothpicks to his mother. Catelyn used a toothpick to pick up a piece of apple, and Miles opened his mouth cooperatively. He deliberately made some noises in satisfaction. ¡°So yummy! The apples taste the best when Mummy feeds me. Ollie, do you want some?¡± Miles barely addressed his brother as ¡®brother¡¯. Instead, he would call him by his name. Ollie was tempted. ¡°Father, Mummy and Miles are both asking me to have my supper. Good night.¡± He was about to hang up when Cedrick caught sight of the intimate interaction of the mother and son in the living room. They were also both wearing matching pajamas. He had not seen the pajamas before. They were onesies that looked like bunnies, with a hood at the back, on top of which was a pair of long bunny ears. It somehow reminded Cedrick of the yboi bunnies. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Help me to ry a message to your mother.¡± Cedrick stopped him from hanging up. The little one paused and looked at Cedrick. His dark eyes were glittering. He just came out of the shower and looked extremely adorable whenever he looked up. Cedrick could feel the softest part of his heart leaping when he saw his soft and cute side. ¡°I got informed that VSA Group intended to protect Ivan and Amy. She would not have a big chance of fighting them using the videos. Please ask her to put a halt to this where appropriate. The best way to ruin someone is to ruin the thing most valuable to them.¡± In the quiet night, Catelyn sat before her working desk, pondering the sentence that Cedrick had said. She asked Jolene and found out that Ivan had epted a massive project recently. The counterparty was a rich woman who thought very highly of Ivan¡¯s talent. When she knew about the scandal, she pressured VSA Group by expressing that she was hiring Ivan as the designer of the project. If the group decided to change a designer, she would call the project off and pay thepensation instead. The VSA Group had no choice but to protect Ivan. It was also apparent that thements were now being filtered on the inte, plus the police were at y, pressuring theizens to take down the posts due to ¡®inappropriate content¡¯. Obviously, Ivan had received help from external parties. The tables had turned, and the videos left were only sufficient to take Amy down. As for Ivan¡­ He should not steal other people¡¯s work. The best way to ruin someone is to ruin the thing most valuable to them. Catelyn suddenly had a bold idea. The next morning, she received a call from William. As she expected, William called her to negotiate on Ivan¡¯s behalf. Nheless, he was much more polite than Ivan. ¡°Cat, when are you returning to work?¡± ¡°Work?¡± Catelyn pretended to be oblivious and said in a sad tone, ¡°Was I not fired? I have already received the termination letter.¡± ¡°The Human Resource Department had made a mistake. They did not intend to fire you but mixed your name up with another female staff of a simr name. I had also gone through the evidence that Amy submitted. It was not sufficient to prove that you were bribed by anotherpany, so you are still our employee.¡± Maybe they wanted to offer her some benefits so that she could proactively resolve the issue? Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 480 Chapter 480 Chapter 480 ¡°Fine, then can I go into the office this afternoon?¡± ¡°Of course, you are still an employee of ourpany. You coulde back to work anytime.¡± William was still very polite, without his previous disdain. As soon as Catelyn was back in the office, she bumped into Amy before Jolene could greet her. Amy¡¯s eyes were red, like a cobra, waiting for the best time to gulp her down the throat. She had never expected Catelyn to record that kind of video of her secretly. This not only did not kill her but made both Amy and Ivan look scandalous. Of course, she had to make sure that there was nothing else in her hand before she could kick Catelyn out! William could sense Amy¡¯s anger and merely warned her coldly, ¡°You know how you got into this company. If it were not for the need to keep you and Ivan together now, thepany would have fired you! If you continue to create any dramas, please get out immediately!¡± Amy imed that she was hired based on the standard procedures. They were now trying to amend Ivan¡¯s name, and it would look weird if they fired her now. So, before things were settled, they could only keep Amy around. Of course, keeping her was only for show. They would never give her any important tasks again. Catelyn was very clear about this and did not care to argue with Amy.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. After all, this was just her final struggle, she could not stay for long Amy bit her lower lip and left. After which, William started to pry on Catelyn. It was to find out whether Catelyn still possessed other evidence. Catelyn smiled and replied, ¡°Director, please don¡¯t worry. I am part of thispany. I will never do something that will put thepany¡¯s name at stake.¡± Sweet talking. Everyone knew how to do it. William was relieved. This scandal also arose partly because he did not manage Catelyn well enough Catelyn reiterated that Ivan had stolen her work, but William dismissed her. ¡°I believe you are an exemry designer, but now everyone believes it was Ivan who came up with the model. If I pronounce that he had stolen credits from his subordinate, this will really tarnish the company¡¯s name. Please don¡¯t worry. I will make sure to make you the lead designer in the next project.¡± With her credentials, even if she was exceptional, she could never be the lead designer. Catelyn had seen through this. William obviously had not believed in her innocence but only gave in because of the videos in her possession. He needed to shut her up and protect Ivan. She could almost foresee her own consequences. When Ivan secured the project from that rich woman, she would be ruthlessly kicked out of the organization. She would end up even more tragic than she did right now. To shut Catelyn up and to prevent Ivan and Catelyn from having any more conflicts, William transferred Catelyn onto another team, Since she was rehired into thepany after being fired, a lot of people started making guesses and theories about her. A few of them were distancing from her just to be safe. What Catelyn did not expect was that a lot of people within thepany did not see eye to eye with Ivan as well, especially those with whom Ivan had stolen the projects from or stole their work. These people were instead looking up to Catelyn now. When speaking to her, they no longer sounded impatient like they used to toward Amaricans. Catelyn was still the same, acting indifferent. Some people would ask in private how she got invited back to thepany by the director himself. Catelyn would give the same response, that it was a misunderstanding. As time went by, no one cared about this anymore. Ivan¡¯s project became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Ivan was facing immense pressure. He had to please the rich woman, secure the project, and reinstate theirpany¡¯s status If the project was called off and the scandals got out of control, he would definitely be ruined. That was why Catelyn could see Ivan¡¯s team putting in long hours, and working deep into the night or the weekend wasmon for them. What was scary was that Ivan¡¯s temper got worse. He would often scream at his team. Jolene was a very patient person but had been crying a few times because of Ivan. cause She secretly vented about it to Catelyn. Catalyn took the opportunity to ask about Ivan¡¯s direction for the design. Jolene was coincidentally not happy to work with him, and she spilled everything to her. After that, she was a little stunned. ¡°Kitty, are you thinking of messing this project up?¡± ¡°No.¡± Catelyn shook her head firmly. Jolene patted her chest. ¡°Great, I still need to earn a living from this project.¡± ¡°I want to remove lvanpletely from the VSA Group!¡± Jolene¡¯s jaw was unhinged. In the afternoon, Catelyn carried the documents to the printing room. Amy was also carrying a stack of documents into the room. Amy red at her, but could not do anything because of William¡¯s warning. Catelyn photocopied the documents and pretended not to have seen Amy. At that very moment, she received Jolene¡¯s call. ¡°Yes? The documents?¡± ¡°I have passed it to you, did you not receive it?¡± ¡°They need it urgently? Okay, I will be back.¡± Then, Catelyn organized her documents and ced them next to the photocopy machine. She looked at Amy hesitantly but still left the room in a hurry. Amy was unimpressed by Catelyn¡¯s gesture, as though anyone would be interested in her documents. Wait, her documents? Amy looked around and made sure no one was around and flipped open the documents in curiosity. When her gaze fell upon one of the pages, she could not move away anymore¡­ She secretly stuck a sticker on the surveince camera to cover up the camera lens and then used her phone to take photos of the documents. When Catelyn and Jolene returned to the room, Amy walked away smugly in her high heel shoes, grinning. She even deliberately brushed against Catelyn¡¯s elbow as she left. Jolene quickly supported her and red at Amy Amy did not look at her but walked away happily. As soon as she left, Jelene frowned and said, ¡°Kitty, will this work?¡± ¡°Amy and Ivan are both in hot waters, and they need to secure the project to secure their status. I am giving them a shortcut. They will be useful,¡± Catelyn said calmly. William rehired her because of Ivan. Of course, she had to thank them for it. She needed to let them understand that the Amaricans were not easy people! All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Soon, it was the weekend. Cedrick wanted to bring the two babies for horse riding at the royal turf club, but unfortunately, one of the ponies fell ill and had to be treated. Cedrick decided to postpone it to the following weekend or the one after that. The two babies red at him unhappily. ¡°Big Demon is lying to kids! He is a bad person!¡± Milesined to Catelyn. He had deliberately put on his cowboy outfit, and was told at thest minute that it was called off¡­ Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 482 Chapter 482 Chapter 482 Even if they could not ride the pony, they could still pat it or take some photos with it. Ollie had also prepared for a long time for this, only to be disappointed. Even if his sons wereining about him, Cedrick was still adamant. ¡°This was unexpected. I did not call it off, I only postponed it.¡± His dark eyes swept past Catelyn¡¯s belly. Pregnant women had a generally weaker immunity than normal people, and he could not afford to have her get any infection. Catelyn knew that her sons were looking forward to riding the ponies and turned to ask Cedrick gently,¡± Miles and Ollie both have changed into their gears. They are really looking forward to going to the turf club. As a father, you should be a role model to them and keep to your promise¡­¡± Cedrick looked at his son¡¯s handsome coat. He was wearing a pair of denim jeans. There was a star pattern on his chest, in the middle of which was a superhero¡¯s symbol. He looked extra adorable when pouting. Even though Catelyn was not wearing denim today, she was wearing a blue jacket as well. Coincidentally, Cedrick himself was wearing a blue suit. They were all matching each other. ¡°I am coincidentally free today. I could bring you all to go shopping,¡± he said egotistically. Miles immediately declined and made a cross with his hands. ¡°I wanna ride ponies!¡± Ollie was unhappy too. He had the same long face as Miles, except he did not point his finger at Cedrick and call him a liar. Cedrick ignored their opinions and dragged Catelyn to the car park. If Catelyn leaves, the two kids will have to follow. Catelyn was nailed to the ground and would not budge, Cedrick did not dare to tug her into the car as he would before but merely raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to buy anything.¡± ¡°Who said you don¡¯t?¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes swept past Catelyn¡¯s t belly again and said, ¡°You need pregnancy clothes, supplements, and many more unless you want the child in your uterus to be malnourished.¡± ¡°Child?¡± Miles caught the keyword and froze. ¡°What child?¡± Ollie widened his big eyes too. ¡°Mummy, are you pregnant with Father¡¯s child again?¡± Nheless, they were not back together yet! ere Catelyn¡¯s face blushed. ¡°No, I am not¡­¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to tell them about it, but the fact is that you are pregnant.¡± Cedrick ¡®exposed¡¯ Catelyn¡¯s ¡®white lie¡¯ and took one nce at Miles and Ollie from the corner of his eyes. He seemed to have found a way to fight the two kids. ¡°Understand? Catelyn will be having a new baby, and both of you will no longer be the youngest babies at home. Please don¡¯t use your age as an excuse anymore. You could no longer use your fawning as a weapon.¡± Miles and Ollie were both frozen in their spots. ws ever. They turned to get verification from Catelyn as though they had just heard the worst news ever. Miles¡¯ eyes were even red and watery, as though he was on the brink of breaking into tears. Is Mummy going to have another baby? Ollie and Big Demon were both enough trouble to him. Would he be the baby that nobody wanted? Cedrick saw the kids in shock and depressed and was very satisfied with the oue. S Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. as Finally, he was not the only person to be affected by the news of Catelyn being pregnant. ¡°Cedrick Mason, don¡¯t you freak the children out!¡± Catelyn was totally confused by what Cedrick had done. She furiously stared at Cedrick, squatted before the kids, and consoled carefully, ¡°Don¡¯t you listen to your daddy. I am not pregnant, and I will not be having a new baby! I will still be your Mummy¡­¡± ¡°Why would you have babies together?¡± Miles obviously did not buy Catelyn¡¯s exnation. His wounded gaze was fixated on Catelyn¡¯s belly. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Before Catelyn could say anything, the little one asked stubbornly again, ¡°Will I be abandoned when the new baby is born?¡± ¡°Of course not! You and Ollie will be my favorite babies, and I am really not pregnant¡­¡± Ollie did not believe in Catelyn¡¯s ims and pointed his little finger at her belly, his eyes glittering with hope. ¡°Will the baby be our baby sister? Can I touch it?¡± Catelyn was speechless. Everyone really thought she was pregnant! She took one hostile look at the culprit. Cedrick was, however, unbothered by it. He was even whistling. ¡°In two months¡¯ time, you will not be able to hide your bulging belly anymore. So can you go shopping with me?¡± Catelyn was speechless. The lie was repeated so many times that Cedrick thought it was true and even used it against her two babies. It was as though she had dug a hole and buried herself alive. At Riverdale Mall. Mason Group not only had a subsidiary in Franche, but also expanded into the luxury retail malls. Cedrick brought the three of them along and went straight to the mother and baby store. In fact, Cedrick was just making an excuse to take her shopping. Of course, he would not want to see her pregnant with George¡¯s kid! So, he simply picked out a few pieces of clothing, signed the bill, filled in their address to send the goods to, and then brought the three of them to another mall next door. He had not properly given her a present since they had arrived at Franche. He had seen her clothes in her wardrobe, and they were all cheap clothing from online boutiques. On the other hand, the two babies were usually rtively luxuriously spoiled. This was the first time that the four of them went out to the mall like a proper family. Before this, they were either sneaking around in secret, or either of them could be seen at each time. Cedrick and Catelyn were walking in a line, with Ollie and Miles between them. Miles proactively held onto Catelyn¡¯s hand. His palm wrapped around her index finger tightly, like a needy little baby. On the contrary, Cedrick was tugging at Ollie¡¯s hand forcefully, contrasting with Catelyn¡¯s lovely interaction with Miles. They all attracted a lot of attention from the passersby in the mall. Perhaps Miles was mindful that Catelyn was pregnant, so he was not as yful as he usually was. Ollie did not say anything but would peek at Catelyn¡¯s belly every now and then. When exactly did Father stuff a baby into Mummy¡¯s belly? ¡°Look! That man is so hot!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dream about it. He already has two sons¡­¡± ¡°The two kids are so adorable. I wish I could pinch their little cheeks.¡± In the corner, a pair of youngdies were talking about them. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Ollie pursed his lips upon hearing this and looked at the youngdies unhappily. He would not simply let people pinch his cheeks! Unexpectedly, the girl was even more excited seeing his expression, ¡°Oh my God, did you see the little guy¡¯s expression? He looks so cool! The girl looks very young. Could she be the sister of the twins? I might stand a chance?¡± Cedrick¡¯s cold gaze fell upon the girl immediately. The girl was taken aback by the hostile look and hugged her chest exaggeratedly. Her pupils constricted, but she shouted, ¡°Oh my God, I am in love!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 484 Chapter 484 Chapter 484 Catelyn thought Cedrick looked annoying too. Why was he so captivating to have attracted so much attention? Miles did not want to be seen anywhere near Cedrick too. Miles got loose from Catelyn¡¯s hand when they passed by a jewelry shop and excused himself to the toilet. Ollie wanted to go too, so he followed. Catelyn wanted to apany the two of them, but Cedrick stopped her. ¡°Let me go with them. You can stay here and rest,¡± the man said sternly and pulled out a ck card from his wallet and passed it to her. Catelyn pushed the card back. ¡°I don¡¯t want it. Plus, why did you threaten Ollie and Miles? You already knew Miles is sensitive about it¡­¡± ¡°I was just telling the truth, or are you not pregnant? So you will not have a baby younger than them?¡± Cedrick ignored her and stuffed the card into her hand. No matter what he did, she would reject him. ¡°Let me know if you see anything that suits my sons. I will buy all of them.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Catelyn was speechless. Catelyn snickered, thinking to splurge using his card then! Cedrick brought the two little ones to the restroom, and Catelyn went to the jeweler right opposite. She was only there because the jewelry was expensive, She could also buy some gemstones for home decoration. The sales associate at the jewelry store saw that Catelyn, who was dressed humbly, only asked her if she needed anything out of courtesy. Catelyn scanned around the store. ¡°Show me your best gemstones in store, please.¡± The sales associate was slightly taken aback to see how confident Catelyn was. She smiled and brought Catelyn to the designated waiting area and took out a few precious gemstones together with another sales associate. These were all rare and precious gemstones collected from all over the world. Catelyn picked up a tourmaline bracelet and tried it on. It was so pure and clear. The color was so saturated, contrasting with each other. When she turned to take a look at the price tag, her impulse to purchase the bracelet vanished. It would normally be around seven to eight thousand dors in her home country, but the price tag suggested at least ten-fold here in Franche. She calmed down and decided to return this tourmaline bracelet. Suddenly, she heard a high-pitched woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Catelyn, why are you here?¡± Amy, followed by a few sidekicks behind her, strode into the shop smugly. She subconsciously took a look at her surroundings. She made sure Edwin and George were not in the vicinity before grinning at Catelyn. ¡°Miss, you have to be careful. She is a pathetic little slum from the west. She does not have any money! Don¡¯t you tarnish the beautiful tourmaline¡­¡± The sales associate seemed to have a subtle change in her expression after hearing Amy¡¯s remarks. ¡°Miss, are you going to purchase this tourmaline bracelet? If not, please remove it.¡± Catelyn was even wearing a thinyer of disposable gloves on her hand to prevent her sweat from tarnishing the gemstones. The sales associate was suddenly grateful that she had made a good decision to have Catelyn put on the gloves beforehand. ¡°Hey, why do I find this top you are wearing a little familiar?¡± Amy¡¯s sidekick appeared and pointed at Catelyn¡¯s clothes, pretending to be surprised. ¡°I remember now!! saw it at the roadside market, five dors for one, fifteen for three, the quality is really bad. I could not even use it as a rug!¡± Amy shrieked, ¡°There are five dors clothes? It is even less than what I would normally give to a beggar! Catelyn, as your colleague, I genuinely suggest you upgrade your taste¡­¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Catelyn listened to the both of them insulting her, responding to each other in such seamless synchrony, her face spasming She was nning to ignore them, but they were too excited, and she felt that she had to say something. ¡°My taste might not be the most outstanding, but I am much better than the gold diggers. By the way, I forgot to ask you, did you delete all the videos with Ivan online?¡± Amy choked and immediately looked dangerous. She walked in front of Catelyn and hunched slightly, lowering her mouth to Catelyn¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t you be too condescending about it. Even if the videos have all been exposed, thepany will protect Uncle Ivan and me. Once this issue passes, the director and Uncle Ivan will not let you get away with it!¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± Catelyn looked at herzily. ¡°I will go to the bathroom. You take your time.¡± She took out the tourmaline and ced it back in the tray. She saw the sales associate¡¯s judging expression, but she would not buy it even if she had the money. If she made her purchase, she would be contributing to her sales performance! However, as soon as Catelyn reached the exit of the jewelry store, the store rm rang. The red lights above the door were shining in bright red light. The sales associates were alerted. This meant that someone attempted to bring the gemstones out of the store without paying for them! ¡°Quick, someone is stealing!¡± The sales associate called the security guard. Catelyn and a few other customers were detained. A few other customers were starting to grumble about the situation. Amy and her sidekick suddenly appeared and pointed their fingers at Catelyn. ¡°It¡¯s her! I saw with my own eyes that when she reached the door, the rm sounded! She is the thief!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you simply use her for it. She may be poor, but she has dignity.¡± Amy covered her mouth and laughed. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Even though it sounded like she was defending Catelyn, her tone made it sound like Catelyn was the suspicious one. Soon, they examined the rest of the customers, the items on them were all paid for. Everyone¡¯s gaze fell upon Catelyn. ¡°I did not steal, and I am not a thief,¡± Catelyn said and then took a nce at the rm. ¡°Perhaps the rm is faulty, or I have a bracelet myself that the security system wrongly identified?¡± ¡°Impossible. Our security rm will only react to specified items,¡± The sales associate denied, ¡°Madam, to prove your innocence, please hand over your handbag, and follow us to the changing room for a thorough examination.¡± Catelyn was about to nod but realized her bag¡¯s zipper was loose. A shining diamond ring was ced in her bag. Catelyn realized she had fallen into their trap again. She moved her hand back so that no one could see the item in her bag. ¡°Are you suspecting me because I am foreign? Let me repeat it one more time. I did not steal. Get your manager here. I demand to take a look at the surveince footage.¡± The sales associate frowned, ¡°The manager is out for the examination. Madam, please do not force us to take forceful action.¡± ¡°She is guilty. Otherwise, why would she not allow you to examine her bag¡­¡± Amy was over the moon. She wanted to see how else Catelyn could get out of it! She could noty a finger on her in the office, but they were out at the mall now. Even if something happened to Catelyn, William could not me Amy for it. The two security guards walked to Catelyn. Catelyn was about to take her ck card out to threaten them when the manager came back. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 486 Chapter 486 Chapter 486 The manager was an Amarican too. When he saw Catelyn, he was slightly surprised. ¡°Manager, thisdy right here is suspected of having stolen something from our store but refuses to hand her bag over for an examination,¡± the sales associateined. Amy was happily onlooking, waiting for the drama. ¡°Did you just say she stole something?¡± The manager looked at Catelyn in disbelief. He looked up and down at Catelyn and did not say anything. ¡°She is a thief!¡± Amy saw that the manager did not make any instructions, so she said angrily, ¡°Please search her immediately, make her pay for it!¡± ¡®Men are trash. They could not even move their gaze away once they saw a beautiful woman,¡¯ she thought. The manager frowned even more. After a few minutes, he walked to the rm and then fumbled around it for a bit. He then announced to everyone, ¡°Thisdy here is a woman of ss. She will not steal. It is our rm that is faulty. Madam, you may leave now.¡± Catelyn was taken aback by what the manager said too. She was a woman of ss? She was just one foreign woman in Franche. There was nothing ssy about her. Amy widened her eyes too and blurted out at the manager, ¡°Are you simping for her? Is that why you turn a blind eye? Your rm is fully functioning. Everyone else could leave, and the rm did not make a sound, except for her! Where is your boss? Aren¡¯t you afraid that your boss will me it on you?¡± The manager clenched his jaw, then said, ¡°Miss, please be respectful.¡± Catelyn could tell that the way he looked at her was not a lusty gaze. Instead, it was somewhat respectful. She tried her best to recall but was certain that she had not met him before. Could he be someone that her father knew before? Perhaps he recognized her as Miss rk? No matter what, Catelyn decided to leave the ce and will return the jewelry when she had the chance. Catelyn nodded at the manager. Then the manager sent her out respectfully. Amy gritted her teeth. She had already put the diamond ring in her bag¡­ ¡°She must have stolen the jewelry!¡± Then, Amy dashed to Catelyn. Catelyn did not expect Amy to do this, and her handbag was pulled away when she was off guard. Her items were all scattered on the floor, and a diamond ring was shining brightly in everyone¡¯s eyes. Everyone was shocked. The sales associates and security guards all looked at Catelyn and the manager oddly. The manager was still saying that this woman did not steal! Then what was going on with this diamond ring? ¡°This man is so scandalous to have a double standard for prettydies. He indulged Catelyn in stealing a diamond ring from their own store¡­¡± Amy¡¯s sidekick deliberately said it loudly. Amy picked up the diamond ring from the pile of personal items and said smugly, ¡°I said this woman is a thief.¡± ¡°We should never let a thief get away easily!¡± ¡°Call 911¡­¡± ¡°Manager, this is out of the line. Did you wish topensate for the diamond ring when we close by the end of the day?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The manager and Catelyn had be everyone¡¯s center of attention now. However, the manager was much calmer than Catelyn. He said, ¡°Are you done? I believe Miss rk would not steal the diamond ring because¡­¡± Amy snickered. ¡°Because of what? Don¡¯t tell me that you wanted to say this store belonged to her. I would beughing!¡± However, as soon as she said that, a calm man¡¯s voice said, ¡°You¡¯re right, this store is hers.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 487 Chapter 487 Chapter 487 The voice was not loud but was enough for everyone at the scene to have heard it. Everyone fell silent. Cedrick, with the two little boys next to him, were all pouting. They had the same ¡®cool¡¯ look. ¡°Ced¡­ Cedrick?¡± Amy and her sidekick were shocked to see his familiar face. Amy immediately went forward with a smile and did not even have time to think about what he had just said. ¡°Why are you here? It¡¯s such a coincidence. My name is Amy, and I work at the VSA Group. We met one time by the beach the other day. Not sure if you still remember me?¡± Cedrick seemed not to have seen her and walked straight to Catelyn. Her items were all scattered on the floor. Cedrick frowned and then kneeled before Catelyn. He picked up the lipstick, mirror, and other personal items from the ground. Catelyn was a little taken aback by his actions. ¡°Let me pick it up.¡± She was subtly blushing from ear to ear and wanted to pick her things up herself. Cedrick looked up into her eyes, and his deep gaze could drown just anyone. Even the cold, sharp lines on his face appeared to be gentle. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.¡± His voice was sexy and maic, enough to stun Catelyn. The two babies saw Cedrick¡¯s hypocritical action, and exchanged looks with each other, then went forward to help out too. Their tiny hands were agile and could pick up the items from the ground swiftly. Amy had not recovered from being ignored by Cedrick and then saw Cedrick with his sons all kneeling beside Catelyn. They did not realize how humble they seemed, so she was suddenly crossed. She could not help but wonder, what exactly was so good about this low and humble Amarican woman? Why did all the Amarican men just stick right up for her whenever they saw her? ¡°Cedrick, this is a local Franch brand. Even if you would like to y favoritism, you should at least do your homework! What is so good about her? She has a t body, short legs, and bad fashion sense. Don¡¯t you think I am much prettier than she is?¡± In other words, please just fling her away, ande to me. Haha¡­ The sales associate and the store manager were allughing lightly. Not sure if they wereughing at Amy for her oblivion or for her ridiculous logic. Cedrick was still looking indifferent. He kept the items one by one and then stood up. ¡°Check if there¡¯s anything missing.¡± He passed the bag to Catelyn, and he even dusted off the dirt on the bag. ¡°Okay,¡± Catelyn responded and took the bag. Miles looked at Amy, full of disdain. It¡¯s this evil aunt again. She wanted to snatch their spot when they first met, and now she was making it difficult for Mummy. Miles sighed and said, ¡°I regretted not having brought my single-lens reflex camera today.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ollie asked. ¡°Because the phone camera pixels are not enough to show how evil this aunt is!¡± Miles smirked. Amy then realized she was once again fooled by this pair of twins. (to per Previous Chapter Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Next Chapter Chapter 488 Chapter 488 Chapter 488 ¡°You¡­ You guys!¡± The manager looked at Cedrick, then took a bow and came by with some documents in his hand. ¡°Cedrick, I havemunicated with our store owner, and he is willing to sell this store. Now, the store belongs to Miss rk.¡± His voice was shaking as though afraid to annoy Cedrick. Earlier, when he was looking around, he saw Cedrick with a pair of twins and a woman. He was from Sapphire City himself and had heard about the grand wedding two months ago. Rumors had it that a mysterious woman crashed the wedding, breaking the two families up. When he saw the four of them appearing at the mall together, there was almost no doubt¡­ That Catelyn was the biological mother of the twins. She had such a prestigious identity and could easily move mountains with her fingers. Why would she need to steal? es Cedrick nced at the agreement, and his cold gaze swept past Amy too. ¡°This store now belongs to Catelyn. Did she need to steal her own belongings? Miss Amy, do you think it¡¯s better for me to check the surveince footage or get the police to investigate this?¡± Amy looked displeased. ¡°No way. When you were on the beach, Catelyn was lying right before you. You hated her.¡± The manager then recognized that Amy was the woman in the viral video from a few days ago. ¡°No wonder you had your scandalous video exposed. These two babies called Miss rk Mummy and Cedrick daddy. Isn¡¯t it obvious to you what their rtionship is? You are not only racist but also blind, I guess!¡± Amy was indeed oblivious to the fact that Cedrick and the twins were rted. She was always of the impression that the Amaricans all look the same. The sales associate then quickly checked the surveince footage and realized it was Amy who stole the ring and stuffed it into Catelyn¡¯s bag. When the truth was uncovered, Amy panicked. Beads of sweat started forming on her forehead. She could not be sent to jail. She needed to rely on Ivan and climb the corporatedder to be a renowned designer. ¡°Ced¡­ Cedrick, I am sorry, I am wrong, I really am sorry.¡± Amy froze for a few seconds and suddenly kneeled before Cedrick like a mad person. ¡°I was wrong to have framed Miss rk. Please forgive me this one time¡­¡± Cedrick had to suppress his urge to kick Amy right in her face. ¡°Kitty, how do you wish to handle her?¡± The man¡¯s voice was so soft and gentle and he even deliberately lowered his voice to sound seductive and affectionate at the same time. It was rare for Catelyn to hear him address her with such an intimate nickname. She pinched her palm to make sure she was not dreaming.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Catelyn was not dumb to forgive Amy. ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Amy could no longer process the thought that the man behind Catelyn was, in fact, Cedrick. Her brain was fried, and she was busy begging for Catelyn¡¯s mercy. ¡°Kitty, please forgive me this one time. I will not do this again. You exposed my video, and I was attacked by the entire inte. Please don¡¯t send me to jail¡­¡± Tsk, as if Catelyn did not end up tragic when framed by Amy? If it was her that was kneeling today, Catelyn believed that Amy would only make her worse. However, the two babies were here today, and Catelyn did not want them to have a bad impression of her. Just when she was pondering, Miles suddenly voiced out, his dark eyes glittering, ¡°Mummy, I would like to y a game with the evil aunt.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Five minutester, the jewelry store was surrounded by spectators. Amy was holding a thin piece of paper in her mouth and was dancing at the door of the jewelry store. She mumbled, ¡°Hello, everyone, I am a gori.¡± Amy danced for half a minute and banged her chest non-stop. She seemed to be exhausted already. Miles was holding his arms behind his back andmented, ¡°Such a horrible dance. Even the actual gori can dance better than you.¡± Amy felt the urge to cry. She was surrounded by so many people. Some of them had even watched her video before and started to take their phones out to record her. From time to time, these people even burst intoughter. Miles held his chin up as though he was kind enough to be merciful. He waved his hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s such a horrible sight to have kids watching your dance. Now you need to do a half squat. I want to y another game with you.¡± Amy was reluctant. There were a few security guards standing behind her, and she had no choice but to follow Miles¡¯ demand. Her legs were shaking, and her butt was held high in the air. The paper was turning transparent in her mouth, and just when she almost could not hold it anymore¡­ Miles smirked devilishly and found a drawing board to hang around Amy¡¯s neck, with an amusing drawing on top. It was a poop emoji. Miles sessfully pranked Amy, and many people uploaded the video to all social media tforms. Miles fawned at Catelyn, ¡°Mummy, evil aunt is so evil, I pranked her. How is it?¡± Catelyn rubbed his head. Such a childish way to punish her. Perhaps Miles could be the only one to come up with such a way. ¡®I hope you stay a child, happy and energetic.¡¯ Cedrick thought the punishment was too light, but he saw Miles was having a lot of fun, so he indulged him. ¡°Enough?¡± The man glimpsed at the kid. ¡°I refuse to talk to Big Demon.¡± Miles turned and ran away to Catelyn. Cedrick was used to being ignored by Miles. He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Let me bring you guys shopping for some clothes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Miles was still arrogant and then looked up to ask Catelyn. ¡°Mummy, is Miles handsome in this fit?¡± Catelyn brushed the bridge of his nose and said, ¡°Of course, you are the most handsome baby.¡± Miles threw Cedrick a shady look. ¡°Did you hear it? I am naturally handsome, unlike someone who needs to be dressed up to look good.¡± Ollie was amused. ¡°However, we resemble daddy a lot. We are miniature versions of him¡­¡± Based on this logic, if Cedrick were only handsome after dressing up, they would be the same. Miles widened his eyes, refusing to buy into this idea. ¡°Ollie, you are a traitor!¡± How could he forget that Big Demon stuffed a baby into mummy¡¯s belly? They were no longer mummy¡¯s only babies¡­ Ollie scratched his head, feeling torn on whose side he should take. ¡°Let¡¯s go get some customized horse riding fit, we could wear it when we go horse riding next week.¡± He diverted the conversation smartly. Miles¡¯ eyes lit up, but he held Catelyn¡¯s hand and said hesitantly, ¡°They are going to cost an arm and a leg.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fret. Father has a ck card, and we can buy a lot of things with it,¡± Ollie consoled. Miles held his hands on his waist and then looked at Cedrick. ¡°Is this topensate for what you did?¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°You hide a baby in Mummy¡¯s belly behind our back!¡± Previous Chapter Next ChapterBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Miles was puffing his cheeks. He highly disapproved of Cedrick¡¯s actions. Cedrick¡¯s handsome face was a little dull, and he regretted slightly having told the two kids about Catelyn¡¯s pregnancy. If it were his own child, he would dly be happy to hear about it anytime. The point was that the child was George¡¯s. Miles and Ollie had been talking about it all the time to remind him about it. Catelyn could sense the tension in the atmosphere. However, it was pointless for her to exin herself now. Obviously, no one would believe her. ¡°Right, you are their daddy. You should get them some presents. Let¡¯s go make some horse riding outfits.¡± Catelyn smiled lightly and bent to pick Miles up. Nheless, as soon as she was leaning forward, a strong arm swooped past her and picked Miles up right away. Miles wrapped his hands around Cedrick¡¯s neck under reflex. ¡®His skull is so hard¡­ Miles pouted and thought while sitting on Cedrick¡¯s arm. Cedrick¡¯s height was 188cm, so when Miles sat on his elbow, his eye level was much higher than his usual one. non ev wa It felt as though he was looking down on everyone from where he was sitting. A feeling of pride and arrogance suddenly surfaced. Cedrick used his other hand to scoop Ollie up too. The two babies were each sitting on his two arms. It should be rather difficult to carry the two of them at the same time, but Cedrick¡¯s tall and big figure made the two little ones seem tiny and fluffy. Ollie¡¯s pink little lips were half opened and closed as soon as he was scooped up. He was slightly taken aback. His father had never held him this way before. Would he always be carrying them? His lips were curved up in anticipation. His little head was brushing against Cedrick¡¯s shoulder and neck, and his heart was pounding fast. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Miles took one look at Ollie, full of contempt, as though suggesting that he had no personal principles. He suddenly had an idea, pointed at Cedrick¡¯s neck, and said, ¡°I wanna ride here!¡± Cedrick looked at the little one coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t even want to call me father. Why would you want to ride here?¡± Miles twisted his fingers, hesitated, and said, ¡°You are not my father unless Mummy forgives you! You did not even have a marriage certificate with my mom. Our family does not have your name in it¡­¡± Cedrick opened his lips slightly and said, ¡°It is easy to add me into your family.¡± His casual remark made Catelyn slightly stunned. When Cedrick looked up, Catelyn did not manage to look away, and her gaze locked right onto his dark eyes. They looked like two pools, so deep that she could not see the bottom, and she could not read what was on his mind either. There was an invisible pressure. Catelyn then looked away hastily. ¡°There¡¯s a tailor right in front. Let¡¯s go.¡± She wanted to leave in a hurry, but Cedrick¡¯s big figure moved agilely and blocked right in front of her. ¡°I am not kidding.¡± His gaze was intense, and he was serious about it. Catelyn could not hide away. She stood before this tall man with the two babies in his arms and asked,¡± What is this? A proposal?¡± ¡°You can assume so.¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes glittered slightly, and he was looking at Catelyn intensely, as though afraid to miss out on one slightest change in her facial expression. His grip on the two babies subconsciously tightened too, making them very ufortable. yer 1 Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Chapter 491 After a brief moment of silence, Catelyn took a deep breath. ¡°Excuse me, but I¡¯ve never seen a proposal this casual before. No flowers, and no ring? You¡¯re not even on one knee, so why should I say yes?¡± She then shoved past Cedrick and walked away, despite how her heart raced. Had she heard those words two months ago, she would have epted without hesitation. However, his proposal was 60 days toote, and everything had gone wrong since then. Her life had yet to be straightened out, and marriage would only be another burden on her. Miles pped mockingly. ¡°Wow, Mom rejected Big Demon again.¡± ¡°Shut up if you don¡¯t want me to leave you here!¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyebrows twitched in annoyance. Both he and Catelyn were not talkative people, so how on earth did Miles be this talkative? Ollie raised his arm slightly and said in an encouraging manner, ¡°Mom is soft-hearted, so try to spend more time to win her over. Good luck-I believe in you.¡± Cedrick, Catelyn, Miles, and Ollie walked into a tailor¡¯s shop. A worker of the store rushed toward Cedrick smilingly when he noticed the expensive tailor-made suit Cedrick wore. ¡°Good day, Mister, Missus. What can I do to help you?¡± Catelyn was toozy to exin that she was not a ¡®Missus¡¯ and simply listed her requests. The staff was overjoyed. ¡°No problem at all! Why don¡¯t take these boys to note down their measurements?¡± The staff thus took Ollie and Miles into the backroom with a smile. The tailor who took their measurements was a young girl, and her eyes lit up at the sight of the twins. Turning to look outside the mini-window at both Cedrick and Miles, she gushed, ¡°Children from your country are so adorable! Your skin is so soft, too! What on earth did you two eat growing up? Are you guys on a family outing? Oh, looking at these two makes me want to have a kid of my own!¡± Ollie remained polite and reminded her sweetly, ¡°Remember to mark up the measurements. We¡¯re on a growth spurttely.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The girl nodded. The twins spread their arms to let the tailor take their measurements, and the girl could not help but pinch Miles¡¯ cheek. Miles, instead of being annoyed, dramatically sighed and said, ¡°Stop taking advantage of me. You¡¯re not my cup of tea.¡± ¡°Ahaha! How did youe to know that phrase?¡± Miles pointed at Catelyn, who was waiting outside the ss window. ¡°Look, that¡¯s my mom, and I want to be with her every second of the day. I miss her when she¡¯s not around, and my heart aches when I don¡¯t hear her voice for a while.¡± The tailors were rendered speechless at the realization that he was referring to the sort of affection toward his family. ¡°You two look so much like your father. You¡¯ll grow up to be really handsome with loads of girls after you,¡± cooed another tailor. Miles instantly lost hisposure. ¡°Stop saying that I look like Big Demon. I look more like my mom.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Oh, umm¡­¡± The tailor was stunned for a moment, but then chuckled and tried to hide it by covering her mouth. ¡°But your mom looks feminine! If you look like her, you¡¯ll look like a girl.¡± Ollie could not help but nod at thement. ¡°That makes sense.¡± Though frustrated, Miles kept the polite smile on his face. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Standing in front of the disy window, Catelyn admired the hand-made pieces on the stand. There were beams of light on top of every cell, and each piece appeared extremely sophisticated under the light. At the very center of the disy window was a perfect white wedding gown. With a scoop-neck neckline that hugged the chest, the dress extended all the way down to the ground. Inspired by the Victorian era, small pieces of diamonds were scattered all over the hem of the dress, giving it an elegant and fairy-like appearance. Her heart stopped the moment sheid eyes on the dress. It was absolutely stunning, but she looked away immediately. Cedrick had moved closer and stood by her side. ¡°Do you like this wedding dress?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± replied Catelyn nonchntly, albeit lying. ¡°Your expression suggests otherwise,¡± Cedrick said stubbornly. Catelyn clenched her fists and turned to stare at him in the eyes. ¡°Whether I like it or not has nothing to do with you, Cedrick. I¡¯ve already refused your proposal, so stop trying.¡± ¡°How would I stand a chance if I stop trying?¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened as he focused on her. ¡°Marry me and be my Missus Mason. The two children will have their names on the Mason family¡¯s tree and enjoy riches beyond their imagination. Isn¡¯t that something good?¡± ¡°My boys don¡¯t care for titles and riches.¡± ¡°But I do!¡± Cedrick¡¯s tone took a sterner turn as he pressed on the subject. ¡°I want to give the three of you better lives!¡± He was firm as he spoke, but Catelyn was not impressed at all. She batted her eyes as she thought to herself, ¡®Does giving me a better life mean that he gets to humiliate me in front of George?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m doing fine now.¡± ¡°Staying away from me and raising the children on your own is ¡®fine¡¯ by you?¡± He recalled her usation that day at the rockery stone. She got pregnant by ident before even turning 20, and her life had taken a drastic turn since then. She had to work despite being pregnant. She even tried sleeping on the road and was discriminated against and humiliated everywhere she went. He pursed his lips as regret filled his eyes. Why did he not find her sooner? Catelyn could hear the way her own breathing grew heavier. ¡°My definition of good and bad can be different from yours, and I¡¯d like for you to respect my choices.¡± ¡°Is this because of George, or the child in your belly?¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with anyone.¡± Catelyn could not understand why he had brought George up at this moment. Thest thing she wanted was for someone else to be involved in the conflict between her and Cedrick ¡°It¡¯s about Nine, then?¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°No!¡± She red at him in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? With or without another person involved, I won¡¯t marry you.¡± ¡°I need a reason.¡± He had to restrain himself from pulling her into his arms and kissing her when he caught a whiff of that scent only unique to her. Catelyn, on the other hand, did not understand why he had to be this stubborn. ¡°I want to work on my career first and aplish my goals. Is that enough?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Marry me, and I¡¯ll back you on your journey to realize your dreams. You¡¯re just brushing me off.¡± She was surprised he could tell that she was brushing him off. After all, she had thought that he had lost his mind at this point. Silence loomed over the two when Cedrick suddenly reached out to grab her chin. He stared intently at her while switching to a more coaxing tone. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you flowers and a ring. Don¡¯t make me resort to ways that you won¡¯t enjoy. Say yes now, or¡­¡± He lowered his head as he spoke to the point their skin was about to touch. Catelyn¡¯s heart leaped to her throat at the proximity. ¡°A little over two weeks ago, I¡­was dragged into a dark room, and something appalling happened,¡± she muttered hoarsely, her eyes reddening as she bit her lower lip. ¡°I¡¯m tainted. Do you still want to marry me now?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Cedrick was taken by surprise as he did not expect that this would be what haunted Catelyn instead. His expression darkened as he opened his mouth to say something, but Catelyn beat him to it. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like tainted goods, just like how I hate being forced.¡± Her fingers twitched before rxing as she met his gaze. ¡°Miles and Ollie are both wonderful and sweet children. If you want to make it up to us, just let everything stay the way it is now. I can raise them with you, and they¡¯ll have everything that other kids have.¡± After the measuring session, Miles and Ollie¡¯s clothes would be finished within a week, just in time for when they needed them. When the twins stepped outside, they noticed Catelyn¡¯s reddened eyes and Cedrick¡¯s dark expression. Though Miles did not wish for his mother to ept Cedrick again so soon, he hated seeing her sad when they fought. The two started doing whatever they could to cheer Catelyn up, and Catelyn narrowed her eyes with a chuckle, She should be content to have wonderful children. Her smile under the warm sunlight created a ripple in Cedrick¡¯s eyes like a rock thrown into ake. He gulped harshly and lowered his gaze. He seemed riddled with guilt as though he had done something wrong again, but he did not know how to tell Catelyn the truth. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Without another word, he left the mall with the three and nned on taking them to an Eastern cuisine restaurant. After all, that seemed to be themon preference for Catelyn and the twins. The boys ran toward the roadside to wait for the traffic light to turn green. Just then, Cedrick noticed the neon board above Catelyn was loosening. With a snap, it fell. ¡°Watch out!¡± He paled, unable to imagine what would happen if such a heavy board was to fall onto her. Catelyn noticed that her shoces were undone and crouched to tie them when she heard Cedrick¡¯s shout. She gazed up and saw Cedrick frantically running toward her, his expression the extreme mixture of panic and fear to the point that his eyes looked as though they would pop out of their sockets. She followed his eyes and looked up, just in time to catch sight of the shadow cast by the gigantic board that loomed over her. Catelyn¡¯s mind went nk, and at the veryst moment, she took an impact by the waist. Cedrick managed to reach her and held her in his arms, sending the two of them rolling on the ground as he protected her from harm, like a lion would with his lioness. The neon board plummeted to the ground, and the ground seemingly quaked upon the impact. All Catelyn heard was the sound of wind and the muffled, pained grunt by her ear as her world spun. Though Cedrick had moved swiftly, the board dropped in a way that somehow brushed past his right arm. ¡°The neon board fell and almost killed someone!¡± A few passers-by witnessed the scene and hurried over to help. Catelynid on the ground and stared up nkly at the man who shielded her. His face was pale as blood scrolled down his right arm in the most rming manner. At that very moment, she could not breathe. Cedrick struggled to prop himself up while staring intently at Catelyn as though he did not notice his injury. ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± Feeling a lump in her throat, she helped him up with the help of a passer-by. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Y-You¡¯re the one who¡¯s hurt!¡± She was in grave danger, and she did not expect him to dart toward her, rescuing her. ¡®What would have happened if the board hit him on the head?¡¯ she fretted internally. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Cedrick scowled at his bleeding right arm. He tried moving it and noticed that he could still move despite the pain, so it should not be anything fatal. At that moment, the twins rushed to their side. ¡°Father, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± Concerned, Ollie quickly handed his clean handkerchief to Cedrick. Cedrick epted it and casually wiped the blood off before phoning Alex. ¡°Don¡¯t run off. Uncle Alex wille and pick you up. I¡¯ll take your mother to the hospital.¡± Understanding that his wound needed to be treated, Catelyn followed along. Since his arm was injured, they took a taxi instead of driving to the hospital, which was only a few kilometers away. The taxi arrived shortly after, and Cedrick had made the arrangement on the way, so they were allowed ess into the hospital smoothly. Catelyn had thought that he would go to the emergency room to have his wound looked at, but she was baffled when she realized that they were instead walking toward the gynecology department. She grabbed onto his arm in disbelief. ¡°Hang on, why did you take me here? I thought you were getting your wound checked?¡± ¡°You first. Doesn¡¯t your belly hurt from what happened just now?¡± Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened at this. She tried to exin herself but realized that her back hurt from falling onto the ground earlier. She gasped in pain before any words came out and was left to watch as Cedrick called the female doctor over. Inside the office, she was pinned onto the bed forcefully. ¡°She¡¯s a month and a half into her pregnancy. She identally fell just now, so just give her a general check-up,¡± Cedrick demanded the doctor, his tone filled with concern. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The doctor noticed the sweat on Catelyn¡¯s forehead and immediately proceeded to perform an ultrasound on her, thinking that she was in pain. Cedrick refused to leave the room and stood by the bed, all the while staring at Catelyn¡¯s abdomen with a dark expression. Meanwhile, Catelyn¡¯s ears rang incessantly, unable to escape the situation despite her effort of trying to get up. ¡®This is embarrassing,¡¯ she thought. She disregarded the shame and tried to exin, ¡°Cedrick, my belly isn¡¯t hurt. I¡¯ve never been preg-¡± ¡°Sir, are you certain that your wife is pregnant?¡± The doctor turned to look at Cedrick nkly when she could not locate the fetus¡¯ position. Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened as he turned to look at the screen. ¡°What do you mean?¡± His voice sounded normal, yet it sounded intimidating altogether. Frightened, the doctor gulped and stammered, ¡°ording¡­ ording to the ultrasound, your wife isn¡¯t pregnant at all.¡± Catelyn was not pregnant at all? ¡°Are you certain?¡± he asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± The doctor defended herself from having her professionalism questioned. ¡°The ultrasound doesn¡¯t lie, Sir. Have you only been using drug store pregnancy tests to check? Did you note to the hospital for a detailed check-up?¡± It did not seem likely for them to make such a big mistake. Instantly, it felt as though the temperature of the room had dropped, and not a sound was heard apart from the doctor¡¯s mumbling. Cedrick shot a dark nce at Catelyn¡¯s belly as he remembered all the times she tried saying something to him. At this very moment, he realized that he had been tricked. He had been taking care of her, thinking that she was pregnant, when all of it was a lie. His eyes narrowed in rage, and a sneer appeared on his lips. ¡°Is it fun to toy with me?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Cedrick had spoken in a barely audible voice, but his words struck her heart like lightning. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright,¡¯ Catelyn decided silently. Since the cat¡¯s out of the bag, I don¡¯t see the point in exining.¡¯ Catelyn sat up from the bed to adjust her clothes as she anchored her emotions to remain calm. ¡°I¡¯ve already tried exining earlier this morning when we headed out. You just didn¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m the one at fault, then?¡± Cedrick¡¯s lips curled into a dark, mysterious sneer. He provoked his sons on purpose in the morning by informing them about her pregnancy, which ced her in a situation where no one would believe her when she said she was not pregnant. Both Miles and Ollie were not convinced, not to mention Cedrick. ¡°How long were you nning on fooling me had I not insisted that you get checked?¡± Seeing how furious he seemed and considering the fact that he had risked his life to save hers, Catelyn steadily changed the subject and turned to the female doctor. ¡°His shoulder is injured. Please help treat the wound.¡± Though the doctor was a gynecologist, she should be capable of treating ordinary wounds. The doctor, too, noticed the blood on Cedrick¡¯s shoulder and swiftly brought over sanitizer, scissors, and bandages. Cedrick merely responded with a malicious re. ¡°Get out.¡± The doctor stilled in fear. ¡°But your wound, sir¡­¡± ¡°I said to get out. Did you not hear me?¡± The doctor shivered and left the room despite it being her office, leaving only Cedrick and Catelyn inside the room. An ominous feeling overwhelmed Catelyn, and she turned to exit the room with the doctor, but Cedrick pulled her back and pinned her against the bed. ¡°Is it fun to watch me struggle over your child¡¯? Are you pleased that you¡¯ve finally gotten your revenge on me?¡± He felt like a fool for believing her. He had been tip-toeing around her, concerned that he might hurt her belly. Even when he found out that the ¡®child¡¯ belonged to George, he forced himself to bear with it and went as far as offering to raise the ¡®child¡¯ as his own in Mason Estate. Following his movement, the wound on his right arm tore, and the overwhelming scent of blood filled the room. Catelyn struggled to get up, but he simply strengthened his hold on her so she could not escape. In the end, she gave up in frustration and lied on the bed while ring at the furious expression on his face. ¡°Sure! I wanted to take revenge on you, but didn¡¯t all this start because you asked me who the baby belongs to?¡± Cedrick moved his lips, but no words came out. Further provoked by his silence, she continued, ¡°To you, I¡¯m just a sl*t who jumps from dating David to George. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and use me of seducing every single man on earth?¡± Cedrick pursed his lips wordlessly. St! Crimson blood scrolled down his arm and dripped onto the white sheet, leaving a red stain that resembled a rose, Catelyn took advantage of his dazed state and shoved him away. Cedrick¡¯s wound was already torn at the time, and he immediately covered his right arm at the impact. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Catelyn was already by the door when she heard Cedrick¡¯s sharp gasp, so she stopped. She wanted to call the doctor inside but turned to find him sitting by the bed, his features twisted in pain. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Catelyn asked. Cedrick¡¯s lips turned pale as ayer of sweat formed on his forehead. He swayed slightly and looked as though he was about to pass out. Realizing that he was not faking it, she disregarded all other thoughts and hurried over to him. ¡°I told you not to move around so much! The wound-mph!¡± Just as she reached out to steady Cedrick, he wrapped his arms around her waist abruptly so she would fall into his arms andnd on hisp. He propped his chin on her shoulder and tilted his head to the side as he muttered, flustered, ¡°You liar.¡± Catelyn was stunned by his tone and had stopped struggling. Since he was holding her from behind, she had to look at him from the corner of her eyes while clenching her jaw. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just lie to me as well?¡± Cedrick hesitated and reasoned, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have turned if I didn¡¯t. This is the only way to get you to sit quietly in my arms. ¡°You lied to me, and I lied to you. We¡¯re even now.¡± ¡°Dream on.¡± Cedrick instantly lost the fragile demeanor and became dominating again. ¡°You¡¯ve been lying to me for the past two weeks, and I just saved your life. Do you really think we¡¯re even now? I didn¡¯te to Franche from Sapphire City to get even with you¡­¡± Catelyn retorted ufortably, ¡°You¡¯ve been torturing me since you came to Franche, so I wouldn¡¯t say that we¡¯re even, either.¡± Cedrick stared at her lips as they moved. His expression darkened as he lowered his head to seal her mouth with his. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. If she did not have anything nice to say, why did he bother listening at all? He might as well stop her from saying anything. Alex sent the twins home and turned back to the hospital to check on Cedrick anxiously, only to be chased outside by the doctor. The door was shut, and no one knew what was happening inside. Alex paled and thought to himself, ¡®Master Cedrick is severely injured, and Miss rk must be hurt as well! Why won¡¯t they let the doctor in?¡¯ He went to ask the doctor and quieted down when he was told that Catelyn was not pregnant. He hurried back to the room and knocked on the door, despite the mounting pressure he felt. ¡°Master Cedrick, even if Miss rk isn¡¯t pregnant, she¡¯s probably still badly shaken after that neon board nearly hit her. Leave her be! The doctor is waiting outside the door, so why don¡¯t you two talk after the doctor treats you? The young masters are still waiting for you at home¡­¡± Creak! Alex¡¯s knocking motion stopped as he quieted down when he saw Catelyn opening the door. ¡°Come inside. He¡¯s passed out,¡± she said to the few people standing outside the door, all the while ducking her head as though she was hiding something The doctors rushed inside to check on Cedrick. Still worried, Alex leaned over to Catelyn and asked, ¡°Miss rk, did Master Cedrick¡­do anything to you?¡± He was not sure what was on Cedrick¡¯s mind, but Alex was certain that it took Cedrick everyst ounce of tolerance to ept Catelyn¡¯s pregnancy and to decide to raise George¡¯s child. Since that was revealed to be a lie, Alex was concerned that Cedrick would kill Catelyn. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 497 Chapter 497 Chapter 497 N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Catelyn blushed at the question and mumbled, ¡°Nothing.¡± She then ran off to the bathroom. She had been swift, but Alex was a trained bodyguard with sharp eyes, and he spotted her swollen lips right away. Confused, he wondered if she and Cedrick had settled their disagreement. If so, he and Charles would finally be able to rx. In the bathroom, Catelyn touched her burning lips and noticed that they were swollen, just as she had expected Cedrick Mason, that beast!¡¯ she grumbled. ¡®It wasn¡¯t even a kiss anymore. He was straight up chewing on them. What frustrated her more was that the skin on her lips was torn to the point that ointment would not help the swelling, let alone the fact that she did not have any ointment. Still, she could not just walk out looking this way either. Just as she started panicking, she recalled that there were free face masks at the hospital lobby hall and went to get one-despite the embarrassment-before heading to the counter to make payment. They had been in too much a hurry, and the fee for Cedrick¡¯s stay in the hospital had yet to be paid. Considering the fact that he got injured from protecting her, Catelyn saw it fit for her to pay. ¡°Hello. That¡¯ll be a total of 13829.40 Eiro.¡± The nurse handed the bill to Catelyn. Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she doubted her ears. ¡°Excuse me? How much did you say it was?¡± The nurse gave her an impatient look but repeated herself out of professionalism, ¡°The VVIP room in our hospital cost 2500 Eiro per night, which included the consultation and meals. You¡¯ve also made a booking for a consultation with a gynecologist, right? That hasn¡¯t been paid yet either.¡± ¡®To hell with capitalism! It¡¯s no wonder people say it¡¯s better to lose a bag of blood than toe to the hospital, grumbled Catelyn inwardly. Though reluctant, she handed her credit card to the nurse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there isn¡¯t enough bnce in your card,¡± said the nurse curtly after a few moments. ¡°Do you have another card?¡± ¡®No bnce?¡¯ Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened as she remembered that she had recently applied for an extracurricr ss for the twins, which cost her a great sum of money. ¡°If you can¡¯t pay, then I¡¯m going to have to cancel all bookings you have after this.¡± The nurse nced at Catelyn and moved her mouse to cancel the booking for the VIP room. Catelyn pulled out a universal ck card and slid it across the counter toward the nurse. ¡°Hang on. Use this one.¡± The payment of over 10000 Eiro went through, and Catelyn received the receipt in return. She stared at it and felt even more agitated. She came close to using the money David had given her, but Cedrick seemed to visibly loathe him, so she decided to use the ck card she received from Cedrick instead. She would have to work extremely hard to repay him in the future. Cedrick¡¯s bleeding had ceased, and he then received a shot for tetanus for good measures, so he slowly began to regain consciousness. He immediately searched around the room for Catelyn as soon as he woke up. Did she actually leave, despite how severe my injury is? Is her heart made of stone?¡¯ His expression darkened as he lifted the nket to get out of bed. Catelyn came out of the washroom just in time to see Cedrick up, looking for slippers. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Since Cedrick¡¯s injury concerned only his arm, he did not bother putting his jacket on. With a thickyer of bandage wrapped around his arm, his tanned skin glittered under the light. His brooding features were filled with rage as he pursed his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t move around! The wound is going to tear, and the doctor will have toe to fix you up again.¡± Catelyn¡¯s hands were still wet from washing her hands, and because he was half-naked, she did not approach him and simply reminded him from afar. Cedrick¡¯s head snapped up when he heard her voice. He extended his left arm in an inviting manner and said, ¡°Come here.¡± Catelyn pursed her lips as she tried to actposed. ¡°Your wound is hurting again, right? I told you not to move around¡­¡± ¡°Are youing here, or do I need to go over there to grab you?¡± spoke Cedrick expressionlessly. Catelyn did want to find a nurse, but he refused to set his arm down. Seeing how pale he seemed, she caved in the end and walked toward him. ¡°I¡¯ll just have a look at your wound for y-ah!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°Cedrick Mason! What are you doing? Let me go!¡± Worried that his wound would tear again, she did not dare struggle and simply kicked her leg in frustration while being pinned against the bed, hoping desperately that she could find somewhere to hide. Cedrick, too, fell back against the bed without any concern for his injury to meet her eyes. ¡°Lie to me about this sort of thing again, and I¡¯ll hit you.¡± His musky scent enveloped her. She shivered and grew more agitated at his righteous tone. She clenched her fists and started swinging them. Since his wound was on the arm, her fistsnded on his nose and corbone. Cedrick was not at all bothered or pained. On the contrary, Catelyn¡¯s back began hurting, and her punches started to lose strength. Sheid on the bed, breathing heavily, while Cedrick seized the chance to inch in closer and pressed his forehead against hers. ¡°Your lies had me acting so pathetic the entire time. Spanking you would be considered a mild punishment. Don¡¯t you dare do that again.¡± Rendered speechless, she scratched her head. She wanted to mention that she had used his card for the hospital bill, but not only had she given up on mentioning that, she regretted not maxing out the card altogether. Alex came back with lunch just in time to break the awkward atmosphere between the two. Catelyn made up an excuse to escape and left the hospital. She nced at the building behind her before leaving, her heart and mind twisted in a mess, knowing that she would lose her stance if this continued. Alex had ordered take-out from a five-star hotel. He pulled out the table andid out the dishes, one by one. There were a total of five to six dishes, all ordered in ordance with Cedrick¡¯s preference for a milder vor. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Master Cedrick, you might experience some inconvenience if you eat with your left hand. Should I go find a nurse-¡± ¡®To feed you? That was what Alex wanted to say, but he stilled at the sudden drop of temperature in the room when he received an icy re from Cedrick. He quieted down at the realization that Cedrick would only be willing to show his vulnerability in front of Catelyn. Cedrick sat on the side of the bed and held the spoon with his left hand. Though not as agile as his right hand, it did not affect his motion or his elegant demeanor. Alex watched in awe. When Cedrick noticed that he was still standing there, he muttered, ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± Alex snapped out of his mini trance and said, ¡°Master Cedrick, I¡¯ve looked into what happened. ¡°The board didn¡¯t fall on its own. Someone loosened the screws ahead of time.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Cedrick paused and narrowed his eyes. ¡°So it was nned?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve looked into Miss rk¡¯s personal life. Amy Jacqueline was in the mall at the time, and Ivan was in the office. Neither had the time to do it, and there were no suspicious transactions from their ounts either. Those two couldn¡¯t have been the culprit.¡± ¡°What about the surveince cameras?¡± ¡°The board was too big and could easily hide a few people underneath it, so I¡¯m afraid that surveince footage wouldn¡¯t be of much help,¡± Alex said gingerly. Completely losing his appetite, Cedrick gazed up at the reflection on the ss window. He had thought that it was merely an ident and was thus surprised that someone was behind it. Had he been one step slower or were not swift enough to shove Catelyn aside, perhaps both Catelyn and him would be in the funeral home at this moment. ¡°Anything from Nine?¡± Alex was stunned. ¡°You suspect that the Ninth Master is behind this, Master Cedrick?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this what he always does to pawns he no longer has use for?¡± ¡°Information of what happened hasn¡¯t reached Sapphire City yet, and everything is still under investigation. I¡¯ll try my best to find the person who loosened the screws and have that person lead me back to the real culprit who plotted this.¡± Alex paused for a moment before he added carefully, ¡°I don¡¯t think the Ninth Master is behind this. If he wanted Miss rk dead, he would have never freed her and the two young masters back in Sapphire City.¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression darkened as he clenched his fists. ¡°Whether it¡¯s him or not, we¡¯re not letting this go. Check everyone in Sapphire City. It could be anyone.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll investigate this matter dutifully.¡± Once Alex left, Cedrick got up expressionlessly and strode towards the window, staring down at the exotic buildings of Franche with a fierce look on his face. He had plotted against many throughout his life and had been set up multiple times, but if someone dared toy their hands on Catelyn and the twins, he would make them regret being born into this world. Meanwhile, in a certain private manor in Sapphire City.! Early that morning, Maia received notification from the assassins she hired that the mission had failed. Cedrick had saved Catelyn at thest minute, and it was Cedrick who ended up in the hospital. Judging from the interaction between Catelyn and Cedrick, it seemed as though their rtionship had improved instead. ¡°Trashbags, all of you! Do you remember what you promised me before? I paid you so much, yet you fail to achieve the easiest mission there is!¡± Maia tightened her grip on the phone as she stood before the curtains, screaming at the person on the other end of the call. The person on the other end of the line said something, and Maia hung up in frustration. All of a sudden, a steaming warm body pressed up against her from behind. Richard, dressed in a robe, wrapped one arm around her and brushed his fingers past her hair gently. The two had started seeing each other since Cedrick called off the wedding with Maia, and they grew even more reckless than they had been before. Maia was already agitated, so she shoved him off. ¡°Get off. I¡¯m not in the mood!¡± Richard lost bnce and fell back against the bed. Instead of getting annoyed, he propped his head up with one hand and admired the furious expression on Maia¡¯s face. To him, she looked beautiful even when her face was twisted with anger. Maia became even more agitated and thought to herself, ¡®Why is it that all the guys who like me are like this?¡¯ She went to the wine cab to pour herself multiple sses of wine and gulped them until her anger was barely at bay. Richard took in her beauty and reached for the nightstand drawer to pull out a pile of photos before walking over to Maia. The photos were taken when Cedrick took Catelyn and their twins to the mall. The family of four looked intimate and sweet together in the photos. ¡°You¡¯re trying to provoke me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Maia squinted at him maliciously. Previous Chapter All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Next Chapter Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Richard grazed Maia¡¯s earlobe with his lips as he spoke, ¡°Mai, have you forgotten that Franche is the territory of the Kingsley family? Even if you wanted to hire assassins, you should¡¯ve done so through me.¡± ¡°The Kingsley family?¡± Under the influence of alcohol, she stopped before pushing him away. ¡®That¡¯s right. How did I forget about this?¡¯ she thought to herself. ¡®The Kingsley family has been slowly moving their assets overseas across the years. Even the four most powerful families and other families in Sapphire City can¡¯tpare to the Kingsleys when ites to connection and influence in Franche.¡¯ She set her ss down and turned to throw herself into his arms, drawing circles on his chest. ¡°Are you saying this so that I¡¯ll try to please you?¡± ¡°I just want you to be happy.¡± Richard breathed heavily as he palmed her waist. ¡°Cedrick is with Catelyn now. Won¡¯t you stop thinking about them? I¡¯ll love you forever.¡± Maia¡¯s eyes glittered with malicious intent, but she simply leaned into his embrace instead of saying anything. ¡°Take me.¡± Richard gulped upon hearing this and lifted her up before pinning her against the wine cab. A heavy scent of blood filled the room. Just as Richard and Maia were indulging in pleasure, Maia felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen and felt blood coursing down her thighs. Richard seemed to have noticed it, too, and hurriedly carried her to the bed. The crimson liquid stood out on her fair thighs, and Richard paled. Maia reached her fingers to touch it and gaped. ¡°Why is there blood?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send you to the hospital right away-¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± Maia pulled him back, her eyes filled with fear. ¡°I think my period has been a littlete for a couple of days.¡± Dy in period and blood? ¡°Goodness, Mai, you could be pregnant!¡± Richard came to the sudden realization and frantically tried to dress her, wanting to send her to the hospital despite how difited he looked. ¡°You can¡¯t send me to the hospital.¡± Maia grabbed onto his arm with one hand and rested another on her lower abdomen. ¡°Get a doctor here. Remember; keep a low profile.¡± Richard was displeased that Maia would care about such a thing when he desperately wanted the entire world to learn that she was pregnant with his child. However, when he saw the way she looked at him pleadingly, he gave in. The doctor arrived shortly after to check on her. As expected, she was indeed pregnant-two months in, even. This must have happened during the time they sneaked around prior to Maia¡¯s wedding with Cedrick. They tried constraint but were both reckless at the same time. Wanting to destroy her rtionship with Cedrick, he had purposely not used protection multiple times. Once the doctor was gone, Maia swung at Richard. ¡°This is all your fault!¡± Richard¡¯s cheek wentpletely numb. He continued staring at her stomach and consoled gingerly.¡± You¡¯re pregnant with my baby now, so don¡¯t get too emotional. If you need to blow some steam off, I¡¯m right here You can scream at me or hit me all you want¡± What a loser! Maiaid back on the bed and refused to look at him, but she then seemed to have remembered something all of a sudden, I¡¯m sorry, Richard. I didn¡¯t do that on purpose. It¡¯s just that getting pregnant right now is¡­ All my ns are messed up now,¡± Maia squeezed out her tears and bit her lip in the most innocent manner she could manage Not wanting her to shed a single tear, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll marry you. I might not be as powerful as Cedrick, but I¡¯ll make sure that you have all the luxury at your expense.¡± ¡°No, I have a better idea.¡± Previous Chapter Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Next Chapter Chapter 501 Chapter 501 Chapter 501 Maia tugged Richard by the hand, her gaze keen as she did. Richard had a bad feeling about Maia¡¯s impending result and was proven right when Maia spoke her next words. ¡°I¡¯ll keep the child, but you have to help me by pretending that the child is Cedrick¡¯s! The timing is just right, too.¡± Dumbfounded, Richard blustered, ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about Cedrick?!¡± ¡°Listen, you¡¯re not the legitimate young master of the Kingsley family. Cedrick, on the other hand, is a legitimate young master of his family. As long as our child is acknowledged as the son of the eldest young master of the Masons, we¡¯ll be able to inherit their assets. On top of that, when the rks, Kingsleys, and Masons unite their power, imagine where we¡¯ll be!¡± Richard fell into deep contemtion. Even though he was reluctant that his child would be calling someone else their father, he was tempted by the possibilities. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Pack your things and get the next flight to Franche. You¡¯ll be getting rid of an obstacle of mine on my behalf.¡± ¡°You came right in time, my dear.¡¯ Maia rubbed her abdomen as her face shone with what looked to be motherly love. Franche. The weekend went by in the blink of an eye. Ivan had submitted the architectural model to party A¡¯s person in charge, which was Madam Smith, the wealthydy He then received a call from William, who had asked him to stop by the conference room. Ivan ttened out his shirt pleasingly. He was satisfied with how the model had turned out and was confident that the wealthydy would be happy with it. He was so pleased with himself that he fantasized about the shower of praises he would get. However, the moment he pushed open the door of the conference room, he was greeted with a tense atmosphere instead. ¡°Mister William, Madam Smith, you called?¡± greeted Ivan cautiously. Madam Smith tossed a folder of the building¡¯s architectural design on the table and asked with a smile on her face, ¡°Ivan, is this your work?¡± Ivan had always had a good rtionship with Madam Smith. There was a time when Madam Smith was hiking and got herself into a dangerous situation, and it was Ivan who saved her. Ivan nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my work.¡± ¡°It was all done by you, and you only?¡± Ivan was puzzled by all these questions, but he nodded nheless. As soon as he nodded, he noticed that William, who was next to Madam Smith, tensed up immediately. What was happening? ¡°I¡¯ve always felt that your works speak to me and that your talent is a rare gem. On top of that, I chose to believe you, even after the bad news about you was exposed. Sure enough, you didn¡¯t disappoint me and managed toe up with such an excellent design in such a short time¡­¡± Madam Smith¡¯s tone lost its friendliness as she audibly became frigid. Even though she was praising him, there were no traces of warmth in those words. Ivan looked at William, confused. ¡°Mister William, Madam Smith, I spent a lot of time and effort on this draft, and every single detail was thought thoroughly. If something here dissatisfied you, please feel free to point them¡­¡± ¡°Dissatisfied? Why would that be? You were able to use my dead husband¡¯s draft from many years ago! How would that be dissatisfying?!¡± Madam Smith smacked the table and stood up immediately. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Her husband was a famous architecture professor who died in an avnche ident. Madam Smith had preserved and saved all of his drafts, models, and everything that he had written about architects, keeping them close. She did not expect that Ivan would get his hands on the drafts and make them his own. Frankly speaking, it was a scummy move! ¡°W¡­ What?¡± Ivan felt his knees go weak as his face froze. Madam Smith then carefully opened up a folder and retrieved a stack of papers. The content of those papers,pared to Ivan¡¯s, was simr up to 80 percent! Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 502 Chapter 502 Chapter 502 ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you, Ivan, I thought I knew who you were as a person!¡± ¡°No! This is a misunderstanding!¡± Ivan, so consumed by fear, decided toe clean. ¡°This isn¡¯t even my design; 1 stole it from Catelyn rk! I have no idea about any of that¡­¡± Ivan naively thought that if he came clean, Madam Smith would forgive him and started investigating Catelyn What he did not expect was for Madam Smith to be even angrier. ¡°As a designer, you should know that every design is like a child to its designer. How dare you steal someone else¡¯s child?¡± William, on the other hand, was mystified upon hearing this, and the veins on his forehead became visible as he hissed, ¡°Ivan, how could you?!¡± Was the previous model stolen from Catelyn as well? That exined why Catelyn would leak the video of Ivan and Amy! The more Ivan thought to himself, the more he realized that he had been yed. ¡°1-I didn¡¯t steal it! What I meant was¡­¡± Ivan realized that he had messed up amid his panic, and thus, he started rambling, ¡°Amy was the one who gave me the design! Yes, that¡¯s right-Amy said she worked on it along with Catelyn! Catelyn was the creative mind behind the design. You can ask Amy if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± Madam Smith did not want to hear Ivan¡¯s exnation any further. After all, what he did was irreparable. Nheless, she needed to find out who had stolen her husband¡¯s work. Catelyn and Amy arrived at the conference room together. Amy was in a state of fright after her encounter with Cedrick at the mall. Thus, she walked with her head hung low the whole time without looking at Catelyn once. ¡°Amy, are you aware that the design draft you gave me was thete Mister Smith¡¯s posthumous work?¡± Ivan had been gesturing at Amy with his eyes the moment he saw Amy walk in. Amy¡¯s pupil dted and appeared to be shocked. ¡°Posthumous work?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You were the one who gave me the design and told me that it was yours and Catelyn¡¯s work. What¡¯s your exnation?¡± questioned Ivan firmly. Knowing Amy, she would definitely pin it entirely on Catelyn. Being pressured by Ivan, the flushed-faced Amy sneaked a look at Catelyn. How could that be Mister Smith¡¯s work? Was that not Catelyn¡¯s creation? Crap¡­ They fell for Catelyn¡¯s trap! Catelyn looked at the design draft on the table as an expression of shock overtook her face. ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t that the draft by Professor Smith that I got from the library as a reference? Amy, you must be mistaken; I¡¯ve never worked with you on a design before.¡± William was desperate to find out the truth behind everything so that he could provide an exnation to Madam Smith ¡°Amy, how did you get the draft?¡± ¡°Say it! It was Catelyn who had stolen the works of Mister Smith!¡± Seeing as Amy hesitated, Ivan shoved Amy in frustration. The creases between Madam Smith¡¯s brows deepened. After all, she despised men who would bully women Amy was pushed so hard that she almost knocked into the corner of a table. Hundreds of thoughts went through her mind, but she eventually gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this draft in my life. What do you want me to say, Uncle Ivan?¡±. Ivan¡¯s face contorted grimly at this. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°You were the one who gave me the draft! How dare you say that you¡¯ve never seen it before?¡± ¡°When did I give it to you? Your name is the only one on it! It¡¯s true that I¡¯m in love with you, but you can¡¯t make me take the me for you when you¡¯re in trouble!¡± Amy had decided and was determined to deny everything. She knew Cedrick was not a man to mess with. Somehow, she felt fortunate that she had met Cedrick before this interrogation happened. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Amy¡¯s behavior bbergasted Ivan. He thought that Amy despised Catelyn more than anything! Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. He refused to give it up, however. ¡°Did Catelyn threaten you? Just tell the truth. Mister William and I are here, and we¡¯ll help you!¡± ¡°No one¡¯s threatening me, Uncle Ivan. Just give it up. I¡¯ve warned you before the first time you stole Catelyn¡¯s model, but not only did you not change, but you became worse! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d stood as low as stealing Mister Smith¡¯s posthumous work. ¡°I¡¯m so disappointed in you!¡± Amy¡¯s eyes reddened as tears brimmed in her eyes. Ivan was consumed by rage and raised his leg to kick Amy. ¡°You b*tch! How dare you nder me this way?!¡± ¡°Ngh!¡± Amy crouched down and moaned in pain. Madam Smith¡¯s face turned green at that point as she growled, ¡°Enough, Ivan! I take back everything good I¡¯ve ever said about you in the past. From now on, whoever in Franche hires you as an architect will be my enemy! Mister William, I¡¯m requesting to have a new Project Director installed for this project!¡± William smiled and nodded nervously as beads of cold sweat slid down his forehead. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Madam Smith looked over at Catelyn as her face crumpled. ¡°You mentioned earlier that you found my late husband¡¯s work in the library?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Madam Smith,¡± Catelyn answered politely upon being questioned by Madam Smith. ¡°I¡¯ve always admired Mister Smith¡¯s view and theory in design, and I hold his design style andposition in high regard. I¡¯ve had the honor of reading some of his dissertations in the past, and it left a huge impact on me.¡± Madam Smith¡¯s eyes softened upon hearing herte husband¡¯s name being mentioned in such a good light. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors about you being used of bribery and that you wanted to bribe Ivan in exchange for fame and benefits. Those weren¡¯t real, were they?¡± Catelyn chuckled lightly and said, ¡°I guess I¡¯m just not as lucky as you, having been able to have such great guidance and a talented teacher in your life.¡± ¡°Myte husband did indeed guide me through my life in many ways¡­¡± Madam Smith was touched. She then shot a cold gaze at William. William wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to investigate further. If it¡¯s true that Ivan stole Catelyn¡¯s model, we promise to bring justice to her.¡± Madam Smith nodded lightly. Ivan, however, refused to be defeated and insisted on exining himself to Madam Smith. Madam Smith held nothing but bitterness toward Ivan at that moment. Before she could order the security to escort Ivan out, however, a female clerk walked in. She said to William nervously, ¡°M¡­ Mister William, representatives from Mason Group are here!¡± William was in a rotten mood because of Ivan and was annoyed by the announcement, thinking it was just an employee from the Mason Group who came, ¡°So what? Go greet them!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s Mister Cedrick!¡± ¡°What?¡± William¡¯s heart nearly leaped to his throat as he stammered, ¡°Mister Cedrick is h-here?¡± ¡°He just got onto the esctor, and he¡¯ll be here anytime soon.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Madam Smith, but I¡¯ll be back shortly. We¡¯ll talk about the agreementter.¡± William smiled and announced politely as he stood up to leave the room. Just as he walked over to the door, he felt an intimidating aura rushing toward him. Cedrick had arrived outside of the conference room, along with a group of employees dressed in suits. He was wearing a white dress shirt, and topped with a ck suit and pants, his figure looked slender in his fit. Everyone held their breath upon his arrival. Even Madam Smith was shocked. Catelyn¡¯s eyes traveled to his right arm. She remembered that the doctor mentioned that he would need to rest for a few days to recover. Why did he leave the hospital so soon? He was too stubborn for his own good! ¡°Hello, Mister Cedrick. What brings you here to us?¡± greeted William politely, escorting Cedrick to the main seat in the conference room. As soon as he sat down, a female employee immediately served him a cup of freshly ground coffee. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Cedrick took a sip of the coffee served to him, much to Catelyn¡¯s chagrin. Caffeine was proven to be terrible for wound recovery, and it might even trigger an infection! The doctor had advised him to watch his diet, so what was he even doing, sipping a cup of coffee? Cedrick ced the cup down elegantly, his face calm and unperturbed. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯ve just heard rumors of my wife being used of bribery and theft and decided to stop by. Don¡¯t be too nervous.¡± How was William not supposed to be nervous? Cedrick¡¯s power was equal to the VSA Group¡¯s CEO! ¡°Y-Your wife?¡± William gulped and asked cautiously, ¡°Are you saying that your wife works in our company?¡± ¡°My wife has always been low profile, which is why we didn¡¯t give a proper introduction,¡± replied Cedrick casually, his eyes falling on Catelyn. ¡°Cat,e here.¡± The room fell into dead silence. Apart from Amy, everyone else on the scene was in disbelief. Catelyn, on the other hand, panicked upon being called on like that. Her face flushed in deep crimson when she felt the gazes on her, effectively making her flustered. His wife? She had agreed to his proposal! ¡°Ahaha! Miss rk is indeed a low profile person, so much so that none of us were aware¡­¡± William chuckled dryly as he switched from referring to Catelyn as her first name to ¡®Miss rk¡¯. How had he not noticed that before? The incident where Catelyn toppled over Cedrick must just be the couple¡¯s way of having fun! Everyone was so focused on Catelyn that she could not bring herself to humiliate Cedrick at that moment. She suppressed her anger and decided to deal with himter. She slowly walked toward Cedrick, who then pulled her onto hisp. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Catelyn twitched ever so slightly, and Cedrick¡¯s arm immediately tightened around her waist. Bringing his lips next to her ear, he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t make me force you down in front of everyone.¡± Catelyn froze as she squeezed out a polite smile. How could Cedrick be so shameless? The air in the conference room tensed the moment Cedrick arrived. Since Catelyn had been revealed to be Cedrick Mason¡¯s wife, the Missus CEO of Mason Group, why would she ever care about mere bribery? It was clear to everyone that she had been ndered! Cedrick, of course, did note unprepared as he got on a call with Charles right away. Charles managed to track down the woman who met Catelyn in the washroom previously. The woman insisted that it was Ivan who had ordered her to nder Catelyn. Taking that into ount, as well as how he stole Smith¡¯s work, drove William to fire Ivan right then and there. He was to never be rehired by thepany, and his actions would be exposed to the public. Ivan¡¯s future waspletely ruined that day. He finally understood why Amy would suddenly go against him; it must have been because of Cedrick! Just when he thought things could not get any worse, Eason blocked the entrance, preventing him from leaving Ivan¡¯s face was ashen at that point as he looked up at Cedrick nkly. ¡°You ruined my wife¡¯s reputation, and you nearly got her arrested for things she didn¡¯t do. Do you think you can just leave?¡± Cedrick asked nonchntly. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Chapter 505 I¡¯ve lost everything already! What else do you want from me?¡¯ screamed Ivan internally, knowing he would never say these things out loud. He turned to Cately and smiled politely as he apologized, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to have wronged you, Missus Mason. Can you please allow me to walk out of here in peace?¡± Catelyn had achieved her goal. Ivan had relied on his fame and talent within the architecture world his whole life, and without these things, he was nothing Cedrick, however, did not think it was enough. ¡°You¡¯ve forged evidence just to frame my wife and instigated others tomit crimes for you. If these were reported to the police¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Ivan lost hisposure as he shrieked, ¡°I have an elderly mother to take care of at home! I can¡¯t go to jail!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My wife is too kindhearted, and she¡¯d never do that. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve thought of a second option for you.¡± Ivan gulped nervously, doubtful of how forgiving Catelyn was. Nheless, he questioned, ¡°What¡¯s¡­ the second option?¡± ¡°My wife invested in a coal mine in South Afreca a while ago, and they¡¯re looking for more miners at the moment. I¡¯m happy to pay you the same amount of sry you¡¯re getting now if you work there for five years. If you manage to stay away from my wife afterward, I¡¯ll forget everything that you¡¯ve done.¡± Catelyn looked at Cedrick incredulously. What a bunch of nonsense! She had never even been to South Afreca, let alone invested in a coal mine there! Of course, Ivan was reluctant on that offer. He spat in anger as he had lost all of hisposure, ¡°What¡¯s the difference between that and going to jail?!¡± ¡°The difference is that you have an elderly mother to take care of.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m not going to jail, nor am I going to be a miner!¡± ¡°You have one day to decide. If I don¡¯t get an answer, I¡¯ll be reporting your crime to the police.¡± Cedrick¡¯s tone was cold as he gestured at Eason with his eyes. Eason understood him and dragged Ivan out of the room in an instant. Cedrick did not stay long after doing what he came to do. He whispered something into Catelyn¡¯s ear before leaving. Catelyn reluctantly hummed in reply when she heard that he woulde pick her up after work, as she dreaded having to deal with himter. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Her impatience toward him, however, only showed how spoiled she was by Cedrick. Cedrick was satisfied with Catelyn¡¯s behavior as he walked out of the VSA building with a grin on his face. Catelyn felt eyes on her from everywhere the moment Cedrick left. William even started treating her with respect and kindness. That afternoon, Cedrick did not return to his office. He chose to wander around the streets. At about three to four o¡¯clock, he headed to the jewelry shop that he had gone to two days ago. He retrieved the ck ring box and the ring from his pocket, cing them on the counter. The ring had a charming motive of fireworks. ¡°Please pick a new box for this ring for me.¡± The ring box had been with him for a while, and there were even visible light scratches on the box. The worker was unaware of the fact that the man in front of her was their new boss. All she knew was the boss was an Amarican, which was why she was cautious while serving one. However, Cedrick was definitely the first man to purchase a box without jewelry in a jewelry shop. ¡°Sir, is this for a proposal?¡± a female worker asked. Cedrick smiled and nodded. She then proceeded to tell him that he needed more than just a box to propose. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Cedrick wanted to make things right for Catelyn all at once. ¡°This firework-motive ring is one of the best we got. Let¡¯s see if I can find a matching ring box¡­¡± the female staff pondered as she wanted to be ingenious when it came to packaging. Ultimately, she brought several designs of unique ring boxes to Cedrick. Still, he was not satisfied. ¡°Sir, ring boxes are generally pretty much the same here and there.¡± The staff was very distressed to deal with such a picky customer for the first time. Cedrick lowered his eyes and nced at an oversized pink ring box in the middle of the store¡¯s disy cab. It was a resplendent, ravishing ring. He stared at the ring box and asked, ¡°What about that box?¡± ¡°No. That set is the most-treasured piece of our store. They aren¡¯t for sale separately!¡± de Cedrick soon took out a ck card. ¡°I¡¯ll buy the ring altogether. Now give me the box.¡± The staff silently rolled her eyes. Coming out of the jewelry store, Cedrick looked at the brand new ring box with an impish smile. Afterward, he drove to a florist not far away. Franche was known for its flowers and romantic ambiance. Almost every countryman was a romanticist as there were flowers on every windowsill in the country. Cedrick stood at the door of the flower shop as he stared at the flowers, frowning slightly. He suddenly realized that he knew too little about her. ¡®What kind of flower does she like?¡¯ A female florist lost a heartbeat when he noticed Cedrick, a noble and elegant man in a precious suit, standing at the door. She hurriedly walked up to him and enthusiastically chirped, ¡°Sir, may I help you?¡± ¡°I want to buy some flowers.¡± The florist was bewildered. ¡°Flowers speak differently. What kind of message do you want to convey?¡± ¡°A proposal,¡± answered Cedrick. The florist brightened her eyes when she heard this. Generally speaking, men were more generous when proposing, so she began to push for her sales. ¡°If you¡¯re going to propose, it¡¯s best to go with red roses, which symbolize the warmth of your heart and sincere love.¡± Cedrick had never proposed marriage before as he nodded with lips pursed when listening to the florist¡¯s suggestions. ¡°How many flowers do you want?¡± He frowned. ¡°How many would you rmend?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen rich men buy nine hundred and ny-nine roses for their lover, which means longevity. Well, I¡¯ve also seen the opposite-buying only one rose, that is-but ny-nine roses are optimal.¡± After a moment of thought, Cedrick finally decided to take 99 roses, The florist soon began to pick those red roses happily while Cedrick enjoined, ¡°Pack it beautifully, and wash the flowers again so that the fragrance won¡¯t be too strong.¡± The florist excitedly responded. After she had finished rose-picking and just as she was about to pack them up, she saw Cedrick walking over with a sullen expression. He pointed to a few red roses among the 99 roses and said, ¡°Rece these ones and a few here. They aren¡¯t fresh anymore.¡± The florist did not expect that Cedrick would even pay attention to these details and began to envy the blesseddy he would propose to. Shortly after, she changed a few fresher red roses for him. When checking out, he did not even blink an eye Before he turned to leave, Cedrick asked the florist, ¡°Are you sure that red roses are suitable for the proposal? Will she like it?¡± ¡°Yes, girls can¡¯t resist roses.¡± She nodded with a smile. ¡°Especially when it¡¯s given to her by her loved one. Trust me, she¡¯ll like it very much.¡± ¡®She¡¯ll love the roses if it¡¯s from the one she loves¡­ Am I the one she loves?¡¯ he mused. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 507 Chapter 507 Chapter 507 When it was time to get off work, Catelyn packed up William had already fired Ivan and Amy and changed the way he treated Catelyn since then. He came to offer her a ride back home. Still, Catelyn entered a lift with a perfunctory smile. All of a sudden, her phone rang. The screen disyed a series of numbers she did not recognize. ¡°Hello, is this Miss rk?¡± rang an olddy¡¯s voice that carried vicissitude. ¡°Yes, and you are?¡± Catelyn held the phone in one hand and clocked out with another to get off work. ¡°I¡¯m George¡¯s mother. There¡¯s something I want to talk to you about.¡± ¡°George¡¯s mother?¡¯ Catelyn had not seen George for a long time. Thest time they met was at the resort, but she deliberately avoided him at that time. ¡°Please carry on, Missus Graham.¡± ¡°George has been a good boy since he was a child. ¡°His father and I had run a timber factory before this. Although we¡¯re not wealthy, we¡¯re not below average at all. However, not long ago, someone reported our factory, and that caused the suspension of production andpensation. George also lost his job because of that. He has been drinking heavily for quite a while. One day, he spilled the beans after drinking, and now we know it was all because of you!¡± Catelyn¡¯s grip on the phone suddenly tightened as she stiffly stood in the hall. ¡°I¡¯ve never been a snob. I know you were once George¡¯s boss¡¯s wife and you have two kids, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m calling you today, begging you to stop troubling George! All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Miss rk, are you still listening?¡± George¡¯s mother asked eagerly. ¡°I¡¯m still here,¡± Catelyn hurriedly responded. Catelyn finally figured out why Cedrick was so inattentive when she told him that her engagement to George was canceled. It turned out that he had already rigged George¡¯s family business to ruin their engagement! He knew very well that their marriage could never happen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing trouble to you and George, Missus Graham. I¡¯ll get this sorted out.¡± It was five o¡¯clock sharp and Cedrick had been waiting in this car in front of VSA Group¡¯s building. A huge rose bouquet was ced in the passenger seat, and the faint fragrance of the flowers hung in the air. He had texted Catelyn and asked for her address, to which Catelyn replied soon after. With the address Catelyn gave him, Cedrick sessfully found Catelyn at the corner of the street. Seeing what she was wearing, he frowned slightly. Since Catelyn was going to work today, she wore very ordinary business attire. However, he loosened the tense expression he had and stopped the car on the side of the road. Catelyn was in a daze when Cedrick lowered his car¡¯s window. She then spotted therge bouquet of roses, and Cedrick-who looked handsome that day-in the driver¡¯s seat by a nce. The water droplets on the roses enhanced the delicacy and charm of the roses. ¡°That¡¯s for me?¡± she blurted in surprise. ¡°I happened to pass by a flower shop on the way, so I bought it. Do you like it?¡± ¡°No woman in the world can resist the charm of red roses. Of course I like it.¡± Catelyn calmly sat in the car and ced the red roses in the back seat. It was inconvenient to hold it like this. She subconsciously nced at the back seat while putting the rose bouquet, but she noticed that both Miles and Ollie were not there. Cedrick told her to fasten her seatbelt, and from the corner of his eyes, he asionally took a peek at Catelyn. She put the red roses on the back seat so casually that she did not even smell the bouquet. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Cedrick¡¯s frown deepened. The florist must have made a bad rmendation. Red roses probably were not Catelyn¡¯s favorite. Cedrick took Catelyn to a giant cruise ship for dinner. The luxurious ship with blue-and-white stripes sailed in the sea, rolling up the waves as it moved. Catelyn followed Cedrick to the cruise¡¯s deck as her ck wide-leg pants pped in the wind. The moment she set foot on the cruise ship, melodious soothing saxophone music yed. The sky had not darkened. Still, the ship was already full of candles and the light illuminated the entire hull. Due to the strong sea breeze, the candles were covered in sses, which added a bit of fantasticality to the deck. The dim candlelight set off the beautifully furnished deck and the red carpet that extended from the deck to the dining room in the inner cabin. In the dining room, a in white dining table was decorated with beautiful roses and lilies, overflowing with romance. ¡°Master Cedrick, Miss rk, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡± The waiter led the two of them to their seats as he spoke. Red wine steak, Franch foie gras, and appetizing snacks were ready on the table. The environment and lighting were in the perfect state that any couple could ask for. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Everything was impable. To Catelyn, it all felt like an ordinary candlelight dinner and enjoyed herself. However, in the next instant, she saw Cedrick stand up from his seat and slowly walk toward her¡­with a small ck ring box in his hand. He then opened the ring box, revealing a ring with fireworks as its motive. Catelyn could not help but stare at the ring. ¡®Isn¡¯t this the design I drafted for the Chandier Jewelrypetition?¡¯ she asked herself. She could not believe the ring in front of her at that very moment was a finished product of her design! ¡°Although the setup isn¡¯t beautiful enough, it still fits your definition of sincerity. Catelyn, marry me,¡± a deep, maic male voice fell into her ears. Catelyn raised her eyes to meet Cedrick¡¯s deep gaze filled with iprehensible affection. Her heartbeat suddenly elerated. At the same time, a thinyer of tears involuntarily umted in her eyes. No matter how much she had missed and hated him, she could have sworn she heard an angel¡¯s voice telling her to ept his proposal. She desperately took a deep breath, suppressed the emotions that were about to spill out of her, and indifferently spat, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Cedrick seemed to have expected that she would refuse and stared at her with his darkened eyes. ¡°What am I not doing enough?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you aren¡¯t doing enough; it¡¯s that I can¡¯t do it.¡± Catelyn bit her lower lip shamefully as her face paled in the candlelight. ¡°I often think of that night that happened half a month ago, and I¡¯d always think of myself as filthy. You are Master Cedrick of the Mason family. There¡¯s no woman you couldn¡¯t get if you want.¡± So it¡¯s still about that night¡­¡¯Cedrick mused. Bitterness shed across Cedrick¡¯s eyes. ¡°It takes guts to be your wife. Everyone from the Mason family and the rk family, including your elders, has their eyes on me! ¡°I don¡¯t want that one day, when someone digs up my past and finds out about the scandals, they¡¯ll tell my two sons that their mother isn¡¯t worthy! ¡°I feel inferior. I don¡¯t have the confidence and courage-¡± Cedrick suddenly held her hands and pressed them tightly against his chest. ¡°Do you feel it? This heart is beating violently because of you.¡± ¡°No matter what you are thinking right now, stop for me. I only allow you to say yes to me! ¡°Everything that happened in the past isn¡¯t your fault, and I don¡¯t care! Unless you still hate what I did to you, these scandals are just excuses you¡¯re using to reject me!¡± The air seemed to have thinned out. She was almost unable to think and speak. ¡°It¡¯s not an excuse! I¡¯m serious!¡± Catelyn felt her nose tingling sorely as she refuted. She could not pull her hands back. ¡°From the very beginning, we¡¯ve been tangled in lies and deceit, and there is a huge disparity in terms of background and temperament¡­¡± After a pause, her tone shifted into what sounded like unforgiveness. ¡°Did you rig George and his family¡¯s business?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 509 Chapter 509 Chapter 509 All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Yes!¡± answered Cedrick, not even second-guessing how quickly he responded. ¡°As long as he¡¯s willing to leave you, I can give him ten times or even a hundred times the compensation, any time. Do you expect me to watch you marry him and let my children call another man ¡®father¡¯? Impossible! ¡°It¡¯s fine even if you didn¡¯t ept my proposal tonight; I¡¯ll get rid of all your pursuers no matter what! You said that you never betrayed me, and you aren¡¯t under the Ninth Master. I¡¯m willing to believe it now, but how about you? Are you not willing to give me a chance?¡± Catelyn stared at him in a daze, suddenly not knowing whether tough or cry. He was still so shameless after what he had done to George and his parents! ¡°My biggest pursuer is you. Can you get rid of yourself-mmph!¡± Cedrick suddenly leaned down and forced a kiss on her cherry lips. He wanted to tell her that he was the one who dragged her to the small ck room that night more than half a month ago. When he saw her and George together, he was so enraged that he could not help dragging her to Mason Estate. Nheless, he deeply regretted it afterward, so he pretended that nothing had happened and sent her back quietly. With the current situation, telling the truth would only make him more disgusted in her eyes. ¡°Stop!¡± Cedrick¡¯s unconscionable act had hurt Catelyn¡¯s mouth. She was tightly bound by him, unable to move at all. Shame, anger, low self-esteem, hatred, and countless emotions intertwined. Finally, the air in her lungs seemed to be drained when Cedrick ended his roguish manhandling. Cedrick held her tightly to him. His voice was hoarse but gentle as he spoke, ¡°Would you like to make a bet with me?¡± Catelyn¡¯s brain was oxygen-deprived at that moment, making her difficult to think. ¡°What¡­are you betting on?¡± ¡°Within a minute, you won¡¯t refuse to wear this ring.¡± Catelyn gradually regained the ability to think, and she sneered when she heard this. The hand was hers. She could refuse anyone, anytime, and anywhere. Not to mention, Cedrick wanted to do it in just a minute. She pushed him away and went to the deck alone for the breeze and fresh air. Cedrick pursed his thin lips, pinched the ring, and followed, but his eyes fell on the tranquil sea. The sky waspletely dark. As far as anyone could see, there were only sparkles on the sea. ¡°I know you¡¯re not very good at swimming,¡± came Cedrick¡¯s voice as he stood beside Catelyn. This baffled Catelyn. What on earth was he getting at? Immediately afterward, she noticed his gaze wandering over the sea and her, and he even seemed to reach out as if to push her. Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened as stepped back nervously immediately. Was he possibly thinking of revenge, just because she rejected his proposal?! ¡°Cedrick, I¡¯m not good at the water. Don¡¯t mess around!¡± Cedrick¡¯s ck eyes gleamed impishly as he continued to pull her with a half-smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You can¡¯t, but I can.¡± Catelyn was so shocked that she could not speak. When his hand was about to reach her arm, she pushed him harshly by reflex. However, Cedrick did not resist and started to fall. It was autumn, and the water was very cold. Catelyn thought of the wound on his right arm all of a sudden and regretted what she had done, so she tried to pull him in horror at that very second. I¡¯m crazy!¡¯ she yelled internally. To Catelyn¡¯s utter surprise, Cedrick suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into him. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Ssh! Catelyn and Cedrick fell into the sea. Catelyn was very afraid of water as she struggled to stay afloat. ¡°Hold on to me.¡± Cedrick kept his bnce and supported her waist with one hand. The fear of drowning was far greater than anything else, so Catelyn desperately pressed into Cedrick¡¯s arms and wound hers around his neck. Her long hair was already wet as her body recurred to float and sink due to the buoyancy, She felt extremely embarrassed. Gradually, the two maintained their bnce in the water. Cedrick silently held Catelyn¡¯s hand as the bright moonlight fell upon them. Secondster, she realized that he had put on the fireworks ring on her ring finger. ¡°I¡¯m holding you.¡± He grabbed her hand, lowered his head, and kissed her ring finger. ¡°Catelyn, you lost the bet.¡± Catelyn was so angry that she burst into tears and bit on his neck, wishing to bleed him blood while cursing vaguely in her mouth. ¡°Cedrick, you lunatic! B*stard!¡± Miles and Ollie were taken to the children¡¯s restaurant by Eason that night. Both boys could barely wait for Catelyn¡¯s return as they returned home. She had not called them all this while, which was suspicious for both of them. Even if Catelyn was working overtime and could not make it on time, she would usually notify Miles and Ollie in advance. Eason was ying a game with the kids in the living room. It was a simple monsters-beating game. The two children werepeting in hand speed as they wanted to know who could beat the most monsters in a minute. Eason eventually found out that he could not beat both Master Ollie and Master Miles. ¡°I don¡¯t want to y anymore.¡± Miles dropped the gamepad and said contemptuously, ¡°You¡¯re boring! I¡¯m going to find Mommy.¡± Ollie, too, put down his gamepad and followed Miles to make a phone call. Eason hurriedly stopped the two little guys. ¡°Hold your horses, young masters! Miss rk may not be back tonight. Even if you make a phone call, she may not be able to pick it up, so let¡¯s continue to y the game, shall we?¡± Miles¡¯ little ears perked up at this as he stared at him keenly. ¡°What do you mean Mommy won¡¯te back tonight?¡± ¡°Did Father take Mommy away?¡± asked Ollie spectively. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Eason scratched his head, fearing that the two kids would burst with anger. Soon, he smiled and said, ¡°The wound on Master Cedrick¡¯s right arm worsened, so Miss rk has gone to the hospital to take care of him,¡± ¡°Then why can¡¯t we call Mommy if she really went to the hospital?¡± asked Miles as he frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not telling the truth.¡± Ollie squinted slightly and asked, ¡°Where is Mommy?¡± Eason was about to copse mentally. He was questioned closely to the point that he turned speechless by the two little boys who were barely four years old! He stammered for a while, and when he was trying to find an excuse to go to the bathroom, a metallic noise came from the doorknob outside the house. Then, the door was pushed open, and Catelyn and Cedrick entered from outside. Miles was about to rush over to be fondled by his mother as he was happy that she finally came back. However, the smile on his face disappeared the instant he spotted the firework-motive ring on her finger. In contrast, Ollie¡¯s eyes shone brightly. After all, Ollie had been hoping that his mother and his father could reconcile. Only through that would they reunite as a family of four once more. Catelyn saw that the children were staring at her ring finger, so she subconsciously hid her hand, but she then felt it was unnecessary. The tall man beside her held her hand, sped their fingers together, and announced to the two boys,¡± There will be two more members in the Mason family from today onward.¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 511 Chapter 511 Chapter 511 Miles raised his head, red at Cedrick, and turned to Catelyn sadly. ¡°Why is your resolve so weak? You¡¯re too softhearted to ignore Big Demon¡¯s sugar-coated words! ¡°It¡¯s not toote for you to change your mind. Return the ring to him. I can buy you a hundred-carat ring when I grow up!¡± persisted Miles, his words evidently conveying how bitter he felt at the moment. The corners of Ollie¡¯s mouth twitched slightly as he ruthlessly debunked, ¡°Miles, a hundred-carat diamond ring is heavy.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Anyway, I surely can give Mommy all the treasures Big Demon owns!¡± Cedrick rolled up his thin lips to make a weird smile. ¡°I can hug her and kiss her. Can you?¡± Miles felt his mood instantly plummeting. Cedrick always bullied him for being small in size. ¡®Big Kitty won¡¯t be mine anymore in the future. I¡¯ll have to share her with Big Demon and Ollie,¡¯ Miles bemoaned to himself. Catelyn secretly reached out to Cedrick¡¯s waist and pinched him for provoking the children. Still, Cedrick took advantage of the situation and said something dirty in her ear. Catelyn instantly blushed, fled, and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Miles pouted his cheeks angrily when he saw Cedrick¡¯s smug grin. ¡°You¡¯re too shameless to flirt in front of a child like this! Hearing the sound of water sshing in the bathroom, the father and sons sat side by side on the sofa. Cedrick elegantly crossed his legs, making him extremely handsome. Miles unconsciously imitated his posture, but his legs were so short that they suspended mid-air. Only Ollie sat upright, as always. At that moment, they were watching thetest episode of Spyderman. The boys watched as the character flew over the eaves and walls with his web. The two precocious boys were still children, after all, so Miles and Ollie swooned over the plot. Cedrick was surprisingly quiet and stayed beside the two children. He almostzily draped himself over Miles and Ollie as the two boys sat close to him. It seemed like he was hugging the two little ones from afar. ¡°Do you like Spyderman?¡± rang the voice of a man abruptly, aimed toward. ¡°I like it.¡± Ollie nodded. ¡°Do you want to see the real-life actor of Spyderman?¡± Cedrick tried to make a deal with his son. Ollie raised his face and said, ¡°I¡¯d prefer an official Spyderman figure.¡± ¡°As long as you keep being obedient tonight, I can fulfill your wishes.¡± Catelyn refilled the bathtub¡¯s water when she finished her shower. She, more often than not, bathed the two kids every day. ¡°They¡¯ll be bathing with me tonight,¡± said Cedrick. Catelyn nced at his arm suspiciously. ¡°Is your wound okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think of your man as being so weak.¡± Cedrick raised his eyebrows slightly to shoot her a yful look and took the two children into the bathroom. He would not let Catelyn see other males naked, not even his sons. Catelyn thought the kids would refuse, but surprisingly, they ran into the bathroom before Cedrick even got in The sight baffled her for a moment before she went to dry her hair. The ring on her ring finger was heavy, yet without realizing it¡­ She felt warmth spreading throughout her heart. ¡®Is this considered that I¡¯ve epted his proposal already?¡¯ she mused. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Chapter 512 The future of the Mason family, the rk family, Catelyn, and the two children were unknown. Soon, a conversation from the bathroom interrupted Catelyn¡¯s contemtion. ¡°Cool it, Miles! You dare sprinkle the water you used to wash your butt on my face?¡± ¡°My butt is very fragrant and soft. Mommy often praises me for that.¡± ¡°Hurry and finish your bath! The water will soon be cold, and you¡¯ll catch a cold at this rate!¡± Catelyn knew Miles did that on purpose as she pictured Cedrick bathing the two kids. ¡®Hmm¡­ The image of it seems somewhat pleasant, I¡¯ll admit.¡¯ About 20 minutester, Cedrick and the boys finished bathing. Miles, wearing nothing but wrapped in a small blue towel, ran out of the bathroom barefooted. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m clean!¡± He jumped onto the sofa and nestled himself in Catelyn¡¯s arms like a puppy. Ollie, on the other hand, sat next to them obediently. Catelyn ruffled the boys¡¯ wet hair and frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dry your hair? ¡°Cedrick, is this how you bathe your sons? Hurry and get me two dry towels!¡± Looking into the bathroom, Cedrick slowly paced out. He looked even messier with how he was drenched from head to toes, his clothes clinging tightly to his body. Even his hair was dripping wet! Plink. Plink. He tossed two dry towels toward Catelyn with an ashen face. Catelyn took the dry towels and burst outughing. ¡°You fell into the water again?¡± Cedrick red fiercely at the twins, who wore an innocent facade. ¡°Your sons got guts, alright!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to bathe them? Can¡¯t stand it on the first night?¡± Cedrick pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re the ones who won¡¯t be able to stand it in the end.¡± ¡°Forget it. Change your clothes, and get your hair dried with a hairdryer. What about your wound? Do you want to have it re-band at the clinic downstairs?¡± ¡°So annoying,¡± grumbled Cedrick, yet he brought the hair dryer to Catelyn nheless. With that, Catelyn dried the boys¡¯ hair. Finishing up, she frowned when she realized Cedrick had yet to dry his. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dry your hair?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I¡¯ve never used a hair dryer before. You do it for me.¡± ; Miles immediately jumped up from the sofa. ¡°I¡¯ll help you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help,¡± declined Cedrick sharply, wary of Miles¡¯ intention. Meanwhile, Ollie also volunteered to help. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll help you too.¡± Catelyn was happy to see the boys seemingly getting along with Cedrick, so she shot the boys an encouraging look. ¡°This is an important task for you two. I¡¯ll go make the bed.¡± Seeing that Catelyn went to the bedroom, Cedrick sat on the sofa with a sullen face. With that, Miles plugged the hair dryer in and Ollie switched it on. A gush of hot air instantly fanned Cedrick¡¯s face. Miles scratched his hair while Ollie held the air dryer. The twins cooperated well and they got Cedrick¡¯s dried in no time. However, when Cedrick stood before the bathroom¡¯s mirror, a murderous aura instantly emitted from his eyes. His originally short, nicelybed hair became ridiculously messy! ¡®I must¡¯ve lost my mind when I allowed the boys to dry my hair.¡¯ When he returned to the living room with a fierce look, the two boys had already slipped into the bedroom for bedtime. Catelyn adjusted the light to be dimmer when a tall figure appeared at the door. Cedrick stared at the twins and said, ¡°You two will be sleeping by yourself tonight. Catelyn wille with me.¡± ¡°No!¡± yelled the boys in unison as they sat up. ¡°Have you forgotten that you had promised to obey me?¡± Cedrick raised his eyebrows, not believing that he could not handle two three-and-a-half-year-old brats. ¡®Their total age is only seven years, and I¡¯m still twenty years their senior!¡¯ Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 513 Chapter 513 Chapter 513 Ollie wanted a set of Spyderman toys, but he would rather choose sleeping next to Catelyn instead. Unless Catelyn was at work, she and the boys were always together ever since they came to Franche. Obviously, she was not busy with work tonight. Miles raised his eyebrows and turned against Cedrick as heined to Catelyn, ¡°Mommy, Bid Demon is trying to bribe us.¡± OWS non Catelyn was left puzzled. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Father said that as long as we listen to him, he¡¯d give us Spyderman toys, and we could ask the actor to y with us,¡± Ollie answered honestly. Catelyn immediately became angry as she red at Cedrick. ¡°How can you teach your sons to bribe?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m just fulfilling my responsibility as a dad. Besides, isn¡¯t rewarding your children when they¡¯re obedient a normal thing in most families?¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression stayed the same. He was extremely calm as if Catelyn were the one making a fuss. Catelyn was even angrier that Cedrick was justifying his behavior. She attempted to push Cedrick out of the bedroom out of anger. ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already put on my diamond ring, so you¡¯re mine. Where do you want to push me to?¡± Cedrick propped against the door frame with one arm. His body did not move even a single centimeter, yet Catelyn was sweating as she pushed him. In the end, the four of them had to sleep together. The two children slept in the middle, while Catelyn and Cedrick slept on either side. Fortunately, the bed was arge double bed that could fit them all. Nheless, Cedrick¡¯s expression was painfully sour. This should have been a romantic night for the two of them, but these brats spoiled his n! ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have promised Kitty toe back when we were on the cruise.¡¯ The two children slept soundly as they snored lightly. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Their snores were loud to Cedrick¡¯s ears, however, as heid next to the twins. He tossed and turned but could not sleep. In the end, he quietly got out of bed and went to the balcony. There was a hanging chair and various potted nts on the balcony. The cold wind struck, dousing the anger in his heart. After standing on the balcony for about 10 minutes, Cedrick was to return to the bedroom when he realized that Catelyn stood behind him. He narrowed his eyes, not out of fright but out of surprise to see Catelyn approaching him of her own volition. Catelyn took a deep breath and stepped forward. ¡°There are some things I don¡¯t feelfortable saying in front of the children.¡± Cedrick pursed his thin lips lightly, raised his eyes, and stared at her as if waiting for her next sentence. ¡°George and I are just friends. You shouldn¡¯t make it harder for him and his family anymore.¡± As he predicted, she was not there for him. ¡°I¡¯llpensate them.¡± ¡°In the future, without my consent, you aren¡¯t allowed to tell others about our rtionship, especially!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Cedrick slowly pursed his lips. ¡°What else?¡± Catelyn thought for a while and wanted to make promises to him, but it was too cold out in the balcony, so she shook her head. ¡°If you¡¯re done, then it¡¯s my turn.¡± Cedrick suddenly stretched his arm out to pull her toward him and held her tightly. In the blink of an eye, Cedrick was already sitting on the hanging chair with Catelyn on hisp, much to her shock. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve agreed to everything you said. Shouldn¡¯t you give me a little reward?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Chapter 514 ¡®Does Cedrick consider himself a child?¡¯ Catelyn rolled her eyes. Since the ss door of the balcony was not shut, the cold breeze blew into the room. Catelyn wanted to get off hisp. ¡°Stop it! We¡¯ll catch a cold at this rate!¡± The next day, Cedrick had left early for a meeting before Eason came to help Catelyn and the two twins to move. The two-bedroom housing would be too crowded to fit two adults and two children. Not to mention that although Cedrick might not seem to have exquisite taste on the outside, he often paid great attention to the details in life. He only used branded daily necessities, which meant she had to change everything in the house if he were moving in. It was too much trouble, so Catelyn tacitly agreed to move to Mason Estate. She did not have that many belongings at home since she felt insecure about her position in Franche, so it took no longer than an hour for them to pack their bags and leave. Eason soon sent Catelyn and the sons to Mason Estate, an old castle in the suburbs. He introduced the castle to them along the way. ¡°This was bought by the Mason family¡¯s elder back then. It has a history of more than two hundred and fifty years, and there are quite a lot of antiques and works of art in it,¡± ¡°Big Demon¡¯s house is like a museum!¡± Miles grinned. Eason chuckled, ¡°If Master Miles likes it, you can have Master Cedrick transfer this property to you.¡± Miles shook his head. ¡°No. Mommy taught me to work hard for whatever I like, so I can¡¯t get something for free.¡± ¡°But this is all about inheritance! You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Miles widened his eyes. ¡°Have I worked hard?¡± ¡°Of course! You put your best effort to be the son of Master Cedrick. Don¡¯t you think it counts?¡± Miles pouted, turned his head, and threw himself into Catelyn¡¯s arms. He felt like Eason was making fun of him. Instead, Catelyn was amused by Eason. ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t it considered an effort to be born into a rich family? Sadly, this is all based on luck, and no one can say for sure.¡¯ The maid led Catelyn around the castle. For some reason, she felt an indescribable sense of familiarity when she came to the castle. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. It seemed like she had been here before, but she was positive that she would have an impression if she did. Even the beds in this ce were antiques. She opened the closet and noticed that it was filled with brand new clothes. Afraid of her misunderstanding, the maid hurriedly exined, ¡°These are newly purchased by Master Cedrick ording to your body size, Ma¡¯am. You are the firstdy that Master Cedrick has ever brought to the old castle.¡± Catelyn smiled as she had no doubts at all. In addition, the maid also told her that there was a forest not far behind the castle. The forest belonged to the Mason family and served as a hunting site. Catelyn was dumbfounded hearing all this. She felt like she used to be in a fake wealthy family. After unpacking the daily necessities that she brought along and having lunch, Catelyn took a nap with Miles and Ollie. Lying on a bed with a long history, the curiosity she felt only stockpiled as a sense of familiarity hit her strongly again. ¡®Have I ever been here before?¡¯ she asked herself. The next time she woke up was when she heard a female voice downstairs. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 515 Chapter 515 Chapter 515 ¡°Aunt Jessie, you should know who I am. How dare you stop me?¡± ¡°Miss rk, it¡¯s not that I want to stop you, but Master Cedrick isn¡¯t in the estate right now. If you¡¯re in a hurry, I suggest you go to hispany to find him,¡± replied Aunt Jessie, the housekeeper of the castle, humbly Catelyn put on a coat and sneaked to the corner of the wooden stairs. The female voice that confronted Aunt Jessie sounded familiar. ¡®Maia? Did shee to Franche?¡¯ wondered Catelyn. Maia was two months pregnant, and she flew to Franche from Sapphire City. That was a long flight, so she could not help vomiting so much that her face turned pale when she arrived. She did not dare come to see Cedrick right off the bat. It was not until today that she felt much better and came to the estate. However, she never expected that she would be stopped in the hall by a housekeeper. ¡°Alright! If you insist on being responsible, I¡¯ll wait in the living room for Ceddy toe back. Are you happy now?¡± Maia then swaggered toward the dark-colored vintage sofa in the living room and sat down. Maia felt ufortable sitting on the sofa as her back was sore. Aunt Jessie looked at her in embarrassment, peeked upstairs, and frowned. ¡°Miss rk, Master Cedrick won¡¯t be back soon. Why don¡¯t you go back to the hotel first?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Maia seemed annoyed. ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t even have the right to stay here anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that Miss rk will get impatient waiting.¡± ¡°-¡± ¡°Achoo!¡± A sneeze rang from upstairs. Maia was tense when she heard it; she could tell it was from ady. On the second floor, Catelyn clutched the tip of her itchy nose and regretted not having held her sneeze. She originally nned to leave, but the window of the castle was not closed, and a flying leaf just came in and tickled the tip of her nose. She felt a little itchy and failed to hold back. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Maia stood up immediately and was about to stride to the second floor, but Aunt Jessie tried to stop her. ¡°Miss rk, it¡¯s not convenient for you to stay. Please leave for now. I¡¯ll tell Master Cedrick you have been here.¡± ¡°Get off!¡± Maia pushed Aunt Jessie away and walked quickly toward the source of the sound. Tap, tap, tap. The clear, steady footsteps gradually grew louder in Catelyn¡¯s ears. Knowing it was inevitable to bump into Maia, Catelyn took the initiative to walk downstairs in a white nightgown and a dark coat, with her long hair hangingzily on her breast. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± yelled Maia in hatred as soon as she saw Catelyn. If Catelyn had not suddenly strode into the hotel and interrupted the wedding, she would have been the one and only Missus Mason! Facing the interrogative Maia, Catelyn calmly said to Aunt Jessie, ¡°Go and make a cup of tea for Miss rk.¡± Aunt Jessie had been staying in the castle all year round. Therefore, when Cedrick brought Catelyn and the twins to the castle, she knew Catelyn was thedy of the castle. She turned around and went to the kitchen to make tea. Maia scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re already acting like a missus, even though you haven¡¯t married Ceddy!¡± ¡°Your interrogation will make me think that you¡¯re still Cedrick¡¯s fianc¨¦e,¡± sneered Catelyn while pouring a ss of warm water gracefully. Maia grew flustered in an instant. Even after all this while, Catelyn was still an eyesore to her. Shortly afterward, Aunt Jessie came out with a cup of tea. It was a cup of very precious Yokeshire Tea in yellowish green, beautiful in shape, and its mellow fragrance wafted in the air when it showed up. ¡°Miss rk, the tea is ready.¡± Aunt Jessie handed the tea to Maia as she spoke. Maia reached out to pick it up, but the moment Aunt Jessie let go, she slipped her hand, and the cup fell onto the back of Aunt Jessie¡¯s hand. The tea immediately scalded Aunt Jessie¡¯s hand. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Chapter 516 ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. How clumsy of me!¡± eximed Maia. ¡°Aunt Jessie!¡± gasped Catelyn. It was only her first day, but she was already cordial with Aunt Jessie. Catelyn carefully wiped Aunt Jessie¡¯s hand while helping her up. She red at Maia. ¡°You better apologize to Aunt Jessie. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have security send you out!¡± ¡°Send me out? How rude!¡± Maia put her teacup away and stood up to Catelyn. She supported her lower back with one hand, and her belly even protruded as she did. ¡°I already have Master Cedrick¡¯s child. It¡¯s two months old, yet you asked Aunt Jessie to make me tea. Don¡¯t you ever consider if it¡¯ll affect my child¡¯s development?¡± Like thunder pping in her ears, Catelyn looked at Maia¡¯s belly in disbelief, and her gaze slowly moved up to look at Maia¡¯s proud face. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? That¡¯s okay, you can ask your good son, Ollie. He watched, you know?¡± sneered Maia. Catelyn¡¯s heart was instantly cold, and her knees felt weak. She never understood why Ollie suddenly became so disappointed in Cedrick, even deciding to leave him and follow her instead. Had he¡­seen the images of Cedrick and Maia together? He was so young, yet he had already seen such filthy things! ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± hissed Catelyn. ¡°You¡¯re no better!¡± cackled Maia. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy when you rob someone else¡¯s husband? So what if Master Cedrick didn¡¯t attend the City Center signing event so he coulde to Franche for you? At the end of the day, I¡¯m carrying his child, and the child¡¯s right is no longer only yours anymore. It¡¯s mine as well!¡± Catelyn¡¯s eardrums exploded as countless fireworks were set off. She staggered and took a few steps back. She stared at Maia coldly. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said that I can also use the child as a bargaining chip, Catelyn,¡± said Maia. ¡°You can¡¯tpete with me.¡± ¡°The other half, I mean. What did you say?¡± repeated Catelyn, Cedrick did not attend the signing event of Project Castle in the City but came to Franche instead? Was he the person that night, the one who dragged her to the small dark room and sent her home the next day? Looking at this long-standing Franch castle, she suddenly understood why everything felt eerily familiar. This was the little ck house from that night! Maia, meanwhile, was baffled by Catelyn¡¯s words and behavior. She looked at her with a foolish expression and shook her long wavy hair before leaving. Catelyn clenched her fists. Her heart felt as though it was submerged in freezing water, and it felt as though she had fallen into the abyss. Aunt Jessie tried tofort her, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Catelyn forced a smile and stared at the ring on her finger. ¡°Can I help you to the sofa for a while?¡± asked Aunt Jessie. ¡°I believe Master Cedrick isn¡¯t that kind of person. Maybe there¡¯s some misunderstanding with Miss Maia.¡± Catelyn could no longer listen, She did not care that Maia had a child, but she was more affected by the fact that the man that night was actually Cedrick! Taking a deep breath, Catelyn barely maintained her calm exposure. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell the two boys about Maia¡¯s visit.¡± After all, she did not want any troubles happening back at Sapphire City to bother Miles and Ollie. Although Aunt Jessie was puzzled. She was just a housekeeper, after all. Knowing that Catelyn would not harm the two boys, she merely responded to Catelyn in an affirmative manner¡­and secretly called Cedrick. Previous Chapter Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Next Chapter Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Cedrick was not anxious nor disconcerted as he returned to Mason Estate. He had to admit, he felt somewhat gleeful. Aunt Jessie had called and said that Maia came to the estate. When she boasted that she was pregnant with his child, Catelyn visibly froze. Had she fallen in love with him and be jealous? Of course, Cedrick knew that he never touched Maia. Even if he did, she could not possibly conceive his child. Inside the castle, Catelyn was enjoying her time with Miles and Ollie on thewn yard. The area was covered with arge moisture-proof mat with very short coffee tables on it. The boys sat by the coffee table. One was painting quietly, while the other was ying a puzzle. Catelyn asionally cut some fruits for them to snack on. The surrounding breeze blew through the gaps of the branches and leaves while the sun ray shone through the gaps atop, casting mottled shadows all around. Cedrick felt his heart itching as he strode toward the three of them with his long legs. ¡°Mommy, Father is back,¡± said Ollie with a smile the moment he saw Cedrick approaching. Catelyn was recliningzily by the coffee table, but she quickly straightened up the moment she heard himing. She turned her head and saw Cedrick walking toward her. He was a wlessly handsome man with neatly groomed short hair and a cold, strong look on his face. His presence brought an aura of a noble king who just stepped down from his altar. Despite his intimidating outlook, he had gentle eyes¡­. HA Gentle? Catelyn inwardly sneered at the thought. ¡°Whatever. This is his home anyway,¡± she said. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t you want to see him?¡± Ollie¡¯s beautiful eyes blinked, staring at Catelyn. Before she could answer him, Cedrick arrived in front of them. Seeing Ollie¡¯s crayon drawing halfway through, he said with a slightly blunt but gentle tone, ¡°What are you drawing?¡± ¡°Spyderman!¡± Ollie raised his little hand and pointed at his drawing. ¡°This is Spyderman¡¯s head, hands, and feet. He can spit out webs from his fingers and fly over walls. Many of my friends in school like him a lot!¡± Cedrick had originally just asked a casual question, but as a result of Ollie being so excited and serious about his work, he showered him with praises. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Catelyn gave an excuse that there were not enough fruits around and quickly went into the living room. Cedrick watched as Catelyn walked away. The shadows of the surrounding trees shrouded her figure, making her seem a little lonesome. He suddenly felt the urge to hug her. Catelyn went to the kitchen to wash an apple. She peeled it, cut it into small pieces evenly, and ced it in a fruit bowl. Turning around, she suddenly froze. With one hand in his pocket, Cedrick leaned against the door rail, watching her quietly from afar. There was a hint of pain in Catelyn¡¯s eyes. She was expressionless as she walked past him. With the intoxicating fragrance of flowers floating in the air, Cedrick suddenly stretched out his hand and hugged her tightly in his arms. ¡°I had a thought on the way back just now. If I can hold you like this and watch over our child, it would be blissful,¡± he said. As Catelyn listened to his words, her fine eyshes trembled slightly. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 518 Chapter 518 Chapter 518 The next moment, Catelyn stretched out her hands and pushed him away fiercely. ¡°Go away,¡± she spat with a disgusted expression on her face. Cedrick rammed against the counter as he was shoved back. He looked back at her nkly, but there was no anger on his face. ¡°Aunt Jessie told me that Maia had been here,¡± he said. ¡°Do you believe her when she told you that I¡¯ve touched her and let her have my child?¡± ¡°That¡¯s your business.¡± Catelyn bit her lower lip stubbornly and continued to walk out. Cedrick frowned slightly and chased after her irritatedly. ¡°Catelyn, let me exin!¡± Catelyn looked at him coldly. ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Cedrick¡¯s expression faltered. He continued exining to her while walking along her side, looking out for the stairs ahead to go down with her. However, Catelyn just got more aggressive. Cedrick¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I said I¡¯ve never touched Maia! She¡¯s lying, and the child in her womb is not mine! Don¡¯t you believe me?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Why should I?¡± Catelyn looked at him mockingly. She did not expect that the person who knocked her unconscious that night would be him all along. Those were the moments when she tore open her wounds repeatedly, telling everyone how traumatized she was by that incident¡­ All that, and Cedrick said nothing! His deep eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you mean? What else did Maia tell you?¡± Catelyn took a deep breath and calmed down. ¡°Miles and Ollie are still waiting for me outside, and I don¡¯t want to fight with you. Instead of asking me what Maia said, please think about what you¡¯ve done.¡± With that, Catelyn walked away, despite bumping her shoulder against his. This time, Cedrick did not chase after her anymore. The blue veins on his forehead protruded as he felt a burst of anger surging in his chest, and his eyes turned icy cold. At the entrance of the castle hall, Catelyn stood in the sunshine. There was a sense of emptiness in her heart. She hated herself for being a coward at the moment. She should have pped him and left with the two boys. Humans truly wereplex beings. As he exited Mason Estate, Cedrick ordered Eason to locate Maia¡¯s current whereabouts and went straight to a certain six-star hotel. Maia had just taken a shower, wearing a hair dryer cap and a set of loose silk pajamas. She hummed happily at the thought of mentally preying on Catelyn, her love rival. All of a sudden, the doorbell to the room rang. Maia, thinking it was Richard who came to bring her dinner, did not bother to dress up nicely to get the door. Thus, she impatiently opened the door¡­ She was greeted with the sight of a tall figure, looking furious with a livid expression. Maia was stunned, quickly regretting not dressing up properly earlier. ¡°M-Master Cedrick?¡± With a smile, she wanted to grab Cedrick¡¯s arm, but the man¡¯s eyes sharpened ruthlessly. He suddenly stretched out his hand to grab Maia by the neck and pushed her against the wall. ¡°What did you say to Catelyn?¡± he demanded. The action startled Maia as it knocked the wind out of her, suffocating her. ¡°Let go¡­ 1-I¡¯m having y¡­ your child!¡± ¡°Child?¡± Cedrick sneered mockingly, and the anger within him intensified. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what happened that night? Did you really think I¡¯d let you have my child?¡± Maia¡¯s spine froze as she heard his words, and she looked at him incredulously. ¡°You were drunk that night. You hugged me and called out Catelyn¡¯s name. We were literally in the throes of passion!¡± she adamantly retorted. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can j-just get rid of me like this¡­ The baby in my womb¡­is yours!¡± Cedrick threw her away with a flick of his hand. He shook and adjusted his suit. ¡°There¡¯s something | haven¡¯t told you. Do you wish to hear it?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 519 Chapter 519 Chapter 519 ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± cried Maia, intuitively knowing that she would not want to hear what Cedrick was about to tell her. ¡°In two months, we can have an amniocentesis to verify the child¡¯s DNA. That¡¯ll prove that this child is yours!¡± Cedrick looked at her coldly. ¡°After Ollie was left in Mason Estate, I had a ligation operation. How dare you say that the child is mine?¡± Four years ago, Cedrick was tricked by Edwin, who mistakenly thought he had a one-night stand with Maia A few monthster, Ollie suddenly appeared at the gates of Mason Estate. All these incidents got to Cedrick¡¯s nerves. To avoid things like this from happening again, he underwent a ligation operation in a fit of anger. Ever since then, he had not done any recanalization. This was also the reason why he misunderstood that the child Catelyn was carrying belonged to another man Because of his sterilization, Catelyn could not possibly have his children! ¡°Ligature?¡± Maia felt as though she had been doused with a bucket of cold water. It felt like something was lodged in her throat, too, making it difficult for her to breathe. Cedrick ignored her and nced at Eason. Understanding his gesture, Eason walked up to Maia. ¡°Miss Maia, pleasee with us,¡± he spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t kill my child!¡± Maia subconsciously refused to believe what Cedrick said. He was lying; he had to be! He was trying to trick her into telling the truth! Maia¡¯s hands wrapped around her abdomen in a life-protecting embrace. ¡°I¡¯m the child¡¯s mother, Cedrick, and only I can decide on the child¡¯s life! If you dare to touch my child, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± she cried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This child is a b*stard child anyway. I don¡¯t know what to do with him,¡± mused Cedrick as he looked at her indifferently. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest time: What did you tell Catelyn?¡± ¡°I just told her I have your child!¡± shrieked Maia. Cedrick sneered and motioned for Eason to take her away. Maia was still wearing a nightgown, and she did not even blow dry her hair. During the struggle, her drying cap fell off, and her long hair was scattered in a mess. She looked pathetic as a whole. How could Maia¡¯s strength rival that of Eason? She was dragged out of the hotel effortlessly. As soon as they arrived downstairs in the hotel lobby, Richard showed up with a lunchbox. When he saw that Maia was being shackled by Eason, his pupils shrank sharply, and he stopped in front of Cedrick without hesitating. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Richard demanded. Cedrick did not even look him in the eye. At best, Richard was just a dog of the Kingsley family. He smiled. ¡°Mr. Kingsley, the child in Maia¡¯s belly is yours, right?¡± Richard¡¯s face twitched in panic for a split second, but he quickly maintained hisposure. W ¡°Mai and I are just ssmates. The child in her womb is yours, of course,¡± said Richard. ¡°I was just concerned that she was wandering around in a foreign country while pregnant, so I came to take care of her for a few days. Cedrick, if you¡¯re a man, you¡¯d know how to treat ady well.¡± asu All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Is that so? You took care of Maia by sleeping with her, is that it? It must¡¯ve been so hard for you,¡± Cedrick sneered If it was not for the wrong timing, Cedrick would have praised Richard. Pushing his own children to call other men their fathers¡­ What a shame! Richard¡¯s face turned blue and white in an instant, and his fist that hung on his side clenched tightly. Meanwhile, Maia felt as though she was losing her mind. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Why did Richard appear at such bad timing? What was he talking about with Cedrick?! ¡°Richard, I¡¯m very grateful to you for taking care of me during this time, but the only person I like is Ceddy, and it¡¯s not your ce to interfere in the affairs between the two of us. I don¡¯t want to ever see you again!¡± Maia shoved Eason¡¯s hands away and raised her cheeks, saying to Cedrick, ¡°Ceddy, let¡¯s go.¡± Momentster after Cedrick and Maia disappeared¡­ m! Richard smashed the lunch box in his hand to the ground. His scarlet eyes were filled with hatred like a surging wave. She was obviously his woman and carrying his child, but she refused to give him a straight look! Richard snarled Cedrick¡¯s name under his breath. The sound of the car turning off its ignition was heard from outside of the castle. That evening, Catelyn personally cooked some authentic Amarican food for Miles and Ollie, who enjoyed their food wholeheartedly. At this time, Aunt Jessie walked in. She first nced at the boys, then leaned over and whispered a few words in Catelyn¡¯s ear. When Catelyn heard it, her expression faltered into impatience. ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Master Cedrick only cares about you. Why don¡¯t you go and have a look? Eason is already waiting for you outside,¡± said Aunt Jessie. ¡°Mommy, are you going out?¡± Ollie raised his head, and a smudge of gravy could be seen at the corner of his mouth. Catelyn wiped Ollie¡¯s mouth and looked at him and Miles tenderly. ¡°I have something to do at work. Stay here and listen to Granny Jessie, okay? Miles, behave yourself.¡± Miles did not think too much of this. He stretched out his right hand and gave Catelyn a thumbs up. Catelyn went upstairs to change into her coat and followed Eason out the door. In just less than a day, Catelyn once again returned to the second apartment she previously rented. As soon as the door opened, a strong air pressure rushed toward her. In the living room, Cedrick stood by the window with his left hand on his chest and a cigarette in his right hand. The white smog from the cigarette wafted into the air, prating the ss window and blurring half of his face. Half of his body was in darkness, and the other half was shrouded in the light behind him, making him appear luminous. Meanwhile, an aggrieved Maia was present, too, dressed in her pajamas and huddled on the sofa. She bit her lower lip pitifully as if she had suffered a horrendous trauma. ¡°Master Cedrick, Miss Catelyn is here,¡± greeted Eason respectfully. Cedrick snuffed out the cigarette butt. He turned and stared at Catelyn, who was standing at the door. His thin lips lifted slightly. ¡°I brought Maia here. Now that everyone is present, let¡¯s make it all clear and get rid of all the misunderstandings.¡± Maia bit her lower lip until it almost bled. It was downright humiliating for Maia that Cedrick threw her in front of Catelyn for questioning. She felt as if her dignity had been trampled. She was the dignified eldest daughter of the rk family. How could a womaning from a bankrupt family be better than her? ¡°Let her go,¡± said Catelyn. It did not matter whose child Maia was pregnant with. The problem was always themselves. Hearing Catelyn¡¯s words, Maia sharply raised her head in shock. ¡°Master Cedrick, Catelyn said to let me go. She must¡¯ve known the truth of the matter. Why don¡¯t I leave now, and you can talk to her slowly?¡± ¡°No one is allowed to walk out this door until this matter is resolved!¡± said Cedrick sternly as he approached Catelyn. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Chapter 521 At that moment, Catelyn could not help but think of what happened that very haunting night. She was cowering in fear in the dark, unfamiliar environment. She begged Cedrick for mercy! Did he think he could just send her back the next day and pretend that nothing happened? ¡°What do you want me to say? Are you too embarrassed to admit what you did?¡± said Catelyn. Cedrick grabbed her wrist and stared at her, squeezing every word out through gritted teeth, ¡°What are you talking about? What have I done to you? Also, I brought Maia here to tell you that I got sterilized, and her child isn¡¯t mine!¡± ¡°So what if the child isn¡¯t yours?¡± scoffed Catelyn. ¡°Did you know that Ollie bumped into you two frolicking around? Don¡¯t you think this is very traumatizing for a three-and-a-half-year-old? You can do whatever you want with other women, but stay away from my son!¡± Cedrick was stunned for a moment, his eyes filled with darkness. Then, he turned his head and looked at Maia. That night, Cedrick was so drunk that he could not remember many things. One thing that he did notice, however, was that Ollie became reluctant to get close to him ever since. Every time he saw Cedricking back from a distance, Ollie would avoid him. Next was Miles, who secretly changed identities with him, tricking Maia entirely. At first, Cedrick thought it was all because of him announcing his marriage to Maia¡­but it seemed as though he was mistaken. The truth had revealed itself. No matter what, Cedrick would never let his three-and-a-half-year-old son see him with other women! On the other hand, Maia was distraught as the color slowly drained from her face. She quickly hurried over and tried to exin herself. ¡°I-I lied to you, Kitty. Ollie didn¡¯t see anything; that night was just an ident! Stop arguing with Master Cedrick about this,¡± stammered Maia as she came over and grabbed Catelyn¡¯s hand. Catelyn, however, felt disgusted as she was caught between Maia and Cedrick. She shoved Maia¡¯s hand away. Although she did not use much force, Maia slipped and fell onto the sofa. She clutched her stomach and groaned in pain. ¡°Ugh¡­it hurts! My stomach hurts!¡± she cried. Catelyn¡¯s face changed slightly, suddenly remembering that Maia was pregnant. She hurriedly took out her mobile phone to call an ambnce. As she began to dial the number, however, her phone was snatched away. Catelyn looked at Cedrick and snapped, ¡°Give it back to me!¡± Maia expected the two of them to quarrel. However, Cedrick merely looked back at Catelyn¡¯s pale face, and his expression softened. His tone even showed a hint of gentleness as he exined, ¡°There¡¯s nothing between Maia and me. I¡¯m sure Ollie will understand if I exin this to him. Let¡¯s not argue anymore about this, okay?¡± Catelyn stared at his obsidian pupils. ¡°There is also a pregnant woman here who¡¯s screaming that herBelongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. womb hurts. If you have any questions, please take her to the hospital first,¡± she said. Not wanting Maia to be in the way, Cedrick ordered Eason to bring her to the hospital. From the beginning to the end, Maia was hoping that Cedrick would look back at her¡­but that never happened Since Catelyn appeared, it seemed that she was the only one in his eyes. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 522 Chapter 522 Chapter 522 Cedrick did not even care that Maia fell on the sofa earlier. His ignorance toward her broke her heart. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. How could Catelyn have won Cedrick¡¯s heart? Was it because of Miles and Ollie? Catelyn did not want to continue a meaningless confrontation with Cedrick. As soon as she turned her head, Cedrick unexpectedly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into his arms with ease. His sturdy chest cling tightly to Catelyn, and his warm lips brushed against her eardrum. ¡°I¡¯ve got someone to book a flight to Las Vegars the day after tomorrow, and we¡¯ll go there and register for marriage,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°Cedrick, do you like me?¡± Catelyn interrupted him. He thought for a while. If Catelyn was willing to spend the rest of her life with him, he would not reject it. ¡°It¡¯s more than just liking you,¡± Cedrick said gently. Hearing his answer, Catelyn gritted her teeth, feeling that she was about to lose her breath. She pursed her dry lips and asked, ¡°In that case, are you willing to help me? I want you to investigate the person who took advantage of me that night a month ago.¡± Cedrick looked at Catelyn with a heavy gaze. ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡± Smack! Catelyn pped Cedrick across the face and broke free from his embrace, shooting him a spiteful re.¡± Unfortunately, I¡¯ll never trust you again.¡± The atmosphere instantly became tense. Cedrick¡¯s face flushed red after Catelyn pped him. He turned angry in an instant and stared at her with a burning gaze. ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not marrying you,¡± snarled Catelyn. She and Cedrick stood less than a meter apart, but Catelyn felt as if she was much further from him. ¡°The person who knocked me out and took advantage of me in the castle that night¡­ Was it you?¡± Earlier, Catelyn harbored a small gleam of hope. As long as Cedrick was willing to admit and exin himself, maybe she would be calmer about it. s, he still lied to her. What did he take her for? The biggest fool in the world? Cedrick suddenly understood Catelyn¡¯s unusual attitude, and it was not because of Maia. In Catelyn¡¯s mind, Cedrick was the culprit who took advantage of her that night! ¡°It wasn¡¯t me that night-¡± muttered Cedrick. ¡°You don¡¯t have to argue,¡± Catelyn interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯ve checked the surveince camera, and the footage showed that it was you who carried me into the castle in person.¡± Hearing Maia¡¯s words, Catelyn was only skeptical at first and did not dare to jump to conclusions. Confused, she went to the security room of the castle. There were many antiques on the premises, so cameras were set up all over the ce to prevent any servants from stealing them. Catelyn spoke to the person in charge and easily dug out the surveince footage of that very night. ¡°You know, I understand,¡± said Catelyn. ¡°I know you hated me at the moment, right? But how could you pretend that nothing happened? Does it satisfy you to see me feeling scared and guilty?¡± Her tears fell as she spoke. Catelyn blinked desperately as she tried to quell her tears, but her eyes became misty quickly. Cedrick looked at her red eyes and clenched his fists. It was useless to argue. The best he could do was to exin himself. ¡°That¡¯s right. It was me who took you that night,¡± admitted Cedrick. ¡°But it was because I saw you and George together, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous! I wanted to tell you about this, but I was even more afraid of losing you again!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 523 Chapter 523 Chapter 523 ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­but right now, you¡¯ve already lost me,¡± Catelyn dered coldly. A wave of despair grew and spread from the bottom of her heart as she spoke, spreading to her limbs and bones ¡°Take back what you¡¯ve said.¡± Cedrick frowned tightly. He grabbed Catelyn¡¯s shoulders and shook her.¡± You¡¯ve already agreed to my proposal, and you¡¯re wearing my ring! I won¡¯t allow you to go back on it!¡± ¡°From the moment you deceived me, I can¡¯t take it back anymore!¡± cried Catelyn. ¡°If your goal is to torture me like this, then congrattions, you¡¯ve seeded!¡± Even after her family broke down four years ago, even after all the remorse of getting married to Jamie, Catelyn was never this deep in agony. She felt as if her heart had been crushed. ¡°You thought I was the only one torturing you. What about you? Didn¡¯t you torture me?¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes narrowed in agitation. He kicked the coffee table beside his feet, and the items on it fell and scattered all over the floor. Cedrick grabbed Catelyn by her chin as he hissed, ¡°You weren¡¯t pregnant with George¡¯s child, yet you pretended to be in front of me. I¡¯ve asked you many times, yet you didn¡¯t tell me the truth.¡± Catelyn looked at him in astonishment. Tears flowed down her face once more as she felt her whole world copse. Cedrick decided to hide the truth about taking advantage of her because she was not truthful with him about her ¡®pregnancy¡¯. It seemed as though all fairness in love was measured this way. Catelyn had learned a lot. Cedrick¡¯s voice suddenly softened. ¡°You¡¯ve lied to me, and I¡¯ve lied to you, so we¡¯re even now. Shall we take a break and cool down before we continue talking?¡± ¡°No more.¡± Catelyn took off the ring on her finger and handed it to Cedrick. ¡°From now on, the engagement is annulled, and this ring will be returned to you.¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Cedrick was mystified to see how Catelyn could be so heartless. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Whatever I¡¯ve given has never been returned to me!¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t want it either, then I¡¯ll just throw it away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Cedrick¡¯s eyes lit up in anger, grabbing Catelyn tightly. Would she truly do so? Catelyn looked around and saw the trash can beside the coffee table. She took the ring and threw it into the trash can with force. However, since she had not eaten today and did not have enough energy, the ring ended up falling to the floor instead ofnding in the bin. Then, it rolled twice on the ground, before finally stopping with an audible ¡®plink¡¯. It felt as though Cedrick was mocked for being stupid. He actually thought she would have a soft heart¡­ A bright, furious me roared within Cedrick¡¯s chest, stimting every nerve within him. He had the urge to make Catelyn surrender to him, but everything dissipated instantly the moment he saw her red eyes. After all, he was no match for her heartlessness. ¡°You can throw the ring if you like. However, the engagement can never be annulled,¡± said Cedrick. ¡°I think we should calm down. If there¡¯s anything more to be said, let¡¯s talk about it after two days.¡± With those words, he turned around and left. Facing the empty room, Catelyn desperately wiped away her tears to make herself look less embarrassing. She went to the bathroom to wash her face. At that moment, she could make out the faint sound of footsteps in the corridor, but she did not think much about it. However, she did not expect several bodyguards dressed in ck to stand outside the moment she opened her door. The bodyguards stood in front of her with solemn expressions. ¡°Good evening, Miss rk,¡± greeted the head bodyguard as he bowed to her. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Chapter 524 However, Catelyn did not see Eason or Cedrick around. She immediately sneered and said, ¡°Cedrick sent you guys here?¡± The bodyguard formally replied, ¡°There have been a lot of criminal activities in Franche recently. Master Cedrick is worried for your safety, so he sent us here for your protection.¡± ¡°My children are back in the castle. Can¡¯t I go back now?¡± argued Catelyn as her smirk became colder and thinner. The bodyguard said, ¡°The two young masters are doing fine in the castle. Don¡¯t worry, Miss rk.¡± How ironic. Catelyn had taken off the ring to express her remorse for the marriage, and all of a sudden, Cedick was imprisoning her? ¡°Please tell Cedrick that he has done an exceptional job. If he could, try locking me up for the rest of his life.¡± With that, she mmed the door harshly. No amount of pain and sadness could level her anger at the moment. Catelyn always thought she could be braver, but the truth taught her what delusion was. Catelyn wanted to call someone for help, but she realized her phone was not even with her. After all, she thought the matter would not take long and that she would return soon, so she left her phone charging back in the castle. Thinking of thendline installed at home, she hurried back to the master bedroom. However, there was no signal at all! Catelyn was so angry that she almost smashed the telephone. ¡°How dare you, Cedrick! Don¡¯t you even think about trapping me here forever! Back at Mason Estate¡¯s castle, Miles and Ollie were waiting for Catelyn to return. However, the person who arrived at their doorsteps was Cedrick instead. ¡°Father, when will Mommy be back?¡± asked Ollie. He could not help but feel worried as it was already late at night However, Cedrick irritably lit a cigarette and aloofly responded, ¡°She won¡¯t be back tonight. Stop waiting for her and go to bed!¡± The smoke from his cigarette caused Ollie to start coughing. Miles jumped up from the sofa and asked in displeasure, ¡°Her phone is still upstairs. How could she not come back?¡± ¡°Jessie, take the two boys upstairs for a bath,¡± Cedrick ordered. He had a nk expression, and a faint shadow could be seen in the depths of his eyes. At that moment, Aunt Jessie was instructing the servants to do the cleaning. Hearing the order, she hurriedly walked over and offered the adorable-looking boys a gentle smile. ¡°Boys, would you like to take a bath with me?¡± she asked. Mies ignored Aunt Jessie and stepped on the carpet barefooted, his dark eyes filled with anger. ¡°Big Demon, where did you hide Mommy?¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Ollie, too, was antsy, ¡°Father, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Jessie, take them away!¡± he shouted at the maid. Gazing at the boys, he could see how they shared a resemnce to Catelyn in their eyebrows, which only irritated him even more. It was extremely rare for Cedrick to be throwing tantrums like this. Thus, Aunt Jessie quickly hurried over and attempted to take the boys away. However, Miles nimbly circled past Aunt Jessi? and slipped away. ¡°Big Demon! Mommy is precious to me!¡± seethed Miles. ¡°Ollie and I reluctantly agreed to let you and Mommy be together because she has a soft heart and is full ofpassion! Tell us now: What did you do to Mommy?¡± At this moment, Ollie and Miles are on a united front. They stood next to each other and stared at Cedrick. Seeing that the twins only had Catelyn in their hearts, Cedrick crushed the cigarette butt with his backhand and red fiercely at Ollie. ¡°You once saw Maiaing out of my room in the middle of the night. Why didn¡¯t you tell me anything?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 525 Chapter 525 Chapter 525 ¡°Does Mommy know about this?¡± Ollie¡¯s eyes became rounder with an unnatural expression on his face. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Cedrick rubbed his fingers, and the faint smell of smoke lingered between his lips and teeth. ¡°I¡¯m asking you, why didn¡¯t you tell me about this?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± stammered Ollie. ¡°Big Demon, have you been with another woman?¡± Miles was stunned for a moment, as though he had suffered a huge blow. ¡°What about Mommy? What about Mommy?!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Nothing happened between us,¡± said Cedrick coldly. Ollie struggled with his thoughts for a moment before concluding that he had indeed seen Maiaing out of Cedrick¡¯s room that one fateful night. He retorted, ¡°Father, I saw everything! Stop making excuses!¡± Cedrick¡¯s slender body straightened abruptly, and there seemed to be a strong sense of oppression in the air. ¡°I¡¯ve said that nothing happened. What do you know? You¡¯re just a kid! Stop talking to me about this ever again!¡± growled Cedrick. He picked up his ck suit jacket and walked out. Seeing that it was already prettyte at night, Aunt Jessie could not help but feel worried. ¡°Master Cedrick, it¡¯s past nine o¡¯clock. Are you,¡± ¡°Take care of those two boys, and make sure they get to bed on time,¡± said Cedrick with a heavy tone of voice. Aunt Jessie did not dare to persuade him any further. Miles¡¯ nostrils turned red with fury. Did the Big Demon betray his mother? Did he came here just to torture him and Ollie? Where did he take Catelyn?! ¡°Big Demon, you¡¯re not allowed to leave!¡± Miles roared at Cedrick. Cedrick did not even bother responding and started walking faster, about to reach the door With his short legs unable to bring him rushing toward Cedrick, Miles picked up an apple from the coffee table and threw it at Cedrick¡¯s back. Unexpectedly, Cedrick had seen iting. He felt how a breeze was rushing his way and thus grabbed the apple firmly before it could even hit him. He reacted so smoothly that his steely gaze did not even waver for a second. Miles gaped in surprise. He actually thought Cedrick¡¯s moves were really cool! ¡°What are you staring at?!¡± Miles immediately retracted his gaze and grabbed another apple from the fruit bowl. His devilish eyes lit up. ¡°Trying catching this again!¡± ¡°You dare attack me?¡± Cedrick narrowed his eyes coldly. ¡°Do you want to be locked up?¡± Miles red at himn fearlessly. However, before he could say anything, Ollie tugged at his sleeves and said respectfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father. We misbehaved.¡± Cedrick smashed the apple he had caught on the ground forcefully. The apple shattered into pieces, and its juice was sshed everywhere. ¡°Ollie, why are you afraid of him?¡± hissed Miles. Making sure that Cedrick was far enough from them, he lowered his voice and whispered, ¡°If something bad did happen to Mommy and Father locks us up, who¡¯s going to save her?¡± Miles¡¯ twinkling pupils darkened. Secondster, he grumbled, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I still remember Aunt Jolene¡¯s phone number. Let me call her first to see if Mommy¡¯s still at work,¡± said Ollie, his babyish face looking calm and sophisticated. Those who did not know him would think he was thinking about some important country affairs. Miles¡¯ eyes brightened as his fingers snapped in realization. ¡°Uncle Eason picked up Mommy earlier, and I still remember the license te number. I¡¯ll go to the garage and find a dash cam.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s act on it, then! Go!¡± The twins quicklyid out their ns. Moments after, one went to the garage while the other went upstairs. 20 minutester, the two boys exchanged text messages. A very scary thought shed through their minds all of a sudden. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 526 Chapter 526 Chapter 526 When she was first confined, Catelyn tried numerous ways to run away, including shredding her bed sheets into strips and weaving them into a rope. However, it was not long enough-it was a high floor, after all. She wanted to ask for help from her neighbors too, but her neighbors gave up as soon as they saw the fierce-looking guards standing by her door. After all, Catelyn only moved in recently, and the neighbors were wary that she was a suspicious individual. She even pretended to fall ill. Heck, she tried all kinds of ways, but to no avail. She almost gave up! ¡°Miss rk, what would you like to have for lunch?¡± came the polite voice of a guard as he knocked on the door. Catelyn did not want to entertain that question, however. The guard felt a little bad to see Catelyn in a bad shape. ¡°Master Cedrick said he¡¯ll being over tonight. Catelyn, please have at least some light food. You look terrible now.¡± Hearing that, Catelyn¡¯s pupils dted. ¡°Cedrick will be here tonight?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The guard realized Catelyn was finally willing to speak to him, so he continued, ¡°Master Cedrick always makes a few phone calls every day to check on you; he really cares for you. Do you want to also¡­ put some makeup on?¡± Catelyn could feel a chuckle rising to her chest. ¡°Are you joking?¡± Did this guard think this was the ancient medieval times when queens would dress up for the kings? He wanted her to put on some makeup? The guard was stunned and did not say a word more. It was bad enough that Catelyn could not go out, but she did not even have her phone, so she had limited entertainment options. The entertainment that she most frequently resorted to was to zone out on the couch. She felt drowsiness slowly consuming her when all of a sudden, she could hear the faint sound of footsteps on the floorboard. Instantly, she jolted in rm. Outside of the door, Cedrick just finished his work and made it to her ce the first thing after. ¡°Master Cedrick.¡± The guard took a respectful bow. Cedrick¡¯s dark eyes swept past the room door, his expression iprehensible. He looked to the guard and said, ¡°How is she today?¡± ¡°Great. Miss rk is no longer making a fuss like she used to and didn¡¯t throw a tantrum to say she wanted to get out. She¡¯s very quiet, and when she heard that you¡¯reing home, she even ordered a few more dishes than she usually did.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Cedrick rubbed his fingers on his frowning forehead. If she did think it through, he would not have needed to take such an extreme measure. ¡°Open up.¡± The guard then opened the door, upon his instruction. The originally brightly lit room was oddly pitch-nk with the curtains closed and lights turned off. The temperature differed drastically across day and night in Franche. No heater was turned on in the room, and Cedrick could feel the cold edging into his bones. As soon as he stepped into the room, he could feel something was wrong. Why was it so quiet in there? ¡°Catelyn, I¡¯m here,¡± the man¡¯s voice echoed in the air. Suddenly, a cold breeze rushed from behind him, followed by what sounded like something shuffling. Cedrick turned around and saw Catelyn sneaking out from behind the door. In the blink of an eye, a cold knife was pinned against his neck. ¡°Cedrick, I¡¯ve waited for you for a long time.¡± Catelyn held the knife to him. Her lips curved to a grin as her neat, pearly white teeth glinted eerily under the moonlight. Previous Chapter Chapter 527 Chapter 527 Chapter 527 Cedrick, obviously, never expected Catelyn to use a knife against him. Nheless, he was not afraid and insteadughed devilishly. "No wonder I fell for you." "Stop flirting, and let me go now. Otherwise, don''t me me for whatever happens next!" Catelyn gritted her teeth and red at him. Her grip on the knife tightened. Cedrick did not seem disturbed at all. His eyes finally settled in the darkness as he could see her face better. She looked pale but was nheless stunning. "Stab me if you can." Cedrick looked at her grimly. "You said you can''t ept that I hurt you, didn''t you? Fine, I''ll give you a chance. You stab me, and we''ll be even." "Do you think I won''t?" "Try me." Catelyn shivered. The knife was pressed slightly deeper into his skin, but she could not bring herself to stab him. Even if it was just a small slit, she would want to throw the knife away immediately. She was never a malicious person. She was, however, flustered and exasperated. "I didn¡¯t want to be even with you. I just want you to let me go!" "The guards outside received orders to guard you here. Even if you threaten me, they won''t let you go." Catelyn immediately gripped the knife tighter, and even her knuckles started to turn white. "That is, of course, unless you stab me gravely, and they''ll need to send me to the hospital." Cedrick''s gaze was intense, his tone serious as he added, "Catelyn, you only have this one chance." 11 11 Just when Catelyn hesitated, Cedrick suddenly grabbed her arm, forcefully held onto the knife, and brought it across his throat to produce a slit! The force he exerted was so powerful that it was as though he was about to cut open his arteries. The aghast Catelyn immediately released her grip on the knife, causing the item to fall to the floor loudly. Cedrick''s neck was cut open with a long slit, and blood was oozing right out of the cut. The guards heard the noises from outside. "Master Cedrick, are you alright?" Cedrick sounded indifferent as he calmly replied, "I¡¯m fine. Don''te inside." "Yes, Sir." The guard retreated. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. "You didn''t have the heart to hurt me, Catelyn. Admit it: you still like me." Cedrick took out a fresh pack of tissue from his pocket and slowly wiped his blood away. He looked calm as ever. Catelyn regained her senses and saw the knife on the floor. Her tensed muscles were immediately relieved. Nevertheless, she was so infuriated that she began to heave. She had never met someone as shameless as Cedrick was. Heck, he even used his own life to bet against the odds. It was a shame she did not have the heart to stab him! "I don''t have a lust for blood! Don''t just assume I still like you just because I can''t stab you." "But you were obviously hesitant." Cedrick''s mood inevitably improved, and he even felt a little smug. "I know many things happened recently, and it was a blow to you. I apologized to you yesterday. Whatever kind ofpensation you want, I''ll fulfill your wish." "Compensation? Your biggestpensation for me is to let me go! 11 "Then it''s a shame that you lost your only chance." Cedricknguidly tossed the tissue into the trash can and turned on the lights, brightening the room immediately as though it was daytime. Catelyn''s stubborn face finally became visible, and so was Cedrick''s nonchnce. Seeing that expression of his, Catelyn regretted that she could not bring herself from shing his throat when she had the chance! Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Even if she could only injure his chest or his shoulder, that would be better than being stuck right at where she was. Having nothing else to say, Catelyn looked at Cedrick and turned toward her room. She mmed the door shut and even double-locked her door. She even moved the cab to keep the door shut to prevent Cedrick from sneaking in the middle of the night. In the living room, Cedrick looked at the master bedroom door locked shut, the smug on his face slowly fading away, reced by a mix of dilemma and coldness. Even if they continued, he would not let her go. Ever since they crossed paths four years ago, they were fated to end up this way. Plus, the pair of twins were still waiting for him in the castle to bring her back. The next day, Catelyn did not even have her breakfast and only came out of the room past eleven. She thought Cedrick had left. However, he moved hisptop and some documents to the living room and started working there. Catelyn almost stole his phone to call 911 but realized that there was a high chance of her getting caught. "You''re up?" Cedrick heard the noises and ced hisptop back on the coffee table. "I got them to prepare breakfast for you. You must be hungry." Catelyn did not say anything and merely sat before the dining table. No matter how angry she was, she had to eat something. She could only stand a chance to run away if she had the energy needed. Soon, the meals were delivered to them, and they filled the rectangr dining table. The gravy smelled great, and everything looked appetizing, luring Catelyn to dig in as soon as she could. Cedrick made an excuse. "Your eyes looked a little puffy. Did you not sleep well?" Catelyn did not say a word but was quietly eating. She pretended that he was just air. The room was so quiet that only Catelyn''s even breathing could be heard, with her asional chewing and swallowing sounds. Cedrick raised his eyebrows slightly, and while Catelyn was getting more food into her te, he deliberately nudged her with his elbow, attempting to break the ice. However, before his arm could reach her, Catelyn stood up all of a sudden and grabbed the soupdle to get some soup. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Their elbows missed each other. Cedrick''s n to fawn failed too, and his face sank. Catelyn returned to her seat and continued to eat. He said, "Can we have a nice chat?" Catelyn continued to eat her food slowly and did not even look at him. Cedrick was displeased. His lips were pursed together. He had already set his ego aside to talk to her nicely. What else did she want? "Do you really wish to be like this forever? Don''t you think about Ollie and Miles?" Catelyn''s eyes blinked, hearing the two babies'' names, and she finally replied, "What is there to talk about?" She finally gave him a reaction, and Cedrick''s tense face was slightly relieved. "They could not see you and are concerned about you. Give me a chance, do it for the kids, give me a chance to give them a "No way." Catelyn declined without hesitation. Cedrick was defeated. He said coldly, "Do you wish for them to grow up in a broken family?" "I do not." Her nonchnt replies somehow triggered him. "Can''t you just have a proper discussion with me?" "I am." Her continual brief answers finally angered him. He stood right up, and his chair skidded backward in impact. The legs of the chair brushed harshly against the floorboard and produced a loud creak. The tall man''s shadows swallowed Catelyn''s petite body... Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Catelyn was not scared at all. She ignored his presence and only continued to eat. "Do you think your silent treatment is going to work on me? I will not let you go!" Cedrick tugged at his tie impatiently. He found it hard to breathe. There was some noise above his head. Catelyn took one nce at him, swallowed her food, then said, " Suit yourself." She seemed to have found a way to annoy him, and so she decided just to give him very brief replies every time. He deserved to have a taste of helplessness. She was so calm and indifferent. It felt as though punching right into a thickyer of cotton. Withdrawing the fist would feel that there was anger unreleased, but punching it would not help either. It was tormenting to keep it inside. Finally, Catelyn finished her food, ced her cutlery down on the table, then wiped her lips clean. She did not even look at the man''s angry face but turned and went into the master bedroom. "Where are you going?" Cedrick pursued and grabbed her wrist from behind. "Back to my room." Her reply was still short and cold! Cedrick had never felt as suffocated as he felt right now. He gritted his teeth and said, "Did I permit you to leave? You could only go back when you speak normally to me!" Catelyn took one nce at him and then softly closed her eyes. Not only was she toozy to talk, but she was not toozy to even look at him. Cedrick was infuriated, his five fingers clenched into a fist. "Open your eyes! Catelyn, I asked you to look at me. Are you deaf?" He could feel his bones almost falling apart, but Catelyn clenched her jaw and did not say a word. "You better not use up myst ounce of patience here." "That would be great." Catelyn had no choice but to look at him and say, "Why are you so persistent?" "You are finally willing to talk properly?" Finally, it was not a short answer! Catelyn was still expressionless. "I have nothing to say to an unreasonable person like you." "You have epted my marriage proposal!" "The engagement ring is already lost. Does the engagement still count?" Catelyn''s eyes were suddenly red. Catelyn looked at the small reflection of herself in his eyes and said, "Cedrick, just let me go. Instead of torturing each other this way, maybe it''s better for us just to keep ourst bit of decency..." "I said I will make amends in the future! Why are we looking backward?" Cedrick hugged her tightly into his arms. As though the tighter he hugged her, the more he could prove that he would not leave... Catelyn knew that she could not get out of his embrace and so was toozy to push him away either. "Your so-called making amends is to lock me up in here? You don''t let me out and don''t let me see my sons? How is it different from making me your tool!" Cedrick was speechless. He was flustered and attempted to kiss her. She could smell a strong gush of testosterone and suddenly realized what he wanted to do. Catelyn was very resistant and loathed it, "F*ckoff!" This made Cedrick''s rage that had just subsided resurface and explode. He pinched Catelyn on her chin in one hand and wanted to kiss her lips. However, at this very moment, they could hear Eason''s panicked tone from outside. "Master Cedrick, Young Master Ollie reported that you illegally detained someone, and there are a lot of police downstairs right now!" All of a sudden, the air froze, and the room was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Cedrick and Catelyn were both frozen. Catelyn herself dared not breathe any harder. Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Ollie lodged a police report to use Cedrick of illegal kidnapping? Ollie came upstairs with George''spany. In fact, he did not want to involve George at all. However, he was only three and a half years old. Even if he were very articte, no police would believe in his ''prank''. Only if there were an adult would the police take it seriously. The police cars were parked on the street, with the sirens and lights blinking. Cedrick''s guards and the policemen were having a stand-off in the narrow corridor, the atmosphere was very tense. Behind them, the door was still shut tightly, and no one knew what was happening inside. George pointed at Cedrickgrimly and said, "Sir, he is Cedrick Mason. He is suspected of having detained my friend Catelyn illegally. This little guy is his son, and he could be a witness!" Ollie''s lips were pursed together when he heard George call his name out as a witness. Nheless, he nodded again and again without hesitation and was even using very fluent Franch to fawn at the policemen. "Yes, Sir, my father is facing some problems in his rtionship, causing him to be emotionally unstable. Please make sure to take the woman in the house away, don''t let my father do anything wrong anymore." The policeman was so touched by Ollie''s ''wise'' decision and could not help but pat his little head affectionately. "Don''t worry. We will definitely stop your father." The other policewoman was also convinced by his adorable looks and joined in consoling him. Cedrick''s face turned green. He looked down slightly to take a nce at George and Ollie, who was standing on the same side. Great, now his own son had be a renegade too. Not only was he a renegade, but he was also standing on his enemy''s side! "Ollie Mason! Come over here, right now!" The policewoman was protective of Ollie and reprimanded Cedrick coldly, "Sir, child abuse is also a crime." Ollie did not listen to Cedrickbut only tugged at the policewoman''s shirt, signaling for her to rescue the hostage as early as possible. The policewoman was holding a gun in her hand and continued speaking to Cedrick, "Please release Miss rk immediately!" Cedrick''s lips curved into a smirk, full of mockery. "Not sure if you have asked Ollie, Catelyn is not only my fiance but also his biological mother. I illegally detained my son''s mother?" The police were very confused by thisplex rtionship. They all looked to Ollie subconsciously. Ollie replied slowly and steadily, "That''s right, that is my mom inside, but Mummy is not married to you yet. You are grounding her and not allowing us to contact her. Isn''t this illegally detaining her?" Thews were different in their home countrypared to the rest of the world. Therefore there were different sentencing for illegal detention among couples. No doubt, Franche''sws were stricter than Amarica''s. The police were quick to reply coldly, "Everyone is a free individual, sir. Let me ask you one more time, are you going to release Miss rk?" Cedrick''s eyes were darker than ever, as though there was a thunderstorming. "She fell ill and cannot be loitering out there. If I release her, it means I am endangering her. Who would be responsible for the consequences?" George rebutted, "Don''t you make false ims. When did Catelyn fall ill? I saw her healthy and well just a few days ago. Sir, he is obviously unwilling to release the hostage!" "Sir, we are very sorry, but we have to do this." The police dropped his final warning andced his finger on the trigger. The gun let out a ck. Cedrick had not budged but took one condescending nce at everyone at the scene. "Which department are you from? Who is your superior?" "A crime is a crime, and even our superiors can not change that!" The police waved his hand and aimed his gun right at Cedrick.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 531 Chapter 531 Chapter 531 Cedrick''s guards pulled out their guns too, and it felt as though it was seconds away from an ugly fight. Ollie''s beautiful eyes constricted, and he regretted it a little. He just wanted to rescue Mummy. He did not want Cedrick to be in confrontation with the local authorities. "Father, please don''t resist anymore. This is Franche, not Sapphire City. You can''t do things as you wish here," the little one said quickly and threw Eason a look. Eason received the signal and went to Cedrick to whisper something in his ears. However, Cedrick did not take them seriously. "You want the hostage? Try me. See if you can get her out today!" As soon as Cedrick finished his sentence, they all heard amotioning from inside. It sounded like someone had broken the door. Then, the door opened, and Catelyn stumbled out in her pajamas. When the police arrived, Cedrick had locked Catelyn up in the master bedroom. He did not expect her to have broken the door from inside! Cedrick''s face sank when he saw Catelyn running out. "Catelyn, why are you out? Get back in!" Catelyn ignored him and saw Ollie immediately. It had been a few days since shest saw him. She pulled the little one right into her arms and said, "Ollie." She kissed his forehead, feeling like she was hugging her whole world. Ollie sniffed the faint floral scent on his mother. He said lovingly, " Mummy, Mummy." "I''m sorry, I needed you toe and rescue me." "I should be the one saying sorry. We werete." Ollie grabbed Catelyn''s clothes affectionately. He looked so small and vulnerable, pouting his lips, looking innocent. Catelyn felt sad when she saw how he was acting. If it were not for Cedrick who grounded her, she would not be separated from her son for so long. She turned and said to the police officer, "Sir, I was indeed detained illegally by this man here. Thank you for rescuing me." That one sentence destined Cedrick''s crime and immediately made him the center of attention. "Sir, please follow us to the police station." His dark eyes looked even darker, but he was not losing his temper. Instead, heughed and looked straight at Catelyn. "Catelyn, I can apologize to you when we get back, and we can pretend that nothing happened tonight." "Do you think I want your apology? Cedrick, stop acting so condescending. I am no longer the eighteen-year-old girl from years ago. I will not just buy into your sweet words!" Catelyn looked at him scornfully and stood defiantly behind George. This was her first time meeting George ever since they parted ways at the holiday resort. Catelyn felt guilty when she saw George. It was because of her that Cedrick picked on George and his family. "George, regarding your family''s wood factory, I am really sorry about it..." "Don''t worry about it. After all, my parents are old, and I have long thought about convincing them to close down the factory." George smiled gently, without the slightest hint of reluctance. She was only wearing thin pajamas, so George took off his coat slowly and ced it over her shoulders. Catelyn was indeed feeling a little cold, hence she did not decline his kind gesture as well. Cedrick was obviously unhappy when he saw that. It seemed like an overly lovey-dovey interaction to him. His dark eyes narrowed, and his face was starting to look dangerous. Were all of them treating him as though he was not there? His aura suddenly became deadly, and even the police officers were a little intimidated. "Mister Mason, please follow us back to the police station." Cedrick would not give in so easily. He snickered, "Do you think I would go so easily?" As soon as he finished his sentence, the security guards surrounded him, ready to attack. "Master Cedrick!" Eason was worried that Cedrick would impulsively attempt to fight for the hostage from the police, so he consoled, "As long as Master Ollie is still under your custody, Miss rk could not go far. Even if she could walk out of this house, she could not leave Franche." Cedrick clenched his fist, and his lips were bitten pale. He had to watch her being taken away by George... "There are more chances in the future, Master Cedrick. If this escted further, and if Grandpa Mason hears about it, he will not approve of this. More importantly, perhaps Nine would even take advantage of the situation!" Eason quickly persuaded, and secretly gave Ollie a signal to ask him to leave. Ollie immediately understood the signal but was also concerned that this would turn ugly. After all, this was a residential building! George was panicking slightly too. He quickly brought the mother and son along, attempting to leave among the guards and police officers in the confrontation. "Catelyn, don''t you dare to leave with George!" Cedrick''s dark voice prated through the air. Catelyn pursed her lips and took one deep breath. She finally blurted out all the things that she had long kept within her heart. "Perhaps I should have returned you the engagement ring when we were on the cruise! You kept saying that it was for my own good. Is hurting my friend part of it? I had never mentioned George and his family. That does not mean that I had never minded it. I just wanted to keep some distance from him so that he would not hurt anymore!" "Cedrick Mason, your detention this time has made one thing crystal clear to me." "We are not suited for each other." "I will be applying for a restraining order. Stay away from me." Catelyn then pulled George and Ollie away and left without hesitation. Cedrick moved slightly, but the policewoman''s gun was already pointed at his temple. Cedrick only took one cold nce at the policewoman and said, "I remember you." "There are many criminals that remember me every year, not just you," the policewoman said steadily. Cedrick snickered. Catelyn, Ollie, and George disappeared at the end of the corridor. He turned to look at Eason. Even though he did not say a single word, Eason understood his intention. He sent some people to follow Catelyn, and to locate their destination. Even if they could get away under the police''s protection today, could they hide away forever? The prey and predator game had just started. Catelyn sat in George''s car and was hugging Ollie tightly in her arms. She could see her residential building diminishing in the rearview mirror. Even though she had temporarily escaped, she still felt uneasy deep down. "Mummy, your phone." Ollie took out her phone from his bag and returned it to her. Catelyn took one look at it. It had a lot of missed calls and notifications from social media. She had no extra capacity to care at All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. the moment. "George, do you think Cedrick would let this slide?" George shook his head and said, "Cedrick had just arrived in Franche but had already expanded hiswork pretty fast. I think... he had already sent someone to stalk us." "No, I cannot be captured back again." If she got caught again, Catelyn could not imagine where else Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Even though Catelyn did not entirely believe the two little ones, she still asked them politely, "What is the n?" Ollie shook his head and decided to keep the suspense for a bit. " Uncle George, please turn left. There is a public toilet. Drive there quickly." George was bewildered too, but he still followed his direction. The car zoomed through the heavy traffic and soon reached the public toilet that Ollie was talking about. Ollie pulled Catelyn into the toilet. As soon as she went inside, she saw a woman that resembled her figure walking out. It was Jolene! "Kitty, I heard that something happened to you. I was terrified!" Jolene gave Catelyn a big hug. Catelyn was confused. Miles was standing right next to Jolene. He saw Catelyn and was relieved. He then urged, "Mummy, thank God you made it out. Quick, exchange your clothes with Jolene." "Exchange my clothes?" Catelyn was even more confused. Ollie exined concisely, "Later, Jolene will be taking your ce. Uncle George will bring Jolene on a ride to distract Uncle Eason and to trick them into believing that you are in his car. When the police release Father, we will be far away!" Even if this was just a temporary fix, at least they could be safe for one night, "This..." Catelyn did not expect her sons to be able to pull so many people together. "Don''t say a word more. George is still waiting outside. If your abusive ex-husband catches up, we will all be dead!" Jolene quickly pulled Catelyn to the cubicle to exchange their clothes. Catelyn went speechless. Abusive ex-husband? Was this the criminal charge for Cedrick by her little sons? Catelyn and Jolene exchanged clothes. Catelyn watched as Jolene got into the passenger seat instead of her, and as though she did it on purpose, she rolled the window down and held her arm out... In the corner of the public toilet, Catelyn and the two babies waited for a while, and they saw a few cars tailing George''s car from a distance. Inside of the car in the lead was Eason! Catelyn smiled weakly, feeling as though she had just escaped death. Cedrick Mason, why? Catelyn brought the two babies to rest in the hotel nearby, at the same time, tried to think what they should do next. She really did not wish for them to be hiding forever. They should be like other kids, sitting in the spacious ssroom, learning to read and write, and ying with their friends during recess time. They should not be on the run every day. Nheless, if they did not escape, what would Cedrick do to them? Catelyn had no idea. For now, the most important thing was to resolve her work issues. Initially, she asked for some time off from William to move. She did not expect that she had to be away for so many days. She video-called William. William knew the rtionship between Cedrick and Catelyn, so he dared not reprimand Catelyn outright. He even patiently advised her, "Miss rk, good evening. Have you had a good rest these few days?" Catelyn was suddenly hesitant to say what she initially wanted to say. If he knew that she was currently not on good terms with Cedrick, he would probably scold her. "Mister William, I wanted to call you tonight to let you know that... ¡öI "Wait, I know you have limited time. Miss rk, please hear me out first," William interjected and then grinned. "You should know that the VSA Group is mainly based in Euro. Even though we have prated into the west, it has always not been ideal." N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. "I have heard about this." What did this have to do with her? "You and Cedrick are pretty close. Suppose you could convince Cedrick to have a close coboration with us and help our Group to prate into the western market. In that case, I could promote you as the Amarican Region General Manager." He was beating around the bush to ask for her help to convince Cedrick. "Director, I am sorry, Cedrick and I are, in fact, not married, and we are not in a rtionship that you thought we were." "Not married?" William was stunned, he wondered, ''I had recently read some newspaper of Sapphire City, Cedrick''s finance''s name was Maia rk, and you are his... lover?'' Catelyn found herself speechless. "It is even better that you are his lover. You are young, and you could use your rtionship with him to lay down a path for yourself. Even if he really got married in the future and broke up with you, you would not lose out much." "The signal is pretty weak here, Director. We will chat again." Catelyn hung up, realizing she had forgotten to ask William for a few more days off. At the same time, Eason¡¯s people sessfully blocked George''s car. When Cedrick finally caught up, George descended from his car slowly and steadily. All along, Cedrick was always so noble and mighty and George was only one of his staff members. However, George could not help but feel thrilled. He finally tricked Cedrick! "You could not go far." Cedrick took one disdainful nce at him, and his gaze fell into the car. The windscreen was tinted, and Cedrick could not see the inside clearly. "Get down, Catelyn!" The woman in the car did not move. Cedrick advanced toward the ck Banz. "Looks like you wanted me to invite you out personally?" "Since Cedrick is so sincere about it, I think it is better for you to get out of the car. He spent quite some effort to pull us over." George saw Cedrick''s enraged expression, and it was extra satisfying to him. The next moment, the car door was pushed open. Cedrickhad tried so hard, but she ignored him; on the contrary, it only took a few words from George to move her. Cedrick''s face was even darker. "Hi, Cedrick." A strange woman''s face appeared before Cedrick. Jolene waved at Cedrick. Cedrick was stunned. His eyes were cold and ruthless. "Who are you?" Jolene had seen Cedrick before from afar, but she was not a fan because Ollie and Miles had long told her that he was ''abusive'' and 1 violent''. She just wanted to take revenge for Catelyn. Jolene deliberately flipped her hair flirtatiously and winked at Cedrick. "Cedrick, you are so bad. You were the one who kept asking for me to get out of the car. Now that I am out, you are asking who I am." Cedrick suddenly understood something. His dark eyes were locked upon Jolene and George. "How dare you trick me?" George was feeling extremely nervous, but he tried hard to look as though he was invincible. "I had never said that I was driving Catelyn. Your subordinates just followed me all the way here. Didn''t they notice something?" Eason apologized, "Master Cedrick, it was my negligence. I did not expect Miss rk to have swapped..." Cedrick ignored him, and his gaze was still fixated on George. "Where is she?" "She? Who?" George was nonchnt and casually dusted off the dirt on his sleeve. It felt so great to see Cedrick being tricked! "Don''t you y games with me. Where is Catelyn?" Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Chapter 533 "Kitty is a free individual, and she can go wherever she wants to. Cedrick, don''t you bug her anymore. There are so many people willing to be abused out there. You could just spend some money and..." It was hard for Jolene to associate the handsome face in front of her with the abuser, but she boldly replied, seeing how pissed he appeared to be. "People willing to be abused?" Cedrick frowned. Jolene remembered what the two babiesined about before and confidently asked, "Aren''t you an abuser?" Cedrick found himself speechless. So that was the reputation that the mother and sons trio built for him behind his back! In the hotel. After a long day, Catelyn ordered an extrarge portion of food delivery. The three of them had a hearty meal. It was warm inside the room. Miles took his coat and pants off and hopped into the bed in his little yellow duck underpants. He massaged Catelyn''s shoulders and rubbed her waist. "Mummy, Big Demon cheated on you and betrayed you. We don''t want him anymore," Miles said to his mother. When he grabbed her slender fingers to rub against his little cheek, he realized her ring was missing. He then looked at Catelyn''s eyes, and he could see dark circles around them. She did not look well rested. He felt sad to see his mother like that. Big Demon, he had given his mummy to him, but he did not appreciate her! He would not give him a second chance! Ollie bit on his lower lip and said, "I''m sorry, Mummy. I did not tell you about father and Aunt Maia before this," He paused and then added, "But father said there was nothing between him and Aunt Maia." "You believe whatever Big Demon tells you?" Miles''s face was filled with disapproval. "A cheating man is like the book on the shelf. You never know how many people had touched him before, disgusting." Ollie had never really argued with Miles before. He was a tolerant big brother. Perhaps it was also because of his personality since he was young... However, now, he could not help but take Cedrick''s side. "Miles, do you wish for Father and Mummy to be apart?" "I respect mummy''s decision, and no second chances once cheated, " Miles held his hands over his hips and then squeezed into Catelyn''s arms. "As long as mummy has Miles..." Ollie frowned. Subconsciously, he still wanted to believe in his father. Even though his father''s temper was indeed horrible. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. However, he would never lie. If he had done it, he would say he had done it. He had nevercked responsibility and ountability. "Enough, stop fighting among yourselves." Catelyn tapped their noses and tried hard to make her tone sound friendlier. "The adult''s world isplex. You could just be mummy''s sweet little buns." Ollie pouted. He ced his little hand on Catelyn''s belly. "I wish my brother or sister wouldn''t live like how Miles and I did." Miles hung his head low, hearing that. Right, there is another baby in mummy''s belly. It was hard enough for her to take care of the two of them. They could not let Big Demon get away with this easily. He had to find opportunities to empty the antiques in his castle as the new baby''s alimony. Catelyn cleared her throat and realized that this problem was serious. "Ollie, Miles, mummy is actually not pregnant. There is no new baby. Your father misunderstood." Miles sprang up from the bed and yelled, "Really?" Ollie continued, "You are not lying to us, are you?" "I am not." Catelyn nodded sternly, and to prove that she really was not pregnant, she did a very difficult ballet pose. The two babies exchanged looks and then unanimously put the me on Cedrick again. It was his fault to have misled them! The twins showered andy on either side of the bed. Catelyn was sleeping in between the two of them and held each of them in each of her hands. She could smell the milky scent on them and read a bedtime story to them. Her thoughts eventually drifted away. Escaping really was just the first step. What should they do next? In Sapphire City. Grandpa Mason received Maia''s call, and at the same time, he received an email too. Ever since Cedrick ditched Maia at the hospital, he stopped caring about her. She reckoned that it would be hard for her to me it on Cedrick. Nheless, she would never forget the humiliation she got from Catelyn. Just like how Jamie wanted to fight for Miles'' custody back then, she wanted Catelyn to watch with her bare eyes when her sons got taken away by the Mason family! She did not deserve to raise the young masters of the Mason family She decided to inform Grandpa Mason that Catelyn was the woman who set Cedrick up, including how she fled the country with the twins and leaked the secrets of the Mason Group. The mes were all put on Catelyn, and Grandpa Mason was enraged when he opened the photos in the email. He hung up on the call with Maia and almost pushed everything to the floor. "D*mn it! Is Cedrick blind or insane? He is proposing to someone who betrayed him? She has the guts to flee with my grandsons?" The butler, Uncle Ford, could only stand at the side, looking wary. "Master, Master Cedrick was only impulsive at that moment. I''m sure he will be bored of her in no time." "He knows very well that I was set up by other people, and I only have him as my direct descendant. How dare he indulge in that woman who kidnapped my great-grandsons away?" The survival rate of the sons in Grandpa Mason''s bloodline was very low, and he was left with only Cedrick. This was the Mason family''s secret and was also Grandpa Mason''s taboo. Uncle Ford did not dare toment on anything. "Ford." Uncle Ford quickly went forward. "Yes, Master?" "Go to Franche. You must bring the twins back to me! This woman is such a snake, she has hidden the truth from us for four whole years." Uncle Ford promised, "Yes." "If the woman does not behave, please settle her. Don''t let her derail Cedrick anymore." Uncle Ford was taken aback. He said in reflex, "Master Cedrick canceled his engagement with Miss rk before this because of her. If we take actions impulsively..." "That, we have to see if she understands the assignment." Catelyn was not aware that danger was quietly creeping in. Even though there were many conflicts between Cedrick and her, she could not affect the two babies'' daily lives and learning. Catelyn put on a cap and was about to send the babies to kindergarten. The two babies also understood that it was a crucial time for them and proactively avoided Catelyn but got Grandma May to send them to kindergarten instead. In fact, they were both so smart that they could go by themselves. However, Catelyn would not let them and insisted on making sure there was an adult''spany. Therefore, the twins thought about Grandma May. Grandma May was already very fond of the twins, and so she happily epted the request. Catelyn watched as the little ones went downstairs. "Goodbye, Mummy." The two little boys waved their hands at Catelyn from afar. Catelyn smiled and waved back at them, and reminded them to be obedient in school. The two kids were very well behaved and followed closely behind Grandma May. They walked across the road to the bus station. Suddenly, a ck Range Raver suddenly stopped beside Grandma May and the twins. The car door was opened, and a few men in ck came out of it. They were expressionless and immediately grabbed the two boys, and stuffed them into the car aggressively. Chapter 534 Chapter 534 Chapter 534 Their actions were too swift, catching the little ones off guard. When they finally regained their senses, they were already tucked in the passenger seats at the back of the car, and the doors were mmed shut. They werepletely cut off from the outside world... Grandma May was pushed onto the floor as well. "Miles, Ollie! Stop! Who are you? Let go of my children..." Catelyn saw this from afar. She was sweating profusely and ran in their direction with all her might. However, by the time she got there, the car door was already shut. The car engine was revved, and Catelyn could only faintly hear the two babies'' desperate calls. Then, not sure what happened next, but they both were shut up abruptly! Catelyn panicked and took her phone out, wanting to call 911. "Miss... Miss rk." Grandma May sobbed while pulling Catelyn''s hands and said nervously, "Before you arrived, a man told me something and asked for me to ry it to you." Catelyn could feel her blood boiling, and she asked, "What did he ask you to tell me?" "He said, you don''t deserve to raise the two boys. The Mason family is their best choice..." "Mason family? Mason family..." Catelyn repeated the words to herself. She bit onto her lower lip and suddenly pped herself hard across the face. It was because of Cedrick Mason. He must be pissed because Ollie and Miles fooled him into rescuing her. He must have been triggered to take them away from her! "Miss rk, what are you doing?" Grandma May saw Catelyn pping herself. Her cheeks were left with vividly red fingermarks. Catelyn''s lips were numb, as though she had lost too much of her own blood, and she muttered, "It was my fault. I should not go against him. Why was I so dumb to trigger him..." She knew that Cedrick was not someone that she could offend, but she still ran away anyway... The peace was so short-lived that it onlysted one night. Would he really take the two babies away from her? No wonder she felt uneasy the entire night. "Go against him?" Grandma May did not understand her and did not know what had happened. "Miss rk, let''s go lodge a police report. There is a police station right in front..." "No! We cannot!" Catelyn was frank about her weakness and helplessness. If she lodged a police report and this matter escted further, it would annoy Cedrick even more. She could not imagine what would happen. She bit her tongue to induce some pain to keep herselfposed. "Grandma May, please pretend that nothing happened. Thank you for helping me to send Ollie and Miles to school. I will take it from here..." Miles, Ollie, wait for Mummy. Mummy will not leave you.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Catelyn gave herself a small pep talk in her heart. The Range Raver disappeared from sight. Catelyn could not help but feel wary about the situation. Catelyn called Cedrick. The ringtone went on and on, but no one picked up. Did he do this on purpose so that she would go to him? Catelyn could feel her blood flooding into her brain. She called a cab and departed to the Franch subsidiarypany of Mason Group. The distance was short, and soon, she arrived at the entrance of the subsidiarypany. The skyscraper was equally tall and mboyant as their domestic one. The entrance was busy with people passing by every now and then. However, Catelyn''s mind was only upied with Miles and Ollie''s screams when they were aggressively thrown into the car. They did not care about Ollie and Miles'' safety at all... Was it Cedrick? They fooled him, and he was so angry that he did not care if they were his sons? The front desk beamed and asked, "Miss, is there anything that I can help you with?" Catelyn took a deep breath and said straight away, "I want to meet Cedrick Mason." "...Who?" The front desk was stunned. Cedrick was the owner behind thepany, and it was usually the CEO of the subsidiarypany that showed up. The front desk was too taken aback and could not respond. "Cedrick Mason, I want to see him." Catelyn tried her best to suppress her tears and repeated adamantly. Another staff member at the front desk came by and quickly asked, still with a smile, "Sure, may I know if you have an appointment with him?" Appointment? Cedrick did not even dare to pick up her phone call. How would she have an appointment with him? Catelyn did not dare to confess that she did not have an appointment. She was afraid that they would think that she was pulling their legs and would throw her out. Catelyn suddenly thought about Eason. She had Eason''s phone number... Thankfully, Eason did not avoid her but answered her call very quickly. When he knew Catelyn was at the front desk, he hurried over. As soon as Eason saw her, he frowned. "Miss rk, why are you here?" Eason lowered his voice and pulled Catelyn into a corner. "I purposely let you go yesterday. Why are you sending yourself here again?" Catelyn looked at him in shock. "You purposely did it?" "In fact, I should have advised Master Cedricknot to take such an extreme measure, but he was too pissed to listen. I knew I could not convince him, so I thought I should take the opportunityst night to keep the both of you apart, so you can both calm down..." Eason had never disobeyed Cedrick''s orders before. However, this time around, he had to. Otherwise, Cedrick would only push Catelyn further and further away. Eason had thought it through, to give it another two days, and he would confess to Cedrick about this. He did not expect Catelyn to be sending herself to their doorstep so soon! Catelyn could not care anymore, and said right away, "Cedrick already sent someone to snatch Miles and Ollie from me, I have toe! Please bring me to him!" "Cedrick sent someone to take your sons away?" Eason was bewildered. Normally, Cedrick would instruct him to do this kind of thing. However, he had not received any instructions this time. "It is real. The person who snatched them away said so. They said the Mason family wanted custody and said I did not deserve to raise the children. Other than Cedrick, I really cannot think of anyone else..." "Master Cedrick is now in a meeting. Perhaps you should follow me upstairs." Eason hesitated but still decided to bring Catelyn upstairs. Catelyn was very grateful for that. She followed behind Eason and arrived at the CEO''s office on the top floor. Cedrick had other matters to attend to on this trip to Franche. He needed to expand to the overseas market to match Austrelian Network''s project. When they took a break in between, Eason walked up to Cedrick quietly. He hunched and informed Cedrick about the kidnap of Miles and Cedrick. The man held his fingers together and did not respond immediately to the news. After a pause, his dark eyes locked onto Eason''s and asked casually, "Are you sure you did not notice that Catelyn and Jolene swapped themselvesst night?" The gaze was so piercing that it went right through Eason''s heart. 111 11 "I have asked the guard that escorted you. Jolene held her arm out of the window on purpose, but the kids were not sighted throughout. George was also beating around the bush with you guys. I don''t believe that you could not tell with your years of experience. Eason, don''t you lie to me!" Chapter 535 Chapter 535 Chapter 535 "Master Cedrick, I am sorry!" Eason felt chills down his spine and dared not hide it any longer. "I was just thinking of letting you and Miss rk cool it off a little..." Thud! Suddenly, a blownded on Eason¡¯s abdomen. A human shadow swooped past, and Eason stumbled two steps back from the impact of the kick. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he remained hunched for a long while, but he did not make a single grunt. He had made a decision without consulting authority, and deserved punishment. "When did I allow you to meddle in my personal matters? Should I give up my CEO seat to you as well?" "Master Cedrick, you know my loyalty to you. I never meant to do that!" Eason bowed deeply. He was an orphan from a very young age. It was Cedrick who paid for his education and recruited him into thepany after his graduation. They were of simr age, but Cedrick always had an intimidating aura. Other than his rtionship with Catelyn, Eason had never seen Cedrick this enraged. This was also exactly why he wanted to release Catelyn and the kids... "Get up." After a long while, the man''s icy voice could be heard. Cedrick''s humongous body slumped into the soft cushion. His gaze was grim, and little bits of sunlight shone on his shoulders. No one could read what was on his mind. Eason could not decide what to do either. Was it Master Cedrick who kidnapped the kids? "Master Cedrick, Miss rk is sitting in the VIP room next door. Would you like to meet her?" Eason asked cautiously and wiped away the sweat on his forehead. He thought Cedrick would want to see Catelyn at this moment. However, he replied, "Please ask the security to escort her out and never let her in again." Eason looked up at Cedrick in shock. "Do you hear what I said?" Cedrick''s handsome face was masked with ruthlessness. Eason dared not test his patience anymore and left the meeting room. Eason''s reiteration was like the worst news to Catelyn. She was unwilling to leave no matter what. "Didn''t he do this only to force me toe to him? I am here. Why would he refuse to see me?" She sat in the VIP room stubbornly. She shouted with all her might and with tears running down her face. "I am not leaving unless you get him to return my kids!" "Miss rk, can''t you understand?" Eason dared not have second thoughts and could only coax her, "Ever since you ran away yesterday, Master Cedrick was already infuriated, and he has lost his trust in me..." He had not received any information about the two kids so far. Perhaps it was Charles who executed it, or perhaps he had someone else to do it. Eason could only smile weakly. "If he is mad about it, pleasee at me! He promised me he would not snatch the custody of the kids away from me..." Catelyn''s heart was shattered into pieces. The more she thought about it, the more she regretted it. She dashed out of the room impulsively. She did not know which meeting room Cedrick was at. She ran into each room, searching each one of them. "Cedrick Mason,e out now! I know you are in here. Give me my kids! If you want to go to court, let''s go! There is no need to involve the kids!" "Miss rk, this is a working space. If you persist, I would have no choice but to take action." Eason went forward to stop Catelyn. Soon, some staff members were distracted by Catelyn and Eason and paused to watch the drama. Catelyn wished that Cedrick was among these people. However, he was nowhere to be found. In the meeting room, other people had left, except for Cedrick. He took off his coat and ced it on the back of his chair. He was wearing a navy blue vest, his fingers pinching on a cigarette. He did not smoke but quietly smelled the smoke wafting up in the air. He could hear the noises behind the walls in the corridor, the shouting, the scolding, and the comforting. His dull face was even darker now. Not sure how long it passed, and the voices finally faded. After that, Charles walked in. "Master Cedrick, Elder Mason''s people were caught, and we got the kids back. However, Uncle Ford decided to bring the two kids back to Amarica forcefully. He was worried that they would not follow suit, so he used a little bit of non-harmful drug on them. The kids are now fast asleep." The cigarette almost burnt itself to the end, and Cedrick suddenly took a deep breath. The end of the cigarette lit up, and then it extinguished when there was nothing left... He crushed the cigarette butt firmly in the ashtray until it was beyond deformed. "Other than Uncle Ford, break everyone''s leg and send them back to Mason Chateau. Tell Grandpa Mason not to meddle in my business anymore," he said expressionlessly. Even though Charles was scared, he clearly understood that the kids were Cedrick''sst straw. Elder Mason sent someone to kidnap his sons? He could never tolerate that as a father! Charles nodded, then asked, "Should we send the two kids back to the castle?" "No, send them to Uncle Ford, let him bring them back, and also pass a message to Grandpa. Please ask him not to y tricks anymore." Charles was taken aback. Did he really ask to send the kids back to Mason Chateau? Even though Grandpa Mason was very fond of the young masters, their mother was Catelyn, whom Grandpa Mason did not ept. "Do we need to inform Miss rk about this?" Charles could not help but feel concerned that Cedrick and Catelyn''s rtionship, which was already hanging by a thread, would worsen even more. Cedrick''s eyes showed bloodlust. "Yes, of course, we should gloriously inform her about this!" After Charles left, Cedrick slowly took out the fireworks ring from his pocket. It was the one that Catelyn threw away that night, and he spent a few days just to find it back. It was still shiny as ever, but it now carried a different meaning. Catelyn, even if it is something that you have abandoned, I will make you beg me to have it back. Soon, three days had passed. Catelyn had not heard from Ollie or Miles, nor could she get into contact with them at all. She called Aunt Jessie at the castle. However, Aunt Jessie informed her that the kids were no longer in Franche and had been sent back to Mason Chateau in Sapphire City. Mason Chateau... When she heard this, she could feel the sky tearing into pieces. Her whole body was frozen. If she could only have a little bit of power in Franche, she would be powerless back in Sapphire City, which was dominated by the Mason family. What capabilities would she have to fight the Mason family? Miles, Ollie, I am sorry, mummy failed to protect you once again. She wondered if Miles would behave himself in a new environment. Ollie could not see her, not sure if he would be making a fuss with the Mason family? Catelyn was worried. Ding dong. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Her phone buzzed, and a delivery man reminded her that she had an iing delivery. She wiped away the tears around her eyes and headed downstairs to pick up her parcel. It was just an envelope containing a letter from thewyer. The letter clearly stated that she had three days to get awyer, to go to Benjamin Anderson''sw firm sub-office in Franche for negotiation. If she werete or absent, she would be sued! Sued... He was really adamant about going to court with her, was that why he avoided meeting her? She had really pissed him off... Catelyn grabbed the letter firmly in her hand. Her knuckles turned white. No, she must get awyer to fight him. She could not let Ollie and Miles be taken away! They were her blood and flesh... Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Catelyn approached onewyer after another, using the money David gave her. "...I''m so sorry, Miss rk, ourwyers might not have thepetence to take on your case." "...Miss rk, we epted a big project recently. Our schedules are full." "...There''s a legal firm next door. Maybe you should give them a try?" When everyone heard that the counterpartywyer was Benjamin Anderson, they all backed out and profusely rejected all her offers. Benjamin, Benjamin. He was a demon that everyone was scared of. Catelyn recalled that back in the days when Benjamin''s name had intimidated Jamie''swyer so much that she could easily win the suit without doing much. Did karma finally hit her? Catelyn finally managed to hire an unknownwyer with a lot of money. The kind that was fresh out of college and just obtained his license. Sometimes, when Catelyn asked about her custody rights, he had to refer to his books for a long while toe up with an answer. Catelyn looked at thewyer before her, her concerns and fear magnified. Thewyer saw her worried look andforted her, "Miss rk, please don''t worry, even if the counterparty is represented by the infamous Benjamin Anderson, I will try my best!" "Could you please be frank with me, how confident are you in winning thiswsuit?" Catelyn asked robotically, her lips opened and closed like a machine, her facial expression lost vitality. Thewyer paused and looked troubled. "Miss rk, you frequently changed your job and home, your economic power is also not on par with the father, and you could not take care of the two kids properly, so..." "You don''t have to say anything more." Catelyn closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she insisted, "I am willing to pay three times the fee! Even if there is only a one percent chance for me to win this, please help me to fight for this!" However, she had not expected that the next morning, when she arrived at theirw firm, thewyer requested to resign himself from the suit. Thewyer appeared to be avoiding her and stuttered to make some excuse. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Catelyn knew that Cedrick must have bribed him! He had not cared that he was a newwyer. Catelyn was so enraged, and she called Cedrick. "The number you have dialed is currently unavable." She only heard a cold, recorded voice. She seemed to have been blocked by Cedrick! Cedrick, what did you want to force me to do? Catelyn had no choice but to contact Eason again, "Eason, please help me to ask him what he wants!" "Miss rk, please give up." Eason was also mostly on the bench. Many of his tasks were delegated to Charles instead. Eason felt helpless too. "No matter whichwyer you got, no matter if this were Franche or Sapphire City, it would be useless. Master Cedrick would only force them away, one by one, and you would be left alone, helpless." "There is no other workaround?" Catelyn bit her lower lip. "There is." Eason was frank. Catelyn''s eyes lit, and she asked, "What is it?" "Unless Master Cedrick backs out, otherwise..." Eason did not finish his sentence. However, everyone knew what he meant. She never stood a chance. He was Cedrick, the almighty Cedrick. What even was she to him? "Kitty, how was your discussion with thewyer?" As soon as she reached home, Jolene came up to askcaringly. Catelyn was staying together with Jolene in her apartment. Catelyn shook her head. "He bribed thewyer, I don''t have anywyer now." "Nowyer? But tomorrow is the day for the negotiation! What should we do?" Jolene was regretful. She thought perhaps they should not have been so mean that time and called 911... Now they ended up tense and not getting anywhere. More importantly, the mother and sons were separated. "I will not give up on my custody. I will never." Catelyn was determined. However, deep down, she was feeling utterly hopeless. "I know it is hard for you to separate from your children, but the opponent is Cedrick..." Jolene walked around in the room warily and suddenly pulled Catelyn by her hand. "Or, let George and I go apologize to him. If he wanted to punish someone, just punish us." "It''s useless. Cedrick''s target was never you." Catelyn smiled weakly, she would not want to involve them again. Apologies, punishment, these would not make Cedrick budge. Catelyn went to Mason Group in the afternoon. George suggested that he send her over, but Catelyn rejected him right away. Since Cedrick did not want to pick up her call, she would wait until he came out. She believed that he would not spend his entire lifetime in the Mason Group office only. "Excuse me, are you Miss rk? Master Cedrick has ordered for you not to get anywhere near the office. Please leave." The security at the door stopped her, He seemed to have seen her photo beforehand and knew who she was. Catelyn looked at the security guard, dumbfounded. So that was how much Cedrick hated her now? He was so confident about winning over the children''s custody, was that why he did not even care to meet her anymore? Catelyn was still adamant about leaving and stood outside Mason Group''s office. She did not know how long she had waited. One hour, two hours...Her legs were numb. Her consciousness started drifting away. Suddenly the sky cracked with a p of loud thunder, and the storm poured. The raindrops smashed onto her scalp, one drop by another. It was autumn, and Catelyn was wearing a beige color fur coat. Her coat was soaked with rainwater and hung onto her body heavily. She was standing shakily and seemed like she would fall down anytime. On the top floor, in the CEO''s office, Charles looked at the rain outside of the window and reminded, "Master Cedrick, it''s raining. 11 Cedrick was sitting in his chair, expressionless, and signed onto thest stack of agreements. "How is the preparation for the finance project in Euro?" "Everything is now ready. We are just waiting for the market to open next week," Charles exined and expected Cedrick to continue asking about work. However, he suddenly threw the document in his hand away and stood up. He strode across to the ss window and looked down at the tiny figure in front of the tower. She looked so tiny in the storm. She was so thin but stood up so straight... As though nothing would move what she believed in. His heart was wrenched. "Make her leave!" He spitted out three words. He had to force her into a corner where she had nowhere else to go. Only then could they start all over again. Since his gentle measures did not work on her, he could only be harsher. "Master Cedrick, Miss Catelyn had approached everywyer in town, and she could not meet you either. Tomorrow will be the day for negotiation. She has faced so many obstacles and challenges. What if she could not take it and..." "You are looking down on her." Cedrick''s eyes darkened. "She is so stubborn. How could she not survive through it?" "Master Cedrick, Miss rk seems to not be able to take it anymore!" At the very same moment, Charles suddenly pointed down at the entrance. Cedrick looked to where he pointed. The girl who was standing tall earlier suddenly leaned forward and then copsed head first into the ground. Cedrick''s breathing suddenly stopped, and he dashed out of the room immediately. Chapter 537 Chapter 537 Chapter 537 Outside the office tower. The rain poured, and rainwater formed into puddles on the ground. There were not many people walking around due to the thunderstorm. There were two Franch security guards chatting by the entrance. "Look, the woman fainted!" One of them pointed at Catelyn and shouted. "Should we call her an ambnce?" The other one was concerned. "Are you crazy? Master Cedrick had ordered not to allow her to step foot into the office. He must hate this woman very much! Do you want to send her to the hospital? Do you still want to keep your job?" "You''re right, but she just crashed right in front of the office. It does not look good on us?" The guard then frowned and suddenly said, "Let''s move her to the tree by the side. Maybe she will wake up when the rain stops." The guards were about to move Catelyn under the tree. They held Catelyn by her arm and legs and were about to walk to the side... "Who allowed you to touch her!" The guards felt a sharp pain in their shoulders, and then both fell onto the ground. Catelyn fell back onto the ground because of it. Her long hair was stuck on her face, and the rainwater glided down her cheeks... She was shivering, and her body was frozen as though she had fallen into an igloo. Her eyes could not even open. However, the next moment, her body was carried up by someone. Her longshes trembled, and she nudged slightly toward the source of heat. Cedrick gently wiped away the water on her face. His heart was wrenched. It had only been a few days. How did she be so skinny? "Ced... Cedrick?" The two guards were shocked. Wasn''t he the one who ordered never to allow the woman to step foot into the office at all? Why did he also hug her so carefully, as though she was the most precious treasure in the world? Cedrick threw the two security guards a cold look, then instructed Charles, "Calcte and disburse their wages. They won''t be returning to work tomorrow." Before the guards could understand the whole situation, they were already sacked! Cedrick could not care too much but carried Catelyn and went back into the CEO office''s resting room on the top floor. Her body was too cold and needed a shower, plus a bowl of soup to warm her body up... Cedrick gently ced Catelyn on the big bed in the resting room, then instructed Charles to purchase some soup. He turned around, only to find the woman sitting on the bed. Catelyn was wide awake. She looked nowhere near how weak she was just moments ago. She only acted like that! Cedrick realized he was fooled, and his lips were pursed together. "Cedrick, are you finally willing to see me?" Catelyn did not pass out. She only wanted to bet against the odds of Cedrick noticing and giving in to her. Luckily, she won the bet. It had been a few days since theyst met, but so many things had changed. Cedrick''s face had no expression and was only a meter apart from hers. He looked at her quietly. "Since you are alright, get out now." "No, how would I be alright? Give me my children!" Catelyn stumbled from the bed. Even though she did not pass out, it was also an undeniable truth that she had spent too long in the rain. She felt a little lightheaded. She mustered a lot of strength to kneel before him and tugged at the hem of his shirt. Cedrick forced himself not to look at her pale face and peeled away her fingers one by one, cold- heartedly. "You need not worry. They are my sons too, and I will be good to them. It''s better than having them following you." However, all they needed was a mother''s love, not some materialpensation! "Cedrick Mason! You promised me. You promised you would never fight with me for their custody!" Catelyn''s hand gripped onto thin air. Her other hand supported her body against the corner of the table. Her lips were so pale they looked almost transparent. "You also promised our engagement, didn''t you?" Cedrick asked casually, and his tone was so cold that one¡¯s heart could get frozen. Catelyn widened her eyes. Her fear was magnified. "These are two separate issues. Please talk about them separately." "Even if they are two separate issues, even if I promised not to fight for their custody, so what? Go ahead and see if there is anywyer willing to help you now!" Cedrick looked at her coldly, his gaze was so determined. He was so certain that she had nowyer and would lose the suit for sure! The breeze gushed through. Catelyn''s body felt even colder. She shouted hysterically with all her might, "What do you want me to do? I have nothing left, no home, no family, nothing! I only had two children, Cedrick. I beg you, I beg you to return my kids to me... 11 She was too agitated that her pale face even showed a little sign of blood. However, her vision suddenly turned ck, and she fell to the ground. Cedrick''s eyes squinted, and he almost leaped forward to hug her. He looked down on her vulnerability and took a few steps forward, towering over her. "Marry me." Catelyn''s heart suddenly stopped. She looked up in shock. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she looked at him in disbelief. Time seemed to have stopped. Tears blurred her vision, and she looked at the handsome face before her. It felt so surreal. Cedrick slowly took out the ring from his pocket. He half squatted before her. His thick finger wiped away the tears on her cheek, and the ring was forcefully ced in her palm. His big palm wrapped around her tiny hand. She could hear him say, "There will be a flight to Las Vegars at eleven in the morning tomorrow. I will be waiting at the airport for you, to turn up or not. That is up to you to decide." Catelyn bit onto her lower lip, her fingers pressed firmly into the ring, which pierced into her palm. "Change another condition! Cedrick, other than this, I will promise you just anything!" "Charles." Cedrick stood up coldly-heartedly, and said to Charles outside the door, "Send Miss rk out." Catelyn was like a cub that was forced to a corner, her mouth letting out of a howl helplessly, her eyes red... "Why? You could easily wave your hand, and numerous women would be all over you. Why are you only bugging me?" Cedrick''s condescending chin lifted slightly, his dark eyes were sharp. "You should ask yourself, four years ago, why did you go into my room? Why did you give birth to my children?" Catelyn''sshes trembled slightly. Yes, why did she go into his room and give birth to his children?This is from N?velDrama.Org. It was fated for them to intertwine with each other right from the start. Who should she me, and who could she me? When the sun came out after the rain, Catelyn left Mason Group and wandered down the streets like a soulless spirit. She walked and walked, and soon she reached Ollie and Miles'' kindergarten. Behind the ck fence, she watched as the kids yed carefreely in the field. Some of them were chasing each other, and some were having much fun on the slide; some were building castles in the sandpit, making a mess out of themselves. Every face was painted with pure happiness and naivety. If the two kids were here, they must be acting simrly to these kids. She could faintly hear a familiar baby voice in her ear, calling her '' Big Kitty'' innocently. Catelyn turned around, and people passed by her on the street, and Miles was nowhere to be found. She could not believe that she was starting to hallucinate... Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Her finger brushed against the lock screen on her phone. It was a photo of the three of them. Miles, Ollie, wait for me. I will not abandon you. After all, all she had to do was to get married. She only needed to marry him and be Missus Mason. She should be feeling happy and grateful about it. There was nothing bad about it! When this thought surfaced in Catelyn, she shocked even herself. Soon, the thought branched out like an ivy nt, and soon it upied the whole of her mental space... In a private hospital on the top floor. Maia was enjoying the best medical treatment. There were five or six nurses tending to her daily needs. Nheless, she was still in a bad mood till thest few days. Richard came by to have dinner with her at night. Maia ordered over twenty dishes. She had her lumbar supported and sat on the soft cushioned seat, looking casual and seductive. Even though she was pregnant, she did not increase her food intake to maintain her body. Richard coaxed her to eat more, but she only had small bites on each of the dishes. "Are the two little b*stards, Miles and Ollie, brought back to the Mason family?" Maia ate her foie gras pleasantly while asking Richard. Richard nodded and answered, "They were sent back a few days ago. However, it was a little strange that Cedrick seemed to have blocked Uncle Ford and his people. Not sure what he was thinking... 11 "Who cares how he thinks? Catelyn lost her two kids. She must be in agony." Maia grinned devilishly. Richard loved seeing Maia smile, even if it was a sinister one. He took out a few photos from his pocket and passed them to Maia. There were pictures of Catelyn inside. There were photos of her asking to meet Cedrick but being declined and her standing in the rain soaking wet. There were even photos of her standing outside the kindergarten, zoning out. Every photo made Maia''s mood extremely great. Except for one of them, Maia''s eyes squinted. It was Catelyn leaving Mason Group''s office, and Charles was escorting her. The guards did not stop her but instead looked polite and respectful toward her. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. "Didn''t Cedrick decline to meet her? Why was she walking out of thepany?" Richard briefly went over the topic, "She was tormenting herself, and Cedrick was moved. Come here, Mai, this is your favorite red wine poached pear..." Richard scooped a piece of pear into Maia''s te. Maia pped his hand away and interrogated, "Are you hiding something from me?" "What can I hide from you?" "Look into my eyes!" Maia was not satisfied. She grabbed Richard and forced him to look at herself, then said pitifully, "Rich, you promised me that no matter what happens, you will not hide anything from me. I am carrying your child now, every day is so difficult forme..." Richard could never bear to hear Maia being in a difficult situation. He frowned and then said, "I got the news that Cedrick ordered two tickets for tomorrow morning to Las Vegars." "Two tickets to Las Vegars?" Maia raised her eyebrows. "What are they going to Las Vegars for? Could it be..." "To register their marriage." Richard spitted out four words. Even though he hated Cedrick, he prioritized the child in Maia''s belly for now and did not care much about other issues. "He is attempting to get away from the Mason family and register for marriage with Catelyn outside of the country?" Maia could no longer sit still. "No, Richard, I don''t allow them to marry!" "Things had already unfolded this far..." "I wanted Catelyn to be in torture, not for her to sit still, look pretty and be Missus Mason. Rich, did you forget how Cedrick humiliated both you and me? I could not allow them to be in bliss!" Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Richard frowned even deeper. His gaze swept past Maia''s belly and said, "What do you want me to do?" Maia¡¯s lips curved upward, and her smile looked more sinister than ever. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The next day, Catelyn had not hesitated and went straight to the airport as promised. After all, nothing could be worse. So what if she became Missus Mason? She would only return to the social hierarchy from her ''bankrupt socialite status. She should just see it as an act that she needed to put together with Cedrick. Catelyn leaned against the window and zoned out in the cab. She was too focused on her thoughts and did not notice that sinister shed on the driver''s face. When Catelyn realized the driver had gone the wrong way, the car was already in a quiet alley. There were only a few cars scattered in the alley. Catelyn was a little scared. The economy and social situation were not optimistic recently. She heard stories of cab drivers deliberately bringing their passengers to secluded areas and robbing them. "Sir, this seems to be the wrong way," she said tentatively, trying to reach for her phone in secret. The driver was watching her closely from the rearview mirror. " Aren''t you going to the airport? Trust me. I am taking a shortcut, and it is nearer to going through this alley. We will soon be there!" Somehow, through the mirror in the car, Catelyn could see the facial muscles on the driver''s face were all shaking. 1 As though he got the fattest fish hooked and was in indescribable thrill! Catelyn cussed in her heart, darn it. Cedrick was still waiting for her at the airport. If she did not make it there, would he think that she was rejecting him? Catelyn could feel the cold on her back, and she tried to tell herself to calm down. She tried to hint to the driver that she was poor, had been sacked by her employer, had no money, and had to keep her family alive, countless misfortunes... Finally, she grabbed her phone. She did not even dare to take the whole thing out to look at the screen but blindly hit the redial button. Unfortunately, as soon as the call was dialed, before she was even certain that the call was answered, the driver suddenly turned his steering wheel and drove to an even more secluded hill area! He took an acute turn. Catelyn had not fastened her seatbelt, plus she was a little absent-minded. She was flung away! Smack! Her bag fell onto the ground, her phone toonded on a thud, and the battery fell from the body of the phone. The driver heard the noise and turned to take a look. She was trying to make a call! Realizing he had been exposed, the driver mmed the elerator pedal, and the car zoomed around left and right. Catelyn was made dizzy. She could feel liquid in her stomach swelling up her throat, and she tried to climb up from the back seat to the front and attempted to grab the steering wheel... Screech. The driver mmed the brakes. They had arrived at their destination. The car door was opened from outside, and a few strong men in ck dashed forward to grab Catelyn''s arms and legs. Catelyn struggled and kicked one of the man''s faces. "Who are you? Let me go! Hmm..." Before she could finish her sentence, one man dragged her out of the car forcefully. Immediately after, he smacked her neck three times, and she passed out. "Quick, the boss is waiting." "Captain, this woman is pretty. Since she is going to die anyway..." The other man rubbed his chin pervertedly. His head was pped ruthlessly by his ''Captain''. "We uphold our principles! Before the boss pays, don''t you have any funny thoughts. You can get any girl you want after getting the money!" "Right, Captain is right..." The pervert scratched his head andughed sheepishly. The men abandoned the cab and sped deeper into the woods. It had rained intermittently since yesterday. Soon the rainwater washed away the footsteps, along with any evidence. Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Chapter 540 At the airport, Cedrick was sitting in the VIP lounge, expressionless. He had arrived at the airport at seven thirty in the morning. He cared more about his image and changed into a pair of casual blue suits. He wore a matching pair of pants, This is from N?velDrama.Org. minimalist but fashionable. He looked tall and handsome. It was slightly past eight. Charles noticed Cedrick was frequently checking his watch. He was secretly praying in his heart for Miss rk not to bete or absent. However, as time ticked by, more and more noises were heard from outside the VIP lounge. Catelyn was still nowhere to be seen. Charles secretly observed Cedrick''s expression, and his forehead was starting to sweat. "Perhaps, Miss rk ran into bad traffic. We shall wait for a little while more. She will certainly turn up." Cedrick pursed his lips and did not say anything. Charles was sweating even more profusely. He said carefully, "Miss rk cares so much about the two young masters. She would turn up for them." For the two young masters... His handsome face was clouded with ayer of grim. Cedrick held his knuckles tight, and his palm was white. Right, she always thought of her children, never once for him. The clock pointed to half past nine, and the airport crew walked to them with a polite smile, reminding Cedrick that it was boarding time. m! As soon as she finished her sentence, Cedrick''s fistnded heavily on the tea table in front of them. The ss tea table cracked right in the middle and shattered into pieces. The ss pieces were scattered all over the floor. There were a few that bounced up from the floor, sweeping past the airport crew¡¯s cheek. She was terrified and let out a shriek. "Master Cedrick, your hand..." Charles saw Cedrick''s knuckles were slit open by the ss pieces. Blood was oozing out, and he whimpered. Cedrick''s angr face did not make a single expression. He stood right up and strode out. Charles followed immediately while taking his phone out to call Catelyn. "Master Cedrick, please calm down. Miss rk may be dyed by something. Let me call her." He deliberately pressed on the loudspeaker. "The number that you have dialed is currently not avable. Please try againter." However, they could only hear the robotic voice over the speaker. "This... Perhaps Miss rk''s phone battery is t." Charles tried to save the situation. Cedrick opened his lips slightly, thenughed sarcastically. He was foolish enough to have thought she could be bounded by her two kids... So she had hated him to this extent, so much so that she could abandon her own children! It was even more ironic that he became the person that he once despised the most. "There are plenty of women out there, Master Cedrick. Since Miss rk is noting, I..." "Who said she is not?" Cedrick suddenly interjected Charles. Charles was confused. "But Miss rk..." "Even if I had to kidnap her, I will kidnap her to make her here today! Now, you inform the private jet to be on standby. After all, she already hates me so much, I don''t mind being the bad guy again." Cedrick''s eyes were filled with bloodlust and brutality. He was already in the wrong, and he could only do wrong again and again. ''Giving up'' did not exist in his vocabry. "Kid... Kidnap her?" Charles frowned, his heart racing. "I don''t think this is the best idea?" "Why? Are you bing like Eason, starting to boss me around?" Cedrick suddenly paused and looked at Charles, half smiling. Charles did not dare to say a word more but immediately arranged for the bodyguards to check on Catelyn''s whereabouts. Five minutester, Charles received the surveince camera screenshots, and his pupils immediately constricted... Chapter 541 Chapter 541 Chapter 541 "Master Cedrick, good news! Miss rk has been kidnapped!" Charles shouted excitedly. Cedrick narrowed his eyes coldly. "What did you say?" "The reason Miss rk isn''t here at the airport is that she¡¯s been kidnapped, not because she wants to refuse you!" Charles handed the video and screenshots of the surveince footage. Cedrick stared at the screen on the phone intently and saw Catelyn getting into a taxi, but the driver started to drive further away from her destination and eventually turned to direct an evil smile at her. ''A taxi?'' He thought to himself, ''Was she on her way here to the airport?'' For a moment, he felt as though he had ascended from hell to heaven. Of course, he quickly got over his relief and excitement and became concerned with Catelyn''s safety. He could not allow her to get hurt again. Cedrick looked away from the phone andmanded coldly, "Find out where this taxi has headed to!" 20 minutester, his subordinate came back and reported that they had located the taxi, but a bigger problem emerged. The car was abandoned at the bottom of a mountain in the outskirts; the area was generally referred to as the Forest of Death. Covered byrge forestation, thendscape wasplicated and the area was a habitat for various kinds of wild animals, so no one would dare step foot into the area under normal circumstances. Catelyn could have been taken anywhere in that vast forest. Cedrick arrived outside the Forest of Death, regret filling his eyes as he stared at the never-ending sea of trees before him. Had he not let Catelyn leave the night before or simply took her to the airport directly... There was no point in wondering ''what if''. "I''ve checked the perimeters, Master Cedrick. This forest is really dangerous. It''s a swampy area too, so those people must be very familiar with this area to take Miss rk in with them." Cedrick clenched his fists. "Find a few locals and bring them here. I need to ask them something." Catelyn was carried away, and after what felt like forever, her kidnapper finally stopped and tossed her onto the ground like she was a piece of cargo. Her head bumped into a rock on the ground and she internally gasped from the pain, but she did not dare open her eyes out of fear that the kidnapper would realize she was awake. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. She should be safe for as long as she pretended to be unconscious. Catelyn had no idea why she had been kidnapped. She originally thought that the driver wanted to rob or assault her, but she was surprised to find out that there were others. She realized that there was a bigger scheme behind this. While the kidnappers were discussing something, she took the chance to observe her surroundings. It was an abandoned old hut with wooden windows and doors, arge shelf in the center of the room, and fabrics hanging on it. The air was filled with a rotten scent, and she realized that it must have been a long time since someone had lived here. "Boss, are we really doing as our employer said? That''s so much money..." "Yeah. If he gives it to us, we won''t be able to spend it all even if we have ten lives! We won''t have to do this sort of thing ever again." The person with a scar across his face gave the other two a punch to the head and warned with a dark voice, "Just because we can get our hands on that money, doesn''t mean we get to spend it. Quit yammering on and get to work." ''Employer?'' She thought, ''Who hired them to kidnap me?'' Just as Catelyn was considering if Maia or Ivan had sent the assassins, she heard footsteps approaching. Ssh! A ssh of ice-cold water hit her on the face, and she shivered at the sensation before opening her eyes by reflex. The first thing she saw was a few towering men standing before her; their faces were unmasked and revealed to Catelyn. An ominous feeling had taken over her. If they were not afraid of letting her see their faces, it meant that they had no intention of letting her go alive. Chapter 542 Chapter 542 Chapter 542 "Wakey, wakey." Scarface crouched to stare at Catelyn as though he was looking at a dead person. Catelyn''s shoulders trembled in fear as she stuttered, "Who... Who are you people? I''m just an ordinary officedy! You''ve got the wrong person if you want money!" Scarface sneered and grabbed a fistful of her hair before shoving a phone to her face. "Quit ying around! Call Cedrick Mason now and tell him that if he wants you safe and sound, he''s going to donate all his assets to charity in public." Catelyn''s scalp burned as though it was being ripped off of her head. However, she smiled bitterly through the pain and said, "So this is all because of Cedrick Mason? He won''t possibly donate all his money for my sake. You''ve really gotten the wrong person..." "Go," Scarfacemanded another obscene-looking man. The man grinned, showing his yellow teeth, and rubbed his hands while his eyes glittered with lust. "Alright. I was just concerned that you wouldn''t approve, Brother..." In the next moment, Catelyn''s trousers were torn to reveal her thigh. She frantically tried to cover her skin, her hair standing on end as she screamed, "Don''t get any closer! If you touch me, I''m going to bite off my own tongue and die right here!" Scarface kicked at her right knee. "Keep being stubborn." The sharp head of the leather shoe knocked into her knee, and she immediately lost all her strength and started sweating. It took everything she had to not roll on the floor in pain. Scarface tossed the phone at her arrogantly and said, "Why don''t you just make the call and save yourself from suffering?" Catelyn hugged onto her knee and reached one trembling hand for the phone. Cedrick could be furious that she was not at the airport at the moment, so he would not possibly agree to give up his wealth for her sake. However, if she refused to call, she would certainly die. Beep. Beep. Beep. The number was dialed, and her heart raced as she waited for the call to be connected. Would hee to her rescue? What would he choose between his wealth and her? "Who is this?" Just then, someone came to the phone. Catelyn subconsciously reached up to cover her mouth. The sound of Cedrick''s familiar voice left her choking on tears as she was overwhelmed by emotions. On the other end, Cedrick received a call from an unknown number. Though time was running short, he answered the call out of concern that he might miss Catelyn''s call. Silence lingered and he felt as though a hand had gripped his heart. "Catelyn?" he asked gingerly. Feeling a lump in her throat, she realized that she wanted to hear his voice despite all the resentment and doubt in their history. SheText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. suppressed her fear and nodded. "It''s me. I''m..." She stuttered again as soon as she started speaking and she hated herself for it. Gone was Cedrick''s usual dominating demeanor and he became extremely gentle in his tone. "Don''t be afraid. I already know someone has kidnapped you and that you''re calling me because the kidnapper asked you to. What do they want me to do? You can tell me..." His husky voice seemingly got to her and slowly soothed her wary heart. Her eyes reddened, and she took a deep breath before ncing at the ferocious kidnappers. "They want you to donate all your money, or they''ll kill me." The other side of the line fell into silence. Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Chapter 543 A bitter smile appeared on Catelyn''s lips. She should have known. No man would willingly give up their wealth to save a woman, let alone for a couple with so much left to ovee like her and Cedrick. "If I can''t make it back, take care of the boys for me," she feebly mumbled, muttering a silent goodbye with what little strength she had left. "Who said you won''t make it back?" Cedrick retorted, interrupting her thoughts. "You''ll be out of there safe and sound!" "Miles might argue with you a lot, but he''s a kind child, so do be patient with him. Ollie is very understanding, but he tends to keep his feelings bottled up inside, so talk to him whenever you have the time..." "What''s all this nonsense, Catelyn?!" She sounded as though she was already dying when he had not given her permission to leave him. She forced a smile, but before she could say anything else, Scarface grew impatient and snatched the phone away from her before walking to the other side, cursing the entire time. "It''s not time to bid farewell just yet! Cedrick Mason, you heard her! We have your woman, and I''veid out my condition. Why don¡¯t you make a choice already?" Catelyn stared intently at Scarface, scared that she would miss a single word of their conversation. However, he was too far away and the phone was not ced on speaker, so she could only hear Scarface''s voice and not at all what Cedrick was saying. In the end, Scarface hung up with satisfaction and sneered. "That idiot!" Catelyn''s heart jumped into her throat. "What do you mean? What did he say?" Scarface simply ignored her and ordered his two subordinates. " I''m heading out. Guard this woman with your lives!" He paused briefly and added, "If any of you try anything before Cedrick donates his assets, you''ll answer to my gun!" The two men watched as Scarface left with a big smile on their faces and turned to stare at Catelyn. Sensing their eyes on her, she immediately covered herself with her arms. "Don''t forget what your boss said. You''ll answer to him if you mess up the deal you have with your employer!" "Tsk. You''ll be begging me for it soon." One of them spat barbarically and looked away. Simply guarding Catelyn was too dull a task, so they tied her up with ropes and went to the door to y poker. They had used a sailor''s hitch on her, which tightened the more she struggled. The skin on her wrists and heels tore, but she did not dare stop and slowly used Cedrick''s proposal ring to cut the rope. She would never have imagined that the ring would be her tool to escape in her wildest dream, but the execution was not as easy asing up with the idea. She was drenched in sweat shortly after before the rope was severed, though she did not try. She did not know what Cedrick had chosen to do and what Scarface would do to her once he came back... ''I can''t die,'' she told herself, ''not here, and not now!'' Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Forest of Death. Cedrick hung up and turned to look at Charles and the technology specialists he brought. Ever since the kidnapper called, the team had been working to trace the number. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. "Master Cedrick, the call wasn''t long enough for us to pinpoint a spot. We only managed to narrow it down to the north side of the forest," reported one of the specialists regretfully. Cedrick pursed his lips and ordered Charles directly. "Get the ountants to start listing out all my assets." "Master Cedrick, don''t!" Realizing that Cedricknned to ept the kidnapper''s condition, Charles immediately pleaded, "Your personal assets include shares for Mason Group and multiple subsidiarypanies. If you donate all of it, the entire society will be shaken!" Chapter 544 Chapter 544 Chapter 544 "I''m not that stupid." Cedrick''s lips curled into a cold sneer. "This whole thing is plotted against me, not her. They want to use her to make me give up on everything I have, do they? Let''s see if they have what it takes." Charles was shocked at first, but he soon realized what he meant. " You''re trying to buy more time?" "Record a short video of me, and if the kidnapper calls again, just tell him that I''m summing up my assets. The rest will follow me into the forest." "Master Cedrick, let me do that!" volunteered Alex. He had been given the cold shoulder for the past few days, and he had to help, seeing as Catelyn was caught in a dangerous predicament. Cedrick nced emotionlessly at him. "If I need you to rescue my woman, what kind of a man would I be?" "But it''s dangerous, and we don''t know who the kidnappers are!" Alex''s face flushed with frustration as he tried to convince Cedrick. "Please let me make up for the mistake I made. I''ll bring Miss rk back!" "Don''t worry. It''s a big area, so you''ll have the chance to redeem yourself." Soon, Cedrickmanded the team to spread out and entered the forest in small groups. He reminded every person that they were to not alert the kidnappers and were to inform the others as soon as they found Catelyn. Two hours had passed, and the two kidnappers were still ying poker outside the door. One of them kept losing and started arguing with the other. Catelyn seized the opportunity and untied the rope around her heels and jumped out of the window. Because she had been kicked in the knee by Scarface earlier, however, she felt as though her bones were dislocated when shended on the group. The pain was insufferable, but she refused to even stop for a second. She took a deep breath and darted outside. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Though the two kidnappers were arguing, they were also paying attention to the situation inside the hut. "What? You seemed happy enough when you were winning, and now that you''ve lost, you don''t want to pay up?" The other pointed at Catelyn and shouted, "Sh*t, this is your fault! Stop talking! That woman''s escaped! We need to go after her!" Catelyn heard them cursing behind her. Not daring to look back, she forced herself to sprint as fast as she could, dragging her injured right leg along. It had just rained, and the area was covered in trees. The roads were uneven with small pools of water everywhere. She darted into a narrow trail, stumbling, wishing that she could be invisible to the others. The trees and leaves scratched her skin as she ran, and her arms and face felt numb in the aftermath. "Stop right there, you b*tch!" She froze for a second as she listened to the approaching sound of footsteps. If they caught her, it was very likely that her chance to survive would be little to none! She could not afford to gamble. As their shouts sounded closer and closer, she found herself on the edge of a cliff and flushed anxiously. She turned and discovered a stone wall not far away, and there was a pile of hay next to it. Though the hay was filthy and muddy from the rain, she gritted her teeth and flipped past the wall regardless and darted into the hay regardless. ording to the time she had estimated, the kidnappers should be here any minute, so she held her breath nervously. She knew that hiding here was not the best choice she had, but there were no other options. Just then, a hand reached around her neck and covered her face abruptly, sealing her mouth tightly so that she could not even gasp. Startled, her mind went nk and she moved to jab her elbow against the chest of the man behind her when all of a sudden...she heard that familiar husky voice. "It''s me. Don''t move." The scent of his favorite cologne enveloped her as her heart raced. Chapter 545 Chapter 545 Chapter 545 Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Time froze as Catelyn stared at him in awe. Cedrick was right next to her. She profusely blinked, struggling to believe what she saw. Cedrick was observing her closely at the same time, and when their eyes met, Catelyn felt a little prick on her chest and looked away frantically. Once he was certain that she would not scream, he slowly let go. Her hands and her body were cold, so he swiftly moved to take off his jacket and ced it over her shoulders. He rubbed her dirt- stained cheek endearingly before lowering his head to kiss her on her lips, the tip of her nose, her eyes, and her temples. His lips moved across her face as his heart finally settled down from concern. Catelyn, meanwhile, was still mentally caught up by the dangerous situation she was in and Cedrick''s sudden appearance, so she could not react in time to push him away. A storm gathered, and shadows loomed over the forest. The kidnappers followed Catelyn''s trail to the edge of the cliff and stopped. "There¡¯s no way from here, so that woman has to be somewhere around here. She wouldn''t get far." "If Bosses back and finds out that the woman made a run for it, we¡¯re going to be punished!" "Look at that wall over there..." One of the men pointed at the stone wall. The two gave each other a look before tip-toeing toward the wall. As they approached, both confident that Catelyn was hiding there, they started making devilish jokes about how they would make her beg for her life once they caught her. Catelyn subconsciously reached down to her trousers behind the pile of hay next to the wall. One of her pant legs was torn, and the way those men looked at her at the time was appalling. Cedrick noticed Catelyn''s reaction and nced at the slim leg that was exposed in the air, his eyes glittering with malicious rage. "Hide yourself properly, and don''te out," he reminded. He turned into a sh of shadow before her eyes in the next instant as he darted out like a blood-thirsty beast. Before the kidnappers could react, he had already knocked them down in swift and lethal movements. One of the kidnappers hit the back of his head at the tree nearby and lost consciousness; the other was covering his head on the ground in pain. Cedrick stood tall like an unmoving mountain that was capable of fending off anything. "It''s done," he called out to Catelyn, "you cane out." Catelyn bit her lower lip and stumbled outside while holding onto his jacket tightly. It was at that moment that Cedrick finally saw how difited she appeared. Her fair face was covered in dirt and leaves, her trousers were torn on the right leg, and there were scratches from twigs on her legs and hands. His heart sank as he regretted not finding her sooner. He hurried over to help her up, but Catelyn simply reached her hands up to grab onto the cor of the jacket to avoid his touch. She kept her head bowed, not daring to meet his eyes. Her mind was tangled in a mess. One moment, she was in hell, and the next, she felt as though she was in heaven and could not contain her emotions. She walked over to the kidnapper and kicked at him. "Who hired you? Why did you kidnap me?" Chapter 546 Chapter 546 Chapter 546 The kidnapper held his head and begged, "Please spare me! I really don''t know who it was. Our boss was the one who epted the mission, and we¡¯re only working for him to carry out the kidnapping!" Catelyn did not believe a word he said, however. Even if he did not know who hired them, he must have known something else. She gritted her teeth and paced around when she identally came across a sharp dagger in the hand of the kidnapper who lost consciousness. She stumbled toward it and walked back to the other kidnapper, waving the dagger all the while. "You won''t spill? Fine. Since you both wanted to kill me, I might as well y along, right?" She chuckled. The sunlight shone on the de and reflected onto her face in a horrifying manner. Frightened, the kidnapper failed to conjure his words. "I heard that there''s a surgery where they can sew your bits back even when it''s been cut off. Do you want to try it?" Catelyn batted her eyes innocently. Cedrick paled. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. There were plenty of ways to threaten a man, and she chose the most horrible one! The kidnapper stared as the de inched closer to him and felt the excruciating pain even before the de cut into his skin. He shivered and looked at Catelyn pleadingly. "Don''t! I¡ªI''ll tell you! I''ll tell you everything I know... The person who hired my boss to kidnap you was¡ªack!" Before he could finish, a bullet pierced through the air and shot the kidnapper in the head. He lifelessly fell to the ground, his eyes wide open and peculiarly swirling with remnants of regret. "Watch out!" Cedrick''s expression darkened and darted over to shield Catelyn with his body. The two fell to the ground and rolled off to take shelter behind the stone wall; through the wall, she could still hear the sound of bullets hitting off the ground. A faint scent of blood filled the air and Catelyn simply thought that it was from the kidnapper who was shot dead. She grabbed onto Cedrick''s hand nervously in fear. "This has to be the other kidnapper who left earlier. Where''s Mister Peterson? Why are you here alone?" Cedrick kept one arm around Catelyn and pressed her toward him as close as possible to avoid exposing their location to the kidnapper. His lips were pressed against the back of her ear, and his stubble pricked against her skin. "The area is toorge, so I told everyone to spread out." "Are you an idiot, CedrickMason?" Catelyn felt herself tingling in rage. Had they not been in this situation, she would have shoved him away. "You knew that these people were willing to risk their lives, and you came alone? Even if you want them to spread out, you should''ve at least brought Alex! Good job. We don''t even have any tools or weapons now..." Cedrick observed the frustrated expression on her face. His heart ttered as he lowered his head to rub his cheek against hers. " Worried about me?" "I''m just worried that I won''t get out of here alive!" "If we survive this, will youe with me to Las Vegars?" "I''ll decide once we''re out of here." Catelyn was not in the mood to discuss such a matter when she just narrowly escaped hell, only to run into another dangerous situation. Her heart was still racing, but she also knew that she could not allow Cedrick to die in vain for her sake. "Why don''t you escape on your own?" She looked up and stared at Cedrick sincerely. "They''re targeting me, so as long as I step outside to draw the kidnapper''s attention, you''ll have the chance to escape. Considering how well-trained you are, you shouldn''t have any issue getting out of here¡ª" Before she could finish, Cedrick pinched the side of her waist harshly. She grunted in pain, but it sounded like she merely gasped. Cedrick''s expression darkened as he narrowed his eyes. Chapter 547 Chapter 547 Chapter 547 "You want me to leave you and escape on my own?" Catelyn felt helpless and pathetic as she suppressed her aching wrist. She wanted to leave with Cedrick if she could, but the kidnapper had a gun. "The boys are too young to lose both parents. Haven''t you been saying how you want to give them a better life? You can only do that if you manage to get out of here!" Fury burnt hot within Cedrick as he hissed, "And what about you?" "Just tell them that I''ll always love them." She lowered her head as tears scrolled down her cheeks. Her heart felt as though it was torn apart as she readied herself for death. Cedrick stared broodingly at her. He had underestimated her; he never imagined that she would be capable of such a ''righteous'' act. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ''How dare she?'' He thought. The tension around them grew, and Catelyn was holding onto his shirt to the point that it became horrendously wrinkly as she prepared herself. "Just fix that bad temper of yours and love the boys twice as much in my ce. Go, Cedrick. I''ll cover you." "You think you can just run away from me like that?" He grabbed herby the chin and tilted her head upward. "I''ll tell you now: You are mine, alive or dead. The only words they can carve onto your gravestone will be ''Missus Mason''! Doesn''t matter if we stay or leave¡ªwe''re sticking together!" Catelyn was stunned by the determination in his voice. His tone became increasingly dominating at her silence. "Even if I manage to get out of here, what am I supposed to tell the kids? That I left their mother to save my own hide?" She stared dazedly at him and thought, ''Is he staying with me?'' Just then, the kidnapper finally broke the silence and shouted, " Stop hiding; I already see where you are!" He slowly got closer to the stone wall but was worried that he might miss. "Cedrick Mason, I only need that woman. Leave her here, and I''ll let you go! " He offered. Catelyn stared intently at Cedrick, not even hesitating upon hearing the offer. He never nned to give up Catelyn, even under such life-threatening circumstances... She could not help but reflect on whether she had been too harsh on him. After a few moments of silence, she grabbed onto his hand and smiled. "Alright. If we can''t get out, then we''ll die here together." "You''ve underestimated your man," he said confidently and snatched the dagger from Catelyn''s hand. He threw the dagger out and it pierced through the air as it flew toward the kidnapper. No one knew how he managed to aim, but the dagger found its way to the kidnapper''s stomach. "Argh!" Injured, the kidnapper fell onto his knee and gasped, his hand hovering over his wound. "Let''s go!" Cedrick said, before pulling Catelyn up his back and running towards the forest in one swift motion. However, Catelyn''s attention at the moment was on Cedrick and not the kidnapper, because she noticed therge stain of blood on his back. It was a gunshot wound! Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Chapter 548 "You were shot?!" Catelyn''s stomach churned at the overwhelming scent of blood and struggled to get off of his back, all the while thinking to herself, ''How can he piggyback me like this?! Cedrick reached behind his back and secured her lower body with his arms. Instead of letting her off, he pinched her warningly. " Your knee is injured, so you can''t run fast. Letting you down will slow me down! Just stay put and don''t move..." "You..." The spot where he pinched her itched as though she was burned. Embarrassed, she flushed and shouted, "Your wound will worsen if you keep this up!" Cedrick held his breath and darted into the woods. She heard nothing but the sound of wind blowing past them. Seeing that he refused to respond and that the kidnapper was not following them, she decided to not protest any further at the moment. Once they had gotten far enough to a safer location, she immediately told him to stop so that she could treat his wound. "What kind of wedding do you like?" he asked in a low voice. "If you pass out, I won''t be able to drag you along, so I''m going to leave without you." "Sure. You''ve always been heartless." Annoyed, she wrapped her hands around his neck to choke him, but her face identally brushed past his new-grown beard. Though not very visible, his stubble was still very prickly, so she pulled her hands 1 back and bit her lower lip in silence. "Do you want an Eastern-style or a Western-style wedding?" he asked. Frustrated, she retorted, "If you keep walking, it''s going to be a funeral-style wedding." "I''m surprised that you''re into that sort of thing." He held her tightly with his arms and tilted his head. She could not quite see his face but spotted the faint smile on his lips. Catelyn simply closed her eyes and ignored his teasing. ''How did we end up like this?'' She wondered. Seeing as she did not respond, he mumbled again, "Let''s have an Eastern-style wedding. I want to see you in cheongsam, the kind with a high split on the side. You''ll look beautiful in that..." He was going to force her to marry him by threatening to take custody of the twins. Naturally, he would decide what she wore. He sounded as though everything was up to him to decide. She gasped and lowered her head to bite on his neck until she drew blood. Tears scrolled down her face pathetically as she took in his scent. He tightened his arms around her to the point that she could feel the bone on his arm jabbing at her lower body. A whileter, her jaw began to feel sour, so she quietly let go. Her sight was blurred by the tears in her eyes, and her cheek was painted red with the blood on his back. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Through the thin fabric of the shirt he was wearing, she could still see the scars on his right arm. They were proof of the time he risked his life to save her when the neon board fell. ''And now, this... He''s all banged up again to save me.'' Perhaps it was because she had been tense the entire day that she slowly began to lose her strength and drifted off to sleep on Cedrick''s back. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she could make out a few words. Few, and silent. It sounded as though he was apologizing. Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Catelyn wanted to focus on the voice, but her eyelids felt heavy, and she eventually closed her eyes. Still, the voice lingered in her heart. Cedrick carried Catelyn all the way to safety. They ran into another group of assassins along the way, and the two worked together to defeat them using the swamps around them. However, Cedrick''s wound reopened once again because of the fight, and his face, especially his lips, was as pale as a ghost due to blood loss. She had never seen him in such a vulnerable state before, and it was hard not to worry about him. She trembled as she removed the bullet from his back and sighed in relief the moment the bullet dropped to the ground, despite still feeling worried. She reached up to wipe her forehead and realized her entire face was covered in sweat. The sky turned dark and Cedrick was resting against a tree, shivering in the cold. Catelyn gritted her teeth and crawled up to run into a bush nearby before returning with some herbs and twigs. There was water on the twigs, so it was hard to make a fire out of the ones she gathered. It took her a lot of time and effort to finally build a small fire. She chewed the herbs so that they became a paste and applied it gently onto Cedrick''s wound. Cedrick hummed in a rather seductive manner from the difort but did not open his eyes in the process. Catelyn wondered if he had lost consciousness. "Don''t you die on me, Cedrick Mason..." She reached out to touch his forehead and was shocked by his temperature. She ran to a small pond nearby through the darkness and wiped his forehead, arms, and chest repeatedly. Though Cedrick was running a fever, he had not lost consciousness and could distinctly sense her hands moving around on him. His lips curled into a faint smile when he heard her helpless mumbles. Catelyn traveled back and forth in the woods restlessly, stumbling and falling countless times in between before his temperature finally went back to normal. In her dazed state, she could sense something warm on her lips, but she had lost all her strength from all the hassle and she felt as though she was stepping on clouds, so she did not resist. Cedrick nted a gentle kiss on her lips and stared endearingly at her. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Her face was covered in dirt and sweat with countless tiny cuts that were presumably caused by the leaves and twigs along the way. The fire had gone out, and she was curled up into herself, shivering. He slowly wiped the dirt on her face away, his eyes glittering with emotions. He knew that she was only harsh with her words but not in her heart. If she truly wanted to save herself, she could have left him. Unfortunately, they were stuck in an area without signal, so he could not reach Alex or Charles. However, he was in no hurry to leave and enjoyed spending time alone with Catelyn. He moved her slightly so that she could restfortably against his chest. The next morning, Catelyn woke up from a nightmare and looked up to find Cedrick''s eyes staring down at her. She froze for a moment before grabbing his arm and eximing, " Cedrick? Are you okay now?!" Overjoyed, she did not notice the fact that she had been sleeping in his arms. "Even my reaper was touched by how much you care about me, so he let mee back." Cedrick tightened his arms around her and ducked down to capture her lips. Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Chapter 550 "Don''t move," warned Cedrick in a hoarse voice. Catelyn listened to his heartbeat and felt the sudden urge to cry as she recalled all the sweet moments they shared in the past. Cedrick held onto her tight and refused to let go, and she picked up how his breaths grew deeper. The temporary truce between them only existed because they were on the run, and they had no energy to consider the past. Once they were safe again, the burden of the past would haunt them once more. Her eyes reddened as a lone teardrop fell. She frantically tried to dry her eyes by blinking rapidly and forcing a teasing tone, saying, "You sure seem rxed considering the fact that we''re being chased. I feel like those people are aiming at you." Cedrick did not respond. The assassins were, indeed, sent after him, and Catelyn was merely bait to lure him here so they could kill him. Cedrick noticed that the people who kidnapped Catelyn and the assassins that came after them were atpletely different levels. The kidnappers were merely local thugs, while the others were professional mercenaries. Someone had taken the time to create a trap just for him. Cedrick took a deep breath before tilting her chin up to nt a few kisses on her. Catelyn tried to move away, but he let go immediately and promised, "I''ll take you away from here safe and sound." After getting ready, the two walked past a river and finally found a signal on their phones. Cedrick reached Alex but was informed that both Alex and Charles were stuck deep in the woods as they had, too, encountered numerous assassins along the way, so only a few men and a doctor were left on the trail that led into the forest to wait. When everyone heard that Catelyn had been found, they were all relieved. Cedrick carried Catelyn all the way out of the Forest of Death and spotted the car from Mason Estate on the empty trail. The ck Bently was parked on the side of the road, but the people who were supposed to be waiting by it were gone. Cedrick instinctively realized something was wrong. Catelyn scanned around the surroundings in confusion and asked, " Where are your men?" She had thought that they would finally be able to have Cedrick''s wounds treated by a doctor once they were out of the Forest of Death. Just then, rumbling noises approached from afar as numerous cars came into sight. All the cars in Mason Estate were Bentlys, and the ones that were approaching were of a different brand. Cedrick realized that his men had beenpromised and nced at the bruise on Catelyn''s knees. It would only make the situation worse if they headed back into the Forest of Death, so he swiftly opened the car door andmanded, "Get in the car." However, an ominous feeling overwhelmed him as soon as he got into the car. This is from N?velDrama.Org. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the interior of the car, but they had no other options. Before Catelyn could even fasten her seatbelt, he had already stepped on the elerator. The car darted forward and raced through the mountain trail as he continued tomand her in a low but steady voice, "Fasten your seat belt and sit tight." Catelyn knew that there were people going after them and did not dare risk distracting Cedrick. Chapter 551 Chapter 551 Chapter 551 The bumpy hill road was made for idents to happen! From the front mirror, Catelyn could see two cars chasing after them. The cars seemed to have been modified before as their car te numbers were not visible. The faces of the drivers were twisted maliciously, and she was so afraid that she felt her heart jump up to her throat. Cedrick was unfamiliar with the map, and with the cars chasing them picking up the pace dangerously fast, the situation was escting fast. Catelyn felt the air in the car shift. She quickly took out Cedrick''s phone and connected it to the charging cable andunched the GPS. "I''ll guide you. Turn left in a quarter of a mile!" "Turn right at forty-eight meters, steep road ahead!" It was quiet in the car, save only the sound of Catelyn guiding the direction, though not without a quiver in her voice. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the GPS. "There''s a crossroad in about eight hundred meters. Turn right into the narrow road, and go straight for another 4 kilometers. After that is a hundred-and- eighty-degree sharp turn, and we''ll arrive at the closest town! We''ll be safe once we arrive at the town! " instructed Catelyn. Cedrick''s eyes darkened when he heard that there was a sharp turn. Catelyn kept reminding him of the crossroad ahead. "Three more kilometers!" "Less than two kilometers left!" The car behind them seemed to have realized what they were trying to do as they picked up their speed once more. Catelyn felt like she was floating as the car rumbled and shook. Finally, when there were about 800 meters left, Catelyn reminded Cedrick once again, "We''re almost reaching the sharp turn! We''ll be safe after that!" Cedrick hummed in reply as both his hands gripped the steering wheel, yet he did not seem to have any intention of slowing the speed. His strong, muscr arm was tense as his wound on the shoulder seemed to have opened up slightly. At first, Catelyn thought it was because there was still distance between them and the turn, but as they were approaching the turn, his speed did not relent! "Slow down! It''s a sharp turn, and we won''t be able to turn if you''re this fast! " Remind Catelyn once again. Cedrick''s eyes were straight ahead, his lips pursed tightly together. The speed of the car went up gradually once again. Catelyn''s face shifted as she realized the possible reason, she almost jumped from the passenger seat. "Is... Is the brake damaged?" "Sit tight," replied Cedrick calmly as though nothing was wrong. "I won''t let anything happen to you." The fact that he refused to answer her question proved her right. The brake was damaged. That exined why the man guarding their car earlier was gone! It also exined why their pursuers were right on time! Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. They knew it was impossible to track them down in the forest, so they waited. They waited for them to board the car with a brake they had damaged. It seemed to her that there was no escape. As the distance between them and the sharp turn got closer, Cedrick''s eyes darted between two sides of the road, much to Catelyn''s bewilderment. "If I ask you to jump, would you do it?" "What I''m most afraid of is to die here and never to see my children ever again." Catelyn''s face slowly turned pale upon realizing the situation, yet she looked at him with determination. Chapter 552 Chapter 552 Chapter 552 "Good." Cedrick''s eyesnded on the grassy ground to their right. "When I count to three, jump out of the car. Trynding on the grass; it''ll minimize the impact." Catelyn nodded obediently, knowing that Cedrick''s instructions were out of desperation and concern. As the car continued moving forward and the time for Catelyn to jump got closer, she froze as if she realized something. "What about you?" "I''ll be okay." Cedrick''s jaw tightened, his expression cold. "Remember what I said: timing is key. Cover your head with your hands when you jump, and run to the town immediately. They won''t be able to do much at a Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. crowded ce." Catelyn, however, ignored his words as her eyes reddened with tears. "Aren''t you jumping with me?! " "They''re looking for me. If I jump with you, they''ll catch up to us right away. If I stay in the car, they might not notice you, and you''ll be safe." In other words, Cedrick nned to stay in the car to buy her more time. "No!" Catelyn burst out in tears and wailed, "I''m their target, and I''m also the person they kidnapped from the beginning! You got dragged into this because of me, so how can I abandon you to save my life? If you''re not jumping, neither am 1!" "I drove all the way here just so you could jump, and you''re telling me that you''re not jumping?" Cedrick uttered hoarsely. Droplets of tears rained from Catelyn''s eyes as she whimpered, "You... You knew there was something wrong with the brakes, didn''t you?" Cedrick''s lips pursed tightly together. Every car from Mason Estate had the same system, and Cedrick was more than familiar with all of them. He knew that there was something wrong with the car the moment he got into the car, but he had no choice. He had to take Catelyn away as their pursuers'' cars nearly caught up to them. "Insane! You''re insane! If you knew the car was damaged, why would you even drive it in the first ce? Are you trying to get yourself killed?! " cried Catelyn. Her head throbbed at the realization. "If killing myself means you get to survive from this, then it''ll all be worth it," Cedricksaidughingly. "No! I''m not abandoning you!" Catelyn shrieked as she broke down upon hearing that. "You''re the one who wanted to break up with me, and you''re the one who said you never want to see me ever again. Now''s your chance." "Not like this! I want you alive, Cedrick Mason. I want you to live¡ªdo you hear me?!" Cedrick ignored her as he leaned over to open the car door for her. The bone-chilling wind blew from outside, and it felt as though Catelyn''s body was being pulled out of the car. Catelyn grabbed tightly onto his sleeve, refusing to let go. "We''ll jump together, it''ll be okay! They won''t catch up to us so soon!" Cedrick turned his head, only to find her eyes brimming with tears. Worry, regret, distress; her eyes were filled with a myriad of emotions. Cedrick smirked. "Why now? Sad to see me go?" "Yes, d*mn it! I never wanted you to die!" Even though she did put a dagger on his neck, that was just to get him to let her go. "I owed it to you, so this is me paying you back with my life..." said Cedrick, his voice sounding solemn and meaningful. Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Cedrick''s words sounded like a final farewell. Catelyn felt like her heart was cut open slowly with a rusted knife as she listened to his goodbye. The pain she felt was excruciating, and it left her breathless. "I don''t want any of that; all I want is for you to live! What do I do if you''re gone? what about our children?!" "Catelyn..." Catelyn was desperate for him to change his mind. She leaned in as he nted a kiss on her lips, her fingers brushing his hair as she cradled the back of his head. She whispered his name over and over again in her heart. Cedrick Mason... Cedrick Mason... She loved him and hated him at the same time, so much so that she could not get enough of him. To Cedrick, on the other hand, she was the only woman that he would do anything to get. Both his parents died when he was young, and he was the only child, so Grandpa Mason had always been strict with him when it came to education. He was raised in a twisted family as there were people from both his inner and outer circles that wanted to harm him. The only warmth he ever felt was given to him by Janice...but the love given to him by Janice and the love he felt for Catelyn was different.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. He wanted her to live, even though things were getting out of his control. He wanted to live, just so his children could have aplete family. Catelyn sobbed breathlessly as she tried to change his mind, but just as she was about to open her mouth, the sadness in Cedrick''s eyes vanished and was reced with rity. He shoved her out of the car with one mighty push. "If I don''t survive this, go look for Benjamin. He''ll help you with custody." Catelyn''s eyes widened as she felt a huge impact on her body. The wind red into her ears, muting his words. All she saw was his moving lips before she crashed onto the ground. She felt some of her bones cracking upon the impact, but none of that registered to her as she scrambled to get up on her feet and chase after the car. The moment she got up, the car crashed into the barricade with a loud bang. The barricade was destroyed, and the car fell off the cliff. Thoom! Sounds of something crashing were heard one after another, followed by a bright lighting from the bottom of the cliff, painting the hills red. "No!" Catelyn grasped her chest tightly as she dragged herself to the edge of the cliff, she refused to believe that Cedrick had fallen off the cliff. He must have jumped out; she was sure of that! she frantically looked for him but was met with disappointment. Only kes of fire were visible. She felt like her energy and soul had been drained off her body as she lost her bnce and fell onto the ground. "Cedrick... Y¡ªYou said you''d be okay... You promised to marry me and give our children aplete family! "How could you?! Come back...! I promise not to be angry at you again; I promise to do anything!" Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Catelyn''s hands shivered as she desperately looked for the ring from her bag, her tears blurring her vision. She eventually found the ring that Cedrick had proposed to her with. She stretched out her right hand and ced the ring on her ring finger. She was so rushed, however, that the ring got stuck on her finger joint. Her eyes reddened as she forced it in, and ayer of skin on her ring finger was scraped open, yet she felt nothing. She raised her hand. "Are you seeing this, Cedrick Mason? I put the ring on! I want a traditional wedding, a white wedding gown and all! How could you break your promise?" Nothing but the wind responded to her. She looked around frantically, hoping that he would show up in front of her anytime and told her that he heard everything she said. What she got in response was the sound of the engine shutting off. Turning around, she instantly spotted their pursuers finally arriving, and one of them got out of the car. It was the man whom Cedrick had stabbed with the dagger. He smirked deviously as he shot her a re. As he approached her, Catelyn took a final heave and copsed. Before she passed out, she could faintly hear the men discussing what they wanted to do to her. ? ? ? The world fell into total darkness as Catelyny silently, having nightmares after nightmares. She dreamt that Cedrick flew off the cliff along with the car and was burned into ashes, just to save her. The next sequence was of her sons asking where their father was, while she, quivering, could not answer. She then heard someone calling her name from behind, and when she turned, she saw the bloodied, badly injured Cedrick limping toward her. His figure was translucent, floating mid-air like a spirit that had crawled out from hell. "Catelyn rk, why didn¡¯t you agree to my proposal? "You were the one those men were after. I died because of you!" "If it wasn''t for you, I wouldn''t have gotten into that car!" As the words rang in her ears, she shook her head aggressively, trying to exin herself. Still, Cedrick refused to listen to her, his ghostly figure flying in front of her as his outstretched hands gripped her throat and squeezed. His eyes were horrifyingly bloodshot. "Come to hell with me, you heartless woman!" "I''m sorry... I''m sorry!" Catelyn woke up from the nightmares with a shriek. The first thing she noticed was the scent of disinfectant, and she then realized she was lying on a bed with a white bedsheet. Her right leg was burning with pain, so much so that the slightest movement would make her feel like her leg was breaking in half. Her body was covered in countless wounds and scrapes. "Miss, you''re awake!" rang the voice of a nurse, who was taking her temperature. "The doctor came by earlier and said that you''re still too weak, so you should..." Before the nurse could finish, Catelyn grabbed onto her cor and asked breathlessly, "Who sent me here? This is from N?velDrama.Org. Was it Cedrick Mason? He''s alive, right?" The nurse''s uniform was slipping as Catelyn grabbed onto it, so she quickly grabbed her hand and stopped her. "I''m not sure who sent you here! Please calm down." "Was a young man sent in with me, then? He''s a handsome man, and he should be injured as well..." Catelyn asked again unblinkingly as if afraid that she might miss what the nurse said next. The nurse looked at her and asked, "Who''s he to you? II "My...fiance," Catelyn answered after a brief pause. Chapter 555 Chapter 555 Chapter 555 The nurse looked at Catelyn with sympathy and regret. Her gaze sent a sharp de through Catelyn''s heart, and her grip on the nurse''s cor tightened. "There was a man who was sent here along with you... but he had unfortunately died during the journey to the hospital." Catelyn''s heart pounded excruciatingly. Pushing the nurse away, she quickly ran toward the morgue as far as her legs could bring her. she wanted to see Cedrick for thest time. Unfortunately, the viewing period was over. She stared nkly at the patients passing by, and in just seconds, she broke down in tears as she slid onto the ground. She buried her head between her knees as she bawled in despair. She cried and wept for many minutes to the point her knees turned numb. All of a sudden, a pair of leather shoes appeared in front of her. "What are you doing here, Miss Catelyn?" rang Eason''s voice from above her. Catelyn looked up at him nkly, her face glossed with tears. However, Eason did not seem to be grieving like she was. At that moment, a small flicker of hope bloomed within her. "Did you send me here? What about Cedrick?" "Master Cedrick..." Eason looked at her and grimaced, unsure of how to respond. Catelyn panicked once again and stood up, despite the pain she felt from her wounds. "Tell me! where is he?! II "Let me answer your question," rang a woman''s voice. This was an all too familiar voice, and that haughtiness was ever-present. Maia rk. Catelyn turned around to find Maia with one hand on her back as she walked toward her. She was barely three months pregnant, yet she was already spotting a maternity dress as if afraid that people would not be able to tell that she was pregnant. Next to her was an energetic, intimidating old man. The old man shot a sharp gaze at Catelyn, scanning her from head to toe. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Grandpa Mason." Eason greeted Draco politely in an instant. He stood aside, giving way to Draco while gesturing at Catelyn with his eyes. Catelyn ignored Eason''s gesture. Draco walked with a cane in his left hand whilst Maia held his right arm. His leather shoes were so shiny that it reflected the light. "So you''re Catelyn rk, the woman whom Cedrick was obsessed with?" asked Draco as he red at Catelyn. A few days ago, Uncle Ford and the bodyguards brought the two boys back to Sapphire city. However, aside from Uncle Ford, everyone else had one of their legs broken, and they were all warned by Cedrick to stop interfering in his private life. Of course, Draco would never be able to swallow that. The boys were no better. They kept throwing tantrums, wanting to leave the house. They either threaten to starve themselves or smash things in the house, and they even burned one of the vintage artworks that were bid from an antique shop! Draco was furious. Before he could catch a break, he received a text from Maia, telling him that Cedrick was going to donate all of his assets because of Catelyn. That was the straw that broke the camel''s back, which made Draco hop into his private jet and flew over the same night. Fortunately, things did not escte to the worst yet. "Grandpa Mason." Catelyn bowed politely. Her body was covered in fresh wounds, and her gesture shot pain throughout her body. Nheless, she was relieved. Judging by their gazes, she could tell that Cedrick had survived after all! He was Grandpa Mason''s only grandson, after all, and his grandfather would not have been so calm and had the energy to interrogate her if he was dead. "I''mnotCed, and I won''t buy your bullsh*t. "You''re pretty impressive, aren''t you? Hiding my great-grandson from me for four years... You must''ve put in a lot of effort." Chapter 556 Chapter 556 Chapter 556 To Catelyn, Maia had always been a maniptive woman. Catelyn slowly straightened herself as she looked at the old man and smiled. "Yes. It''s hard for a single mother to raise children, so please bear with me." The old man was irritated by her emotionless reply as his face sank. This is from N?velDrama.Org. "You know how these two children were conceived. The Mason family didn''t know the baby''s existence before, but now we do. You''re no longer qualified to raise them!" Still, Catelyn was not infuriated by his scornful speech. "You can''t just use blood ties as an excuse to take them away from me. I can go to anyw firm for notarization if you don''t believe me. No matter what happens in the future, I won''t take the assets of the Mason family." "But Mai is pregnant! who knows if you won''t encourage your son to snatch the wealth that belongs to Mai''s child? I won''t allow my great-grandson, the descendant of the Mason family, to be a puppet at your disposal!" Draco''s voice intensified darkly over time. From Catelyn''s point of view, Draco and Cedrick were much alike in their demeanor, she found it grueling to get along with them. She did not answer right away but looked at Maia''s t belly. If what Cedrick had said that night was real, that he never touched Maia, no one could be certain that the infant in Maia''s belly was the Mason family''s future heir. Noticing that Catelyn''s eyes were falling on her belly, Maia smiled warmly and generously without even the slightest guilt in her heart. "Cat, don''t worry. I''m an aunt of the two children after all. I''ll love them as much as my children in the future." Maia took out a check with numbers written on it from her purse while she spoke. "This is just a small gift from me. You''ve worked hard to give the children a healthy growing environment. If you feel this isn''t enough, shout a number and you''ll have it. Take it aspensation for the children." ''Apensation for my children?'' Catelyn found that sarcastically hrious. She slowly reached for the check and looked at it calmly. Maia was overjoyed when she saw her epting the check. ''You have no choice when the old man is here! Everything will soon be fine after I deal with Cedrick! '' she cheered internally. Eason was shocked when he saw the scene. ''Catelyn wants to take the money and leave like that? If Master Cedrick woke up and heard about her decision, would he get angry again and capture her?'' However... Rip! Catelyn slowly tore the billion-dor check to shreds and threw them into the trash can unblinkingly. "Do you think this is some sort of trade? Do you think I''d sell my sons as items?" "You ¡ª " Maia then bit her lower lip in an attempt to appear feeble in front of Draco. "Grandpa, it seems that Catelyn isn''t satisfied with the money you offer. I''m afraid she''d go pestering Ceddy..." Draco patted Maia''s hand to appease her, then turned to stare at Catelyn coldly. "You should be grateful that Mai is patient enough to negotiate with you, but I''m not. You''ll get nothing in return eventually if you insist on fighting for custody. I won''t allow Cedrick to marry a woman like you! " They both left afterward. Maia was still sweet-talking to Draco along the way. " Oh, don''t be bothered by that, Grandpa. I''ll need your help when my child is born..." Draco sank his eyes and looked at Maia. Although he had already heard about Maia betraying Cedrick, he did not want to refute her because of Cedrick''s baby in her tummy. Nothing was more important to him until she gave birth to the baby. Compared with Catelyn, he would prefer Maia to be his granddaughter-inw as she always spoke to him kindly and understanding^. Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Catelyn watched as Draco Mason and Maia rk, who was sweet-talking to Draco, left. Anyone else would have thought they were blood-rted with the way they regarded each other. Eason told Catelyn that when the car fell off a cliff, a dead branch fortunately caught Cedrick, hence saving his ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. life. Still, his doctor said that he was seriously injured. Moreover, the gunshot wound in his arm showed signs of inmmation, which did not help him in hisatose state whatsoever. Catelyn went all out to convince herself not to think about Cedrick, yet the image of his face haunted her persistently. She could not help recalling the scene when he risked his life so that she could jump out of the car safely. The moment reyed in her mind like a movie. She could not forget it, and she could not let it go. The tip of her nose suddenly became sour. "Which ward is he in? I want to see him," Catelyn looked at Eason and asked earnestly. Eason scratched his head with a dignified look. " Master Cedrick wants you to see him, but... the people guarding outside the ward are under the old man''s hire. Charles and I tried to intervene in this but we failed, so¡ª" Catelyn''s eyes suddenly became firm, "what floor is the ward?" Eason looked at her in shock. "Miss rk, are you thinking¡ª" "He''s covered in wounds because of me. I won''t feel at ease until I see with my own eyes that he''s safe and sound." She paused, fearing that Eason would be implicated in that. Her eyes then dulled. "If it''s inconvenient for you, I''ll figure it out myself¡ª" Eason, of course, did not dare to let Catelyn put herself in such a risky situation alone. If something happened to her, Master Cedrick would likely kill him when he woke up from hisa. "Master Cedrick''s ward is on the top floor." ''The top floor?'' Catelyn''s eyes shed as she made a decision. As night fell, darkness loomed over the city. An inflexible figure shuttled on a ward''s balcony on the top floor. Since Catelyn could not enter through the main entrance, she thought of entering through the balcony window. What surprised her was that the balconies of the VIP wards on the top floor were huge, and the gap between them was not very far. After making a rough estimation of the distance, Catelyn felt it was impossible to jump over the gaps. Fortunately, Eason was willing to help her. It happened that there was no one living in the ward next door. Eason was much more agile. He quietly tied a hemp rope about the thickness of his wrist between the balconies. They could reach Cedrick''s ward''s balcony if they climbed along the hemp rope. Eason had already bribed thepanions who took care of Cedrick in advance so they would open the door for Catelyn when she arrived. Eason looked at Catelyn worriedly. "Miss rk, let''s not do this. I''ll just tell Master Cedrick how much you care about him when he wakes up." Catelyn looked down from the balcony of the ten- stories high hospital. The people and cars on the street looked extremely small as her heart raced violently. She hurriedly averted her gaze and stubbornly insisted, "I''ll leave after I make sure he''s stable, at least." Eason''s persuasion was ineffective. Therefore he had to teach her some techniques to bnce her body while on the rope. Fortunately, she had studied ballet before, so she was considerably nimble. Although she stumbled along the way, she finally slipped into the balcony of Cedrick''s ward. She did not dare to exert any force when shended as she took a deep breath. Through a ss door of the balcony, she sawCedrick lying on a bed from a distance. Chapter 558 Chapter 558 Chapter 558 Cedrick was wearing a blue-and-white striped hospital gown. His eyes were closed, his eyshes curled. He was connected to an IV drip that hung at his bedside. The doctor mentioned that he would regain consciousness in the next few days, considering that he was physically fit and active. Draco originally wanted to bring him back to Amarica, but he was afraid that the news would be leaked and thereby cause economic turmoil, so he changed his mind in the end and decided to wait until Cedrick woke up. Because of that, Catelyn had the chance to see him. The nurse was startled when Catelyn showed up on the balcony. She pointed inside, opened the balcony door, and stayed on the balcony on her own, leaving plenty of space for them. Catelyn looked at the nurse gratefully and quietly approached Cedrick. Looking at Cedrick''s calm but pale face, due to weakness, the intensity and madness he usually sported were all gone. One of Catelyn''s hands sped her mouth as a mixture of joy and sorrow caused an ache in her heart. ''Thank goodness he''s alright! '' She sat on the edge of the bed with her fingertips tracing his jawline, caressing his closed eyes, eyshes, nose, and his lips. When her fingertips reached the corner of his lips, she paused for a moment. She noticed a little cracked wound on the spot, and it had already been scabbed over. When she was in the car that day, she subconsciously bit his lip when he pushed her out of the car. "I... I''m sorry, Cedrick. Please wake up for me." Catelyn held hisrge palm and rubbed it awkwardly for him. She thought the warmer his hand got, the higher the possibility that he would wake up. Time passed quickly. Catelyn said that she would leave after a nce, but she had already stayed for a long time and was still reluctant to leave. After a while, the pain in her body intensified, and she became so tired that she could not open her eyes. Cedrick jumped out of the car a bit toote and hit his head in the process. His brain was throbbing with pain, even in aa. Despite being unconscious, he could feel a soft, warm sensation gently enveloping his hand as though someone was holding it. He could also make out words being spoken to his ear asionally. His knuckles moved slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes. The ward was illuminated by a dim, yellow-tinted light. His gaze slowly moved around and spotted that a pair of soft hands had indeed held onto him. His back and thighs were in a tear-like pain, which made him take a deep breath involuntarily. He turned to Catelyn again and saw her lying at the bedside, sleeping soundly. Her hair seemed a little tousled as it hung down on her cheeks disorderly, covering her beautiful eyshes. A sh of cruelty shed in his eyes as he tried to recall the ident. It was a fluke that they all survived the ident, and he swore he would never allow that to happen again. This is from N?velDrama.Org. He struggled to brush away her fringe with a hand as he stared at the woman guarding him tenderly. T nearly paid with my life to save US both. I should''ve won her heart and be able to keep her at this point, right?'' he mused. Suddenly, Cedrickfelt how Catelyn began shivering, and her breathing became slower. "Cedrick...d¡ªdon''t die..." Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Tears seeped through the corners of Catelyn''s eyes as she whispered, but Cedrick had no idea what she was dreaming of. "Kitty?" Cedrick quickly squeezed her hand and shook her shoulders gently to wake her up. "Wake up... II Catelyn, although slowly waking up, was still tormented by her nightmare, she could note to herself for a while as she stared nkly at the man who suddenly woke up in front of her, with crystal like tears rolling down her eyes. "Did you have a nightmare?" Cedrick reached for her cheeks to wipe the tears, feeling deeply distressed. "Y...You''re awake, Cedrick? Are you finally awake?" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn finally regained consciousness and escaped from the nightmare. The tip of her nose and eyes turned red, and her heart was beating in joy. She stood up excitedly and gave him a thorough once over. Catelyn''s hand slipped from Cedrick''s palm as she stood up, and he immediately felt a strong emptiness at the bottom of his heart. He then spread out an arm toward her and said, "Come here. Let me hug you." Catelyn whimpered but did not refuse as she threw herself into his arms, crying andughing. "You finally woke up! " Her voice sounded muffled as she muttered, "Do you know how afraid I was that something will happen to you, that you''ll never wake up again?" Cedrick''s right arm was injured, so he could only hold her softly. His thin lips pressed against her cheek, and he tasted the saltiness of her tears. The kiss slowly descended to her cheek. "I''m not dead yet. You sobbing like this makes this an ominous, unlucky asion," he hoarsely coaxed, but he did not have the strength to make a joke. "I won''t allow you to gamble with your life! If you dare leave me again in the future..." Catelyn stared at him fiercely, but tears streamed down her face. "I''ll remarry and make your two children call George '' Daddy''! I won''t let you die in peace!" Cedrick stared at her with his darkened eyes, "why are you making me angry right after I woke up?" He suddenly clutched his chest and curled his upper body slightly, looking like he could not breathe. Catelyn panicked, worrying that she had hurt him again, so she hurriedly leaned forward to check his chest. Cedrick''s eyes flickered. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her passionately, but the wounds all over his body hurt that he could not even move his muscles flexibly. He suddenly had regret in his eyes. Catelyn''s palm slid over Cedrick''s chest for a while, but she found no traces of wounds, she could not help biting her lower lip and said worriedly, "Could that be an internal injury? Wait here. I''ll call the nurse¡ª" "Don''t go." Cedrick wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "I heard everything you said at the top of the cliff. You said that as long as Ie back, you''re willing to promise me anything." Catelyn recalled how she blurted those words and felt rather reluctant to keep that promise. She sniffed and said in a muffled voice, "I don''t remember anything." "Do you want me to remind you? You shouted that you''ve worn my ring and you want a Western-style wedding." Catelyn''s cheeks blushed. "Kitty, I know you still love me. Please don''t torture me anymore..." pleaded Cedrick, the man who was so head over heels for her that he was willing to risk his life for her. Chapter 560 Chapter 560 Chapter 560 Catelyn paused, blushed, and said, "They don¡¯t even know you''re awake yet. I''ll inform them now¡ª" Cedrick stabilized his breathing and said, "Don¡¯t tell them yet." "Why?" Catelyn was puzzled by this. Although she did not like Grandpa Mason''s domineering attitude, she knew he, too, was worried about Cedrick and should be informed that his grandson had woken up. Cedrick smirked. After having dinner together, Maia sent Grandpa Mason back to Mason Estate. She then immediately put on an inconspicuous ck outfit and a peaked cap before she sneakily headed to Richard''s apartment in Franche, the man in question already awaiting Maia''s arrival. Seeing hering, he immediately asked anxiously, " How is it? Is he dead?" "Why do you want him to die?! " Maia suppressed her anger and roared at him, "I told you to just kidnap Catelyn. why did you hurt Ceddy?! " Richard''s eyes showed a trace of hostility. At first, he only nned to kidnap Catelyn as Maia asked him to do, but he received a mysterious phone call in the middle of the kidnapping. The person on the phone said he could help him kill Cedrick, so Maia would, atst, be his. "I don''t know what happened in the end. What''s the situation now?" Maia had no other helpers for the time being, so she could only trust Richard. At the same time, however, she was a little worried. "Ceddy hasn''t woken up yet, but the doctor said that he''s in good condition, and it''s only a matter of time before he wakes up. I''ve already told that old man, Draco, that the child in my stomach belongs to Ceddy. If he wakes up... I''ll be doomed!" Richard frowned, not understanding why Maia had been trying so hard to be Cedrick''s wife. "Ah, isn''t the Kingsley family powerful in Franche? I heard that there''s a drug on the ck market that can damage the hippocampus of one''s brain and cause memory loss. Richard, get me one!" Richard was initially worried that the mysterious man was not doing things neatly, but his annoyed look vanished when he heard Maia. "Are you crazy? Grandpa Mason is here! You''ll be risking your life by doing so! " Maia bit her lower lip angrily as her expression soured with reluctance. "As long as Ceddy''s memory is damaged, the old man will help me be Missus Mason. Then, our baby will own the whole Mason family!" Richard did not think that was a great idea. He wanted to say something, but Maia suddenly threw his hand away. "I see! You''re not going to help me, are you? Fine, I''ll find someone else to help me! Just watch me die when the old man finds out! What a shame that our baby didn''t even have a chance to take a look at the world... II Richard nced across her belly and frowned irritably. Suddenly, a maniacal grin appeared on Richard''s face. "Are you sure you want that medicine?" "Yes!" Maia nodded hurriedly, thinking that he was finally listening to her request. After all, he always listened to her and did whatever she wanted him to do. Richard''s smile deepened. "Alright. If that''s what you want, I''ll help you." Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ''That sounds like a good n to send Cedrick to hell! '' Maia then ced Richard''s head on her belly and said, though with disgust in her heart, "Our child is still too little. You can''t hear anything." Richard said nothing and kissed her belly. He knew it was not a time for him to hurry. Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Catelyn originally wanted to sneak out of the ward before the doctor came, but Cedrick refused to let her go. She smiled wryly because of that. Fortunately, The room he was in was a VIP ward that had two rooms in it for thepanions. There was also a kitchen and separate bathroom. At this moment, the sky grew brighter. Catelyn noticed a few potted nts on the balcony that were exuding vitality. Well, she did not even bother to look at themst night. Cedrick''s wardmate was a male nurse. Estimating that the doctor would soon be there for a round, Cedrick hid Catelyn in the male nurse''s room. The room was about 20 square meters, and the furnishings were very delicate. If it were not for the faint smell of disinfectant in the air, Catelyn would have thought she was in a five-star hotel. As soon as Catelyn hid in the room, Draco Mason and his subordinates came in with the doctor. Eason and Maia were also among them. Eason searched around the room from the instant he stepped in. Last night, he had waited on the balcony next door all night but failed to see Catelyning out, which made him nervous for the whole night for fear of being discovered. After exchanging nces with thepanion, he finally felt at ease. Seeing that Cedrick did not show signs of awakening, Draco asked the doctor in worry, "Doctor, didn''t you say that Cedrick will wake up in a few days?" The doctor was aware of Draco Mason''s identity. However, he was also puzzled. "It stands to reason that Master Cedrick''s physical fitness is great, and logically, he should''ve woken up already. Perhaps his head had suffered a greater injury?" Maia sighed in relief when she heard the doctor, wishing Cedrick would not wake up. After all, she had not gotten the medicine yet. "Grandpa, Ceddy has a kind soul. I believe he¡¯ll wake up soon," Maiaforted the elder gently. Since Draco found out that Maia had betrayed Cedrick, he did not like Maia as much as he used to. However, when he discovered that Cedrick was the one who betrayed Maia first, and she was sensible and knew how tofort people, Draco seemed to like her again. "Cedrick has been in Franche for a long time. There''s some financing cooperation pending, but he''s in aa now. The executives in Sapphire City are still waiting for him..." Draco sighed in helplessness. Maia unquestionably did not care about that but she stillforted Draco. Beep! Suddenly, a sound came from thepanion room on the opposite side. It sounded like the vibration of a Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. mobile phone. The vibration stopped abruptly as if it was hung up deliberately. Maia immediately turned her gaze to thepanion room. "What''s the sound?" Eason guessed that it was Catelyn''s phone that rang, so he said with trepidation, "Miss rk, what are you talking about?" "Grandpa, did you hear that?" Maia ignored Eason, knowing that he was not on her side. Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Draco was entirely focused on Cedrick, so he did not hear the beeping of a phone. He nced at Maia and shook his head. "That would be my phone, Miss Maia," the male nurse exined as he hurriedly stood up. Maia smiled at him, then let go of Draco''s arm and walked toward the nurse''s room. Seeing that she was striding to the room where Catelyn was hiding, the male nurse was so nervous that his heart skipped a beat. "Miss rk, my room is quite messy. It''s better for you to not go in." "Did you smell that?" Maia''s red lips twitched. Although she was pregnant, she still put on lipstick every time she went out to enhance herplexion and aura. Everyone was puzzled for a moment when they heard Maia. The male nurse asked bewilderedly, "what do you mean?" "The scent of gardenias." She had smelled gardenias the moment she walked in with Draco, she initially thought it was just her hallucination due to her pregnancy until the phone rang... Eason cursed inwardly, remembering that Catelyn had a faint scent of gardenias on her being. The scent ratted her out at that very moment! Maia pushed the nurse away and strode straight toward the nurse''s room. She was eager to find out who was hiding inside as her eyes were full of excitement. All of a sudden, Eason suddenly pointed at Cedrick''s right hand on the bedside and shouted in surprise, " Look, Master Cedrick''s hand moved!" The ward fell into silence for a second, and everyone''s eyes turned to Cedrick''s right hand. As if to y along with Eason, the fingers of Cedrick''s right hand trembled slightly. Even though the movement was very slight, the doctor still caught it and was pleasantly surprised. "Grandpa Mason, great news! Master Cedrick may wakeup soon!" Draco was stunned for a moment before he snapped out of it, saying, "Go! Call other doctors toe and give Cedrick a physical examination, with so many injuries on his body, it must be difficult for him to wakeup!" Maia panicked when she heard that Cedrick was about to wake up. He must not wake up. Richard had not brought her the medicine yet! She did not even bother to check the room anymore. After all, the most important thing at the moment was to make sure Cedrick would not wake up. While other doctors were in a hurry, Maia secretly went to the corner to send a text message to Richard. [Have you gotten the medicine? Cedrick is about to wake up! We don''t have time!] A group of doctors gathered around Cedrick to check his body. However, there were no other signs of waking up after Cedrick had moved his fingers. The doctor shook his head helplessly. "What''s the matter? Didn''t you say that Cedrick was about to wake up?" Draco leaned on his cane, showing his extreme dissatisfaction with his gloomy expression. The doctor could only exin euphemistically, " Master Cedrick is about to wake up. His willpower is very strong too, but his current physical condition is still rtively bad. When his body recovers, he''ll wake up." Maia came out from the corner and echoed, " Grandpa, maybe there are too many people in this room, and the air is too stuffy, why don''t we all go out and let Ceddy rest for a while? Maybe he''ll wake up after that." "There is also such a possibility..." The doctor supported Maia in an attempt to appease Draco. Draco frowned and waved everyone out. He stood in front of Cedrick and stared at him for a while before he, too, walked out. The ward instantly quieted down. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Catelyn, who leaned against the wall of the nurse''s room, held her phone tightly in her hand and sighed. Maia nearly caught her! Chapter 563 Chapter 563 Chapter 563 Catelyn quickly turned on her phone''s silent mode. Since the window of the room was made of one-way ss, Catelyn could see Maia running to the corner. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ''She looks like she''s texting someone. To whom? Why was she so panicked when she heard the news that Cedrick had woken up?'' "It''s alright now, Miss rk, you cane out." The nurse opened the door of the room for Catelyn, his forehead glistening with sweat. Catelyn smiled gratefully at him and quickly walked toward Cedrick. Cedricky t on the bed, feeling someone walk past him, and slowly opened his eyes. Catelyn passed by him like a thief, lying at the ward''s door to eavesdrop on the situation outside the ward. Her ears seemed to be tinted red as she was too anxious. Still, the situation was both hrious and infuriating to Cedrick. He slowly sat up from the bed while Catelyn was checking if those people were gone. When she turned around and saw him getting up, her eyes sank. "Why did you get up? The doctor just said that your wounds are serious¡ª" "I''m thirsty," Cedrick feebly interjected. Catelyn could not be sure if it was because of his wounds, or if he did it on purpose. Even though his voice was hoarse, he sounded cute...and he reminded her of Miles. She could not help but miss Miles. That boy would wear the same feeble expression Cedrick sported whenever things did not go his way. "Don''t move, and stay there. I''ll get water for you." Catelyn could not resist the cuteness, so she ran to the kettle to pour a ss of water. She noticed that the male nurse was sheepishly staring at them when she turned around, however. The male nurse probably felt like he was the third wheel in the ward as he scratched his head, so he went back to his room in a hurry. Catelyn''s cheeks blushed instantly and it became hot. '' Why does it feel like we''re having an affair?'' Richard received the text from Maia and quickly rushed to the hospital. In a ck car opposite the hospital, Maia stared at the small white porcin bottle in her hand as her eyes twinkled maliciously. She originally bribed a nurse to add it to Cedrick''s infusion bottle. However, it was already toote. Cedrick was about to wake up! She could not let Cedrick discover the secret that her child was not an heir of the Mason family! Maia took out a nurse uniform from the rear seat and put it on. "Do you want to do it by yourself?" Richard frowned when he saw her changing clothes. "The nurse I bribed works the night shift." Maia put the small porcin bottle in the storagepartment, quickly changed her clothes, put on a new mask, and tied a bun tightly. She thought she should be fine as long as she hung her head low and was careful not to bump into the Mason family''s bodyguards. Still, Richard was even more panicked than her. The poison of this drug was very overbearing as it could kill a person in just an hour. At first, he nned on killing the nurse after the nurse poisoned Cedrick to erase any eyewitness. To his surprise, Maia wanted to do it on her own! Maia deliberately messed up her hair, picked up the small porcin bottle, opened the car door, and headed into the hospital. "Maia, wait!" Richard''s forehead bulged with blue veins as he yelled, "You can''t go!" Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Maia did not want Richard to get in her way at a time like this. "Didn''t we already talk about it? After I poison him, you find a way to destroy the surveince. Remember to not leave any evidence behind. We''ll have countless glory and wealth in the future after this." Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Richard''s dark eyes swept across the white porcin bottle. "Have you ever thought about what to do if you were caught?" "I have no choice but to put myself at risk." Maia bit her lip and pushed Richard''s hand away. Richard''s eyes shed with confusion, and he snatched the porcin bottle from her hand. "You wait here. I''ll do it! " "You?" Maia pretended to be shocked. "The bodyguards at Cedrick''s ward are very strict. How are you getting in?" "I have my way. In short, I won''t put you in danger." Maia hugged Richard and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Oh, Rich..." she sighed softly. " Thank you for loving me deeply. I will always remember you." Richard took a deep breath and hugged Maia even tighter. Little did Richard know, Maia was sneering. Like hell she would be so stupid that she would do it herself. All she needed was just a little acting, and Richard was bound to be soft-hearted enough to do it for her! The VIP ward was on the top floor. Catelyn held a ss of warm water and sat at Cedrick''s bedside, she raised the bed and put a soft pillow under his waist so he could lean on it morefortably. His lips were already peeling due to mild dehydration. However, the light in his eyes was extremely dazzling as if there was no sign of morbid weakness. He looked like a beast that sensed danger and was ready to fight. Coincidentally, Catelyn also had an intuition that something was about to happen, still, she was not surprised. She was kidnapped while Cedrick was tricked into the trap the mastermind behind the scene had set, and they even wanted to kill them. She knew Cedrick would not just remain silent after what they had been through. She put the straw in the ss and carefully brought the straw to his lips. "The temperature is just perfect, but don''t drink too much at once." She was afraid that it would be inconvenient for him to go to the bathroom. Cedrick had just woken up. His hands and feet were still weak, and his neck was a little stiff. He stared at her as if he wanted to see her into the depths of her soul. "Why don''t you drink?" Flustered by how intense he was staring at her, Catelyn looked away and stared at his chest. Cedrickzily pushed away the straw. "I want you to feed me." "That''s what I''m doing." Catelyn put the straw to the corner of his lips in a good-natured manner. Catelyn felt sourness at her heart''s bottom when she saw Cedrick''s pale lips. She was touched that Cedrick, a fool in her eyes, was willing to sacrifice himself for her life. "I want you to feed me...with your mouth." Catelyn was bbergasted upon hearing this! She subconsciously stole a nce at the male nurse shortly after. Chapter 565 Chapter 565 Chapter 565 Cedrick seemed to have guessed what Catelyn was thinking, and his lips twisted into a smug smile. "He wouldn''t dare toe out without my order." "It''s fine if you don''t want to drink, I won''t feed you." Even if the nurse would note out, he might still be able to hear their conversation, and that was embarrassing enough to Catelyn. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Cedrick raised his eyebrows roguishly when he heard Catelyn''s reply. "I won''t drink if you don''t feed me." Catelyn stared at his pale face for a while, then turned her gaze to the warm water in the cup. The water had already be slightly cold. "Is the corner of my mouth chapped?" Cedrick stroked the skin of the corner of his mouth as he spoke. There was a tingling sensation on the spot. Catelyn stared at the shameless man in front of her who was painfully dehydrated. It irked her how he could continue depriving himself from water with his antics! With a frown, she took a big gulp from the ss, held the man''s head, and ced her lips on his to pour the warm water into his mouth, since Cedrick was sitting, some of the warm water slipped away from the corners of his mouth. She cared about his wounds as she only pressed him with gentle force. Then, Cedrick licked the corner of his mouth with a satisfying look. "It tastes pretty good. Please do it often." He wasmenting on the water, but his wolf-like eyes made Catelyn think he wasmenting on her lips instead. Her heart was about to burst out of her chest, she did not look him in the eye as she took another gulp from the ss to calm herself down. ''What a rascal! '' Cedrick stared at her for a while, then said seriously, " I was afraid of you noting to the airport that day. I mean it." Catelyn''s heart throbbed violently as she held the ss tightly. "If I didn''t go, what would you have done?" "I never intended to let you go." Cedrick''s words hit Catelyn like a truck. Her nose tingled as she muttered, "You like me that much?" she had no idea what part of her was good enough that Cedrick was willing to put a lot of effort into pursuing her. There were a lot of famousdies who were into him, but he clung to her. Catelyn had given up on avoiding him. Cedrick hesitated for a moment, then stared at her. " Ever since I knew you were the woman who slept next to me four years ago, your figure has haunted me ever since." Before this, Catelyn had never thought he would say such a thing. Moreover, he was always solemn whenever he spoke. Sometimes when he talked, it felt to Catelyn as if he was taking an oath. Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Catelyn felt her heart inexplicably aching, she had no idea how much she meant to Cedrick. In fact, Catelyn was a soft person. If Cedrick was forceful to her, she might just m the door and leave. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. However, the moment he said kind words, she quickly lost her temper. Catelyn blushed unnaturally and snorted, "You got me locked up in your building, took my son away, and bought off thewyers of the whole city. Did you know how I was on the verge of going insane when you refused to see me at that moment?" Hearing that Catelyn took the initiative to bring back the past, Cedrickwas relieved. If she did not say anything, even if she reconciled with him because she was touched by his words, these matters would continue haunting her. "I didn''t take your son away," said Cedrick. "I don''t believe you!" Catelyn was sure Cedrick was lying. "That person clearly said that I''m not worthy to raise the young master of the Mason family. If it wasn''t you, who else could it have been?" Cedrick kept a nk face, with a slight hint of helplessness in his expression. "Maia told Grandpa the secret of the twins. In a fit of anger, he immediately sent someone to take back the two boys. I only found out about thister after everything happened." Catelyn was stunned, Her delicate, beautiful jaw was still taut as if she was doubting the credibility of his words. Cedrick lowered his voice, "Think about it: the people who took the boys were strangers. If I was the one behind this, Eason would be the one doing the deed." Catelyn nced at him sideways. Frankly, she did remember seeing Eason at a loss when she ran to look for him. However, even if he did not take the boys away, he had used this to force her to a corner, she even ran in the rain just to see Eason negotiate! "I admit that what I didter was extreme, but I still have to pay the price now, don''t I?" said Cedrick. He clutched his chest as a pained expression was shown on his face, wishing that this matter would be resolved quickly. Chapter 567 Chapter 567 Chapter 567 Catelyn¡¯s heart softened at this. "Well, I have three conditions." "As long as you won''t hold the past against me, you can name even up to thirty conditions," replied Cedrick gently. "This is what you promised. I''ve yet to think of thirty, but let''s just start with three for now," said Catelyn. Cedrick''s eyebrows jumped, feeling as if he had just dug a hole for himself. Catelyn immediately said, "First, you''re not allowed to imprison me. Second, no matter what the circumstances are, you''re not allowed to deprive me of the right to my children''s custody. Third, you mustn''t interfere with my work and personal space for friends. All exchanges are based on the premise of equality and freedom." Cedrick had no issues with the first two conditions. The boys were at Mason Estate, after all, and Catelyn would have to go back with him anyway. That third condition, however... Cedrick''s eyebrows tightened, and he said in a displeased tone, "Do you intend to make friends with aman or a woman?" Catelyn was speechless. He was still so controlling! She rolled her eyes so aggressively that they were about to pop out of their sockets. "You can make friends with a normal woman, but not with those who have weird sexuality. And don''t even think about making friends with another man. Keep a distance of more than five meters from them!" Cedrick demanded. Catelyn kept quiet. At this moment, sounds of footsteps and murmurs were heard outside the door. The bodyguards were interrogating the doctor who was about to enter Cedrick''s ward. A chief doctor in a white coat followed by a male nurse stopped at the door. The doctor took the initiative to take off the mask and allow the bodyguard to check him. The bodyguard, of course, knew him as well. He nced at him to make sure he was not mistaken. He asked suspiciously, "Doctor Robert, why are you here? Didn''t you tell Master Cedrick to rest alone?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 568 Chapter 568 Chapter 568 "I was worried that we missed an injury within Master Cedrick, so I came to take a look," said the doctor as he pushed the sses on the bridge of his nose. He was holding a medical record book of Cedrick with a seriously worried expression on his face. The bodyguard frowned and looked at the nurse beside Doctor Robert. "I haven''t seen this nurse before. Please take off your mask," ordered the bodyguard dutifully. Richard Kingsley was wearing a ck mask and a whiteb coat. He had no other objection and took off the mask. The bodyguards did not recognize Richard, and they eyed him dubiously. Doctor Robert was worried that the bodyguard would call more men over, so he hurriedly exined with a smile, "This is a rtive of mine. He just came to the hospital for an internship a few days ago." "I see... That''s alright. Go on in." The bodyguard took the initiative to push the ward door open for Doctor Robert, and Richard entered the room behind him. The huge VIP suite had a very simpleyout. The curtains of the transparent floor-to-ceiling ss windows were not closed, allowing sunlight in to warm the room. At this moment, there was only one escort in the ward standing beside Cedrick''s bed, staring closely at his infusion bottle, ready to be reced if needed. If Cedrick had any requests or wanted to get out of the bed, that person was also responsible for notifying the medical staff. Seeing Doctor Robert and Richarding in, the male escort stood up and hurriedly said, "Master Cedrick isn''t awake yet." ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. "Okay. Please take his temperature for me, and I¡¯ll make a medical record for it," said Doctor Robert as he handed the thermometer to the escort. Of course, the escort did not think too much of this. He cautiously took the thermometer and began to measure Cedrick''s temperature. Doctor Robert immediately looked at Richard with a worried face. Chapter 569 Chapter 569 Chapter 569 Doctor Robert had done everything he was told. However, Richard did not look back at him and secretly took out a needle from his bag while the male escort was not paying attention. Quietly, he injected a dose of transparent liquid from the needle into the infusion tube. The contents in the infusion tube quickly mixed together with the colorless, odorless poison. Richard watched as the liquid flowed toward Cedrick''s unconscious body, and the corner of his mouth under the mask quirked upward to form a sinister grin. ''Don''t me me, Cedrick. You''ve brought this upon yourself. You shouldn''t have seduced Mai! '' Doctor Robert had no idea what Richard had injected into Cedrick''s medicine. Not daring to ask, he turned a blind eye instead. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The male escort bent down toward Cedrick while taking his temperature carefully,pletely unaware of what Richard and Doctor Robert were doing behind him. Richard thought the n was wless. Little did he know, Catelyn had nted a mobile phone hidden in the pot of nts across Richard, and his disgusting action was recorded! After everything, Richard and Doctor Robert left the ward hurriedly. The moment Cedrick would die of poisoning, both of them would be long gone from the crime scene! Richard quickly went to meet Maia. ording to the agreed n, Maia would be bribing the personnel in the monitor room and wipe out the footage of him poisoning Cedrick. However, there were two persons he was still concerned with, which were Doctor Robert and the two bodyguards. At this moment, however, Richard could care less. First, he needed to see Maia and discuss what to do next. Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Maia was waiting for Richard on the rooftop. She had already taken off the nurse''s uniform and was wearing her ck trench coat, which outlined her slender figure. The wind on the rooftop was so strong that it ruffled her jet-ck hair. "It''s done, Mai!" said Richard the moment he arrived at the rooftop and saw Maia. He stepped forward excitedly, and hugged Maia from behind. His palm caressed her belly, trying to feel the child within. Maia was both frightened and excited. She quickly turned to look at Richard. "Really? The drug is in Cedrick''s infusion tube? Does that mean that all I have to do now is wait, and I can be Missus Mason?" However, Cedrick had a ligation operation before, and there would no doubt be some medical records of it. That did not matter. The drug was very damaging to the human brain. Even if Cedrick woke up, he would be groggy for a while. When that time came, with Draco''s support, she could excuse Cedrick to be in poor health and secretly tell the hospital to perform a recanalization surgery on him... Needless to say, Maia was a little unhinged. She had been looking forward to being Missus Mason for too long, and she could not wait any longer! Richard wrapped his knuckles around Maia''s long hair andughed casually. "I forgot to tell you something, Mai." Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "What is it?" replied Maia, a little too enthusiastically. "I changed that medicine to a potent poison, which will clot the blood severely and seal the throat. Cedrick will die for sure!" eximed Richard. "Let''s not think about him anymore. Marry me, and I''ll take care of you and the baby." At that very second, Maia was petrified, her expression faltering as the color drained from her face. She stared at Richard, and it felt as though her lips had gone numb. "w...what did you say?" she gasped. Chapter 571 Chapter 571 Chapter 571 "In less than an hour, there will be one more corpse in the hospital morgue..." muttered Richard. Smack! Maia was so angry that her whole body was trembling. She swung her palm against Richard¡¯s face harshly and quickly turned her head, about to run downstairs. One hour... She could still notify the doctors to save him! Cedrick must not die! How would she be Missus Mason if he died?! Richard¡¯s eardrums buzzed after the powerful p, and his cheek instantly reddened. Before he could do anything, he saw Maia about to head downstairs. Richard''s eyes darkened viciously as put his hands around Maia''s waist and hugged her tightly, trying to stop her from running away. He lowered his voice and said, "If you go down now, you¡¯d be suspected for Cedrick¡¯s death! Do you want to go to jail?" Maia stopped struggling and gritted her teeth. "You did it on purpose!" "Yes!" admitted Richard. "I can¡¯t stand how you¡¯re all head over heels for Cedrick. Didn''t you tell me that you wanted revenge against Cedrick? I did that for you!" What next, Maia? Her mind was in a mess, and suddenly, she smiled softly and asked Richard, "Rich, do you really love me?" "From the first time I saw you, I had fallen in love with you deeply," confessed Richard profoundly. He had been avoiding other women all these years so that Maia could see him in his purest form. s, Richard was a step toote, and Cedrick seduced Maia! Maia''s trembling body was reeking with monstrous anger and viciousness. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Without hesitating, she raised her head from Richard¡¯s chest. She ced her hands on his chest and shoved him away ruthlessly. "Then die for me!" she screamed. Chapter 572 Chapter 572 Chapter 572 Richard, still immersed in the joy of being able to be together with Maia, waspletely caught off- guard by how Maia shoved him away. Furthermore, they were both standing very close to the edge. As a result, Richard fell off the rooftop as his eyes widened in pure shock. Just in the nick of time, he grabbed the wall ledge! Holding on for dear life, he hung in the air while struggling desperately, trying to get a better grip. However, the wall was dangerously smooth, and he could not get a good grasp on it. His fingers that clung to the ledge became bruised instantly. Richard lowered his head and nced at the ground far below. The dense crowd of cars and people made his blood flow backward. His face turned pale. This would be the end for him if he fell! Richard raised his head and looked at Maia incredulously. "Why! Why are you doing this!?" he shouted. "Just because I didn''t obey your orders and switched the memory-wiping medicine into poison? You cared about Cedrick''s life, but what about mine?! You know I love you!" Gone was the gentle front Maia would often sport with Richard, reced by a monstrous expression of ruthlessness. Seeing that he had not fallen yet, she walked over slowly. She squatted in front of him and peeled off his fingers off the edge of the roof, one by one! This is from N?velDrama.Org. "You still have the audacity to say these words to me?" sneered Maia. "Cedrick is going to die, but Grandpa Mason will surely search for the culprit behind his death. I can''t let him suspect me. If you fall from here, I can just say that you killed yourself because I''ve rejected your love, and nobody will ever suspect me!" She continued, "After all, you''re the one who changed the medicine, and you''re the one who sneaked into the ward and poisoned Cedrick." The fingers of Richard''s left hand were forcibly pulled apart from their grip by Maia, leaving Richard hanging on the edge with just his right hand. His entire body was numb as he lost his bnce and swung violently. "You''re wrong, Mai! I love you so much! Even if they manage to find me as the suspect, I''ll take the me!" he pleaded anxiously. "Please pull me up, won''t you? I don''t want to die! I still want to take care of you and our children!" Maia sneered. She would not believe such nonsense! She proceeded to push his remaining fingers from the edge. One finger... Two fingers... Chapter 573 Chapter 573 Chapter 573 "I''ll remember you forever," said Maia. Richard looked at her in horror. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Just when Maia was about topletely peel Richard''s fingers off the ledge... p! p! p! Out of the blue, slow ps were hearding from behind her. Maia turned her head subconsciously...and saw Eason pushing out a wheelchair with Cedrick seated in it. Was.he not supposed to be in the emergency room? How was he still alive?! "Thank you for your wonderful performance, Miss Maia. What a cold-blooded show this was," said Catelyn as she looked at Maia with contempt in her eyes. That woman was sick in the head. She did not even hesitate to kill the man who loved her with all his heart! "You... You..." stammered Maia. Her face turned pale as she saw them. She instinctively nced at Richard, who was still hanging by the wall on the rooftop. At first, she thought Richard had lied to her. Looking back at it, however, that did not seem to be the case at all. It was Cedrick who deceived her. He must have nned it long ago! Catelyn was probably in his ward all this while, and he might have already woken up hours before this. It was all a trick, and they fell for it! Maia immediately burst into tears as she gazed at Cedrick. "This is all Richard''s idea, Ceddy! I don¡¯t know anything! " whimpered Maia. "He just told me that he poisoned you, and I was so angry that I wanted to push him off the roof to avenge you!" Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Chapter 574 At this moment, Richard''s right arm felt numb entirely, and it was only with his strong willpower that he was still holding on to the ledge. Hearing Maia''s words, a dark haze suddenly formed in his eyes as though a huge blow was dealt to him. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Richard could not believe that the woman he loved so deeply could turn his back on him at this very moment! Despite everything he had done for her, she was pushing all the me on him! Because Cedrick was in a wheelchair, his line of sight was far lower than Maia''s, and he had to raise his head to see her. Despite this, his presence still brought an intimidating aura around him like a king who reigned over the world. Cedrick nced at Maia with his icy cold eyes. With a devilish smile, he asked Catelyn, "I heard someone saying that the poisoning was Maia''s idea. Did I hear it wrong?" Catelyn gave Cedrick an angry look. She had told him that he should be resting, that his leg was still injured, yet he was adamant oning up here! "You heard it right; I''ve heard it too," said Catelyn. "She even said that Grandpa Mason would search for the culprit, and to prevent him from finding out the truth, she''d kill Mister Kingsley to silence him and get rid of all the evidence." Maia''s eyes widened In horror, knowing that it was useless to argue. Guiltily, she wanted to kick Richard off the roof. So long as he died, Cedrick would have no evidence, and there was nothing he could do about her. Catelyn immediately gave Eason a look. There were too many issues unresolved, and Richard must not die. Maia was about to stretch her feet out and stomp on Richard''s fingers, but Eason rushed up to her at lightning speed and yanked her away forcibly. Maia clutched her abdomen tightly as she fell to the ground. Cold sweat beaded across her forehead. Chapter 575 Chapter 575 Chapter 575 "It hurts... It hurts!" howled Maia. Despite this, however, no one at the scene believed her nonsense. Eason pulled Richard up from the edge. Being saved from a near-death experience, he stared straight at Maia with a nk face as if she was the most heartless woman he had ever seen. "M...my belly is throbbing..." Maia slumped on the ground and stretched out a hand to Cedrick. "Save me... Save me and my child!" Catelyn thought she was pretending at first, but she then saw blood oozing down her legs and onto the floor. Catelyn frowned. However, before she could say anything, Cedrick took her hand and pulled her into his arms, causing Catelyn to stumble onto hisp. Worried about tearing his wound, Cedrick stretched out his arms from behind and embraced her domineeringly. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The wound did show signs of tearing because of his actions, but Cedrick stubbornly leaned close to Catelyn''s ear and bit her earlobe. He whispered, "Did you forget that Maia sent someone to kidnap you? Let her suffer. Only when she is in pain will she learn her lesson." Of course, Catelyn could not forget Maia''s evil deeds... but seeing her in such a vulnerable state, she could not help thinking back then when she was eight months pregnant with twins, and there was an incident where she fell down the stairs. In the aftermath, she ended up lying in a pool of her blood. The pain was so excruciating, it could crush a person¡¯s will to live! All of a sudden... "What are you all doing?" rang a strong male voice from behind them. Uncle Ford was helping Grandpa mason as he trotted over. He could not even breathe evenly, and his old face was flushed red due to the exertion. Chapter 576 Chapter 576 Chapter 576 Grandpa Mason''s face turned green when he saw Maia shrieking hysterically on the ground. He hastily instructed Uncle Ford, "Quick! Send Mai to a gynecologist!" Then, he shot Cedrick a hostile re. "Your heartless freak! Mai is pregnant with your child, so how could you do this to her? Did Catelyn make you do this?!" He had no idea that Cedrick had woken up. If it was not because of the guard who informed him that Eason pushed Cedrlck up to the balcony, he would still be oblivious about this! Grandpa Mason was certain that it was Catelyn who did this. Cedrick saw Grandpa Mason panting as though he would pass out due tock of oxygen. He did not exin further but merely passed to Grandpa Mason the footage that Catelyn secretly recorded. Grandpa Mason tapped on the video and took a hasty nce at it. "This..." "Someone tried to take my life, and I merely set a trap to catch them. The real culprit is your so-called '' granddaughter-inw¡¯. Oh, right, I forgot to inform you that the child in her womb is a Kingsley. I''ve neverid a finger on her before." With bad news after bad news hitting him in session, Grandpa Mason''s vision was dotted in ck as he slowly fell backward. Fortunately, Uncle Ford caught onto him in time. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Master? Master?! Please, steel yourself!" Grandpa Mason looked at Maia who was on the floor and exasperatedly bewailed, "How dare you commit such things with an outsider? What a shame that I''ve always thought you were my granddaughter-inw!" "N¡ªNo, it¡¯s not like that!" Facing Grandpa Mason''s wrathful gaze, Maia knew that her only support had vanished. She quickly exined, "The child is Cedrick''s, but he wanted to be together with Catelyn...so he framed me in the process. The person who poisoned Ced is Richard Kingsley! "He wanted to hurt Cedrick badly...because of his awful infatuation with me!" stammered Maia, her body frail at the moment. Richard looked stiffer upon hearing Maia''s words. Chapter 577 Chapter 577 Chapter 577 After a short while, Cedrick''s lips cracked into a smile as a chuckle escaped him. "My child? Miss Maia rk, I¡¯m afraid your memory has regressed terribly. I remember telling you that I¡¯ve had a vasectomy before." Cedrick did not want to entertain this disgusting woman, yet she insisted on lying! At this moment, Catelyn, still on Cedrick''sp and arms, looked at the man''s well-defined jawline as she felt his chest rising and falling as he breathed. This is from N?velDrama.Org. He had a vasectomy? That made sense why he was so sure that Maia''s unborn was not his. Why did he not tell her there and then? Eason tapped on his phone, retrieved a photo, then passed it to Draco Mason. "Master, this is the archive of Master Cedrick''s vasectomy surgery from four years ago. IF Draco held the phone firmly in his palm and looked straight into the screen for a long while. His face went dark before he angrily swung the phone to the floor in front of Maia. He could not believe that he had trusted this vicious woman! The phone''s shattered pieces bounced up from the floor and brushed past Maia''s forehead, leaving a long streak of blood in its wake. "How dare you assume this illegitimate child to be a Mason?!" Maia was aghast by this as the color drained from her face. She stumbled and crawled toward Grandpa Mason as tears streamed down her face pathetically. "No, I''m not lying! T . This child is Cedrick''s! Grandpa, please believe me... "This is all part of Catelyn''s n! She framed me!" At this moment, Richard could no longer tolerate the insanity and cackled. He closed his eyes, concealing his disappointment, and looked at Grandpa Mason. "You''ve been fooled, old man!" he screamed hysterically. "Maia''s child is mine. She made me poison Cedrick, and kidnapping Catelyn was also her idea. This was all her from day one, and all I''ve been was a puppet at her disposal-a pawn!" Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Chapter 578 She had been instructing him left and right, while he had been fulfilling every of hermands. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. He was starting to question if Maia had ever loved him. He thenughed. She did not even care about him. Why would she love him? Grandpa Mason''s blood pressure went up a little too much, almost triggering his hypertension, and he was panting profusely. He pointed his finger at Maia and Richard as his eyeballs rolled upward. "You... You shameless couple¡¯" Maia did not expect Richard to confess, and so she panicked. "Richard, what bull crap are you talking about?" "Bull crap? I had even recorded a video of you and I. Do you need me to show everyone now?" Richard snickered. "You..." Maia looked terribly displeased. She had not expected to record that and cried, "Didn''t you promise that no matter what happened, you would not involve the baby and me?¡± "I have given you everything and would even give you my heart if I can, but you wanted my life. What other secrets can I keep for you?" "Secrets? What can you keep? You wanted to kill Ced! Otherwise, show US some evidence to prove that I am the mastermind! If you can''t, then this is defamation!" Maia decided that since Richard executed everything, she was not directly involved, so she must be innocent! Catelyn watched as the two of them turned against one another and could not help but add, "Richard, is it really worth it to turn into who you are now because of this woman?¡± Richard''s gaze went cold. "Shut up! If it was not because of Cedrick and you, how would Maia and I turn into this? You guys are the culprit!" Cedrick muttered sarcastically, "That was why you wanted to murder me?" "There are plenty of people out there wishing you dead! I am not afraid to tell you that I only kidnapped Catelyn to force you to hand over all your assets. The assassins after that had nothing to do with me. I can only conclude that you have too many enemies!" Richard was no longer thinking straight and was already shouting hysterically. Cedrick¡¯s gaze was cold. "Even if I have plenty of enemies out there, it is nothing for you to worry about. Please only be worried about your own consequences." It would be difficult for him to get away with kidnapping, poisoning, and the videos as evidence. "Call 911. You only deserve to reflect upon your life behind bars," Catelyn said lightly to Eason, dictating the fate of the two of them. Everything fell silent. Grandpa Mason did not even want to look at the two of them anymore and left angrily. He even instructed Eason before he left, "Keep them on close watch. Don''t you ever let them escape. I will arrange for some men to go to Franche and send them back to the country! We cannot let them continue to walk free!" Soon, the police knocked on their door, summoning Maia and Richard to the police station. Maia was a little out of control. She was shouting hysterically that she was innocent! Everyone watched her as though she was crazy. Richard was still expressionless and looked at Maia intensely. It did not matter to him anymore whether he would end up with a jail sentence or other punishment. Maia held onto her belly that was aching and demanded to go to the doctor. The police officer saw that she looked like she was having a miscarriage and had no choice but to send her to the hospital. Richard followed too. Maia threw a tantrum while on their way there and mmed everything that she could reach in Richard¡¯s face. "Are you happy now? I am busted. The child in my belly is an illegitimate child! The old man no longer trusts me! Richard, why didn''t you just die earlier..." Richard was usually obedient to her, but he could not take it anymore today andnded a p across her face. Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Chapter 579 "Had I not treated you well all these? You only wanted me dead!" He had mustered all his strength and channeled it onto his palm, Maia¡¯s face almost dislocated from receiving the p. Everything fell silent. Maia could feel her blood boiling in her vessels. She looked at Richard in disbelief. "You pped me? How dare you p me? I could kill your child right now! I... I..." Before she could finish her sentence, she felt her head heavy. She did not manage to catch herst breath and passed out immediately. The police officers saw this and immediately came forward to control the situation. Richard pushed the police away and then held Maia in his arms affectionately, not allowing anyone to get near to them. He muttered, "Why did you never love me? I had always loved you..." This is from N?velDrama.Org. The police officers exchanged looks. They were not moved by the scene at all but only felt it spooky. That night, Cedrick received a message. Richard was caught and sent to prison. Maia was sent to the prison hospital. She was lucky to survive after so many events, and her baby was also saved. The Kingsley family sent someone to deal with the police, hoping to bail Richard out. However, Grandpa Mason stood in the way and forcefully blocked their path. The two could not get away with anything and could only wait for a few days until they were sent back to the country. Once they were in the country, they could do nothing but admit their crimes even if they had superpowers. After all, the evidence was indisputable. Catelyn was relieved. Compared to Richard, she hated Maia more. She believed that it was, as Richard imed, it was Maia behind everything. She also remembered that she had attempted to frame Miles before and bullied Ollie and could not help but feel an extreme hatred towards her. She thought that as soon as Maia was sentenced, she would purchase some fireworks to celebrate! Grandpa Mason was too exasperated and somewhat med Cedrick for some of this. Therefore ever since the two of them were caught, he had not once visited Cedrick at all. Cedrick, on the other hand, was enjoying his peace. He could already imagine what Grandpa Mason would say to him. It would probably be along the lines of he was too good for Catelyn and that Catelyn was probably a gold digger to be after their family wealth. He had heard this a thousand times before this. Catelyn had not been so relieved in a long while too. She had a good sleep in the room next door. She was woken up by Joanne¡¯s call. She was not sure where Joanne had gotten the information, but she knew that Catelyn had been kidnapped, and her eyes were red from crying. "Booh00, you freaked me out. I thought you were never evering back..." "Don¡¯t cry. I am fine.¡± Catelynforted her. Joanne did not believe her and requested her to hold her phone further to examine whether she was injured. Catelyn did not show Joanne her recent photos. Even though she was not as badly injured as Cedrick, she still had quite a fair bit of wounds. She onlyughed and tried to divert the conversation to something else. Joanne heard that she would be going back to the country soon, and her eyes lit up. "Did you break the ice with Cedrick? Are you no longer scared to be caught by him?" Catelyn did not mean to hide all these from her, but everything happened too fast, and she did not have a chance to tell her about it. Catelyn was very close with Joanne. They would talk just about everything with each other. She told Joanne everything from the beginning to the end. Joanne sobbed as she listened. She tugged at the white tissue paper and wiped her tears. "This is too touching! Cedrick risked his own life just to save yours..." Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Chapter 580 "I did not expect that either.¡± She was not as shocked before, even with the previous incident of the billboard crash. After all, if he were fast enough, they would still have a high chance of being injured. This time around, he clearly knew that there was something wrong with the car but still insisted on driving it... She understood clearly that hurting and being touched were two separate matters. Just like contributions and mistakes, they could not be simply set off against each other. Nevertheless, she knew that when he ''resurrected'', there was a tiny person in her screaming for her to believe him once again. Therefore, she lost, she lost it to his crazy pursuit. In the ward next door, Eason and Cedrick were discussing who was behind the kidnap. When he and Charles received the message and rushed to the sharp turn, Cedrick had already fallen from the cliff, and Catelyn was unconscious in the bushes. The other few assassins decided to finish Catelyn first. At the crucial moment, Eason''s hire shot two of the assassins and saved Catelyn. Out of the two remaining ones was a kidnapper that Richard hired. He got stabbed in his belly, but his life was not in danger and only he knew about Richard. The other one knew a little more information but was also quite scattered. His deal was settled with Bytcoin by the hirer. He promised to take Cedrick¡¯s life as soon as he received the money. He had no clue who hired him. "Master Cedrick, the statements by Richard and the killer jived with each other. There is indeed someone behind it." Eason hung his head low. He felt guilty about not being able to protect Cedrick. "They want my life, but they have to see if they are capable of taking it." Cedrick was leaning against the patient''s bed. His eyes were cold. Eason nodded, then asked, "How should we settle the killer and the kidnapper?" Cedrick¡¯s eyes were covered in bloodlust. "Since they are now useless, finish them." He said it so indifferently as if he was discussing the weather with Eason. Eason understood that he meant to kill them and only responded with a gentle nod. That evening, Catelyn went to Cedrick''s room to have dinner with him. Charles ordered a healthy meal for both of them. Cedrick should have been lying in bed. However, he did not want to stay put and only wanted to be out and about, even if he was in a wheelchair. When Catelyn arrived, he controlled his wheelchair to move to the balcony and stared quietly into the distance. He was wearing a small smile on his face. She was unsure what he was thinking about. The sun was shining on his body, and life was peaceful and quiet. Catelyn had a naughty idea and strode quietly across. Then, she covered his eyes with her palms. "Guess who I am?" She deliberately lowered her register, so that she sounded a little masculine. Cedrick lifted his hand and ced it on hers. "Your gardenia scent has given you away." This is from N?velDrama.Org. "You are no fun.¡± Catelyn did not remove her palms but kept his eyes covered. "Can''t you just y along and pretend that you did not know me?" Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Her voice was so soft, like a tiny little brush caressing gently on his heart. Cedrick¡¯s heart melted. "Fine. May I please ask who is thedy behind me?" Catelyn then released her hands and pinched his cheek revengefully. "Not fun at all." His vision came back to light. Cedrick turned around to see Catelyn pouting and could not help but tease, "Howe I never knew that you liked such childish games?" He was suggesting that she was childish! This was just entertainment! Catelyn threw him a scornful look and then pushed him back into the dining room angrily. Back in the dining room, the dining table was already filled with plenty of food, other than the simple healthy food to help with Cedrick''s recovery, there were also a few other dishes that Catelyn usually enjoyed. Even desserts were included. Catelyn had a hard time looking through what was avable. Cedrick sat on Catelyn''s right side, the both of them sitting so close together. He passed the cutlery to her. "I heard that this restaurant serves really scrumptious Chinase food. Give it a try. If you like it, I will ask Charles to make reservations at this restaurant in the future." Catelyn was intrigued and drooling over it. She saw a cup of pudding and then took her spoon and scooped one bite into her mouth. It was so silky smooth and tasted so authentic. "It is indeed delicious." Catelyn nodded in approval and then continued to take another scoop. Cedrick watched as her pink lips opened and closed. Her lips were so beautiful and moved as though they were quietly sending him an invitation. His heartstrings were plucked, and he could not help but lean slightly forward. He did not say a word either but simply opened his lips slightly, waiting for her to feed him. He suddenly got closer. His face was suddenly magnified before her, making her heart skip a beat. To cover up her change in emotions, she pretended to reach out for the clean set of cutlery before him. Cedrick''s big palm then pressed on her knee, his dark eyes locked right onto hers. "I prefer using the ones you used." Catelyn recalled that she fed him water with the cup that she used yesterday, and heplimented that the water tasted good. She immediately blushed. She ignored his flirts but continued to retrieve the clean set of cutlery and scooped a small amount of pudding into his mouth. Cedrick held the entire spoon in his mouth, the tip of his tongue swirling slowly, savoring the taste of the pudding. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn loved the dessert and wished he would like it as well. She winked at him and asked, "How is it? Does it taste good?" Cedrick did not like desserts, then said, "If you feed me like you did the other day, it will taste better." He must be crazy, he was flirting with her again! However, he was not mobile, especially when his right arm was injured by the gun. He could barely lift his arm. She could only blush and continue to feed him with food. One scoop after another, streaks of her hair unintentionally brushed against his cheek, leaving little itches where it touched. Then she lifted her face up to look at him, looking puzzled. "Cedrick, did you smell something on yourself?" Cedrick still had a little bit of food in his mouth. He slowly swallowed it and said, "Of course, I smell like a real man." Catelyn rolled her eyes. Cedrick continued to rub the tip of his nose against her cheek. She regretted it again. It was the killer¡¯s fault. He could only look at her and rub his nose against her. Nothing else he could do! "Stop being a narcissist. I am trying to say, is it because you have not showered in a long time, so you are smelling like sweat now?" Catelyn frowned and looked disgusted. Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Ssh ssh! It felt as though a bucket of water was poured on him. Cedrick''s little anticipation in his heart immediately vanished. He gritted his teeth and red at her. He had indeed not taken a shower in a few days. He was unconscious, and the nurse only wiped his body down a little while he was still unconscious. His handsome face immediately sank. He threw his cutlery away and refused to eat anymore. He controlled his wheelchair, attempting to move in another direction. Catelyn was caught off guard by his reaction. She did not even manage to wipe the oil away from her lips, but hastily asked, "Where are you going?" "For a bath!" the man said defiantly. It was already hard enough for him, a hygiene freak, to not have showered for a few days. How could he tolerate when he was loathed by his loved one because of that? Catelyn looked at his gloomy face and could not help but burst outughing. He believed her? Hearing herughter, Cedrick turned to look at her darkly. "You think it¡¯s funny that I stink?" "No, I am just kidding. You don¡¯t stink. You smell great." Catelyn nodded her head firmly, trying to prove she was telling the truth. Cedrick did not buy into that but suddenly had an idea. " Go prepare the bath water." Catelyn panicked, realizing that she had opened up something she did not want. "Cedrick, I am just kidding. The nurses helped you to clean yourself every day, there is no smell on you." "You pranked me?" Cedrick put Catelyn back on the spot again, and his tone was hostile. Catelyn smiled. It seemed that whatever she said was not right either. Catelyn looked at Cedrick, knowing him well, he would definitely take his revenge. She muttered, "I will go and prepare the bath water now." He would definitely take revenge in the future. It was better for her to serve him properly. After all, she helped Miles to bathe all the time. She could just pretend that he was the bigger version of Miles. Catelyn filled half the bathtub with water. Cedrick could not take a bath in the tub as he was still sitting in the wheelchair. As the bath water evaporated and wafted up, the room was soon filled with mist. The atmosphere suddenly turned a little misty and alluring. Catelyn also grabbed a bottle of gardenia flower-scented bath milk, remembering that Cedrick did not like it Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. when she said he smelled. Chapter 583 Chapter 583 Chapter 583 When she was about to pour the bath milk into the tub... "What are you doing?" The man in the wheelchair suddenly said with his dark face, giving Catelyn a shock. She shook the bottle of the gardenia-scented bath milk in her hand. "You like gardenia scent, don''t you? I am pouring in a little bit of bath milk. I guarantee you will smell great after this." "I only like the gardenia scent on you!" The unintentional remark made Catelyn feel that she could not breathe normally again. Luckily, the bathroom was filled with mist, and her face was red from the steam so that she did not look too odd. She then brought in some essential oils and dripped a few drops of them in the bath water. Cedrick watched as she kneeled next to the bathtub, her white hand swirling slowly in the water, testing the water. When the water was ready, she then went to get a few clean towels. Her eyes identally locked onto Cedrick''s, which were looking at herself intensely. She was caught off guard. Catelyn hesitated, but then she walked over and unbuttoned his blue and white stripes patient robe. It was rather easy to undress, and soon she managed to take it off. The man''s impressive chest and abs soon appeared before her, and she could not take her eyes away. She always knew that he had a good body. Nheless, she had been able to see them up close. She looked at his perfect abs, the lines were well defined, and his chest looked strong. He caught her watching him and raised his eyebrows slightly. Catelyn quickly pulled her attention back. "Are you mad?" Catelyn did not say a word more. She grabbed the shower gel and started rubbing it on him. She avoided the wounds on his body. Then, she found a clean and loose patient''s robe for him to change into. Cedrick was highly cooperative this time. He pulled her hand and said gently, "Are you mad? I am just Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. kidding." "Body is yours. You don¡¯t even care about it. Why should I?" The bathroom was warm but not at too high temperatures. She just wanted to finish the bath for him, but he... It would be great if his wounds got infected and he caught a cold. No one would fight over the kids¡¯ custody with her then! Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Cedrick looked at her stubborn face and felt touched. He enjoyed the feeling of being treasured by her. "Fine, it is my fault this time, I should not joke about this, but I really wanted to see you acting shy. Every time you look shy, I feel immensely satisfied." Catelyn was even more annoyed. She twisted the towel forcefully. "Your pleasure is built upon mocking me?" Cedrick looked at her earnestly and said, "Of course not, I am not so low. Plus, I have never teased other women before." Catelyn mmed the towel in his face. "Really? Should I feel proud about it? You bathe yourself then!" Cedrick pulled the towel down from his face and saw Catelyn opening the door on her way out. The door was mmed shut. Cedrick was speechless. Perhaps he spoiled her so much that her temper got shorter now. However, he liked her. Soon, Charles knocked on the bathroom door. He dared not enter right away but waited outside the door. "Cedrick, are you alright? Miss rk asked me to check on you." This is from N?velDrama.Org. "Come on in," Cedrick''s deep voice said, then Charles pushed open the door and entered. The bathroom looked like something had happened. There were puddles of water all over the floor. Some bottles of shampoo and shower milk were lying in the corner. Cedrick was sitting in the wheelchair while taking a bath, so his wheelchair was wet too. Charles remembered seeing Catelyn storming out of the door, looking utterly displeased. Charles was worried if the two got into a fight again. He was cautious, but Cedrick was somewhat grinning as if he was in a good mood. He was relieved. "Cedrick, let me push you out." Cedrick nodded and did not exin any further. Even though Edwin was back in his home country, he was attentive to everything that happened in Franche. He video-called Cedrick, saw him in a wheelchair, and immediatelyughed. Cedrick threw him a cold look. "Tryughing once more? II Edwin gestured a zipping motion on his lips. "But I am also very impressed that you don''t even care for your life anymore, to pursue your wife. The amount of blood that you lost is probably the number of brain cells that youck." The seasons changed recently, Granny Atherton was not feeling well, and so Edwin was staying to take care of her. This did not mean that he did not know about the story between Cedrick and Catelyn. He could not help but tease Cedrick. He was a totally naive child when it came to love. No, he was less than a naive child. He was less than Ollie. Charles observed as Cedrick''s face became darker and darker, then interjected, "Mister Atherton, let''s go back to the topic. What is happening now back at the rk and Kingsley families?" "What else could there be?" Edwin purposely dragged thest word. "Of course, the rk family is in hot water right now. They only have Maia, the only daughter. However, even the Kingsley family probably look down upon Richard Kingsley himself." The Kingsley family only had one daughter in charge now, Windy Kingsley. As long as Windy did not run into any trouble, the Kingsley family would not do anything. Cedrick slowly took a sip of tea. He wanted to send Maia and Richard to jail because he wanted to slowly ¡¯y'' with them. "Watch them closely. Let me know if there are any changes." "I am so unfortunate to be friends with you. You are always so obsessed with your wife and kids, while I am always single and have to work for you when you did not even pay me a single penny!" Edwin shook his head and growled. Chapter 585 Chapter 585 Chapter 585 Cedrick rolled his eyes and said, "I heard Granny Atherton found out about your newly purchased mansion?" Edwin was furious about this. Granny Atherton had been forcefully match-making him. He wanted to hide away and therefore purchased a very expensive but private mansion. However, he only moved in for three days before Granny Atherton showed up on his doorstep. "If I know which son of a b*tch revealed my secret, I will skin him alive!" "Cough..." Charles could not resist and coughed. It seemed that it was Cedrick who allowed him to leak this information. Edwin saw Charles'' expression and grinned. "Don''t tell me it was the two of you?" Cedrick was not guilty at all. He sipped on his tea casually again. "I bought two mansions in the Dragon Port''s This is from N?velDrama.Org. new town area, and the keys are with Benjamin. You could go and get it from him." Edwin¡¯s eyes lit up. "Dragon Port? There are mountains and waters surrounding the area. It is a rare find! Are you really willing to?" "You could pretend that I never said this if you don''t want it." "It''s harder to get gold from you than finding my way to heaven. Why would I decline it? Of course, I want it! I will go to Benjamin''s this afternoon..." Cedrick then said slowly, "Please also help to clean up the mansion next door. I will bring Catelyn and the kids back for a holiday soon.¡± "...D*mn, I know you are not so generous!" He wanted him to be a free ve to clean up his home? Soon, a few days passed. Cedrick was still not fully recovered, but he did not have much problem. The doctor permitted him to be discharged. Grandpa Mason appeared before him like a ghost and mentioned that the private jet was ready to bring Cedrick back into the country. It was also time for Cedrick to go back. He was only in Franche for this long because of Catelyn. Catelyn wanted to go back to their home country too, and she only fled to Franche to avoid being caught by Cedrick. Now that the two babies are back, why would she want to stay in Franche any longer? Coincidentally, the Director, William, got information that Catelyn frequented the hospital and managed to find her. At the canteen below the hospital, William was sitting across from Catelyn with an earnest expression. "Miss rk, are you really not considering our deal before this?" Catelyn sized William up, then scooped some food into her mouth. "It is impossible for Cedrick to listen to me. Stop putting your hopes up." "It''s all up to you. Ourpany is now facing immense difficulty In prating the western market. We really need something to break through!" William was here under his superior''s orders, and he could not back out just because of Catelyn''s simple decline. "Have you ever considered that maybe there is a problem with the person in charge of the market?" Catelyn winked at him. William was stunned. "No way. We have swapped three batches before. Every batch is equally bad." VSA Group targeted the high-end property market, which should have great potential in the west. However, not sure why they had failed three times in a row. The boss almost wanted to give up on this market... Catelyn heard and was suddenly intrigued. She looked at William seriously and asked, "Could you give me a chance then?" William was uncertain of what she meant. He looked at her, waiting for her to tell her more. A wild thought crossed Catelyn''s mind. "You hand over your western market to me. I understand the needs better than you. Perhaps I could turn it around?" Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Chapter 586 William was stunned. "You? But what we want is to coborate with Cedrick..." "Even though I could not help you coborate with the Mason Group, VSA Group is already failing to prate the western market. I don''t think you would mind giving it a try?" William paused and deliberated, and he did not immediately decline Catelyn either. Even though she said they could not coborate with Cedrick, she had Cedrick behind her anyways. "Let me go back and discuss with my boss.¡± "Sure, but please give me a reply because I will be returning very soon." Catelyn did not hide that from William either. William did not find it strange at all. Her rtionship with Cedrick kind of exined that he would not simply let her linger in another country to be a small employee. "I will contact you before noon tomorrow." She watched as William left and then looked at the lunch on her te again, suddenly finding herself having a better appetite. She was just worried about having to find a new job as soon as she was back in the country... She had not expected William to be giving her direction. No matter if this would happen, there was definitely no harm in trying. Before noon the next day, Catelyn had already received the official memo from William that night itself. At the same time, they had caveated with stringent conditions. Catelyn could be the Design Director of the Amarican region, but she could never override the General Manager and had to be in charge of bridging themunication between the internal and external. In the first quarter of next year, VSA Group must be able to double its salespared tost quarter. If she could not deliver that, she would need to resign without reason and would never be recruited into thepany again. Even though it was harsh, Catelyn wanted to challenge it. "I ept it." "Miss rk, I need to remind you that without Cedrick''s funding, it would be immensely difficult for you to double the sales by March next year." William was still adamant about convincing her to persuade Cedrick. However, little did he know that Catelyn had a revtion during her time in Franche. She realized there was a very big difference in power between Cedrick and her. He could just lift a finger, and nowyer in town would dare to take up her case. Grandpa Mason''s one request could take her kids away. She had to be stronger to protect her kids better and stand next to Cedrick taller. "I am very clear on what I signed up for. I hope that after March next year, we are still colleagues."Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Her eyes lit up as she said this. She was confident and glowing with hope. Cedrick was still in bed. He would be spending another night in the hospital and would be discharged tomorrow morning. He overheard Catelyn speaking on the balcony. He took one casual look at Catelyn and was suddenly attracted by the lights in her eyes. He was stunned for a second. Catelyn hung up and came in from the balcony. She realized that Cedrick was watching her. "I will not need to worry about work when I return home! " Catelyn was in a bright mood, she shook her phone in her hand. Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Eason had informed Cedrick early on about William''s meet-up with Catelyn. He looked at her sternly and said, "There are plenty of positions in Mason Group at your disposal. Why would you need to work for someone else?" "I don''t want it. I don''t want people to gossip behind my back again. I have my own ambition and career to pursue." Catelyn smiled, and her tiny face was glowing with hope. Cedrick choked on what she said. He ended the conversation. "The private jet is ready. We will depart tomorrow morning at eleven. Have you started packing?" Catelyn said, "I am not leaving with you. You can return before me." Cedrick frowned unhappily. "I don''t think there''s anything important for you to stay here." Could it be because of George? No, George had already resigned. Perhaps she was starting her own business... If she chose to start a business, she would probably choose to do it in a region and field that she was familiar with. Plus, there were some subsidies in recent years offered by the government in Sapphire City. She would probably go back to Sapphire City if that was the case. Cedrick really could not think of any other reasons for Catelyn to stay! Catelyn looked at his grim face and exined, "Don''t you think too much about it. I am just saying that I will go and take an economy ss flight back home. Otherwise, it would be awkward for me to meet Grandpa Mason." "Why awkward? Just ignore him." "No, I don¡¯t want him to look at me that way as if I am trash." Catelyn was scared that Cedrick would take some forceful actions, so she proactively went forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, then nted a kiss on his lips. "My pair of babies are in your hands, and I will go back to Sapphire City. Don''t you pout anymore. You would age faster that way." Atst, Catelyn was blushing ear to ear and ran out of the ward. Eason came to report about the itinerary and was shocked to find Catelyn looking as red as a cooked shrimp. "Are you ill. Miss rk?" No, your Master Cedrick is! Catelyn bit her lower lip, threw him a look, and stormed away angrily. Eason was confused. He did not make her cross, did he? Catelyn gave Cedrick cold shoulders the entire day. Even if he texted her in the middle of the night to say that Eason helped her to book a flight back to Sapphire City for eight o''clock tomorrow night, she ignored him. Catelyn was staying with Jolene during herst few days in Franche. She moved once in between, and most of her things were left in the castle. Cedrick ordered for the things to be moved away. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She was therefore left with very few personal belongings. Before leaving, Catelyn was thinking about how to bid goodbye to Jolene. Jolene winked at her and said, "Kitty, why didn''t you tell me!" Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Catelyn was confused. "What did I not tell you about?'' Jolene rolled her eyes and then took out a document and mmed it onto the table. "Mister William said thepany had transferred you to Sapphire City to be the Design Director in the subsidiarypany and assigned me to be your assistant! Are we even friends? This is such big news, but I am thest one to know about it..." Catelyn scanned through the document on the table. It was an order for Jolene to transfer. "I did not hide it from you. I just did not manage to... Wait, William let you follow me back to Sapphire City? Let me help you to reply him." "Don''t!" Jolene immediately stopped Catelyn. She lifted her chin and said, "It''s such a good opportunity to go back to our homnd. Of course, I would go back." "Wasn¡¯t your ambition to work hard in Franche?" "Please, the discrimination is terrible here. Plus, I really miss home. Even though I was stubborn and was only eyeing the wages here." Jolene grinned at Catelyn, and hugged her over the shoulder, then winked. T will need you to protect me from now on!¡± Catelyn smiled but was not as happy as Jolene. Apparently William tied Jolene onto this boat of unknown fate too. If they could not hit the KPI in the first quarter next year, they both would need to roll off. She suddenly felt the burden heavier on her shoulders. After a twelve-hour-long flight, Catelyn was finally back in Sapphire City. It was summer when she left, and now it was winter. Catelyn stood at the airport and finally left with Jolene with their suitcases. Jolene¡¯s family came to pick her up. They had a designated driver, and she muste from a well-off family too. Catelyn was slightly taken aback. She had never noticed this before. Jolene looked around the airport and then asked, "Did Cedrick arrange for anyone to pick you up?¡± Catelyn wanted to say something when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She looked at the message, which only contained three words. [Look behind you.] Catelyn turned around reflectively and saw a ck Spiker in the parking right opposite the airport. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Jolene saw the car too. She grinned sheepishly at Catelyn and said, "Just what I thought, it''s impossible for him not to pick you up." Catelyn humped and felt a little reluctant to get into his car. Jolene pushed her in Cedrick''s direction. Catelyn was forced to drag her suitcase over. Cedrick descended from the car. He stood tall, glowing in the morning sun, and took her suitcase in one of his hands. Catelyn sized him up and down doubtfully. He was discharged, but that did not mean he was completely fine. Was it really okay for him to just run around like that? Cedrick then ced the suitcase in the trunk of the car and turned around to see Catelyn watching himself. "Long trip for you. Are you hungry?" he asked affectionately. Catelyn looked away and decided to indulge him since he was behaving himself today. "Of course I am. I don''t really like the food on the flight. Thankfully I was not feeling sick. The woman who sat next to me on the ne had been barfing as soon as she boarded. It was awful." "Let me bring you to have some breakfast." He held her hand and opened the passenger seat car door for her. Catelyn enjoyed his care and sat down in the passenger seat. When Cedrick went the other way into his driver''s seat, his gaze identally swept past Jolene, who was about to get in the car. He had seen the car te before, at an auction. The Cheever family bought it in the end. Cedrick brought Catelyn to a brunch ce at Seashell Avenue. Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Chapter 589 He had reserved a table and ordered the food beforehand. There were various foods on the menu, and Catelyn picked some simple food like an omelet and porridge. "Aren¡¯t you having any?" Catelyn saw that Cedrick was simply watching as she ate. Cedrick took a sip of his tea and said, "I quite miss the days in the hospital." Catelyn was bewildered and lifted her gaze from the porridge. "Why?" Cedrick''s gaze shifted from her face to her rosy lips, his lips curving into an iprehensible smile. His smile was one full of yfulness. Catelyn suddenly recalled the scenes of her feeding him with water and food affectionately and could not help but blush. "Shameless!" she said and took one big furious bite on the omelet. Cedrick lifted his eyebrows, and his expression was indifferent as usual. "Since you have already used me of it, it seems a little wrong if I don''t do something to live up to it?" Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn''s instincts told her that danger wasing. However, before she could respond, the man''s long arm flung over and snatched her omelet from her hands. He deliberately bit on the area that she bit on. Catelyn''s cheeks were utterly red by now. The two babies were still at the Mason Chateau, and Catelyn would not be seeing them instantly. She had not been home to see Ste for so long. Therefore, her first destination was Ocean Path Residence. Cedrick did not stop her; instead, he sent her to the ce by himself. "Do you need my help to carry this?" Cedrick pulled the suitcase out from the trunk. Catelyn took the suitcase, and there was not much in it. She shook her head and said, "I can do it. Remember to bring Miles and Ollie as soon as possible. I dreamt that they were calling for mest night." She had been talking about the two kids all the way here. Cedrick¡¯s handsome face sank a little. "I had never heard you mentioning that you dreamt about me before." "Are you jealous of the kids?¡± Catelyn looked at him in disbelief. Perhaps Cedrick himself realized he was acting childish too and nted a kiss on her lips. He bit on her lower lip in revenge, pulling it outward. "You are so annoying. When are you going to get the marriage certificate with me?" "Can you please wait until my job is a little more stable? " Catelyn dodged the question. He was no longer fighting for custody over the kids. Was there a need for him to so desperately turn her into a Mason? Cedrick''s gentle face sank further. "I did not hear you. Pleasee again." If it were not for his body''s current condition, he would have already dragged her to Las Vegars. Maia was bugging him like a crazy woman, wishing to be his Missus Mason so badly. She was not appreciative at all! "Haha, the weather is pretty good today. You will have good fortune. I am going back home. My mom must miss me already." Catelyn looked at his face, adjusted his tie, and escaped as soon as she could. She dragged the suitcase into the elevator and suddenly remembered that the wound on his right arm was not fully recovered. She then sent him another text message, "Be careful on your way home. If you are not feeling well, just call a cab or get Eason to fetch you." Maia and Richard were brought back to the country to be charged. However, it was nothing like Catelyn expected. She thought that Richard would have already hated Maia deeply and would use her of being the mastermind of this. However, Richard had taken all charges onto his own shoulders. Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Maia would be merely charged as an aplice at the most. Catelyn was cleaning the house when she heard the news. She had not been home for long. Ste did not usually cook, and there were a few corners in the kitchen that needed a thorough cleaning. Catelyn had just taken out the trash from the kitchen when she heard the news reporting on TV about Maia and Richard. The news reported that the police escorted Maia and Richard to the police station. They had just disembarked from the long flight, and both appeared to be exhausted. It was especially apparent in Maia, with tears rolling down her eyes and almost falling over. She pretended to be emotionally strong but vulnerable, making people wonder if she really was wrongly used. Richard looked very decadent. His chin was covered in stubbles, the light in his eyes vanished, while he was tagging along behind the police soulessly. The journalists all surrounded them when they got the information. This was some spicy gossip about the two wealthy families in Sapphire City. "Miss rk, your engagement with Cedrick Mason was canceled publicly. Was it because Cedrick caught you sleeping with other men many times before and knew that you cheated on him?¡± "We heard that you were charged for attempting murder this time..." "Even if Cedrick canceled the engagement with you, the rk family had received enough perks from the Mason family. The Mason family is still on the losing end...¡± "Miss rk, what do you think about the whole situation?" The cameras shed incessantly. Maia had not expected to be interviewed by the reporters and panicked. The journalists threw harsher questions, and her voice started to sound shaky. "Whichpany are you from? Don''t you make false usations without evidence! I have not done it. This was all done by Richard. It has nothing to do with me! He admitted it himself..." The reporter immediately directed his mic to Richard as soon as he heard this. This is from N?velDrama.Org. "Mister Kingsley, what Miss rk said was true? Are you the real culprit who poisoned Cedrick?" "Rumors had it that you were ssmates with Miss rk, and had long had a crush on Miss rk. Is this the reason why you are taking all the charges on behalf of her?" "Mister Kingsley, someone witnessed you getting a gynae doctor to your ce in the middle of the night. Is Miss rk pregnant with your child? How many months along is she? Does Cedrick know about it?" Maia¡¯s face turned pale. Even the news reporters knew that she was pregnant! How was that possible? She was hiding it very carefully... Was it Catelyn? Did Catelyn deliberately arrange for these news reporters to make her look bad? Maia subconsciously turned around to check. Her gaze was intense, and she looked wary. Richard¡¯s gaze swept past Maia''s belly. He closed his eyes gently and took a deep breath. Then he walked in front of Maia, blocking the fiery questions from the reporters for her. "Mai already said it very clearly, that this has nothing to do with her. It was all done by me!" "What? You admitted it?" "You might be sentenced to death in the worst case!" "Richard, don''t you be manipted by people..." The police were impatient to see the chaos and pushed the reporters aside from the middle, clearing a way ahead of them. Maia and Richard then arrived at the police station. Maia pulled Richard by his hand nervously. "Rich, it''s my fault. You must help me. You cannot let our child be born in prison. Please don¡¯t worry. I will find the bestwyer in town to represent you when I get out, and you will be fine too..." Richard threw her hand away coldly. "You better keep to your promise." "I will, I will name my kid Kingsley, and he will be part of the Kingsley family...¡± Chapter 591 Chapter 591 Chapter 591 With an apron around her waist, Catelyn held a broom with one hand as she watched the television. It was a news channel developed by Worldwide Entertainment Co., which meant Edwin was trying to destroy the two of them. Catelyn had not expected Maia to talk Richard into admitting to the crimes for her sake. ''Is that Richard guy an idiot?'' thought Catelyn. ''Committing such a horrible crime under the pressure of the Mason family would mean that he''ll at least need to be in jail for decades!'' At night, in Mason chateau. Grandpa Mason and the twins sat in the dining room for dinner while Uncle Ford stood by their side to serve. Cedrick was nowhere to be seen. Both Ollie and Miles were upset that they were forcefully taken back to Sapphire City against their will. They had spent a long time throwing tantrums, hoping to escape, but Mason chateau was located on the outskirts and was divided into different wings that were guarded by countless bodyguards. Even a fly would not be able to find its way out, what more kids like them? Miles tried pretending to be ill again, but because Grandpa Mason was of old age, he already had a family doctor at home. The twins were rendered helpless at the tall walls before them. Ollie was sweet even when he was throwing a tantrum, and he simply locked himself inside the room, refusing to eat or drink anything. To his bewilderment, Grandpa Mason threatened to put him on an IV drip if he passed out to keep him alive. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Miles snapped and unleashed all hell. He broke Grandpa Mason''s antique vase and his calligraphy pen before setting his favorite painting on fire. Grandpa Mason was livid, and Uncle Ford had to be on guard the entire time, asking the doctor to check on Grandpa Mason¡¯s blood pressure three times a day. That night, Uncle Ford informed the twins that Cedrick had returned to Sapphire City and sessfully got them to agree to dine with Grandpa Mason. Grandpa Mason noticed that both the twins hated vegetables and frowned as he ced vegetables on their tes. " Don''t be picky. Is this what Catelyn rk taught you in the past few months? Eat up. You won''t grow if you refuse to eat vegetables!" Miles had wanted to ept this gesture of kindness, despite the fact that he did not like vegetables. After all, Grandpa Mason was still his senior. With that, he took a spoonful of vegetables and brought it to his lips. However, when he heard how contemptuous the elderly man was toward Catelyn, he rolled his eyes and spooned back the vegetables onto Grandpa Mason''s te. He lifted an eyebrow smugly. "My mom taught US a lot of things, and the most important thing of all is that we shouldn''t eat what strangers give US." He paused as he recalled how frequently Cedrick kissed his mother and added coolly, "My future wife is the only exception." "..." Uncle Ford could not help but chuckle at the fact that Miles already knew what a ''wife'' meant at such a young age. Grandpa Mason noticed him smiling and red at him with a dark expression. ''I''m trying to be nice, and he''s throwing it back to my face?'' he hissed internally. ''Clearly, Catelyn has been spoiling these boys.'' "Grandpa Mason, when can we return to Mason Mansion?" ollie changed the subject while observing Grandpa Mason''s expression. "Why? Do you hate it here in Mason Chateau that much?" he questioned in annoyance as he stared at the vegetable on his te. Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Chapter 592 "How fun do you think it is to be locked in this bird cage?" Miles pouted. ''"Bird cage''?" sputtered Uncle Ford in shock. "Wait, no. A bird cage has a round dome. This ce is rectangr, so it''s more like a coffin." The corner of Grandpa Mason''s mouth twitched when he heard Miles'' words. Mason Chateau was designed by multiple world-famous architects, yet to Miles, it was a coffin! He once again came to the conclusion that Catelyn was not suitable to be trusted with the twins'' education. Ollie noticed that Grandpa Mason was about to explode and set his spoon down elegantly before saying in all seriousness, "Grandpa Mason, Father is back now, and we miss him. If you enjoy ourpany so much, we cane to visit from time to time." Grandpa Mason mmed his spoon onto the table, and the wrinkles on his face deepened in fury. "Who''d enjoy yourpany? That antique vase in my study room cost me three billion, and you just broke it into pieces! without you two, I might just be able to live for a few more years!" "Why won''t you send US away, then?" Miles batted his beautiful eyes at him. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. "Once your father is here, you''re to leave right away!" Just then, a guard came into the dining room. "Elder Mason, Master Cedrick is here." Miles beamed and turned to look at Grandpa Mason smugly. He did not say a word but was clearly telling him that since Cedrick had arrived, it was time Grandpa Mason let them go. Grandpa became increasingly annoyed and frustrated. His eyes rolled back, and Uncle Ford immediately helped him up while shouting at the servants, "Call the doctor! Elder Mason''s blood pressure is up!" A group of people hurried over to carry Grandpa Mason to the couch in the living room while Miles and Ollie went to wee Cedrick at the door. They had never been more pleased to see Cedrick. Cedrick was shocked to see the two of them running toward him enthusiastically. Alex covered his mouth and stifled his chuckle. "Looks like the young masters really miss you, Master Cedrick." "Father, have youe to take US home?" Ollie pursed his lips nervously and he gazed up at Cedrick. Miles was still too proud to say anything, but he kept ncing at Cedrick as well. Cedrick crouched down to pick ollie up. "I''ll take you back to Mason Mansion after dinner." He noticed that ollie had gained some weight and took it as a sign that he wasn''t mistreated. "I want to go back as well!" Miles shouted. "I miss my mom. I want to take a bath and sleep with Mommy..." Cedrickwas about to agree but changed his mind and said, "You''re staying here with Grandpa Mason so he won''t feel alone." "No!" Miles tugged at Cedrick''s trousers to stop him from walking away. "I want to go home!" "That house belongs to me and Ollie, not you." Miles'' eyes reddened as he snuffled. "I don''t want to stay here!" Alex immediately consoled him as soon as he saw tears. "Young Master, it''s not that difficult to get Master Cedrick to take you home. Just admit that he''s your dad." "Big Kitty told me that Jamie Mason is my dad." Cedrick''s expression darkened. "Then stay here. Ollie is enough for us." Tears scrolled down Miles'' cheeks as he red at Cedrick like he was the viin. He rubbed his eyes roughly to wipe away his tears, not wanting to cry in front of Cedrick. Chapter 593 Chapter 593 Chapter 593 Miles was too prideful to cry in front of Cedrick. "Don''t cry, Young Master." Unable to bear seeing Miles cry, Alex immediately crouched down and helped to wipe away his tears. "If Miss rk finds out that you cried, she''ll be heartbroken. Master Cedrick isn''t going to leave you here, why don''t you Miles pouted and propped his hand on his hip as he stared at Cedrick. "What do you want me to say?" "Dad, or Father. Take your pick," said Cedrick. If he truly went home with Ollie alone, Catelyn would be furious. Miles grinned before drawling with his hands on his hips. "Good boy. Daddy forgives you." "..." Cedrick''s eyebrows twitched in rage. Ollie, too, was frightened. He had never seen anyone making a fool out of Cedrick before, and the air seemed to have frozen over. Alex could sense that Cedrick was on the brink of exploding, but luckily, Cedrick''s phone rang. It was a call from Catelyn. Alex internally thanked the gods; the call came just in time! Meanwhile, Grandpa Masonid on the couch. It was not a heart attack; he simply ran out of breath. A group of doctors surrounded him, and he could barely see Cedrick and the twins standing by the door. They were chatting andughing as though they did not have a care in mind for his health. Grandpa Mason was furious. It was bad enough that his grandson would not listen to him, but his great-grandsons had to be just as bad. If this was how they behave at such a young age, they would spin out of controlpletely once they grew up! In Ocean Path Residence, Catelyn finally got to see her twins through the video call. Though Cedrick had allowed the servants to help contact the twins for her before, they had never been able to talk to their hearts'' content. Her heart throbbed when she heard their voices and tears welled up in her eyes. She had spent the past few days in the hospital with Cedrick, but during the quiet nights, her mind would always drift off to her twins and the way they fawned over her. The twins had lived with her for months, so she could not get used to the sudden silence. For a period of time, she would lose sleep, only to dream of them when she finally fell asleep. "Mommy! Mommy!" Miles hopped up to grab Cedrick''s phone when he heard Catelyn''s voice. Unfortunately, he was too short, and all Cedrick needed to do was raise his arm where Miles could not reach. Miles took the chance toin to Catelyn as he sobbed," Mommy, Big Demon is bullying me again because you''re not around! He says he''s going to leave me here and keep me away from you!" Whimpering, he added, "I''m so unlucky... They torture me every single day!" Catelyn''s heart melted as she instantly shouted at Cedrick, " Cedrick Mason, why are you making him cry?!"Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Cedrick red at Miles. "His mentality is too weak. I''m training him." "Why is he saying that you''re leaving him alone in Mason chateau? II "Elder Mason likes him and says that Mason Chateau is made more lively with his presence," Cedrick exined casually. Furious, Miles grabbed him by the arm for lying shamelessly. Before Miles could say anything else, Cedrick continued, "still, I know that you miss him as well, so I''ll take him back to Mason Mansion tonight." The fury on Miles'' face died out once he realized he could go home. Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Chapter 594 All the while, the doctor ran a full-body checkup on Grandpa Mason, and throughout the entire 20 minutes, Cedrick remained by the door with the twins while chatting with Catelyn on the phone. Toward the end, Catelyn asked the twins to send her regards. She knew that Grandpa Mason disliked her, but since they were already on a call, she could not pretend like she did not notice Grandpa Mason¡¯s existence. "Grandpa Mason, Mommy told US to send her regards to you. Sorry for the trouble we''ve caused you in the past few days. Please forgive us." Ollie picked an orange from the fruit basket, peeled it, and handed it to Grandpa Mason sincerely. Grandpa Mason sneered. ''Send her regards? Is she trying to pick a fight with me?'' However, he decided to remain calm as he faced his adorable great- grandsons. He munched on the orange, but before he could say anything, he heard Cedrick''s threatening tone as he said, "No matter what you think of Catelyn, she''s still the mother of the twins. So long as the twins want her as their mother, I won''t fight her for custody, and neither will you." "Is this how you address your elder?!" Grandpa Mason shot a resentful re at Cedrick. "I''ll get to the bottom of the truth as to why ollie was left outside Mason Mansion''s door four years ago, but I believe that Catelyn has nothing to do with it. Don''t me everything on her." Cedrick was barely fazed by Grandpa Mason''s dark expression. After all, he always seemed frustrated whenever they talked about Catelyn. With that said, he took the twins and turned to leave. Grandpa Mason watched as the three left without turning back and wiped his cane across the coffee table, pushing everything on it to the ground. "Stop right there!" All the servants, including the doctor, held their breath following the noises of things falling onto the ground. Instantly, silence loomed over the room. The twins twitched in fear at the shout. Though they had not been in the Mason chateau for long, they had never seen Grandpa Mason so angry. His voice echoed throughout the house and pierced through the air. Cedrick gave Alex a stern look and ordered, "Take the twins to the car and wait for me there." "Yes." Alex carried the twins in his arms and headed to the outdoor parking lot. Miles rested on Alex''s left arm and nced worriedly at Cedrick, who was still standing by the door. Cedrick''s figure slowly disappeared into the distance, but he appeared oddly rxed despite the situation. ''Hm,'' Miles thought, ''Big Demon can be horrible, but he''s quite manly too, from time to time. He even dares to speak up for Big Kitty when Old Demon is acting so scary.1 Ollie bit his lip in a troubled expression. "Grandpa Mason looks terribly enraged. Uncle Alex, do we need to go help them?" Alex felt d that the twins hade to care for their father. " Rx! Master Cedrick has been through worse. He''s definitely not going to find Elder Mason scary." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Hmph! I''m not worried about him. I just want to see how old Demon kicks his ass," Miles added darkly. "It''s only normal for a grandfather to punish his grandson." Startled, Alex almost tripped and fell. In the living room in Mason Chateau, Grandpa Mason kept hitting his cane onto the floor as he struggled to suppress the urge to hit Cedrick with the cane. "You unfilial child! I''m telling you this: If you keep seeing that woman, I''d rather let David be the next elder of the Mason family than let you have the position!" Everyone in the room froze in fear. Uncle Ford''s eyes widened in shock. Chapter 595 Chapter 595 Chapter 595 Grandpa Mason was threatening Cedrick with his inheritance. If he was to hand everything to David, it would mean that he was giving up all his power that he had cultivated throughout the years. Everyone in the room seemed to have a hard time believing this was happening. Cedrick lifted an eyebrow and studied Grandpa Mason steadily. Grandpa Mason snorted. "If you''vee to regret what you did, go tell that woman to never show up in front of the twins, and I''ll overlook the fact that she''s hidden Miles rk from US." ''Miles rk,'' Grandpa Mason repeated in his mind. ''How can a child of the Masons have the rk surname instead?'' He scowled and silently decided to change Miles'' name as soon as they won custody over him. "Haha." Cedrick simply snorted in contempt. "What are youughing about?" Grandpa Mason red at him. " Don''t tell me that you have no desire in bing the elder of the Mason family. Countless people out there would die for a chance to even be included in our family! If you don''t want it, there are plenty who would kill to take it!" "You''re right, I don''t want it." Cedrick sneered. "Even without this family, I''m still me." "You-!" "I''ve followed the path you''veid out for me ever since I was old enough to remember anything at all. I respect you, but that doesn''t mean I''m afraid of you. You ''re free to choose whoever you want to inherit your legacy. You don''t need to tell me about it because I''m not interested." Grandpa Mason''s eyes widened in shock. "You''re fine with me naming Nine my heir?" "The Mason family is the legacy you''ve spent years on. If you''re okay with giving it to Nine, why should I care?" Cedrick left with the twins. Instantly, the hall was left in silence without the cheerful sounds of the children''s voices. Grandpa Mason stared gloomily at the door, feeling his blood pressure rising again. "Elder Mason, ever since Miss rk appeared, Master Cedrick and Master Ollie have changed drastically. If there''s no way that Miss Maia could ever be Master Cedrick''s wife, why don''t you give Miss Catelyn a chance?" "She''s a low-born, unworthy of being Cedrick''s partner." The look in Grandpa Mason''s eyes darkened. "Cedrick is to inherit the entire Mason family in the future, without a wife with a powerful family, he''ll only suffer. Besides, if we need someone to take care of the twins, all we need to do is to hire a nanny." "But Master Cedrick seems to really like Miss Catelyn." Grandpa Mason massaged his temples. "If only the Atherton family had ady of age..." Uncle Ford understood what Grandpa Mason was thinking. Grandpa Mason had a rtionship with old Madam Atherton but ended up failing her due to various reasons. Grandpa Mason always wanted to make up for the mistakes he made, which was why he wished that Cedrick could marry Old Madam Atherton''s daughter as a sort ofpensation. Apart from that, the Atherton family was powerful enough to be a perfect match for Cedrick. After all, thedy of the rk family was ruined, and thedy of the Kingsley family, windy, was a woman who preferred married men. The Atherton family was the only family left that was fitting to be united with the Mason family, yet they had nody of age in the main bloodline. In Ocean Path Residence, Catelyn was overjoyed to learn that the twins had returned to Mason Mansion. ''It''s toote now. I''ll go see them tomorrow,'' she thought. Just then, Ste returned. Catelyn had tried calling Ste beforeing home, but Ste was probably too absorbed in her poker games to notice the call. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. When she saw Catelyn standing in the living room, Ste froze. Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Ste quickly snapped out of her daze and hurried over to Catelyn, grinning from ear to ear. "Cat? Oh, my stars! when did youe back? why didn¡¯t you tell me? Joanne told me that you were on a business trip and took the kids with you..." Catelyn had told Joanne to say this, but she did not expect that Ste would believe it. Ste''s eyes reddened as she spoke. All those years since the rk family went bankrupt, Ste had gotten used to living with Catelyn and Miles, she could not help but feel empty to be apart from them for so long. "I¡¯m back now, Mom. Don''t cry!" Catelyn frantically wiped Ste''s tears away. "I''m sorry. I was in a hurry, so I didn''t have the time to say goodbye..." Ste wiped away her tears and stared at her. "Are you staying? If you''re leaving again, take me with you. I feel so lonely when you''re gone." "We won''t leave again. Never again!" Catelyn ran into Ste''s arms, her heart filled with warmth as she realized that Ste was not as infuriating as she expected. "That''s good..." stelle sobbed. She tapped Catelyn on the back and released her when she noticed that Miles was nowhere to be seen, "where''s Miles?" "Miles is with Master Cedrick." Catelyn sniffled. She did not intend on lying to Ste any longer. Cedrick would be visiting frequently now that they decided to be together. If she did not exin things, they would have to sneak around and lie every time they met. Ste beamed and scanned Catelyn up and down, ted that she finally came to her senses. "I was wondering why you had disappeared without so much as a goodbye. You brought Miles to spend time with Cedrick Mason? How far have you two gotten? Let me tell you; the best way tond a catch like Master Cedrick is to get pregnant with his child again!" Catelyn rolled her eyes with resignation, realizing that she shouldn''t have ced such high expectations on Ste. On the weekend, after settling certain chores, Catelyn finally had the time to see her twins. Albert weed her into the living room enthusiastically. "You''re finally here, Miss rk!" He ordered the servants to serve tea while silently wiping away his tears. "Master Cedrick has had a hard time without you..." It was the third time she was hearing those words, with the first two times being said by Alex and Charles. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. The two wanted Catelyn and Cedrick to make peace, and at the time, Catelyn''s mind was not focused on Cedrick and did not pay them much attention. She could imagine how much effort it took for Cedrick to settle all the troubles she and Miles had caused. Her heart raced and she immediately gulped down the tea. "Mommy!" Two angelic voices echoed through the stairways. Catelyn turned and saw two perfect replicas of Cedrick running down the stairs toward her, their faces filled with surprise. Her hands shook as she hurriedly set the cup down, just before the twins threw themselves into her arms. She crouched down to wrap her arms around them. Her eyes reddened as their familiar sweet scent enveloped her. She finally saw her children again. Before she could say anything, she felt how her shoulders had grown damp, and her heart instantly sank. "Miles? Ollie?" "..." The two buried their heads in the crook of her neck in silence, their shoulders trembling. Chapter 597 Chapter 597 Chapter 597 Both Miles and Ollie were crying. Catelyn let go of them frantically. "We''re just too happy," muttered ollie, his lips pursed into a pout. Meanwhile, Miles moved swiftly to wipe away his tears. Catelyn nted gentle kisses on their foreheads. "I promise you that I''ll never part with you again." Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She then proceeded to check them for wounds and sighed a breath of relief when she saw no signs of ''torture'' Miles had mentioned the night before. The three of them clung to one another in the living room while Cedrick remained on the second floor to watch over them. Though it was a heartwarming sight, his expression was chillingly dark. Catelyn had never kissed him when they met again, and she was treating the twins differently simply because they were younger- even when they were about to turn four. 1 The twins wanted to follow Catelyn back to Ocean Path Residence, but the apartment was too small for them. Moreover, as they grew, they would need to go to school and would soon acquire more personal belongings. In the end, Catelyn decided to leave the twins in Mason Mansion, and Cedrick scowled when she proposed the idea. After lunch, he dragged her to the backyard. The bushes were tended to carefully by the gardeners. The flowers bloomed beautifully, and there was arge rack with colorful wines that allowed people to sit beneath it during summer. Cedrick pinned her against the vines and nibbled her lip. "You''re not staying in Mason Mansion?" Catelyn jolted at the pain but remained silent, having been expecting him to be upset. "I have to report to the headquarters of VSA Group. Mason Mansion is too far, and the only woman who should be allowed to live here should be Missus Mason. Your grandfather already hates me. If I move in, it''ll only deepen his resentment toward me." "We''ll go get married before you move in, then." Cedrick tilted her chin up forcefully. "I haven''t gotten to work on my career yet. With you by my side, people will only refer to me as ''Ce?rick Mason''s woman''. I want to work harder so that one day, they''ll say that Cedrick Mason is Catelyn rk''s man." Catelyn batted her eyes while staring intently at him, doe-eyed. She tugged at his shirt like an adorable puppy, causing Cedrick''s heart to melt. He had to admit that he enjoyed the rare moments of vulnerability she showed, with that, the dark expression on his face faded. Catelyn wrapped her arms around his waist and stared up at him. "I enjoy dating you. If we get married, our lives would be filled with chores and responsibility. How boring is that? Cedrick. Ced. Promise me..." Cedrick stared into her soul heatedly. "What did you just call me? Say that again." Catelyn, too, realized that she had gone too far and flushed. She bit her lip in embarrassment, refusing to speak, she had let go of her pride just to stop Cedrick from marrying her too early! Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Cedrick''s expression darkened at her silence. "I''ll have my men prepare a public statement so that everyone knows you''re the mother of my children..." "No!" She tightened her arms around his waist. "Ced." The dark expression on his face was instantly reced by a beaming smile as he felt as though a hole in his chest had been filled. sping his hand at the back of her head, he took her lips forcefully. Catelyn whimpered and widened her eyes, but she could not push him away. Her lips were swollen by the time they parted, and Cedrick let go of her reluctantly. "If you really don''t want others to know, we can elope," he whispered. Her head snapped up. "E¡ªElope?" "It''s decided then. Go have your passport ready. We''re going to get our marriage certificate once the lawyer has everything set up." Her lips felt numb as she felt light-headed. "Hang on. We don''t have to hurry!" "You don''t want to?" He red at her darkly. Catelyn twitched at his intimidating presence and smiled sheepishly. "Of course I want to! It''s an honor to marry you! So long as it doesn''t affect my career, I''m more than happy to..." Catelyn did not have the courage to further provoke him as she was worried that he would publicize her rtionship with the twins. Cedrick was already in a bad ce with Elder Mason, and she did not wish for the conflict between them to worsen. ''Elope it is, then,'' she sighed. ''It''ll give my children a ce of their own in this family while I get to chase my dream. It''s not that bad.'' Maia and Richard stayed in the police station for three days. Richard had admitted to all the crimes, and with the help of the rk family, Maia was snuck out of the police station. To her bewilderment, the worst had yet toe. She had lost a lot of weight after spending three days in lockup, and because of what she did, the reputation of the rk family waspletely ruined. People online even started feeds to condemn the family''s crimes. Though Maia''s parents were furious, they still cared for their only daughter and intended to send her overseas before the Mason family realized she had disappeared from the police station. Nheless, Maia refused to leave. Her eyes burned with ruthless resentment when she tore the flight ticket her parents gave her into pieces. "No way! I''m not leaving! Catelyn rk is the reason why I have to suffer so much. I won''t rest until she pays!" She stormed back into her room to set up a prize of one billion for Catelyn''s head, only to find out that her bank ount had been frozen by her parents. Maia tried to sell all her jewelry pieces, but the people out there took advantage of her situation and offered a horrendously low Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. price for jewelry pieces she had spent a fortune on. The price she was offered was a blunt insult to her, and she decided against selling them. Amid her tempestuous rage, a person''s face came into her mind. Jamie Mason. Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Jamie was the one who pushed Loue off the building, and with the Atherton family''s intervention, all news of the incident was suppressed to the minimum. Maia had heard that Jamie was having the time of his life. She sneered coldly and contacted Jamie, asking to meet with him. In the middle of the night, Maia appeared in a private room in a bar with sunsses and a thick trench coat, her face as pale as a ghost. She was weak from all that she had been through in the past few days, and the doctor had informed her that she was at high risk of losing her child. Though she was put on bed rest, she could not sit on her thumbs while Catelyn thrived. In the room filled with the scent of cigarettes and alcohol, Jamie was holding a beautiful woman in his arms. Sitting across him was his childhood friend, Fred Grant, who had his arms around two other women. Ever since what happened to Loue, Jamie had started working with Fred, and the two had recently invested in a project. They profited greatly from it and had been living a luxurious lifestyle ever since. This is from N?velDrama.Org. When Maia arrived, Fred teased, "Isn''t this Miss rk? To what do we owe the pleasure?" Maia cut to the chase andmanded Jamie in front of Fred, " Jamie Mason, I want you to kill Catelyn rk for me." Jamie inhaled deeply with a cigarette between his lips and blew the smoke at Maia''s face on purpose. "Do you think you''re still the almighty Lady rk? why don''t you go out there and ask around? Even the rk family is on the verge of disowning you under the pressure of the Mason family..." Maia''s stomach turned at the scent of cigarette, but she managed to suppress the urge to gag and sneered. "Have you forgotten about what happened at my wedding? should I help repeat what happened here in front of everyone? Loue Atherton''s death was II Jamie paled and immediately put out his cigarette. "Hang on!" He interrupted Maia and gave the other women in the room a look. Fred studied the mysterious exchange between Jamie and Maia for a moment before leaving the room with the women. Silence loomed over the room. Jamie''s eyebrows twitched as he red viciously at Maia. "Don''t run your mouth. The police have concluded that Loue Atherton died of suicide. What do I have to do with it?" "Don''t think that everything is fine just because you deleted the surveince footage. Me and my maid are witnesses! If I were to make a public statement and say that you were the one who pushed her off, do you think you''d get to live your life in peace?" Maia was determined to drag Jamie into the mess she was in. Had she not run into Jamie on the corridor that fateful night, she might have actually wandered into Cedrick''s room and given birth to his twins. She would have had all the love Catelyn was receiving! Maia''s crimes had been the focus of all of Sapphire City, and her name was the most frequently searched keyword on any website! Jamie''s expression darkened as soon as she said she would expose him. "You''re forcing me to get rid of you..." "I''m as good as dead now, so I have nothing to fear." Her face twisted in rage. "I promise that no one will ever mention this as long as you kill Catelyn for me." Jamie was not as reckless as he was before. He had earned a handsome amount of money and did not see the need to cross Catelyn at the moment, but he realized that Maia would not give up until she got what she wanted. He waved his finger and gestured for Maia to sit beside him. Without a moment of hesitation, she sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Jamie, Catelyn cheated on you and fooled you into raising someone else''s son. You hate her too, and helping me would do yourself a favor as well..." Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Maiaid beside him hesitantly, concerned for her body. "Be gentle," she reminded. "Rx," he said, his eyes glittering with calctive thoughts. He could not possibly tag along in Maia''s suicide mission; anyone who associated themselves with her would be doomed. His lips curled into an evil sneer as he nced at her lower abdomen. He had heard that Richard was only taking the me for Maia''s crimes for the sake of their child, but if she was to lose the child... Catelyn received a call from Joanne in the morning. Joanne was still an idol, after all, and had connections with different reporters. Someone had caught wind that Maia was rushed into the hospital the night before. Considering the amount of blood she lost, there was no chance that her unborn child would survive. Catelyn was stunned at this news. Was she not in the police station? She went to ask Cedrick about it and was told that the rk family had snuck Maia out of the police station. They had intended to send her overseas before the Mason family noticed her absence, but she had gone out in the middle of the night to see another man, which led to her miscarriage. The reporters who worked under Edwin instantly made sure that it went viral on the inte, while others took the chance to expose some of Maia''s scandals that she hadmitted throughout the years. Maia had driven her car while intoxicated a few years ago and identally killed an old woman. Not only did she not regret her action, but she had forced the old woman''s family out of Sapphire City. As more scandals were uploaded to the inte, her social media ounts were spammed by curses and maliciousments. [Shouldn''t Maia be in the police station? why is she out?l [How shameless can this woman be to go seek thepany of another man as soon as she was released? I heard that she had a miscarriage because of that! This is revolting! Is that what high born ladies are like in private?! [I used to think that all the photos she uploaded on social media felt fake...] [Just look at those eyes. You can tell that she is a sl*t! ] Catelyn nced at the screen, she swiftly regained herposure and slipped into the hospital where Maia was admitted under Joanne''s guidance. Due to the hemorrhage, Maia was as pale as a ghost when she was rushed into the hospital. Even the doctors felt as though she had a death wish. They had reminded her that she was weak and that it was already a miracle that she managed to keep the baby thest time. However, she continued to ignore their advice. Now that she had lost her child, she med the doctors for not being capable of saving the baby. Maia was driven mad from worrying that Richard would turn against her if he found out that she lost the child. She repeatedly reminded herwyer to inform Richard to not believe the rumors, that she still loved him and that she only lost the child because of Catelyn. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Thewyer left the room expressionlessly. Maiaid in bed to rest and heard the door opening again. Thinking that it was thewyer, she said impatiently, "I told you to talk to Richard! Why are youing b¡ª" She sat up from the bed and realized that it was Catelyn who had walked through the door. "Catelyn rk, you b*tch!" she screamed furiously. "You were the one who informed the reporters! You put dirt to my name! How dare you show yourself before me?! My bodyguards... Where the hell are they?!" Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Catelyn looked at Maia''s hysterical expressions. She became even more nonchnt. "If I¡¯m not here, how could I get to appreciate your elegance and gracefulness, Miss rk?" Maia was at a loss for words. She was miserably pale at that moment, as pale as a ghost. Gone was herdy-likeposure, she was anything but elegant and graceful. Catelyn was clearly mocking her! Maia was so furious her chest hurt. She picked up the teacup by the nightstand and threw it at Catelyn. "Catelyn, don''t be so smug! Even without the child, I will still be alright! Richard will take all the me. I will still be the rk family''s heiress! Once I recover my energy, I will make sure you''ll end up a hundred times worse than me!" This is from N?velDrama.Org. Maia''s sinister look made it seem like her eyes were about to pop out. It was as if she could swallow Catelyn whole. Catelyn cocked her head to the side to avoid the flying teacup. She clutched her chest in cooperation, "oh, I''m so scared." "You¡ª" "It would still be justifiable if your miscarriage was an ident, but yet you were in cahoots with Jamie. Do you think Richard is a fool? You still expect him to take the me on your behalf..." Maia no longer had anything to show off to Catelyn. The only thing worth showing off was Richard, her subservient dog. She raised her chin and smiled smugly. "In front of me, he is a fool and a retard! No matter what I say, he will believe it! If I ask him to die, he will do it without even blinking!" Catelyn narrowed her eyes and asked, "He has done so much for you. Right now, he is even sacrificing his life for you. I thought you two would at least have some feelings for each other..." Maia smiled even more condescendingly. She was extremely disgusted. "He clearly knew the person I like is Master Cedrick, yet he still tried to pursue me. To put it bluntly, he is just a b*tch. I like to fool around. Him going to prison on my behalf is a huge blessing for him already!" Catelyn listened to Maia going on for a long time. She secretly sighed. Maia was truly a lost cause. She initially thought that if Maia had intentions of repenting, perhaps, she could let her go... She never thought that Maia would be so stubborn. When Maia saw Catelyn not talking, she became even more smug. Richard was willing to do anything for her, even die... Catelyn only relied on her two children to get to the top. Cedrick''s feelings for her were surely not sincere. If there was a betterdy in the future, Catelyn would only be the nanny. At the entrance to the hospital, Joanne was waiting for Catelyn. She was in an inconspicuous car. She had simple makeup on and was wearing sunsses to avoid the paparazzi. "How is that crazy woman doing?" when Joanne saw Catelyning out, she pushed open the front passenger seat door and asked her eagerly. Catelyn bent down and got in the car. She buckled her seat belt while shaking her head. "She''s a lost cause. Even now she still thinks that Richard will take the me for her. Looking at her, I think she''s nning to kill me once she recovers." Joanne was feeling angry on Richard''s behalf. Her face was puffed up. "How shameless! Richard is quite a good-looking guy. He hasrger eyes than me, yet why is he so blind? Falling in love with a maniptive b*tch..." "Joanne, take me to the police station." Joanne knew what Catelyn wanted to do. She snickered at her and drove to the police station. Since she was framed by L Atherton previously, the person in charge, Mister Denson, knew who Catelyn was, which was why he treated her politely. When he heard that she wanted to see Richard, he only hesitated for a second before sending his men to arrange the meeting. Soon, Catelyn met with Richard in the visitation room. Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Richard has just met with hiswyer. Thewyer was a bigshot hired by the rk family and the Kingsley family. Although he was Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. not as famous as Benjamin Anderson, he was still quite influential. He told Richard that the child in Maia had been miscarried and that the miscarriage was set up by Catelyn! He immediately lost it in prison, yelling out loud saying that he wanted to kill Catelyn. He was looking haggard and disheveled. He could not care any less about his grooming. He even had a faint pungent body odor. At that moment, he was ring at Catelyn like a berserk creature about to pounce at her and kill her. "Catelyn, you murderer!" Thankfully the officers by the side held him back and hit him on the back with their batons. "Richard, what are you yelling about? This isn''t a ce where you could do whatever you like. Sit properly!" Catelyn looked lost. Joanne red back fiercely too. "Mister Kingsley, Kitty and I are here out of the kindness of our hearts. Don''t yell and call US murderers the moment you see us!" "I''ve already confessed that I did everything! I wanted to kill you and Cedrick. I was the one who poisoned Cedrick too! If you want to seek revenge,e at me! why did you have to kill the child in Maia," Richard yelled at Catelyn while being forced back on the metal chair by the officers. His hands were still cuffed. He red at her with reddened bloodshot eyes. Catelyn came to her senses. Maia was afraid that Richard would regret it, so she pinned the crimes on him first. Then, she made herself seem pitiful. Richard was perhaps persuaded again, so he foolishly went to prison on her behalf. Catelyn did not say anything further, she calmly took her phone out and yed a recording for him. "It would still be justifiable if your miscarriage was an ident, but yet you were in cahoots with Jamie. Do you think Richard is a fool? You still expect him to take the me on your behalf..." "In front of me, he is a fool and a retard! If I ask him to die, he will do it without even blinking! Him going to prison on my behalf is a huge blessing for him already!" Once the recording was yed back, silence loomed over the room. Richard''s eyes suddenly popped. He clenched his fists tightly. The veins on his arms were protruding... The voice of the recording was Maia''s! Her shrill words kept ringing in his ears. He loved her so much. He only asked that she keep his child so that the child will be part of the Kingsley family in the future. He never thought that she conspired with Jamie Mason and ended up having a miscarriage! Fool? Retard? Were those the only two titles he deserved ording to her? It was as if someone had stabbed a blunt knife deeply in his heart, pulled it out, and stabbed it back in. The knife even had barbs on it. He was in so much pain he could barely breathe. He knew that Maia always wanted to be Missus Mason. He knew that she did not love him, so he tried his best to treat her well. However, in the end, she would not even leave him a child! She had promised him that as long as he confessed to the crimes, she would give birth to the child. "Ha..." Richard''s eyes reddened. He suddenlyughed maniacally. Heughed and cried. His voice was haunting, yet it was mixed with a strong sense of hatred. Joanne was creeped out and she shuddered. Hisughter was extremely eerie and sinister. Catelyn looked at Richard crying andughing eerily in silence, she guessed that he must be losing it, but she did not pity him one bit. Even if Maia was the mastermind behind the kidnapping and murdering, Richard was still an aplice! If Cedrick was not long prepared, he might have been killed by the poison already! Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Chapter 603 It was lethal poison. Richard was not any better than Maia. At that moment, the best scenario would be him going up against Maia. Maia, on the other hand, would try to drag him down by piling the me on him to escape punishment, and they would fight each other to the death. That would be a good y to witness. It was also considered payback for all the inhuman experiences that she and Cedrick suffered! Coming out from the police station, Catelyn was feeling much more rxed. Since she has not seen Joanne in a long time, Catelyn sent Cedrick a message. [§¤§ä going out for dinner with Joanne tonight. Don''t wait up. I might be backte.] At the top floor of the Mason Group, the meeting room was in utter silence. Even the sounds of pages flipping were extremely quiet. Cedrick was sitting in the main seat of the round meeting table. He was looking at the Marketing Director giving a presentation on stage without any expressions on his face. The slides on the screen swept past one after the other. The Marketing Direct was presenting them with utter intentness. However, when he finished his presentation, Cedrick did not give any replies or notes on the presentation. Everyone held their breath. No one dared to let out a single breath. Cedrick has been to Franche for quite a long time. The Mason family always had internal strife among themselves, therefore many of the executives there had received olive branches from the other family members before. Including Grandpa Mason. He had recently hinted at everyone to give Cedrick the so-called cold shoulder. However, when Cedrick returned to the headquarters of the Mason Group, he did not need to say anything at all. Even just by sitting there, his extremely powerful aura made others want to submit to him. "Master Cedrick, I have finished the summary report for this quarter," The Marketing Director said timidly. Cedrick said distractedly, "I was distracted. Do it once more." Of course, the Marketing Director could not say no. He could only repeat his presentation once more. The atmosphere in the room got more and more tense. The Marketing Director¡¯s forehead was already sweating profusely. When he finished the second time, Cedrick said once more, "Do it once more." The Marketing Director''s heart was about to pop out of him, but he had no choice but to obey his boss. His throat was dry from talking. His legs were turning numb from standing on stage. He had repeated it four times before Cedrick nodded and gave his opinion and demands for the next quarter. The Marketing Direct was drenched. He returned to his seat. The next second, Cedrick threw a file onto the table. Everyone was stunned. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. The Marketing Director almost slipped off his chair. "All of you are the confidants of the Mason Group. You are also the pioneers that have worked with Grandpa Mason, but I am now in charge of the Mason Group. Thepany needs fresh blood. If any of you can''t achieve my expectations for the next quarter,e to my office to get a refund on thepany''s shares. I will pay you double the share''s price ording to the market''s rate." Cedrick narrowed his eyes and swept everyone a gaze. He was extremely clear about the game Grandpa Mason was ying. Grandpa Mason could not possibly let Nine take over, but Grandpa Mason was also unhappy that he was together with Catelyn. He could only use such tactics to force him to retreat. However, Cedrick was no longer a naive seventeen-year-old. After saying that, he immediately announced the meeting was adjourned and left the meeting room. Charles immediately picked up the documents on the table and followed him. The silent meeting room was instantly filled with sighs. Compared to the reward from Grandpa Mason, they would rather try to protect their jobs. After all, Cedrick was heartless, and he would do what he said. When Cedrick returned to the office, it was already dark. Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Chapter 604 "I was observing them closely just now. Those executives whom Grandpa Mason contacted were sweating like crazy. It looks like they have a guilty conscience." Charles said with a chuckle while cing the documents on the desk. Cedrick smiled in cold mockery. "They were thinking that they could get the best of both worlds." They never thought that there was no such thing. At that moment, Eason knocked and entered. Ever since the incident of Richard kidnapping Catelyn, Eason had been secretly arranged to protect Catelyn. He reported Catelyn''s whereabouts for the day to Cedrick. He deliberately emphasized the fact that Richard was going back on his word and how he was changing his statement, dragging Maia down. Richard kept reinforcing the fact that Maia was the mastermind. He was under her spell, and he was merely an aplice. He hoped for a lighter sentence! Cedrick initially wanted to wait until he was free the next few days to deal with Maia and Richard. He never thought that Catelyn had done it already! she even crushed Richard''s faith in Maia... It was no longer easy for Maia to treat Richard as a fool. "Okay. If there is nothing else, you two can leave." Cedrick lowered his gaze. A sense of pride rose in his heart. After Charles and Eason left, Cedrick pulled out the second drawer on the left of his desk, and there his personal phone was. His phone ran out of battery a moment ago, so he ced it in his office charging. He would rarely take his personal phone along with him during meetings. However, ever since he had Catelyn and the two children, he would nce at the phone for messages now and then. Swiping through the screen on his phone, he saw a new message from Catelyn. Cedrick smiled a little. He initially thought that it was a message from Catelyn telling him about the things she had done that day. He never expected that it was only a message telling him that she was going to have dinner with Joanne. He scanned at the message that said she might be homete. His gaze darkened. He immediately opened a certain group chat. It was the group chat of a few of his close friends. He had also added Edwin in. He texted the group, [My wife is in a good mood today. She''s buying dinner. Are any of you interested?] Benjamin has received instructions from Cedrick about drafting a prenuptial agreement, so he knew that Cedrick nned to marry Catelyn. He was not surprised at all. Edwin, on the other hand, went off the rails. [Damn! Has the mother of your children be your wife already so quickly?] Catelyn has only casually picked a restaurant, she nned for some karaoke after dinner. Catelyn had a terrible pitch. They usually only did it for fun, so Joanne did not mind her singing at all. Thus, when they usually hang out and if they had the time, they would surely hit the karaoke bar. However, Catelyn never expected to receive Cedrick''s call before she even entered the restaurant. "Are you friendsing too?" Catelyn looked at Joanne with furrowed brows. "But I have already agreed to have dinner with Joanne..." Cedrick was deliberately silent for two seconds before musing and trailing off, "They are usually quite busy. It''s rare for them to have the time to meet tonight. If you really can''t make it, I''ll turn them down." When Catelyn heard what he said, she could not find it in her heart to refuse them. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. "Who are they?" "You know most of them, including Mister Atherton and Benjamin, " Cedrick said in a charming voice. Catelyn turned to look at Joanne, "okay then. Let me ask Joanne about this first. If she is fine with it, I''ll send you a message to confirm." Joanne had in fact already heard their conversation and had gestured that she did not mind. Chapter 605 Chapter 605 Chapter 605 However, when Joanne heard that the peopleing would include Edward too, she furrowed her brows a little. Catelyn knew about her messy inextricable rtionship with Edward. She patted Joanne on the shoulders. "Don''t worry, you are my best friend. If he dares to bully you tonight, I won''t go easy on him." Catelyn had decided to hold the gathering at the Riverdale Restaurant. Although it was quite expensive, it should be an eptable restaurant for Cedrick''s friends. She could not let them think that she was too stingy. Furthermore, Riverdale Entertainment club was opposite the restaurant. They would be able to have some fun after the meal since they would most likely not leave right after dinner. It was a convenient choice for Catelyn. Catelyn was afraid that she would be busy hosting Cedrick''s friends and she would leave Joanne out, so she invited Jolene along too. She was indeed a good friend through and through. After informing Cedrick of the room number, Catelyn, Joanne, and Jolene chatted with each other. Jolene and Joanne lovedics. Jolene was even a famous onlineic artist, so the two of them got along very well. At that moment only Catelyn found out that Jolene was an adultic artist! Jolene did not feel awkward one bit. She immediately shared her social media page with them. Catelyn looked, and she was bewildered. It was not only adult content. The crucial thing was that she also drew homoeroticics with assorted characters. There were the domineering ones, the submissive ones, the seductive ones, and even the aloof ones. Her drawing style kept changing too. Sometimes, it was adorable, other times it was more macho, she was highly skilled in drawing, and she had a few hundred thousand followers. Thements below her posts were all about how great of an artist she was. The followers even requested the couples that they liked to see. "Do you find me strange?" Jolene had changed a different hairstyle when she returned to the country. Her brte hair was long and curly, touching her shoulders, looking ssy. Joanne was dazzled. "No, no! I have long heard about you. I heard that a gamingpany has tried to hire you with extremely high pay, but you rejected them! I really like your art..." "Haha, I was abroad back then. They requested that I fly back to work, so I could only turn them down. Right, do you have any couples you would like to see together? I''ll give you the VIP treatment. I''ll draw for you first." Joanne had a mischievous smile. "I would like to see Mister Atherton and Master Cedrick together, with every move Master Cedrick makes, Mister Atherton would be in tears..." Material ? N?velDrama.Org. "Pfft..." Catelyn spat a mouthful of water out. She choked on some water and her throat hurt. Catelyn looked at Joanne as if she went mad. "Enough! You can fantasize about Mister Atherton. Don''t pull Cedrick into this..." If Cedrick knew that Jolene drew him as the main character in an adultic, he would surely note for Jolene, but her. Jolene''s interest was piqued, she nodded in agreement. "This is a great idea! Kitty knows the two of them! There won''t be any copyright issues either..." "Are you serious?" Catelyn was rather speechless. Joanne chuckled mischievously, "of course, I''m serious. I''m telling you. You''ll get addicted to theseics." "That''s always the case," Jolene concluded domineeringly. "...We''ll see about this once you have finished drawing them." Catelyn felt as if she was ying with fire. " If we crossed the line, it would end badly for me." As they were talking, a flurry of footsteps could be hearding from outside the door. Cedrick and his friends have arrived, though not many of them. Including Benjamin and Edward, there were only four or five people. Chapter 606 Chapter 606 Chapter §Ò§à§Ò Catelyn calmly shook everyone''s hands as they introduced themselves. Everyone brought gifts for her, and these presents were so huge that Jolene and Joanne were momentarily stunned. Aside from the yacht and vi somebody else bought for her, Donald gifted her a small ind. Catelyn struggled to keep herself from passing out when she heard Donald''s gift. She could not possibly ept that; an ind was an extravagant gift! On the other hand, declining the gift would surely bruise Donald''s goodwill. Cedrick walked to Catelyn''s side, held her waist with one hand and took the gifts from the guests, and said, "My wife is grateful for all of these. From now on, she''s your sister-inw." Benjamin envied how Cedrick could hold Catelyn so romantically. " She''s not your wife yet until you have the marriage license." "Oh, they haven''t gotten a marriage license yet, you say?" Edwin''s eyes narrowed, seemingly pleased. "You know, Kitty, I''ve always thought that you''re beautiful. It''s a pity that you''re marrying Cedrick! Consider me before it''s toote. I promise to treat you a hundred times better than him." Catelyn knew he was joking, but she could still feel that sharp spike of intensity from the man beside her. Cedrick held Benjamin in contempt. "If it weren''t for someone''s inefficient service, we would''ve gotten our marriage license already." Benjamin refuted, "You told me that day that you wanted to draft a contract before marriage, out of the blue! Please, I still have hundreds of millions ofwsuits in my hand waiting for me to settle, and how much did you offer me? I can make the contract today if you give me three hundred million dors." Catelyn had long had a deep understanding of Benjamin''s gold- digging manner. Thus, she was speechless. She still could remember that day when she had made a consultation appointment on the Inte and spent a lot of money on that. However, Benjamin was busy overseas for outstation at the time. He did not refund the money but asked her to seek help from otherw firms. They eventually had their meal in a harmonious, pleasant atmosphere. Everyone drank a lot, especially Jolene and Joanne. The two were excited to meet each other, so they hit the bottles. Catelyn, on the other hand, could not bear to see their drunk selves, so she asked a few chauffeurs to send them home. However, upon hearing that everyone was headed to Riverdale Entertainment club for a karaoke session, Joanne''s eyes glowed like lightbulbs. After all, she loved to sing. In the end, everyone went to the club. Since Edwin was the owner of the entertainment club, they got an enormous VIP room for free. Everyone had their turn in singing, but it was evident how Edwin was the only man who could sing in the room. Because of that, Catelyn found the karaoke session unexpectedly boring. A small tug-of-war nearly broke out when Edwin tried to get the mic from Joanne. Toozy to try, Edwin proposed that they yed poker instead. Benjamin, Edwin, and Donald quickly jumped off the couch and took their seats, with that, they needed one more yer to start the game. Cedrick was originally apanying Catelyn on the couch, but she pushed him. "Go, join them. Four for a game." She wanted to hang out with Joanne and Jolene. Had it been not for the unexpected guests, she would have sung along. Cedrick leaned slowly on the couch andnguidly spoke, "Do you know how to y cards?" She knew, of course. Her stepmom, Ste, was a master at ying cards, and she had been learning little by little Material ? N?velDrama.Org. when she watched her sessions. "I am not going to y for you, so don''t bother asking. I can''t take the amount of money that''s involved in just a single game." She remembered that time when she was framed by Cedrick and ran to the Riverdale Entertainment club to find John, still, she identally ran into Cedrick''s room and saw him ying cards with Charles. Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Chapter 607 The chips in the pool at that time were worth more than 1OOOO dors! Back then, Catelyn did not expect that Cedric and Charles were rich, given how unassuming they looked. That room, unlike the one they were in, was divided into several areas; Cedrick and Charles were in one of the y zones. There were even white chandeliers hung on the ceiling which made the room bright. In contrast, the lighting of the VIP room Catelyn and her friends were singing in was soft and hazy. Under such a fascinating ambiance, Cedrick could not help but slip his arm around Catelyn''s waist and squeeze lightly, which caught Catelyn by surprise. "Just have fun there," rang his voice, husky and soft. "Don''t worry about losing money." Edwin''s keen ears heard Cedrick''s whisper, and his eyes twinkled excitedly. "Don''t be shy, Kitty! Cedrick earns a lot, so even if he loses millions of dors, he can earn it back the next day." He then teasingly eyed Cedrick and Catelyn as though he had sparked the mes of trouble for Cedrick. Catelyn stared at Cedrick in surprise as she internally shrieked,'' Millions of dors?!'' "I''ll be your guide. Let''s go." Cedrickdid not even fret about Catelyn losing money for him. Instead, it would please him. After all, he could use that as leverage, reminding her someday of his '' kindness'' should she ever second-guess him. Cedrick then pushed Catelyn to the card table. They were ying poker, but the rules were slightly different andplicated. Most importantly, the starting pool prize was 15000 dors. Catelyn took a deep breath, she initially agreed to y because they had given her many expensive gifts, so it would be appropriate to lose some money to them in return. To her surprise, she won the first few rounds! The pile of chips in the pool was gettingrger and higher. Edwin then said with a smile, "Seems like Lady Luck favors you tonight, Kitty! I think it''s time to change the rules." Catelyn recognized that look on Edwin''s face. It was the look he made when he felt frisky. She felt like he had been losing purposely to lure her into his trap. Still, she would not allow herself to be a coward. "Alright, I''ll bite. What is it?" "Drinking." Edwin pointed to his wine cab in the corner and said, "If you lose, you have to drink a ss of wine, or you can take off your clothes, if you don''t want to drink, until you''re naked." Catelyn blushed. "That''s unfair! I''m ady!" "Who said you''re the one taking off clothes? Isn''t your ''guide'' behind you?" Catelyn was nominally the host of the party that night. They all came to toast her during dinner, and Cedrickhad already drunk several sses of wine for her. She figured out that the wine was strong judging by Jolene and Joanne''s searing red faces. Therefore, she felt it was more convenient to y with money. "Forget it. It''s me who''s ying, not him. If you think it''s unfair, I''ll return all the chips to you and y with you again with my own money." Just as Catelyn''s handnded on the stack of chips, arge palm passed over her hand, stopping her from giving back the chips. Cedrick''s deep eyes stared at Edwin and darkened. "Are you sure the loser needs to drink and undress?" "If you''re not feeling up to it, I don''t mind you drinking a whole bottle of wine." Edwin himself had no idea why he suddenly wanted to see Cedrick get drunk and take off his clothes. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. It might be that he was unhappy that Cedrick was going to marry Catelyn. After all, Cedrick had hurt Catelyn for so long, yet she epted his proposal too soon. Edwin just felt that it was not worth it for her. "I''m afraid that you''ll be the one who loses in the end." Cedrick sneered and threw the cards in Catelyn''s hand on the card table. At that moment, Catelyn could feel that a storm was brewing. Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Catelyn secretly nced at Joanne and Jolene, who were singing. She knew that two friends of hers would be dying to see Edwin and Cedrick having some sort of ''bromantic affair'' together. Maybe it was because the rules of the game were changed, or maybe it was because Edwin and the others did not hold back their skills anymore, but Catelyn lost five games in a rowter on. She did not even dare to look at Cedrick''s livid face. "Kitty, your poker skills are indeed a little unreliable. I''m embarrassed to let Cedrick keep drinking like that." Edwin''s eyes narrowed into a seam. After speaking, he handed the wine ss to Cedrick. ''What a shameless man. He''s actually gloating!'' hissed Catelyn internally. Cedrick drank all the wine in the cup in one go. No matter how good he was at handling his alcohol, his face had begun to turn red. Knowing that he had a gastric problem, Catelyn tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Let''s admit our defeat and stop ying. Or, why not let me drink if I lose again?" This is from N?velDrama.Org. "There¡¯s no such word ''loss'' in my dictionary," declined Cedrick. Catelyn was so distressed that she might need to go to the hospital just because Cedrick was giving his all in a game! She hurriedly asked the waiter to bring some dry food such as bread for Cedrick to ease his gastric pain. Suddenly, Cedrick''s lips quirked into a small smile. "It''s not over yet. Don''t be toocent, shuffle the cards!" As soon as Catelyn heard Cedrick, she started to concentrate on the game. What shocked her was that no matter how bad her y cards were, Cedrick always had a way to fool the others, and the chips stacked up very quickly. She was amazed by Cedrick''s calmness. Soon, she was blessed by the goddess of luck, when it came to the '' river'' card, a King of Spades was ced by the dealer. Edwin showed his hands as he said, "straight flush." Catelyn''s eyes lit up with excitement. She almost jumped up from her seat as she pointed at the ''river'' card and shouted, "We won! We won!" "Huh? That makes just a pair of ten. You knew a single pair won''t beat my straight flush, right?" Cedrick then revealed the card that was covered by the ten of spades with a very calm expression. "My apologies, but here''s an ace of spades, which makes this a royal flush. Taking what you owed from previous matches into consideration, do you choose to drink all the wine on this table, or do you n to even take off your panties?" When the game was over, Edwin blushed. Undoubtedly, he would not take off his underwear, so he could only drink all the wine. ''Get a load of your own medicine!'' harrumphed Catelyn to herself. Cedrick also drank a lot. Catelyn was very worried that his gastric problems would recur. After calling a cab for Jolene and Joanne, she supported Cedrick by his shoulders as they walked back to sober up. Chapter 609 Chapter 609 Chapter 609 Back in the bathroom of Riverdale Entertainment club, Joanne had lost her sense of direction and got separated from Jolene as she walked. She originally wanted to go to the women''s bathroom, but she somehow stumbled into the men''s bathroom in the end. Sitting on a toilet in a cubicle, Joanne hummed in a timid tone. After flushing the water, she walked out of the cubicle, staggering and wobbling as she did. She took a look around with her flushed cheeks and heavy eyelids. She was so drunk that she could not tell the difference. She felt her head be gradually heavy, and before taking a few steps forward, she stumbled and mmed into the back of a man out of control. Although Edwin was just as intoxicated, he still had his rationale with him as he was able to analyze the situation of his surroundings. Hearing footsteps behind him, he quickly turned around and pushed the person away. When he saw that it was Joanne, he was startled for a second. Joanne took advantage of the situation and threw herself into his arms. She opened her blurred eyes, tilted her head, and pointed at Edwin who was in front of her. ¡®Why are there so many men?'' she started to see hallucinations. She shook her head aggressively and squeezed out a charming smile. "Thank you... Thank you, uncle!" Edwin had always been popr among females. He had seen many women, but it was the first time that a woman called him uncle. ''Is she genuinely drunk, or is she faking it just to throw herself in my arms?'' He was already ufortable because of the dizziness, but Joanne just had to hunch over and eagerly tug him by his hand. He tried to shake her off. still, she clung to him like a sloth. He gave up eventually, and Joanne fell onto his chest once more as she could barely stand on her own. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. The two bodies collided, and their heads could not be any closer. The headache and dizziness hit again, and at this moment, they could smell the fragrance of perfume sourced from each other''s necks. Their breath merged into one, and everything seemed so perfectly aligned. She pouted her beautiful red lips, which she had just applied lipstick on, which shimmered with moist luster. Her lips looked like fresh cherries to Edwin, and he could not help but want to take a bite. Instantly, Edwin was stunned, bbergasted by his own thoughts, and immediately dismissed the idea. ''Darn it! It must be the alcohol!'' Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Simr to Joanne, Catelyn, too, found herself in an embarrassing situation. She was staring at Cedrick in their car. She realized Cedrick was the same every time he was drunk. One might think he was still conscious judging by his bright eyes and the way he walked, yet his mind had long been muddled. Once there was no one, or when he rxed his tensed nerves, he would return to his drunken state. At that moment, he had already fallen asleep on herp as his eyes were tightly closed and his eyebrows rxed. Gone was his hostility when he was drunk. Regardless, he habitually frowned. Catelyn rubbed the tip of his eyebrows, trying to calm him down, yet that only helped for a few seconds until he frowned again. Catelyn put her white palm against his forehead and murmured, " How could you value your pride over your health? If you had admitted defeat, all you would''ve lost was just a game. Are you happy now? Don''t you know how bad it hurts to be drunk?" Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Eason was driving the car, sending them back to Mason Estate. It was almost half past eleven when they arrived, hence the two boys were already fast asleep. Catelyn and Eason both carried Cedrick to the bedroom Cedrick and Catelyn shared on the second floor. Catelyn turned her head and instructed Albert, "Grandpa Albert, please make some pick-me-up for Cedrick." He nodded. "I''ll go right away, but why is Master Cedrick drunk like this?" "He was naive and childish,peting with Mr. Atherton." The second half of Catelyn''s reply caught Albert''s attention as he frowned and muttered, "Seems like Mr. Atherton has been his yful self, but he knows Master Cedrick has been suffering from gastric pain, why did he still challenge him to drink?" Catelyn did not exin much and went to the bathroom to take a basin of hot water to wipe off the smell of tobo and alcohol on Cedrick''s body. Cedrick, however, was not cooperative in his drunken state, and Catelyn barely got him undressed. She was panting after she had removed all his clothes, sweating all over her body, and she was so angry that she wanted to throw a bucket of water on his face to wake him up. "You look so thin, but you''re so heavy! I knew that it wouldn''t be an easy task to wipe you." Catelyn struggled for more than half an hour to finish cleaning his body before she could not move anymore. He could not drink the pick-me-up either! Catelyn finally gave up, thinking that he would drink it when he woke up the next morning. When covering him with a quilt, Catelyn noticed the scars on his body, all of which were injuries he had suffered in Franche to save her. It was precisely the scars all over his body that touched her heart. She suddenly leaned over to kiss the gunshot wound on his right arm. Cedrick could feel a warm and soft touch on his skin, and his eyelids quivered as he wanted to open them. He did not drink as much wine as Edwin. Although his headache was hurtful, he was conscious of his surroundings. However, before he could do anything else, Catelyn had let go of him and went to the bathroom. There was then a sound of a rush of watering from the bathroom. Still, without knowing what was in her mind, hey back silently in the end. The next morning, Catelyn was woken up by the urge to use the toilet. She had drunk a lot of drinksst night too, which diforted her. Thus, she ran straight to the bathroom after she had gotten out of bed. "Why don''t you close the door when you use the bathroom?!" To Catelyn''s absolute shock, Cedrick was inside. He would never get tired of her flustered self, no matter how close they were. Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Chapter 611 "How would I know you''d break in suddenly?" After a pause, Cedrick raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile, " Did youe in to peek on purpose, knowing that I was in the bathroom?" Catelyn blushed and turned her back to him angrily. "I don''t even care about looking at you, so why would I care about peeping at you? Also, your ''package'' isn''t gold-encrusted. Hurry up, I want to use the bathroom too." Cedrick wickedly smirked. Catelyn urged him at the door for a long time, but he did note out. The two stared at each other for a while until Catelyn got angry. " Can''t you get out already?!" "I''m not done yet." Cedrick reclined slowly on the ss door that separated the shower area from the dry area. "You''ve seen my body, so to be fair, I think I should look at yours, too." Catelyn was furious as she looked at him in disgust. "Are you perverted?!" She could not believe he wanted to stay and watch her using the toilet. Even if he did not feel disgusted, she would still feel This is from N?velDrama.Org. embarrassed. Through the ss door, her expression was particrly vivid in Cedrick''s eyes. ''A typical daily life of an ordinary couple, isn''t it?'' he mused with a smile. "I''ll just be a pervert around you. Do you like it?" The man''s expression seemed a lot too treacherous. "In your dreams, you b*stard! Hurry up! If you don''t go out, §Ô§Ú be very angry!" Catelyn was annoyed as she tried to push him out, but Cedrick was strong enough that he did not even budge. Catelyn had had enough of this rascal. At that moment, she noticed that Cedrick was standing not far from a bathtub. There was still half a tub of water in the bathtub which he had filled to take a bath. Catelyn then replied with a sly smile, "Mister President, are you sure you don''t want to go out?" "Kiss me, and I''ll think about it." Thump! As soon as Cedrick finished his sentence, Catelyn immediately pushed his chest toward the bathtub. Unaware of Catelyn''s mischief, Cedrick slipped and fell right into the bathtub. His clothes were completely wet, and the water sshed everywhere. His short hair was drenched thoroughly. Catelyn looked at Cedrick who fell into the bathtub flusteredly, and she burst intoughter. "Oh, I''m sorry¡ªmy hand slipped! Since you like this bathroom so much, I''ll let you use it as long as you want. I''ll go to the guest bedroom to use the bathroom," she harrumphed, cing her hands on her hips as she walked away in amusement. The apology was obviously insincere, and it seemed to Cedrick that she was gloating instead. A drop of water slid down Cedrick''s forehead and sank into the corner of his eye, while a look of annoyance shed in his eyes. He originally wanted to see her blush, but she tricked him in the end. Just as Catelyn was about to reach the door, he stood up from the bathtub and pulled her firmly toward him. With Catelyn''s body pressed against his chest, the cold water all over his body seeped into her clothes. Catelyn was so irritated by the coldness that she screamed. However, Cedrick wanted to punish her, so he shook his head forcefully, letting the water droplets from his short hair fall on her face. "What are you doing, Cedrick?!" shrieked Catelyn. "stop, go away! "Ah! "You made me wet!" At the same time, Albert was bringing over a bowl of pick-me-up soup. Cedrick did not take a sipst night, so Catelyn asked him to make another one this morning for Cedrick to ease his headache. Imagine Albert''s surprise when he heard Catelyn''s shriek as soon as he came to the door. Chapter 612 Chapter 612 Chapter 612 Catelyn, oddly, sounded somewhat coquettish despite her evidently anger-filled words, and Abert almost dropped the tray on his hands when he heard their conversation. Albert blushed. It just so happened that two cleaning maids were wiping the dust off the railings in the morning, when they heard Catelyn''s voice, they exchanged nces and grinned strangely. "Our Master Cedrick is so strong." "You''re right, you''re right!" "Aww, they''re so sweet!" "That''s right! This is probably what they meant by ''youths having fun''." "Ahem!" Albert was too embarrassed to listen to their conversation. He looked at the two maids and said, "Alright, this ce has been cleaned. You can go downstairs to clean the living room now." The maids got Albert''s hint and went downstairs with a smile. Albert then hurried downstairs with the maids and ordered all the maids to not allow anyone to go upstairs. Still, Albert was a little worried that the young masters might have heard it. ''Oh, God, please have mercy on the young masters. They''re still too young for this!'' he prayed vehemently. In the bathroom, Catelyn, soaked from head to toe, felt ashamed and annoyed. Cedrick made a hateful expression, conveying ''you made me do it.'' Deep down, Catelyn wanted to bite Cedrick to death. Suddenly, her cell phone in the bedroom rang. Catelyn wanted to answer the phone, but Cedrick wrapped his arms around her waist domineeringly, gently tucked her wet hair behind her ears, and stared at her. "Do you dare tease me like this next time?" Catelyn was so worn out that she had no choice but to act cute to beg him. "stop ying around, my phone rang¡ª" "Ignore that ignorant phone call! Tell me, do you dare to tease me again?" A wave of anger began to grow in Cedrick''s eyes. Catelyn''s heart skipped a beat, she quickly waved her hand to beg for mercy. "No, I promise I won''t! Please forgive me, Mister President! Please let me answer the phone, in case something happens..." Cedrick hung his head low and bit her lip fiercely before letting go of her. As soon as he did, however, he regretted his action. He tugged at his neckline and cursed, ''Ugh. What *sshole would call this early in the morning to wake people up?!'' When Catelyn arrived at the hotel, Joanne had just gotten out of the bathroom. Her hair was wet and messy, and she was just wearing a bathrobe. As soon as she saw Catelyn, she seemed to lose her endurance, burst into tears, and threw herself into Catelyn''s arms. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "Kitty, I''m over this time! I slept with a strangerst night! What do you think I should do?!" Joanne did not exin herself properly during their phone call. Catelyn could not process what Joanne said at that very moment. "What do you mean, you slept with a stranger? Didn''t I call a cab to take you homest night? Why were you in the hotel?" "I wanted to go to the bathroom halfway through, so I told the driver to wait for me for a while, and I don''t remember what happened next. Anyway, I woke up lying on this bed with blood on myher regions! The man is gone too! I''m so ruined!" Joanne covered her face with her hands. The more she thought about it, the worse it became, she was an artist after all. They neither know who the man was nor did they know if he would use this to ckmail her. Catelyn seemed extremely worried when she thought of the worst oue possible. Chapter 613 Chapter 613 Chapter 613 "Do you remember what that man looked like?" "I..." Joanne thumped her head and shook her head helplessly. Her eyes reddened as she wept. "I can''t remember, but his back looked familiar to me. He looked tall and beefy." "What about his other features? Can you recall anything else about him?" A lot of vague memories suddenly shed in Joanne''s mind. Catelyn stared at her aggrieved appearance and felt remorseful and guilty. She was also mad that the driver did not fetch Joanne, and he did not even call her to double-confirm her friend''s wellbeing. She held herself responsible because she did not call Joanne to ask if she had gotten home safely before going to bed. However, what troubled them was that Joanne had already taken a shower, and she might already have washed away the evidence, which was the DNA of the man. Not to mention, she was a public figure, and that incident would most probably affect her reputation. "Do you remember where you met that man?" Joanne took a moment''s thought and answered with certainty, "In the bathroom of the Riverdale Entertainment Club." Joanne was struck by a headache when she recalled what had happened in the bathroom. She then tugged at Catelyn''s sleeve and asked with a panic expression. "D*mn it! Do you think the man I met in the bathroom has AIDS? Also, what if he recognizes me, takes pictures of me naked, and sells them to random tabloids?" Catelyn became anxious, too. If that was true, Joanne''s nightmare was a nightmare in the making. Staring at Joanne''s watery eyes, Catelyn hurriedlyforted her, " He won''t. If that man recognizes you, he won''t run away before you wake up, and he''d instead threaten you with those photos." Joanne covered her face with her hands again, cursing at how careless she had been with herselfst night. "Then that means 1 was bedded for nothing..." Catelyn was afraid of Joanne''s wild thoughts, so she immediately helped her clean up and apanied her to a private hospital before checking the video surveince in the hotel. The burning pain in Joanne''s private parts made walking difficult. It seemed that the skin had been torn off, and it was swollen and ufortable. As soon as she walked out of the door, she lost her bnce and almost fell to her knees. It took some time for Catelyn to carry her to the hospital for an examination. The diagnosis given by the doctor gave Joanne mixed feelings. The doctor told her that the STD test result was negative, yet those diseases normally have an incubation period, such as AIDS. "I''ll give you some medicine, and you need to apply them to the wound when you get back." That was the first time Joanne knew there could still be scabs in her private parts. She was too embarrassed to see anyone at this point. Before leaving, she gave the doctor an envelope of money in exchange for a promise to keep her incident a secret. Joanne was so ufortable that she felt sick and did not have the energy to check the video surveince. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn had to sit with her on a nearby bench for a while. She hugged and patted Joanne on the back lightly tofort her for a long time, making sure that she was in a better mood before she left her to buy contraceptive pills. Then, she mixed it with warm water and gave it to Joanne, having her drink it. Joanne said nothing all the while and swallowed several pills without water, she did not want to be pregnant with a scumbag''s child. Looking at Joanne''s childish actions, Catelyn could not help but feel sad. Even though calling the police for this incident might prove to do more damage than closure, she swore to God that she would have the man punished. She could not believe that Joanne, a delicate girl, would be defiled. ''Was the scumbag a pervert who hadn''t seen or touched any woman his whole life?'' Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Catelyn called a cab so she could send Joanne home before she would go to Riverdale Entertainment club to check the video surveince. Joanne was afraid of being recognized, so she wore a thick mask. The previous passenger of this cab might have brought durian as the car was filled with the smell of this fruit. Joanne felt a little choked when she took the contraceptive pill. To make things worse, the strong urge to puke suddenly arose in Material ? N?velDrama.Org. her body when she smelled durian, and her headache worsened. The driver mmed on the brake on a turn. Hastily, Catelyn had the driver stop at the roadside, and Joanne quickly ran to a trash can before she started throwing up. "Ack!" She puked for several minutes until it felt as though her stomach was empty. Even after, she barely felt better and could not vomit anymore. The driver was worried about what had happened to her, so he handed over a pile of tissue papers and asked, "Miss, are you okay? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" "No! I just went there." Joanne was afraid the driver would see her face, so she lowered her head. As a result, she spotted freshly disposed garbage in the trash can and felt nauseous again. After vomiting, she copsed onto the ground without realizing that she had spit out the contraceptive pills. In Riverdale Entertainment club, Catelyn was led by the manager into the monitoring room, she often came with Cedrick, which was why the manager could recognize her. She asked the security supervisor to copy the recording of the corridor outside the women''s bathroom from about 10 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.st night. The supervisor was startled when he heard her request. Before Edwin left in the middle ofst night, he ordered him not to provide anyone with the footage between the specific time frame Catelyn requested. Joanne was a celebrity, after all. If someone who was up to something spread the video, it would cause a lot of trouble for them. Mister Atherton was the boss of the clubhouse, so the supervisor would no doubt obey his orders. Because of that, he shook his head at Catelyn in embarrassment. "I''m sorry, Miss Catelyn. Something went wrong with the CCTV in our clubhousest night, and the people from the technical department had tried to get it fixed this morning. The footage ofst night is gone..." "Gone?" That was unbelievably coincidental. Catelyn frowned and continued to ask, "That means the recording ofst night can never be found again?" The security supervisor shook his head helplessly. "I''m afraid that''s the oue in general, but don''t worry, Miss rk! You can leave your phone number here. If the surveince system is fixed, we''ll contact you as soon as possible." Since the supervisor had said so, Catelyn was left with no option but to wait for their good news. ''If the CCTV footage is gone, how can I find out the perpetrator''s identity.'' She refused to let Joanne suffer in pain! ¡®Who the hell was he? Was the loss of surveince footage an ident, or was it done on purpose?'' Catelyn returned to Ocean Path Residence with doubts in her mind. Joanne was already asleep when she arrived, but her sleep did note easy. Catelyn was distressed. Miles called Catelyn and asked her when she woulde home, but she gently told him that she would not be able to. Joanne was in a vulnerable state, so she had to keep herpany. Miles, too, felt distressed when he heard that his godmother was sick. Although she liked to pinch his face and kiss him indiscriminately until his face was full of drool sometimes, he knew he could not be ungrateful when he thought about the times when she treated him well. Miles and ollie immediately had Eason send them to Ocean Path Residence. Joanne''s house consisted of several condominiums, so it was very spacious. Catelyn heard the doorbell and walked over to open the door, but at a nce, no one was in sight. Chapter 615 Chapter 615 Chapter 615 When Catelyn lowered her gaze, she was startled to find Miles and Ollies staring back at her. "why are you both here?" Miles and Ollie were carrying their school bags with the same expression on their faces. "Godmother is sick, so we came to take care of her," replied Miles. "You two are still children that need to be taken care of, and you think you can take care of your godmother?" Catelyn rolled her eyes as she felt the existence of the two children here would only bring more trouble for her. Miles immediately jumped and shouted, "Mommy, you underestimated me!" Ollie winked at Catelyn, implying that they could take good care of Miles''s godmother. Catelyn nced at Joanne, asleep on the bed. she recalled how she adored ying with Miles the most. Perhaps it would be nice to let these two stay so they could cheer her up. With that, Catelyn lowered her voice and spoke, "Come in, but keep your voices down, and don''t disturb your godmother. Do you copy?" Miles immediately raised his hand to salute. "Yes, Ma''am!" Catelyn was amused and hoped that they would make Joanne feel a little relieved, she also feared that Joanne might be woken up from hunger and wanted to eat, so she went to the kitchen to cook porridge after having the two children stay beside Joanne, she told them to call her immediately if Joanne woke up. No one spoke, so it was quiet in the house. Wrapping an apron at her front, Catelyn began cooking in the kitchen while keeping her movements small. All of a sudden, her phone in her pocket rang. Catelyn took a peek and saw it was from Cedrick. He asked her about taking out the two kids. Catelyn was too busy to talk to him, so she simply said that she had brought them to visit Ste before hanging up. Soon, the smell of porridge filled up the living room. At that moment, Catelyn could make out the sound of what sounded like mechanical clicksing from the living room. Thinking that Miles and ollie were ying a video game, she hurried to the living room, wanting them to switch off the game. To her surprise, Joanne was there, sitting on the sofa in her pink pajamas, staring at the TV screen with a console at hand. The clicking sounds came from her! As Catelyn expected, the console cracked a secondter. Miles and ollie sat by her side, enthusiastically ying with Joanne as Miles would asionally give her orders. "Godmother, hurry up; there''s a monster on the left! Use your skill! "That''s right, that''s it!" In contrast, Ollie sat gracefully beside Joanne. Although he made not a sound, Catelyn could see the excitement on his chubby face. She knew he, too, was immersed in that monster fighting game. "Bingo! I won!" After fighting thest monster, Joanne squeezed the console tightly in her palm and waved at Catelyn with a smile. Catelyn could not tell if it was faked or if she truly had shaken off the stress for the time being. She then walked over and tidied up her pajamas for her. "Do you still feel ufortable? I cooked some porridge for you!" Joanne sniffled and replied, "No wonder the whole living room smelled so good. Kitty, you''re so kind that I can''t bear to let you go! II Joanne instantly wrapped her arms around Catelyn. Catelyn then patted her on the back and said, "Then I won''t leave tonight. I''ll stay here with you." "Really?" "I''m worried that you''ll have nightmares, you know?" "Geez, I''m not that vulnerable!" Joanne sighed, tore open a bag of potato chips on the coffee table, and crunched a handful of chips hard as if to vent her anger. "I''m in the entertainment industry, and this is something that I''ve expected would happen one day. I just didn''t expect that the day woulde soon, that I''d be so unlucky that a jerk had me..." Catelyn wanted to see the sadness on her face, but Joanne seemed to have already epted it. Joanne''s mental fortitude that enabled her to take things in stride astounded her. Joanne was right. What had happened had already happened, and they could not find the perpetrator. There was Material ? N?velDrama.Org. nothing they could do except to let it go. ''You can''t always punish yourself for past incidents, right?'' she mused. Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Miles and ollie were also very attentive to Joanne. Catelyn just called the boys to eat, and the two quickly wiped the tables clean and put the chairs together. Ollie also helped Joanne to the dining table in a very considerate manner. Joanne felt ttered as she enjoyed how the boys treated her like royalty. She lowered her head and gave ollie a quick kiss on his cheek. "You''re so cute! why can''t I have you as my son!" cooed Joanne, suddenly winking at Catelyn. "Kitty, if I have a daughter in the future, she can be good partners with your sons." Ollie blushed and lowered his head when Joanne gave him a peck. Although he was adored by many elders in the Mason family, he was still the son of Cedrick, and not many people dared to kiss him like this. In fact, Ollie could count how many did with just one hand. Catelyn''s eyes swept across Ollie and Miles, and she was, in truth, very curious about what kind of girls they would be into in the future. "Sure," said Catelyn. "Let them be friends from a young age, and they won''t have to go through so much trouble to know each other when they grow up." This is from N?velDrama.Org. "Then I''ll take advantage of you. My daughter is going to marry into a wealthy family!" Joanne joked happily. They bothughed. Meanwhile, at a certain detention center in Sapphire City. Maia felt like she was losing her mind. Before this, she was resting in a hospital. To keep a low profile, she could not ess her usual luxurious lifestyle openly. There were only a few maids serving her at the moment. If she wanted to feast at a grand six-star hotel, she had to do it discreetly. Who would have thought that Richard would turn over the confession, saying that he had perjured before and confessed that she was the mastermind! Both Maia and Richard met in the corridor of the police station, and she immediately started throwing hands and hurling insults his way. Seeing Maia like this, Richard lost all his affection for her. In fact, he found himself loathing his former lover, and he could not wait to drag Maia into prison. Just like that, she was transferred from the spacious, well-lit hospital to the cramped and gloomy detention center. More importantly, the female prisoner who shared the small cell with Maia was actually Lace! She looked particrly burly with a sullen look in her eyes. Maia woke up in the middle of the night and found Lace standing gloomily at the side of her bed, looking at her with a weird expression. Maia was too frightened to sleep. Being the daughter of the rk family, Maia could use her status power to suppress Lace. If she dared to touch her, her family would suffer the consequences. The most painful thing for Maia, however, was the bath. She was carrying her clothes to take a bath when she realized that there were no private bathrooms. The bath area was publicly shared among the cellmates, when the curtains were drawn, it became a separatepartment. Maia almost cried. She was the daughter of the rk family. She did not deserve such treatment, yet she had to share a bath with the others! Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Maia endured the nausea she felt and steeled herself to take a bath. Suddenly, someone came over and mmed her head against the wall. "Agh!" cried Maia. The other female prisoners who were nearby were also taking a bath. When they heard the sound, everyone was stunned for a moment. Whoever was holding her against the wall was too strong. The more Maia struggled, the more excited the person became! Maia was thrown to the ground, she struggled and tried to get a hold of herself. She looked around, trying to see if the person was Lace, but she could not make out a face. Maia bit her lip as her face burned in pain, she could barely stand by holding onto the bar handles between the grids. Her eyes watered in anguish. Tears mixed with the stream of water above her head slid down Maia''s cheeks. She hated it here! It was all because of Richard, Catelyn, and Cedrick! With that, the most tragic period of Maia''s life began. She was harassed very often throughout the day in the detention center. Sometimeter, she began to suspect that it was more than one person who vited her. Not just Lace, but others as well! Was it a man or a woman? She did not know either... Maia had lived for more than 20 years before she knew what the word ''heir meant. However, even with her status as a rk family member, none of those prisoners were threatened at all! Maia bit her lip so harshly that she bled. Catelyn must have ordered these people to assault her! Fortunately, one afternoon, she finally saw a familiar face from the rk family who came over for a visit. Betty rk looked at Maia opposite the ss window, her eyes all red from crying. Where was her daughter? The woman before her had bloodshot eyes. Her face was distorted, and her eye sockets were sunken. If it was not for the fact that Betty''s face was the same as her daughter''s, she would not have recognized her! "Mom..." Maia gazed at Betty, palming the ss window with both hands as she whimpered, "Get me out of here! I''m begging you! I''ll be a good daughter! I''ll listen to your words and go abroad. I can''t take it here any longer!" "My poor girl," sobbed Betty. Her heart twisted as she watched how Maia, who had been spoiled since childhood, was rendered to such a state. Betty''s husband, Jason rk, was standing beside her. Betty quickly tugged the hem of his clothes. "Can''t you figure out a way to get Mai out of here? Just likest time..." "Last time? Did you know how much of a sacrifice I have to make to get such an opportunity?" hissed Jason. "Now, this stupid girl has caused trouble again. How am I supposed to do this again?!" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Although the rks were part of the Big Four Families, they did not rely just on their status power but on their strength in business instead. The daughters of the rk family were more precious because they can be married to the sons of other big families. This arrangement could bring plenty of business opportunities and projects to the rk family. It was said that it was shameless for the rks to sell their daughters for wealth, but they did not care. After all, what other family could produce such beautiful girls? To marry them out to wealthy families was all just good business! Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Moreover, the rk family was very proud of Maia for being married to Cedrick. Everyone thought the rks'' glory days were upon them, but none could foresee how foolish Maia would be. Jason had also received a lot of usationstely that he disregarded the interests of the family to save his daughter. Some even suggested to him that he should recognize Catelyn as his goddaughter. Catelyn was Ezekiel''s bloodline, but nobody paid attention to him anymore ever since he went bankrupt. Since Catelyn had Cedrick backing her up, she was like the center of attention among the rks while Maia was slowly fading into irrelevance. Jason was already irked by the entire matter. Seeing Maia''s current pathetic state, he thought she was useless as ever. Even if he got Maia out and brought her back, she would not be able to bring honor to the rk family. Maia, not knowing what her father was thinking, bit her lip in grief, "Dad, I won''t misbehave anymore. Please save me! I''m your daughter..." "Dear, we watched Mai grow up. Have some mercy," begged Betty. Jason got a headache listening to all the pleas from his wife and daughter. He red at Maia. "Just behave yourself here, and I''ll figure out a way." "Okay," said Maia, suddenly grinning happily. "Thankyou, Mom and Dad! As long as you get me out of here, I promise I''ll change!" As Betty left the detention center with Jason, she was relieved to know that her husband had not given up on Maia. Nheless, there was a fierce frown on his face. "I''m afraid this matter will be difficult to handle." "Everything is because of the Masons, what if you go to the old man? Maybe¡ª" "What do you know?" Jason interrupted Betty and nced at her impatiently. "Mai used Richard''s child to impersonate a Mason. This disgusted the old man; we talked about it before. We had an ongoing project beforehand, and we''d meet often. Now, he won''t even see me anymore!" "Then, what should I do?" said Betty, suddenly bing anxious again. Jason took a deep breath. "I''m afraid I''m going to askCatelyn for this." "Catelyn?" Betty could not believe her ears. "Why should you go to her?! Even Ekeziel would bow when he sees us!" At this point, Jason was getting even more annoyed at Betty. Especially after Maia''s incident, she had been chattering about it every day. she lost all the gracefulness and generosity she once had. "Do you want our daughter to be in prison?" refuted Jason. " Otherwise, just shut up and let me do my thing!" At night, Catelyn, Joanne, and the two boys slept together on the same big bed. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Joanne was sleeping on the left side, while Catelyn and the boys were on the right. Catelyn isted Joanne and the twins because they were afraid that the two boys would not sleep still at night, and she was afraid they would roll over and identally rub against Joanne''s wound. Fortunately, the two boys slept soundly, and they were quiet all night. Catelyn fell asleep as the boys'' soft powdery scent and the medicinal smell on Joanne''s body hung in the air. Meanwhile, Cedrick slept alone in Mason Estate. Catelyn had begged him not to live in Mason Estate, but now, she even took the two boys and ran away! How lonely. Cedrick did not have an appetite at all, despite all the delicious food served to him. He wanted to call Catelyn, but knowing that Joanne seemed to be ill, he decided that it was not the right time. Feeling sick of the loneliness, he put on a suit jacket and went to Benjamin Anderson''sw firm and stayed the night. It was already 9.30 p.m., and Benjamin was leading a dozenwyers to look through the documents, studying a major inheritance case that was causing a sensation. If he could get back the inheritance for the illegitimate child, he could pocket 10 percent of the other party''s property. The amount would go up to hundreds of millions! Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Cedrick went straight to Benjamin''s office without making an appointment. With more than a dozenwyers in the office, everyone''s heads were raised as they looked at the door in unison the moment they heard footstepsing their way. Cedrick knocked on the door and swept his gaze over everyone indifferently. "I''m buying the next hour of your boss¡¯s work time. Go home, everyone," he said. Everyone subconsciously looked at Benjamin. He knew that Cedrick was impatiently waiting for his contract, so he quickly nced at the time on his watch. "Fine. Everyone is required to work overtime on the weekends to make up for this hour." The crowd dispersed immediately. Cedrick stared at Benjamin as he finished drawing up the prenuptial contract. The moment Benjamin heard Cedrick''s conditions for the contract, he looked up and stared at him like a ghost. "Do you really want to write this?" Benjamin asked. Cedrick''s tall body sank into the sofa, his legs folded elegantly and idly. "From the moment I decided to marry her, everything I have is hers," replied Cedrick. "Then, do you want to add some restrictions? For example, if she divorces you in the future, the property won''t be divided..." Before Benjamin could finish speaking, Cedrick red at him. Benjamin took a sip of water slowly and waved his hand. "Alright, forget what I said. You both must be in love to the very end, okay?" Only then did Cedrick withdraw his gaze from him. Benjamin was a professionalwyer and had passed countless contracts. A prenuptial contract had more than 50 pages, and it involved not only the division of property, but also all aspects of the married life of both parties. When the pages of the contract were printed out, Cedrick did not hesitate to sign his big name on the last page. Whatever happened from then on, he and Catelyn were officially tied together. Benjamin''s eyebrows jumped as he watched Cedrick sign his name. With such a signature, it was the equivalent of giving away his worth! The power of love. How magical it was that it could make people give up their entire wealth and assets. Before leaving, Cedrick took thest page for Catelyn to sign. That night, he did not return home. Instead, he drove around Sapphire City in his Benley. Winter had just begun, and the weather was getting colder. There were not many people and cars on the streets in the middle of the night. Cedrick drove to the street outside of Golden Sun Kindergarten. This was where he and Catelyn first met. Next, he went to ollie''s vi at Bubsville. Charles had been supervising the construction of the vi, and currently, it was almost finished. It was here where Cedrick had mocked Catelyn for not having enough knowledge to design such a luxurious vi. Also, this was the ce where they embraced in the rain... He remembered how wet her face was as if she had taken a shower. shbacks kepting back to Cedrick at this moment. He looked down at the signed page of the prenuptial agreement. Everything was alreadyplete, and only her signature line was left empty. Just one more... Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Who stole Ollie four years ago and ced him at the gate of the Mason Estate? Who hired a murderer toe after Cedrick? Was it actually a good thing to be tied to Catelyn like this? Chapter 620 Chapter 620 Chapter 620 The car went around in circles, and Cedrick eventually parked at Ocean Path Residence. He nced at the time and noted that it was three in the morning. Rolling down the window, the cold wind instantly blew into the car. Oddly, Cedrick did not feel the cold at all; perhaps it was because his heart was burning within. He quietly stared at a dark suite on the fifth floor with tenderness in his eyes. Catelyn slept soundly and deeply all night, she even dreamed that Cedrick had brought her and the two boys to a horse farm. This was what Cedrickhad promised them. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances in Franche, it was not fulfilled. Out of the blue, the phone on the bedside vibrated, waking her up from her dream. Noting that the boys were sound asleep, Catelyn took the phone and went to answer it on the balcony. "Hello?" answered Catelyn groggily. "Get your ount book ready, I''ll wait for you downstairs," the deep voice of a man rang through the phone. Catelyn''s sleepiness dissipated in an instant, and she quickly looked downstairs. Sure enough, Benley was parked quietly under an old oak tree, and a handsome man was leaning in front of the car. With a yful smile on his face, he stared at Catelyn from below. Catelyn let out a sigh, she hurriedly ran back to the living room from the balcony, avoiding his teasing gaze. "What did you just ask me to prepare?" she asked, not hearing Cedrick''s words clearly. His voice still had a light smile in it as he spoke, "The prenuptial agreement has been drafted. Just prepare the necessary documents, and we''ll go to the city council." "So soon?" Catelyn was stunned. "Didn''t Benjamin say that it''d take a few more days?" "Hurry up, let''s go," urged Cedrick, not exining much to her. Catelyn nced at the two children in the bedroom. "Can we go in the afternoon? The city council hasn''t opened yet, and Joanne and the boys are still asleep now. I have to make them breakfast," she said. "Or, what if you go ahead first, and I''ll meet you there in the afternoon when I''m ready?" The other end of the line fell into an eerie silence. Catelyn called out Cedrick''s name twice, sensing that he was a little upset. She knew Cedrick was not happy that she had been dying the marriage, but this was not Catelyn''s intention! she just wanted to wait for Joanne and the boys to finish breakfast before heading out. Besides, she had not washed her face and brushed her teeth. Catelyn would need to have her photo takenter, and she could not possibly go out casually without grooming herself! "You said to do it today, and now you want to push it to the afternoon. Are you going to suggest dying it to the day afterter?" said Cedrick coldly, his dissatisfaction evident in his tone. This is from N?velDrama.Org. "No, I¡ª" stammered Catelyn. Beep! The line was cut off abruptly. Catelyn nced at the phone, feeling a little irritable. She knew that Cedrick did not have a good temper. All this gentleness and pampering was for her sake the whole time. It was his nature to be domineering, ruthless, and unreasonable. Catelyn thought that Cedrick was angry and had left, so she simply pulled up her long hair and tied it into a bun, intending to go to the kitchen to make some breakfast after washing up. Honk! Honk! ring car honks were heard downstairs. It was still very early in the morning; seven in the morning, in fact. There were not many people outside. Catelyn was washing her face when she heard the honks. Feeling a bad premonition about this, she finished washing up hastily and ran to the window to take a look downstairs. Chapter 621 Chapter 621 Chapter 621 Sure enough, Cedrickhad not left yet. His car was still downstairs. Catelyn looked down from the fifth floor. Although it was vague, Catelyn could see a man''s silhouette at the driver¡¯s seat, honking irritably. Catelyn''s eyes darkened, she quickly took her phone and dialed Cedrick''s number. Not only did Cedrick not answer, but he also continued honking. How childish of him! [You''ll disturb the entire neighborhood like this! Joanne the boys are going to wake up!] texted Catelyn. Only a series of sharper honks responded to her. At this point, more residents were awakened and started protesting with dissatisfaction. Catelyn could even hear Ste yelling from next door. Apparently, she stayed back to take care of Joanne the night before, not going home. Catelyn took a deep breath and sent another text message to Cedrick. [Stop it! I''lle down after I wash my face and change my clothes, okay? It''s really disturbing!] With that, the honking stopped abruptly. Catelyn was speechless. Not even Miles was this unreasonable. How irksome! Catelyn did not bother making breakfast, she left a post-it note on the bedside table and simply changed into one of Joanne''s clothes. After all, she did not go homest night and was probably still sleeping at the moment. Joanne''s figure was almost the same as Catelyn''s, so her clothes fit her like a glove. She was casually brushing her hair when Cedrick started honking again downstairs. He was really getting on her nerves at this point! Running downstairs in a hurry, the security guard of themunity pointed at Cedrick''s car on the opposite side and muttered, "I don''t know what''s going on with him. How inconsiderate, disturbing everyone like this..." Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Catelyn did not answer, having been too embarrassed. Cedrickcame out of his car as he saw Catelyning downstairs. She tried to avoid him, but he managed to grab her. "I''ve been waiting for you for so long. You''re finally down now." The security guard of themunity who had justined to Catelyn suddenly smiled. "Ah, so the owner of the car was waiting for you, Miss rk?" "Sorry, my boyfriend has a bad temper," replied Catelyn with an apologetic smile, she then walked in front of Cedrick with a murderous gaze. Cedrick could smell the light fragrance from her face wash up close. Without hesitating, he stretched out his hand to wrap Catelyn in his arms. Cedrick''s body was chilly as he waited for Catelyn the entire night. The moment she was in his embrace, she shuddered and quickly grabbed his hands, asking nervously, "Your hands are so cold! Have you been waiting for a long time?" Something seemed to have clicked in Cedrick''s mind as he released her from his arms and opened the passenger door for her. "Get in the car first," he said. Catelyn nced up at the fifth floor uneasily. Then, she quickly got into the car. Cedrick turned on the heater in the car and handed a piece of paper to Catelyn. "sign this," he said. It was just a signature page. The back was also empty, with nothing else on it. "Why only this piece of paper? what about the other terms?" asked Catelyn. "There are too many terms. You can study the certificate slowly when I get it for youter," replied Cedrick. Taking this chance, he looked at Catelyn closely through the car mirror. She did not wear any makeup, he noted. She must have gotten down in a hurry. Even without makeup, Catelyn''s face glistened elegantly under the dim light without a single blemish on her beautifulplexion, like a mouth-watering apple ripe for picking. Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Catelyn noticed Cedrick staring at her. Fearing that he might do something to her, she quickly took out a pen from the storage Instead of signing it right away, she stared suspiciously at Cedrick "Are you hiding those terms from me?" When a man and a woman in the upper ss married, a prenuptial agreement would be drawn. The division of property was the whole purpose. After all, not every marriage would end up blissfully. If there was a divorce in the future, one party would have to share half or even more of their worth with the other. Therefore, Catelyn did not reject signing a prenuptial agreement. She felt it was necessary, which was a kind of respect for both parties. Cedrick''s long, narrow dark eyes narrowed slightly, "why would I have to hide it?" "Because you lied to me a lot," Catelyn answered fearlessly. Cedrick tapped his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently. "So are you going to sign it or not?" Judging by his posture, Catelyn knew no matter what she did, she would still be dragged to the city council. Catelyn silently nced at the lower right corner of the signature page and saw Cedrick''s huge signature. She took a deep breath. "I don''t know what terms you''ve made, but I don¡¯t care about any of your property. All I wanted was the custody of the two boys." Despite saying that, Catelyn decided to trust that Cedrick would not do anything dodgy to her. she signed her name under his signature. Cedrick Mason and Catelyn rk; the two signatures were lined up top and bottom. One looked strong and powerful, while the other was graceful and elegant. Feeling satisfied, Cedrick put away the paper and kissed Catelyn on the lips. "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of you," he said tenderly as he bit her lower lips softly. Was Catelyn afraid that he would lie to her again? Maybe, this was all part of Catelyn''s trick. Cedrick had arranged for Eason to deliver breakfast to Joanne and the two boys while he drove Catelyn to the city council. Initially, Catelyn had thought that there would not be many people at the city council since they came early. However, the ce was already full of people as they arrived, and there was a long queue at the entrance of the city council. Numerous couples were lining up. As the winter morning was very cold, many of the girls ced their hands in the men''s pocket for warmth as they waited in line. Catelyn looked at them and wondered, ''Was this in happiness?'' As she was thinking about it, Cedrick went ahead and strode toward the door. "Hey, there''s a queue here! where are you going?" Catelyn quickly pulled him. She noticed that people were already looking at them. After all, Cedrick was like a walking flower, wherever he went, he would attract bees and butterflies all around. He frowned at the long queue. "I called the person in charge here and told him to attend to US first," said Cedrick. Catelyn hurriedly stood on tiptoe to cover his mouth, fearing he would cause public outrage. So many people were lining up patiently! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. As she was covering Cedrick¡¯s mouth, his warm lips opened slightly, and the tip of his tongue kissed her palm. Catelyn''s cheeks were slightly warm. She quickly released her hands from his mouth and looked at him. "Don''t you think it''d be a very blissful thing to wait in line with everybody for the certificate?" "What?" Cedrick''s mouth opened and closed randomly, and his eyes flickered slightly. "Come on, it¡¯ll be fun!" Catelyn grabbed his arm, not allowing him to jump the queue. "If you get special treatment every single time, don''t you think you''ll get bored?" Cedrickkept his jaw clenched in silence, apparently persuaded by her. He hated being surrounded by so many people, but... As long as Catelyn liked it, he was willing to apany her. Catelyn grinned and dragged him to the end of the queue. With that, the line moved forward slowly. Catelyn spent the time chatting with Cedrick as they waited. Finally, about half an hourter, it was their turn. Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Cedrick and Catelyn handed in each other''s documents in front of the window counter and filled out a form. Next, they went to take a photo for their marriage certificate. Catelyn looked at the bright light that was turned on in front of her. Realizing that it would magnify the ws of her face infinitely, she immediately regretted not wearing makeup. She looked at Cedrick beside her. His suit was perfect and wrinkle-free. His face was wless, so much so that even the pores on his face were not obvious. He looked, to put it simply, fresh. "Mister and Missus Mason, please sit there," the photographer said to Catelyn and Cedrick with a smile. Mister? Missus? Hearing these titles, Catelyn subconsciously nced at Cedrick. He happened to be looking at her too, and their eyes met for a brief second. Catelyn quickly averted her gaze as she felt her heart racing. She recalled how she had acted silly and procrastinated to get the certificate with Cedrick. Hearing the photographer referring to her as Missus Mason, she felt joy and anxiety within. Catelyn.Jooked forward to being Missus Mason. Flustered, Catelyn deliberately sat a little far away from Cedrick during the photoshoot. It was not very far but not close enough altogether. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick just stood upright at the side, apparently not paying attention to any of her actions. The photographer looked in front of the camera. "You both should sit closer," he said. Catelyn moved closer to Cedrick. Her clothes pressed tightly to his, and she could feel his beating heart. "A little closer please." A little closer? Catelyn was blushing at this point. Just as she was about to lean back a little further, her waist suddenly felt warm. Cedrick was dissatisfied with her dawdling appearance, so he ced his big palm and pulled her flush against him. Catelyn raised her eyes in shock, her posture a little stiff. Click! The photographer pressed the shutter button and made a thumbs-up gesture. "Nice shot! Congrattions to you both," he cheered. Later, as they were leaving the city council, Catelyn looked at the picture and noticed that her body was slightly tilted in the photo of the marriage certificate, she was staring at Cedrick with her face tinted pink, but he did not look sideways. He was sitting extremely upright, not paying attention to her. What an embarrassing photo. Catelyn was no longer in the mood to see the marriage certificate. She shoved it back into Cedrick''s arm out of her sight. Cedrick looked at the picture and stared at Catelyn''s face with the red background in the photo. There was a doting smile on the corner of his mouth. He did not tell her this, but she looked really cute in the picture! Although it was easy to get the certificate, it was for newlyweds after all. Catelyn went to arge supermarket nearby, intending to buy some ingredients to cook a big dinner for the night. Her mind raced as she was thinking what to buy, all while she pushed her shopping cart. She walked across the vegetable section and brushed her fingertips across some of the greens around her. A warm feeling surged in her heart. Finally, she could spend the rest of her life with Cedrick¡ª "Catelyn? I ''ve been looking for you!" a high-pitched female voice abruptly interrupted Catelyn''s wandering thoughts. Catelyn raised her head when she heard the voice and saw Betty rk walking toward her in high heels. Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Betty looked at Catelyn with visible disgust on her face. If she and Jason had not seen Catelyn entering the supermarket earlier, they would have never entered such a crowded ce on their own. Jason gave Catelyn a gentle smile. "Long time no see, Kitty." ''Kitty''? Since when were they on good terms with one another? "If you have anything to say, just say it already," said Catelyn expressionlessly. Jason cleared his throat and looked at Catelyn. "We want to acknowledge you as our goddaughter." This caught Catelyn off-guard as she looked at them both in astonishment. "Are the rks so short of daughters now?" she asked. Betty raised her chin arrogantly. "Just ept it. Do you even know what a big privilege it is to be the seconddy of the rk family?" "Hmm... How about no?" Catelyn looked slightly cold. The hatred in Betty''s eyes was so obvious. Her temples throbbed wildly as she looked at Catelyn with resentment. "You little..." she hissed. If it was not for Maia, Betty would not even look at Catelyn! Jason quickly smiled apologetically to Catelyn. "Kitty, to show you my sincerity and adoration, I''ll transfer five percent of the rk Group shares to your name." Catelyn smiled but did not answer. There must be more to this. Sure enough, Jason added, "However, I need you to do me a favor. Maia is weak, and I''m afraid she''s unable to endure the hardships in prison." There it was. Everything was all for Maia''s sake! "I''m sorry, Mister rk," replied Catelyn, "but my father only gave birth to me, his only daughter. I don''t have a sister." Seconddy of the rk family? Please! She remembered the moments when Ezekiel was on the verge of bankruptcy, and he went to Jason for help. However, Jason did not even let him in, and he even got security to chase him away! Her father was thrown out of the door, breaking his tailbone in the process. Jason''s expression faltered upon hearing Catelyn''s reply. He was a dignified member of the rks, yet he was talked down by this puny girl! This is from N?velDrama.Org. Before he could say anything, he saw Cedrick walking out from the opposite aisle. "Master Cedrick? You''re here at the supermarket as well? what a coincidence," greeted Jason immediately. "Not really, I''m here to pick up Kitty," said Cedrick as he walked over to Catelyn and took the shopping cart in her hand naturally. He gazed at her tenderly, as if she was the only one in his world. Jason said nothing else On the other hand, Betty was a little reluctant at first, but she eventually went forward to Cedrick in tears and begged him, " Master Cedrick! I know Mai did wrong, but she had a miscarriage and will be going to jail! She''s really miserable. Please, grant her pardon!" cried Betty. ''Grant her pardon''? Seriously? Cedrick sneered casually, "stop joking around, Missus rk. Maia had her legal sanctions formitting a crime. How can a mere citizen like me be above thew?" Betty''s mouth stiffened as she sputtered, "I¡ªIt''s obvious the Masons had pressured the police into this!" If it was not for the Masons1 influence, even if Betty did not manage to rescue her daughter, Maia would at least be able to live a morefortable life! Chapter 625 Chapter 625 Chapter 625 This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. If it was not for the Masons, Maia would not be suffering! The more Betty thought about this, the sadder she felt. Why was Maia not the woman who spent the night with Cedrick at the Four Seasons Hotel? Catelyn looked at Betty''s face and said, "Your love for your daughter is really touching. Honestly, I didn''t want Maia to go to jail. I do have a preposition..." Of course, Betty did not believe that Catelyn would be so kind, but she could not resist the temptation. "What idea?" she asked. "Instead of going to jail, she could go to a mental hospital," said Catelyn with a faint smile. "How dare you!" Betty yelled, ring with fury instantly. "My girl is fine; she''s not crazy!" Catelyn knew that Betty had misunderstood her words and did not bother exining any further, she pulled Cedrick and turned around to continue shopping. Even after walking a distance, she could still hear Betty moring. Jason, however, took Catelyn''s meaningful words into consideration. He quickly grabbed Betty''s hand and scolded her to shut up. The prison was a dreadful ce, but a mental hospital? Maybe there would be a way out. Meanwhile, everyone was so focused on the confrontation earlier that no one noticed that another pair of eyes were staring at them in the corner. It was none other than L Atherton. Ever since Loue''s death, the Athertons had been unstable. Their situation improved, somewhat, with Cedrick''s help. To L, however, it would never be as great as the moment she was recognized by Granny Atherton back then. She was usually the center of attention, being chased by countless people. Since when had she stooped so low? By ident, she set her foot down in the entertainment industry. Being the daughter of the Atherton family, she was pretty famous. She was a resident guest of a variety show and starred in a hot TV drama and a big-budget movie. It was easy to deceive the outsiders with her name as an Atherton, but the capitalists who were behind the scenes would know her situation. Earlier, she had followed Cedrickinto the supermarket, looking for a chance to get close to him. He might have helped the Atherton family before, but he was never around. L had always suspected that Cedrick helped the Athertons because of her sister''s death. Unexpectedly, she saw Cedrick pulling Catelyn into his arms and embracing her fondly. Jealousy instantly appeared on her face. How could Catelyn receive his love and not her? She remembered Aunt Kelly''s words, saying that Catelyn looked more like Lisa Atherton than L herself. Such a thought made L want to tear Catelyn to pieces. She subconsciously touched her face, feeling extremely unsatisfied. If only she looked more like Lisa than Catelyn did. Helplessly, a wry smile made its way to her face. So what if she looked like Lisa? She was Henry''s daughter, not Lisa''s. Wait a minute... A strange thought suddenly popped into L''s mind. Since Granny Atherton was sick of her, what if a granddaughter came into the picture at this moment? On the day Catelyn obtained her marriage certificate, she wanted to cook a big dinner for everyone, she intended to treat the boys to a feast and also invited her best friends to celebrate. Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Cedrickand Catelyn''s wedding was not publicly advertised, but it was also not deliberately kept discreet either. Otherwise, they would not be going to the marriage registrar together either. Soon, some people found out about this, such as Grandpa Mason, David Mason, and his grandmother, cherry Mason. The night fell, and it was said that in a mansion not too far away from Mason Chateau, lights were brightly lit. Tn the study on the third floor, David and Winnie stood respectfully in the middle. In the seat was an old woman, her hair silver. Even though she looked like she was not far from the grave anymore, her aura was intimidating enough. It was pin-drop silent in the study. Other than the old woman''s breathing, nothing else could be heard. David and Winnie both held their breaths. Cherry Mason threw a thick stack of photos and documents to David, her action too swift and unexpected, when Winnie managed to respond, the document was already on its way to brushing against David''s forehead. The document was stapled together and left a long streak of blood on David''s forehead. "Nine!" Winnie saw the blood and shrieked. She took out some tissue papers, wishing to help David wipe away the blood, but was rejected. David indulged how the blood streamed down the corner of his forehead. It glided past his gold-frame spectacles oddly aesthetically. Winnie felt wronged for David''s sake as she looked at cherry. " Grandma, Nine has worked hard enough, but Mason Group is now in the hands of Cedrick alone! It''s hard for US to even intervene..." "Are you suggesting that my requests are too much?" snarled Cherry. Winnie did not dare to say a word more. Cherry was Grandpa Mason''s elder sister, but because she was a woman, the position to be the head of the family was given to Draco Mason instead. To stay in power and control the Mason family, Cherry did not marry to another family but instead asked the men to be married into her family. Therefore, her descendants all carried the surname of Mason and could be included in the family, enjoying the perks like any other Mason descendants. Even so, she did not stop there. Ever since Draco became the head in charge of the Mason family, she constantlypeted against him until all of Draco''s sons were dead. Only one grandson was left to take over the family business. She did not stop here either but also raised David to be equally good. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. If she could not win against Draco, she wanted her grandson to win against Draco''s grandson. This became her obsession. David''s gaze swept past the photos scattered on the floor. The people in the photo were Cedrick and Catelyn at the city council. From the way they held each other''s hands, David reckoned they were married. David blinked. It seemed that it was time to congratte them. Chapter 627 Chapter 627 Chapter 627 Cherry followed David¡¯s gaze and looked to the ground. "Cedrick is now married, and his wife is only a nobody. You have a chance. "The Kingsley girl had been obsessed with you, so just get her quickly. When you''re married to a Kingsley in the future, with your wife''s help, you can win against Cedrick" Winnie heard this and could not help but felt that cherry was biased. "Everyone in this town knows that windy Kingsley is a flirtatious woman! Granny, you asking Nine to marry her is like asking everyone tough at him!" "Flirtatious? So what? If your brother is capable enough, she''ll behave as soon as she''s married." cherry could care less. After all, she had hooked up with numerous men during her youth, so Windy''s behavior barely fazed her. Winnie snickered. "Granny, Nine had been pouring his heart and soul into what you want over all these years. Now, you''re even trying to control his wedding. Does this mean that in the future, I too will only be a pawn to you when it''s my time to get married?" Cherry''s gaze sharpened and hooked right onto Winnie like a hawk. Winnie flinched a little. "I''ll speak to Windy." David broke the silence, but a hint of hatred surfaced in his eyes. Cherry closed her eyes and rested against the cushion, obviously not wanting to see the two anymore. David picked up the documents and photos scattered on the floor, ced them neatly on cherry''s working desk, then left the study with Winnie. As soon as they reached the first-floor hallway, both of them ran into Ronald Mason. Ronald did not sound like his name; he was not remotely a gentleman at all. There was always a nonchnt smile hanging onto his lips, and he was cherry''s favorite eldest grandson, granting him arrogance. When he saw Daviding out of Cherry''s study with blood on his forehead, he smiled mockingly. "Tsk! I wondered who that was. So it''s the infamous Nine, what''s wrong? Did you just get reprimanded by Granny?" David and Winnie kept silent as they intended to get downstairs. Ronald, however, stood in their way deliberately, forcing the two to stop. Ronald looked at Winnie. "Winnie, why are you still following Nine? I''m Granny''s favorite person, and if you''re willing to work forme..." "I only help people do things. I''m disgusted by public toilets." Ronald was stunned for a minute before realizing that Winnie was insulting him. His handsome face sank at the realization and raised his hand, swinging toward her face. He was Cherry''s favorite grandson. Winnie should not be insulting him! David''s eyes below his sses shed as he swiftly edged toward Ronald, pinned his arms back, and twisted them behind him. ck! Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Ronald''s body was forced to nt forward. His arms were aching, and he was in so much pain that he gritted his teeth. "Unhand me this instant, Nine! otherwise, don''t me me for telling Granny about this!" David hunched forward quietly, his lips brushing lightly against Ronald''s ear. Whatever it was that David had whispered into his ear, it made Ronald tremble. As soon as David let go of his hand, Ronald fell to the floor on his rear. He was looking at David as though he was seeing a demon. David dusted his clothes gently before he left the ce. Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Catelyn''s face wentpletely red. Perhaps it was because she was sleepy and absentmindedly talking to Cedrick. "Do you think I acted a little too deliberately? I am not staying at Mason Estate even if I am already married to you, and I did not want to tell anyone about our marriage..." "No..." He understood where she wasing from. He had indeed forced her to marry him. A few years ago, she had to take care of Miles. A marriage announcement to him would affect her life since now she was starting to pursue her dreams. Catelyn''s dainty face looked up at his, contrasting beautifully with her long, lush ck hair. "Thanks for indulging me." In fact, she knew that she was a little deliberate, but she was forced to take Grandpa Mason into consideration. "You promised to bring the kids to the turf club, when would you be free?" "Can we bring back the two ponies we are rearing in Franche?" "Catelyn!" She was chattering away, and Cedrick could not concentrate. He grabbed the nket and covered Catelyn¡¯s mouth with it. The next day, Catelyn went home with an exhausted body. She felt guilty toward Joanne. Something big had happened to Joanne, but she was busy obtaining the marriage certificate with Cedrick and even slept with him. However, as soon as she was back at Ocean Path Residence, she was informed by the two babies that their godmother had gone to Nathends for a vacation. Catelyn had not received any notification of her departure and had not even noticed she was about to leave for a vacation. She called Joanne just to check up on her. However, Joanne''s phone was off. Perhaps she was on the flight already. The two babies mentioned that they had alreadyforted their godmother, and she was in a decent mood. There should not be any problem. Even so, Catelyn still left a message for Joanne on her social media so that she could contact her as soon as she was safe. Joanne''s action was too sudden. That afternoon, Cedrick found someone to renovate a condominium under his name to be his dwelling ce in the city. If the mountain cannot be moved, he will move to the mountain. In the end, the family of four happily moved into the new condominium. He brought Catelyn to see Janice at Nandose Vi. He could not care less about the rest of the Mason family, but he must inform Janice. Unfortunately, Janice''s condition worsened ever since they saw each other at Cedrick''s wedding a few months ago. She was bedridden. They could not dine in public, so they had some food at home. When she knew that the two were married, Janice only smiled. Round and round, they went, but they still got married in the end. She knew that Cedrick loved Catelyn so much that he would give up his life for Catelyn and so could only ept Catelyn as her granddaughter-inw. she got her servant to prepare her some gifts and gave her some advice. In a short few months, she seemed to have aged a lot. The doctor said her condition would usually worsen every time the season changed and would only get better by spring next Material ? N?velDrama.Org. year. Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Catelyn felt bad for her and decided to take good care of her in the future. Catelyn returned to the subsidiarypany of VSA Group in Sapphire city on Monday for work. Jolene reported to work as well as her assistant. Catelyn was staying within a stone''s throw of thepany, and it only took her about ten minutes to walk to the office. Therefore, she arrived at the office before Jolene. It was Catelyn''s first day at thepany, and she had not received her work pass yet. She was stopped by the front desk as soon as she entered the office. "Madam, hello, may I help you?" Catelyn remained with her amiable smile, her beautiful eyes glittering. "1 am Catelyn, and I am here to report to work." Thedy at the front desk looked confused. "Ourpany has not been recruiting in half a year." "Lily, what is wrong?" an assertive woman''s voice asked. Her high heels shoes clicked against the marble flooring, producing a loud clicking sound as she walked by. "Miss Lionel, thisdy here said she is here to report to work." Maribel Lionel sized Catelyn up and down. She was wearing a ck knitted top with a white pencil skirt, outside of which she was wearing a ck and gray coat, she looked ssy and well dressed. She squinted slightly and recalled that not too long ago, they received an internal announcement from the headquarters about the appointment of a Design Director. Could it be her? Catelyn did her homework beforehand, and she knew that the woman standing before her was the current Director of the Design Department. She reached her hand out to Maribel. m Catelyn, it is a pleasure to meet you." Maribel''s face changed slightly. It was indeed her. She was the director all along, and she had to make room for Catelyn, who appeared out of nowhere. She flipped her hair and ignored Catelyn. she then said to Lily, " Lily, are you blind? This is our boss, she is our new Design Director! II Lily had heard about the gossip before. However, she had always been under the impression that the new director would be a Franch. She immediately bowed to Catelyn. "Miss, I am sorry for not having recognized you earlier." Catelyn was not mad at Maribel for ignoring her. she helped Lily up and said, "It''s alright." Maribel strode into the elevator, and Catelyn immediately followed. She wanted to speak more to Maribel, but Maribel closed the elevator door as soon as she saw Catelyn following her. Catelyn could only wait for the next elevator. She was new here. Even though she had found out about the internal environment within the senior management beforehand, she had not really been working on anything for the first two days. She was familiarizing herself with the working environment and her new colleague. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Jolene was quick to warm up with other people and knew how to navigate her way through. Soon, sheworked with a few other staff and got to know some insights. In fact, VSA Group had long nned to enter the Sapphire City market but had always targeted the higher-end customer group. More than ten years ago, Sapphire city did not have purchasing power as strong as their current one, so naturally, it was a little challenging. However, as Sapphire city''s market developed, VSA Group was eager to try again. Unfortunately, high-end real estate suddenly had some problems. Not only did they cut corners on the building materials, but even the general manager back then had some conflicts of interest with their renovationpany, causing the renovation to exceed the legal amount of formaldehyde on their buildings. The tenants would have cancer after moving in for half a year! Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Chapter 630 It had been quite a heated issue for some time. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. At first, thepany tried to conceal the truth andfort its buyers, hoping to settle by payingpensation. However, the buyers were all wealthy customers who valued health more than money. Therefore, the news had grown too big to be contained, and the Group''s brand and reputation had copsed. They ended up being a less favored constructionpany with a mere small presence. Because of this, the new management who came on board had not been able to turn things around. There were also a few new buildings in the process. All of them had not been selling well, and no one was interested in them. "Kitty, I think we came in at the right time! It has been many years since the scandal, and our customers who just grew into our target group should have also forgotten about the incident. We could think of ways to relive our reputation and sell the stagnant properties. Soon we will be able to break even and profit..." Jolene was analyzing the situation to Catelyn enthusiastically. Catelyn agreed and nodded in concurrence. "I had inspected the site. The location and quality seem great..." "Then we should quickly rebrand thepany''s image!" Jolene was enthusiastic and immediately raised a few proposals. Catelyn thought they were all good and put them together into a detailed proposal, then submitted it to the CEO, Hunter Wilson, who was a man in his forties. When Catelyn first joined thepany, there were not a lot of people who took her seriously as the Design Director. This included the CEO himself, down to the smaller staff like the teady. They all thought that thepany could only hang onto its life like that forever. After all, they had hired many managers to turn it around before, but to no avail. After a few years, everyone kind of got used to how it was. However, some things have changed recently. The headquarters in Franche was reevaluating if there was a need for them to continue investing in the western market. In other words, if they could not deliver a satisfactory result, everyone would lose their job. Hunter was very much troubled by this. Therefore when Catelyn submitted her proposal, he only casually skimmed it through before putting it aside. "Catelyn, you are new to ourpany. It is good that you are passionate. However, now everyone is upied with the project with Deluxe International. I think you should not be distracted." Catelyn looked at her proposal that she had put together by pulling a few nighters being left aside. "Ourpany''s current reputation is terrible. If we do not save it, why would Deluxe International want to coborate with US? sir, I think our focus should be an internal restructuring." In the meeting room, everyone fell silent when they heard Catelyn. Deluxe International was also a famous constructionpany. A new yer emerged in the market in recent years, and rumors had it that it belonged to Kingsley. It had taken away quite a substantial market share from other constructionpanies. There will be arge-scale airport construction project in the second half of the year, and Deluxe International is nning to coborate with anotherpany. The front door of Deluxe International was almost burst open by the number of people who visited. Everyone in the meeting room had visited Deluxe International before, including Hunter himself. However, no matter who visited, the project manager refused to meet any of them. The otherpetitors were allughing at them for being a loser and said that they should just stay where they were and stop dreaming about it. It was still all because of the scandal from many years ago. "Sir, I think Miss rk is right. Even if we managed to talk to Deluxe International, they would not be willing to coborate with us... I think we should think of other ways." "Deluxe International is one of the bestpanies in Sapphire City now. Why would they choose US?" "I guess we don''t have a chance this time around! Not sure what the headquarters would think about us. I hope they don''t announce that they want to exit the western market!" Hunter looked at everyone''s dismayed face, and he was exasperated too. He mmed the table angrily. Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Chapter 631 "As long as Deluxe International had not decided on their coborating party, we still stand a chance, otherwise, we would continue to be at a loss and soon pack out bags and go home! Maribel, didn''t you meet Mister Kingsley from Deluxe International before? Could you do something..." Maribel was reluctant when she heard that she had to meet Mister Kingsley. Mister Kingsley was an old pervert and did not really seem to have any actual power or authority. The final say on who to coborate with was still with the daughter of the Kingsley family. Her gaze intentionally swept past Catelyn''s pretty face and winked at her sadly. "I don''t have a good rtionship with Mister Kingsley. Perhaps Miss rk should go. The headquarters value her very much, so she must be capable!" Other senior management looked to Catelyn. "I think Miss Lionel is right." "Miss rk is young and capable, she was promoted to the Director position at the age of twenty-five. This indicates that she has a widework..." "Miss rk, please agree to this. We are now dependent on you." "We had all asked to see Mister Kingsley before, but he did not want to see any of US. Miss rk is the only person that had not seen him before, she must give it a go..." The senior managers all joined the conversation and ttered Catelyn. Catelyn remembered Donald Kingsley, whom she had met at the Riverdale Restaurant, when hearing them talking about Mister Kingsley. He was one of the Kingleys, perhaps if he was willing to lend her a hand so she may be able to meet with one of them. Hunter was happy to get someone ountable for this. "Miss rk, so do we agree to this?" Jolene was sitting next to her, taking notes of the meeting. She saw that no one dared to take over this difficult task and nudged Catelyn with her elbow, hinting that she should not take it too. "Wait a moment," she interjected. Hunter looked displeased. Maribel responded before he could, " Miss rk, are you not willing to? You are the new director. Everyone thought very highly of you." Jolene exined on Catelyn''s behalf, "Miss rk had been under the weather recently." "We are discussing. Don''t you interject, you little assistant." Maribel red at Jolene through the corner of her eyes. "What an arrogant little assistant from Franche, who has no respect for whoever pays your wages!" "I could fight for the coboration with Deluxe International," Catelyn said with a firm gaze. Maribel was stunned at first. Then she was amused. Fight for? They could not even meet Mister Kingsley of Deluxe International. Did she want to fight for the coboration opportunity? She would be keen to see how this Design Director fails! Maribel was unsure how Catelyn managed to convince the headquarters to be appointed as the Design Director, causing Maribel to go down a rank. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Usually, a direct appointment by the headquarters would only happen for the CEO position. Other senior managers had the same thought as Maribel. Even Hunter himself''s eyes were lit up. Finally, someone was willing to take over the difficult task. If thepany really made a loss in the future, they could me it on Catelyn. Jolene was concerned and desperately sent signals to Catelyn. Catelyn thought she was a little impulsive too. However, she had already promised them. If she regretted it, everyone would only look down upon her. "However, I have a condition. If I can get the coboration opportunity, thepany should follow Jolene and I''s proposal to turn our image around." Hunter waved his hand in the air without much care. Maribel asked, "If you can''t?" "Then the Director position will be given back to you, and I will not question the CEO and your decision from then on." "Great, remember what you said." Maribel smiled satisfactorily. She was in a good mood. The rock on her chest had vanished into thin air. Chapter 632 Chapter 632 Chapter 632 The sun was setting, generously shedding golden rays of light on the ground. Edwin was wearing a dashing ck vest, sitting in the CEO office of Worldwide Entertainment Co. reading the financial report of thetest quarter. Worldwide Entertainment Co. was known as the biggest ''stardom factory'' in Sapphire city. It has produced numerous big and small actors and actresses, including the recent international award- winning actress. Edwin finished reading the financial report when his assistant routinely reported some important matters to him. However, the assistant noticed that he kept zoning out while he was reporting! This was unusual... Even though Edwin liked to have fun, he had always taken things seriously regarding work, otherwise, he would not have been able to build such an empire in the entertainment industry. He had a very clear principle: he would never touch the person he worked with. There was a lot of gossip about him taking this actress out or another actress to the hotel. These were all news that benefited him and the actresses. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. He never cared about his reputation, while the actresses wished to tap onto his name to bring their careers to greater heights. However, they suddenly became the hottest news in town! Therefore, more and more actresses followed suit, every one of them desperately wishing to be caught by the paparazzi whenever they met Edwin. Everyone wished the media would call them his '' new girl'' to get fame! Edwin usually indulged in this. To him, they were the assets that generated ie for him. "Mister Atherton, Mister Atherton?" The assistant called him, trying to pull his attention back into the room. Edwin noticed that his thoughts drifted to Joanne again. He purposely flipped through the news about Joanne, and it was all negative. Some people said her appearance changed too much. Some said her singing was bad. Some were saying she was sucking it up to the male actors. Some said she was seen kissing an old man. Some said she had no respect for old people... Her reputation was down the drain. She was famous for the wrong reasons in recent years because Monique Entertainment had no better artists and had invested most resources in her. It was also because of this, that when he brought her to the hotel that night, he lost control. In fact, Edwin fled from the scene because he could not ept the truth. He only remembered that a lot of paparazzi liked to go to Barricade Club to source entertainment gossip. Hence he asked to confiscate the surveince footage of that night and did not allow anyone to see them. If needed, they could also delete everything that happened within those few hours. Edwin could not concentrate. He waved his hand and dismissed his assistance. Not sure what happened to Joanne... Was she on contraceptive pills? The female artists were usually careful in that sense. Edwin thought so, but his gaze kept lingering over his phone screen. When she woke up, she might have asked for some benefits from him. However, after a long while, he did not see Joanne''s message. Edwin arranged for someone to investigate, only to find Joanne flying out of the country for a vacation. It had only been a few days since the incident, and she was already in the mood for a vacation. Edwin¡¯s usually smiley face suddenly turned grim. He must have been crazy to feel guilty for Joanne. Chapter 633 Chapter 633 Chapter 633 She had never taken that night seriously and only took it as a one- night stand. Cedrick heard from Jolene that Catelyn made a bold promise in the VSA Group. He could not do anything other than give her Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. affirmations. After all, this was her newly wedded wife. That night, he left the two kids at home and brought Catelyn for a candlelight dinner. Rose petals lined the edge of the table. Cedrick''s sharp facial features looked soft under the candlelight. He cut the steak into pieces elegantly and passed them to Catelyn. He took over the piece of steak from Catelyn and continued cutting. "Do you need me to say something to the Kingsleys regarding the coboration with Deluxe International?" Catelyn declined, "No. I cannot always depend on you. Your grandpa will probably dislike me for it again." Cedrick gazed at Catelyn intensely and said, "We can hide it from him. I don''t want you to be working so hard." "To be facing new challenges at work is not hard for me," Catelyn replied with a bright smile and then winked. "However, I need your help to check the itinerary of Mister Kingsley in charge of the airport project." Cedrick picked up a piece of fruit and put it in her mouth. "There is no need. Three dayster, I am meeting him to discuss an agreement at the Deluxe Golf Course." Catelyn bit onto the fresh fruit, and her eyes lit up. Three dayster, the grass was green and scenic at the Deluxe Golf Course. Catelyn brought the coboration proposal that she had put together, followed Cedrick, and entered the golf course smoothly. Not that she wanted Cedrick to help negotiate, but it was simply because venues like this were usually limited to the VIPs only. She could not make it in without the VIP member card. The membership typically required up to a million dors per annum to reload the credits. Catelyn could not sign up for a card just to see Mister Kingsley, so she could only tag along with Cedrick. To match the asion, she followed the lead of the caddy and changed into a pair of casual exercise attire, she wore a cap, her sleeves were rolled up to her elbow, and she looked youthful and energetic. When she came out of the changing room, she looked around and saw that Cedrick was already happily chatting with Mister Kingsley. Mister Kingsley seemed to be in his mid-forties, slightly thin on top. However, he was dressed decently, and his eyes were slightly nted. She waited patiently for Cedrick and Mister Kingsley to finish their conversation. Meanwhile, her attention was drawn to the youngdy next to Mister Kingsley. The woman had her back facing Catelyn. She was facing Cedrick while sitting next to Mister Kingsley. Catelyn could see very clearly that Mister Kingsley''s hand moved to the woman''s butt from time to time. The woman seemed to be ufortable. Every time Mister Kingsley touched her, she would flinch. Soon, Catelyn could guess Mister Kingsley''s character from his behavior. Nevertheless, the woman seemed familiar. Just when Catelyn was wondering who that woman was, Mister Kingsley brushed his palm against the woman''s butt again. The woman finally could not stand it and stood up. she made an excuse and went to the restroom. When she turned around and saw Catelyn, both of them were stunned. It was L Atherton! Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Chapter 634 L realized that Catelyn had seen her being molested by the old man. Her face turned green. L had always been proud and condescending. She had perceived herself as elegant and ssy. However, right now, her makeup was thick and seductive, and she no longer had her initial elegance. "Why are you here? Did Cedrick bring you here?" She obviously meant that it was a high-end golf course, and she would not expect Catelyn to be there. L looked at her from the corner of her eyes, trying to relive the superiority that she had in the past. Catelyn winked at her yfully. "I''m sure it''s better to follow Cedrick than Mister Kingsley." L knew that she was making fun of her. she bit on her lower lip and strode away. She could not help but wonder, why did Catelyn tag along? Catelyn was waiting for Cedrick and Mister Kingsley to finish their conversation, but she received Cedrick''s text message. He asked her to go straight over. Catelyn thought about the stack of proposal papers in her arms and took a deep breath before walking to them. L had already returned to Phillip Kingsley''s side. Perhaps she had a crush on Cedrick. So she was acting discreetly before Cedrick and kept her distance from Phillip. Catelyn smiled and walked over. Before she could introduce herself, Phillip''s eyes lit up, and he could not take his eyes off her. "Cedrick, is this your uncle''s daughter?" Catelyn immediately understood it. she smiled and held her hand out to Mister Kingsley. "Mister Kingsley, a pleasure to meet you. I am the Design Director, Catelyn, from the VSA Group Sapphire City subsidiarypany." "Design Director?" Mister Kingsley held Catelyn''s silky hand with both his hands. "You''re amazing, Miss rk. You are so young and capable. The younger generation always impresses me..." His palm was covered with a thickyer of sweat, making it very slimy. When he was shaking Catelyn''s hand, he even deliberately rubbed his knuckles in her palm. Catelyn resisted the urge to pull her hand back, then smiled at Phillip again. "Mister Kingsley, do you not know that Miss rk is Ezekiel rk''s daughter? oh, perhaps you don''t remember him anymore. Ezekiel rk was the murderer four years ago," L said with a grin as she covered her mouth. Phillip realized who Catelyn was when he heard what L said. Catelyn was still smiling, she withdrew her hand and went to shake L''s hand. "Thisdy is so beautiful. You must be Mister Kingsley''s wife. Missus Kingsley, nice to meet you." Phillipughed and exined casually, "She is just an escort from the entertainment industry. My wife is not feeling well and is now resting at home." "I''m sorry, I just made an assumption," Catelyn pretended to look as though she just understood the situation. She looked at L curiously and asked, "I heard that the entertainment industry is veryplicated. Would you care to tell me more about it" It was L''s turn to be awkward, she intended to make a fool out of Catelyn, but she was put on the spot instead! Cedrick watched their interaction at the side, quietly feeling affectionate for Catelyn. She did not want to be disliked by Grandpa Mason and was tapping onto his status to help her achieve what she needed. He indulged her and did not mention their rtionship. The deal that Cedrick and Phillip were discussing was anothernd coboration. Catelyn listened to their discussion and was not desperate to bring up her own proposal, but instead was casually sitting with them. In the interim, Cedrick threw her a nce. Catelyn looked into his eyes for one split second and then immediately moved her gaze away. L caught a few of such instances, but Cedrickhad not once looked at her, not even through the corner of his eyes. She was very jealous. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She clenched her fingers, and suddenly stood up, then went forward to pull Catelyn''s arm with a smiling face. Chapter 635 Chapter 635 Chapter 635 "Kitty, the weather is wonderful today. They are discussing business here, shall we go y golf?" Catelyn knew that she was up to no good. She looked at Cedrick subconsciously. Before Cedrick could say anything, Phillip frowned. "L, stop messing around." "I just wanted to have fun with Miss rk," L said affectionately to Phillip. Then, she half smiled and asked, "Or is Miss rk so pretty that you do not want her to leave?" Phillip''s face immediately changed. He observed Cedrick''s expressions and warned L not to say nonsense. Cedrick was a gentleman who would not approach any woman, and he did not like being joked about in that sense. Catelyn could obviously see Cedrick frowning and did not wish to be stared at by Mister Kingsley, so she epted L''s suggestion. Catelyn had already changed, so they went straight to the middle of the golf course. The two women werepeting against each other in the course, while Cedrick and Phillip were both sitting under the umbre, discussing the coboration details. "If there are no problems, shall we sign the agreements this afternoon?" Phillip smiled at Cedrick. Cedrick''s gaze fell upon the beautiful silhouette of the woman in the middle of the golf course. Even if she was unfamiliar initially, she picked it up really quickly. Soon, she swung the club steadily and managed to get the ball into the hole in one. On the contrary, L was finding it very difficult and only managed to make it with two or three strikes. It seemed obvious to Cedrick who would be the winner in the end, so he slowly took a sip of his tea. His green tea swirled slowly in his cup as he said, "Where did you meet Miss Atherton, Mister Kingsley?" "Why? Are you interested in Miss Atherton too?" Phillip misunderstood Cedrick''s intention and enthusiastically rmended, "She is Henry Atherton''s daughter, who just set foot into the entertainment industry, she is charming. If you are interested, I can help to..." In fact, Phillip himself had not tasted L. The Kingsley family had invested in a script, L wanted to be the main actress for the story, and that was how she found her way to Mister Kingsley. Cedrick was indifferent as usual. No one could read his emotions. " I only wanted to remind you that this woman is known to be trouble." Phillip was stunned and did not say a word. On the other side, Catelyn did a perfect strike again. The ball rolled on the ground and smoothly into the hole. Her actions were swift, and her movements were perfect, so precise that there was no w to be found. L was exasperated; she thought that Catelyn had long forgotten about the techniques after falling out of the socialite circle for four years. She did not expect Catelyn to be still skillful. Cedrick and Phillips were both watching them from the back. "Miss rk, watch out!" Catelyn was into the game when she got familiar. Suddenly, she heard L shouting from behind. Wind swooshed past her, and she felt something was wrong. When she turned around, she saw L behind her back, with a club in her hand, she swung the club from the bottom up, straight into her face! Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. L was forceful, causing her facial expressions to be twisted. Catelyn was so sure that if she had been hit by her, she would probably not be able to go out for half a month. Worse, her jaw might even be dislocated from the impact! Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Chapter 636 The speeding club got closer and closer to Catelyn, and she quickly dodged to the side. Finally, the club brushed against her shoulder and swooped past, but when she backed away to avoid the blow, her ankle was twisted. She felt an acute pain in her ankle. Catelyn used one hand to support her knee and hunched, waiting for the pain to be over. "Oh dear! I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it! Are you injured?" L pretended to be shocked but was somehow satisfied, she threw her golf club away and came to support Catelyn. Catelyn avoided her contact. "I''m fine." "How would you be fine? I saw that I had identally hit your shoulder. Take off your clothes, let me help you to take a look..." L persistently followed her and was about to tear Catelyn''s clothes away. Catelyn''s ankle was hurting badly, and she was not in the mood to argue with L. L was, however, determined to rip Catelyn''s clothes apart, she was desperate to see Catelyn being embarrassed. Catelyn knew what L was up to and held her cor tightly with both hands. However, she used too much strength, and her feet slipped again, causing her to fall to the ground. Catelyn cussed when she saw the blue sky above her. At the very same moment, a warm figure approached her from the front and carried her steadily from the ground. Catelyn was still shocked, opened her eyes, and saw Cedrick right before her. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She fell forward, toward his lips, out of habit. When she finally regained her senses, there was not a centimeter left between her and Cedrick''s lips. She could hear the breeze in her ears. Catelyn lost her supposed response. Was he not supposed to be signing the contracts with Mister Kingsley? When she regained her senses, she was immediately... Muacks. Kissed. L was frozen on the spot, she was extremely jealous, and her eyeballs almost popped out of her socket. Cedrick''s crisp breath filled her, and Catelyn¡¯s eyes widened. She swallowed some saliva, and before she could sneak out of his arms, she saw Philliping over hastily from the corner of her eyes. "What happened?" Phillip was just inviting Cedrick for dinner and suddenly felt someone move before his eyes. Soon after, Cedrick was already in the course and even saved Catelyn. He did not need to guess but immediately knew that L messed things up. "I''m sorry, it was my fault. I swung the club in the wrong direction ..." L apologized guiltily to Phillip. Phillip wiped away the sweat on his forehead and shouted, "what is going on? Didn''t you say you are good at golf?" L looked wronged, and her eyes were misty. "I don''t know. Maybe I was not in the mood today. I''m sorry, Miss rk. Luckily you said that you are fine, otherwise, I would feel so bad." Catelyn watched as she faked her apology and could not help but feel that L had indeed improved while being in the entertainment industry over the past few months. L''s acting skills were so much better than before. Catelyn turned her head away, closed her eyes, and refused to respond. Cedrick did not care that there were other people at the scene but carried Catelyn to the shaded area to rest. "Where does it hurt?" Catelyn did not want to be the center of attention and said quietly, "I sprained my ankle, but I don''t think it is serious." Cedrick pressed on Catelyn''s shoulders using one of his hands and asked the caddy to bring some ice bags over. The ice bags were brought straight from the chiller and were extremely cold. Chapter 637 Chapter 637 Chapter 637 Cedrick held the ice bag in his palm for a little while to warm it up a little bit. Then, he picked up Catelyn''s leg and ced it on his knee. Phillip and L were both left with their jaws unhinged. He gently rolled up Catelyn''s pants, took off her shoes and socks, and ced the ice bag on her ankle. Catelyn gasped at the sudden cold on her ankle. Cedrick looked at her and said, "Hang in there." Catelyn nodded. Phillip and L looked equally shocked. L was not pleased and asked rhetorically, "Cedrick is so gentle. Not sure what his rtionship with Miss rk is?" Cedrick did not even look up but was focused on treating Catelyn. He did not answer her but asked, "what do you think our rtionship is?" L almost choked on this question. Even Phillip could tell that the two of them did not have a simple rtionship. He suddenly recalled that Cedrick''s wedding was forced to call off before this, and it was all because of one woman. That woman''s name happened to be... Catelyn? Phillip immediately sweated, scared to have offended Cedrick, so he invited everyone to the Italean restaurant nearby. Catelyn had not presented her proposal, and naturally, epted the offer. Italean food was known as the mother of all western cuisine. In the high-end restaurant, everyone from the kitchen to the servers was all Italeans. They all wore uniforms and held themselves so elegantly. Phillip intended to let L apologize, and so he said to Catelyn, " L loves Italean food. Let L order for youter." L received the menu from the waiter, and her hand was involuntarily shaking. In fact, she hated Italean food, but Phillip loved it. That was also why she lied to him to im that she loved Italean food. Order? What could she order? Cedrick''s gaze fell upon L, and he said briefly, "Please, Miss Atherton." "My pleasure..." L tried to keep her smile wide, but when her gaze fell upon the rows and rows of Italean on the menu, she could barely hold her smile. She did not know how to read the Italeannguage. The waiter asked politely, "How would you like your antipasto to be served, cold or...." "Miss Atherton knows the right way to have it. Let her decide." Cedrick casually interjected the waiter''s introduction. L did not like to eat Italean food, but she still had some basic knowledge about it. "Let''s make it hot. As for the mains..." L''s hand holding the menu was shaking slightly, when she saw Catelyn, who was sitting right opposite her, she suddenly decided to pass the menu to her. "Kitty, it was my fault today. Perhaps you should make a call on the mains?" "I am not picky. You can order anything you like. Though, I always loved the misto, could you please help me order that as well?" Comment by Ziyu Lew: do we need to misspell this? actual Italian name: insta mista do we need to format foreign words differently? Catelyn''s eyes were brightly lit when she said this, her expressions natural, and her smile elegant, she no longer had her ungraceful appearance like how she did at the golf course. It was a big contrast to how L was acting. Even Phillip was finding L acting strange. He hurried, "Just order. Everyone is waiting for you." L could no longer hold it and simply ticked a few dishes on the order sheet and handed them to the waiter. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. The waiter looked somewhat shocked when he saw her selections. He then asked L, "Is that all? Do you have any other requests?" Chapter 638 Chapter 638 Chapter 638 "That''s all for now." L faked a smile, and her palm was sweaty. Cedrick took a sip of the red wine with an iprehensible smile. "Miss Atherton seems to know well about Italean cuisine. I saw that you picked two simr dishes. I prefer tuscana seafood a little more. What about you?" Material ? N?velDrama.Org. L nodded hastily in agreement. "I like tuscana seafood too. It is so fresh and tangy while chewy at the same time. Everyone should give it a tryter." Cedrick''s cold re shot right through L. "It''s a type of soup. How would it be chewy?" Soup? L''s face turned red immediately. "Right, it is soup. I''m sorry, I just thought about something else." "Cedrick, perhaps Miss Atherton was describing the seafood in the soup, weren''t you, Miss Atherton?" Catelyn ced her wine ss down, and looked at L. "Yes, that was what I meant. The soup is tangy, and the seafood is chewy." Phillip''s face sank as he looked at L coldly. "Do you not know that I am allergic to seafood?" L smiled stiffly. "I... forgot about it." Cedrick smiled again, iprehensibly. "Perhaps, Miss Atherton does not even know what is inside the soup." Phillip realized he was fooled. "So you have zero clue about Italean cuisine! Why did you say that you like it, then? Don''t pretend to know things when you don''t. It was better for Miss rk to order then..." Soon, the waiter served the food as soon as Phillip finished his sentence. The dishes were all colorful and in great variety, but there were barely any mains. Looking at the three bowls of soup and two tes of sd, Phillip could feel his temples pulsing. Catelyn received the menu and made a new order. She asked about everyone''s dietary preferences and restrictions and made relevant orders. Even the waiterplimented her for her knowledge of Italean dishes. The order went well. L bit her lip disheartened, her cheeks red. However, she could not leave. She had to stay to watch what other games Catelyn could y. She had already hooked up with Cedrick, and now she was trying to please the slimy old man as well! She must be up to something... Catelyn did not care much about L, when it was nearing the end of the meal, Catelyn finally presented her proposal to Phillip. Phillip seemed tock authority over the outsiders. In fact, he was just being prudent most of the time. He was slimy, but he never agreed to the pretty girls'' requests. When Catelyn proposed that VSA Group intended to coborate with Deluxe International on the airport project, he only smiled and received the stack of proposal papers. If it were not for Cedrick, he would not even look at VSA Group, apany with such a bad reputation. Catelyn knew that he did not want to consider the VSA Group, she persuaded, "Mister Kingsley, don''t you decline first. We are really looking forward to this. We are willing to do a 70-30 split, 70% for Deluxe International." Phillip wiped his mouth with the napkin. He was not keen at all, even if they offered a 90% share to him. Catelyn continued, "Other than this, I have a very important suggestion to make." Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Chapter 639 "What is it?" "The long-timepetitor of Deluxe International, Walters Company, knew Deluxe was nning to invest in an international holiday resort. They also invested in a piece ofnd, intending topete with you. Coincidentally, right next to the location that Deluxe International Holiday Resort selected is a piece ofnd that VSA Group invested a few years ago." Phillip''s eyeballs rolled. He was intrigued and a little agitated. Even though Deluxe International indeed invested in such a holiday resort, they had kept the information secretive, where did Catelyn get the information? He then thought perhaps Cedrick had told her about it. He had to admit that he was interested in the piece ofnd that Catelyn mentioned as well. It was right next to the one belonging to Deluxe, only separated by a street. He had heard about it but had not expected thend to be in VSA Group''s possession. "You can decide to sell thisnd?" "It depends on Mister Kingsley''s decision on whether that is a yes or no." Catelyn smiled, then added, "Deluxe International and Walters Company are very closepetitors who are almost on par with each other. If Deluxe could have that very piece ofnd under VSA Group now, you would surely overtake Walters." Phillip immediately understood the situation. Her real intention was to get him hooked on the deal with thend, not the 70-30 share. "I hope Mister Kingsley could give it a thought. Here is my name card." Catelyn left her proposal and name card with Mister Kingsley. They were also finishing the meal. As soon as Catelyn left with Cedrick, Phillip looked at Catelyn''s name card and pondered in silence. If he could get the piece ofnd, Miss Kingsley would definitely be over the moon. However... VSA¡¯s reputation was terrible. Would this be a sinking ship? "Honey..." L stood up and wrapped her arms around Phillip''s neck. She sat in hisp and winked at him. "It was my fault to have embarrassed you. I really did not want that to happen." A jasmine-scented perfume wafted through. He swallowed his saliva. "You know that woman meant something to Cedrick. Could you not have behaved? Luckily Cedrick was not really angry about it..." "I am sorry." She had been with him for some time. However, she was always only willing to be hugged or kissed by him and nothing more. He did not expect her to be bolder today. L ced one finger on his lips and said yfully, "However, I have a small favor to ask." Phillip assumed that she meant the film''s main character role and smiled. "I will introduce you to the director of the film, but whether or not you could be the main character, it is not up to me to decide." Material ? N?velDrama.Org. "No, I did not mean this." Phillip was stunned, "what did you mean?" "You cannot agree to the coboration with VSA Group." L adjusted her hot body and continued, "It is a suicidal move to coborate with apany that has such a reputation." Phillip smirked. "I say women are evil. Are you plotting revenge against Miss rk?" "Would you just promise me..." L''s arms were still around Phillip''s neck, and he was shaking it furiously. Phillip was dizzy. Chapter 640 Chapter 640 Chapter 640 L tried to convince herself that the man she was holding was Cedrick. She lifted her red lips and kissed Phillip. Cedrick half carried Catelyn to the car when they got out of the golf course. His jaw was clenched and he did not look pleased. He ced Catelyn in the car unhappily. The air pressure around this man was low. Catelyn sat in the passenger seat, and before she could fasten her seatbelt, he lifted her chin. Then, without any warning, his big body hovered over her and kissed her lips. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "Hmmm..." Catelyn was shocked by his sudden action. Cedrick let go of her lips unwillingly when she was running out of breath. Catelyn felt that she was short on oxygen, and she could hear his sexy voice saying, "I regretted." Catelyn was dizzy, and did not understand him. The next second, he came right on again and hugged her tightly. He bit her lips and said in a soft voice, "I should just tell them that you are Missus Mason. L would not have had the guts to bully you." Catelyn was originally still drowsy but suddenly turned wide awake upon hearing that. Cedrickbit on her earlobe. "When are you going to be public about that?" Catelyn adjusted herself and thenforted the Big Demon, "We are a legal couple now, except that other people don''t know about it. When I finally achieve what I want, we will hold a grand wedding. The people who didn''t give US their blessings would all be surprised. Isn''t that great?" She said it in such an ambitious tone, that Cedrick threw her a fierce nce. Catelyn merelyughed. Cedrick drove them home. They passed by a junction, and Catelyn saw a Franch wedding dress shop. A few pairs of couples walked out with a smile. Catelyn zoned out, watching them. Of course, she longed for a wedding with Cedrick, but she was looked down upon by the Mason family and had no achievements. Other than that, she had a bigger wish. She wished that her father could walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. She would be holding her father''s hand and walk down the long red carpet. Her father would ce her hand in the groom''s hand and give her his best blessings. Ever since her father went missing four years ago, Catelyn felt that her family was no longerplete. Even if her life was stable now, she had a special ce in her heart to remember Ezekiel. Perhaps she wanted to wait a little longer for miracles to happen. Perhaps Ezekiel would return to her sight. Cedrick followed her nce and saw the shop too from the corner of his eyes. The white gowns in the disy window were so elegant and dreamy, she... must be looking forward to it too? He felt slightlyforted by the thought. His gaze swept past her t belly again. If they had a child now, perhaps she would shift her focus onto the family? The thought crossed his mind, but he dismissed it. He said that he would respect her decision. However, he really should undo his vasectomy because he still wanted an adorable baby girl. At the Atherton family. After dinner, Granny Atherton was watching the news on the couch. Chapter 641 Chapter 641 Chapter 641 She typically would not watch this sort of thing, but ever since Edwin abandoned the legacy of the Atherton Family and went off to build his entertainment empire, she would spend some time every day on the television when she was bored. Kelly, meanwhile, stood beside her as she served the herbal soup. "Master Edwin looks so much better in person than in television," remarked Kelly when the scene where Edwin appeared with a certain actress at a ceremony popped up on the screen. Granny Atherton took a few sips of her herbal soup in irritation. " He''s changing girlfriends like he''s changing clothes, yet he''s still childless." Kelly knew that Granny Atherton had been worried about Edwin''s rtionships and thus consoled her, "Master Edwin is strong. He''ll be giving you a great-grandson before you know it." "I''m not that picky. Even a great-granddaughter would do so." Granny Atherton began to lose her appetite and shoved the bowl of herbal soup aside. "Call Edwinter and tell him that if he doesn''t get a proper girlfriend this year, he''s not weed home this year! II "Not again, Old Madam Atherton... Master Edwin cares for you the most. He wouldn''t possibly pass up any chance toe see you!" "If only Lisa is here..." Granny Atherton''s mind drifted as sorrow filled her eyes. "Edwin had always been close with Lisa. If she was here, she''d help to talk some sense into him." Kelly signed inwardly. Granny Atherton turned to look at her and asked, "I heard that Catelyn rk is back from Franche?" Kelly nodded. "Yes. Master Cedrick is spoiling her rotten and even left Mason Mansion to stay in an apartment outside with her and the young masters. It''s probably because Elder Mason doesn''t like Catelyn." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Who does he think he is to look down on anyone?" Granny Atherton snorted in contempt. The more Elder Mason disliked Catelyn, the more Granny Atherton liked her. "Prepare a gift for meter. I want to visit Catelyn!" By the time L left the hotel room Phillip had reserved, it was already 11 p.m., and her car was waiting on the side of the road. Her assistant, Quinn immediately handed her a cup of warm water. L loved to stay hydrated and would consume water whether or not she felt thirsty. At this moment, however, she shoved the cup of warm water aside in frustration and darted into the car angrily. In the hotel, Philip had told her that windy had the final say in whether they would be cooperating with Catelyn, which meant that in the end, everything was up to Windy and that Philip had tricked her. "Miss Atherton, your throat has been unwelltely. I made some honey lemon tea. Do you want some?" asked Quinn gingerly as she studied the fierce look on L''s face. "Get off!" L pped the cup Quinn handed over. "Can''t you see I¡¯m upset?" ''How exactly is thepany hiring?'' she scoffed. ''Why have they hired such a useless assistant for me?'' The cup full of honey lemon tea spilled onto Quinn''s clothes, she sobbed, but she bit her lip to stop herself from crying out loud. L regained herposure shortly after and took out her phone to call a private investigator she worked with frequently. "Help me keep an eye on Catelyn rk. If you catch any wind that she''s working with Deluxe International, let me know right away." Quinn gazed up dazedly when she heard the name ''Catelyn rk''. L hung up and met Quinn''s dazed gaze. "Wipe that tea off your face. Be careful not to get any of that on my car." "Miss... Miss Atherton, did you just say Catelyn rk?" Chapter 642 Chapter 642 Chapter 642 L was about to curse at Quinn, but she froze the instant she heard Quinn''s question. "You know her?" "Her father is Ezekiel rk, right?" Quinn clenched her fists in frustration. L''s eyebrows shot up. "What do you have to do with him?" "So it''s them! Her father stole my mother from me. I hate them both!" Quinn was around the same age as Catelyn, but her eyes were filled with resentment when she spoke of Ezekiel. L''s interest was instantly piqued. Catelyn still had not received any reply from Deluxe, even after office hours that Friday. When Maribel caught on to it, her whole body quivered fromughing too hard, catching the attention of a few managers who practically idolized her. Upon asking why she wasughing borderline hysterically, Maribel dramatically described the way Catelyn eagerly waited for Deluxe''s response. Immediately, the room broke intoughter. They had used every method possible to try and cooperate with Deluxe, while Catelyn only met up with Philip once, she could not possibly have seeded in convincing him! They did not bother suppressing theirughter, and soon, theirughter drifted into Catelyn''s office, too. "Look at how they''re cackling! Don''t they realize how deranged they look like that?" Frustrated, Jolene red at the Associate Director office where Maribel was in. "They canugh however they want." Catelyn tapped Jolene on the shoulder. "Have you finished the documents I handed to you yesterday?" "Yeah, I¡¯ll send it to you right away," said Jolene, winking at Catelyn. "By the way, since you and Cedrick Mason have gotten your marriage certificate, when are you going to have a wedding?" Not expecting the conversation to be shifted in such a direction, Catelyn shook her head. "I don''t know. We''ll let things run their course, I guess." "I really look forward to seeing your wedding with him on television throughout the entire city. By then, everyone who''sughing right now would be so sorry that they''ll fawn over Maribel instead of you!" "Wake up. Enough with your daydreaming." "I''m just telling the truth!" Jolene pouted before helping Catelyn with work. Before leaving, Jolene handed her sketchbook to Catelyn, and Catelyn pretended as though she was not interested at all. She could not stand to imagine a rtionship between her husband and Edwin. Jolene shoved the sketchbook into Catelyn''s bag with an evil smile. "Take your time to admire it when you''re home. I put a lot of effort into making this into a book. Don''t let Cedrick Mason see this, though. If he decides to y me alive, I''ll tell him that you''re the one who drew it." This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "You can say that Joanne drew it!" T wonder what Joanne has been doing all this time in Nathends? '' Catelyn thought to herself. After work, Cedrick came to pick her up as usual. Both Miles and ollie were still dressed in their kindergarten uniform as they had just left school. Since the color and the sizes of their uniforms were identical, they were frequently mistaken for each other by people at the kindergarten. Lately, the twins had been trying every possible way to avoid wearing the school uniform and even considered wearing a name tag on their chests, but they gave up because that would affect their overall looks. They went to the back trunk to grab their personal bags before taking out their clothes to change. Just like that, anyone could tell who was who. Catelyn helped fold their school uniforms tidily and ced them back into the bag. Miles was dressed in his signature ck jacket and paired it with a baseball hat and a pair of camouge trousers with big yellow boots. He lifted his chin proudly at Catelyn and was one pair of sunsses away from looking like a child idol on fashion runways. "Mom, don''t you think I''ve grown better-lookingtely?" Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Catelyn nodded, "of course! You look more and more handsome with each day." "When I grow up, I''m going to look way better than Big Demon while he''ll be an old, toothless grandpa!" Miles danced around Catelyn cheerfully. Cedrickhad grown ustomed to Miles'' bad-mouthing him and simply gave him an icy re. "Even when I''m old and gray, you''re still going to call me Dad." Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Miles scratched his head in frustration and decided to ignore Cedrick as he went over to hold Catelyn''s hand. "Mom, if Big Demon mistreats you, I''ll find you a new husband." "It''s hard to find someone better than Father," said ollie, sighing as he nced at Cedrick, wondering why he and Miles always had to fight. "Uncle Edwin isn''t bad!" Miles grinned from ear to ear. Cedrick narrowed his eyes coldly as he captured Miles'' grin. "Do you want your butt kicked again?" Miles tilted his head to the side and hid before Catelyn before making a face at Cedrick. Catelyn shielded her son and turned to notice a lot of present boxes in the back trunk. Apart from expensive delicacies, there were sophisticated jewelry pieces, too. She gaped at Cedrick. Cedrick shut the back trunk and asked, "Have you forgotten that we''re going to your mom''s ce today?" "Oh, no... I forgot. I''ve just been too busy." Catelyn came to remember that they were supposed to visit Ste before getting married, but when Cedrickmade a sudden appearance, she did not have the time to inform Ste about it. ''I hope she won''t get mad at me...'' she fretted internally. "I''ll make you hot cocoater when we get home," Miles offered. Not wanting to lose, Ollie, too, offered to massage Catelyn. She studied the way her sons fawned over her and remembered how they used to act this way in Franche. The three of them had a great time together, and the only differencepared to the present was that Cedrick had joined them. Cedrick scowled and, for the first time, felt annoyed by his sons'' existence. The twins took over caring for Catelyn and tended to speak ill of him in front of her. The more thoughts he put into it, the more Cedrick began to want a sweet, loving daughter. He nced at Catelyn''s abdomen. Knowing that Cedrick had a vasectomy before, she had never mentioned anything about contraception. Catelyn held her sons'' hands on each side and returned to Ocean Path Residence. As she stepped out of the elevator, she nced at the door to Joanne''s apartment and noticed her slippers on the shoe cab, which meant she had not returned. Cedrick followed closely behind with presents meant for Ste. Catelyn reached into her purse to find her keys and was about to turn the doorknob when the door was opened from the inside. "Mom, the twins and I are¡ª" Catelyn paused when she saw the face of a strange woman from behind the door. The woman was dressed in in, out-of-style clothes and wore a high ponytail. The sneakers on her feet were worn, and as she grabbed onto the doorknob, tears welled up in her eyes. The way she stubbornly tried to keep the tears in was endearing. Catelyn nced at the apartment number outside the door. She was certain that this was her house, just as certain she was that she had never seen this woman in her life before. "Who are¡ª" Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Chapter 644 "Cat, is that you?" Ste, hearing the footsteps and voices outside the door, hurried out of the kitchen, she was wearing an apron, and the sweat on her face proved how long she had been working in the kitchen, which surprised Catelyn. After all, Ste was never a housewife that enjoyed doing chores. She nced back and forth between Ste and the strange woman before her. The woman remained quiet while biting her lip. stelle smiled sheepishly as she took Quinn¡¯s hand and exined, " This is Quinn, and she''s my...niece. Her dad just passed away, and since she has no one else in Sapphire city, I want her to stay with me here. You don''t mind, do you, Cat?" The apartment was under Catelyn''s name and she was the one paying off the loan, so Ste would have to seek her permission. Catelyn did not mind this, though she was nheless confused. " Niece? Why haven¡¯t I heard of her before?" "Auntie was on bad terms with my dad, so there''s no point in mentioning me in front of others!" Quinn''s eyes reddened as she turned to re coldly at Ste. "Right, Auntie?" Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste was deeply stung by the word ''auntie''. Quinn was not her niece, truth be told...but she could not tell the truth. She had been married before marrying Ezekiel, but she had lied and told him that she had no living family. In truth, she had just given birth to a daughter and had a husband in her hometown, she met Ezekiel when she came to Sapphire City alone to work. At the time, Ezekiel was devastated by the loss of Catelyn''s mother. She rescued Ezekiel when he got drunk, and he forced himself on her while calling her ''Summer''. After that, she abandoned her daughter and husband out of greed to marry Ezekiel and became Missus rk. Ezekiel did not look down on her background and simply asked that she cared for Catelyn. To Ste''s surprise, Quinn found her many yearster, telling Ste that her father had waited over 20 years for her and had passed away a month ago. Ste lowered her gaze guiltily. "Since you''re already here, cousin, consider this your home. Feel free to stay as long as you want." Nheless, Catelyn noticed the tension between Ste and Quinn. "I''m not your cousin!" Quinn raised her voice. "My mom and everyone else are dead!" Cedrick''s gaze grew darker as he red at Quinn. "If you don''t want to stay here, scram." Sensing the fearful aura oozing off Cedrick, Quinn bit her lower lip until she drew blood. "Cedrick, please don''t throw Quinn out." Ste''s eyes reddened as she moved to shield Quinn from him. "She''s just a country wench who knows no manners. I apologize on her behalf." Cedrick was willing topromise for Ste''s sake, but his tone remained cold as he warned, "Catelyn came back to see you because she cares for you, not so that she can be your niece''s punching bag." "I''m sorry..." Ste apologized before turning to console Quinn. Quinn stormed into Ste''s room and mmed the door shut behind her. Ste''s heart twisted in pain at the sight, her eyes filled with despair. Catelyn noticed the dark expression on Cedrick''s face and tugged at her clothes. Quinn could be in a bad mood because her father had just passed away. Catelyn thought back to four years ago when something devastating happened to her father, she could empathize with the pain of losing a loved one. "Whatever happens, you''re not her punching bag," Cedrick snorted. Catelyn batted her eyes at himfortingly before handing all the gifts they were holding to Ste. Still, Ste was acting odd, and even her smile appeared forced as she continuously nced at her bedroom, seemingly worried about Quinn. Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Inside the bedroom, Quinn broke down in tears while leaning on the door. Very quickly, she remembered what L told her and immediately ceased the tears. L told her that so long as she obeyed her orders, L would help to avenge her father. Had it not been for Ezekiel and Catelyn stealing her mother from them, she and her father would not have lived in such misery. Missing his lost wife, her father ended up diagnosed with cancer after working himself to the ground to make ends meet. Quinn would never forgive them for stealing Ste from them. She remained in the room until Ste called her out for dinner. When she walked out of the room, her eyes were swollen, but the tears had finally stopped. Catelyn understood what it was like to lose a father and took the initiative to hand her a tube of ointment. "This is great for reducing swelling." Quinn epted it while suppressing the resentment inside. "Thank you." "I''ve lost my father, too, so I know how you feel. Your aunt and I are your family now. Let US know if you''re struggling with anything." Catelyn tapped her on the shoulder. Where Catelyn touched felt as though it was on fire as Quinn sneered internally, ''Ezekiel rk stole someone else''s wife. He deserves to die!'' She grabbed onto the ointment tightly and asked gingerly, "I''ve just arrived in Sapphire City, and I have no family or job here. Can you help me find a job?"This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste, desperately wishing that she could make everything up to Quinn, turned to Cedrick pleadingly. "Master Cedrick, you¡¯re the CEO of Mason Group, right? Can you help Quinn?" Ste knew that Catelyn was the design director in VSA Group, but Mason Group was clearly a far better option in terms of career development. Quinn turned to look at Cedrick, doe-eyed. "I''ll work hard, Cousin- inw. So long as I get to go into Mason Group, I can do anything! Please, take me in. I really have nothing going on for me..." Cedrick scowled. To him, Quinn was merely a stranger. Nheless, he had just married Catelyn recently and did not want to decline her family¡¯s request, so he agreed, "start working next Monday." Quinn beamed and bowed gratefully at Cedrick. As Cedrick sat on the couch in the living room and the glittering beams of light above his head illuminated his face, Quinn realized that he was more handsome than any man she had ever met. Inside a luxurious Lemousine, the twins fell asleep beside Catelyn. Cedrick had a few drinks that night, so the driver hade to pick them up. "Is getting Quinn into Mason Group too troublesome for you?" Catelyn asked. She knew how strict the hiring requirements were in Mason Group, especially regarding academic background. Quinn had only graduated with a college degree, so even if she managed to get hired, she would face a lot of prejudice. "As long as she knows her ce, mypany can afford to hire someone who doesn''t actually contribute." "Thank you, Hubby. I didn''t even know that I had a cousin." Catelyn ced her hand on his palm and squeezed gently. Cedrick frowned. "Don''t you think that your mom is acting strange around that Quinn girl?" "Maybe she just feels sorry for Quinn." Catelyn did not give it much thought. "Quinn looked exhausted, so she must''ve gone through a lot." Cedrick realized that there was more to the story but decided against saying anything. After all, it was only a minor matter. He lifted an eyebrow and stared at Catelyn mischievously. "I''ve done your cousin a great favor today. How are you going to thank me?" Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Catelyn nced at the sleeping twins. "Isn''t she your cousin now, too?" "I have countless cousins in the Mason family. Have you seen me helping any of them?" Cedrick smiled seductively. Catelyn''s tongue darted out to wet her lips and asked, "How would you like me to thank you?" Monday quickly rolled in. Ste was worried that Quinn would be scared to go to work in Mason Group on her own and thus called Catelyn, asking her to This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. keep Quinnpany. Catelyn was still waiting for Philip¡¯s reply and was sick of the entire office waiting to see her fail, so she agreed. Cedrick had assigned Quinn to work directly under Charles. Charles had not mentioned anything about her background to anyone to stop the others from feeling jealous of Quinn. The clothes Quinn wore to work that day were bought by Catelyn, and she did not feel sorry at all when she used Catelyn''s card for shopping. After all, the rk family owed her that much. Once Catelyn saw Quinn off, she ran into Samantha in the lobby on the first floor. They had not seen one another for months, and Samantha appeared slightly awkward but soon turned to leave like nothing had ever happened between them. Catelyn, too, walked past her calmly as though they were mere strangers. The past was in the past, and she saw no point in holding onto it. Catelyn found out afterward that Samantha was one of the students that Cedrick was funding and was rejected by Mason Group multiple times because she did not fulfill the entry requirements, she was not hired until Cedrick identally came across her profile, and ording to what Catelyn heard, Samantha was already an official designer in the Mason Group, but it no longer had anything to do with her. Meanwhile, after a few days of consideration with a few long-time partners, Philip had decided to submit Catelyn''s proposal to windy. Windy rarely showed up in the office and would often only stay for an hour or two whenever she did. Even so, no one dared to question her authority as she never yed by the rules. Most importantly, she was exceptionally beautiful. Countless sessful men, including ones in Deluxe, would pride themselves for merely sharing a meal with her. Rumor had it that one billionaire abandoned his wife for Windy''s sake, only to be dumped by her on the day he got divorced. The billionaire was said to be so desperate that he tried to take his life. The elder of the Atherton Family grounded windy out of rage, but half a monthter when she was released, she remained to be the famed Lady Atherton. 1 When she received the message from Philip, a yful expression appeared on her alluring features, she stormed into David''s office with the keys to her Ferrare in her hand. David, too, worked for Mason Group, but instead of working in the headquarters, he worked for one of the subsidiary technology firms. He was required to make certain aplishments before he was allowed to step foot in the headquarters. When he sensed the familiar perfume scent, he looked up from the documents in his hands and saw Windy stepping into his office, the ck leather skirt and thin stockings outlining her slim, long legs; her face so seductive that any man would fall to his knees before her. Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Chapter 647 "Why are you here?" David was displeased that Windy had entered his office unannounced. Windy locked the door behind her and strolled toward his desk, she leaned back against the edge of the desk with her legs crossed, her upper body leaning forward as her long fingers captured his navy blue tie. "You''re so boring. How on earth did I end up falling for such a boring man?" Her red lips curled into a seductive smile. " Your cousin''s girlfriend, Catelyn rk, has ess to a piece ofnd and wants to work with Deluxe. Should I agree?" David remainedposed, "whatever the great Lady Atherton wishes." "Well, Cedrick has been working against you this whole time, so maybe I shouldn''t." "Whatever pleases you." Windy felt defeated. So many men had fallen for her, yet David would never waver, she was on the brink of doubting her own charm. "If you give me a kiss, I''ll make it so that VSA Group can''t survive in Sapphire city, and Cedrick will be making a fool out of himself. How does that sound?" David gazed up. Just when Windy thought that he was interested, he simply said, "I don''t trade with kisses." Instead of getting angry, she bit on his chin gently and threatened, "Hope you don''t regret that." Her lips were painted a bright shade of red, yet the color merely disgusted David. He elegantly pulled out a piece of wet tissue to wipe the lipstick stain on his chin and pressed the inte tomand his subordinate, "Take Miss Atherton out to have a seat. II Windy had no interest in sitting around and exited dramatically. The smile on David''s face faded as he tightened his fingers around his ck ballpen; his eyes filled with frustration and annoyance. Quinn had already worked for Mason Group for a couple days. L had reminded her to build good rtionships with the secretaries, so she had distributed all the gifts Cedrick bought Ste to everyone. After that, despite their doubts about Quinn, everyone in the office weed her enthusiastically. Windy reported directly to Charles and was not trusted with important tasks. Mostly, she would run errands to pass documents around or make copies. 1 Windy made sure to put in effort and epted any work thrown her way. Even so, no one dared to treat her like a normal assistant. After all, she worked for Charles, and there was a possibility that the two were dating. L had instructed Quinn to stay undercover and simply keep an eye on Catelyn, but Quinn could not stand seeing Catelyn and Cedrick together. After all, she considered herself to be rather good -looking, and there were endless possibilities between her and her cousin-inw. Unfortunately, she could not find a chance to get close to Cedrick no matter how hard she tried. One day, Charles had a meeting outside the office and told Windy to hand a report over to Cedrick. Overjoyed, she hurried to the This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. top floor where the CEO''s office was. Chapter 648 Chapter 648 Chapter 648 The office was spacious and empty. Cedrick was having a meeting in the conference room. Spotting his suit jacketying at the back of an office chair, Quinn walked toward it and sniffed the jacket shamelessly. The scent Material ? N?velDrama.Org. of gardenia filled her nostrils, however, and it disgusted her. She then thought of something and took a tube of lipstick out of her purse and stuffed it into the pocket of Cedrick''s suit jacket. The moment she heard footstepsing from outside the room, Quinn immediately unbuttoned the top few buttons of her blouse andid on her side on the couch, pretending to be asleep. Cedrick walked into the office and instantly caught a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. Quinn used to not be able to afford to buy perfumes, thus the things she used were mostly from Catelyn, including the jasmine- scented perfume and the lipstick that had a faint smell of bergamot. Cedrick was able to see the figureying on the couch immediately, and his eyebrows twisted. Quinn, lying on the couch, heard footstepsing closer to her. Hershes quivered as her heart thudded against her ribcage. Was it Cedrick? If she could take Catelyn''s husband away from her, Catelyn would definitely suffer. She was stripped from her mother''s love andpany all those years, and she wanted Catelyn to feel the same pain! The figure stopped a few meters away from the couch, and she waited for the figure to inch closer, she then pretended to wake up from her sleep when the figure did note any closer. "Quinny, why did you fall asleep at the CEO''s office?" The janitor grinned brightly at her, his eyes glued onto her as his hands were still in a pair of blue rubber gloves. Quinn was startled and bounced from the couch in an instant. No one else other than the janitor was in the office. Quinn''s face flushed crimson as she covered her chest with her hand and stammered, "W¡ªWhere''s the CEO? He... He was just..." The janitor understood why the CEO had asked him to go into the office and wake her up. The woman had looked naive and pure-hearted, but who knew she would be such a provocative and cunning woman¡ªpretending to be asleep in such an inviting position just to lure the CEO? Unfortunately, the CEO had never been interested in things like that. "The CEO is in the conference room, of course." The janitor looked at her pale and bare nape pervertedly and reached his hands out to her. "You''ll get a cold sleeping in here. Why don''t youe rest in my staff room..." Quinn was frightened by the sight of the blue rubber gloves stained with what seemed to be yellowish liquid. With her hands still on her cor, she fled the scene right after in rage. She could not believe that she was just harassed by a man in his forties! Cedrick heard about what happened in his office. He chuckled coldly and called Eason. "Find out more about that woman, Quinn Weir." He did not think anything of Quinn at all, but he knew that the woman was up to no good. Cedrick stayed in the office untilte to finish up some work, and he came home to find Catelyn ying a jigsaw puzzle with the boys in the living room. The boys were putting pieces together at an effortless speed as if they did not have to think about it at all. Catelyn sat with her legs crossed on the couch, watching them with a smile on her face and would asionally throw in a praise or two. She heard the door opening and walked toward Cedrick. she took the suit jacket from Cedrick''s hands and greeted him, "You''re home. The dinner''s ready." Cedrick spread his arms naturally and allowed Catelyn to take his suit off of him. All of a sudden... A tube of lipstick fell off the jacket onto the ground. The lipstick rolled and stopped under the shoe rack. Chapter 649 Chapter 649 Chapter 649 Catelyn picked up the lipstick instantly, noticed that the condition was brand new, and asked, "Did you buy this for me?" She twisted the lipstick open with a click and found the tip of the lipstick to be ttened, which meant that it had been used. Catelyn stared nkly at Cedrick, who was at a loss for words. Miles saw everything that happened and tossed the puzzle pieces on the ground, running toward Cedrick with puffed cheeks. "Which evil woman have you been seeing?" The boy shot Cedricka re as if interrogating a man who had cheated. Ollie''s eyes darkened as he uttered coldly, "Father, why do you have someone else''s lipstick in your pocket? You better give us a reasonable exnation." The three of them watched Cedrick closely and quietly. Cedrick took his eyes off the lipstick and announced calmly, "It was an ident." Miles'' eyes widened as he rambled on, "what kind of ident caused a lipstick to slip into your pocket? Did you hug her? Did she sit on yourp? You ought to be really close to each other for that to happen, right?" Cedrick''s face sank as he noticed Catelyn''s face getting paler by the minute. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. That boy sure knew how to instigate a fight! "Shut up." "Look, Catty, I knew Big Demon is just like any other man! I''m the only one who''ll always love you!" Miles wrapped his tiny arms around Catelyn''s leg in an attempt to console her. Catelyn brushed her fingers over Miles'' hair and asked Cedrick, " Where exactly did you get this from?" Cedrick looked at the boys once and pulled Catelyn into the bedroom with him. The boys followed closely behind, but Cedrick shut the door in their faces, locking them out. He then turned to nt a kiss on Catelyn''s lips and exined to her, "Don''t you think the lipstick looks familiar?" Catelyn looked back at the lipstick and smelled the faint bergamot. She then looked at the brand and the color code... "Is this Quinn''s?" Catelyn was the one who bought Quinn her makeup products, so she vaguely remembered the lipstick. Cedrick smirked sinfully and whispered in her ear, "This cousin of yours is deceitful, she even tried to take advantage of me today." Catelyn looked away shyly as Cedrick''s face inched closer to her. She looked down on his leather shoes that he did not have time to take off earlier and asked, "What else did she do?" "She sneaked into my office while I was in the conference room and tried to seduce me with her unbuttoned blouse..." Catelyn was getting more and more upset by the minute. Cedrick was Catelyn''swful husband, yet Quinn had the guts to seduce him. Catelyn felt pressed that someone else was after what was hers. She hooked her arm onto the back of his neck and pulled him in, his head hung low as their eyes locked together. "So, did she seed?" Cedrick was enraptured upon seeing Catelyn''s look of jealousy. He grabbed her hand and traced it down his body. "Do you feel that? It reacts to you, and only you." Cedrick uttered hoarsely, his voice was so deep that it tingled. Catelyn felt her palm getting warmer as Cedrick''s eyes burned hotly into hers. She was slowly losing control... Catelyn struggled to loosen herself off his grip. He pinned her hands together and locked her in. "I was taken advantage of by a nauseating woman, and that woman was your cousin. You have to make it up to me now by kissing me." Chapter 650 Chapter 650 Chapter 650 Catelyn''s heart raced dangerously fast. She refused to kiss Cedrick. They would have to skip dinner and have supper instead if she were to kiss him! "Why would Quinn do that? why would she give up on her bright future and choose to be a mistress?" Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick tapped the tip of her nose and bragged, "Because your hubby is wealthy and handsome, she just can''t help it." "Aren¡¯t you a little tempted? she threw herself onto you!" Miles and Ollie''s faces were glued to the door as they tried to eavesdrop on their parents. They exchanged gazes. "Big Demon won''t bully Mommy, right?" "No, he won''t. Father spoils Mommy to bits now, and Mommy is the head of the house. He won''t bully her anymore," ollie defended Cedrick. "Why is it so quiet then?" Miles scratched the back of his head, worried. Ollie''s ck eyes sparkled. "Mommy has a spare key in her purse." "Right..." Miles'' eyes twinkled in anticipation as he hopped toward the living room to look for the key in Catelyn''s purse. Sure enough, there was a spare key. The boys were too short to reach the door knob, so they pushed a small stool all the way to the door. Miles stepped on the stool and inserted the key into the keyhole. Before he could twist the key to unlock the door, the knob twisted with a click. Catelyn''s face was flushed like a cherry as she walked out of the room with Cedrick, their hands intertwined. The boys, one on the ground and one standing tall on the stool, froze before the pair of adults. "Mommy!" Miles hopped off the stool and looked at Catelyn from top to above, left to right. "Big Demon didn''t beat you, did he?" Catelyn chuckled and shook her head. "No." "Really?" Miles was doubtful. Cedrickhad changed into his loungewear as he stood nonchntly before the boys, "when have I ever hit your mother?" Miles'' hands were on the sides of his waist as he spat, "Stop treating us like we''re three-year-olds! The maids in Mason Estate were talking about how you''ve made Mommy cry! if you didn''t beat her, why would she cry?" Ollie thought back to the day when his Godmother fell sick. By the time Miles and he woke up in the morning, their parents had left Mason Estate already. The boys then had their breakfast on the dining table, but they could hear the maids whispering amongst themselves. They were both curious about what they were talking about. Could it be that Mommy had been spanked and punished by their father? Miles had wanted to talk to Cedrick about it at first, but Godmother fell sick, so they had no choice but to take care of her. Catelyn listened to Miles''ints and usations...and she felt her cheeks burning immediately when she realized what they were referring to. She chuckled coldly toward Cedrick. "From now on, you''ll sleep in the study while I''ll be with the boys!" Cedrick''s face darkened as he thought to himself, T''m so firing those maids!'' Chapter 651 Chapter 651 Chapter 651 Miles gave Catelyn a thumbs up and said, "That''s right, Mommy! You have to y hard to get; easy women tend to be disposable." Catelyn turned and flicked the boy¡¯s forehead. "You, on the other hand, are only allowed to consume children''s entertainment shows and cartoons from now on." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Uncle Edwin was the one who taught me about this, not the TV." Catelyn was at a loss for words. From then on, she decided that Edwin should stay away from the kids. A few dayster, Quinn invited Catelyn out for a coffee and shopping. Catelyn went as usual and bought whatever Quinn hadid eyes on without her asking. Quinn observed Catelyn quietly and was unable to sense anything odd about her. Did Catelyn not notice the lipstick she had left in Cedrick''s pocket? "Catelyn, how have you beentely?" asked Quinn. "I''m pretty good." Catelyn nodded and smiled, seemingly in bliss and in love. Quinn''s smile froze as she continued, "Has Cedrick been good to you?" 1 "He''s always been good to me." Catelyn sipped on the teatte and joked, "We''ve been nning where we should have the wedding." Quinn was certain that Catelyn did not know about the lipstick "You and Cedrickare such a sweet couple! But, I''ve heard from my aunt that Cedrick''s family seemed not so keen on you. You should watch him cautiously, in case the Mason family decides to pair him up with some other woman again..." "Oh?" Catelyn was intrigued. "How do you think I should watch him then?" "Easy. Check his cor every day to see if there are any lipstick stains, smell his shirt to see if there are any perfume scent that belongs to other women, andstly, if he''s passionate with you in bed..." Quinn counted with her fingers as she listed them out, and Catelyn merely watched her silently. Quinn touched her face and asked, "Catelyn, why are you staring so intensely at me?" Catelyn put the cup of teatte down on the table and asked nonchntly, "You''ve just graduated from university, yet you''re advising me on how to watch my husband. Could it be that you''ve seen Cedrick out with some other women?" Quinn''s face flushed as she shook her head nervously and stuttered, "N¡ªNo, I''m just reminding you." "Since you''re working closely with him now, if you catch any women trying to get close to him, remember to snap some photos and send them to me." Catelyn tapped lightly on the back of Quinn''s hand. Quinn smiled faintly without responding. She wondered how Catelyn had managed to keep Cedrick around, seeing as she did not even realize the lipstick in his pocket. Was it the kids? Not even Miss Atherton was able to go against her! Quinn felt a firey rage in her stomach when she realized that her n had failed. That afternoon, when Cedrick came to pick Catelyn up, Quinn decided to go all out. Before they could get into the car, Quinn tugged on the ends of Cedrick''s shirt and said to him, "Cedrick, I think I''ve identally left my lipstick in your office. Can you give it back to me?" "Lipstick?" Catelyn heard and pretended to look at Cedrick suspiciously. "Please don''t think too much of it, Catelyn." Quinn acted guilty and exined nervously, "I was just sending some documents to Cedrick and touched up my makeup when I was there." Catelyn looked at Quinn and asked, "So that''s why you asked me to watch Cedrick. Were you trying to hint at me?" Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Quinn nodded shyly and sneaked a look at Cedrick. "I was worried that you might misunderstand me, so I didn¡¯t know how to tell Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. you the truth.¡± "So, what made you decide toe clean now?¡± Quinn was speechless. "Ceddy, did you see Quinny''s lipstick?¡± Catelyn asked. "You should ask the janitor, you might even find it in the trash bin, " said Cedrick without a moment of hesitation. Quinn bit her lip as tears sprang to her eyes in embarrassment and upset. Why would her lipstick end up in the trash when she was the one who put it in Cedrick¡¯s pocket in the first ce? "Don''t be sad, Quinny! It''s just lipstick. I''ll get you a new one,¡± Catelyn consoled Quinn wholeheartedly. Quinn felt like she was being ridiculed as droplets of tears rolled down her cheeks. Cedrickpletely ignored her cries and told her that her house was out of the way and drove home with Catelyn without her. Catelyn felt bad as she thought back on the guilt that Ste had felt for Quinn and decided to give her a 100-dor bill so she could get a cab home. Thest thing Catelyn wanted was for her to walk the wrong path in life. Quinn stood by the side of the street, alone. She watched as the pedestrians walked past her and copsed onto the ground as she sobbed hopelessly. She had just graduated from university the year before and was still an inexperienced youngdy, after all. At that moment, she got a call from L. Quinn quivered and stopped her tears as she picked up the call. ¡± Hello? Miss L?¡± 15 minutester, L managed to pick Quinn up. Quinn sat in the backseat of L¡¯s van, her nose red from crying earlier. L suppressed her annoyance and poured her a ss of water. "So, what have you found from your observations? How''s Cedrick and Catelyn''s rtionship? Is their rtionship stable? what does the Mason family think of them?" Quinn nodded vigorously, and shook her head again. L was desperate for an answer. "So are they stable?!" "Yes.¡± Quinn sniffled and told L the whole story, except for the part where she tried to seduce him on his office couch. Quinn was aware of L''s feelings towards Cedrick, after all. L''s brows knitted tightly together as she listened to the story. When Quinn was done, the air in the car froze and became tense. Quinn looked cautiously at L. "Miss L..." "You idiot!" L was much more experienced than Quinn in these things, and she almost wed Quinn''s face out when she realized what had happened. "Catelyn must''ve noticed that lipstick and worked together with Cedrick to set you up!" Blood drained from Quinn''s face. "It... It can''t be...¡± "From now on, don''t do anything stupid without my orders. She''s definitely suspicious of you now!" L naively thought that she had recruited a good yer, yet it was just another brainlet. She became frustrated as she was reminded of her own older sister who had no games in her book, which was what drove her to be murdered in the end. Even though she grew up with Loue, L had always thought that Loue was just the lesser of the sisterspared to her. she was not even that upset when she got the news of her death. Vexingly, Quinn once again reminded her of Loue. Quinn was afraid of L and nodded nervously upon hearing her orders. She then retrieved her phone and showed L the pictures she had taken of Cedrick and Catelyn. Quinn was not good at observing people, but L would definitely be able to find something out from the pictures. However, L had be even more enraged when she saw the pictures that Quinn had taken. What sort of pictures were those?! Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Chapter 653 It was a photo of Cedrick thoughtfully helping with the dishes while Catelyn took care of the kids. He softly stared at her as he stood beside her. Apart from the public disy of affection, L found nothing valuable. She primarily wanted to ignite strife between the Mason and rk family by using a photo of Cedrick having a quarrel of some sort with Catelyn. However, she had nothing to bring to Grandpa Mason! Looking at L''s face, Quinn Weir knew she had failed and thus lowered her head in a grievance, she wanted to vent her anger and take revenge on the rk family for her father, but she had failed. "Wait..." Just when she was about to cry, L suddenly grabbed her wrist agitatedly. "Where did you get this photo from?" This puzzled Quinn. "I took the photo secretly." L zoomed in on the photo on the phone, swiped to a corner, and rephrased her question, "I''m asking where this thing in the photoes from." Quinn followed the direction of L''s finger and stared at where she was pointed. The background was Ste''s bedroom. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn was helping Ste to sort out the trash in the photo while Cedrick stood at the door, looking at her. Quinn remembered that was a photo she randomly took. Since L had just bought the phone, the quality of the image was top tier as its photography function was top-notch and could capture high-pixel photos. She happened to capture a photo that Ste had ced on the wall in her bedroom in the photo. That was a family photo taken when Catelyn was two to three years old, together with Ste and Ezekiel. The young Catelyn had a pair of red lips and white teeth in the photo, seemingly giggling as she held a golden bracelet in her tiny hands. The shape of the bracelet was odd as there was a phoenix totem embedded on it. "I¡ªIs this bracelet important?" Quinn murmured. She was never an observant person. "You have to go home right now and find where this bracelet is now. 1 don''t care what method you use, but just bring it to me. If it''s the one I want, I''ll give you four hundred thousand dors!" Quinn could not hide her excitement upon hearing the amount given to her, and her grief vanished almost instantly as she hurriedly took a cab home. L watched Quinn as she left. Her heart raced wildly as if it was about to burst out of her body. There were two kinds of bracelet inheritance traditions in the Atherton family''s direct line. The golden bracelet with a dragon totem was passed on to the son, while the other one with a phoenix totem was passed on to the daughter. For example, Edwin owned a dragon totem bracelet. Rumor had it that the elders of the Atherton family had left a huge amount of assets in the Zouk state Bank, one of the safest banks in the world. The bracelets were the key to the assets. However, since those assets were for emergency use, they could not be used without authorization. To get ess to the assets, two or more family members of both genders must carry both dragon and phoenix bracelets to open the bank vault. Lisa Atherton was the only daughter in the Atherton family during the time, so the phoenix bracelet was naturally passed on to her. However, when Lisa separated from Old Lady Atherton, the phoenix bracelet disappeared, and no one seemed to know where it was. That was a secret that only those who were directly rted to and had a high status within the Atherton family knew, she used to be by the side of Old Lady Atherton all year round, so she happened to hear about the bracelets. By having a little guessing with the information she had, it was not difficult for her toe out with such spection. She was fortunate enough to have seen the prototype of the dragon and phoenix bracelets, which was the same as the bracelet that the young Catelyn in the family photo held. ''No, it can''t be right,'' she debated with herself. ''If it''s a phoenix bracelet, how could it end up in Catelyn''s hands? Catelyn and Lisa do look alike, though... Is Lisa Catelyn''s mom?'' Chapter 654 Chapter 654 Chapter 654 L could not help shivering when she realized that her theory might be true. Her phone fell to the ground with a tter as she shook her head in disbelief. "Impossible! The whole city knows that Catelyn is Ezekiel''s daughter!" Back then, Lisa fell in love with a foreigner and wanted to follow him back to his country, yet old Lady Atherton was against it and forced Lisa to cut him off and stay in Sapphire city. That man could not possibly be Ezekiel! Catelyn was unaware of L''s conspiracy as she was instead worried about the cooperation between herpany and Deluxe International. The fact that the deadline Hunter set for her was around the corner while she had not received any news from Phillip was driving her crazy. ''Is that piece ofnd not tempting enough?'' she contemted. Cedrick was helping the two little guys to take a shower in the bathroom. He had already been soaking wet when he wrapped the two children in bathrobes before putting them to sleep. Miles stuck his head out from the quilt and requested, "Can we have Mommy sleep with US tonight?" Still, Cedrick left without looking back. He noted that the light in the study was still turned on when he came out of the children''s bedroom. He then warmed a ss of milk and brought it to Catelyn. "Having a rough time dealing with your task?" He reclined beside the work table, with one leg slightly bent, sitting in azy posture. His hair was not fully dried as droplets slid down. Catelyn took a sip of the milk, leaving a milk stain on her top lip. Just as she was to speak, she saw the man''s sexy posture and wet hair. Frowning, she put down her ss, went to get a clean towel, and gently wiped his short hair for him as she sat on Cedrick''sp. She did it gently, and Cedrick was very into it. He raised his eyes slightly, looked at the milk stain on her lips, and was amused by how adorable Catelyn looked. Catelyn herself did not notice it at all as she muttered, "Phillip has been holding on to the stuff I need. He''s making it troublesome for me." "You should have contacted Windy." Catelyn had heard of the name ''Windy'' too many times from numerous people. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Joanne was in the entertainment industry, so it would be normal for Catelyn to spend some time reading tabloid magazines sometimes, she had seen windy more than Edwin being featured in those magazines. "Honey, how much do you know about Windy?" Cedrick was pleased to hear the nickname rolling off Catelyn''s tongue. He leaned over to kiss her lips and gently licked away the milk stain on them. It tickled Catelyn, like a feather streaking across her lips. When Cedrick finished, he quickly stood up and raised his eyebrows at her. "Your question should be how much the Ninth Master knows about Windy." Catelyn subconsciously touched the corner of her mouth where he had kissed and looked up at him. "You mean...the Ninth Master and Windy are linked?" Cedrick frowned, expressing novelty at her statement. "Hmm, you can say so." Catelyn asked enthusiastically, "Actually, I''ve always been curious about what had happened between you and the Ninth Master, why do you hate him so much? Is it just because of different positions that you both stand for?" Quickly after, she felt that if Cedrick hated David so much just because he was his enemy in thepany, Cedrick would be making too much of a fuss. Something more malignant must have lied beyond this ''rivalry''. Cedrick''s frown deepened. "There are many things that I can''t exin in a few words. In short, stay away from him." "Alright, my green-eyed honey." Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Catelyn was anxious that her cooperation with Deluxe would go wrong. Realizing her worry, Cedrick lightly knocked on the table to get the bee out of her bo. "Don¡¯t worry. Even I''m persuaded by your n, so Windy has no excuse to not let you pass." Catelyn finally received a call from Phillip the next day on her way to VSA''s building, and she could eventually ease her mind. When she stepped into her office in VSA Group, Maribel came to tease her along with a group of staff who were close to her. "Miss rk, it''s about time. Have you reached a deal with Mister Kingsley from Deluxe International?" "If you can''t make it, you better not y the heroine here." "Ourpany is facing huge losses now, and there''s not much time left for US to think of other ways. If you keep wasting our time, we all will lose our jobs. You''d probably just walk off when ourpany disbanded, but have you ever thought about US?" "That''s right! Dear CEO, it seems we have overestimated Miss rk''s capability..." Everyone was discussing Catelyn while Hunter shook his head helplessly. It would be best for them if Catelyn could reach a deal with Deluxe International, otherwise, he would have to hold Catelyn responsible at the year-end conference in the headquarters. ''I''m sorry but you promised to make it happen.'' Hunter felt a bit guilty when he thought of that. Maribel covered her mouth and snickered. "Catelyn, shouldn''t you fulfill your promise by resigning from ourpany?" "It''s not me who should fulfill the promise, but our CEO, Mister Wilson." Catelyn looked at Maribel, who was swimming with glee, and said to Hunter, "Mister Kingsley just called me to tell me that Deluxe agreed to cooperate with US, and he wanted to sign the contract next Monday, three o''clock." When Maribel heard the news, her eyes widened in disbelief. "Quit joking! There are so many companies that want to cooperate with Deluxe. Why US?" N?velDrama.Org ? content. The others agreed. "Did he really agree to sign a contract?" "Isn''t it said that all therge-scale cooperation of the Deluxe must be agreed by Miss Kingsley?" "Does Miss rk know Miss Kingsley?" Hunter was shocked, too. "You...know Miss Kingsley?" "I don''t." Catelyn shook her head honestly. She only met with Phillip, and he had been the one in touch with her. Maribel suddenly sneered and sneered, "Perhaps Miss rk changed Mister Kingsley''s mind by ''other'' means. No wonder so many of us can''t make it happen. We''re not as beautiful as her, and we''re people of morality after all." Maribel folded her arms and squinted at Catelyn as she spoke. That look of disdain was implying that Catelyn and Phillip had made some sort of unspeakable yet intimate deal for the cooperation to happen. All the male staff instantly stared disgustingly at Catelyn. Jolene sneered and satirized, "Ack! what''s so smelly here? Ew, is iting from Maribel''s mouth?" Hunter cleared his throat andforted Catelyn before Jolene and Maribel started a fight, "You sacrificed a lot for today''s sess. I''ll consider adding twenty percent more to your year-end bonus." He had a little impression of Phillip, a pervert with a beer belly and a bloated body. Catelyn seemed to have sacrificed a lot. However, Catelyn pretended not to understand what they were saying. "You''re wee, Mister Wilson. You might want to keep that bonus with you when you find out that I offered a piece ofnd in exchange for the cooperation." "Land?" "Yes, thend in the countryside that ourpany won in a bid a few years back. Deluxe happened to be interested in it, and they need it urgently. That''s how we reached a deal." Hunter inhaled sharply at this. "Thepany spent more than seven-point-five million dors to get thatnd!" Chapter 656 Chapter 656 Chapter 656 "But we don''t have extra funds to develop it, and it''s a waste to put it there. Additionally, thend is not given away for nothing. It''s a trade." Hunter was furious. "Why didn¡¯t you report to me in advance!" "I did, and you said as long as I can negotiate a cooperation with Deluxe, you wouldn''t care about the cost," Catelyn blinked at Hunter as she replied. There were not many assets on the wishlist of Deluxe. Luckily thend was one of them. Wanting to cooperate with Deluxe to build an airport without sacrifice was a pure daydream. Hunter felt like his heart was bleeding. That piece ofnd was the first asset he had won for the company after he became CEO of the branch. There was a growing interest and an influx of developers and investors into the nearbynds in recent years, and Hunter had been believing that thend''s value would increase by several folds after a few years. That was his greatest treasure. He could not believe that Catelyn just gave it away like that. Her ruthless act had no respect for the company. Maribel looked at Hunter, who was livid, and whispered in his ear after everyone had left, "Mister Wilson, Catelyn didn''t take your words seriously. If she dares to gift yournd, she might dare to rece you one day!" Maribel''s words enlightened Hunter. "Then what''s your n?" "Deluxe''s cooperation with US is built upon thend of yours, so why don''t you leave it to me and tell the headquarters that you have worked hard in the negotiation? Without the project, she has no right to be arrogant." Hunter was persuaded by Maribel. While they nned their machination, Catelyn was in a good mood because Joanne was finally willing toe back from abroad. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. As soon as Joannended in Amarica, she immediately asked Jolene for her new artwork. It happened that Jolene did not bring it with her, but Catelyn remembered she had one in her purse, so she gifted it to Joanne. They went to eat in a restaurant nearby. Catelyn was not sure if it was because of the food in Nathends, but Joanne had gone gained some weight after a month as she now had a double chin, and her jawline was gone, still, Catelyn found her cuter now. "Wow! Geez..." Inside the restaurant, Joanne opened the first page of the book, and her eyes glowed. Catelyn wanted to watch it earlier, but she was afraid she might forget to keep it, and her two kids might see it identally. So when she heard Joanne scream, she leaned over to peek at it. With just one nce, she immediately blushed, and her eyes widened. "Kitty, talk me through..." Joanne gave a wicked smile. The soup was served, and the steam blurred out the blush on Catelyn''s face. "Joanne, you little pervert! You look silly on the outside, but your mind is dirtier than ours! What are you thinking about all day long?" "That''s because you have a handsome husband! Imagination isn''t illegal..." Just as Joanne was saying, the smell of the soup drifted to the tip of her nose. There was sudden reflux in her stomach, and her expression changed. She then covered her mouth and hastily ran into the bathroom. Leaning in front of the washstand, she retched. Catelyn followed her worriedly and patted her on the back. "Joanne, are you okay?" "I''m fine. I ate something bad a few days ago. It¡¯s been like this all the time! It''s so annoying!" After Joanne finished vomiting, she took a handful of water and wiped the corners of her mouth. Catelyn was relieved when she heard that her nausea was caused by food poisoning. "If I had not watched you take the contraceptive pills with my own eyesst time, I would¡¯ve thought you were pregnant." "P...Pregnant?" Joanne stopped taking the water under the faucet, staring nkly at Catelyn. She remembered that day they stopped by for her to throw up... Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Joanne might have vomited it all out. ''It''s over! Is that a symptom of pregnancy?'' She was frightened. She always thought it was just that she could not adapt to the environment and weather in Nathends, so she indulged herself every day, eating all kinds of snacks at will while vomiting every day. Catelyn saw her face turn pale instantly and asked with concern, "Would you like me to apany you to the hospital for a gastrointestinal examination?" Joanne shook her head reflexively. "No! No need. I have already bought some medicine in Nathends. I will take two pills when I get backter." Catelyn was still a little worried. "Jolene and I are free this afternoon. We can apany you." "I''m really fine!" Joanne forced a smile on her face, but her brain was about to explode. Joanne had not even realized she had exited the restaurant. After separating from her friends, she took a cab to the hospital but asked the driver to take her back to Ocean Path Residence halfway through because she remembered she was a celebrity. She remembered a small clinic nearby, but she could not find it anywhere. In the end, after having seven or eight turns, she bought several pregnancy test kits in a small illegal drugstore on a hidden corner of a street. She was worried that one kit could not be urate enough, so she took a bunch of super cheap kits from the stack. They only cost her fifty cents in total. After she had sneakily returned to Ocean Path Residence, Joanne tore open the packaging and went to the bathroom for a pregnancy test. Holding a measuring cup in her hand, Joanne''s hand was shaking while waiting for the result. ''What if I''m pregnant?'' She still had to work to make money. She was the only female artist in Monique Entertainment who made money. ''Would the manager force me to have an abortion?'' Joanne was thinking wildly, and in the blink of an eye, two bright red bars appeared on the pregnancy test kit. Thud. Her hands were shaking so badly that the measuring cup fell directly into the toilet, and her face was so pale that there was no trace of blood on it. it''s over. I''m pregnant!'' Joanne clutched the pregnancy test kit tightly and started wandering around the room, rubbing her lower abdomen, and tugging her hair violently. ''No, I only tested it once, so it''s not urate!'' She tried to convince herself. Joanne then all the remaining pregnancy test kit''s packaging, nning to test it a few more times. Ding dong. The doorbell suddenly rang, followed by the shoutinging from outside the door. "Joanne Winters! Open the door! You finally dare toe back, huh? How dare you abandon all the coborations and run away like that without telling me?! You made thepany cover your *ss! Now open the door for me! I saw you went upstairs, so don''t try to hide from me!" The agent''s irritable roar made Joanne''s nerves tense even more. She then put all the pregnancy test kits in her handbag, threw herself back on the sofa, and went to open the door while pretending nothing had happened. Outside the door, her agent mmed the door angrily several times before Joanne finally opened the door slowly. She smiled at her agent like she always did. "Miss Reed, good morning..." Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Miss Reed looked at her profusely sweating and barked at her, "Where the hell have you been?! What have you done?! Why are you sweating so much?! Jesus, wake up! It''s already afternoon!" Chapter 658 Chapter 658 Chapter 658 Joanne wiped off the hot sweat under her bangs and lowered her head in embarrassment. "I just woke up. My mind is still foggy," she said. Miss Reed gave Joanne a sideways nce and swaggered into her house without taking off her shoes. She took out arge stack of documents from her bag and threw them on the coffee table. "Joanne, I hate to say this, but ourpany was acquired by Worldwide Entertainment Co.. Your contract will be officially transferred to the newpany. Sign these documents and report to them next Monday. Then, I will..." said Miss Reed. "Acquisition? Worldwide Entertainment?" interrupted Joanne, her round eyes suddenly widened. "Yes, what luck eh? The President of Worldwide Entertainment has requested your contract personally. You''re on the road to sess now, don''t forget about me when you''re famous," said Miss Reed. Although Miss Reed had said these words, she did not really mean it. She knew Joanne was not good atmunicating with people in the entertainment industry. In the past few years, if it were not for the help of herpany to bring her name up, Joanne would have been out of the circle a long time ago. When Joanne heard that it was Edwin who asked for her contract, it was like a disaster for her. He must have done it on purpose! He would have featured in those §£-grade movies and magazines... Or maybe even have her be an escort. Edwin Atherton... What a vengeful person! He still could not forget about the incident back in college! "No, I''m not gonna! Miss Reed, I¡¯m loyal to Monique Entertainment..." said Joanne. "Monique Entertainment belongs to Worldwide Entertainment, and that makes you an asset under them as well! Hurry up and sign it!" said Miss Reed impatiently. Joanne had not moved. She begged, "Please, I''m going to be miserable if I sign for Worldwide Entertainment." However, Miss Reed was unmoved. She pushed Joanne to the coffee table and shoved a pen into her palm. Sheforted her, "I''ll be miserable too if you don''t sign this. Please, Joanne, we¡¯vee a long way. Do me a favor and sign this." Joanne held the pen. Miss Reed flipped the document to thest page and pulled Joanne''s hand forcibly to sign on it. "I''m sorry, Miss Reed. I can¡¯t do this!¡± Joanne shook her head and broke free from Miss Reed''s grasp. Miss Reed pointed at Joanne angrily. "Listen to me! I don''t care. You have to sign this no matter what!" "Then I''ll cancel the contract!" Joanne blurted out. Miss Reed was startled as if she had just heard a ridiculous joke. "Cancel? You signed a contract with thepany for fifteen years, and we''ve taken good care of you! Why would you want to cancel the contract? Let me remind you that there will be a huge penalty for breaching the contract. How are you going to pay for it?" said Miss Reed. "Don''t worry about it. Just know this, if you want me to sign for Worldwide Entertainment, I will terminate the This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. contract with Monique Entertainment!" said Joanne fiercely. However, Miss Reed smiled and said, "Your contract was hand-picked personally by the President of Worldwide Entertainment. Why not have a talk with him? As long as he agrees with you, I will terminate your contract!" Joanne said, "Fine! Whatever it is, I will never sign for Worldwide Entertainment!" Twenty minutester, Joanne stood in front of the headquarters of Worldwide Entertainment Co.. She felt anxious. What if Edwin rejects her? However, if she did not talk to him, Miss Reed would just forcefully transfer her to Worldwide Entertainment Company. Just as Joanne was hesitantly walking toward the building, she suddenly saw a Rolls-Roice approaching from a distance. Her eyes instantly lit up in a sh. Chapter 659 Chapter 659 Chapter 659 Joanne had seen this Rolls-Roice several times before. It was Edwin''s car. Instead of meeting Edwin in the building, Joanne suddenly thought it would probably be better to find a quiet ce, such as an underground parking lot, where a private chat with Edwin would be more convenient. She quickly ran toward the parking lot and stopped in front of the Rolls-Roice. Joanne patted the front of the luxury car with one hand and shouted loudly, "Get out of the car, Edwin! I have something to discuss with you!" There was no response. The driver of the Rolls-Roice looked at Joanne through the windshield. He saw that she was wearing a in and thick light-colored coat with a cap on her head. With the brim of her hat lowered, the driver could only see the lower half of her face. He subconsciously looked back at the person sitting in the rear seat. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. The man stayed quiet but quietly stared at Joanne, who was screaming. Realizing that no one was paying attention to her, Joanne got even more furious! This was definitely Edwin''s car! "You have so many talents avable. Why do you still want my contract? I know you still want to take revenge on me, but my contract is still valid for more than ten years! stop being so unreasonable!" said Joanne loudly. She continued, "If you really want, you can... Do ''that'' back to me. Then we¡¯re even!" It was probably too inelegant for Joanne to mutter out that she had made a fool out of Edwin by pouring some stew on his head back then during her college days. Therefore, she just mentioned ¡¯that'', hoping that Edwin would understand her. Unexpectedly, the car window gradually lowered, revealing the face of a grizzled, unsmiling olddy with wrinkles stacked on her face. She nced at Joanne and said, "What did you say?" Joanne''s mouth was wide open. She quickly looked down at the number te of the car. This was not Edwin''s car? "Ma''am... I¡¯m sorry! I''ve mistaken you for someone else,¡± said Joanne embarrassingly. She attempted to leave after apologizing. Granny Atherton shouted back at Joanne, "Hold up! Who said that you could go?" Joanne looked back and smiled apologetically, "I''m sorry." Granny Atherton studied Joanne''s face carefully. The girls who were usually apanying Edwin were all very sexy. What has he done to provoke this stupid girl? "You said just now... You want Edwin to do ''that''?" asked Granny Atherton suspiciously. Joanne''s ears were buzzing, oblivious to the hidden meaning behind Granny Atherton''s words. She just nodded back at her repeatedly. "I didn¡¯t mean it, and I¡¯ve already apologized! It was him who couldn¡¯t forget about it and kept holding on! Oh, do you know Mister Atherton?" said Joanne. "He¡¯s on the news every day. How could I not know him? " said Granny Atherton with a condescending tone. She grew even more suspicious... Who is this girl? What''s with her and Edwin? Chapter 660 Chapter 660 Chapter 660 Joanne felt weird, seeing that the olddy was staring at her like that. She returned to her senses and quickly realized that perhaps the olddy had misunderstood her! Joanne tried exining that ''that'' was not what the olddy thought it meant... "I am in a hurry, and I''ve not eaten much. Come along now, apany me for lunch." interrupted Old Lady Atherton. Joanne nced in the direction of the elevator. She still had to look for Edwin to discuss the termination of her contract. Miss Reed must be waiting for her reply. Old Lady Atherton noticed Joanne''s hesitation. "Is there something wrong?¡± she asked. Joanne quickly changed her posture and tone, and suddenly she appeared cheerful, "Ah, it''s nothing! Let¡¯s go!" Who on earth was this olddy... Joanne wanted to just dig a hole and bury herself in it. Old Lady Atherton was deliberately observing Joanne along the way. She may appear a little peculiar, but she had a friendly attitude toward others. Old Lady Atherton requested the driver to send them to a barbeque restaurant nearby. As they arrived, Old Lady Atherton felt sick in her stomach from all the smokiness of the premise. She would frequently dine in luxurious high-end restaurants, so an environment such as this barbeque restaurant was something Old Lady Atherton was notfortable with. Joanne was a foodie, just like Miles. As they reached their table, Joanne took the initiative to wipe the chairs with a napkin and helped Old Lady Atherton to her seat. "Do you enjoy barbeque? I love it so much! Eggnt is my favorite! Some people would prefer to have barbeque meat, but I think the vegetables are much tastier! After you roast the eggnt, the inside is still soft, with all the charred texture on the outside. Put some garlic and barbeque sauce on it, and the taste is just perfect!" squealed Joanne in excitement. Old Lady Atherton sat on her seat without moving, trying her best to hold back her nausea. She dared not touch the table, apparently disgusted by theyer of grease on it. Listening to Joanne''s words, Old Lady Atherton thought that she did not seem to be a materialistic person. "How long have you known Edwin?" she asked Joanne. Joanne scratched her head and counted mentally, "It¡¯s been many years. I''ve known him since my sophomore year." "How old are you?" "I was 24 years old. I was a sophomore in 2019. Who would have thought that five years would pass so quickly in the blink of an eye..." replied Joanne. Five years?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Old Lady Atherton¡¯s thoughts rewinded back to five years ago. It seemed that that was the time when Edwin had moved out and founded the Worldwide Entertainment Company. Could it be all for this girl? Old Lady Atherton withdrew her gaze and said slowly," I¡¯m thirsty." "Hold up. I¡¯ll pour you a ss of water," said Joanne. She immediately stood up and headed over to the self- service counter to get some beverages, leaving her bag on the chair. While she was away, Old Lady Atherton took the opportunity and touched Joanne''s bag. The bag was of decent quality. Its skin did not feel very rough, and it was not from any famous brand... As Joanne returned with some drinks. Old Lady Athertone quickly sat upright. "Here, have some water." Joanne handed a ss of warm water to Old Lady Atherton. Old Lady Atherton was really not used to the environment around her. She touched the ss and casually said, "It''s too cold." Cold? Joanne had deliberately mixed some hot water in earlier to warm up the ss of water! She quickly changed to another ss of water with a higher temperature. She handed it to Old Lady Atherton and said gently, "Here you go, a warmer ss of water." Old Lady Atherton frowned. As she reached her hands out, she tilted the ss on purpose... Chapter 661 Chapter 661 Chapter 661 Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Smash! The ss of water fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. Joanne was afraid that the broken ss would get to old Lady Atherton. Without any hesitation, she pulled her aside instantly. However, a few drops of water got to the back of old Lady Atherton''s hand. Joanne knew the water she brought for her was quite hot, so she quickly took a napkin from her bag and wiped Old Lady Atherton''s hand. Old Lady Atherton felt unexpectedlyfortable to be held by Joanne like this. Although there was nothing outstanding about her, she was very nice to get along with. Old Lady Atherton pulled her hand back. "Thanks, I¡¯m fine." "Shall we continue eating?" asked Joanne. She pulled a chair over and helped Old Lady Atherton to her seat. "I''m not hungry anymore," said old Lady Atherton, standing still on her spot. "Would you mind taking a walk with me?" Joanne stared nkly at her. First, she said she was hungry, but she had not taken a bite. "Okay, wait for me. I''ll go pay for the broken ss," said Joanne. She quickly grabbed her bag to look for her purse. At this moment, a light-colored pregnancy test stick fell off the bag to the ground... Joanne quickly picked it up and put it back in her bag. However, Old Lady Atherton''s eyes were quick, and she grabbed the pregnancy test stick before Joanne could even reach it. Her expression froze as she saw the two bright red bars on it. "That''s mine," said Joanne sheepishly, she took the pregnancy test stick bag and stuffed it back into her bag, zipping it tightly. The roots of her ears were flushed. How embarrassing! Old Lady Atherton tried to suppress her shock within, not showing it. "I need to be somewhere. I''m leaving now," she said. "Do you want me to walk with you?" asked Joanne. "That''s fine," replied old Lady Atherton. She needed to talk to Edwin. It looks like she was about to have a little great-grandson! Joanne looked at the olddy, suspicious that she was hiding something from her. The corners of her mouth sneered, she knew that Old Lady Atherton disliked her for being so unssy. Getting pregnant without marriage, how barbaric! Joanne bit her mouth, and she knew she could not have this child. She had to go for an abortion. Not even knowing who the child''s father was, the baby would definitely be subjected to strange looks from the others. Joanne could not let her baby grow up in a dysfunctional family. Suddenly feeling depressed, Joanne also lost her mood to look for Edwin to terminate her contract. She quickly took out her mobile phone and made an online appointment for an abortion. Fearing the news of her abortion would spread, Joanne could not go to any big hospitals. She managed to find a private clinic where many people in her circle had surgery. The nurse at the clinic was very kind and gave Joanne a lot of advice. The abortion can only be performed after all her physical criteria are met. Joanne stared at her phone screen, looking at all the precautions and advice sent by the nurse online, she noticed the earliest appointment she could make was three dayster. "Can I set an appointment for my abortion for three dayster?" asked Joanne. Chapter 662 Chapter 662 Chapter 662 The nurse replied with a happy text, [of course! As long as your physical criteria are met, there wouldn''t be any problem.] Joanne let out a dull sigh. She looked at the gloomy sky, suddenly feeling as if there was something pressing on her chest. It was very ufortable, and she struggled to breathe. In the Rolls-Roice, as soon as old Lady Atherton got into the car, the driver could clearly feel that she was in a very good mood. She was grinning uncontrobly. It was a very rare sight for her to behave this way! The driver wanted to apany Old Lady Atherton for her meal earlier, but she insisted that he stay in the car so she could spend her time with Joanne alone. "Ma''am, what''s the matter? You look really happy," asked the driver. "Of course. I''m going to have a little great-grandson!" Old Lady Atherton raised her eyebrows proudly. "Give Eddy a call. Tell him I''m sick and that I wanted to see him," she instructed the driver. The driver frowned but dared not refute the olddy''s words. He proceeded and dialed Edwin''s number as told. In less than half an hour, Edwin arrived at his old home in a hurry after learning that his grandmother was sick. As he entered the home, he saw old Lady Atherton sitting on the sofa and watching TV, seemingly healthy. Edwin raised his eyebrows. "Granny, you pretended to be sick, so I coulde to see you. Don''t tell me you''ve set me up on another blind date once again." Old Lady Atherton picked up the remote control and pressed the pause button. On the television screen, Joanne was seen being interviewed by reporters, she seemed ufortable, not saying anything in the interview, she looked really shy and was blushing in front of the camera. Old Lady Atherton was actually fond of how Joanne was. As long as she could give her a great- grandson, she would acknowledge and ept her. "Do you know this girl?" Old Lady Atherton motioned to Edwin as she pointed at the screen. He looked at the television and replied, "She''s an artist, which mypany was about to sign." This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "I met her in the afternoon. Apparently she is pregnant. Is the child yours?" Old Lady Atherton asked casually. Edwin''s initially calm face sank immediately as he heard this, " Granny, stop joking." "So, you didn''t do anything to her?" Edwin did not say anything. His mind shbacked to that night half a month ago. "I will take care of it," he said in an irritable voice. Old Lady Atherton knew her guess was right, she threw the remote control angrily on the coffee table. She yelled at Edwin, "What do you mean?! What are you going to do? Drag her to a hospital for an abortion? And let my little great- grandson turn into a pool of blood? How often do you see four generations living under the same roof together? Are you going to ruin this?" Edwin''s father, Harry Atherton, had also arrived together with him earlier. Being the eldest son of old Lady Atherton, Harry was over forty years old, romantic by nature. He had a kind of elegance and nobility in his gestures. He also had long and narrow eyebrows, which gave him a very affectionate look. "Mom, what are you saying? You are in good health, and you will definitely be able to live to see four generations in the family," said Harry with a smile. The Atherton Family now had a lot of financial power in the hands of Old Lady Atherton, and Harry wanted to be on her good side. However, old Lady Atherton had not bothered with Harry. If it had not been for him causing so much trouble in the family for being a yboy, Edwin would not be reluctant to take over as the head of the Athertons. "I''ve already met Joanne. There''s really nothing special about this girl, but I''m satisfied with the fact that she''s able to bear a child. Since you''ve been in love with her for five years already, I''ll just turn a blind eye to her and allow you both to get married. Just in time, while I still have the strength to help you take care of the child," said Old Lady Atherton. Chapter 663 Chapter 663 Chapter 663 In love with Joanne for five years? Marrying her? Edwin had no idea where his grandmother heard all this nonsense. He originally nned not to get married before reaching 35 years old. He had ns to find a stable rtionship, but for now, he had no intention of marriage. Harry was feeling impatient and dissatisfied. Before Edwin could say anything, he looked at his mother and said, "Mom, Eddy''s marriage is going to be a big deal, what about the girl''s family background? Does she deserve someone like Eddy? Is the child even really his anyway?" Old Lady Atherton''s tone was cold, "what do you suggest then?" "If you like Joanne''s kid, then just let her give birth to the baby and pay her a sum of money. There''s another family I knew who had an even better girl. Her family background is rich, and she''s perfect to marry an Atherton," said Harry. Edwin did not have a great rtionship with his dad. He sneered as he heard Harry''s words. "Indeed, a marriage between a cheever and an Atherton would be ideal," said Edwin. "There, did you hear that? Even Eddy is also interested in marrying a cheever!" said Harry. Old Lady Atherton stared at Edwin suspiciously. "I thought you''ve always hated getting married?" "Who said I was going to marry?" Edwin''s expression was light. His peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly. "Dad wants me to marry a young stepmother? Seriously?" "Damn you!" Harry''s face turned red in anger. "That girl from the cheever Family likes you! Let me tell you this, I would never acknowledge any other woman except her as my daughter-inw! II He switched his gaze from Edwin to old Lady Atherton. "Mom, Eddy is my son. Why would I not want the best for him? When he gets married to this girl, they will both give you a beautiful great- grandson." Edwin''s face was expressionless. Was his dad actually trying to control his marriage? "Granny, I''ll bring Joanne back to see you next week." After speaking, Edwin walked away and left. Harry was so furious at him that he almost wanted to chase after him. However, he did not dare to be rash in front of the olddy. Harry tried persuading his mother that Joanne must have tricked Edwin into getting her pregnant, trying to use the child to marry into a wealthy family. Old Lady Atherton was not even listening to him. She just leisurely sat on the sofa, pressed the resume button on her remote control, and continued watching her show. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. On the television screen, a series of reporter interview videos about Joanne jumped out one after another, and old Lady Atherton watched every one of them very intently. From time to time, she would ask Kelly where would be a good ce for Joanne to live during her pregnancy period,pletely ignoring Harry at the side. Quinn followed L''s instructions and returned to Ocean Path Residence to look for the bracelet. She turned the whole house upside down, but she still could not find the bracelet. Ste had recently lived with Quinn. Determined to take care of her daughter, she stopped ying cards and would cook Quinn''s favorite dishes, making sure that she would alwayse home from work to eat delicious food every day. On this very day, Ste arrived home from grocery shopping to find her living room had been turned over in a mess. Realizing her house had been burgled, she quickly called the security guard through the phone. Quietly, she picked up a broom and walked slowly towards her bedroom... "Where is it?" Quinn was sweating profusely as shey on the ground and crawled under the bed in search of the bracelet. The other half of her body was still exposed outside of the bed. Ste entered the room and quickly smashed the broom at the body lying on the ground. "Bloody thief! How dare youe into my house!" screamed Ste. Chapter 664 Chapter 664 Chapter 664 Quinn heard the noise and turned around, but it was toote. Ste swung the broom onto Quinn¡¯s waist, she used all her strength, and it was excruciatingly painful that Quinn gasped, she snuck her head out from the bottom of the bed and red at Ste with red eyes. "It''s me! What are you doing?" "Quinn?" Ste threw the broom onto the floor and quickly checked Quinn''s waist. "I''m sorry, I thought there was a thief in here. Let Mummy see if your waist is okay?" "Go away! My mom is already dead! Aren''t you my aunt?" Quinn was enraged and pushed Ste away. Ste was concerned that she had hit Quinn, she fell backward. Her head knocked onto the foot of the bed. She touched the back of her head, and there was some blood... She did not care about her wound but climbed up from the ground and pursued Quinn. "Quinn, don¡¯t be like this. Mummy... Mummy had no choice. I had told everyone that I had no family. If I suddenly had a daughter, Kitty might get angry and chase me out of the house. Then we would both completely lose support..." The broom smelled funny, and Quinn was somewhat disgusted. She took off her coat and dumped it right into the bin. She returned to the room and pulled open the wardrobe. It was filled with a lot of clothes. The tags were still attached to the clothes. She bought all of them using Catelyn or Ste''s money. She changed into a coat that cost five thousand dors and then snickered impatiently. "You are just unwilling to give up on your luxurious life. It''s the same as when you abandoned daddy and me, isn''t it?" Ste''s eyes were red as she felt bad being mocked by her own daughter. She wiped away her tears and faked a smile. "I saw that you were looking for something earlier. Did you lose something?" Quinn did not want to entertain Ste initially, but when she heard her asking, she tried to be nice. She pulled Ste into the room and pointed at the family portrait on the wall. "Where is the bangle that Catelyn was wearing?" she made no intention of hiding it either but asked straightforwardly. Ste followed the direction she was pointing, looked at the bangle in the photo, and only responded after a while. "Why... why are you asking about this?" "Don''t you want to make amends? Now I want you to give this bangle to me." Ste stuttered, "Ezekiel left this bangle to Catelyn. He said it belonged to her mother. This is useless to you. If you like bangles, I can buy you a new one." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "It belonged to her mother?" Quinn repeated and then grabbed Ste. "One question, do you want to give it to me or not!" "I..." Ste looked guilty and answered, "Ezekiel said that it was for Catelyn..." Quinn was enraged, she threw Ste''s hand away and snickered. " So, the daughter of another woman is more valuable than me. If you still want me as a daughter, you have to give me this bangle! Otherwise, I will move out. Even if I die on the streets of starvation, it will be none of your business!" "Quinn, don''t you be impulsive anymore. Catelyn is now Cedrick''s wife, you better behave yourself so that he could introduce you to someone good soon, and we will not have to worry for the rest of our lives." Ste was a little dizzy now, the wound on the back of her head was hurting as though being pierced by needles. Sweat started forming on her forehead as well. Quinn stormed out of the room when she knew that Ste refused to give her the bangle. Ste pursued her, even though her vision was starting to blur, she pulled Quinn''s hand. "Quinn, listen to me. It''s not that I don''t want to give you the bangle, but..." ck. Chapter 665 Chapter 665 Chapter 665 Right at this moment, the door of the living room opened. Catelyn was walking hand in hand with Cedrick with groceries. When they saw the state of the house, they thought they had been robbed. Ste and Quinn were both standing in the living room. Ste was trying to hold Quinn''s hand, but Quinn looked heartless. "What are you doing?" Catelyn looked at Quinn without even trying to hide the dissatisfaction on her face. Quinn was slightly taken aback to see Catelyn and Cedrick back. "There''s a rat, and we were trying to catch the rat..." Ste faked a smile. Quinn nodded, and she pointed at the broom in the corner. "Yes, we were chasing the rat." Catelyn''s gaze swept past Ste''s hand. It was not hard for Catelyn to guess what happened in this ce moments ago from the bit of blood stain on her palm and her pale face. Cedrick''s hawk-like eyes were fixated on Quinn. Quinn''s heart was pounding when being stared at this way. She briefly said something and proceeded to hide in her bedroom. The apartment had two bedrooms. Initially, Catelyn and Miles took one of the rooms while Ste took another. Now Catelyn and Miles have moved out. Naturally, the remaining room was left for Quinn. Quinn leaned against the door, trying to listen to what was happening outside. "Mom, what happened?" Catelyn did not buy their im of catching the rat. Did they have to break the TV console for a rat? "No... Nothing. We were just catching the rat." Ste fake another smile and wanted to take the shopping bags from Cedrick. "stay for dinner tonight? I will cook something for you." Cedrick''s gaze was sharp as he reminded Ste, "Quinn is not a simple person. If she ever makes you do anything, you better be informing me about it beforehand." Ste smiled again. "Quinn is still young. She just graduated and joined the workforce, why will she have any bad intentions? I will lecture her about it. Right, is she still taking work seriously?" "She is serious but not at work." Instead, it was about how to seduce him, and break him and Catelyn up. Ste did not catch his underlying meaning but pulled Cedrick''s hand and said gratefully, "Thankfully, Quinn is blessed with a brother-inw like you. I don''t know how to thank you..." Cedrick frowned, the way that Ste cared so much about Quinn did not look like a normal aunt-niece rtionship to him, but it looked like... A worried mother concerned that her daughter was not behaving. In the room, Quinn was relieved to hear that Ste did not betray her. If she dared to betray her, she would never see this woman as her mother again! She locked the room door, quietly walked to the window, and called L. L was obviously waiting for her news, and she answered her call almost instantly, she asked desperately, "How was it? Did Material ? N?velDrama.Org. you get it? Take a photo and show me first..." "Miss Atherton, I still haven''t gotten that thing." Quinn had to interject her and said innocently, "I searched the entire house and could not find the bangle. Could it have been long gone?" Ste was stuttering all this time. Perhaps it was indeed lost. After all, the photo was taken twenty years ago. Now, the family was already bankrupt, and Ezekiel was no longer around. It was normal for Ste not to know about the whereabouts of the bangle. L paused, and Quinn said, "However, I had found out about the origin of the bangle." Chapter 666 Chapter 666 Chapter 666 "The origin?" "Yes, the bangle was a relic of Catelyn''ste mother for her." L felt slightly tensed at the word ''relic'' and demanded, "If you can find out the whereabouts of the bangle, I will give you a million dors! I must get the bangle!" Quinn heard the one million dor offer and found her determination again. "Miss Atherton, please don''t worry. I will continue to investigate this." Material ? N?velDrama.Org. "There is also another thing that I need your help..." L said with a cold tone, with a hint of nervousness. The living room was full of clutter, and even the couch was flipped over. Catelyn and Cedrick had nowhere to sit. Ste was in the kitchen making dinner. Catelyn did not expect Cedrick to know how to do the chores and, therefore, proactively went and cleaned up the ce. Cedrick pulled her arm, and he sounded impatient. "I never allowed you to do house chores at home. Now you are helping someone else to do it?" If it were not because of Catelyn being so concerned about Ste and insisting oning back for a visit, he would not evere here. Ste obviously coddled Quinn. Even if she was framed by Quinn, it was her own fault. "My mom is not ''someone else''..." Catelyn''s slender finger poked his handsome face and said, "Smile, you are always so serious." Cedrick''s dark eyes locked onto her intensely. Finally, he gave in and took out his phone. "I will get a housekeeper here. How soon do you really think you can finish by yourself?" Catelyn thought it was a good idea to have a helping hand too, and nodded in concurrence. She was just about to say something, suddenly... nk! It sounded like something smashed in the kitchen. Catelyn''s face turned slightly green and she dashed into the kitchen. She saw Ste on the floor with her eyes rolled up. She was unconscious. Next to her was a metal lid of a pot. "Mom?" Catelyn held her breath. She squatted on the ground and kept shouting, "Mom, how are you? Please wake up... Don''t fall asleep..." Ste''s eyshes had little quivers, but she had not shown any signs of waking up. Catelyn looked at Cedrick, and Cedrick understood her. He changed the intention of his call to calling the doctor. Then, the man hunched down, his muscr arm carried Ste up and strode out of the building. Quinn heard the noise outside and came out. She saw Cedrick carrying Ste out. Her pupils constricted secretly. "What... What happened to my aunt?" Catelyn had no mood to entertain Quinn. She merely replied that Ste passed out and then followed Cedrickout of the living room. Quinn subconsciously had the urge to follow, but she noticed her pants were soiled. She went in to change into a new pair and put her hair up in a cute bun before heading down. When she reached the ground floor, Cedrick was about to start his car. She waved at Cedrick, her face still wearing a smile. "Wait a minute, I want to follow too." Expressionless, Cedrick winded his windscreen up. His car then revved away on the road, leaving a streak of smoke behind. Quinn stomped her feet, flustered. He obviously heard her, but he still drove away. Quinn suddenly wondered if Ste passed out because she pushed her away, causing her to knock on her head. Quinn''s face turned green immediately. What if Steined to Catelyn and Cedrick about her? Chapter 667 Chapter 667 Chapter 667 Quinn got a cab and followed. Cedrick had called the hospital beforehand, when Catelyn arrived with Ste, the medical team was already ready and brought Ste in for a thorough examination. Catelyn could not sit still in the corridor. "She will be fine, don''t worry." Cedrick grabbed her hands andforted her. Catelyn''s voice was a little shaky, "when we first reached home, I noticed that there was blood on her hand, but I did not ask further about it... ?f ? had asked her about it earlier and sent her to the hospital earlier, she would not have fainted..." Even though Ste was not her biological mother, she had raised her with her bare hands. Over the past four years, it was Ste who kept herpany, and she kept Stepany too. There were numerous instances when she felt hopeless with Miles. Ste was there to encourage her, to support her to hang on. Catelyn also felt lucky she went back to Ocean Path Residence today Cedrick pulled her into his arms affectionately. He said in a husky voice, "This was not your fault. You did good enough." Catelyn was muffled in his chest, she paused and said, "From now on, every half a year, I will bring her for a body check-up." Catelyn did not know that Ste had fainted because she knocked on her head and thought that she had some unknown condition. "Okay, don''t think too much first. Let''s wait for the doctor''s report, " Cedrick replied softly. Soon, the door of the examination room was pulled open, and the doctor was there to report his diagnosis. Ste''s brain had a concussion, causing hematoma, and therefore she fainted. She needed surgery to take out the blood clots as soon as possible. Catelyn looked at the doctor in shock. "Concussion? How would she have a concussion?" "Yes, from that angle, it looked like she identally fell, it is also probable that she was pushed by someone from behind," the doctor exined and hurried Catelyn to sign the consent form for the surgery. Catelyn signed the form, and her thoughts were all over the ce. Ste was the kind of person who wouldin for many days if she had just a small cut on her finger. However, she knocked her head today but pretended to be normal and even went into the kitchen to cook? Quinn camete. She immediately grabbed Catelyn by her hand as soon as she reached, she was sweating and panting, she looked anxious. "I am here. How is my aunt''s condition? Is she awake now?" This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The cab driver went the wrong way and lost Cedrick''s car. She had to take a detour before reaching the hospital. Catelyn peeled away Quinn''s hand coldly. Her gaze was cold too. " What did you do to my mom?" Quinn was silent, then she cried innocently, "what would I have done to my aunt? How is she now?" "Our home was in clutter. If it was not because of a robbery, it was because of you! Now my mom has to go through surgery because she had a concussion. Quinn Weir, I warn you, no matter what my mom owes you and your father, if something happens to her, I will not let you get away with it!" Quinn merely looked at Catelyn in great shock, who was now infuriated. She was also panicking deep down. To cover up her fear, she wet her eyes and looked exasperated. "I did not do anything to her. she is my only family too. Are you ming me for something? Why are you looking at me like that?" Catelyn''s tone was icy cold. "If you don''t want anyone to know about it, you should not have done it. Don''t you think I don''t know what you did?" "Since you suspect me so much, let''s wait for aunt to wake up, and we can ask her. I wish more than anyone else that she is fine!" If only she were awake, then only Quinn could ask about the whereabouts of the bangle. Then only she could get the million dors reward. Catelyn did not take one more look at Quinn, she waited patiently outside of the operation theater for Ste''s surgery to distracted, she secretly took it off her shoulder. Chapter 668 Chapter 668 Chapter 668 Since Ste would not wake up anytime soon, she would fulfill another demand of Miss Atherton. As soon as she got her hair, she ced it carefully in a transparent bag. Then, she walked to the corner and called L, saying that she had gotten Catelyn''s hair. Ste''s surgery waspleted in the middle of the night. The doctor said that the surgery was very sessful, but it would take a while for the anesthesia to subside, and Ste would be fine once she woke up. Cedrick saw Catelyn''s eyes were red and asked her to go back for a rest. He would be staying in the hospital. Catelyn did not agree at first, but when she saw Cedrick''s persistent look, she swallowed whatever she wanted to say. Catelyn could not fall asleep that night and only briefly did at the crack of dawn. She remembered that she had to go to Deluxe International to execute the agreements in the afternoon, so she set the rm for it at noon. Therefore, she missed the call from Hunter. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. At the VSA Group, when Maribel heard that Catelyn could not be reached, her eyes lit up. Hunter was already annoyed enough that Catelyn did not answer the calls. Maribel took the opportunity to frame Catelyn even more, to make Hunter dislike Catelyn even more. He instructed Jolene to hand over all the information to Maribel. The coboration with Deluxe International will be handled by Maribel from now on. Jolene was very concerned and called Catelyn too. However, no one picked up the call, she could not help but feel worried. Catelyn was not someone who would disappear like that... Catelyn fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up, she realized that the rm did not go off, and it was already three in the afternoon. She could not care to eat, only frantically changed her clothes and wanted to head out. Before she left the door, she checked her phone and saw many notifications from Jolene. They were all the missed calls and text messages from her. [Urgent! Please pick up my call. The coboration with Deluxe International is snatched away by Maribel...] [Please reply to me as soon as you see this!] [The CEO ordered me to hand over all the information I had...] Catelyn''s heart skipped two beats. The coboration was handled by her. Even if Maribel were to take over, they should have waited until the agreement was executed. Just when she was about to call Jolene, her phone buzzed. It was Maribel. She wanted to hear what Maribel had to say too, and so she answered the call. "Miss rk, I''m so sorry, the project with Deluxe International is now under me. You could go and speak to the CEO if you are unsatisfied." As soon as she picked up the call, she heard Maribel''s condescending voice. "Was this your idea or Mister Wilson''s idea?" Catelyn asked. Maribel sounded even happier, "Is there a difference? You did not belong to our Group in the first ce. I have followed the CEO for a long time. Of course, he would be on my side! However, I must thank you, if you did not have the guts to trade thend with Deluxe International, I would not have been able to handle this project..." "Then I wish you all the best!" Catelyn hung up and tossed her phone into the couch, she would be lying if she said she was not pissed about it. However, since Mister Wilson had already given all the documents to Maribel, it would be useless for her to say anything more. She only wished that Mister Wilson would keep to his promise and transform thepany''s image. Chapter 669 Chapter 669 Chapter 669 However, now that Ste was still in the hospital, she could not spare much of her attention on the coboration with Deluxe International either. Therefore, she was not in a rush to get to thepany. She first sent a message to Cedrick and got to know that Ste was not awake yet, but she had some signs of waking up already, she immediately prepared some porridge with Sandy''s assistance and sent it to the hospital. Catelyn was touched to see that Cedrick was always staying in front of Ste''s bed. "Go back and have some rest. I will take over the watch. Look at you. Your eyes are bloodshot now..." Catelyn touched Cedrick''s eye area carefully. Cedrick stretched his body, and he did not feel very tired. It wasmon for him to stay upte when working overtime at the office. Plus, there was another bed to spare in the room, except that it was not asfortable as home. "Have you had your meal?" He looked at Catelyn. Catelyn shook her head. "Not yet. I wanted to check on you first and then have dinner with you." However, she felt bad to see him in bad shape after being on the watch for one night and asked him to go home for a rest. Cedrick took the thermos sk from her and thenid it down on the table. He pulled Catelyn into his arms. Perhaps it was because of hisck of sleep. His voice was extra hoarse and sounded seductive. "I will leave after eating." Catelyn was arranging the cutlery and felt an intense gaze falling upon her body. She looked up, and Cedrick was looking down at the same time. Their lips touched. Just as Cedrick was about to take another move, Catelyn pressed on her own hands and looked at him, implying for him to behave himself. Ste was still unconscious in bed, but he... he was out of the line! Cedrick realized it was not the right ce and the right time either. Therefore, merely bit on her lips and then exited. "Don''t use mint toothpaste next time. I can''t stand this taste." Catelyn wanted to say something but paused, she stood up from hisp and moved to the furthest corner of the table from him. Cedrick''s lips curved into a smile that was very light but full of affection. "Weren''t you going to execute the agreements with Deluxe International this afternoon?" Catelyn said, "No, the project was snatched away by the Associate Director." Cedrick frowned. "Isn''t this project rted to your promise to Mister Wilson?" He knew that she wanted to transform VSA Group''s image and reopen the market in Sapphire City. However, Mister Wilson was Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. very conservative, and the two of them ced their bets on this project. Now that the project was snatched away by Maribel, once executed, who would deserve the credits? Catelyn was flustered. "Perhaps it was because I was sleeping this morning and did not pick up the calls. He was worried that I would not make it to execute the agreement and decided to give the project away to the Associate Director." "Do you need me to help you to get it back?" Cedrick asked. Catelyn shook her head. "No! After all, my purpose was not the project either. I just wanted to fulfill my promise to William." Cedrick did not say anything more, seeing how persistent she was. He had plenty on his te himself too. He rubbed her hair, said something light, then left the ward. Soon, Ste woke up after Cedrick left. Chapter 670 Chapter 670 Chapter 670 She had not had any food in a long time and was famished. Catelyn took out the porridge that she had prepared earlier and fed her one scoop by another. Ste looked at Catelyn with her teary eyes. Her eyeballs were rolling from side to side as though she was looking for someone. "Don''t look anymore. Quinn was nowhere to be found when you were having the surgeryst night." Catelyn saw through her. Ste''s tears looked even more glittery now. When she was sent to the hospital, she could still briefly feel the movements around her even though she had passed out. she just could not say anything. Quinn knew that she had to go through the surgery. Could she not have waited and stayed with her longer? Ste was disappointed. Catelyn found the way Ste treated Quinn was really strange," Mom, now that Quinn is not here, be honest with me. What is your rtionship with Quinn? Did you get injured because of her?" Ste''s head was shaved. Her head was still wrapped in bandages, she wanted to shake her head, but it was so painful that it felt as though her head was splitting into two. "I fell identally." "Do you think I will buy that?" Catelyn looked at her intensely. Ste felt guilty and did not dare look into her eyes. Her gaze was shifting left and right. Just at this very moment, she was surprised to see Quinn appearing in the doorway. She called her name out, " Quinn..." Quinn overheard Catelyn interrogating Ste at the door, and her heart almost leaped out. "Auntie..." She changed her expression into one that looked pleasantly surprised and came in enthusiastically, she held Ste''s hands. "You passed out and got admitted into the hospital. I was so concerned! I heard that the chapel nearby was famous for making wishese true, and I went to pray for you. 1 have even gotten you a lucky charm." Quinn took out a piece of pendant from her purse. Ste smiled, she received the pendant and held it to her chest. Quinn then fawned at Ste. "Auntie, I am so d that you are fine. I am sure you will be healthy and live long." Ste touched her head lovingly, she was so happy that she had lost her words. Catelyn would not make it difficult for Quinn either in front of Ste. She smiled lightly. "It is so nice of you. I''m sure it''s not easy to get all these done overnight?" "Nothing big at all. It did not take much of an effort..." Ste just woke up, and her body was still weak, plus her emotions were sent on a roller coaster. Both Catelyn and Quinn did not stay for long. Once Ste fell asleep again, Catelyn pulled Quinn to the corridor outside of the ward. "What are you doing? You are hurting me!" Quinn hissed under her breath. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Once they reached the corner of the corridor, Catelyn flung her arm away, she said coldly, "I had prepared a suite near Mason Group for you. You need to move out this afternoon." "Are you... Are you kicking me out?" Quinn found it unbelievable. Catelyn took out a stack of green bills from her purse. "It''s either you take this money and move out or get out of Mason Group altogether. Either one out of the two options. You make the call." Quinn bit her lower lip and stayed silent for a while. She grabbed the money that Catelyn gave her and said defiantly, "I will move out!" Compared to staying with Ste, she would definitely choose her job with Mason Group over her. What if Miss Atherton did not find her useful anymore in the future? At least she still had some work experience... Otherwise, she could hook up with a handsome and rich man and would not have to worry for the rest of her life. "If my mother asked about it, you would know what to answer, wouldn''t you?" "...I will say that it is inconvenient for me tomute to work and that I voluntarily moved away!" "Keep your crocodile tears. I don''t buy this. Don''t act as if I bullied you. I have treated you well enough," Catelyn said coldly and left. Quinn stomped her feet angrily. Then her gaze fell onto Ste''s ward room again. She only told her half of the story when Catelyn came back. She said the bangle was not home. What did she mean? Chapter 671 Chapter 671 Chapter 671 Perhaps Ezekiel had hidden it somewhere or that it was with Catelyn. The bracelet had to be the key to some sort of secret for L to ce such importance on it. Cedrick returned to Mason Group, just in time for Alex toplete the research on Quinn''s background. "Master Cedrick, I''ve looked into Quinn''s background." Alex stood before Cedrick''s office desk with a serious expression, "while I was at it, I noticed that someone was trying to erase her history." Cedrick scowled. "Do you know who it was?" Alex shook his head. "I beat them to it. That person dropped everything when they noticed they were set for failure." Cedrick took the report and nced through it. There was nothing much worth hiding in Quinn''s past. Just like how she introduced herself, she grew up with her father. They were poor and lived in a small remote vige, she was not a particrly bright person, but her father had insisted on sending her to school, she failed the exam for university, however, so her father spent half of his lifetime''s savings to send her to a medical college. It appeared that she had not worked in the medical field after graduation, so her employment history was left nk, she might have worked a few part-time jobs, but there were no records of them. Cedrick''s frown deepened when he nced at the column that stated Quinn''s mother''s name. "Sunniva Hills?" "Yes. Rumors had it that Quinn''s mother gave birth to her before she was twenty, and her parents didn''t get married because her mother wasn''t of age then. We''re not sure what happened afterward, but she just vanished," Alex exined. "Vanished?" "I asked the locals, and they said Sunniva Hills had always been '' high maintenance'', so she probably ran away with another man because she thought Quinn''s father wasn''t enough." Cedrick listened intently and stared at the photo of a young Sunniva, a yful smile slowly appeared on his lips. ''Sunniva Hills?'' he thought. ''Ste Hills... It''s no wonder she''s so tolerant with Quinn. Quinn isn''t her niece; she''s the daughter she had abandoned all those years ago! Now that Quinn hase to her, it''s only natural that Ste is trying everything she can to make it up to her daughter...'' "Master Cedrick, do I need to keep digging?" Alex asked. "It''s fine. I have a rough idea of what''s going on now." Even if Ste had abandoned her husband and daughter, Catelyn had nothing to do with it. Quinn would only be digging her grave if she continued to behave the way she did. Meanwhile, at Deluxe International. Maribel had gone through the trouble to change into a dark dress with a coat hanging on her shoulders. The dress was slim-fitted, which outlined her alluring figure. Confident that she was irresistible, she was certain that she could rece Catelyn and sessfully get Deluxe International to sign the contract. When she arrived at the building, she had thought that Philip would be receiving her and was even prepared to be taken advantage of, but to her surprise, he frowned when he saw her. N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Why are you here?" he asked. Maribel had once participated in one of the business conferences and had met with Philip a couple of times before. He had always appeared to lust over her, so she did not understand why he seemed appalled by her presence at this moment. A seductive smile formed on her red lips as she said, "Director rk called in sick today, so I was told by Mister Wilson toe to her ce. I can keep up with the conditions Director rk discussed with you." "Called in sick, you say?" Philip repeated in annoyance. "Why didn''t you call first?" "This doesn''t affect the cooperation between ourpanies." "The point is, I am not the one meeting Catelyn. It''s¡ª" Before he could say another word, a secretary came out of the elevator and asked, "Mister Philip, is she here? Miss Kingsley is starting to lose patience." Chapter 672 Chapter 672 Chapter 672 There were many in Deluxe International that shared thest name Kingsley, so the employees there addressed Philip as ''Mister Philip ''instead. Philip''s frown deepened. When Maribel heard that she was meeting Windy instead, she extended her hand at the secretary before Philip could exin, saying "Hi, I represent VSA Group." "Sure. Please follow me." The secretary shook her hand and led her into the elevator. Philip darted forward as the elevator door started to close and yelled, "Wait, no! That''s not the woman Miss Kingsley wants to meet..." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Maribel followed the secretary to the top floor of the building. The top floor was renovated into a sky garden with a private pool and library; the interior was elegant and sophisticated. She could not help but gulp at the fact that she was about to meet the legendary Miss Kingsley. While she was deep in her thoughts, the secretary opened the door to the only office on the floor and announced respectfully, "Miss Kingsley, Director rk is here." Maribel''s heart raced, so much so that she only heard the word '' Director1, thinking that the secretary was referring to her. She took a deep breath and put on a perfect smile before entering the luxurious office that was the size of a small football court, where a woman was resting against a lounging chair, she slowly opened her eyes at the sound of the door opening and turned to stare at Maribel. "Hello, Miss Kingsley. I''m here to represent VSA Group to sign the contract. It''s my pleasure to meet you. I share quite a few hobbies with you; I like going to Golden stallion club, too." Windy had heard of Catelyn before but had never met with her in person. She lifted her gazezily and asked, "You like going to the Golden Stallion club as well?" "Yes." Noticing that windy was interested, Maribel added, "I have a few contacts that are excellent in every aspect. If you''re interested, I can get them to keep youpany." Windy scanned the woman before her up and down and decided that she looked cheap, which made her wonder as it did not seem like David and Cedrick would be interested in this sort of woman. "You seem to be quite a yer. Does your husband not mind?" ''Husband?'' Maribel thought. Her expression darkened slightly as she said, "I''m not married." Windy lifted an eyebrow. "Why bother lying to me? I''m quite interested in your husband, actually. If you are willing to let him keep mepany for two days, I can agree to changing the spread of benefits to fifty-fifty between ourpanies." Maribel was shocked. "But I''m really single..." "If you aren''t that interested in closing the deal, I guess we can just call this off," Windy gave her one final warning for trying to y dumb. Maribel started sweating profusely at the pressure and was about to exin when someone else knocked on the door. "Miss Kingsley, it''s me!" Philip called out from behind the door. Windy was done with the woman before her. she had thought that Catelyn would be more amusing, but she was disappointed to say the least. Chapter 673 Chapter 673 Chapter 673 "Come in." Philip stepped into the office and instantly started to panic when he saw Maribel standing before windy. "Miss Kingsley, I didn''t get the chance to rify, but Director rk is on sick leave today. This is Maribel Lionel, the Associate Director." Windy had not noticed that difference as she had only heard the word ''Director''. The faint smile on her lips dropped as she said coldly, "So you''re telling me that I''ve wasted my time talking to a fake?" Philip held his breath nervously. "I''ll take her outside right away! I''m sorry for wasting your time, Miss Kingsley." "Miss Kingsley, rk isn''t here, but I''m authorized to represent VSA Group as well. I¡ª" "Go back and tell Catelyn rk that her absence has upset me. Ourpanies will not be cooperating this time. That A few bodyguards came in to take Maribel out. Not knowing how the situation had escted to this point, Maribel frantically tried to exin, but the bodyguard covered her mouth and started to drag her out of the office. Naturally, Catelyn had no clue of what had happened to Maribel in Deluxe International as she was on the way to pick her children up from kindergarten before heading to the hospital to visit Ste. Quinn refused to leave the hospital, and once Catelyn was gone, she snuck back into Ste''s room and woke her up in tears. Ste''s head was pounding, so when she saw Quinn sobbing, she turned dazedly to look at her. "Mom, you need to help me..." Quinn fell on her knees next to Ste''s bed. Ste instantly snapped out of her dazed state. "Quinn, what...did you just call me?" Fighting back the disgust she felt, Quinn repeated pathetically with tears in her eyes, "I was wrong, Mom. I shouldn''t have gotten angry at you. I should''ve known that you were only trying to look out for me. I don''t have Dad now, and you are my only family left. Let''s not be angry at each other, okay?" Feeling a lump in her throat, Ste hesitated for a while before muttering, "So you don''t me me anymore?" ''I don''t me you?'' Quinn scoffed mentally. ''I still do, duh! Getting you on my side right now is the priority now, though.'' Quinn nodded. "You gave me life, why would I me you for anything?" "My sweet girl, stop kneeling and get up..." Ste tried to pull Quinn up, but Quinn stubbornly remained still. Her tears scrolled down, leaving behind trails on her cheeks. Quinn''s tears struck Ste''s heart like lightning. This was her daughter. Throughout all the years they had been apart, she had never stopped dreaming about reuniting with her daughter, and now, Quinn had finally admitted that Ste was her mother. "Mom, I messed up. If you won''t help me, this might just be thest time you see me," Quinn said. Ste frantically grabbed onto Quinn''s hands and said, "What do you mean, you messed up?" "I... Back when I first came to Sapphire city, I worked part-time in a studio and identally broke an actress''s bracelet that looked just like the one cousin Catelyn has. I heard that it''s extremely expensive and that the actress is asking me topensate for it. Otherwise, she''s going to kill me!" Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Ste felt as though she was seeing stars. "Who is this actress? I''m going to call Cedrick. He should be able to help you..." "Don''t!" Quinn stopped her. "Cousin Catelyn hates me already, and if they find out that I messed up, I might even lose my job!" Chapter 674 Chapter 674 Chapter 674 "But..." Ste was conflicted. "I can understand if you don''t want to give me that bracelet. That belongs to cousin Catelyn, after all." Quinn sniffled sorrowfully. " Just remember to hold a funeral for me if I die..." "Don''t say that, you silly girl! It''s not that I don''t want to give you the bracelet. It''s just that¡ªI sold it." Quinn stood up abruptly in disbelief. "You sold it?!" Ste lowered her gaze in embarrassment and stuttered, "That bracelet was meant for Cat, and because she was too young then, I locked it in a safe with the bank out of fear that we''d lose it. After that, Ezekiel needed money, and I was worried that the bank would confiscate all our money, so I sold everything..." "Does Catelyn not know about this?" "That bracelet was kept in the safe for over a decade. How could she possibly remember?" "Where did you sell it to? Can we buy it back?" Quinn asked anxiously. Catelyn brought the twins to the hospital to visit Ste and noticed that Ste''s eyes were red as though she had cried, she tried to ask about it, but Ste refused to talk, so she decided to ignore it. That night, Cedrick came over to pick Catelyn and the twins up from the hospital; he even brought along a few private nurses to look after Ste. The twins swiftly got into the back seat of the car while Catelyn sat on the passenger''s seat to keep an eye on Cedrick since she spotted the bruise under his eye. As soon as she took her seat, Cedrick suddenly pressed up against her. Her eyes widened in shock and she almost forgot how to breathe, but the next instant, Cedrick simply grabbed the seat belt and buckled it up for her before circling around the car to sit on the driver¡¯s seat. Catelyn''s heart skipped a beat as she thought that he was about to kiss her in front of the children. ''Oh my god, I must be out of my mind!'' "Mom, our kindergarten gave US an assignment." Ollie''s voice pulled Catelyn back to reality. She turned around dazedly and asked, "what kind of assignment?" Miles poked his head out and grinned. "The teacher asked US to grow our nts and record their growth. When school starts next year, we¡¯ll all y a short documentary video of our nts, and the best performer gets five red flowers as a reward." ''Five red flowers?'' Catelyn thought to herself. ''Oh my, that''s quite a reward!'' She had always been dedicated when it came to cultivating her children''s hobbies, she tugged at Cedrick''s clothes and suggested enthusiastically, "Let''s not go home yet and go to the flower market instead." Cedrick, however, did not seem interested. "There are nts at home." "Those are Mom''s," Miles argued, his eyes glittering with anticipation. "Ollie and I are going to grow our own and write journals on it so that we can win the reward." N?velDrama.Org ? content. Cedrick scowled. "It''s winter now. Are you sure you two won''t identally kill the nts instead?" "Your sons are confident. You shouldn''t try to bring them down!" Catelyn red at Cedrick for not supporting the children. Miles lifted his chin proudly. "We won''t let you rain on our parade! II Cedrick checked the time on the navigation system and made a turn at the next road light towards the flower market. Though it was winter, there were still arge variety of flowers in the flower market. "What about a cactus?" Cedrick suggested as he followed the other three around. Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Catelyn considered Cedrick''s suggestion. Cactus had natural resistance toward the cold, after all, and it was a fool-proof nt to keep and could absorb radiation, which made it a perfect nt for the twins who never kept a nt before. Her only concern was that the nt was covered in pricks and that the twins might hurt themselves. Cedrick, on the other hand, did not think that his children would be foolish enough to hurt themselves with a cactus, but Catelyn had clearly moved on to other options. In the end, they picked out flowers that bloomed in winter, which included a narcissus, bluebell, aloe, and money nt. She had only wanted to purchase one type, but Cedrickhad his doubts about whether the nts could survive in the twins'' hands. When they crammed all the nts into the back trunk of the car, one out of ten nts had already died. Both Miles and Ollie were furious that Cedrick was looking down on them and vowed to keep the nts alive. While the family of four returned home after their wonderful trip to the flower market, Maribel''s entire life was at risk as she returned to VSA Group with the news that windy had terminated their cooperation. After hearing what had happened, Hunter immediately snapped at Maribel. "What did you promise me? You said that Miss Kingsley will agree to sign the contract, that you can rece Catelyn! Look what happened?" "I¡ªI''m sorry, Sir. I didn''t know Windy Kingsley would be this difficult!" Maribel exined frantically. Hunter mmed his palms against the table in a rage and roared, " I''ve already promised the management that thend is sold. If you''ve managed to screw the entire project up, you''re going to be fired!" ||J__ II "Get out!" he hissed. She bowed her head pathetically. How would she know that windy was hoping to see Catelyn? windy appeared to know a lot about Catelyn, and she mentioned something about Catelyn''s husband. Could windy be interested in Catelyn''s husband? As soon as she stepped out of the meeting room, Maribel immediately dialed Catelyn''s number. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Meanwhile, Catelyn was helping the twins with settling the nts in their apartment, silently sulking at the fact that Cedrick had bought so many nts that there was barely enough space on her balcony. Cedrick sat on the couch quietly and watched over them. Just then, Catelyn''s phone on the coffee table started vibrating. She was upied with the nts, so she called out to Cedrick, "My phone is ringing. Can you help me check to see who''s calling?" Cedrick grabbed her phone and stilled when he saw the caller ID. He immediately hung up. Though Catelyn was not aware of what happened, he had already received intel that windy had thrown Maribel out of Deluxe International, windy even made a public statement using VSA Group for theirck of professionalism. Hence, Maribel was clearly calling to ask for help. Catelyn was confused, "why did you hang up?" "It''s a prank call," he said calmly. "I keep getting thosetely! I even got calls from insurancepanies and real estate agents. I wonder how they got my number?" Catelynined. "Probably from that tuition website you registered for US." ollie poked his head out while being surrounded by nts, his eyes glittering like the stars in the night sky. Catelyn''s heart melted and decided to move on to helping the twins with the nts. Chapter 676 Chapter 676 Chapter 676 Their hands were soon covered in dirt. Once they were done, Catelyn said to the twins, "The florist didn''t give us enough fertilizer, so I¡¯ll get some more tomorrow. I¡¯ll buy a video recorder, too, for your short videos." Catelyn and the twins were all excited, and even though Cedrick did not participate, he was proud of them. Just then, Maribel called again. Catelyn came in from the balcony and was about to wash her hands, she silently decided that she might need to change her number if it was yet another prank call. Cedrick nced at the screen and purposefully waited a while, before telling Catelyn that it was from Maribel. Catelyn wiped some of the dirt off her hands and walked over to answer the call, but Cedrick simply signaled her to stay quiet, before answering the call on speaker. "Director rk, good for you! Why didn''t you tell me that you know Miss Kingsley? She is canceling the cooperation with US because of your absence! Hurry up and figure something out!" Furious, Maribel roared, but there was no response. It was until after a while when Cedrick finally said," who is this?" ''A man''s voice?!'' Maribel thought. She choked on her voice and carefully asked, "I am Catelyn¡¯s colleague, Maribel. Are you... her husband?" "Catelyn''s mother is sick now so she has no time for work at the moment." Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Naturally, Maribel did not ept his exnation; even if Catelyn''s mother was indeed ill, that was no reason to abandon work. "Hand the phone to Catelyn. This has nothing to do with you." Snap! Cedrick simply ended the call without hesitation and instantly cklisted Maribel''s contact, his composure unwavering. Reminded of the times Cedrick had hung up on her, Catelyn realized that perhaps he was trying to give her the cold shoulder. She went over to pinch his cheek without going back to washing her hands. "Cedrick Mason, it''s rude to hang up on people like that! What will happen if Ollie and Miles imitate you?" Cedrick caught onto the faint scent of dirt; his expression darkened as he immediately pulled her hands off. "Hey! Have you washed your hands?" "No!" admitted Catelyn as she puffed her chest, her hands still wandering around on his face. "You''re a naughty boy, I tell you. I''m gonna punish you..." Cedrick narrowed his eyes and lowered his head to rub his cheek against hers until the dirt on his face was transferred onto hers. She hastily tried to push him away, her hands wrinkling his shirt. He scowled and wrapped his arms around her waist before rubbing his newly grown beard against her. "How dare you fool around with me? Try again...¡± "Stop! It''s tickly... Hahaha! Okay, okay, I won¡¯t do it again! IF Both Miles and Ollie had gotten used to the sight before them. They gave one another a look before sighing gloomily while running off to wash their hands. Their parents had foregone all shame and would flirt in front of their eyes every single day. By the time Maribel tried to call again, the call would not go through. Realizing that they had blocked her number, she paced back and forth in the office furiously. One of the managers who was crushing on her came over and said, "Calm down, Maribel..." "She doesn''t even answer her phone now. She just told her husband to answer it before cklisting my number! What is she trying to do?" Unable to regain herposure, Maribel gulped down two sses of cold water. "Catelyn probably knows that we need her and is trying to y hard-to-get," the manager said. "Duh!" Maribel calmed down slightly and sneered. "She said her mom is sick, but I think she just wants to see me begging for her help..." "I guess you have to be the bigger person here. Why don''t you try going to her apartment to find her?" There was no better option at the moment. Hunter had given her the ultimatum that she would have to leave if she failed to resume the cooperation with Deluxe International. Maribel had grown used to acting all high and mighty in the VSA Group, but if she was fired, she had no guarantee that she could find a better job elsewhere. She went to check thepany¡¯s internal system to find Catelyn''s address, which indicated that Catelyn lived in Ocean Path Residence. She marked down the block and unit number and went over to Ocean Path Residence the next morning. She knocked on the door, and to her surprise, Quinn came to open the door. Though Quinn was about to move away, she still had a few belongings in the apartment and had fallen asleep the night before while packing. Chapter 677 Chapter 677 Chapter 677 When she saw how rudely Maribel was knocking on the door, Quinn questioned sharply, "Who are you looking for?" "Where''s Catelyn rk?¡± Maribel tried to look inside. "I work with her. Tell her toe out." "Catelyn doesn''t live here anymore. You have the wrong ce!" snapped Quinn before trying to shut the door. Maribel swiftly held the door to prevent Quinn from shutting it and changed her tone. "Miss, here''s the thing -I need to talk to Catelyn. Do you know where she''s moved to?" Quinn scanned the woman before her up and down and noticed that this felt somewhat like a confrontation. If Maribel was friends with Catelyn, she could not possibly be unaware of her new address. If they were enemies... Quinn''s eyes lit up. She was still frustrated that Catelyn had chased her out, so she exchanged numbers with Maribel and provided her with Catelyn''s new address. She would be more than happy to participate in anything that could cause trouble for Catelyn. When Maribel arrived at Green Inds, she was stunned at how insanely expensive the apartments here were. ''Why would Catelyn live here?'' she thought as she suspected that Quinn had lied to her. She went to the security guard''s post and exined over and over again, but the security guard refused to let her in. Out of options, she could only try calling Catelyn using the security guard''s phone, but she did not pick up. Maribel knew that if she returned without aplishing anything, Hunter would be furious at her, so she could only wait before the gate for Catelyn to return. N?velDrama.Org ? content. By the time Catelyn returned home from visiting Ste at the hospital, it had already been four hours. Maribel, though livid, forced a smile when she saw Catelyn. "Director rk? You''re finally back!" Catelyn purposely looked at her with a dazed expression and asked, "Director Lionel? Aren¡¯t you busy with closing the deal with Deluxe International? Why are you here?¡± Catelyn had only moved recently and not many people knew her new address, so she could not help but wonder how Maribel found her. Maribel gritted her teeth but maintained a polite smile regardless. "Director rk, I was wrong before. Miss Kingsley of Deluxe International is requesting to speak to you only. She''s even saying that we are unprofessional. When will you have time to pay them a visit?¡± "My mom is recovering from surgery, so I''m really busy, " Catelyn said with a troubled expression. Maribel could only swallow her pride and offer, "It''s fine. Just let me know which hospital your mom is staying in, and I''ll go look after her for you! Mister Wilson already said that we have to bring you back. Please forgive me, Director rk. If this project fails, we might all get fired." Though Maribel was angry, she had notpletely lost her senses. If she managed to convince Catelyn to meet with Windy, she might have a chance at surviving. "And what if you suddenly feel like taking charge again halfway through my negotiation with them?" "I won¡¯t! Even if Mister Wilson asks me to, I won''t..." Maribel shook her head frantically as she stared pleadingly at Catelyn. Catelyn despised Maribel¡¯s hypocrisy but knew that she could not exactly ignore the situation as her life depended on thepany, so she epted the apology and agreed to go back to the officeter in the afternoon. When Jolene heard that Maribel only managed to bring Catelyn back to the office after waiting at her ce for hours, she was amused. "You should have just ignored her for a few more days! That way, she''ll know who''s boss..." Catelyn burst intoughter. "If I ignore her any longer, it''ll be Deluxe''s turn toe after US." Jolene could not help but sigh in silent agreement. Before they proceeded with work, she mentioned a recent event to Catelyn. The news had reported earlier that afternoon that one of the pawn shops located north of the city had gone up in mes. Though no one had died from the incident, three people were injured, and most of the merchandise inside the shop was ruined along with the inventory. Catelyn saw the news as well, but since no one had died, she turned her attention back to work. ording to Jolene, the pawn shop belonged to Jolene''s brother-inw, who was a member of the Cheever family. Jolene had been worried sick about the shop, and Catelyn simply stared at her in amusement. Jolene touched her own cheek and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" "So your brother-inw is a Cheever?" The Cheever family owned one of thepanies that had been developing rapidly in recent years, but unlike the four most powerful families that depended heavily on generations of hard work, their sess was a result of the current CEO of thepany, who was excellent in fields like technology and antique assessment. The CEO of Cheever Group had lost his wife years ago, whosest name was also Monroe, which meant that Jolene was the sister-inw of Mister Cheever. ''It''s no wonder that a luxury car came to pick her up that day then...'' Catelyn thought to herself. Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Jolene covered her face with her hands, concealing her expression. "I wish he wasn''t a Cheever." Catelyn''s face brightened up as if she had just smelled a pot of hot piping tea of gossip, but Jolene did not catch that. Even though Catelyn wanted to gossip more, they had to focus on their priority of finding Windy and talk about the coboration. Jolene would eventually open up to her again when the time was right. However, when Catelyn called Deluxe International, her request was politely declined by the receptionist on the other side of the phone. Catelyn had no other choice but to look for Philip. Philip was lectured by Windy and was pissed, so he started yelling at Catelyn before she could even say anything. "How unreliable you are, Miss rk! How could the person in charge change their mind so easily?! If you''re not genuine about the coboration, just say so...¡± Catelyn listened to his ramble patiently and added, "I''m aware of the mistakes made from my end, but please, could you please let me see Miss Windy?" N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Miss Windy isn''t here at the moment. She went on a vacation at the beach." Catelyn was speechless. "When will she be back, then?" she asked. "Miss Windy is a very spontaneous woman. She might be back in a few hours or tomorrow noon," said Philip. "Can you please let me know when she''s back?" "If you stand me up again..." "No, no. It won''t happen, I promise," Catelyn reassured him. Only then did Philip agree to her request. Truth be told, Cedrick was the reason Philip was willing to help Catelyn. He had no intention of looking for trouble if it was not for Cedrick. Catelyn let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Philip''s answer. All she had to do next was wait for Windy toe back. She was also thinking about using thepany''s name to do some charity work while Hunter was decent to her. She then invited Joanna to the old folks'' home for some volunteer work. After all, Joanne was generally keen and passionate when it came to volunteering. It could be because of her family background, but Joanne had always been very respectful toward the elderly. However, for some reason, Joanne had politely denied her invitation for the volunteer work this time. Catelyn did not think much of it as she thought she was just busy with work. Unbeknownst to Catelyn, Joanne was pacing hesitantly in her room at that moment. She had made an appointment earlier for an abortion by pill that afternoon. Joanne was lost and helpless. After all, this was her first time getting pregnant...and having an abortion. She rubbed her t belly. It was probably still a tiny fetus at that point, yet she was about to get rid of it. She had no other choice. If she dragged it on any longer, it would be dangerous for both herself and the baby. She felt sorry and prayed for the baby¡¯s soul to have better luck in their next life. Joanne prepared herself mentally before putting on an oversized jacket and a pair of sunsses, heading toward the private hospital. Edwin left the Atherton Manor and went straight to the office to attend to some urgent matters. His henchman, whom he had ordered to check on Joanne''s background, had reported back to him, including about her family¡¯s house address, the school she used to go to, and her past jobs. Ocean Path Residence? That name was familiar to him. He vaguely remembered that Catelyn lived there before, too. "Mister Atherton, there was no record of Miss winters¡¯ medical record. I was unable to find out whether she was pregnant or not, but..." the man hesitated as if he was afraid to carry on. Edwin tossed the file on the desk and said, "Speak." ¡±1 found out that Miss Winters had made an anonymous appointment for three thirty in the evening...for an abortion." Chapter 679 Chapter 679 Chapter 679 Three-thirty in the evening? Edwin looked at the time and realized that it was already three in the evening. That idiotic woman! How could she not tell him before she decided to get rid of his child?! Edwin hopped onto his red Ferrate and sped all the way to the hospital, running over multiple red lights. He eventually managed to arrive at the hospital in 20 minutes. He had called the hospital earlier to inform them to not proceed with the abortion for a woman with the last name ''Winters''. However, since Joanne was a celebrity, she might have provided a different name to the hospital. It was a private hospital, thus they were not too strict on your identities. As long as one had the money, everything could be done anonymously. There were too many women with a 3:30 p.m. appointment. Most of them were there for a surgical abortion, but some were there for the pill since taking the pill at the hospital was safer than doing it at home. Edwin had no idea which one of them was Joanne. He sprinted to the gynecological operation room. The doctors and nurses were all waiting anxiously for Edwin, and all procedures at the time had been urgently halted. Edwin was drenched in sweat, even though it was winter, and his face filled with anxiety and panic. If Joanne had gone on and killed his child, he swore to kill her next! Edwin paced and waited by the corridor, yet he was unable to find her. He thought she might have been hiding, considering that she was a celebrity, so he decided to ask the head of the department directly. The man looked through the appointment schedule as he asked anxiously, "Mister Atherton, are you certain that the woman you¡¯re looking for is Winters?" "Yes, Winters. The pregnancy is probably around three weeks." Edwin provided all the information he had in mind. The man looked through over and over again andstly was able to spot a woman with thest name Winters that fitted the description, only the age provided was a year older. "Miss Winters hadpleted the procedure and left the hospital." "It''s done?" Edwin was in disbelief. "But her appointment is in two minutes..." A nurse thought of something and added, "Thedy was sobbing hard, kept on telling US how the baby should not be brought to this world and begged for US to do it sooner. We had a patient who missed the appointment, so we gave her an earlier slot..." The nurse finished her sentence and felt Edwin''s de like re as if he was going to murder her. She staggered a few steps back in fear. Edwin felt hisst hope had been snatched from him. When Grandma told him that Joanne was pregnant, he thought that Joanne had done it on purpose. He thought she had purposely chosen not to take birth control pills and avoided him by flying to another country, and when she became pregnant, she woulde back to the country and use the pregnancy against him. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. However, Grandma had always wanted a great grandchild. If Joanne behaved and was willing to obey him, he might have allowed her to give birth to the baby for Grandma''s sake. What he did not expect was for her to get an abortion by herself while he, the father, was thest one to find out... Edwin asked the nurse for the time when Joanne left the hospital and turned to leave the hospital, determined to find her. If the baby''s gone, they could make more... The more unwilling she was to bear his child, the more he wanted the child! Edwin could feel how stuffy his chest was. It was the first time he felt like he had no control over a situation. He should have looked for her three days ago. He might have overestimated Joanne. Maybe she never had the intention nor the intelligence toe up with the n of using the child against him... It was either that, or that she was not ready to give up on her career as a celebrity. Either way, Edwin was infuriated and was ready for murder. Just as Edwin was approaching the exit, he passed by a garden, and his eyesnded on a stone stool by the corner. The slender figure sitting by the stool was none other than Joanne Winters. Chapter 680 Chapter 680 Chapter 680 Joanne was seen leaning on the stone table with her head hanging lowly. Edwin was only able to see the side of her face from that angle and could not see her expression at all. Her wispy figure made her look like an abandoned kitten; lonely and helpless. It was winter, yet she was leaning on the ice-cold stone stool and table after she had just taken the abortion pill? Did she really think she was that strong and healthy, or had she fallen asleep on it? Joanne leaned on the table, grimacing. Her eyebrows knitted tightly together as she looked at the time, noting that it was past three-thirty in the evening. She took a deep breath, in and out, and realized that she could not go through with the procedure. If only Catelyn was with her. She was still deep in her thoughts when a figure appeared at her side, effectively blocking the sun rays shining on her. Joanne instinctively grabbed her face mask and sunsses to put them on, but before she could do that, a man grabbed onto her wrist. "Joanne Winters!" he snarled through gritted teeth. "Present!" Joanne responded almost immediately, like a reflex. She then looked at Edwin and was stunned. Her expression twisted together as if she had just seen a ghost. "M...Mister Atherton?" she stammered. "It''s you! Are... you here to see the doctor, too?" Edwin noted how her lips trembled, her face paled, and felt her hands cold. He suppressed his anger and took off his jacket to put it on her. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "Why didn¡¯t you tell me?" Joanne felt the sudden warmth from the oversized jacket. As the jacket enveloped her petite body, the air surrounding her was filled with the scent of his cologne. She looked at him, shocked. "Tell you what?" Edwin pursed his lips together and red at her, as if saying, ''Go on, keep acting.'' It ?? ''Did he know about the pregnancy?'' It was to be expected since he was the boss of a female celebrity after all. Joanne bit her lip as her round almond eyes looked down on the ground. "Don''t worry, this won''t affect thepany''s image," she spoke. "I''ve already-" "Who gave you the permission to abort the baby before discussing it with me?" Edwin''s hand had formed into a fist. Abort? Hold on. Why did she have to get his permission? Joanne''s eyes shot up from the ground as she looked at him, perplexed. Seeing as his face was stern and grim, she pretended to joke casually, "Ahaha, what a great boss you are, caring so much about your employee''s private life! However, this baby is mine, and it''s my choice to do so. The doctor had also mentioned to me that I''m in perfect health and could give birth to a team of ser yers if I want to..." Edwin¡¯s face got progressively darker by the second," You can abort it whenever you want? Have you considered me?¡± "You?" Joanne blinked at him, confused. A secondter, Joanne felt a bomb had justnded on her, and her head was about to explode. Her round eyes widened as she stared at him. She must have heard wrong. Joanne fell silent as her eyes glued onto Edwin. Edwin took a deep breath and took her icy-cold hand. " Since you''re able to make Grandma happy, let''s do it. Pack your things, and let''s go to the county¡¯s office." Chapter 681 Chapter 681 Chapter 681 What? "Why are we going to the county''s office?" Joanne asked dumbfoundedly. Edwin looked at her and said in a sing-song tone, "what you wanted¡ªa marriage certificate." Since she had the guts to tell Grandma that she had liked him for five years, she must have been hoping for this day for a long time. "Are you crazy?!" Joanne pulled her hand out of his grip furiously. "I never said anything about marrying you!" Edwin''s eyebrow lifted as he looked at her and drawled, "What did you say? I didn''t get that." "You..." Joanne was crying internally, but she had no courage to yell at him anymore. All she did was look at him in bewilderment. The reason he wanted to marry her was probably just topensate her for what she had to go through that night, right? Joanne thought about all the possibilities and felt like she was about to puke from the overwhelming thoughts. She waved at him and said, "Mister Atherton, you don''t have to make up for anything. I''m content being single. We''re all adults, and it''s normal to have flings, right?" Edwin waited for her to finish and said, "It was your first time, right?" Joanne''s face flushed like a cherry, and her round eyes widened. "If you really want to make up for it, just terminate the contract! I smashed the rice bowl on your head last time and you took my virginity, so we''re even!" spat Joanne. She had already nned on printing out a big poster of Edwin and pining it up on her bedroom wall, just so she could throw darts on it first thing she woke up every morning! She could not believe that she would let a yboy like Edwin ruin her life, she refused to let her baby have a low IQlike the biological father! "I don''t care; you killed my baby. Make me another one, or die." Joanne felt chills down her spine. She had no more energy to argue with her, and all she wanted was to stab him with a knife. Unbeknownst to her, that was not even close to the ending. It was just the beginning. What Edwin said nextnded on her like a nuke. "You''ve caused me great harm and trauma that night, and I''ve gathered both evidence and witnesses. You either marry me, or I''ll see you in court." Joanne felt her soul leave her body as she stared at him nkly, her brain buzzing. She must be hearing things, right? A man had threatened to sue her for harassment... Her lips quivered yet nothing wasing out of her mouth. Hisst sentence echoed over and over again in her ears. "I suggest you reconsider your decisions. We''re both public figures, and if anything, rd just be seen as another trashy man. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. You, however...will have your future ruined." Joanne thus agreed reluctantly, like a sad puppy who had just been bullied. Before she went home to take the documents needed for the license, she tugged at Edwin''s shirt, causing him to stop and look at her. Her eyes were red as they glistened with tears. Feeling bad from the sight of her, he asked, "what''s wrong? Do you feel unwell?" "I... I haven''t had the abortion yet," Joanne said weakly. II II "I was going to get the pill, but I couldn''t muster up the courage to go in. Should I go and do it now?" Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Edwin was stunned to hear this, and his sunken heart had floated back up. He felt an odd sense of happiness. "What abortion? Did you forget what I said? Bear it and give birth to the baby when the timees!" Edwin felt thoroughly entertained by the naive girl in front of him. His baby was safe! He looked at Joanne''s belly and felt relieved that he could bring her home to see Grandma. Edwin thus brought Joanne to the obstetrician for a regr check up, seeing as she never had it checked and had no idea what the baby''s condition was. Joanne looked at her hand that was held and dragged by Edwin, she wanted to pull her hand out but had no energy to do so. If she truly was pregnant, and he was willing to marry her and give her and the baby a home, that would not be too bad. Most importantly, she did not have to get an abortion. She would never admit to him that she was just afraid of getting an abortion. Before she came to the hospital, she had read numerous articles online about countless women who did not have proper care after abortion and ended up with so many gynecologicalplications. Her life had just begun, and those were thest thing she would ever want! Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Joanne was deep in her thoughts and almost walked into the wall in front of her. Edwin had enough of this and dragged her all the way to the doctor''s office. The head doctor was in charge of her and prepared tools to draw blood. Joanne was afraid of needles and blood, so she shut her eyes closed and bit her lip upon seeing the tools. Edwin''s lips twitched ever so slightly. People who saw her in such a state would think that she was preparing for war! When the warm blood flowed into the syringe, the doctor reced the needle with cotton. Edwin applied pressure to it to stop the blood and took her to a couch to rest. Her skin was snowy-white, contrasting the bright red of the blood on her arm. Edwin thought back to that night and felt his throat constrict. Edwin had ordered his men to buy some food as they waited for theb''s result. Joanne felt like she had been revived as she chugged a whole carton of milk down without caring about her image. Edwin could not bear the sight of it and looked away, feeling the hesitation rise to his throat. If he was to bring Joanne home to see his family, would he be ridiculed and shamed? How could he, Young Master Atherton, bring home a woman who was not only a celebrity but also a seemingly simple-minded one at that? The results were finally out. The doctor had the file at hand, but his expression was odd. "Doctor, is there something wrong with my baby?" Joanne felt her heart sink as she asked. The doctor said nothing as he looked at Edwin. Edwin had a sense that something was wrong and said, "Just spit it out." "ording to the reports, Miss winters'' chorionic gonadotropin numbers were normal, which meant that she''s not pregnant," said the doctor as he handed the report to the couple. Edwin looked at it and confirmed that her numbers were normal. Joanne''s face flushed crimson; she felt embarrassed and was in total disbelief. "How is that possible? My period waste, and I''ve been feeling nauseous and throwing up. Most importantly, I got two lines on the pregnancy test! I can show you if you don''t believe me..." "There are many reasons why your period could bete: not getting enough sleep, not having a bnced diet, et cetera. Nausea can be rted to your guts and stomach. As for the pregnancy test kit, it''s either you used it wrongly, or that the test kit you got was expired or faulty. A blood test is more urate and shouldn''t have any errors. I''ve personally run it twice, and the results came back the same." Joanne fell intoplete silence. Edwin felt his head throb as he asked in frustration, "where did you get the test kit?" "Just...a neighborhood clinic, three for five bucks." Joanne wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury herself. Chapter 683 Chapter 683 Chapter 683 The doctor eventually figured it out. "Pregnancy test kits usually cost more than ten dors. The cheap bundle you bought must be inferior to be urate or expired." Joanne was disconcerted. She carried a lot of medicines when she came out of the hospital, all of which were prescribed by the doctor to ease her stomach problems. The doctor also told her toe for an examination if her period did note after two to three months. Edwin¡¯s face was fixed into a permanent scowl as he walked briskly, so much so that Joanne could not keep up. Panting, she shouted behind him, "I can''t walk anymore! I''m not going anywhere!" Edwin stopped when she heard her shouting. He swore to himself to note to this hospital again. He could not believe that they came all the way to the hospital just to make themselves aughingstock to the patients! Joanne ran over, panting, as her bangs turned to one side due to her run, revealing her entire forehead. She looked up at him and deadpanned, "Since I''m not pregnant, we don''t need to get married, right?" "Tsk." Edwin sneered as he stared at her. Joanne was baffled by his behavior and felt her heart racing, still.'' What''s that behavior for?'' "You made it known that you''re pregnant with my child, and now you regret marrying me?" Edwin never thought he would live to see the day someone would turn him down. The more Joanne wanted to get away from him, the more he wanted to tie her to him. Joanne was stunned. "No one knows I''m pregnant!" She did not even tell Catelyn, for goodness'' sake! Edwin merely shoved her into the car, not wanting to entertain any of her debates. "Didn''t you say that you have a good physique and are capable of giving birth to a football team? I''ll fulfill your great wish and let you legally have a football team." "But I¡ª" "Say one more word, and I''ll f*ckyou now!" Joanne was stunned. Half an hourter, Edwin and Joanne sessfully got their marriage certificate. Walking out of the city council, Joanne felt light and airy, she felt the certificate in her hand was particrly unreal. ''Did I just... marry him just like that?'' It all happened too soon. ''It''s not right! I wasn''t pregnant, why did I agree to marry him?!'' Joanne suddenly came to herself. She needed neither abortion, nor did she have to raise a baby! Standing at the entrance of the city council, she gulped and asked, " Well, would you mind if I be your wife for just a couple of Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. days?" Edwin always felt that he should learn to control his temper, still, Joanne never failed to make him furious. Joanne instinctively shrunk in guilt at the way he stared at her. " Alright, I''ll marry you, but on one condition! I can''t be married to you for nothing in the end!" He lifted his chin in a leisurely manner and motioned her to continue. He was curious about what kind of request she had for him. "First, the news of the marriage cannot be leaked as it will affect my career. Second, during the marriage, you cannot do intimate things to me without my permission. Third, it''s best that you terminate the contract with me so I don''t have to be your puppet..." Edwin continued to sneer at her, which made Joanne horrified. Then, he took her to Benjamin''sw firm. He then drafted a contract without Benjamin''s help, threw it in front of Joanne, and ordered in a domineering tone, "sign it. I''ll make you famous within five years." Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Joanne stretched her neck and nced at the contract. The first term written was about the duties of husband and wife. Joanne blushed and threw the contract back to Edwin. "We''re not even close at all." If she had not been mistaken she was pregnant, they would barely know each other. Edwin supported Joanne with one arm on the side of her head, which was very oppressive in her eyes, she then habitually stepped back. Meanwhile, his other hand wound around her waist as he stepped forward and pressed her into him. With her chest pressed against her, Joanne''s dense eyshes quivered. "W¡ªWait..." "It doesn''t matter." Edwin leaned over slightly. His impish gaze seemed full of brilliance in the instant. Joanne stammered, "I¡ªI''m not as good as those chicks of yours..." "Grandma is in a good mood knowing that you''re pregnant with her little great-grandson. I don''t want to upset her. This is just to keep your lie true." Joanne had heard Edwin talking about his grandma several times but never met his grandma in person once. She bit her lip and muttered softly, albeit somewhat annoyed, "I''m not a machine for you to give birth to children." Her cheeks were slightly puffed out¡ªround, and smooth¡ªand her eyes were translucent under the cover of her bangs. To Edwin, the sight merely beguiled him. Edwin suddenly let go of her and said nkly, "Don''t insult the word ''machine''. At least machines can produce tons of products." Joanne was speechless when she realized that Edwin was satirizing her fertility. "Sign it, then pack up and go home with me," said Edwin huskily. Joanne wanted to reject him, but gazing at his gloomy expression, she knew she would only frustrate him even more if she resisted. " Why should I pack up and go home with you? "And, what about my request to terminate the contract with you?" Joanne asked him boldly, blinking her beautiful eyes. Edwin raised her enchanting lips slightly and said with certainty, " You won''t be able to find another entertainmentpany that treats you better than Worldwide Entertainment in Sapphire city. If being popr isn''t your cup of tea, I''ll terminate the contract as you wish." Joanne struggled silently for a while before looking down at the contract. The second term was about giving birth to children. The first child was stated to be born within one year, and the second child was within five years. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, she had a foreboding feeling that she had sold herself as a birth-giving machine to Edwin. She immediately regretted what she had done that night. Catelyn rushed to the port after receiving news that Windy had gone on a holiday on a cruise. Coincidentally, there was a windy winter that year. Catelyn covered herself with a scarf with only the top half of her face exposed in the cold air. she felt the cold wind digging into her body. She was surprised when she saw Windy on the cruise ship. Windy was wearing a sexy bikini and was wrapped in a loose bathrobe, surrounded by several sexy male models. She somewhat recognized those models as they were famous and often featured in magazines. Chapter 685 Chapter 685 Chapter 685 All the male models surrounding windy had godlike-sculpted bodies that expressed their masculinity. They all smiled charmingly as they fed her fruits from time to time, practically pleasing her. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. What surprised Catelyn the most was that among the group of models, there stood a tall man in a suit. He stood upright, wore gold-rimmed sses, and showed no inferiority at all. By taking a good look at the man, Catelyn finally noticed who the man was. It was David Mason. She had doubted Cedrick''s statement before that David and Windy were sexually close, but at this moment, she finally believed it. She was sure that David was not the only lover of this flirtatious woman, too. Windy, spotting Catelyn from afar, bit into the fruit handed over by a model. She then walked to David''s side and stood on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck and seizing his lips with a raise of her head. David snorted while his face was dull. He gently pushed Windy away before turning his head to get off the cruise ship. Windy smirked and chuckled. Suddenly, she rushed in front of him and kissed his lips before he could react. She had already chewed up all the grapes, so all she gave to David was the grape juice and some grape residue. "Wow..." "Your majesty!" "Kiss her, Ninth Master!" Those onlookers gave yful cheers and apuse as they saw that. Catelyn, on the other hand, was too flustered to watch. Perhaps it was because she was not that kind of person from the upper-ss circle. She had been invited to many simr parties when she was still a young missus in the rk family, but none of them were as wild as this. When Windy got off the cruise ship, she was wearing a bathrobe with a coat on the outside. Her strange way of dressing did not conceal her arrogance as she strode with her brows and eyes ttering. Catelyn stopped her at the exit, stepped forward with a smile, and handed her a business card. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kingsley. I''m Catelyn¡ª" "Catelyn?" Windyzily yed with her flowing hair that had been ruffled by the wind and did not take the business card. "Didn''t I already reject the cooperation with VSA? What are you doing here?" Catelyn was not annoyed, she returned with a smile and kept the business card. "I''m very sorry for the incidentst time. I came here today to apologize to you." "I ept that as you are the wife of Master Cedrick, but the cooperation is still a no," Windy said seriously and did not seem like she was joking, all while stealing nces at David from time to time from the corner of her eyes. Catelyn did not want to give in. "Miss Kingsley, don''t you want to reconsider it? We''re willing to¡ª" "To be honest with you, I always thought that Cedrick was gay and that he had feelings for Mister Atherton. He found a surrogate mother to birth the child in advance just to keep his secret to himself." Windy was no longer interested in listening to her talk about the cooperation as her eyes sunk. Catelyn was speechless when she heard her joke. Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Catelyn was rejected by Windy without mercy. However, Catelyn had no intention of giving up. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. When she left the port, she answered the phone call from Cedrick and told him what had happened just now. Still, the wind was too strong that Cedrick could not hear Catelyn clearly, so he urged her to go home as soon as possible after finishing her work or give him the address so he could pick her up. Catelyn did not want to stay at the port any longer, so she took a cab home alone. She had been very busytely. Hence, Cedrickined about her leaving him aside with the children. Catelyn felt guilty, she wanted to find a bnce between family and work, yet it was easier said than done. To make up to the three of them, she cooked a sumptuous dinner when she got home. She also yed two rounds of games with the two little guys. Cedrick had been sitting on the sofa, ncing at her with dissatisfaction. Still, Catelyn pretended not to see it and continued to y games, but the skills of the two genius kids were so superb, and her character died quickly, even if they went easy on her. "Mummy, don¡¯t do that next time. The opponent''s character is an agility type, and yours is a strength type. You should find a way to drain his HP." Ollieforted and taught Catelyn after seeing her lose two games in a row. Catelyn felt she was too bad at it as she could not even win against a three-and-a-half-year-old child, she then turned her head to look at Cedrick. "Why are your genes so good?" "Give me the console." Cedrick took off his suit and walked over gracefully. "I''ll teach them how to respect their elders." Ollie pursed his tiny lips, wanting to say that he was just kindly reminding her mother, but chose to remain quiet and concentrate on fighting against the Big Demon with Miles after seeing Cedrick''s disdainful look. Catelyn also wanted to see their father ying against his sons, so she quickly got up from the carpet and handed him the console excitedly. Cedrick looked at the two children sitting cross-legged on the floor with some disgust. "Come on. The game is about to start!" Catelyn pressed his shoulders, and herbright eyes flickered as she said slyly, " Whoever wins will get to sleep with me tonight!" Cedrick sat on the floor with a serious expression when he heard Catelyn. The two boys would fight with him for Catelyn every night, so it was time to teach them a lesson. They all sat cross-legged side by side and stared at the TV screen as the game went on. To Catelyn, they looked like a lovely family, and she was happy about it, so she secretly took a photo of such a happy moment. Cedrick originally thought that beating the three-and-a-half-year -old children was just a piece of cake, but he did not expect the twins had telepathy, as they cooperated very well when ying games. Cedrick almost fell into their trap, but fortunately, he got out in time and defeated them with his experience. Miles was stunned and refused to admit defeat. He begged Cedrick to y another round against ollie and him. Cedrick nced at the clock on the wall and then turned to the kids with a winner look, realizing it waste in the night. "It''s bedtime already. You both should sleep now." "No! Let''s do another round." Miles hugged Cedrick''s thigh and refused to let go. "ollie and I will win you in the next round." Cedrick wanted to pull the little guy away, but he did not expect the little kid to have a strong grip. He lowered his eyes and asked, "So you could sleep with my wife?" Miles blinked shyly because Cedrick saw him through. He said with a hint of pleading, "You don''t dare to fight because you are afraid of losing. Come on, let''s y another round with me. I want you to y with me..." Chapter 687 Chapter 687 Chapter 687 Catelyn normally would not advocate for little kids to y games for a long time, but Miles was acting so soft in front of Cedrick that she could not help but beg Cedrick on his behalf. In the end, Cedrick was again back in the game for another round. Miles happily ran back to the seat and started controlling his character to fight with Cedrick. He was murmuring, trying to interfere with Cedrick. Cedrick coldly told him to shut up before turning a deaf ear to him. Then, he easily resolved the alliance between ollie and Miles. The kids lost badly in the end as they red at Cedrick and Catelyn before running into their room. Catelyn watched them leave with augh. Just as she wasughing, she felt Cedrick''s cold eyes fall on her. She immediately started a topic, telling Cedrick everything she saw on the cruise ship. "Why do they think you are gay? Didn''t they know about Maia?" Maia was his fiancee, and the people of the upper ss knew that. Cedrick frowned slightly. "I never touched her." "But others don''t know that. Have you done anything else that made them misunderstood?" Catelyn stared at Cedrick curiously. He recalled that it probably had something to do with Edwin. There was a year the Kingsley family held a wine reception, and all the people from the Big Four Families were present. Windy was crazier then, which was the fuse to her husband''s suicide. When Edwin went to the reception with him, he heard some people talk about how the so-called reception was actually held by Windy''s father to choose a young and suitable fiance for Windy. Someone from the crowd was joking, saying that the only one who was suitable to be windy''s husband was Edwin. Edwin then gave the man a hint that he and Cedrick were a couple. Suddenly the crowd fell silent. Since then, windy had looked at Edwin and him strangely. Not wanting to talk about the past, Cedrick spread out his arms to hug Catelyn. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The sudden feeling of being in the air made Catelyn subconsciously wrap her arms around Cedrick''s neck. He then carried her to the bathroom while she struggled to get down in his arms. "I''ve already taken a shower." The chilly sea breeze at the port earlier made her ufortable, so the first thing she did when she reached home was shower. "But I haven''t," Cedrick said in a calm voice. Catelyn could imagine the consequences of being carried into the bathroom, so she punched him gently twice on the chest. "Then I won''t apany you! I''ll go back to the room and wait for you... I don''t mean... urn..." Cedrick abruptly lowered his head to kiss and bit her lips gently. The next thing she knew, she had been carried to their bedroom by Cedrick. He put her on their bed, took a hairdryer, and gently dried her hair for her. When his slender fingers ruffled through her ck hair, he saw that her cherry-like lips were opened a little and could not help lowering his head to kiss her again. Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Catelyn slowly regained a little consciousness from the kiss. Her beautiful cherry lips opened and said, "Do you know where windy usually hangs out?" "If I knew the answer, you would be jealous," said Cedrick as he controlled the temperature and wind speed of the hair dryer to a lower setting. Catelyn felt veryfortable as she felt the steady wind from the hair dryer. She climbed onto Cedrick''sp andy down. This position was convenient for him to dry her hair. "I''m serious about this. I''m not happy that Windy has refused to cooperate with me. I can''t just let this opportunity slip away like that," said Catelyn. Cedrick smiled yfully. "She enjoys hanging out at ces where there are a lot of men. Nightclubs, pubs, fashion shows, underground auctions, you name it. Are you sure you want to go?" "Is there any ce she goes that would be a little less dodgy?" Catelyn looked away embarrassedly. "I''ll get Eason to find that out for you," said Cedrick. Catelyn had stayed up prettyte the night before and almost could not get up the next morning. She knew she still had to send Miles to school, with that thought in mind, she resisted the temptations of the bed and got up, only to notice that the side of the bed was already empty. Catelyn touched Cedrick''s pillow and found it was all cold. This was howCedrick was. No matter howte he went to bed the night before, he could still wake up and go to work on time. What incredible discipline he has. It was as if he was never tired! How unfair! Catelyn patted her cheeks and dragged her tired body to the dressing table, she put on some light makeup and sent the two little ones to kindergarten. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. This kindergarten was just a in, ordinary kindergarten. However, the security here was top-notch. On top of that, Cedrick had also secretly hired some bodyguards to protect the safety of the two boys. After sending them off, Catelyn went to the hospital to pay Ste a visit. Ste had been in the hospital for a few days, and she did not manage to bring all her toiletries along. Catelyn went back to Ocean Path Residences to pack some of Ste''s belongings and happened to bump into Joanne, who was dragging a suitcase down the stairs like a thief. Joanne saw Catelyn put the suitcase aside and threw herself into Catelyn''s arms, crying. "Sob... Sob..." "There there, don''t cry. what happened?"forted Catelyn. she brought Joanne into the room, and they both sat on the sofa. She took a piece of napkin and wiped the tears off Joanne''s face. She looked back at Catelyn with a stern-looking expression, "I have something to tell you, but you must stay calm." Catelyn was taken aback by her sudden seriousness. "Okay, I''ll be calm. Tell me." "I..." Joanne moved her lips, but the words could note out. Instead, it was Catelyn who spoke first, "Did you manage to find the scumbag from before? Or, your contract issues couldn''t be resolved, and now Worldwide Entertainment Company is asking you to move out to their staff dormitory?" "It¡¯s not the staff dormitory, but..." Joanne muttered. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "I''m married," she finally said. There was a long silence after that. The air quieted down, and Catelyn looked at her in astonishment after a few seconds. This news was so sudden she was not mentally prepared for it at all. In addition to that, Joanne was a female celebrity, and she once said that she would never get married until she was sessful in her career. "With whom?" asked Catelyn. Chapter 689 Chapter 689 Chapter 689 Joanne pondered for a few seconds, then muttered, "Edwin Atherton." Catelyn stood up from the sofa in shock. "You''re kidding!" "I sure wish I was!" Joanne choked. Catelyn patted her on the back while cursing Edwin¡¯s name, she then quickly said, "Is it because Edwin felt ashamed of you, so he decided topensate by marrying you?" Joanne did not dare to tell Catelyn how she got pregnant, she leaned over and hugged Catelyn. "Sob... Kitty, I don''t want to leave you!" She started tearing up and continued, "Here I am, signing up myself to a hellish marriage. How I wish I were like you to have a husband like Master Cedrick..." Joanne''s mind was racing. From now on, she would have to focus on taking care of her womb until the baby is born, and then she would have to nurse the child. Catelyn was worried for Joanne. Edwin had a pretty bad reputation. He might bully Joanne, and even his mistresses would humiliate her. She may not be able to handle it. "Let me know if Edwin treats you badly or if he dares to bring unruly women to provoke you. I''ll help you!" said Catelyn. Joanne choked as if being reminded of something, she suddenly sat up and said, "Right, I''ll just go make a wish tomorrow. I wish that his mistresses would just kill him by ident!" And then, she could escape from Edwin and the sea of misery. Catelyn was speechless. At this moment, Joanne''s cell phone rang. Catelyn nced at the phone screen and saw Edwin''s name on it. Joanne looked worried, she picked up the call and immediately heard Edwin''s bbering over the receiver, "Are you not done packing up yet? Hurry up. I''m waiting for you downstairs!" Joanne hesitated and replied, "I didn''t ask you to wait for me. If you are so impatient, just go home on your own!" "I''m afraid I can''t do that. Without me, the security guard will not let you pass," said Edwin tly. Joanne was so furious that she threw her phone on the sofa. Catelyn apanied Joanne downstairs and walked her to Edwin''s car. Edwin was startled for a moment when he saw them both approaching him. He smiled faintly and greeted, "Good morning, Kitty." "Joanne is my best friend. If you bully her, I will not forgive you!" said Catelyn. Edwin opened the car door and threw Joanne''s suitcase directly at the backseat. He then went over to Joanne and put his arms firmly around her waist. "Don''t worry, she is ''pregnant'' now. The Athertons think highly of her. How can I bully her?" said Edwin. Pregnant? Catelyn looked at Joanne''s t stomach in astonishment.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Wasn''t she already taking birth control pills? How could she not tell her about this?! Joanne rubbed her cheeks, trying to calm herself down. "Kitty, listen to me. Things are not what it seems. Actually, I..." Chapter 690 Chapter 690 Chapter 690 "It''s time to go home now," Edwin interrupted Joanne''s exnation. Before she could say anything, Edwin dragged her into the passenger seat and drove the car away. Joanne red angrily at Edwin. "Why did you tell Kitty that I''m pregnant? That''s not true!" Edwin tapped his slender fingers on the steering wheel and said, "I will take you back home to see Granny when I have the time, she is looking forward to your child." "Didn''t you hear me? I only have roundworms in my stomach. It''s not a child!" Joanne reiterated angrily. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Edwin replied, "I have already bribed the doctor. As long as you keep your mouth shut, everyone will know that the child in your stomach is the great-grandson of the Atherton Family." Joanne was speechless. The whole purpose of the marriage was so that Edwin could keep lying? Why did she even buy that cheap pregnancy test stick? How annoying! Joanne kicked the pedal under her foot in anger, making a muffled thud as if something had fallen off. she quickly looked back at Edwin with a guilty conscience. Seeing that he was not angry about it, Joanne breathed a sigh of relief. She would not be happy if Edwin asked her to pay for any damages to the car. Edwin noticed her worried look and jokingly said, "This car is worthless. Kick it as much as you like. Just don''t break your own legs doing it." Worthless? Joanne''s eyes lit up as she heard Edwin''s words, she felt the leather quality of the seat, and it felt pretty premium, she could not help but ask in curiosity, "How much is this car worth?" "About a million," said Edwin. Joanne was instantly shocked. She nced sideways at him fiercely and leaned on the window in frustration, thinking about how miserable her life would be in the future. She had to lie to the Atherton Family, and within a year, she had to give birth to a baby. Why did she even sign such a humiliating agreement? Meanwhile, Catelyn found out that windy would be going to a shopping mall in the afternoon. Cedrick happened to be inspecting the location, so she quickly rushed to the mall. As she met him there, she asked him immediately, "where''s Miss Kingsley? where is she now?" Catelyn arrived in a hurry, and there was a fineyer of sweat beads on her forehead, she gasped for breath as if she just came back from a run. Cedrick stretched out his hand to wipe off the sweat on her forehead. "It''s just a contract. Is it that important?" he asked. Catelyn hugged his arm and acted coquettishly, her dark eyes glittering as she spoke, "When I get this contract, let''s all go for a holiday. How about that?" Cedrick closed his eyes and replied, "She''s having a meal over there. I''ll show you." Windy was not surprised at all when Cedrick and Catelyn appeared in front of her. She had a few bodyguards watching her from afar, and she already knew they were there before they even approached her. Chapter 691 Chapter 691 Chapter 691 "Miss Kingsley, we meet again," Catelyn raised a smile and greeted Windy. Windy raised her head slightly, motioning them to take a seat across her. Apparently, Windy had not ordered any food yet. Catelyn called the waiter for the menu and handed it to windy. However, she just ignored her, staring at Cedrick on the opposite side. Catelyn suddenly felt a strange feeling. "Miss Kingsley, don''t you want to order anything?" "Right," said Windy casually, she took the menu and ordered three simple appetizers randomly and pushed the menu back in front of Catelyn. Catelyn ordered a bowl of stew. The waiter smiled as she took their orders and left. "Master Cedrick, it''s been a while. I didn''t even know you were married." Windy smiled, her curly hair spread out charmingly. " Such a pity, I wanted to ask you out..." The strange feeling within Catelyn intensified as she listened to Windy''s words. She''s flirting with her husband! Catelyn reminded herself about the contract. She forced a smile and took out a stack of documents from her bag. "Miss Kingsley, since we have some time, why don''t we talk about business?" N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Hey, Miss rk, I admit it, you''re a beautiful woman. However, §¤§ä not too shabby as well. Tell me, why did your husband choose you?" asked Windy in azy tone. She took the documents from Catelyn and flipped through them casually. Catelyn was struck again, and her expression became a little stiff. Once again, she reminded herself to be mentally strong, she needed this contract! "The food isn''t here yet, and I''m not in the mood to talk about work," said windy. Her eyes wandered around, and she threw a wink at Cedrick. "What a shame that you''re already taken, Master Cedrick. You know, perhaps I can take care of you better than your wife." Cedrick replied calmly, "You know very well that I can''t touch the Ninth Master''s stuff." "But I''m not just some stuff. I''m a person." Windy suddenly pushed aside the te in front of her and stood up. She walked behind Cedrick, swaying her enchanting body figure as she took her steps toward him. Windy circled her fingers yfully on his neck and then across his temples. "If you put on a pair of sses, you''ll look even more like the Ninth Master," she teased him. Catelyn stared at Cedrick. He did not even push Windy away! Catelyn took a deep breath, resisting the urge to flip the table, she squeezed out a very domineering smile and pushed Windy''s hand away from Cedrick. "If you like my husband''s face so much, there are two smaller versions of him in my family. Wanna have a look at them?" said Catelyn with a murderous gaze. This time, it was Windy''s turn to be shocked. After a moment, she fluttered her big wavy hair and smiled seductively. "Well, it will take at least ten years for your sons to grow up. I can''t wait that long. Don''t be so stingy, Miss rk." "It''s Missus Mason!" said Catelyn coldly, feeling really irritated by Windy. "Since you''re not interested in talking to me, then I won''t bother you anymore. I''m sorry to disturb your mealtime. Goodbye! II She took Cedrick''s hand and left the restaurant without looking back. To hell with the contract! Chapter 692 Chapter 692 Chapter 692 Catelyn dragged Cedrick away very quickly, windy burst intoughter as she watched the both of them leave. She expected Catelyn to be a boring person, but she turned out to be pretty interesting. Cedrick was dragged to a small remote aisle at the back of the mall with no one around. Catelyn''s eyes instantly lit up in mes, she pulled Cedrick''s necktie toward her, forcing him to lower his head. "You seemed pretty intimate with windy just now. You didn''t even push her away when she touched you. Her rose perfume is very alluring, isn''t it?" she said coldly. One of Catelyn''s arms was resting on his neckline, they both were so close to each other that the tip of Cedrick''s nose almost hit her, and she could also smell his masculine breath. Cedrick thought it was pretty amusing to see Catelyn being so jealous. Plus, she had just publicly admitted to being his wife earlier. Now Cedrick could not help but feel a great sense of satisfaction within. "She was really quick, and I didn''t have time to push her away. You should know what my favorite scent is, right?" asked Cedrick with a smirk. Catelyn stared at him in anger, she tightened her grip on his tie, almost strangling him. she replied with an aggressive tone, "I''m not certain anymore! Is it Quinn''s scent? Or Windy''s scent? Perhaps you''ll change your mind tomorrow!" Cedricksmiled lightly, allowing Catelyn to ravage his tie. "Didn''t you swear that you''ll win this contract no matter the cost? I''m just trying to help you," he said. "You could have told me earlier that Windy had a thing for you! Then I won''t even need you here!" said Catelyn, feeling extremely annoyed at the moment. "Actually, you should be happy," said Cedrick. He broke free from her restraint and brushed his thin lips against her ear. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Catelyn slightly tilted her head toward Cedrick. "Happy that I can use you to get the contract?" Cedrick bit her earlobe yfully. "No, you should be happy that even though there are so many women after me, I still choose you." In fact, Windy was not interested in him at all, but she enjoyed watching the drama unfold, she was simr to the likes of Edwin Atherton. Earlier, she just wanted to provoke Catelyn for the fun of it. Although the Masons and Kingsleys were not close, they both had their own circle of influence. Cedrick also knew Windy briefly. If she really liked him, things would end up like David Mason. Thinking of that incident, Cedrick frowned. Catelyn let out a few grunts and red at him angrily. "That only proves you have good taste! Don''t you ever forget that you belong to my two boys and me. You are not allowed to be close to any other women. Do I make myself clear?" Cedrick just grinned back at her. The next moment, he turned her over and pushed her against the wall. He lowered his head and kissed her on the lips. "Alright, alright. I''m yours, and you''re mine too." Earlier, back in the restaurant, Cedrick had ordered a cup of coffee. Catelyn could still taste the hint of caffeine on the tip of Cedrick''s tongue as he kissed her. Chapter 693 Chapter 693 Chapter 693 Catelyn''s thoughts drifted away slowly. Suddenly remembering the moments where windy touched Cedrick''s neck, she said to her husband intimidatingly, "Carry me home. That''s your punishment! II This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. After a long wait, the sampleparison report that L sent to the professional DNA identification center finally came out. Since Lisa''s DNA samples were long gone, technically, only the DNA samples of Catelyn and old Lady Atherton could be used to of theparison was only about a quarter. Even so, L still arranged for someone to carry on with it. Her whole body froze when she saw the results that the simrity in thest row was as high as 27%. Impossible! Wasn''t Catelyn Ezekiel¡¯s child? How did she be Lisa''s daughter? Could it be that Lisa did not actually leave with the mysterious man but stayed by Ezekiel''s side instead? Desperately, L tried to remember anything she could about Ezekiel and his wife. However, she was too young at the time to remember it clearly. Even after trying to search through the newspapers from that period of time, she could not find a single photo of Ezekiel''s wife. Either Ezekiel did an excellent job protecting his wife, or this woman was really good at hiding herself. The more L thought about it, the more unwilling she felt. L was just an unknown sideline of the Atherton, and she was just fortunate that old Lady Atherton allowed her to be by her side. If Catelyn were to return as an Atherton, the olddy would surely focus all her attention and love on her. Catelyn already had Cedrick, and now, the Atherton Family... Grandpa Mason disliked Catelyn because of her background. However, if old Lady Atherton backed Catelyn up, would that make her the most honorable woman in Sapphire City? L crushed the report tightly into a ball. No! She could not allow such a thing to happen! Quinn trembled as she looked at L. Her face was all gloomy when she asked, "Miss Atherton, whose hair are youparing Catelyn''sone with?" L''s thoughts were interrupted by Quinn''s question, she immediately red back at her fiercely with teary eyes. Quinn stepped back in fear. "I''m... I''m just asking, that''s all! Just curious!" she exined. ''What a timid girl,'' thought L. She could just easily control Quinn. Suddenly, a bold thought shed in her mind. What if someone impersonated Catelyn, took the bangle, and then appeared in front of the elders? "My mother is still in the hospital. She''s waiting for me, so I''ll head back first," said Quinn. L said suddenly, "Wait. Do you want Catelyn to suffer?" Quinn nodded. Her eyes were immediately filled with hatred as she heard Catelyn''s name. L decided to have Quinn take this risk. However, Quinn froze as she learned about the bangle. L wasparing Catelyn''s DNA to old Lady Atherton! The Athertons, one of the Big Four Families. Catelyn was old Lady Atherton''s granddaughter! Chapter 694 Chapter 694 Chapter 694 Quinn''s initial reaction was panic. She stuttered, "Miss Atherton, to impersonate Catelyn is very risky. If the Atherton family finds out, I will be dead..." "High risk, high reward. If you managed to gain the olddy''s trust, think about it, you would be the most respected daughter of Miss Atherton. By then, you could easily handle Catelyn, don''t you think so?" L would not want to use Quinn either if she had other options. However, Quinn hated Catelyn, and she was a coward. It was easy for L to manipte her. Quinn''s knees trembled involuntarily. Her heart was racing. There was a little person in her mind, telling her repeatedly to agree to L! She wanted to be the most respected daughter of Miss Atherton... "However, it is so easy to find out about my background..." "What does it matter? Your mother abandoned you from a young age. As long as you hold the bangle and insist that you are the daughter of Summer Atherton, I will take care of the rest!" L was hesitant too. This was risky not only to Quinn but to herself too. However, if she did not take risks, she would eventually get herself into a shithole as well if she stayed longer in the entertainment industry. She nned to help Quinn, and then Quinn would be within her control. Everything would be better then! Quinn knew that the bangle was with L already. She dared not think about why the pawnshop caught on fire and why all the records had been destroyed. She only dared to imagine that she knew so much of L''s secret. If she did not listen to her, perhaps it would soon be her turn to disappear from this city quietly. To take Catelyn''s ce, snatch her family away, and let Ste regret abandoning her back then... As soon as these thoughts appeared, they spread like wildfire. Finally, Quinn nodded. "Okay, I promise. I will do as you say, but if something happens... Miss Atherton, you would help me, right?" "Don''t worry. We are on the same boat, but you need to keep your mouth shut about it." "I know!" Quinn was thrilled, she clenched her fist and said, "I will not leak anything about this!" Catelyn was confidently meeting windy at first, but her spirits were dampened. Windy probably did not want to coborate with her anymore in the future. On her way back to the office, Catelyn kept thinking about how to exin to Hunterter. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Even worse, Maribel, she would definitely not let her get away with this. However, Catelyn had no choice but to face it head-on. She could consider other projects to redeem herself. Soon, she arrived at the office. Catelyn took a deep breath and walked into the office. Jolene was waiting for her downstairs. She looked a little happy and excited to see her back. "Oh my, Kitty, you are finally back! You are wonderful! You sealed the deal with Deluxe International!" Jolene praised her excitedly. She looked straight into Catelyn''s eyes, not even blinking once. Catelyn could not smile, she only said weakly, "This project is probably called off." "Called off? Mister Wilson is waiting for you in the meeting room! Hurry,e with me, and imagine Maribel''s face. I am already happy just thinking about it." Jolene pulled Catelyn by her arm into the lift and went straight to the top floor. Catelyn did not exin further. She thought about exining itter when they arrived at the top floor. Once out of the lift, they went to the meeting room. Through the transparent ss door, Catelyn could clearly see the row of senior managers sitting in the meeting room. Everyone was smiling in anticipation. Even Maribel was wearing a pretentious smile. Chapter 695 Chapter 695 Chapter 695 Catelyn kept on consoling herself that if this project failed, she could still try to negotiate for another project. No worries! "Miss rk, I could never imagine that you managed to seal the deal with Deluxe International..." Hunter reached his hand out to Catelyn enthusiastically. His gaze was full of respect. Catelyn could only smile weakly. "Mister Wilson, in fact, Windy has already..." "Miss rk, you can drop your act. Everyone knows that you are capable. Even Miss Kingsley had respect for you. Mister Wilson said to n a celebration for you. Just think about where you want to celebrateter." Maribel could not hold her smile any longer and said with an envious tone. "Yes, just drop your act." "Miss rk is so young but so capable. Deluxe International said that we have an equal split in the profits. This way, our long- term benefits will definitely be worth more than that of thend!" "We will no longer face the crisis of beingid off!" Everyone was discussing excitedly and were allplimenting Catelyn. Catelyn was stunned. They were going to throw her a celebration party? she could not announce that Windy had fooled her at the celebration party! Catelyn took a deep breath and wanted to tell Hunter the truth. " I''m sorry..." "Miss Kingsley already sent the agreement, Miss rk. It was all because of you! I will report as it is to the headquarters. We will increase your bonus by the end of the year..." Hunter said, interjecting what Catelyn intended to say. Catelyn widened her eyes in disbelief. "Are you saying the agreement was signed?" "Miss rk, don''t pretend anymore!" Maribel rolled her eyes. She looked jealous. Catelyn was dumbfounded. Did Windy not say that she would only agree to the coboration if Cedrick could spend one night with her? How was it possible for her to change her mind so quickly? "Since everyone already knew about it, I will not hide it anymore. Let''s work hard and bring the Group to greater heights." Mister Wilson continued to praise and allowed Catelyn to continue working on the subsequent events. Maribel was disgusted to hear Catelyn''s speech of victory. She used to be the center of attention in the office. Now all her glory was snatched away by Catelyn. Even the way Hunter looked at her had changed! She humphed unhappily. Catelyn just got lucky! Right, Windy herself said the other day that if Catelyn were willing to give her husband to her, she would be willing to cooperate. She recalled Catelyn''s husband''s seductive voice when she identally picked up her call the other day. Maribel''s eyes were almost popping out of her socket! Catelyn must have sacrificed her own husband! Maribel started to anonymously spread the rumor of Catelyn sacrificing her husband in their working groups. Even though everyone found the news to be shocking, they all tended to be curious about spicy gossip, especially if it had something to do with Windy, a promiscuous woman. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Soon, the news spread like wildfire among the women. Maribel used her own ount to clear the air up and asked everyone to work as normal and not think too much about it. Jolene saw this gossip and secretly asked Catelyn about it. Catelyn was drinking water and immediately choked on it. Her throat was burning. "Why do you react so strongly to it! Don''t tell me..." Jolene grinned mischievously at Catelyn. Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Catelyn wiped away the water around her lips calmly, then looked at Jolene unhappily from the corner of her eyes. "Do you think my husband is the kind of person who would sacrifice himself for a project?" It had to be some billion-dor project for him to give himself up, not something as small as theirs. "Who knows? Maybe Cedrick was unwilling to see you crying over the project..." Jolene threw her right hand into the air and looked heavily in love. "After all, he is a hopeless romantic." Catelyn pped the document on her shoulder. "Girl, stop dreaming." Even though she said so, Catelyn herself was full of questions. What did Windy even mean? Did she intend to hook up with Cedrick? Catelyn was ufortable at the thought. Later, when both parties were discussing the next step, Catelyn took the opportunity to ask Windy about it, ¡± Why did you suddenly change your mind in the end?" Windy flipped her wavy hair flirtatiously and then winked at her. "You don¡¯t want to know about the answer to this." Catelyn felt even more curious now. "I warn you. Work is work, life is life. If you dare to have any inappropriate thoughts about my husband..." Before she could finish, Windy replied, "What if your husband already agreed to it?" "Stop trying to break US apart!" Catelyn did not believe in her nonsense. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Cedrick would not sell himself for work! He did not need the money. "If you don¡¯t believe me, just call your husband and ask him. There''s no man that does not cheat." Catelyn pushed her away angrily. She could not believe that Windy was even... trying to flirt with her? Was she bisexual? How did David put up with her? Catelyn did not believe her. She probably was recklessly spreading false rumors. The next day, she routinely visited Ste in the hospital. However, she saw Granny Atherton and Kelly Preston in the ward. The air was filled with a fruity scent. Kelly had brought along many presents and fresh fruits. They all filled the tiny table at the side. Ste was surprised to hear Kelly''s introduction about Granny Atherton. She was carefully chatting with Granny Atherton. Granny Atherton was much older than Ste, and she had a much higher social status. Ste could not even say much when chatting with her. She did not even know how to talk with her. She could only smile throughout and ask her if she was thirsty. The atmosphere was very awkward in the ward. Kelly stayed by Granny Atherton''s side and peeled an orange for her. If it were not to annoy Grandpa Mason by helping Catelyn, Granny Atherton would never havee to the hospital. Granny Atherton did not really mean to visit Ste anyway. She sat coldly on the soft leather couch, her chin stiff. She looked unapproachable. Ste was grateful to see Catelyn in such a tense atmosphere! Ste had never been so intimidated, not even when she met Cedrick. "Kitty?" Ste waved enthusiastically at Catelyn. Her lips cracked into a smile. "Quick, Granny Atherton is here to visit. Please show her some warm hospitality as I am stuck on the bed." Catelyn frowned slightly when she saw Granny Atherton. She had never seen Granny Atherton after the designpetition. Perhaps she did not leave a good first impression on Granny Atherton. Catelyn only showed basic courtesy and respect toward Granny Atherton. She was not overly warm to her. Chapter 697 Chapter 697 Chapter 697 Kelly was not too happy to see this and was about to reprimand her, but Granny Atherton stopped her. The olddy''s gaze fell upon Catelyn''s pretty face. If she smiled, she would probably resemble Summer. ''? have no bad intentions. I just heard that your mother is injured and that you are a close friend to Eddy. So I am just here for a casual visit. Don''t you be too tense about it." Mentioning Edwin helped to shorten the distance between Granny Atherton and Catelyn. Catelyn indeed received a lot of help from Edwin before. Thedy before her was, after all, his grandmother. She was visiting Ste out of care... "I was just worried that the bad weather would be a little inconvenient for you to be out and about.¡± Catelyn poured a ss of water and bowed slightly at Granny Atherton. Granny Atherton received the ss. Her gaze moved away from Catelyn''s beautiful face to Kelly. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Kelly immediately understood her and took out an elegant little ck box from among the pile of presents. The box was heart-shaped, almost as big as a tablet device. There was no logo on it, but the edges were lined with gold. It must be expensive. Catelyn did not take it but looked at Granny Atherton questioningly. Kelly was holding the box in her hands and said respectfully, "This is Granny Atherton''s present to Miss rk and Mister Mason for your wedding." Her voice was monotonous, so casual and light as though they were discussing dinner. It was, however, a blizzard in Catelyn''s mind. Their secret wedding was no secret then? Windy knew that they were married, Grandpa Mason knew they were married, and now even the Atherton family knew about it... Perhaps she was only one step away from letting the entire city know about their marriage. Nevertheless, she realized that these were the four most prestigious families in Sapphire City and epted the reality. She did not ept the box but only smiled. "Thank you, Granny Atherton. Edwin had already given US a big present." "His present is his present, and my present is mine. Are you looking down upon me?" Granny Atherton suddenly sounded a little aggressive. "Sure, we will ept it!¡± Ste was intimidated and reached out for the box in Kelly''s hands while grinning from ear to ear. "Kitty is just stubborn. She is just worried that she cannot return the favor in the future. This present is your blessing. How could we measure it based on its sheer mary value? I will help her to ept it!¡± Kelly ''s hands were emptied. When she took another look, Ste was already holding the box firmly in her hands. Greed was visible on her face. Catelyn was rather annoyed that she behaved this way. Even though she had yet to officially enter the top-ss social circle as Cedrick, she knew well enough that there was a gap between the Atherton family and the Mason family. For instance, all these years, the Atherton family would rather work together with the rk family but never proactively offered to work together with the Mason family. Edwin was from the younger generation. Therefore it was normal for them to be close and exchange presents. Granny Atherton, on the other hand, represented the Atherton family''s stance. Catelyn was worried that epting the present would bring trouble to Cedrick. However, Ste was grinning from ear to ear. She was no longer reserved like she was, praising Granny Atherton left and right. Catelyn almost could not stand her. Luckily, Granny Atherton was in an extremely good mood today. She even offered to stay for dinner. When it was time for her to go, Catelyn escorted her to the elevator. She wanted to say something to her but did not bring herself to it. Granny Atherton could tell that Catelyn wanted to say something, and so before she said anything, she interjected, "I am sincerely sending you and Cedrick my blessing. Eddy said it was not easy for the both of you toe together as one.¡± Catelyn thought she could no longer reject her and only said, "Thank you." Granny Atherton pinched her hand slightly and left with a smile. Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Chapter 698 ''¨¬ heard that you are good friends with Joanne?" Granny Atherton asked. Catelyn suddenly recalled that Joanne and Edwin were getting married, then nodded. "Joanne is a nice girl. She is nothing near bad, as everyone said about her. You will find her to be very compassionate if you spend more time with her." "I know. Edwin and her love each other very much. She is now conceiving my little great-grandchild. I am beyond delighted." Granny Atherton was pleased. Kelly was waiting quietly by the lift lobby. She nced over and realized that both of them looked somewhat simr. She could not help but say, "Miss rk, you look quite like Granny Atherton when she was younger." Catelyn was just wondering since when did Edwin and Joanne ''love each other very much'' and was suddenly stunned to hear Kelly''s remarks. She smiled and shrugged it off. "Perhaps I have very common facial features." Granny Atherton did not continue the conversation. Ever since Summer passed away, she hade across quite a number of girls that resembled her. L Atherton was one of them. Granny Atherton always thought that Summer must have left with the mysterious man to his country. Perhaps, they would never be seen in Sapphire City at all. Catelyn watched as Granny Atherton left. The doors of the elevator closed. She could hear Kelly''s remarks again. She touched her face. Did she really look like a younger version of Granny Atherton? However, she did look a little bit like Maia too... Maybe she really had verymon facial features. In the elevator, even though Granny Atherton did not mention it, she inevitably thought about Summer. So many years had passed in the blink of an eye. She still remembered that when she decided to kick Summer out of the house, Summer was painting. She was painting an oil painting of a mother and a daughter having dinner together. The background was at the Atherton family''s home. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Summer even asked her to sit at the dining table as her model and not move. Summer was Granny Atherton''s youngest child. She was also her only daughter. She was the apple in everyone''s eyes. Granny Atherton liked to spoil her too. However, she never expected that everything had changed before the painting could be finished. Kelly noticed that Granny Atherton blinked and forced her tears back. She felt a little bad. She felt guilty for having reminded her about Summer. In fact, even without Kelly''s remarks, Granny Atherton had already thought about Summer when she met Catelyn today. The two came out of the elevator, and Granny Atherton finally wiped her teary eyes. Right at this moment, a shadow appeared from the side and bumped right into Granny Atherton. Kelly saw someone knocking Granny Atherton over and subconsciously pulled the person aside. Noises of a low cry and things scattering on the ground followed. It was a mess, including some books and a water sk. Kelly did not expect so many things to fall out and identally stepped on something when she went forward to help Granny Atherton. She moved her foot away and looked down. A gold bangle with a heart shape engraving appeared before her eyes! Kelly froze! This bangle... Before she could react, Quinn hastily got up to pick the bangle up. However, Granny Atherton was faster than her. Her wrinkled hand immediately grabbed Quinn''s. The two hands hung in the middle of the air for a moment! Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Granny Atherton locked her eyes on the gold bangle. She had the bangle for over twenty years and passed it on to Summer after bing an adult. She vividly remembered the engraving on the bangle, and it looked exactly the same as the one she gave Summer. Even though she was not sure if this was the Atherton family''s heirloom, she was certain that the ancestors of the Atherton family specially designed the engraving, and there could definitely not be a replica in the market! Even if there was, the Atherton family should have gotten rid of all of them over the years. Therefore, Granny Atherton was agitated to see the bangle. Her pupils dted exaggeratedly in reflex. Her sharp gaze moved slowly from the bangle to the girl''s face. It was an ordinary face. Even though not exactly dainty, she was still decent looking. Perhaps she was not skilled enough in make-up. Her eyeshadows were a little ovepping, making her eyes look a little puffier than they were supposed to be. This heavily affected Granny Atherton¡¯s impression of her. Quinn''s heart was beating like a drum when being stared on by Granny Atherton. "Gran... Granny, why are you holding my hand like that?" Granny Atherton suppressed her feelings and asked nervously, "Where did you get this bangle?" "Bangle?" Quinn suddenly understood the situation and then said, "It was given by my mother!" Before bumping into Granny Atherton, L had practiced with Quinn numerous times on all the possible questions that Granny Atherton might ask Quinn. L understood Granny Atherton well; therefore, Quinn was no longer feeling iffy about it. When Granny Atherton heard that this was passed on by Quinn''s mother, her heart almost leaped out of her chest. Her voice was trembling, full of anticipation." Given by your mother? What is your mother''s name..." "My mother was Summer Atherton. My dad used to call her Sunny." Quinn articted it naturally. It was because she was technically not lying. Back in the day, her father indeed addressed Ste as Sunny. In fact, it was because Ste''s name was originally Sunniva. She only changed to Ste after getting together with Ezekiel to signify forgetting her past and beginning a new life. "Summer..." Granny Atherton''s hand was suddenly grabbing her even more firmly. Her pupils were constricting. "Your mother''s name is also Summer? Then where is she now?" Would the Summer be her daughter? Quinn was feeling ufortable being grabbed by Granny Atherton. She changed her expression and looked at Granny Atherton, bewildered. "Why are you asking about all these? Do you know my mother?" ¡±1..." Granny Atherton wanted to say that her daughter¡¯s name was Summer too, but she did not say it. She forced that back and said stiffly, "I know this bangle. It belonged to myte rtive''s daughter. If you could lead me to the owner of this bangle, I can fulfill any of your requests." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Quinn knew that Granny Atherton was suspecting her. She sighed. "I''m sorry, I''m afraid I can''t do that for you." "Why?" Granny Atherton was agitated again and grabbed Quinn''s hands tightly. Quinn looked at the bangle greedily, and her voice was sorrowful. "Because she had already passed away for a long time." Granny Atherton felt as though the walls were crashing down on her, and her vision went all ck. Her body shook weakly, and she was going to copse. Summer had passed away? How was that possible! Summer was only in her forties, only half her age! She roared at Quinn, "You must be lying! Summer is not dead!" Granny Atherton''s eyes were red. She felt as though her throat tightened, and she could not breathe normally. Chapter 700 Chapter 700 Chapter 700 "Granny Atherton, please calm down... Perhaps that Summer is not Miss Summer Atherton." Kelly quickly helped Granny Atherton up and said gently. Her gaze simultaneously fell upon Quinn. This girl looked nothing like Miss Summer Atherton. Quinn seemed to have been taken aback by Granny Atherton. She held her by her arm and exined desperately, "Why do I need to lie to you? My mother had indeed passed away! She died when giving birth to me! Granny, what is your rtionship with my mother?" Granny Atherton was about to blurt out the truth. However, her blood flowed, and then sheposed herself. Everyone knew that she was searching high and low for her daughter. This bangle had disappeared from the public¡¯s eyes ages ago, and now it just surfaced suddenly... Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Could it be someone''s conspiracy? However, if what this girl said was true, she was her granddaughter then! Granny Atherton then resumed her usual calmness and stood straight with Kelly''s help. She looked at Quinn and said gently, "Are you willing to sell this bangle to me? I can give you a good price." "This is a relic from my mother. I am sorry, I cannot sell it. Since you are unwilling to tell me what your rtionship with my mother is, I have to leave.¡± Quinn remembered L''s advice that if Granny Atherton was doubtful about her identity, she could not be desperate but better take a step back. Therefore, she said that she was about to leave. Kelly held her arm out and attempted to stop her. Granny Atherton stopped Kelly''s gestures and shook her head at her. After Quinn disappeared from their vision, Kelly asked," Granny Atherton, are you really letting this girl walk away just like that?" "Ask someone to check on it. I want to know everything about this girl!" Granny Atherton ordered. When Quinn appeared, she did not have a strong feeling of familiarity. However, she was very certain that the bangle was an article that belonged to the Atherton family! Granny Atherton did not want to give her verdict before seeing the oue of the investigation. Over these years, she had instructed many people to investigate Summer''s whereabouts. From time to time, there was news about some girl resembling Summer appearing somewhere. Every time, she would desperately rush forward to confirm if that was her daughter, only toe back disappointed every time. Since she had already waited for so long, she did not mind waiting longer. She did not want to believe that her Summer had passed away just like that. In fact, she always kept this tiny hope up that this girl was not her granddaughter, and the Summer that she was referring to was not the same person. Quinn had been waiting. She was waiting for Granny Atherton to call her back or for her sidekick to pursue after her. She could not help but feel defeated and flustered. After making sure that there was no one around, she called L. L was waiting for Quinn''s updates too, but L was afraid that Granny Atherton woulde out with her bodyguard. Therefore, she did not dare to be seen with Quinn together at the hospital. "How was it? Did the old woman buy it?" L was asking desperately in the call. Quinn informed L about everything that happened. She bit her lip and said, "She must not have bought what I said! What if she investigated my background... L, I am a little scared." L knew that Granny Atherton was not easy to fool. "You have nothing to lose. Why are you scared? I had gotten something and lost something. Now I finally got some light on turning my life around. The one who should be scared is me! Anyway, you better keep calm for now. As long as we are certain that you did not expose yourself earlier, you could just wait patiently to be crowned as Miss Atherton soon!" In fact, she did not expect Quinn to be able to do this right the first time. Thankfully, she had a n B. Chapter 701 Chapter 701 Chapter 701 Quinn felt slightly reassured after hearing L¡¯s words- only slightly, though. "I''m just so scared that she¡¯ll find out about Catelyn..." she muttered hesitantly. L had thought of that as well and sneered. "Which is why we need to hurry and make that old hag believe that you¡¯re her granddaughter before she suspects anything!" ¡¯¡¯I... Of course I believe you, Miss Atherton. If I can be ady of the Atherton family, I''ll repay you! Be it Catelyn or anyone who has ever crossed you, I¡¯ll make sure they all pay dearly!" Quinn remained dazed and stood still before the window of the hospital corridor for quite a while after ending the call. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Though L had agreed to help her, she... L was right; there had to be a risk in seeking to better one''s position. Quinn had nothing else to lose, so she was not afraid to gamble. She wanted to be the most respected daughter of Miss Atherton, and that position belonged to her. She grabbed onto the phoenix bracelet and put it on. The golden bracelet looked glorious on her fair skin, almost as though the bracelet was tailor-made to be worn by her. Hypnotized by its beauty, Quinn was determined to hold onto it. To be safe, she had to make sure that Catelyn was upied so that she would not have any contact with Granny Atherton. The sky slowly turned dark, and Catelyn received a call at night. Cedrick informed her that Javier was back and asked if she wanted to join his wee party. Shortly after Catelyn had run away, Cedrick transferred Javier to the neighboring city to start a new branch. As soon as Javierpleted his mission, he begged Cedrick to bring him back because he was, quote, ''bored out of his mind''. He started spending most of his time in bars and clubs as soon as he was back. Sick of being asked over and over again, Cedrick eventually agreed to go have a drink with him. Catelyn did not attend the party because it waste, and she wanted to stay with the children. Apart from that, she knew that Javier was bound to invite a lot of friends, so she would rather not be involved in all the drama. If Javier wanted a wee party, she could cook for him the next day. When Javier heard what Catelyn said from Cedrick, he yelled, "My future cousin-inw is the best!" He wanted to visit Cedrick''s house, but Cedrick never allowed him the chance to do so. Later that night, the group arrived at the Barricade Club. Among Javier''s group of friends, Cedrick was the oldest and most mature. Seeing how reckless the others were, he did not want to take them to his private room in the club and decided to reserve a table in the hall instead. He was going to keep Javierpany for a short while before leaving, and that was when Quinn ran into Cedrick. She had heard that Barricade Club was an exquisite club and wanted to practice by paying the club a visit to avoid panicking in the future. To her surprise, she spotted Cedrick the moment she came. Cedrick had taken off his jacket and hung it on a chair behind him. His white shirt outlined his alluring body figure, and his muscles looked as though they were about to burst from underneath the fabric. He held a wine ss with one hand and his sleeves had been rolled up to the elbow, showing his muscr forearm. ''If only I could feel those hands on me...'' Quinn thought with a crimson blush. She ordered two sses of cocktail from the bartender before summoning the courage to approach Cedrick. Under the colorful neon lights, the crowd was caught in the moment. "What a coincidence, Master Cedrick.¡± Quinn licked her lips, which changed to a different shade of color under the lights, as she walked over with a smile. "Are you here to rx with your friends?" Chapter 702 Chapter 702 Chapter 702 Cedrick lifted his gazezily. Quinn was wearing a seductive ck dress with a navy coat on the outside, but because she was far too thin for the coat, she appeared hideous even if she tried to look fashionable. Before Cedrick said anything, Javier intervened, "Who are you?" Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Javier had not reported back to the headquarters, so he did not know that Quinn was the new secretary hired by Mason Group. Quinn''s heart raced as she was not used to this sort of environment. Determined to be better in the future, she forced a smile and said, "I¡¯m Master Cedrick¡¯s...cousin." She was almost whispering toward the end of the sentence and even made a point to shyly nce at Cedrick. "Wow!" The group instantly rioted. One of them winked at Cedrick and said, "Cousin, why don''t we know that there''s another cousin in our family? Did you adopt her?" Another person agreed and added a few snarky remarks. Javier roared and stopped them. Catelyn was his cousin''s girlfriend, and he would only acknowledge that she was his cousin-inw. He had no intention of tolerating a strange woman who tried to seduce Cedrick. Cedrick simply sat there and,pared to Javier''s annoyance, remainedposed and silent. Encouraged by his silence, Quinn sheepishly extended the ss of alcohol she had in her hand. "Can you have a drink with me?" She had ordered a cocktail that was mixed with liquor and juice. Though it seemed harmless, the alcohol would kick inter on, and one could easily get drunk with this one drink. "I''ll drink with you!" Javier snatched the ss from her hand and gulped it down while Quinn gaped at him. She had purposely asked the bartender to make this cocktail after hearing that it could induce excitement, but Javier had finished it all! "You... You know how to have fun, I see!" she gritted out pretentiously. Javier wiped his mouth and set the ss down before standing between Cedrick and Quinn to keep her away. " You still want someone to drink with you? We have plenty of guys here!" Quinn flushed, not knowing what to say in response. Cedrick had no interest in staying any longer and simply grabbed his jacket. "I''m leaving. Have fun and use my card for the bill," he drawled. Quinn only came over because of Cedrick, and seeing that he was leaving, she immediately grabbed her purse and chased after him. Annoyed, Javier stood in her way with a ferocious expression. "What are you trying to do?" Startled by his intimidating re, she shivered and muttered, "I... I''m going home." "My cousin''s girlfriend is Catelyn. If you dare to bother him again, I¡¯ll make sure you have plenty of men to keep youpany! Do you understand?" Javier was not even 20, so he purposely lowered his tone to sound more dangerous. Quinn nodded frantically before running away. She could not give up like this! It was the perfect chance. It waste at night in a club, and Cedrick had been drinking alone. She might not encounter another chance like this, and if something was to happen between her and Cedrick, Catelyn would lose her mind! Quinn hurried outside but could not find Cedrick anywhere. She lowered her head in defeat and stomped in frustration. ''It''s that Javier guy¡¯s fault, otherwise, I would''ve been able to talk to Cedrick!¡¯ Just then, she heard ruffling from a tree nearby and saw a figure stepping out of the shadow... Chapter 703 Chapter 703 Chapter 703 Cedrick ended his call and looked up to meet Quinn¡¯s eyes. Quinn''s heart threatened to jump out of her throat at the fact that Cedrick had not left. "Cedrick, were you waiting for me?¡± She trotted over and stared boldly at Cedrick as she continued sheepishly, Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡± Interested in going for a second round? I know a new ce around this area that has opened recently!" Cedrick stared down at the calctive look in Quinn¡¯s eyes and smiled. "Sure." Half an hourter, in a suite on the top floor of Emerald Hotel. The seductive scent of red wine filled the air as Cedrick opened two bottles of red wine and ced them on the ck coffee table. Quinn had been nervous from the beginning, so she immediately grabbed onto one of the bottles and poured herself a ss before gulping down on it. Her eyes darted at Cedrick seductively and said, "Cheers, Master Cedrick." They were alone in a hotel roomte into the night. It was obvious that something was going to happen between them, and Quinn was both nervous and excited. "I only do ''cheers'' with the whole bottle. Are you sure?" She paused for a moment before nodding. She grabbed onto one of the bottles and licked her lips. "Cheers to spending time alone tonight! I know that you don''t really like Catelyn. You''re only with her for the sake of the children, right?" "Since you already have it all figured out, why bother asking me about it?" Cedrick clinked another bottle with hers before lifting his chin to gulp down on the wine; his Adam''s apple moving up and down following his motion. Quinn could feel her ears burning as she gulped down its content. Shortly after, she felt as though she was stepping on clouds. She went to the bathroom to take a quick shower, and when she came out, she saw a device in the middle of the living room with green light blinking on it. She was barely awake when she turned around to find a man lying on the bed. She was already beginning to see stars, so she could not make out the man''s features. She shook her head and tried to look harder, and this time, the man''s face ovepped perfectly with Cedrick''s. Feeling hypnotized, she walked over with a smile and muttered, "Cedrick...?" Ding! Catelyn was half asleep when she heard the restless noise of a notificationing from her phone. She nced at the space next to her and realized that Cedrick had note home yet. ''Javier must be having the time of his life,'' she thought. She sat up from the bed and unlocked her phone. She was instantly shocked because she had received a few photos from Quinn of a hotel room. Disgusted, she decided to ignore her. ''It''s thiste at night, and it''s bad enough that she¡¯s screwing around with some guy. Why would she send photos to me?'' Just as she was about to toss her phone away and go back to sleep, her phone rang again. The next message that she received from Quinn shook her to the core. [Cousin, are you seeing this? Your husband has taken me to a hotel ] Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Catelyn suppressed the nausea she felt and opened the photos she received from Quinn again. There were no signs of Cedrick in any of the photos, and apart from the mess inside the room, she could only see the reflection of Quinn from the window. ''Did she really think I''d believe her based on a few photos?'' scoffed Catelyn internally, but her eyes were fixated on the photos unblinkingly. [I''m sorry, cousin, I forgot that you might be sleeping ] Another message came from Quinn. [Did I wake you? I''ll delete the photos right away. Rest well!] Catelyn felt offended at her pretenses and immediately dialed Quinn''s number. Quinn was probably holding onto her phone at the time as well, so it took merely a few seconds for her to pick up. "Cousin, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have sent those to you. Don¡¯t get too upset," Quinn drawled in an apologetic tone. Catelyn felt even more offended by her exnation. "I won''t get upset, of course. I''m just curious that if you are with my husband, why not take a few photos with him in it to show me?" "He''s shy," Quinn mumbled. "Is he, or is he long gone?" Catelyn sneered as she tightened her grip on her phone. "He treated you like a disposable piece of tissue paper, and you feel honored?" Quinn paled. She had drunk too much and had lost most of her memories of the night. By the time she woke up, she was alone on the bed and Cedrick was long gone... After ending the phone call, Catelyn hadpletely lost the ability to go back to sleep, so she went to the bathroom to wash her face and sat in the living room to watch television. She crossed her legs as her chest was heaving from rage. She looked up at the clock and noticed that it was half past 12. Was Cedrick staying out the entire night? ''If he was with Quinn...¡¯ she thought. ''No. He''s not that kind of man.'' It was as though two people were arguing in Catelyn¡¯s head. One told her that Quinn would not possibly try to pick a fight with her unless something truly happened; another whispered into her ear and reminded her that if Cedrick was not interested in someone like Maia, he would not be interested in Quinn. The two voices argued with one another relentlessly to the point that Catelyn came close to sending those photos to Cedrick to ask him about it, but she decided against it. N?velDrama.Org ? content. A little over half an hourter, she heard the sound of the door opening. Cedrick returned home and was trying his best to be quiet as he opened the door and changed into slippers. It was as though he was worried that he would wake the others up. As soon as he changed into his slippers, he spotted the figure on the couch. Catelyn was sitting on the couch with her arms crossed, ring at him sulkily like she was suspecting him of cheating. Cedrick felt a tingle in his chest. He took off his jacket and walked over, his body still surrounded by a faint scent of alcohol and cigarette. He inched closer to give her a kiss while asking with a casual tone, "Why aren''t you asleep?" Catelyn thought of the photos and subconsciously raised her arms to shove his face away. Chapter 705 Chapter 705 Chapter 705 Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Where did you go tonight?" Catelyn questioned sharply. Cedrick ignored her reluctance and her question. He grabbed onto her shoulder and nted a few quick kisses on her lips. His newly grown stubble poked at Catelyn''s sensitive skin, and it felt both itchy and slightly painful. Irritated, she made a point by rubbing her lips roughly with a scowl once he backed away. "You''re disgusting!" He stared while she wiped her lips with the back of her hand to the point that her lips were pressed to the side. Despite his flirting, she was furious. He did not stop until he was done kissing her and grinned cheekily. "The inside of your mouth is disgusting now. Do you want to wipe that, too?" Catelyn flushed and grabbed onto a pillow to throw at his face. "Where on earth were you tonight?" ''If he dares to tell me that he was with Quinn, I''m going to...'' Though her tone was confronting, her chest was heaving, and her expression looked as though she was merely pouting, which Cedrick found endearing. Feeling that tingle in his chest again, he nced at the children''s room and sat next to her as he exined, "I remember telling you that Javier is back.¡± "And what about Quinn? Why did she say that she was with you? Are you lying to me?!" Catelyn blurted out, only realizing how jealous she sounded afterward. Cedrick was taken by shock for a moment, but then immediately started chuckling. It was not obvious, but his chest vibrated and with how close Catelyn was to him, she could feel it. Annoyed by his amusement, she snapped and stood from the couch before running back to the bedroom. Cedrick chuckled and swiftly followed her to the room. The first thing she did as soon as she returned to the room was to lock the door behind her. ''He can laugh all he wants! I''m going to ignore him. He can do whatever he wants with Quinn!'' To her bewilderment, a gray slipper darted into the gap of the door before she could shut it. Agitated, she ignored his foot and forcefully tried to close the door, thinking that he would withdraw his foot if it began to hurt. However, a few momentster, his foot was still stuck in the gap and he refused to move, even though the slipper was starting to look deformed. She red at him, and he met her eyes steadily. After a while, she gave up and grabbed her hair in frustration. Cedrick took the chance to enter the master bedroom while Catelyn went back into bed to sleep, facing him with her back and covering her face with the nket so that she could ignore himpletely. Cedrick went into the bathroom for a shower to wash away the scent of alcohol and cigarettes. By the time he came out, Catelyn had already been in bed for over ten minutes, and the bed was warm. Cedrick purposely took a cold shower and pressed his body against Catelyn as soon as he got into bed. Catelyn was merely pretending to be asleep. Hershes were trembling, and her eyes opened abruptly when she sensed his cold skin against hers. "You really believe in what Quinn said?" Chapter 706 Chapter 706 Chapter 70 6 Catelyn twitched and blushed. "She sent me photos saying that you were with her!" Cedrick did not try changing the subject and exined, "We ran into each other in the club, and she asked me to go to a hotel with her." "And you justplied?!" Seeing that Cedrickadmitted to it, she immediately elbowed him on the chest. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick acted swiftly and caught her elbow before pushing it back toward her so he could hold her from behind. He chuckled and said, "Why are you so irritated? Since she''s been targeting me for a while, I just decided to let her fantasize for a bit. Rx, I''m all yours. No one else can touch me." Catelyn felt much better and reassured after that, she did not actually doubt Cedrick, but she hated the fact that Quinn got to irritate her with what happened; she was also annoyed that Cedrick did not take the initiative to mention that he had met Quinn. ''He''s such a yboy!'' she internally grumbled. "Don''t you want to know what''s the rtionship between your mom and Quinn?" Cedrick casually switched the subject. She turned around slightly to face him. "what did you find?" "Your mom''s true name is Sunniva Hills, she had a family, and after giving birth to a girl, she abandoned her husband and child to marry your dad." Catelyn tensed and asked, "So you''re saying that...Quinn is my mom''s biological daughter?" "I checked your mom''s background and found that she''s the only child with no siblings. This is the only exnation to why she''s this tolerant toward Quinn." Catelyn was shaken. Though Quinn did not appear to be Ste''s niece to begin with, she never imagined that the two were rted in such a way. After all, when Ste married Ezekiel, she told everyone that she had no other family members. That was the precise reason why Ezekiel had always been forgiving toward Ste and would never get upset even if she lost all her money ying poker, believing she had no one else to rely on. Catelynid t on the bed and felt sorry for her father. Though her father was not deeply in love with Ste, he never wronged her, yet she had lied to him. If Ezekiel returned to Sapphire City one day to find out that he had a stepdaughter, would he treat Quinn as his own or as a stranger? Ste was fed up with staying in the hospital and sought the doctor''s approval to be discharged. The doctor reminded her to Catelyn sent Ste back to Ocean Path Residence, and out of spite for Catelyn, Quinn insisted on following. Whenever Ste was not looking, Quinn would shoot Catelyn a strange smile in contempt. Even if Cedrick was simply using her, he still slept with her, which meant that Cedrickand Catelyn were not at all inseparable. ''As long as I work hard and get epted into the Atherton family, I''ll beg Granny Atherton to set me up with Cedrick... By then, Catelyn will mean nothing! she can''t possibly hold a candle to someone with high status like me!'' Quinn thought to herself. 1 Naturally, Quinn did not tell L her n because L seemed to be interested in Cedrick as well. Quinn knew that she had to be cautious until the day she became a member of the Atherton family. Chapter 707 Chapter 707 Chapter 707 Catelyn knew that Cedrick never touched Quinn, so she did not bother with her. she was overwhelmed by thoughts at the moment, but considering how Ste had taken care of her throughout the years, she did not want Ste to be upset. When Ste returned to Ocean Path Residence, she noticed that all of Quinn''s belongings were gone. "Quinn, where are all your things?" Ste asked. Quinn was wondering why Catelyn was not as upset as she anticipated her to be when she heard Ste¡¯s question, This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. she nced sheepishly at Catelyn and forced a smile. "This ce is a little too far from Mason Group, so it''s hard for me to get to work. I''m moving out." "You''re moving out?" Noticing the hesitation in Quinn¡¯s eyes, Ste questioned, "If you n to move out, why didn''t you tell me earlier?" "I didn''t want it to affect your recovery. It''s okay, Aunty. Even if I move out, I''ll drop by to visit you all the time." Quinn forced a reluctant smile, her eyes glittering with tears. Ste did not want to part with Quinn. Throughout her stay in the hospital, Quinn had often visited her and would even call her ''Mom'' whenever nobody was around. Ste was still ill, so there was no reason for Quinn to move out all of a sudden. Considering the frightened look on Quinn''s face, Ste came to the conclusion that Catelyn had done something to Quinn. "Cat, you''ve moved out to stay with Master Cedrick. rd feel lonely if I had to stay in this two- bedroom apartment on my own. will you just let your cousin stay here to keep mepany?" Ste pleaded. Catelyn was not sure what to do. If it was in the past, she would have chased Quinn out without a moment of hesitation, but since she was Ste''s daughter, it was only natural that they wanted to stay together. However, Catelyn could not be certain that Quinn truly cared for Ste the way Ste cared for her. It was obvious that Ste''s injury had something to do with Quinn. Before Catelyn could make up her mind, Quinn took Ste''s hands and sobbed. "Aunty, it''s okay. I''ve already decided to move out! Cousin Catelyn has been nice to me and even helped pay the rent for my new ce." "There''s an empty room here, so why would she need to spend that kind of money?" Realizing that Catelyn must have forced Quinn to leave, Ste red at Catelyn with frustration. "If you don''t wee Quinn here, then I''m not going to live here either. I''m going to live with Quinn and leave your apartment to you!" Slightly annoyed, Catelyn shot the two an icy re. "Mom, who is Quinn to you? Why are you so protective of her?" Ste''s eyes widened in shock. Considering how far the situation had escted, she had the urge to simply tell the truth. After staying in the hospital for so long, she had let go of her obsession with money and only wished to live peacefully with Quinn. After all, it took so much for Quinn to finally admit that Ste was her mother. "Quinn is my¡ª" "She''s my aunt, of course!" Quinn''s stomach sank and immediately interrupted Ste with a sharp voice, "what do you mean, asking something like that? Do you suspect my background and think that I''m after your money or something? I''ve already obeyed your order and moved out. what else do you want me to do? II Her voice overpowered Ste''s, but Catelyn simply ignored her and continued to stare at Ste, she had hoped that Ste would have the courage to admit to her that Quinn was her daughter, but Quinn was terrified that the truth would If Ste admitted to be her mother, it would be extremely difficult for her to lie and say that she was ady of the Atherton family. She frantically shot Ste a look while tugging at her clothes sorrowfully. "Aunty, I really appreciate that cousin Catelyn helped to find me a job, but if she has second thoughts about me, I''d rather quit than watch you get involved in this mess!" Chapter 708 Chapter 708 Chapter 708 Quinn was clearly implying that if she was toe clean about their rtionship, Ste would risk losing everything while Quinn would lose her job at Mason Group! Ste looked at Quinn and turned to Catelyn again. Her silence was taken as an agreement to Quinn''s statement. Catelyn''s eyes were filled with disappointment. "Fine. Since I''m clearly the bad person here, I''ll stop interfering. Go ahead and do as you please, but don''te crying to me if anything ever happens in the future!" Catelyn growled and left the scene, enraged. She had been staying at Ocean Path Residence for years and had grown fond of it. On top of that, Joanne had just bought a room there as well, and she was hoping toe visit once in a while. s, it seemed to her that she would not being back anytime soon. They were right. Quinn was indeed Ste''s biological daughter, and Catelyn was just her stepdaughter. It only made sense that Ste would have more trust in Quinn. Even if it was to reserve her title and wealth, she would never tell her the truth. L had managed to track down Eugene, the second Young Master of the Athertons. Eugene was Granny Atherton''s second son, which made him Edwin''s second uncle. However, Eugene had not always been the most capable man, and Granny Atherton never truly ced much thought or effort on him. His role in thepany was insignificant, too. Eugene had always looked down on L, especially since she was just a nobody in the entertainment circle. The entertainment industry wasplicated and full of drama and hierarchy, which was why Eugene had declined L''s request to see her. L had to go through different gateways to time a ''coincidental'' meet-up with Eugene at an antique auction. Eugene was passionate about antiques, so he frequented auctions during his free time. N?velDrama.Org ? content. When L showed up at the auction and sat next to Eugene, he did not even bother to acknowledge her. "Uncle Eugene, I know you''re a busy man and had no time to see me, but what if I tell you that I have a good business opportunity to share with you?" L said to Eugene. Compared to Harry, Eugene wascking in terms of appearance. "I''ve heard that you''ve been going around asking for sponsors for a movie that you''re filming. Are you trying to get me in as well?" asked Eugene, seemingly uninterested. "I''d never trouble you with such matters," said L as she retrieved a sheet of paper from her golden purse. Eugene had no interest in the sheet of paper as his eyes were still glued onto the antiques. "Uncle Eugene, you''d regret it if you don''t take a look at this," said L with a smile. Eugene scoffed, refusing to believe her. "I thought I could help make Granny think more highly of you with this, but since you don''t need it, I''ll go look for someone else, " said L as she got up to leave. Eugene''s interest was reeled back the moment he heard L mentioning Granny Atherton. The fact that Eugene "Wait." L had sessfully piqued his interest as he took the paper from L''s hands. The paper was filled with a bunch of professional terms that Eugene could not understand, and followed by the paragraph were some numbers and analysis. The paper ended with a sentence. [Grandparentage DNA test result: Positive.] Eugene was utterly confused by this. He frowned and spat, "what the hell is this? Is this some sort ofme joke?!" "Uncle Eugene, aren''t you curious who''s test result this is?" asked L. Eugene fell into contemtion and decided to make a wild assumption. Granny Atherton had been looking for her daughter. Could it be... Chapter 709 Chapter 709 Chapter 709 Eugene¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at L. L smirked proudly and said, "Nowyou''re interested, aren''t you? II L then told Eugene that the test was done with Granny Atherton''s hair and another girl who happened to possess one of the Athertons'' relics. That girl had been confirmed to be Granny Atherton''s biological granddaughter. Eugene was thoroughly intrigued. Granny Atherton had been looking for Summer desperately all these years, so if he managed to find out Summer and her daughter''s whereabouts... Eugene then asked L about the girl''s name and found out that her name was Quinn, raised in the countryside. Unfortunately, Summer had long passed. It was fine, however, since being able to locate Summer''s daughter was good enough to gain Granny Atherton''s trust. Ecstatic, Eugene immediately called his driver and decided to ditch the auction to go looking for his niece. He got up to leave, but before exiting, he went back to L to ask, " You knew this was a great opportunity to gain Granny''s trust. Why would you give me the credit?" L looked at the test report sadly and said, "Granny won''t even let me into Atherton Manor anymore. Even if I took the credit, it wouldn''t be of much use. It''s better to give it to you just so that you could look out for me in the future." Eugene, the gullible man he was, happily responded, "No problem. Once I managed to please Granny, I''ll remember what you did for me. But you''re certain that the girl is my niece, right?" "Why would I give you a fake result?" said L. Eugene then left the auction house excitedly with the report, all while L smirked deviously and prepared herself to inform Quinn. Eugene being involved in this would only benefit her n. ''Your luck ends here, Catelyn!'' sneered L. "Hachoo!" That was Catelyn''s sixth sneeze of the day and definitely not herst. Jolene passed her papers and joked, "Do you think Quinn and your mom have been talking smack behind you since you''ve offended them?" Catelyn was annoyed by Jolene''s harmless tease. She had only told Jolene about Quinn''s attempt at instigating her rtionship with her mom, leaving out Quinn and Ste''s rtionship. She had been feeling uneasy about the whole ordeal, too. It was a weekend the next day, so Catelyn had nned for a family trip with Cedrick and the boys tomorrow. They were also going to take a family picture, too. Just before she got off from work, she received a call from Cedrick. Cedrick had an early day off that day and was waiting for her outside of the office building. Catelyn packed up her things and left the office, feeling delighted. At that moment, Maribel had just left the office and got out of the elevator, bumping into Catelyn. However, Catelyn ignored Maribel''s gaze and ran across the street towards Cedrick''s car. Since the driver''s side of the window was rolled down, Maribel was able to see Cedrick''s wless side profile. Maribel waspletely captivated. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Catelyn got into the passenger seat as Cedrick put on the seatbelt for her, their every movement intimate. Maribel then looked at the car model and noticed that it was thetest Benley model. It looked like it had just been picked up; nothing too fancy. Maribel scoffed with a smirk and switched back into her poker face. Could Miss Kingsley have gifted the car to Catelyn''s husband? Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Inside the Benley, Catelyn tossed her purse onto the backseat and looked at the inside of the car suspiciously, she noticed that it was a different car from that same morning when they had sent Miles and Ollie to school. "Why did you change cars?" Cedrick had always favored driving his Benley when he went to work. Of course, there were more luxurious cars in the Mason Estate''s garage, he just rarely drove them. "There were some issues with the engine, so I sent it to the workshop," exined Cedrick as he put on Catelyn''s seatbelt for her. Catelyn hummed in acknowledgment and saw from the reflection of the mirror that MaribeL.was staring at them dubiously. She then rolled up the window and ignored herpletely. Catelyn wondered when this woman would ever give her a break. At first, Maribel spread rumors about her sleeping with Philip to secure a project. Now, she spread lies about how she had gifted Cedrick to Windy. It seemed to Maribel that she was incapable of anything else other than those hical and immoral trades. Cedrick started the engine and questioned what was bothering her '' with that stressful frown on your face''. Catelyn shook her head, she had no interest in letting someone as insignificant as Maribel affect her. However, she did talk about Quinn and Ste. Cedrick''s eyes turned cold and uttered, "Quinn is definitely ingenuine." "I know, right? Mother is too gullible, and I just hope she won''t regret her decision in the future..." Catelyn talked about how she did not care about anything anymore, but she could never be that heartless as to abandon her family, she refused to trust Quinn, though. Catelyn tried to get rid of all the negative thoughts and put her focus back on spending a good time with Cedrick. She had nned to cook dinner that night since she had some free time. However, there was not much left in the refrigerator, so they detoured to get some groceries before heading home. She had wanted to go to the night market, but Cedrick never liked going to a grocery store, let alone a market. After about 10 minutes of grocery shopping, Catelyn managed to fill up a few bags of fresh produce. She nned on trying her hands on a seafood bisque that weekend. The recipe was given to her by an old family chef back in the day. The prep for the dish was complicated, and with how it would take at least six to seven hours just for the broth, it was a dish that she would make only once in a blue moon. Cedrick looked around at the loud grocer and frowned as he followed Catelyn closely behind, holding the bags of groceries for her. Catelyn did not have to carry any bags herself for the entire shopping trip. Ever since they moved to Green Inds, Cedrick finally gained some basic household and daily skills. It was something Catelyn never thought she would get to witness. When they first met, Cedrick had no clue where the entrance of a grocer even was, ording to ollie. Catelyn sneaked a kiss on Cedrick¡¯s cheek as a form of encouragement, which made Cedrick''s eyes light up in an instant. Catelyn regretted her action immediately and escaped to the car park, putting the groceries into the car boot. As they shut the car boot and were about to get into the car, a shy red Lambogini drove up and stopped next to them. N?velDrama.Org ? content. The car door swung open as Javier walked out of the car with a colorful jacket as shy as the car. He probably thought his getup was manly and cool when, in fact, he looked like a shy oddball. "So what are we having for dinner, Catelyn?" greeted Javier, sporting a pair of sunsses on his head and a bright grin. Catelyn had talked to him on the phone earlier, and agreed for him toe over for dinner. Cedrick, on the other hand, was displeased with that arrangement. Chapter 711 Chapter 711 Chapter 711 N?velDrama.Org ? content. Javier sneaked a re at Cedrick and ignored his intimidating gaze as he parked his car and hopped into Cedrick''s Benley. Javier sat in the backseat, his arm hung over the headrest as he asked, "Catelyn, do you remember when we were on the phone a few days ago, the night when I mentioned going back to Sapphire City? Didn''t Cedrick get home a little toote that night?" Cedrick tightened his hand on the steering wheel as he side-eyed Javier. That was the same day when Quinn sent those ''suspicious'' photographs to Catelyn. "What about it?" asked Catelyn, even when she knew what he wanted to say. Javier looked at Catelyn and raised an eyebrow. "Some people are really greedy, Catelyn. You must learn to be ''juicer'' and not let those people take advantage of you!" "..." Catelyn almost choked upon hearing his statement. Juicer? Cedrick then shot a cold re at Javier, one that Javier ignored as he added, "But I trust my cousin to love you wholeheartedly, and that you''re the only cousin-inw I''ll ever acknowledge!" Catelyn cleared her throat and joked, "Didn''t you used to hate me?" "I was just worried that you were Nine''s spy." Javier grinned as he scratched the back of his head. "And you''re not worried anymore?" asked Catelyn. Javier took a deep breath and said, "I''ve thought about it. You were probably just used by Nine as a fogger to obfuscate things. Nine''s actual spy was Winnie, and I sometimes wonder when Winnie got herself involved with Nine." Winnie and David were not on the same team, of course; Winnie was just an insignificant side character. That was the very reason why Cedrick valued Winnie when it came to work¡ªshe was also a very capable woman. What they did not expect was that Winnie had long been nted by Nine to stay close to Cedrick. Cedrick was not in the mood to talk about the past since those did not make a pleasant memory. He sneaked a quick look at Catelyn and took a sharp turn, stepping down on the brake. Catelyn had her seatbelt on, so a sharp brake would not affect her. Javier, on the other hand, syed out at the back seat casually and, without any warning, sprung forward and hit his head on the ceiling. He groaned in pain, wanting to yell at Cedrick for his driving skill, before making eye contact with him. Cedrick''s icy re effectively silenced him. "Get out!" Cedrick uttered coldly without giving Javier a second chance. Javier was dumbfounded. He stomped and whined aggrievedly, " But Catelyn promised to let me have dinner! Cedrick, you can''t just break a promise! That''s not being a good role model for a kid!" "Out," Cedrickspat coldly. Javier got upset when he realized that Cedrick was serious about it. Catelyn was taken aback by Cedrick''s action and was shocked by his sudden break. "Alright now, Javier is just a kid. He himself had admitted that, so why don''t you be the bigger person here and forgive him?" said Catelyn softly as she patted the back of his hand gently. "Look at the amount of ingredients we have. We can feed another stomach!" Cedrick took a long, deep breath, and shot Javier another re. Javier immediately sat up straight and shot him a polite smile, refusing to get out of the car. He had not been to their new house nor had he officially met the boys. All he heard was that they were identical, and even Cedrick had a hard time differentiating them. Chapter 712 Chapter 712 Chapter 712 When Javier and the rest were on the way to Green Inds, Eugene had just picked up Quinn and was heading toward Atherton Manor. Quinn''s heart was thumping fast as Eugene looked at her from head to toe. Eugene thought to himself how he would have never believed that the girl in front of him was his niece if it was not for the test report. She looked nothing like Summer, nor did she possess the elegance of an Athertondy! This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Her head hung low the moment she got into the car as if she was afraid that he would eat her or something. Eugene then thought of how her genes might have been affected by her biological father, whose identity was unknown, and turned out to be not as beautiful as her mother; just like how he was not as attractive as his brother, Harry. Eugene then struck up a conversation. "Don''t be so tense, I''m your uncle! I''ll bring you to meet your biological grandmother..." "Uncle." Quinn nodded and asked, "Are you truly my family? My mother passed away when she gave birth to me, and my father passed on, too. None of them had ever told me about my extended family..." "Ah, you poor thing." Eugene hadpletely fallen for L''s lies. Summer had not had the best luck and fell to the hands of people from the countryside. She did not want to bring shame to the Athertons and thus chose to run away from them. Nobody had expected her to pass during childbirth, leaving her family behind forever. Eugene squeezed out some fake tears and tugged at Quinn''s hand. " Your grandma and I have been looking for you and your mother all these years. Don''t worry, once your identity has been confirmed, the Athertons will surely spoil you like our own! of course, don''t forget who brought you back..." "This is all thanks to you, Uncle Eugene. If grandma and I are able to reunite, I promise I''ll never forget about what you did for me and will surely return the favor one day," replied Quinn. She was not yet used to talking to people in the upper ss, so she reminded herself quietly to not give herself outter in front of Granny Atherton. Eugene, meanwhile, was in over his head. Even though the girl was not the most attractive, she at least knew to appreciate his goodwill. Eugene shot her a gentle and encouraging gaze. The pair arrived at Atherton Manor shortly after. Granny Atherton had received the news from Eugene about how much time and effort he had expended in looking for Quinn and, on top of that, had gotten a positive DNA test of their kinship. Edwin got the news and went back to Atherton Manor to have a look at his newly found cousin. He had wanted to bring Joanne back home to visit Granny, but Joanne had been busy with filming. Granny Atherton was in no rush to see Joanne since the two were already married. Everyone''s attention was on Quinn. The looks on everyone''s faces were different. Some were observing, some appeared to be curious, and some seemed to be doubtful. Quinn felt anxious upon being stared down by so many pairs of eyes. Quinn had also purposely worn the phoenix bracelet on her wrist to show it off, proving her identity. "Mother, this is Quinn. She''s your match on the DNA test!" Eugene introduced Quinn to everyone excitedly. "Eugene, are you sure this is our niece?" asked Harry, who seemed to be suspicious. Where did his brother find this random girl? The entire Atherton family had been looking for her all these years to no avail, yet he was somehow able to find her? Quinn looked up at Granny Atherton and pretended to be shocked. "A... Aren''t you the granny from that day? You''re my grandma?" Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Granny Atherton''s eyes flickered suspiciously with a hint of disbelief. She sat upright in the main seat as her sight hovered on Quinn. Then, her gaze shifted from Quinn to Eugene. She had taken a good look at the report and had an expert examine it. The DNAparison test showed that Quinn was indeed the one they were looking for. Granny Atherton waved at Quinn, signaling her toe forward. Quinn did as she wished. "Grandma?" "Oh, thank God. Come here, my sweet child." Granny Atherton held Quinn¡¯s hand as her voice wavered in sobs, she could feel a thinyer of sweat on Quinn''s palm, she then sighed emotionally and said, "You''ve suffered all these years. I''m truly sorry for you and your mother that I only managed to have you back by my side now." "Please don''t be! I''m already happy enough to see you again. I didn''t even think that I''d be able to meet my rtives one day!" Quinn''s eyes turned red when she said that, and tears slid down her eyes at the instant. It seemed to drain all the tears that she had held within her over the years. Seeing that she admitted Quinn''s identity, Eugene was ted. He found his sister''s daughter, so he knew his mother would praise him for that! Not a momentter, Granny Atherton added, "Eugene, I see how hard you''ve worked this time, so I decided that you''ll be in charge of the project with Soul City." "Thankyou, Mom!" Eugene shouted excitedly. Harry, however, was dissatisfied with that decision. He immediately stood up and retorted, "Mom, how can you be so sure that Miss Weir is our rtive? And about Soul city''s project, I''ve been in charge of it for so long¡ª" "My dear brother, how could you say that? You and I are both mother''s beloved sons. Plus, the company is owned by our family, and we shouldn''t turn against each other no matter whomever mom assigned the project to," Eugene barked confidently. Quinn wiped off the tears in her eyes and looked at Harry aggrievedly. "Uncle Harry, are you suspicious that I made all these up?" Yes, Harry did think of that, still, he remained silent. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. His mother was too hasty to admit Quinn''s identity, and that annoyed him very much. However, standing in front of the people, he could not say too much about it, so he smiled and replied, "oh, Quinny, don''t get me wrong. I just wanted to be a hundred percent sure, so the people in our family will shut their mouths when you return to us in the future. Right, Eddy?" Harry wanted Edwin to second him because he was always Granny Atherton''s favorite grandchild. Unexpectedly, Edwin swept his sight over Quinn with his narrowed eyes and then stretched his right hand out toward Quinn. " Wee back to the Atherton family, dear cousin." Harry went mad internally upon hearing this. He was pissed that his son could not even assess what was happening. If Quinn was epted into their family, knowing the olddy, she would spend all she saved to give Quinn the best wedding she could have. In other words, she could have a chunk of the Atherton family''s pie! ''Why isn''t Edwin doing something to preserve our property?'' Quinn did not expect the meeting to be so smooth without any trouble. Granny Atherton did not seem to her to be as shrewd as the rumor had it, too... With excited tears in her eyes, she shook Edwin''s hand with trembling shoulders and a croaky voice. Edwin was a handsome guy that everyone liked, and he was also a frequent model in a lot of magazines. Cedrick and he were two handsome guys with different styles. When she shook hands with him at close range, she could smell a faint scent of cologne on his body. Chapter 714 Chapter 714 Chapter 714 N?velDrama.Org ? content. Edwin gently rubbed Quinn''s palm with his fingertips as though flirting with her, and Quinn instantly blushed as she pulled her hand back shyly. "Thank you for epting me, Edwin. I''m touched..." she spoke, giving him a deep bow. He then helped her to stand upright andforted her dotingly, " We''re a family. Please don''t be too polite, cutie." "I''m just happy! I finally have a home!" Quinn whimpered and threw herself into Edwin''s arms again. In the back of her mind, she believed that Edwin had a crush on her, or he would not have caressed her palm so meaningfully, she swore to not let go of Edwin, her backer in the Atherton family, because it was easier to get along with her peers. After the meal, Granny Atherton asked Quinn to stay and live in the Atherton Manor, she even designated the room opposite hers as her bedroom. Being able to live in such a luxurious manor with servants to serve was something Quinn had been dreaming of. She pretended to hesitate for a moment, then agreed with the reason that she missed her grandmother. Quinn then apanied Granny Atherton for a while before excusing herself of being too tired, she went upstairs to take a shower...before immediately calling L to tell her that the old madam fell hook, line, and sinker. L was suspicious and surprised at the same time when she heard that Quinn did not face any problems over the course. "You mean you didn''t use what I taught you, and that old hag believed in you?" Quinn, however, began to feel a little dissatisfied with L''s attitude. "Grandma has been looking for me for so many years, and she''s getting older. That''s why she got emotional so easily. Also, I acted very realistically, so she couldn''t tell if I''m real or not!" Meanwhile, she had immersed herself into the imagination that all the servants addressed her as the most respectful Miss Atherton while she was in the manor. L was skeptical about this whole thing. "Regardless, you must be cautious. Don''t expose yourself!" Next door, in Granny Atherton''s master bedroom, Kelly was making the old madam''s bed as usual. Granny Atherton was sitting next to a coffee table on the round wooden table with a hand lying on it. Her eyes were on Catelyn''s design draft on the opposite wall, pondering about something. Kelly finished making the bed and came to help her put on her pajamas. Granny Atherton had aplicated expression. "Did you see the reaction when I let her girl stay in the manor just now?" "I did." Kelly nodded excitedly. "Miss Atherton is very happy to be able to meet you, Madam. You won''t be alone in the future! Though, I feel sorry for Miss Summer. She was so young..." Granny Atherton felt sad and rubbed the phoenix bracelet in her hand, tears rolling down her cheeks. The bracelet was returned to her by Quinn as proof of her identity. Kelly quickly took a tissue paper and wiped the tears for her. "Oh, I''m sorry. You should be happy that Miss Atherton is back today!" The old lady was calm when she met Quinn a while ago, but she burst into tears when she heard Kelly mention Summer Atherton. Kelly once again regretted that she had said something that upset Granny Atherton. "Miss Atherton?" her gaze suddenly became sharp with disgust. " She''s not worthy!" Kelly suddenly froze. "Um..." Knock, knock! Just then, there was a knock on the door of the master bedroom. Quinn had just finished taking a shower, wearing a high-grade cashmere nightgown that the servant had just brought over, but with light makeup and a sweet smile on her face. She walked toward the old madam and said, "Grandma, can I sleep with you tonight?" The high-quality cashmere nightgown was warm and light to wear on her body. ording to the servant who brought it to her, the delivery was expedited specifically for her. Chapter 715 Chapter 715 Chapter 715 That nightgown cost nearly 10000 dors! However, that gown was not custom-made due to theck of time. Still, she was promised to have a tailored nightgown in the future. "Of course, I also want to sleep with Quinn and listen to stories about your childhood." Granny Atherton lovingly pulled Quinn''s arm with her wrinkled hands as Quinn''s smile blossomed. Kelly could not help blinking, suspecting that she had misheard Granny Atherton earlier. ''Isn''t Quinn Miss Atherton?'' Shortly, the appraisal report of the bracelet was released. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Unlike the lovely ambiance that Granny Atherton and Quinn shared in the bedroom, downstairs, Harry was scolding Edwin for not taking his marriage seriously, let alone the fact that another granddaughter in the Atherton family suddenly emerged, posing as a threat to their property. "Are you done?" Edwin raised his eyelidszily after Harry had done growling. "You¡ª" Harry was so angry about Edwin''s frivolous manner that his heart beat violently. Edwin then put his leg down, calmly bade Uncle Harry ''good night '', asked the servant to tell Granny Atherton that he was leaving, and drove away from Atherton Manor. It waste in the night when he returned to shoal vi, but coincidentally, Joanne had juste back from recording a show not long ago. She had been worrying about Edwin banning her from working on the excuse that she was ''pregnant''. In the end, Edwin did not interfere with her work but instead introduced her to a lot of high-status people, letting her choose whatever role she wanted. These included trending TV drama productions, famous movie stars to support her acting, and top variety shows. Joanne was tempted by all these offers, yet she rejected most of them in fear of being the topic of gossip among the fans which would,ter on, cause her trouble. In the end, she chose the most inconspicuous female lead in a web drama. The filming of the drama was simple, fast, stressless, and, most importantly, would not have many viewers. What Joanne wanted was to be down-to-earth. Edwin could feel his irritation rising to his chest upon knowing this, but he then felt that it was not a bad idea after all. she could perfunctorily act for the online drama, leaving more time for her to take care of her body and the baby in her womb. When Joanne heard that Edwin had gone to Atherton Manor, she sighed in relief. The marriage between her and Edwin was too strange. Maybe he just wanted to tie her to him and get revenge on her eventually. She was impulsive when she promised to get married. All she asked, for the time being, was Edwin never toe back so they would never have to share a room. However, her relief did notst long as the servant said that Edwin had returned, she was afraid that he would let her fulfill her contractual obligations as a wife. She was drunk that night and could not remember a single thing except her whole body was aching as if it had been torn apart and reassembled, and the skin of her private part was peeled. All she felt that morning was ufortable. Recalling the scene, she had an irrational urge to stab Edwin with a knife. He made her bleed, so she had to make him bleed the same! She thought about it for a while until the servant''s reminder interrupted her imagination. As soon as she looked up, she saw Edwin stepping into the living room in a suit and ck trousers, his eyes smiling. The warm light reflected on him made him look particrly charming. However, his next sentence made Joanne''s heart skip a beat. "Go and take a shower after dinner. We''ll make a baby tonight." Chapter 716 Chapter 716 Chapter 716 Joanne was stunned as she looked at him in disbelief. ''Have a baby so quickly? Do you think I''m a childbirth machine?'' Seeing her surprised expression, Edwin did not intend to exin himself any further. His yful eyes shed as he spoke, "What? Do you want me to eat with you?" "I''m going to eat right away¡¯" Joanne immediately ran to the dining room with the intention of dying whatever Edwin had nned for tonight. Edwin pulled his tie off and casually threw his coat on the couch. The yful expression on his face was reced by irritability. Granny Atherton had assumed that Joanne was already pregnant and it would take at most two to three months before her belly became visibly swollen. If he had told his grandmother that Joanne was not pregnant, it would have been fine, still, now the existence of Quinn brought back Granny Atherton¡¯s most painful memory, and she was in a bad mood, not to mention the pain she would suffer if she found out the truth about her great-grandchildren. He was afraid that Granny Atherton would be heartbroken, learning two bad news at a time. The best way at the moment was to keep the lie as truthful as possible. Edwin''s deep gaze nced at Joanne, who was hastily eating in the dining room. He hoped she could be a little help here and get pregnant sooner to make his grandmother happy again. In the past six months, Granny Atherton looked both mentally and physically healthy on the outside, but Edwin knew her health was deteriorating. Joanne was sitting in the dining room, having her meal. From time to time, she could catch a glimpse of Edwin looking at her, scratching his head nervously. Seeing Edwin suddenly stand up from the couch, she shrank back almost reflexively. Fortunately, Edwin went to the study on the second floor. Joanne sighed as he moved upstairs. N?velDrama.Org ? content. She once again suspected she was a fool for promising to sign a contract with him to have a child. ''Oh dear, I''m sorry for you!'' Joanne kept apologizing to her idol and dream lover in her heart while she was having her dinner. After spending a long time in the dining room, she returned to her room. As soon as she came out of the shower, she heard the sound of the door lock twisting before she had time to dry her hair. She did not have to look back to know that it was the beast she was living with, Edwin. Edwin looked at her wrapped in a loose, light-colored bath towel, revealing two slender legs. The milky white skin was sweating a little due to the heat, which was shining under the light. "Looks like you''re ready.¡± "I...I..." Joanne stammered hopelessly. Edwin saw her body shivering as he walked over step by step. Just when it was half a meter away, Joanne pursed her lips and reminded solemnly, "Wait, you haven''t taken a bath yet. I''ll prepare the water for you!" "Not bad. Seems like you''re getting used to your wife¡¯s duty." Chapter 717 Chapter 717 Chapter 717 Joanne cursed him as she never deemed him as her husband. She ran to the bathroom afterward. Hearing the sound of running water in the bathroom, Edwin began to undress. "The water is ready! Take your time..." When she was about to leave, Edwin reached his hand out to grab her wrist, forcing her backward till she leaned against the wall and ruffled her bang with another hand in a handsome stance. He then sniffed the fragrance of the shampoo on her neck and asked bewitchingly, "Would you like to join me?¡± Joanne''s pretty cheeks blushed and swelled up like they were about to burst. She failed to hide her shyness from her cheeks even though she tried to act calm. With a closer look, Edwin noticed that Joanne¡¯s skin was better than most female celebrities that he knew. Unexpectedly, Joanne pushed him away savagely, which caused him to fall two steps backward embarrassingly. His enchanting face suddenly turned serious, looking at Joanne fiercely. Joanne felt guilty for an instant. She then clutched her lower abdomen ufortably and slid down the wall, asking earnestly, "My stomach hurts. It seems to be my period. Do you have any feminine hygiene products at home?" Edwin''s face was as ck as charcoal. He seriously doubted whether she was pretending. "No?" Seeing that he did not answer, Joanne frowned as her cheeks turned pale. "No way. Don''t you have a lot of girls over?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. After a pause, she added, "Oh, right. Those women you brought home for a one-night stand didn''t need that. Well, can you ask the maid to buy a pack from the convenience store for me?" Cedrick had the urge to pack Joanne up and throw her out of his house. 2 He doubted if she deliberately seduced him in a bathrobe just now, knowing that she was unwell. ''Geez, it¡¯s that innocent face again...'' he mused in annoyance. Still, looking at her pale face, he put on his trousers calmly, squatted in front of her, pulled her arm around his neck, and put one hand over her shoulder and the other under her knees to carry her up. The sudden sense of weightlessness startled Joanne. Soon, she was carried to the bed by Edwin. He put her on the bed, took out a heavy cashmere nightgown from the closet, and draped it over her. He then spoke in a soft tone, "Don''t catch a cold. I''ll have someone buy you sanitary products." Joanne pulled the nightgown over her body and nodded her head forcefully. Little did Edwin know, there were butterflies in Joanne''s stomach. She thought he would scold her angrily. It seemed that he was not particrly a sc*mbag. At least he did not insist on making love with her when she had her period. ''Wait, could it be that I''m not ovting today, so he lost his interest in me?'' Chapter 718 Chapter 718 Chapter 718 In preparation for Javier, Catelyn stocked the refrigerator with ingredients. She nned to make a stew, five different kinds of roast meat dishes, and a pot of pumpkin soup. Cedrick was fine with whatever Catelyn made, as he was not a picky eater. The kitchen area was veryrge, with an open view. Apart from not having as many servants around as the Mason Estate, the rest were all pretty convenient. As soon as Javier entered the living room, he went looking around for the two boys. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. When the children heard the door open, they ran over excitedly, thinking it was Catelyn. However, they saw Javier instead. Javier looked at both of them. They both look exactly the same. He pointed at Miles and then to Ollie. "Don''t say anything! Let me try and guess you both apart," he said yfully. Miles and Javier were not close to each other, but he could still recognize him. "You''re... Miles! And you''re the one who had been with Catelyn since a child! And you¡¯re... Ollie! Am I right?¡± asked Javier. He was very proud of identifying them correctly. He shook his head gracefully, and his hair swayed in the wind. "Are you worried that your handsome uncle is too smart for you? Don''t worry. I''ll slow down so you can keep up with me." Ollie was speechless. Miles snorted coldly at Javier. "Nah, more like we''re worried that you''re unable to find a girlfriend in the future." "Ouch," said Javier as he heard Miles'' cute voice. He was not angry at all but looked at Catelyn in surprise. "Your sons are so cute! Can I borrow them for a few days?" Catelyn could not help but feel awkward. Lending her kids out for a few days? Javier noticed this and quickly changed his words. "I didn''t mean that! I mean, I want to show my friends that I have a pair of handsome twin nephews. I want them to be jealous of me!" he said, grinning. "Stop being a bad influence on my son," said Cedrick. He changed into a set of home clothes and got out of the bedroom. Despite this, his appearance still contained a very strong aura. Javier looked around innocently, but he did not dare to argue with Cedrick. "I''m such a good person. I''ll never be a bad influence on anyone." Cedrick gave him a cold look. "Right, just look at your bunch of friends. I''m sure they''re all people of good influence, eh?¡± "Hey, that''s so mean!" said Javier. "You don''t like to hear it? The door is over there. You can leave," replied Cedrick. If Catelyn had not agreed, he would have never brought Javier here to disrupt their rare dinner asion. Javier took a stance and said, "No way I''m leaving!" He looked at Miles and Ollie and quickly called out to them, "Come, boys! Let¡¯s go y together!" And so, the three of them went and hung out in the living room. Although Javier seemed to be unreliable, he was very familiar with games. In fact, he had yed all the current trending games, and he was pretty good at it. Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Other than working in the Mason Group, Javier had also established a gamingpany with several college ssmates. However, thepany had financial issues in the early stage. He was short of money, and thepany was currently in a half-baked state. Javier''s eyes lit up all of a sudden. He stretched out his hands toward Ollie with a wicked smile... "Ollie, I heard that you got some property and stocks for your birthday this year. Are they worth millions?" Ollie pursed his lips and nodded. "My father had set up a foundation for me, where all my gifts over the years were stored. The foundation will manage my wealth, and I will officially take over when I''m an adult." "Ah, my lovely little nephew. I''m a little short of money and would like to borrow some money from you. Would you do that for me?" asked Javier. "Nope," Ollie ruthlessly refused. Just after the game ended, Ollie wanted to get up to help Catelyn with the table, as dinner would be almost ready in a while. Suddenly, he felt that he could not move. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Looking down along his short legs, Ollie saw Javier grabbing his calf with both hands, not letting go. Javier looked at him with pleading eyes. Ollie said calmly, "Uncle Javier, what are you doing?" "Please, Ollie! I''m really short of money! How about this? I can give you mypany shares, which is also an investment! I promise that I will run this gamepany with all my soul, and you will definitely profit from it!" cried Javier. Ollie frowned slightly. "But you are still working in Mason Group. Can you really handle so many things at once? Can you guarantee that you will not lose money?" "As long as you can help me financially, I promise!" said Javier as he patted his chest to show assurance. When Cedrick heard Javier''s words, he raised his eyes and red at him. Javier could instantly feel his intimidating aura. "Games are my passion! Perhaps you could support me as well?" pleaded Javier as he looked at Cedrick. Without looking at Javier, Cedrick just got up and walked to the kitchen. He pushed open the kitchen door and was immediately met with the aroma of Catelyn''s cooking. Cedrick leaned against the kitchen door, admiring Catelyn''s busyness. She was wearing very ordinary home clothes, with an apron tied around her waist. Catelyn''s long hair was tied up into a bun, and despite not wearing any makeup, she still looked very charming. Is this pure happiness? Toe home every day to his beloved wife and a home-cooked meal? Cedrick¡¯s heart was full of warmth. Catelyn was concentrating on her cooking and had not noticed Cedrick approaching her. Before she could first, but she immediately recognized Cedrick''s scent and quickly calmed down. She turned her head and saw the kitchen door was not closed. Anyone who walked past it could see the mess in the kitchen! Catelyn tried to push Cedrick away. "I''m still cooking! Don¡¯t disturb me! Just go out and wait," she said. Chapter 720 Chapter 720 Chapter 720 "Mummy, is dinner ready?" Miles'' cheerful little voice came from the living room all of a sudden. Catelyn¡¯s heart beat a little faster as she heard him. She yelled back, "Just a little more!" "Then I''lle and help you!" Miles shouted back, and the sound of little footsteps approaching was heard as he ran into the kitchen. Catelyn never thought that her son would actuallye over. In a hurry, she pushed Cedrick away. She stared at her husband. Why did Cedrick not let go of her despite knowing Miles wasing? As if seeing through her thoughts, Cedrick whispered to her ears, "Don''t you know?" "Mummy, I¡¯m here!¡± Miles eximed excitedly. He was only a few steps away from the kitchen door and could see the both of them clearly. Catelyn was so startled she almost lost her soul, and her face was pale. Perhaps it was because Maia had told Catelyn that Ollie had witnessed the affair between her and Cedrick, and now Catelyn was especially afraid of setting a bad role model for her two boys. After all, they were only less than four years old! Anxiously, she raised her knees and kicked Cedrick. Cedrick could feel her uneven breathing due to her anger and moved to the side quickly. Catelyn let out a long sigh of relief. She quickly ran toward the kitchen door to greet Miles. Cedrick probably would not dare mess around when she was in front of the boys. Otherwise, she would be really furious! However, Catelyn had not expected this move to stimte Cedrick even more. It was like a tug of war. The more she backed up, the more Cedrick would pull her toward him. Before Catelyn could even reach the door, her wrist was quickly yanked back by him. Cedrick then pushed her in front of the counter and swiftly kicked the door, and locked it with a click. N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Mummy, why is the door locked?" asked Miles from the other side of the door. The upper half of the kitchen door was made of ss, while the lower half was covered in frosted sand, which made it blurry. However, Miles was not tall enough to see through the door. In the kitchen, Catelyn, who was pushed to the top of the countertop by Cedrick, spoke in a hoarse voice, "The kitchen smells so bad! Don''te In! Go and y a little while more. I''m almost done..." "Then why can the Big Demon enter?" asked Miles, immediately sensing the unusualness of the situation. He leaned his ears against the door, trying to hear what was going on inside. Chapter 721 Chapter 721 Chapter 721 However, the door was made of really good soundproof materials! Miles could not hear anything from the outside... He crossed his short hands on his waist while scanning the door from top to bottom. Could he even pry open the door? Suddenly, Cedrick''s manly voice answered, "Because I''m your father." "So Dad can go in, but not me?" wailed Miles. He was like a little monkey, moving his ears along the door, and eventually, he stopped at the crack of the door. He listened intently, desperately wanting to know what was happening inside the kitchen. "Yes," answered Catelyn. "Then ? want to be a dad too!" blurted out Miles without hesitation. Catelyn and Cedrick went silent. After a short while, Catelynughed and said, "oh, silly! You can''t just be a dad that young, you have to grow up!" She continued, "Anyway, go wash your hands. Food will be ready soon. Be a good boy, go!" With that, Miles ran away. The crisis was lifted, but Catelyn was still feeling all tensed within. Her Intuition was telling her that her son had never been easily fooled. A thumping sound suddenly came from the door. "What are you doing?" Miles yelled childishly. Catelyn looked back in shock as she saw Miles'' sticking his head against the transparent top part of the kitchen door. It was obvious that he had gotten something to step on so he could reach the door. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Miles could see Cedrick hugging Catelyn while pinning her down on the countertop. Her back was close to his chest, leaving no gap in between. Miles wanted to barge in to get a clearer picture of everything, but Cedrick had locked the door. All the passion and intimate moments between Catelyn and Cedrick vanished instantly. Cedrick had not expected Miles to actually get a bench so he could stand on it and look at them. If he were to separate from Catelyn at this moment, his dignity as a masculine dad would be lost! In response, Cedrick turned his head and shouted at Miles, "Go away!" "So it was you who locked the door! Why didn''t you let me in?" said Miles as he knocked on the door repeatedly. He just kept knocking and knocking, and Catelyn was actually afraid that the door would fall over, she intended to persuade Miles to leave, but something even more embarrassing happened... Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Javier was there! At first, he was hanging out with ollie in the living room, trying his best to convince Ollie to invest in hispany. However, Ollie was unshakable, and all of Javier''s persuasion failed. He went to the bathroom in frustration and happened to see Miles dragging a bench toward the kitchen. He went after him, and what he saw next made him burst out inughter. Like Miles, Javier''s head popped out at the top transparent part of the kitchen door. He screamed, "Damn! Hold your horses! Your cute and pure little boys are going to be influenced by you! Are you sure you don''t want to lend them to me for a few days?" Catelyn wanted to dig a hole and bury herself. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Cedrick''s face darkened. "Take the kid away and go!" he yelled at Javier. "No, no!" Miles struggled aggressively in Javier''s arms. "I want to see everything!" "Do you know what tough love is? Hitting your loved ones to show that you love them," Javier yelled. Smack! The tiny pnded on Javier''s chest. Although it was not painful, he could not help but feel surprised. Javier groaned and stared at Miles. Miles looked back at him arrogantly. "I''m giving you tough love. You should be happy." What a little brat! Javier quickly carried Miles away and left. The kitchen was instantly quiet again, though the atmosphere previously was never the same anymore. The soup in the pot was overboiled, and it became really dry. Catelyn was furious. How could Cedrickbe so rash?! Javier and Miles arrived at the living room, only to hear the sudden sound of the kitchen door being banged open by force, followed by Catelyn''s extremely loud roar, "Get out of here!" Miles slid down from Javier''s arms. He folded his arms around his chest as he stared at Cedrick. Cedrick''s home clothes were a little messy, but he still looked really good in them. Even his jet-ck short hair was very stylish. Miles raised his eyebrows proudly and yelled, "Ha! Serves you right for bullying Mummy!" Ollie also came over, not knowing what had just happened. On the other hand, Javier was rolling on the floor,ughing out loud. He had onlye here for dinner, not expecting to witness so much drama, what an awesome night! Cedrick looked at Javier and straightened his messy clothes expressionlessly. "Tomorrow onwards, you will be responsible for the project in Ostralia. I believe you''re capable. Make sure you handle it well." Project in Ostralia? Javier stoppedughing immediately. Was Cedrick being serious? That project was a really difficult one! Without giving Javier a second look, Cedrick returned to his bedroom to change his clothes. An overnight sess, this was probably how people would describe Quinn Weir at the moment. Ever since that day, people have beening to her doorsteps one after another, tailoring a series of high-end dresses and items for her. Chapter 723 Chapter 723 Chapter 723 In addition to that, Granny Atherton had given Quinn a credit card with no limits and even announced publicly that she was her most beloved granddaughter and would give her anything she wanted. Quinn got a little too carried away at the moment and almost said that she wanted a house, a car, and her ownpany. Fortunately, she had notpletely forgotten L¡¯s instructions, so she reminded herself to stay cool. asionally, Granny Atherton would ask Quinn questions about Lisa and her tomb, she would just give a vague answer, saying that Lisa was cremated. Quinn also mentioned that Lisa lived in the countryside so that she could cover up the whereabouts of her body after her death. Granny Atherton¡¯s hands trembled as she heard Quinn''s words, and she just continued eating as if nothing had happened. Quinn had worked in the Mason Group. Now that she was the new granddaughter of the Atherton Family, she was instantly promoted and did not need to do any petty work anymore, such as serving other people coffee. Granny Atherton asked Quinn about her preferred job field. Eventually, she was given the position of managing a constructionpany with Eugene Atherton. As a result, Quinn called up Mason Company and immediately announced her resignation. Charles received the news and told everything to Cedrick through the pher after. At that moment, Cedrick was in the middle of a family photoshoot session with Catelyn and the boys. His eyes sank after hearing the news from Charles. "Go and check on Ste. If she''s alright, then we don''t have to worry too much about Quinn." Cedrick knew Catelyn only cared about Ste. If Ste had nothing to do with Quinn, then Cedrick would not even bother about her. "Understood," said Charles and hung up the phone. Cedrick put his phone away and continued with the photoshoot session. Miles was trying to do a funny pose, while Ollie just stood there expressionlessly. Cedrick and Catelyn held them both in their arms as they fixed their posture ording to the photographer''s instructions. In the end, they all smiled at the camera. Cedrick never enjoyed taking pictures, and the photographer had a hard time making him smile. Miles snuggled in Catelyn''s arms, deliberately making all kinds of lively expressions to annoy Cedrick. Ollie also did not like to smile, but he had very big, soft eyes, and he showed the tenderness of a child, all of which the photographer captured perfectly. On the other hand, Cedrick just stood there with a nk expression. Monday arrived in a blink of an eye. Suddenly, all the big news broke out one after another! N?velDrama.Org ? content. Jolene told Catelyn that the long-lost granddaughter of the Atherton Family had been found. Other than that, she was also told that this granddaughter of the Atherton Family had taken over the managing position for Pentnd Group. Thepany was about tounch a luxurious real estate project, which also happened to ovep with the market targeted by the VSA Group, which would create a lot ofpetition. The Atherton Family was spoiling their new granddaughter so much that they had spent a lot of money to hold a grand wedding ceremony for her next month, inviting celebrities from all over the country to the event. Even the Mason Family, who had an awkward rtionship with the Athertons, were invited to the wedding. However, what concerned Catelyn the most was the fact that Pentnd Group would be a bigpetitor to theirpany. Who was the granddaughter of the Atherton family? Catelyn could not be bothered to know. Chapter 724 Chapter 724 Chapter 724 Content held by N?velDrama.Org. In order to quickly turn thepany''s bad reputation around, Catelyn and Jolene implemented a series of actions, other than hiring some influential celebrities as their ambassadors and organizing press conferences, they also put a lot of effort into promoting charity events, hoping to turn their image around in the public''s eye. However, it was something that would take more than a night to change. When she knew that Pentnd Group wouldunch a new project by next Friday, Catelyn intended to avoid shing with that. She then discussed with Hunter to dy their new projectunch. Hunter did not seem pleased by that. Thepany was short on cash flows currently, and they had only just agreed to coborate with Deluxe International. If there were no significant cash inflows, they were afraid that might result in a default of the coboration with Deluxe International! If that really were the case, they would be suffering tremendous loss. However, before Hunter could make a decision, Louis Joe, the VSA Group Western Market Ambassador, posted on Twidder. [There was a potential safety concern regarding VSA Group''s project, the Group disregarded the safety of other people and their finances. I announced to withdraw single-partially from the coboration and was willing to pay thepensation!] Soon after, his managementpany also reposted his post, and other marketing ounts followed suit. A lot of users werementing below his post. A user named WaterMelonmented, [VSA Group did a lot of charity recently. Their official website even posted a lot of visits to the old folks'' homes! Luckily we were not blind-sighted by these. I almost wanted to view their properties...] LuckyStarmented, [I heard that thispany wasunching a high-end property soon, @WaterMelon, perhaps it was their intention to put on a show.] Lovejoemented, [Support Louis! Formaldehyde is carcinogenic, and I hope people remember that! I have always disagreed with Louis supporting this kind ofpany!] Pinksaucemented, [Tsk tsk... It is such an anecdote for their own ambassador to use the company of wrongdoings.] The topic rose to poprity within a short time. It had been many years since VSA Group''s property was exposed to issues. Initially, the new batch of target customers almost forgot about the incident, but after the ambassador voiced out about it, it was a hot topic in town again! Some people even posted photos of people protesting at VSA Group''s office entrance back then, and the posts went viral. When Hunter knew about it, the situation was out of control. Thements hit their n tounch the new Marine Pearl Bay project like a tsunami. Meanwhile, Pentnd Group¡¯s new project sales were on the rise. Pentnd was having a good time as they stepped right on VSA Group! There was chaos throughout thepany. Hunter quickly gathered the senior management to discuss it. Everyone was panicking about it. Maribel was concerned too, and her face was pale. She was very anxious about the situation. The project that Louis exposed was under her purview before this! The project went smoothly. How would Louis suddenly expose it? Where did Louis get the information from? As soon as she sat down at the meeting table, she could not help but want to direct the me on Catelyn. "We have always been a parallel of Pentnd Group and never interfered with them. It must be because we were being too loud with charity and were picked on by them. I saw many marketing ounts were on good terms with the Pentnd Group! Miss rk, I said it before, we have to be low profile and humble!" Someone seconded, "Pentnd is aggressive. The people behind them are the Atherton family. I think we better lie low for the time being. After all, we have already been dragged about quality issues before. We don''t want to..." "However, we cannot allow Louis¡¯s fans to continue attacking us! We need to arrange for crisis public rtions immediately and hold a press conference to promise to provide a satisfactory exnation to the general public regarding this matter. Hunter got thewyer, ready to sue Louis for defamation anytime. They had no choice but to dy theunch of the new project. Catelyn felt strange as she listened to everyone''s suggestions. Chapter 725 Chapter 725 Chapter 725 For Louis to be tearing apart the capitalists with his bare hands was equivalent to betting against his own future and reputation. The Pentnd Group must be behind him to provide support. However, even if that were the case, he would probably not have the guts to create rumors like that, otherwise, he would be facing a defamationwsuit. In other words, more or less, the project was destined to be problematic. Therefore, she voiced it to Hunter, "sir, I intend to go and inspect the construction of the project that Louis had used." Hunter thought it was necessary too and was about to agree to it. Maribel suddenly stood up guiltily, and she said hastily, "Miss rk, it is such a cold day. The project site is very far. Perhaps I should go? This project was under my purview before this!" "Miss Lionel is not afraid of the cold, and so am I," Catelyn faked a smile and replied. She had found Maribel to be acting strange since she first stepped into the meeting room. As soon as she suggested inspecting the site, Maribel was so anxious she doubted anyone would believe that there was nothing fishy about it. Maribel''s smile was a little stiff now. She looked at Hunter subconsciously. However, Hunter was curious to know if the project had quality issues too. It wasmonly known that, just like the food industry, the biggest fear for construction projects was safety. Years ago, problems about the Group''s property surfaced, causing theirpany name to be tarnished. Even though many years had passed, the brand was damaged beyond repair and could not be turned around, no matter how hard they tried. As though without hesitation, Hunter appointed Catelyn to handle this. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Maribel had no choice but to say she would follow Catelyn to the site. Before departing, she went to the toilet. When she came out, Catelyn noticed that the makeup on her right cheek was smudged, as though being wiped away by her phone when making a phone call. The problematic project was a newly built skyscraper located in the newly developed Creekshire area in Sapphire City. It was not very popted. It was lunch hour, and the construction workers were oblivious to the drama on the inte and were sitting together having lunch. Even though they sellbor for wages, their smiles are genuine. Thepany had a responsibility to ensure their safety! However, before they even stepped foot into the lift, suddenly, they all heard a loudmotion, followed by someone''s shriek. "Oh no! It copsed! Quick! Someone''s injured! Help!" This was unexpected. Even Maribel herself was shocked and frozen at where she was. The construction supervisor was about to wee Catelyn, but his face turned green upon hearing that. Catelyn immediately called the hospital and fire brigade. Maribel suddenly leaped forward to snatch her phone away. "No! You cannot make a call! It''s toomon for the construction foundation to copse. Don''t panic! If the fire brigade is here, the media will know about it. Then ourpany will just be like what Louis used US of being, and then everything will be gone..." Catelyn flung Maribel''s arm away and looked at her coldly. "Are you scared of ruining thepany''s name or your own?" II? II "This project was yours, and the blueprint was drafted by you! Did you not consider the worker''s safety before? Director Lionel, if you knew this would happen, why would you have done it?" Dust particles filled the air due to the partial copse of the construction site. A thickyer of dust hovered like a serious haze situation. Catelyn pressed the dial button without hesitation and called the fire brigade. Luckily, it was lunch hour, and most of the construction workers were out of the structures. Plus, the fire brigade came on time. There were no deaths, but only one heavily injured and another two with light injuries. Chapter 726 Chapter 726 Chapter 726 Both the ambnce and fire brigade arrived, blocking the entrance of the construction site. It was like Maribel predicted. Louis had already caught the news reporters and journalists'' attention. Now that this had happened, all of them were rushing to take photos and write articles about them. All of the interview questions revolved around one matter. Louis just made his statement in the morning, and in the very same afternoon, the project copsed. What would thepany¡¯s official statement say about it? Jolene turned all the reporters away and gave the excuse that they were still investigating the matter. Catelyn did not appear in the media either. She was running through the construction site throughout. She was examining the blueprint, examining around the site, and incessantly asking the workers about the construction, the foundation, and whether or not it had copsed before. The ce was near the riverbank. Due to its unique geographical location, the soil was extra soft. Therefore, there were more questions to consider when building the foundation. However, after examining the blueprint and the overall design, she realized that other than the mistake in N?velDrama.Org ? content. Maribel''s design, the foundation was not firm enough. There was also a problem of subpar quality of the building materials. If this skyscraper was finished as nned, she bet that in five years, there would be a big ident! At the same time, the media had already turned up the heat around this incident. It went viral and became the hottest topic on the inte. There were billions, reading on the topic of VSA Group neglecting safety. Catelyn did not regret calling for the fire brigade. One reason was that she needed to save the injured, and the second reason was that the project needed to be stopped to get examined thoroughly. Hunter heard that not only did Catelyn not cover up the incident but attracted the media, so he immediately reprimanded her for it. Before she could exin, he hung up furiously, In his eyes, this was no different from suicide. All gone, everything was all gone. Even so, he ordered the public rtions department to work hard to exin and clear thepany''s name. However, no matter how much money they burned on this, it was nothing as much as what Pentnd Group did. Plus, the inte''s emotions were already stirred up, and all their efforts were in vain. Hunter aged by a decade overnight and gave up working on it. He gave Catelyn the autonomy to handle the rest and left early. Pentnd Group. It was Quinn''s first time sitting in the main seat by the end of the meeting table, in the chair that was polished shinily. She was wearing a pair of tailored suits, and her hair was tied up. Her face was serious when she was not speaking. In fact, she listened as the senior managers were having a meeting but could notprehend a word. She tried her best to fight her sleepiness. Finally, she concluded, "No matter what it takes, we will need to ace the sales for this project. We cannot lose it to VSA Group! We must give Granny a satisfactory answer!" After the meeting, Eugene did not leave immediately but held his thumb up and grinned ear to ear. "Quinn, well done. You had leveraged on the inte and the media to tear VSA Group apart and took the opportunity to promote our safety-guaranteed properties. The market is now booming!" "Thank you for yourpliments, Uncle. I was just giving it a try..." Quinn sat in the meeting room for the entire afternoon and finally found a conversation that she was interested in. Eugene thought he had underestimated Quinn. When she first arrived at the Atherton family, he thought she was young and incapable. However, after joining Pentnd for a short while, her strategy was implemented so smoothly! He then asked, "How did you know that VSA Group¡¯s project had a problem?" Of course, Quinn could not say that she heard it from L. "When I first moved to Sapphire City, I happened to have a friend''s boyfriend working on the site." Eugene nodded and asked, "Then what is your next n? Chapter 727 Chapter 727 Chapter 727 "I have thought about it. Now that Louis has the traction and fame, if we can get him over to be our ambassador, that will be great, other than that, I also n to add another ambassador as well." Eugene was curious and asked, "Who?" "You know about this person too, Uncle. Plus, I could make it back to the Atherton family. It was all because of you and her. I will never forget about the people who have been kind to me." Eugene was excited, and he could already tell who that was. As the heat around the incident continued, even if Hunter tried to lie low, he still received queries from many partneringpanies. Some were asking to conclude the payments as soon as possible. Some were asking to withdraw from their coboration. Hunter then decided to ghost all of them and ignore his phone. However, he was surprised to notice that Deluxe International did not ask anything about that. In fact, Windy had already called Catelyn straight away, and her demands were clear-cut. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. "If yourpany wants to continue the coboration with Deluxe International, then we will have to see if you are capable of resolving this elephant in the room. If this cannot be resolved, Deluxe will be paying thepensation and withdraw from this coboration," Windy''s icy cold voice said. Catelyn knew that this was a big challenge. "I understand that. Thank you for not canceling the coboration right away." "Don''t thank me, I just want to see if Cedrick will help." Catelyn dragged her tired body back to the office. However, standing in front of the meeting room, she had to keep herself awake and alert. The CEO had already hired a lot of inte users in an attempt to cleanse thepany''s name, but the oue was weak. Catelyn did not n to continue burning cash either. Sheid out the blueprint that she brought back from the construction site. Even if the design was wed, it should not have ended up in such a serious copse. Everyone gave their opinions, and some even told her in private about some insider news. VSA Group¡¯s official social media ounts were already flooded by seven or eight in the evening. She saw that everyone was tired after a long day of hard work and decided to call it a day, to give everyone a good rest. The next morning by six, everyone needed to be at the office for another day of war. Even by eight in the evening, the office phones were still ringing non-stop. Jolene removed all the receivers so that the phones were all ''engaged'', and nobody would be able to call in. On the other hand, Cedrick of Mason Group got to know about the news too. Obviously, the incident was caused by Pentnd Group. He asked Charles to do a simple background check, but the oue caught him off guard. That night, Catelyn called and said that she had to put in extra hours and would not go home. Even worse, a bunch of reporters blocked the office lobby downstairs. Cedrick frowned and said, "This should not be your responsibility." "Hunter med me for forcing thepany into a corner and decided to keep his hands off." Catelyn said helplessly on the phone. Her instincts told her that, to save thepany, she could only take risks. It would only be a ticking time bomb if she continued to cover it up. Once it exploded, everyone would be on the losing end. Cedrick paused and then said, "Come down, and I''m going to pick you up." Catelyn stood stunned in front of the ss windows, her slender finger opened the curtains, and she could immediately see the reporters crowding downstairs. "No, the reporters are still here. Things will only get moreplicated if you are here! Plus... There are many other things at thepany..." Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Chapter 728 "Then do you n to hang around in the office forever?" Cedrick¡¯s tone was stern. Catelyn exined, "I had ordered food delivery, plus, the office is quite cozy. I have a big couch here. There''s no problem for Jolene and me to stay here for a night! You better go home soon, don''t let Ollie and Miles know about this..." "Toote. Your son just called me and asked if something happened to you," Cedrick said straightforwardly. Catelyn''s eyes widened. "Are children so up to date with web dramas?" Content held by N?velDrama.Org. "Don¡¯t youpare them to normal children. That''s it. I will think of ways to distract the reporters, I will arrive in twenty minutes," Cedrick replied briskly. To cover up the news, the best way would be to create some other news that was even more shocking. The entertainment paparazzi were focusing much on VSA Group because of Louis. Cedrick intended to expose some other celebrities'' private lives or some shocking news about them to distract them. As for the finance or social topics columnists, Cedrick got his people to pretend to be VSA Group''s senior management and distracted them. There was one reporter who was doubtful of the situation and did not leave. However, this was enough for Catelyn to leave quietly. Jolene did not want to leave so soon. Maribel sensed something fishy and immediately disguised herself and followed Catelyn downstairs. At the construction site, Catelyn was almost putting Maribel on the spot. Maribel''s unpleasant photos were widely spread among the construction workers. However, Maribel herself was now very flustered with the situation too. She entered the elevator and said to Catelyn, "Miss rk, it was my fault before this. Since you have the guts to allow this incident to escte, you must have some backup n, don''t you?" "Miss Kingsley did not withdraw from the coboration. You guys must have a good rtionship." "Can you ask Miss Kingsley for help? To shut people up about this!" "As for the injured construction workers, I will be paying thempensations..." Maribel was finally panicking and was bbering away. Catelyn was a little annoyed and looked at her unhappily. Her cold gaze was a sword made of ice that pierced through Maribel¡¯s heart. "One of the contractors for this project is your cousin, isn''t it?" Maribel''s face turned slightly green as she pretended to be innocent. "Miss rk, what are you talking about? I don''t know any contractors..." "Your annual sry is only six hundred thousand dors, but you are using thetest season designer bag, which costs over four hundred thousand dors. You drive a Mesarati, paid by cash, costing two to three million dors. You also happen to have a suite in the middle of the city that costs more than ten million. May I know how you can afford all these without stealing from the project funds?" Maribel was stunned. How did Catelyn know about all these? She was always jealous of Catelyn for taking her Director position away, other than being lowered in the office hierarchy, it was also because she did not have as much power anymore, making it difficult for her to allow her cousin to ck and deliver less than they were supposed to. "This was indeed gifted by my cousin, but I am not aware that he is involved in any corruption! You have to believe me, that I will never betray thepany..." The elevator reached the ground floor. Catelyn took one look around and was surprised to see no reporters around. She was delighted and did not want to continue the conversation with Maribel anymore. "You know very well whether or not you are involved in this. I have nothing more to say, goodbye." Before Maribel could reply, Catelyn ran out of the tower and straight into Cedrick''s car. Cedrick quickly drove away. Maribel wanted to pursue her but could not. She was worried and immediately called her cousin. He said he would only take a little back then. Who knew it would end up so badly? However, she could not get through to her cousin! Chapter 729 Chapter 729 Chapter 729 Was it because he was feeling guilty and did not dare to pick up her phone call? When she was panicking, her phone rang. She thought it was from her cousin and pressed the answer button happily. She then realized it was not her cousin but was apletely strange number... However, the voice of the person was not unfamiliar! She had been to Ocean Path Residence to look for Catelyn and the voice who told her the address was this exact one! In the car, Catelyn took out a bottle of water from the carpartment and gulped it empty. She then flipped open the documents that she did not finish going through. She was very focused. Even if the light was not bright enough, her eyes were still glittering. Cedrick forced himself to look away so as not to disturb her. When she finished organizing her train of thoughts and ced the documents back into her bag, he only said, " Do you know why Pentnd picked on you?¡± Catelyn shook her head, "Perhaps we were too high profile about the charity. Pentnd felt threatened and did not want to give US a chance to turn ourselves around." Catelyn could only think of this one possibility. After all, VSA Group did not have a presence before this. Everyone hated theirpany. Phillip Kingsley would not even look at them before. Cedrick said sarcastically, "The person in charge of Pentnd now has a beef with you." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Beef with me? Catelyn was so busy today that she had never thought that thepetitor was picking on her. She asked, "Who is the person in charge now? What beef?" She did not remember offending the new person in charge of Pentnd... Wait for a second, Jolene told her before that Pentnd was now managed by the long-lost granddaughter of the Atherton family. Does that mean that the new addition to the Atherton family had a beef with her? Catelyn¡¯s eyes were locked onto Cedrick, but he still did not tell her right away. Instead, he gave her another hint, "Last week, when we went out to take our family photo, I received a message from Charles, saying that Quinn resigned." The car was quiet for a few seconds. Catelyn felt her throat dry as though stuck with a piece of sponge. She cried lowly, "Are you suggesting that Quinn turned into Granny Atherton''s granddaughter overnight?" Then she would be Edwin''s cousin? No wonder Edwin and Joanne were quiet recently. They must have been busy weing this new family member. Catelyn then frowned. She could not believe it. "Didn''t you just find out that Quinn was my mother''s biological daughter?" "I guess Quinn found a way to make the Atherton family ept her." Cedrick did not believe that Quinn was capable enough to get the entire Atherton family to believe her. There must either be someone behind her, or the Atherton family deliberately allowed her to do so. "Don''t they conduct background checks? Even if the entire Atherton family did not doubt it, what about Edwin? He is so smart. Could he also have been fooled...¡± Catelyn mumbled. No wonder as soon as she took over, Pentnd came right at her. With the Atherton family behind it, of course, it would be natural for Quinn tounch an attack on herself. Cedrick said, "The Atherton family has always been in the hands of Granny Atherton all these years. Edwin is the eldest grandson but did not take over the business. As she aged, the morale in thepany got lower, office politics were widespread. Perhaps Granny Atherton wanted to use Quinn to help do some housekeeping." Chapter 730 Chapter 730 Chapter 730 ''¨¬ was always skeptical toward Granny Atherton. Now that I think about it, she is pretty pitiful too. She Is already so old, but someone is still trying to use the person she cares about most to lie to her..." Catelyn herself also felt that things did not add up at first, but now that she connected the dots with Quinn, everything made sense. She also felt overwhelmed by it. Other than that, she was concerned about Ste. Ste thought Quinn was sincere toward her and was delightfully nning to make amends for her. However, Quinn ditched Ste right away and went to be Miss Atherton instead. There was also something else that Catelyn could not understand. Quinn did not have any foundation, but how did she make it to be Miss Atherton? Even if someone within the Atherton family intended to get a fake girl to fool Granny Atherton, why would they choose Quinn? Cedrick did not expect Quinn to turn over a new leaf overnight and decided to get someone to do a thorough investigation. He was careless to have underestimated Quinn. As soon as Catelyn arrived at Green Ind, she received a phone call from William from the headquarters in Franche. There were a few senior managers in the video call too. William expressed that he could not reach Hunter, and therefore he reached out to her. He even mentioned sacking her. "Miss rk, you better give US an exnation on the construction quality issue." "How did you make your promise to US back then?" "We expected the sales to double but not to flop like this! It "If you continue this, we are considering exiting the western market altogether." The questions were thrown in her way like rapid fire. Catelyn remained calm and replied to everyone steadily, "Please don''t worry, thepany flopped in the western market years ago. Now that we want to turn this around, it is natural to face pushbacks, but every challenge is an opportunity..." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. William immediately asked, "Are you saying that you have a way to resolve this now?" Catelyn smiled and said to everyone, "I am waiting for the right time. I will not let thepany go down just like that. For thepany and for myself. Even if you want to sack me, could you find a more suitable person to rece Mister Wilson and me in such a short time? If not, please trust me." The audience could not continue to question her. After all, Catelyn was a sudden hire. Logically, Hunter bore a bigger responsibility this time. After hanging up the conversation with the senior managers, Catelyn contacted Jolene. Someone had to bear the responsibility for the construction problem, no matter to the public or to the officials. Obviously, given the current situation, that person had to be either Maribel or her cousin. Jolene had a widework in Sapphire City herself too. She had already arranged for someone to investigate early on. "Kitty, I followed up based on what you pointed out and found out that Maribel''s cousin had created many problems over the recent years! There was also some problem with thest project that he handled, he got lucky that it did not escte into a bigger issue, but he recently got addicted to gambling and lost a lot in Las Vegars. He even lost the money that he stole from the corrupt deals. That was why the skyscraper''s construction was severelypromised." In the middle of the quiet night, Catelyn did not feel sleepy at all but was even calmer. "Then, did you find out his whereabouts now?" "I asked my friend to stop him, but he had already fled away." "No matter what it takes, we need to find him." "Don''t worry, I know what I need to do," Jolene agreed briskly. Chapter 731 Chapter 731 Chapter 731 After handling the more trivial tasks, Catelyn sent the only supplier an email to rify the issue. Hunter had abandoned all responsibility and steered clear of the incident, and she could not pretend like she was unaware of the situation. This was the worst crisis to the reputation of herpany since the formaldehyde incident. Before she could settle the issue with the press, she had to make sure that she did not lose the trust of her only supplier, she promised that if the situation was not resolved within two weeks, she was willing to pay an extra 10 percent of the liquidated damages. After sending the email, Catelyn randomly scrolled through thements on social media and saw countless negative posts about VSA Group. The press had recorded the video of when the firemen came to the rescue and edited the video before uploading it online. They pointed a ming finger at Catelyn, iming that she was the architect of thepany and yet hid when something happened, leaving her assistant, Jolene to handle the chaos. Tn the blink of an eye, thements on the video umted to over a million. The situation had escted far too quickly, and Catelyn was certain someone was pulling the strings in the dark Cedrick ordered Charles to look further into Quinn''s background before going into the bathroom for a shower. By the time he returned to the master bedroom, the bed was still empty, so he headed to the study. He was usually the one who used the room most of the time as Catelyn rarely took her work back home. To his surprise, he opened the door to the room and found a slim figure deeply asleep in front of aptop. Her mouth was slightly open as she was snoring quietly, yet she still looked so adorable that he felt the urge to nibble on her cheek. Cedrick chuckled at the fact that Catelyn was even more dedicated than him when it came to work. He tiptoed over to her and brushed his finger across her cheek. Sometimes, he wished that Catelyn would simply be his woman to look after the twins and eventually give birth to a daughter for him. However, whenever he saw how hardworking she was, he realized he could not take away her right to chase her dream. She did not have to choose between family and her career. He stared at her for a while until a breeze came into the room through the gap of the window, and he heard the curtains pping. Cedrick moved to pick her up but identally moved the mouse instead. Theptop screen lit up, and the video along with all the negativements about VSA Group came into sight. Cedrick''s expression darkened. The next morning, Catelyn woke up early and snuck out of bed, worried that she would wake Cedrick in the process. She went to the closet to take out the clothes she wanted to wear, but as soon as she took off her pajamas, she felt a pair of watchful eyes on her. She turned around and met Cedrick''s eyes. He was still slightly dazed from having just woken up; he propped his head on one arm andzily admired Catelyn''s alluring figure from afar. She made it a habit to exercise and would go to the clubhouse with Joanne for yoga every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Even if she had already given birth to two children, there was no extra weight around her waist, and the firm muscles hidden under her fair skin made her look energetic and lively, she did not have any stretch marks on her either, so if she put up a ponytail, no one would suspect if she imed to be a fresh graduate. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. "Did I wake you?" Catelyn was a little shy, but because she was in a hurry, she continued to change in front of him. "It''s still early, so you should go back to sleep. I''ll set up the rm for you." Worried that she might forget about it as she got ready, she changed into her underwear with one hand and reached out to grab the rm clock on the nightstand with another. Chapter 732 Chapter 732 Chapter 732 Catelyn set up the rm and nced at Cedrick, only to notice that he was blushing, shocked, she asked, "Cedrick, are you running a fever? Why do you look so flushed?" She kicked her shoes off and crawled onto the bed, cing her warm palm on his forehead. As she did, the faint scent of gardenias she emitted instantly assaulted his senses. "I think you might have a fever. Hang on, I''ll grab the thermometer," she mumbled and reached into the drawer under the nightstand. In the end, she frantically put on her sweater and jacket before fleeing from the bedroom. She reached up to touch her face and was relieved that she herself was not red in the face. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Completely losing the urge to go back to sleep, Cedrick went to the bathroom to take a cold shower. By the time he went downstairs, Catelyn had just finished her sandwich and was changing her shoes by the porch with traces of milk on the corner of her mouth. Cedrick picked up the car keys. "I''ll give you a lift." "It''s fine," Catelyn refused casually. "You still need to send the kids off to schoolter. It''s too troublesome for you to make the round trip back and forth." Cedrick narrowed his eyes. "I don''t think it''s troublesome. Don''t you want to spend more time with me?" "Alright, then." Seeing that he insisted, Catelyn did not object to his offer. Just before they left, she went into the kitchen and grabbed him a sandwich for him to eat in the car. Cedrick rarely ate in his car, however, so Catelyn ended up eating it instead. She did not let Cedrick drop her off in front of the office building and got out of the car when they were a street away. After spending much time with him, Catelyn had grown ustomed to Cedrick''s mood shifts, so when she noticed the dark look on his face, she immediately realized that he was upset. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nted a kiss on his chin. "I''ll call youter at noon when I have the time." His rising anger was instantly appeased, and his tone eased. "I can help if you can''t settle it." "Of course! My husband is the best!" she said, giggling, before running toward the building across the street with documents in hand. Cedrick watched her go endearingly. Catelyn had thought that she arrived early, but to her bewilderment, the reporters had arrived even earlier to ambush her. They could not find Hunter anywhere and were like sharks that caught the scent of blood when they spotted Catelyn. The reporters rushed out of all directions and instantly blocked every corner of the road. The camera shutters flickered and were followed by a series of questions. "Miss rk, the spokesperson for VSA Group has pointed out that there''s a security breach in the project. Has this impacted the "Part of the building seemed to have copsed yesterday at the construction site, causing severe injury to one of the workers there. Do you not value the lives of the construction workers there? II "Who will be responsible for the follow-up?" "Rumor has it that you were transferred from the Franche headquarters to this branch as director, why did you agree to be transferred when you know that there had been a security breach in VSA Group before? Is there any under-the-table deal going on?" "The developer..." The questions cut through the air like des, and Catelyn immediately messaged the security team of the building toe, not intending to answer any questions. The Public Rtions department had already held an emergency press conference the day before, but the reporters refused to buy any official announcement and clung to any information they could get while the topic was still the talk of the city. Chapter 733 Chapter 733 Chapter 733 Just when Catelyn was about to step through the building entrance, a woman in ragged clothing darted out from an alley. "You heartless enterprises! My daughter died from cancer because she lived in one of your formaldehyde-packed apartments, and you''re now selling houses again with no guarantee that they''re safe! Profiteers! I''ll kill you..." she cursed while taking rotten eggs from her bag to throw at Catelyn. The reporters instantly scattered to snap photos of Catelyn and the woman. The scene of the victim throwing rotten eggs at a director of VSA Group would surely make the headlines! The eggs were tossed into the air and darted toward Catelyn, so she instinctively covered her face with her arms. Thunk! The appalling scent of rotten eggs filled the air, but Catelyn did not feel anything on her arm. she opened her eyes slightly, only to find a towering figure standing before her. Cedrick had run out and shielded Catelyn with both his arms open protectively, so the rotten eggs ended upnding on his jacket instead. The reporters gaped at the sight and continued to snap photos of the man who came unannounced, all the while thinking to themselves, ''Who is this? The hero is here to save the damsel in distress? He''s very good-looking!'' The woman stilled, apparently not expecting someone to shield Catelyn from the eggs, she immediately took out more rotten eggs and continued to throw them at Catelyn and Cedrick. Just then, the security guards hurried over and were stunned at the chaos and the disgusting scent.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Cedrick continued to shield Catelyn and moved swiftly to dodge the eggs. "What are you doing standing there? stop that woman!" Cedrick took off his stinking jacket and commanded coldly. His overwhelming presence intimidated everyone at the scene. The woman, too, twitched in fear. The leader of the security team sobered up andmanded his men to approach the middle-aged woman. The woman instantly started hopping away while screaming," Don''te any closer! Don''te any closer... You people killed my daughter, and now you want to kill me too?!" The guards did not waver and attempted to restrain the woman. Before the guards could even touch her, she fell to the ground and started wailing at the top of her lungs, "They''re murdering people now! Make sure you all take photos of this! Not only are these people in VSA Group selling problematic houses, but they''re now killing the victims too!" This was explosive news, and the reporters'' eyes widened excitedly as they continued to take photos. The security guards had never seen someone this shameless. Just when they were about to drag the woman away, Catelyn stopped them and strode toward the woman, stopping when she was a meter away and staring at the woman sharply. "You said you''re one of the victims and that your daughter died from cancer because she lived in one of the apartments we sold. May I know which phase you were living in? which apartment type? I''d want nothing more than topensate for your loss." ording to what Catelyn knew, the targeted market for the apartments back then were educated people, so it did not seem likely that any of them would act like a maniac like this woman was doing. This meant that she could very well be hired to cause a scene. Chapter 734 Chapter 734 Chapter 734 "She lost her daughter. How are you going topensate for her loss? Is the life of a living human being something that can be reced by money to you profiteers? That''s someone''s life! "I''m going to write about every detail once I get back so that everyone knows what VSA Group is truly like! "You should all be in jail, so no one would fall victim to your wrongdoings!" N?velDrama.Org ? content. Someone in the crowd shouted and provoked the rest of the reporters in an instant. They all red at Catelyn in disgust as though she was the one who built the apartments and killed someone. Catelyn ignored them and continued to stare at the woman. "If I''m not mistaken, I remember that the person who got cancer from staying in one of the apartments was a man. Madam, are you mistaken, perhaps? Could your daughter be living in another residential building?" "I... I remember nothing wrong! It''s your building!" "In that case, we''ve made a mistake and failed topensate you. Please tell me the apartment type and number so that I can discuss this with our CEO to see how we can settle this," Catelyn continued. "It''s...been so long! How can I remember?" The woman''s eyes lit up at the mention ofpensation before she resumed shouting and screaming. Catelyn red at her sharply. "Your daughter died of cancer and you seem certain that it''s caused by the formaldehyde level inside the apartment, yet you can''t even remember the floor and unit number of the unit where all that happened? Is this how you im to seek justice for your daughter?" The woman opened her mouth but was not sure what to say and her face began to pale. "Maybe you aren''t one of the victims and are here to try and scam us into paying you off?" Catelyn pressed on. "..." The woman remained quiet. The reporters quickly realized something was wrong. "It can''t be, right? Her daughter died because of that apartment, yet she doesn''t even remember the unit number?" "Is she possibly a scammer?" "sh*t. She''s using our sympathy as a weapon! It''s our responsibility to report profiteers, but we aren''t going to be manipted!" "You''re all overthinking this! Her daughter was killed, so it''s only natural she doesn''t want to think about it!" Suddenly, the man who tried to incite the crowd shouted and caught the attention of the middle- aged woman. She straightened her back and clenched her chest as she wailed, "I don''t want your ursed money! Your apartment cost me my daughter, and I''m heartbroken... I don''t want to think or talk about that ce; of course the memory of the details faded! "You! You''re the ones who killed my daughter!" As tears scrolled down her face, the pain of her loss glittered in her bloodshot eyes, rendering the reporters speechless. Cedrick nced at the man who spoke out, noticing that he took the chance to provoke the crowd at every opportunity he had. He swiftly snapped a photo of the man and sent it to Alex for further investigation, knowing with certainty that someone had nned this ambush. Meanwhile, Catelyn was not annoyed by the woman and continued to question calmly, "Alright. I guess I''ve misjudged you, then. If that''s the case, please tell me your daughter''s name. I''m willing to apologize to her for my ignorance." "My daughter..." The woman paused once again. She instinctively turned to look at the crowd, but the man who agreed with her earlier had already disappeared. She paled. After all, her daughter did not actually die from cancer caused by formaldehyde. Chapter 735 Chapter 735 Chapter 735 If she told Catelyn the name, they would investigate the cause of death. Catelyn studied the woman''s expression and noticed that she was out of words. Thus, she proceeded to assure the press, "The safety issues that had happened during the construction were indeed the responsibility of VSA Group, and we hereby extend our deepest regret and apologies, but we''ve alreadye to a decision: If the project doesn''t meet its safety requirement, we''ll tear it all down and build it all over again. "We apologize for the inconvenience we''ve caused the public and are willing topensate for the loss tenfold. VSA Group has a history of over a hundred years since it started in Franche, and the Sapphire City branch has faced a crisis with its reputation before due to the failings in management. We''ve reflected upon our failures, are dedicated to maintaining our moralmitment, and are determined to not repeat our mistakes. "To make up for our mistakes, we promise that when the new units are ready, they''ll be sold under market value. Everyone here today will be our witness to ourmitment." Her tone was determined as she answered the press''s questions with a few key points sincerely, which sounded more earnest than the official statement given at the press conference the day before. The reporters'' attention was drawn toward her as she continued, " At the same time, VSA Group will not tolerate anyone who tries to make use of this crisis and scam US into paying them. If anyone dares to even attempt it, ourwyers will be ready. "Madam, please follow our security guards so we can handle this properly..." The guards immediately pulled the woman up from the ground, unwavering even as the woman started screaming and the reporters started taking photos once again. Terrified, the woman panicked and blurted out, "It¡¯s not me! Pentnd Group paid me to cause a scene here! Don''t sue me!" The excited crowd instantly picked up on it and started taking photos of the woman. "Did you just say Pentnd Group hired you toe here?" "What did they promise you? Do you have any proof?" "Is Pentnd Group trying to take over Marine Pearl Bay?" The woman was instantly surrounded by reporters, and Catelyn took the opportunity to head back into the office, she ordered a few of the employees toment on the sudden turn of events to incite discussion on the inte. A faint smile appeared on her lips when she received a message from Cedrick. There were no words; only a thumbs-up emoji instead. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Meanwhile, in Pentnd Group... p! Quinn threw all the documents onto the group in frustration when she saw the news report. "Uncle, that''s the woman you hired!" Following the release of the video, thements on the inte took a sudden turn, mainly because the video included every single detail. Pentnd Group tried to suppress the news froming out, but the proof that they hired the woman to cause a scene was immediately posted on the inte shortly after the release of the video, which confirmed their involvement in the incident. Even the police showed up to investigate. Eugene had not imagined that things would get out of hand, and he most certainly did not foresee that Catelyn would use the woman he hired to prove her innocence. After sending the police away, he was exhausted. "Don''t get upset, Quinny. That woman might''ve gotten US this time, but people still believe in Pentnd Group! One news report won''t cause much damage! "Right now, the most important thing is for US to announce the identity of our ambassador and release ourtest project." Quinn was livid but had no other option than to ept the situation as it was for the time being. Chapter 736 Chapter 736 Chapter 736 Pentnd Group announced that Louis and L were their new ambassadors and reposted the announcement on various social media tforms. L requested them to do so and even purposely spread rumors that she was dating Louis when the poster was released to increase her poprity. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. To her bewilderment, Louis''s female admirers were not happy with it. They all started leavingments that said L was not a match for Louis because she was too ugly; some even went as far as to dig into her background and said that L had been abandoned by the Atherton Family. L did not care about otherments, but the one that said she was abandoned by the Atherton Family had offended her deeply. Anger had taken hold of her senses, and she immediately replied to thement viciously. However, she had forgotten to switch to her anonymous ount before doing so, and her post had been screenshotted even though she deleted it right away. Swarmed by negativements, L simply handed her social media ount over to her assistant. She was determined to use Quinn to her advantage and destroy Catelyn. A momentter, she sneered smugly as though she had thought of something. Meanwhile, in VSA Group. Catelyn''s speech earlier had sessfully stopped the reporters from questioning them any further, but a bigger issue followed: were they going to tear down everything and build the building from scratch again? Finally, she managed to get in touch with Hunter, but he was visibly depressed and had left Catelyn in charge, probably because he had been questioned by the headquarter. Catelyn took over all matters and invited the press to witness the demolishing process to prove that they would begin the construction work from the beginning again. All losses would be covered by VSA Group. At the same time, she also invited the most trusted inspector of Sapphire city to run a thorough check on the construction site before the new building was released for sale. The inspection process would be live, and anyone on the inte was wee to raise any questions to ensure that there was no issue with the quality of the building. That night, Catelyn had an appointment to meet with the inspector to discuss the details of the inspection process. She knocked on the door to the private room and found a mid-age man sitting inside, who was looking back at her maliciously. Catelyn forced a smile and asked, "Where is Miss Lionel?" The man grinned and said, "Maribel said that she''s stuck in a traffic jam right now, and it''ll take some time for her to arrive." rmed, Catelyn said, "I''ll give my assistant a call so that she cane to record our discussion, then." "There''s no rush!" The man immediately snatched the phone from her before she could make the call and said, "I''m Zimmer, the inspector you invited for this project. I prefer to eat first before we get down to business. You wouldn''t mind waiting until we finished our food to call your assistant, would you?" Catelyn maintained a certain distance from him and epted his offer. "Alright. Please go ahead and order, then." Taking the opportunity when he was ordering, Catelyn quietly took her phone back and sent out a message before resuming the conversation with Mister Zimmer once he had ced the order. Mister Zimmer must have been good-looking when he was younger; there were still traces of what he once looked like on his features. Chapter 737 Chapter 737 Chapter 737 However, it was evident Mister Zimmer had lost his shape. He had a beer belly, and when he smiled, she could see ayer of yellow taint on his teeth. "Come, Miss rk¡ªa toast." Mister Zimmer raised his ss. Catelyn hesitated and said, "I''m sorry, Mister Zimmer. I''ve had an allergytely, and the doctor says I can''t consume alcohol." "It''s just one ss. Are you really going to refuse me?" Mister Zimmer lowered his tone dangerously. She spotted a teapot on the table and immediately reached out to pour herself a cup of tea. "Mister Zimmer, please allow me to drink tea instead. I really can''t drink alcohol; my face will be filled with red bumps and marks if I do. I can''t look like that out here..." Her smile was blinding and alluring in a way that resembled a blooming flower. Mister Zimmer nodded, reluctant to take his eyes off Catelyn even as he did so. Catelyn gulped down two cups of tea in front of Mister Zimmer; the fragrance of the tea lingered on the tip of her tongue. Mister Zimmer watched as she swallowed the tea and rubbed his chin with a calctive look in his eyes. "Very well. You''re a straightforward person, Miss rk. I heard from Maribel that you managed to close a deal with Deluxe?" Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn nodded. "I was just lucky." "You''re good-looking and are willing to do what it takes to seed. That''s your power. How could you simply dismiss it as luck?" Mister Zimmer''s smile widened. Maribel had mentioned to him that Catelyn even offered to let Windy have her husband for a few days just to close the deal. His heart fluttered as he reached out to rest his hand on Catelyn''s thigh to touch her. rmed, she immediately took a step back as she tried her best to suppress the urge to ssh the tea onto his face. "Mister Zimmer, let''s just start eating. We still need to discuss our coboration." "There''s no need for that," he said. "Stay with me tonight and satisfy me; you won''t face any issues with the inspection." Her expression darkened. "You¡¯ve got it all wrong, Mister Zimmer. I''m not a prostitute." "Maribel told me how you closed the deal with Deluxe. We don''t have to pretend here." Catelyn realized sshing his face with the tea would be a waste and thought to herself, it''s no wonder that Maribel took the initiative to make an appointment with the inspector. This is what she''s plotting.'' She took her purse and turned to leave. "If you have no interest in conversing properly, we should postpone this discussion to another day." "What''s the hurry?" Mister Zimmer immediately stood in her way to stop her from leaving. "Get out of my way!" she hissed when suddenly, she felt as though the world was turning upside down before her eyes. ''How is this possible? I only drank tea!'' She turned to look at her cup with disbelief. Mister Zimmer grinned from ear to ear as a wretched expression appeared on his face. "You''re a smart one, Miss rk, but that''s precisely why you failed. Maribel told me that you won''t drink alcohol with me, so I drugged the tea..." All strength was drained from Catelyn''s limbs as she shook her head frantically to try and stay awake. Mister Zimmer grabbed a ck box from his bag excitedly and took out a pill from it, before swallowing it. Soon, his face was flushed as he approached Catelyn, and she could even see his veins pulsing under his skin. "Don''t be afraid. I''m always gentle to beautiful women!" Outside the room, Maribel had been hiding at the corner of the corridor with her hands on her phone, waiting for the chance to barge in to take photos of what was happening inside. There was no denying that she had worked with her rtives andmitted embezzlement, she had thought that it was over for her until she received a phone call from Quinn. Chapter 738 Chapter 738 Chapter 738 Quinn, at this moment, was ced as the person in charge in Pentnd. She could have saved Maribel right away, but she wanted Catelyn''s reputation to be ruined beyond repair. The best way to ruin a woman''s reputation, after all, was to do it the same way she did to Queenie Mason. while waiting for Maribel, Quinn received a phone call. "How are thingsing along?" Quinn sounded a lot more powerful than she used to be. She was starting to like the feeling of bossing people around, even. She finally understood why those who got rich grew arrogant, why not, with all the money and power that could fuel a person''s ego? Maribel''s attitude was much better than before as she tteringly replied, "Not to worry, Miss Weir; I saw it myself that Mister Zimmer added the drug into the teapot. Catelyn won''t get away this time." "Once you get the video, remember to send it to me immediately." "Regarding the thing that you promised me..." "If you can ruin Catelyn, I''ll give you enough money for cover," replied Quinn haughtily. The more she had, the more unwilling she was to leave Catelyn alone. L was picking on Catelyn because she wanted to take revenge on Catelyn. As for Quinn, it was because she wanted to permanently use Catelyn''s identity. WelL.it was not hers anymore. It was hers¡ªQuinn Weir. Maribel, upon hearing confirmation from Quinn, hung up the call with a smile, she realized that she did not have much time left and so wanted to make a move to record the video of Catelyn. However, before she could reach the door... Crash! A terrifying shriek followed soon after. Maribel''s face turned slightly green as she pushed open the door. The moment she did, she saw a red- faced Catelyn with a shattered wine bottle at hand, the one that was smashed on Mister Zimmer''s head seconds ago. Mister Zimmer fell onto a pool of blood on the ground. His forehead was still oozing with blood. "Mister Zimmer? Mister Zimmer?!" Maribel hastily went forward to check Mister Zimmer''s breathing and was finally relieved when she felt his breath. She pointed at Catelyn and shouted furiously, " Miss rk, what are you doing? This is Mister Zimmer, the most powerful quality inspection officer in the entire Sapphire city! Without him, we¡ª" Catelyn could not bear to stay in this room and listen to whatever Maribel had to say. She thus pushed her aside and sprinted out of the room, albeit staggering as she did. The drug in her system, while it was not an aphrodisiac, was the kind that would make someone go limp. If she stayed any longer, perhaps Maribel would do something even worse. This time, she would not let this woman get away with what she wanted! Maribel looked at Mister Zimmer on the ground, and then at Catelyn who ran out. She remembered what she promised Quinn. Even if she could not do it with Mister Zimmer, she would not let Catelyn go so easily. N?velDrama.Org ? content. She could only be at peace if Catelyn was in trouble! Maribel thus chased after Catelyn. Catelyn could faintly hear the footsteps behind her and knew it was Maribel not wanting her to escape; she was dead sure of it. She pressed on, despite her state, sprinting to reach the ground floor as soon as possible. She had texted Cedrick beforehand, asking him toe and fetch her. He was probably on his way. However, as soon as she turned into a corner, a tall figure emerged and bumped into her. David''s first thought was to push away the person subconsciously, but he was taken aback when he caught a whiff of the faint gardenia floral scent. He gently pushed her hair back, revealing a familiar, pretty little face... Catelyn''s weak hands were ced on his chest as her eyes slowly traveled up his suit. Chapter 739 Chapter 739 Chapter 739 Catelyn was startled when she realized that it was David. "It''s...you? II She almost thought he was Cedrick. "What happened to you?" David''s face under his golden framed spectacles seemed so gentle. Catelyn relied on her willpower to support her body, recalling that Cedrick did not like her getting too close to David. She then leaned against the wall and panted heavily. Her face was blushing as though she was drunk. "I just drank a little too much, don''t worry. I''ll be fine in a bit..." David did not detect any scent of alcohol on her and thus believed her, and while he was skeptical of her answer, he did not expose her either. He merely said, "Let me send you home, or I should ask Cedrick toe pick you up?" "He s¡ªshould be here soon." "Alright." David did not n to leave her on her own, still. He would wait until Cedrick was here, and only then he would leave. At that moment, Maribel came by. she saw David standing next to her and felt a little shaken. However, she noticed that Catelyn was trying to keep a distance from him and also looked guarded. He must not be someone she was familiar with. Maribel went over, and asked tentatively, "Hello, sir! Are you friends with my colleague?" David''s dark eyes took a brief nce at Maribel and said, "No." ''No? That''s great!'' Maribel immediately said, "Can you leave her to me, please? She''s drunk, so I''ll bring her back for a rest." Catelyn was about to open her mouth and exin herself, but her head was hurting really badly. Her voice was stuck in her throat, but she could at least remember not to follow Maribel. Therefore, she subconsciously scooted toward David. Without propping herself against the wall, Catelyn lost her bnce and fell right into David''s arms. David frowned. His long arms embraced her to his chest as he listened to her mumbles. Maribel was stunned, she could not let Catelyn go just like that; this was a rare opportunity. If she let her go now, it would be her going to jail instead! N?velDrama.Org ? content. She immediately went forward to tug at Catelyn''s arm. "Kitty, please follow me! Look how drunk you are... You''re going to have a terrible hangover tomorrow!" The more she tugged at her, the more Catelyn clung to David''s chest. Both her hands gripped firmly onto his cor, so much so that the fabric was wrinkled. It was winter, but David was dressed simply in a shirt and a coat. Thus, when Catelyn grabbed onto him like that, it basically meant grabbing onto his chest muscles. David frowned even more. This was Cedrick''s wife. In fact, he should address her as his cousin -inw by right. However, he noticed Catelyn''s uneasiness with Maribel. His eyes nced upward and immediately grabbed Maribel''s arm. He looked as though he was never gentle with girls and immediately flung Maribel away. Maribel''s head knocked right onto a vase in the corridor. Thest thing she saw was the world going dark before she passed out instantly. "Mmh..." Catelyn turned her cheek and stuck right onto David''s chest. David hugged her and had no choice but to walk downstairs. As he made a turn, he spotted Cedrick with an ever-present dark expression. He looked at David''s hand at Catelyn''s waist, and his tone grew cold as though he squeezed the word hard from his throat, "Let go of her." "Sorry, I didn''t mean to touch your wife." David was straightforward too. He removed his hand from Catelyn and pushed her from her back toward Cedrick. Catelyn let out a soft whimper and fell forward to Cedrick, who caught her safely with both arms. His lips touched her forehead gently. She was not feverish, but her body was weak and limp as though she had no bones. Chapter 740 Chapter 740 Chapter 740 Although Catelyn had not fully regained consciousness, she could tell the man holding her to his chest was Cedrick solely from his scent. Leaning in his arms, she let out a steady sigh. "You have Windy now, so keep your nasty hand from the woman you shouldn''t touch." Cedrick looked at David coldly. Not wanting to be outdone by his imposing manner, David put one hand in his pocket and refuted, "It was your wife who threw herself toward me and held me. If you look carefully, you''ll notice that she also crumpled my shirt. It''s an Italean designer''s handmade masterpiece that took months to finish." "I''ve paid for the clothes, and the check will be sent to your office." "Well, now. Thank you, deep pocket." David pushed the sses frame on the bridge of his nose and nced at Maribel on the ground. "By the way, thatdy is up to something disadvantageous to your wife. My opinion is...get rid of her, and leave no mark behind." David, the man who was never soft-hearted to his enemies, did not stay any longer after that before he walked away. Associating Maribel''s personality to the urgent text Catelyn had sent him for help, Cedrick''s gut was telling him that Maribel had nned to set Catelyn up. Soon, Eason stopped the car and arrived on the scene. Seeing Maribel lying on the ground and Catelyn in Cedrick''s arms, he asked, "Master Cedrick, what¡ª" "Drag that woman up ande with me," Cedrick gently hoisted up Catelyn as he instructed Eason in a deep voice. Eason had disliked Maribel too, so he only grabbed her by one leg and dragged her along behind Cedrick until they stopped at the door of Mister Zimmer''s private room. Catelyn had mentioned Mister Zimmer''s room in the text before she came here. When Cedrick pushed open the door, Mister Zimmer had just woken up and was sitting on the sofa, cleaning the wound on his forehead. The drug he took earlier was making his body feverish, and he was sweating profusely. Blood flowed down his cheeks, adding a bit of hostility to his bloody red face. Hearing the door open, he thought it was Maribel who brought Catelyn to his room and yelled, "Look at this sh*t, Maribel! That b* tch smashed me with a wine bottle! I''ll f*cking¡ª" He stopped abruptly when he saw Cedrick standing at the door with Catelyn in his arms, and Eason was behind him. The sight of them looked...mightily imposing. His sight then fell onto Eason''s right hand. Maribel was lying on the ground. After being dragged for so long, her clothes were all messed up. Even though he did not know Cedrick, his deterrent aura told him that he was no ordinary man. "You... Hello, may I ask you..." Cedrick nced at Eason, then thetter understood the signal and threw Maribel in front of Mister Zimmer expressionlessly. "This woman is your reward now." When Catelyn woke up, she found herself in a hotel. A doctor had just given her an intravenous drip and left. All the while, Cedrick was sitting on the edge of the bed, keeping watch. She was still too weak to move her hands and feet, and when she saw a figure sitting beside her, she was startled. Fortunately, it did not take her long to realize the man was Cedrick. Catelyn was relieved yet confused at the same time. N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Why am I here?" She massaged her spinning head, unable to remember. Chapter 741 Chapter 741 Chapter 741 "Have you forgotten everything?" rang a voice from Catelyn''s bedside. Catelyn frowned and slowly began to recall what had happened. She barely remembered that she was discussing the details of the quality inspection''s results with Mister Zimmer, the quality inspector hired by thepany, but found herself drugged soon after. ''I remembered running out of the room and bumping into...David!'' "Any picture in mind?" Cedrick frowned when he saw her expression, feeling that she had regained some of her memories. Catelyn was taken away by Davidst night, and Cedrick could not imagine what would happen to her if he was slightlyte. Just as Cedrick had worried about, Catelyn did not know what David would have done to her, but she knew that she would not be lucky enough to get away like this time if this happened again. She did not dare to refute the man when she looked into his gloomy, cold eyes, and weakly tugged at the hem of his clothes. "I know I was careless. I promise it won''t happen again." "Don''t you dare." Cedrick was not happy at the fact that Catelyn had met a lecher without bringing anyone with her. "Yes, I promise!" Catelyn hurriedly stretched her arm out with her palm facing out as if she was taking an oath. "In the name of God, no matter what the asion is in the future, I''ll bring a secretary or assistant, and I''ll never let myself get into trouble." Thinking of how David held her in his arms, she could not help but feel irked. Looking at her watery eyes that stared into his aggrieved eyes, Cedrick became heart-softened. Cedrick could not resist her adorable morning voice and the faint scent of tea left between her lips, so he kissed her passionately, seizing her lips. Catelyn, enjoying his kiss so much, unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck. "Agh! What are you doing?!" Suddenly, Cedrick saw her raising her hand and noticed the blood in the needle tube began to flowback. He immediately released her and pressed her onto the bed. Catelyn''s eyes widened after being yelled at. Seeing the reflux of her blood, she turned her eyes away. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. The arousing atmosphere was immediately ruined. Catelyny back on the bed when her cell phone rang. Seeing that the call was from Miles, she frowned. "Those kids have called many times, so you might want to answer it," said Cedrick. It was past ten in the evening, yet Miles had not slept. "Didn''t you tell him that we''re not going home tonight?" "Your lovely son wouldn''t give up calling until he hears your voice. " Cedrick was displeased that Miles had been suspecting that he wanted to do something wrong to his mother, and he was more of a father than a son. He did not like to be watched every day as if he was a thief. Catelyn burst intoughter and answered the phone. "Hello? Miles? "Mommy, didn''t you say you''d go home as early as possible tonight? It''s eleven at night now, so when are you going to be back? Big Demon said you''ve fallen asleep, so ollie and I have been waiting for you." Miles asked on the phone in an adult-like manner. Catelyn cleared her throat and replied softly, "Mommy is busy working, so it''ll be a littleter. Don''t wait for me; wash up and go to bed. When you wake up tomorrow morning, I''ll be by your side." Chapter 742 Chapter 742 Chapter 742 "Then, you have to be careful, and don''t let the bad guys bully you! " Miles warned anxiously before he hung reluctantly. Cedrick and Catelyn were very close to each other, so when he heard Miles''st sentence about the bad guy, Cedrick raised his eyebrows slightly, knowing Miles meant him. After hanging up the phone, Catelyn let out a long sigh. The older Miles got, the harder it was to fool him. Soon, the infusion bottle had run out of liquid. The doctor came over to do a body check and found out that Catelyn had recovered greatly, much to Catelyn''s relief. The doctor was freaked out by Cedrick''s vicious look when he checked on Catelyn. "Thankyou, doctor, I''m much better now." Catelyn sat up, positive that she was not dizzy anymore. The doctor put away the infusion bottle and needle, threw them into the trash to take them awayter, and winked at her implicitly. "Miss rk, Master Cedrickhas been so kind to you. He knew you didn''t like the smell of the hospital, so he had me take care of you in a hotel. Do you know he carried you all the way here?" Although she was not heavy, it wasborious to carry her from the parking lot to the top floor. The doctor had tried to have Cedrick put Catelyn down and walk her to the room, but Cedrick refused. Hearing what the doctor said, Catelyn felt warmly abashed as though she had eaten something sweet. There seemed to be a suspicious blush in his earlobes, too. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Meanwhile, Cedrick looked at the doctor coldly. "You can go after you''ve cleaned that up." ''Is he embarrassed?'' Catelyn chuckled. She then paid the doctor with a smile. As soon as the doctor left, she stretched out her hand and squeezed Cedrick''s face. No one dared to squeeze his face except her. She smiled. "Ceddy, did you blush just now?" The blush grew a shade darker. He spoke nothing as he carried her in his arms and strode toward the bathroom. "You''ll have to leave, though, because I''m going to take a shower." "Can you wash yourself?" Cedrick did not leave and smirked. "I''m feeling a lot better now, so why can''t I wash up myself?" Catelyn snorted. A dense mist slowly rose from the bathtub, filling the cramped bathroom. It was already dawn after they had an amorous affair. Catelyn tried to calm down as she settled in Cedrick''s embrace. After a little rxation, she suddenly remembered Mister Zimmer and Maribel. Still, Cedrick gently pressed her head back into his arms. "Get some rest for now. I''ll bring you a surprise tomorrow morning." The so-called surprise that Cedrick meant was an indescribable video featuring Mister Zimmer and Maribel in the private room. Catelyn fast-forwarded and watched the entire video for several hours abashedly. Then, she attempted to search everything about Mister Zimmer online. Chapter 743 Chapter 743 Chapter 743 Due to the quality assurancepany''s poprity in Sapphire City, it did not take long for the information of Executive Mister Zimmer to be discovered. The most ridiculous fact was that Mister Zimmer was afraid of his wife. It was said that he married his wife when he was young and lived under her parent''s roof since then. Catelyn soon found Missus Zimmer''s email and sent the video to her. ''You have my respect for cheating on your wife who supported you for your sess.'' As for what Missus Zimmer would do after seeing this video, that was none of Catelyn''s business. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. The next morning when Catelyn returned to thepany, everyone was preparing for the demolition of the building that would happen on the uing Friday. Everyone was attentive. Maribel arrivedte, and her heavy makeup could not cover the dark circles under her eyes. Jolene knew what happenedst night, so she pretended to be puzzled and shouted, "Hey, Associate Director Lionel! Didn''t you sleepst night? You''re slowly bing a panda." Maribel gritted her teeth and red at Catelyn and Jolene resentfully. "You''re just Catelyn''spdog, so stop barking!" Jolene would be angry usually when Maribel yelled at her, but oddly enough, she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she responded... with a strange smile. Maribel noticed that Jolene was looking at something behind her. She realized something was wrong and turned around to look. Then, she saw a chubby middle-aged woman haughtily walking over and¡ª Smack! The woman, who was in her early forties and looked to weigh at least 90 kilograms, pped Maribel with a savage p. "B*tch! You f*cked with my husband, didn''t you?!" Missus Zimmer was furious that she was basically exploding with every word. There were two bodyguards behind her, holding Mister Zimmer with a bruised nose and a swollen face. She then kicked Mister Zimmer, who was thrown to the ground by the bodyguard. He was in a state of embarrassment, but he desperately grabbed his wife''s trousers and exined in tears, " Honey, I can exin! I lost my mind, she was the one who approached and seduced me! "You saw that in the video, right? she spiked my ss of water!" Maribel was stunned by Missus Zimmer''s p, and her eardrums were buzzing. It was at this moment she realized that the chubby woman in front of her was Missus Zimmer. Her expression changed abruptly. Jolene stood up and said hypocritically, "Goodness gracious! What''s wrong? Aren''t you and Mister Zimmer living happily together? What brings you here to thepany today? Missus Zimmer, there must be a misunderstanding, is there?" "Misunderstanding?" Missus Zimmer sarcastically squatted in front of her husband and yanked his hair. "Someone''s telling me that it was just a misunderstanding! "When are you going to be honest with me? which shameless b* tch dares to steal my man from me?!" One of Mister Zimmer''s front teeth was knocked out, and there was blood in his mouth, when he looked up, he saw Catelyn standing in front of him. She seemed to be mentally well and was not affected by the medicinest night. That medicine was supposed to make one physically weak, and the effect would be gone automatically within a few hours. Mister Zimmer trembled as he thought of the two dangerous men who rescued her. Chapter 744 Chapter 744 Chapter 744 Missus Zimmer grabbed a fistful of her husband''s hair when she realized how he had stared at the beautiful woman in front of them. She did it so roughly that it felt as though she was trying to pull off his scalp. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Mister Zimmer was in so much pain that his limbs started to tremble involuntarily. He then quickly pointed at Maribel in the crowd, "S¡ªShe... It¡¯s her! she spiked me and kept seducing me. I couldn''t help but do as she wanted! "Honey, I know I''ve made a big mistake, and I promise it''ll never happen again. Please forgive me... Y¡ªYou should me Maribel for all of this!" As soon as Maribel was mentioned, all eyes in the office were on her. Maribel turned pale as she stammered, "You''re talking nonsense! Did you think I''d go on the bed of a loser like you?! C ¡ªclearly I''m the victim here!" she sobbed, "Missus Zimmer, this is all a misunderstanding. Please believe me! It''s your husband who forced me..." The more she spoke, the more she choked up as if she had suffered grievance. In the eyes of others, it truly seemed like Mister Zimmer was the one who assaulted Maribel. She lost consciousness after passing out in the corridorst night. When she woke up, she found that she was already naked, lying on the bed. She immediately struggled desperately but was made to drink a ss of drugged water by Mister Zimmer... After that, she felt high, and Mister Zimmer then got on her violently. She knew that Catelyn was the one behind this, but things had gotten to such a point that she could only reap what she had sown. She did not dare to talk to Quinn about the failure too. She thought the chaos would end that day, but she never expected Missus Zimmer to be here and make a scene today. When Missus Zimmer heard Maribel, she kicked her husband''s nose again with the high heel she wore. The heel ran over Mister Zimmer''s face, leaving a dent, which immediately turned red. The dent contrasted with the rest of theplexion on his face, rendering him a pathetic, hrious sight. Blood oozed out from the scar immediately, and he turned dizzy. " Don''t listen to her bullsh*t, honey!" he blurted, shouting. " Maribel, you slut! You were the one who asked me to frame Director rk and bring her into disrepute. I knew you got fooled by her in the end, but now you''re dragging me into your mess?!" "What? Director rk was also involved In this?" "Didn''t you hear him? Maribel was the mastermind, she wanted to frame Director rk but ended up suffering the consequences!" "Tsk! Thepany is already in enough trouble, yet Maribel is making things worse!" Maribel turned scarlet red as her gaze wavered in guilt. "No...you''re lying. I don''t know what you''re talking about! It was obviously an assault! I have evidence, and I can prove it!" "Good, because I have evidence too!" Zimmer took out his mobile phone with his trembling hand and hit on the y button of a recording, not caring about the crowd. Although the background noise was loud, the conversation between Maribel and Mister Zimmer could be heard. Maribel was madly instigating Mister Zimmer to take a video of him ''sleeping'' with Catelyn so they could put her into disrepute, she promised to give him anything if she was promoted. The viciousness and seduction in her words clearly disyed that Maribel was indeed the engineer behind this mess. Maribel became an instant wreck as she did not expect Mister Zimmer to record that. "No, that''s not the case¡ª!" she wanted to exin, but Missus Zimmer''s anger was beyond relief. She left her husband aside and instructed two bodyguards to grab Maribel to bring her forward before she swung her palms, striking her face. The ps were filled with so much power and intent that Maribel''s cheeks swelled up instantly. Chapter 745 Chapter 745 Chapter 745 Despite her attacks, Missus Zimmer was not satisfied. She thus asked the bodyguard to take Maribel''s shirt off, film her, and upload the video to the Inte. She wanted her to be disfigured. "D¡ªDon''te any closer! Put the phone down!" shrieked Maribel as she was thrown to the ground, naked, she quickly crouched, desperately burying her face in her thighs, trying to retain herst shred of dignity. s, as Missus Zimmer gave an order, the bodyguard pulled her hand away and dragged her up. She refused to stand up to be filmed in such a scandalous video. She was teased as if she was a puppy walked by the bodyguards, which looked ridiculous. One could hear the voice of Missus Zimmer in the video that the bodyguard recorded, "old stink Zimmer is a darned old man. He''s fat and bald, yet you still want to be his mistress and rely on him to be at the top? "Let me tell you: he relies on me for his living, who do you think you are?! "Keep recording! when you''re done, upload it to all major social media tforms!" Maribel was hurt badly by Mister Zimmer on the bedst night, and her pale skin over her body was covered with bruises. What was once a beautifuldy was rendered a mere clown in public. All this while, Catelyn watched from the side without any intention to help. Maribel brought it on herself, after all. However, Catelyn did not expect Missus Zimmer''s way of dealing with Maribel would be so cruel. Maribel heard the shutter sound of phones taking pictures, followed by cackles and discussions around her. At that instant, with the embarrassment she bore, she wished she had died. She looked around helplessly as her eyes glistened with tears, seeking help for herself. However, Mister Zimmer has already exposed that she tried to frame Director rk yet suffered the consequences herself in the end. Henceforth, the crowd knew what it would mean if they decided to help Maribel. Catelyn had been in charge of the department since Mister Wilson assigned her to, so no one dared to help Maribel. Maribel''s blood was surging, she lost too much blood, and her lips became pale and numb, still, she yelled at Catelyn in panic, " Director rk, help me! Please, I''m begging you. I can tell you a secret! "It wasn''t me who wanted to kill youst night; someone ordered me to do so! I beg you¡ªhelp me!" T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. When Catelyn heard that, she frowned slightly. "Who was it, then? II "I''ll tell you if you save me!" Maribel pleaded helplessly with tears in her eyes. Her face, which had always looked delicate and beautiful, was soiled by smudged makeup, and her hair was in a mess. Jolene suddenly said, "You''ve long hated Director rk. We all know that. Who else could''ve nned what happenedst night if you weren''t nning it? Besides, you''re the Associate Director, so it can''t be the CEO who instructed you to frame Director rk, right?" "Jolene, please don''t nder me." Hunter stood in the crowd with his face ashen, staring at Maribel. "Director rk and I have no grievances. How dare you use me of that!" "No, no! I didn''t mean Mister Wilson! It was someone else! "Director rk, don''t you want to know how I found your home in the first ce? You never told me your home address!" Maribel screamed and retorted. Her tears blurred her vision while her hands were pulled violently by the bodyguard that they seemed to be snapped. It hurt a lot. Catelyn narrowed her eyes slightly and turned to Missus Zimmer. "Missus Zimmer, could you call it a day for my sake, just once?" "Alright, considering that I''ve embarrassed you at your ce. She''s yours now!" The grudge Missus Zimmer held against Maribel had been somewhat lessened, she then signaled her bodyguards to let Maribel go. Chapter 746 Chapter 746 Chapter 746 The two bodyguards standing beside Maribel let go at the same time. She was thrown to the ground. There were red marks on her wrists, and her face contorted in pain. Yet she could not care less. She ran to pick up the torn clothes on the ground to cover up her body. She forced herself to ignore the mocking expressions from those male colleagues. After covering her private parts, Catelyn walked over slowly and eventually stopped in front of her. Maribel''s eyesnded on Catelyn''s high heels, and she slowly looked up to meet Catelyn''s deep eyes. "Now tell me, who gave you the orderst night?" Maribel''s face was swollen like a bun. she bit her lower lip forcefully and asked instead, "How did Missus Zimmer learn about her husband and me? Did you tell her? It''s you who led her to find me, right?!" Catelyn chuckled. "Missus Zimmer probably hasn''t gone far. she seemed reluctant to let you go. should I call her back again?" "No! I''ll talk!" Recalling the scene of being bullied by Missus Zimmer, Maribel trembled uncontrobly, as she was dominated by fear, and stammered, "The person who told me your address that day was Miss Weir, she instructed me to ruin youst night..." ''Not surprised. What kind of hatred does she have for me? Why does she want to kill me at all costs? Just because Ste remarried her father? shouldn''t she me Ste for being vain? what does it have to do with me?'' Catelyn pondered. Hunter then had the by-standing staff get back to work after the incident. Jolene secretly posted the video of Maribel using Quinn on the Inte, together with other videos she secretly filmed Maribel being beaten as a mistress. Those videos immediately caught people''s attention and received over a million views on social media. After all, people on the web only pay attention to and care about sensationalist yet trivial things. Jolene felt no pity for Maribel. Her face was perfectly captured in every frame of the video. Coupled with Jolene''s skillful editing, the video content became that Quinn Weir, the head of Pentnd Group, deliberately bribed Maribel to frame the VSA Group. In addition, Missus Zimmer also wanted to make Maribel notorious, so she paid a group of people to promote, throughmenting and sharing, those videos. In the end, Maribel suffered by being used as a mistress and beaten by Missus Zimmer. Those videos instantly became the topics of top trends on Twidder. However, that was not the end of suffering for Maribel. That was because her cousin failed to escape and was caught. Hunter asked the Department of Justice to use Maribel and her cousin of embezzlement. Before Maribel could recover from the trauma of being beaten by Missus Zimmer, she had been visited by the police because of the shoddy construction projects. Afterward, Catelyn repeatedly checked the details of other projects that Maribel had taken over with the help of Hunter. Fortunately, although Maribel and her cousin had long embezzled thepany''s fund, they did not dare to be too tant at that, so there were just negligible ws in the construction. A storm had ended in the VSA Group, but another just began to rise in the Pentnd Group. [Breaking News! Pentnd Group deliberately suppressed VSA Group!] [House Buying Hype: The truth behind Pentnd Group''s sensationalism.] [Female CEO of Pentnd Group was a paparazzi?!] Countless titles started to show up in all major newspapers and presses. Then, social media influencers got a wave to ride as they sorted out the ins and outs of the Pentnd Scandal in detail, to the T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. point of listing out the specific time trivial things happened. The scandal was summarized as follows... Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Pentnd Group used the seesaw technique, promoting their housing by triggering a disconcertment among the society on the quality and safety of housing, with the help of Louis from VSA Group. Then they followed it up with the new real estate pre-sale. Pentnd''s properties had gained unprecedented poprity, and the sales were unparalleled by any previous sales. Then the female CEO of Pentnd Group poached Louis and colluded with reporters and a female liar to stir up ridicule against the VSA Group on the Inte to push the price of the new building to a new height. Pentnd Group became even more extreme when they joined forces with Maribel, who led the projects of shoddy constructions, to frame Catelyn, who tried to settle the dissatisfaction among the people. However, they never foresaw that their conspiracy would be revealed one day... Gradually, the influencers began to deviate from the topic, both intentionally or unintentionally, suggesting that Maribel was a pawn in Pentnd Group, deliberately causing trouble within the VSA group, and then put on a great y by herself. Perhapsizens nowadays are obsessed with conspiracy theories. They were led astray by those influencers easily and started suspecting Maribel had been under the control of the Pentnd Group. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Yet, Maribel could never get away from being med for the shoddy construction projects. Soon, a lot of cyberians started toment under VSA Group''s Twidder. [Cutie Pie: I''ve watched Director rk''s speech, which is pretty persuasive to me. She said the project with problems would not beunched on the market. I am looking forward to the follow-up...] [Astral N Celestial: I heard that the director announced that all the copsed projects would be destroyed and rebuilt on Friday! Tsk tsk, sounds like a joke, doesn''t it? Can''t wait for the live stream!] [Wait 4U: Replying to @Cutie Pie: I don''t pay attention to her speech., but I''ll pay attention to whether there are any problems with the new building. If there are no problems, I may consider buying their stocks with all I can...] [Virtual Date: Am I the only one who wants to know why Pentnd Group suddenly chose such a cheappany for their sensationalism?] The building up of the thread ofments was rapid, and many people criticized the shoddy construction project. Undeniably, thement section had already begun to go wrong, from scolding Pentnd Group for what they had done to sharing conspiracy about it. Following that, someone started a deep investigation of Pentnd Group''s most recent female CEO, Quinn Weir. Immediately someone posted screenshots of photos of Quinn working as an assistant in the entertainment industry, being called to and fro, and serving tea and water. There was one video in which an actress on the set pped her. Those photos and videos were retweeted in a short period and received millions of views. After all, people from the top ss of society would gain the most attention from the people below when something unpleasant happened to them, especially bystanding-egoists. They were terrifying and notorious for their jealousy, and because of that, Quinn faced unbearable criticism from theizens. What everyone was most curious about was the rationale behind Quinn''s sudden, unforeseen ascension to the head of the Pentnd Group. She was just an assistant on the set that no one would bother to notice some time ago! Quinn never thought that someone would find her old photos that were taken years ago in low resolution. She immediately contacted Eugene and asked him to delete all posts about her scandal. Eugene never expected that Quinn and Pentnd Group would be the trending topics on Twidder and other social media. Now The image of Quinn was devastated, and so was the image of Pentnd Group. He promised Granny Atherton to seize a ce in the market with the new real estate, but now things had gone out of his hands. Yet, thinking that Granny Atherton was pleased with Quinn, he held back his anger, turned his head and scolded his subordinates in the face, and then hastily deleted thements. Still, the inte had gone crazy... At the same time, Ste and Grandpa Mason also saw the news... Chapter 748 Chapter 748 Chapter 748 Grandpa Mason had received the news in advance that old Madam Atherton had found her long-lost granddaughter. Her most beloved daughter, Lisa Atherton, had died in the process of giving birth to Quinn. Grandpa Mason was very happy, and it felt like a dreame true for him. He did not have a good history with Old Madam Atherton back when he was young, which caused the Athertons and the Masons to have bad rtions for many years. This incident has always been a source of grief in Grandpa Mason''s heart. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. He was getting ready to pay old Madam Atherton a visit in two days. At the same time, he was thinking of matching Cedrick with the Athertons'' new granddaughter. If both of them could get married, it would be the best way to resolve the conflict between the two families. However, old Madam Atherton was not keen on seeing him, which was why Grandpa Mason had nevere for a visit. Now, there was a scandal between Quinn and Pentnd Group. At first, Grandpa Mason was confused, what Pentnd Group? What trash project is that? How could it be rted to Quinn? When Grandpa Mason heard Uncle Ford''s story, it was obvious to him that Quinn was desperate to be acknowledged by old Madam Atherton, and she might have used some shady methods along the way. Even so, Grandpa Mason was not angry at all about the shady methods. On the contrary, he was pretty agreeable about it! Without any means, how could she be worthy of being the granddaughter of the Athertons? How could she be worthy of Cedrick? Then, when Grandpa Mason''s eyes lit up the moment he heard Uncle Ford mention that Quinn was dealing with Catelyn. "You mean thepany running this trash project happens to be the one where Catelyn works?" "Yes. ording to some clues, Miss Quinn is targeting your grand daughter inw," replied Uncle Ford. Uncle Ford knew that Catelyn and Cedrick were married, so he would habitually mention Catelyn as the grand-daughter inw. Grandpa Mason immediately frowned and said, "what do you call her?" "... Miss rk," muttered Uncle Ford. "Without my nod of approval, she is not worthy of being in the same room with Cedrick! she is not allowed to be buried at the Mason Cemetery when she dies!" eximed Grandpa Mason with a gloomy tone as he leaned on his crutches angrily. Uncle Foord has been with the old man for many years, and he understands his thoughts very well, but he just said euphemistically, "But, Miss rk gave birth to a pair of twins for Master Cedrick. This..." "There wasn''t any suitable woman for Cedrickin the past," interrupted Grandpa Mason. "Now that Quinn is back, Catelyn has nothing to do with US anymore. There are so many sh marriages and divorces these days. It''s already a privilege for her to be Missus Uncle Ford was dumbfounded by what he heard and kept quiet. Meanwhile, at Ocean Path Residences, Ste froze when she saw Quinn transformed into the granddaughter of the Atherton Family. Quinn was her daughter. Since when did she be part of the Athertons? The Atherton family is one of the four great aristocratic families in Sapphire City. Can''t they even recognize their own bloodline? Ste and Quinn had only lived in Ocean Path Residences for two days. Ste didn''t think much about it when Quinn moved out on the pretext that she was going on a business trip. Then, she saw Quinn''s name on social media. Ste thought she was mistaken. She immediately called Quinn. The line was always busy, and she could not get to her daughter. The phone beeped again and again, but the call was never answered. The me of hope in Ste''s eyes went out. However, she thought of something and immediately changed her clothes. The female president of Pentnd Group? Then, that would be where Ste would go to find Quinn! Chapter 749 Chapter 749 Chapter 749 In the Pentnd Group headquarters, Quinn had received a series of indiscriminate bombardments from L. She had not expected Quinn to handle things so stupidly. L had a very ominous premonition that if Quinn continued, Old Madam Atherton would sweep her out of the family before Quinn''s identity as a fake granddaughter was exposed. No, L had to do something about this. She forced Quinn to give her the role of the main female character in the big movie project in which the Atherton Family had recently invested. Quinn was shocked upon hearing this, she did not even know who was in charge of this. How would she even do this for L? "Miss Atherton, I just returned to the Atherton Manor. I gave you the endorsement you wanted, and now you want the main female character role. I don¡¯t think I''m able to do this," said Quinn in a very gentle and polite manner. L wanted to milk as much as she could in the shortest possible time. "Everyone in the Atherton Family now knows that you are the olddy''s favorite. Just talk to the person in charge of the media investments in the family, and I bet no one would dare to refuse you!" "Who do you think I am?" Quinn blurted out and asked rhetorically, feeling annoyed at L''s never- ending demands. No matter what she did, there would always be something that L was not happy about. The negative news about her on the Inte had already started spreading. L narrowed her eyes and lowered her tone deliberately, "Are you trying to disobey me?" "That''s not what I meant. You are my benefactor. Without you, I wouldn''t be where I am today. How could I be ungrateful to you? I¡¯ll just figure out something..." muttered Quinn, not daring to annoy L any further. L simply hung up the phone, she knew she was holding Quinn''s biggest secret. How would she dare disobey her? These days, Quinn has been given the royal treatment by so many people. She felt displeased, hearing L''s threat to her now all of a sudden. She made an appointment with the executive responsible for the media investments within the Atherton Family and arranged a special car to meet him. As soon as Quinn got downstairs, she heard the security guard stopping a middle-aged woman in a woolen hat at the door. The middle-aged woman, who was loud and mean, shouted, "You have to let me in! I know Quinn. She is my rtive!" Ste was stopped by the guard as she had not made any appointment to see Quinn. The guard could not recognize Ste. He only knew that Quinn was the granddaughter of the Atherton Family and the head of the Pentnd Group. He sneered at Ste. "You''re the rtive of Quinn? Then I''m the great-grandson of the Athertons! Get lost now. Miss Quinn ising down soon! Don''t make her unhappy, or you''ll be banned from going anywhere in Sapphire City!" "You..." Ste was so angry that she put her hands on her hips and was about to swear. Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of a group of peopleing out of the elevator. Quinn was dressed in a high-end luxury brand suit, holding a fashionable new handbag in her hand, and surrounded by bodyguards. Her long hair was carefully tied into a bun, and she had light makeup on her face. Ste was stunned for a moment, then she waved to Quinn hurriedly. "Quinny! It''s me! I''m..." "Who is this crazy woman?" Quinn panicked the moment she saw Ste. Ste stared back at Quinn in disbelief. "I''m not a crazy woman! Quinny, take a good look at me..." Quinn was afraid that Ste would say something that would expose her, and her heartbeat quickened nervously. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Eugene, walking along her side, asked suspiciously, "Does this woman really know you? It doesn''t look like she''s lying." "I..." Quinn choked and forced a smile. "I remember meeting her when I was renting a ce. You go ahead into the car first and wait for me. Let me have a few words with her." Chapter 750 Chapter 750 Chapter 750 "It looks like she''s here to ask for money. I''ll have someone send her away," said Eugene, looking at Ste with disgust while ordering one of his guards to take her away. Quinn dared not let Ste make a fuss. She had made a mistake, and she should have listened to L''s instructions and kept Ste away from this. At first, Quinn thought that she would not be able to get away from impersonating the granddaughter of the Atherton Family. If Ste were gone, Quinn would have no safety left behind. Therefore, she just casually tricked her mother by telling her that she had gone on a business trip. As Quinn rose above upper-ss society, she hadpletely forgotten about Ste. She thought she would never see her again... However, here Ste was, right in front of her doorstep! Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "No, Uncle Eugune! she had helped me in the past. I''ve heard that she has been having a rough time recently. Don''t be so inhumane. Let me have a talk with her," said Quinn with a smile. Under Eugene''s suspicious nce, Quinn quickly pulled Ste to the corner. Ste''s eyes were all red. she grabbed Quinn''s hand and asked, " Why? You''re obviously my daughter. How did you be a member of the Atherton Family?! what is going on?" "Your daughter?" Quinn sneered. "Have you ever done your duty as a mother? Even for a day?" "I..." muttered Ste. "Now that I''m part of the Atherton Family, I have all the money and power I can have! How great is that? How about this? I''ll give you lots of money, and you can move abroad, okay? Don''t ever bother me again," said Quinn. Ste''s eyes darkenedpletely, and she could not believe her ears! Quinn put on an expression of grievance and continued, "The Athertons believe that I''m their granddaughter. If you said something wrong and exposed me, you are just pushing me to my death! They will never let me go. Would you bear to see me go through that?" Ste stared nkly at Quinn for a long time as if trying to look at the depths of her soul. Quinn looked back at her, speechless for the moment as well. Ste''s inner hope slowly turned into despair. Meanwhile, Eugene was feeling a little suspicious from the side. He noticed Ste looking at Quinn so tearfully. What was this strange aura he was feeling between the two of them? It seemed that something was wrong... Eugene thought of the phoenix bracelet that suddenly appeared and the DNA intergenerational kinship test report sent by L. With that, a seed of doubt had been nted in his heart. While deep in thought, Quinn walked back to his side with a smile. Behind her, Ste left in despair. "Is she leaving?" asked Eugene gently. Quinn waved her hand indifferently, "she said she had no money at home and wanted to borrow some from me. I thought she was pitiful, so I gave her a little. That''s how poor people are, always relying on others to help them. I can''t just ignore it." Eugene sighed deeply. "You are too kind. If she harasses you in the future, I will take care of her!" "Okay," said Quinn. Her heart sank slightly as she spoke. Chapter 751 Chapter 751 Chapter 751 Quinn had to prevent Ste from contacting the Athertons. To be precise, Ste''s existence was a ticking time bomb. Quinn had to consult with L to discuss possible countermeasures quickly. Her identity must not be exposed! Meanwhile, on the other side, Catelyn was in a very good mood. It was time to get off work. Jolene hurriedly pushed open the office door and stared at Catelyn. "Kitty! Quick, go online and have a look! II "What''s wrong?" asked Catelyn. she saw Jolene behaving so anxiously and thought that perhaps something had happened to thepany. Catelyn quickly opened the webpage given by Jolene. Next, she saw a photo of herself and David Mason hugging each other. There were several photos in total. In the pictures, her cheeks were flushed as she embraced David, holding onto his shirt tightly. David, on the other hand, looked down at her with a gentle expression. In thest picture, it looked like David was lowering his head and kissing her neck! Although Catelyn could not recall what happened that night, the photo obviously looked like it was taken from the surveince camera. "These photos were released not long ago. what happened between you and the Ninth Master? Could this all be a mistake?" asked Jolene worriedly. No wonder she was so anxious! Jolene was worried that Cedrick would misunderstand Catelyn! Catelyn told Jolene what happened in detail, including the incident with Maribel. Catelyn was innocent, and there was nothing going on between her and David. However, Jolene was still a little worried. "Should you call Cedrick and exin to him?" Catelyn believed that Cedrick would not doubt her. She shook her head firmly. "If he were to be angry, he would have shown it a long time ago." "Oh! What a relief!" Jolene let out a long sigh. "If these photos were to ruin your rtionship with Cedrick, it would be the worst! To be honest, I envy you so much! Cedrick had so much trust in you. Everything is so stable between you both..." Catelyn''s heart warmed up at Jolene''s statement. It seemed that since the incident back in Franche, there have not been many conflicts with Cedrick. Perhaps the biggest issue at hand was that Grandpa Mason disliked her. Suddenly, the phone in Catelyn''s pocket rang. It was a call from Cedrick. Jolene saw it and snickered, she made a thumbs-up gesture and said, "Okay, I won''t disturb you two lovebirds." Catelyn tapped the answer button and asked yfully, "Are you here to interrogate me after seeing those photos on the N?velDrama.Org ? content. Inte?" "I''ve already arranged for someone to deal with those photos." Cedrick''s voice was heard from the receiver, and he sounded a little annoyed. Catelyn said sweetly, "Quinn just posted these photos to distract me from preparing for Friday''s press conference. I won''t fall for it! As long as you believe me as well..." After a moment of silence, Cedrick whispered softly, "I believe you. II Jolene shuddered when she heard their flirtatious conversations and shouted exaggeratedly at Catelyn, "oh, you guys! Go get a room! I can''t take this anymore!" Catelyn covered the receiver with one hand and joked to Jolene, "If you can''t stand it, get out of here then! You''re an eyesore!" "How mean! You''ve hurt my feelings!" Jolene mockingly ced her hands on her heart and left in a hurry. Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Back in the Mason Group, Cedrick left all the work at hand to Charles after he hung up the phone with Catelyn. He also instructed Eason not to pick up the two boys today. Eason would usually help to fetch the kids back when Cedrick and Catelyn were both busy with their work. He was wondering why he did not need to do it this time, and the next moment he saw Cedrick heading downstairs with the car keys. Cedrick drove to the kindergarten himself. School had just ended, and the gates were crowded with many parents who were there to pick up their children. Cedrick frowned at the crowd. He parked his car a block away and walked to the school gate. As Cedrick arrived, he instantly caught the attention of the other male parents around him. How masculine! Which child''s parent is this? He looks so cool! The gate of the kindergarten opened, and groups of children came running toward their parents with joy. Miles and Ollie saw Cedrick standing at the door. "Why is he here?" ollie was a little surprised. Miles looked around, and he saw no trace of Catelyn. Perhaps she had called Cedrick here. The two boys walked toward Cedrick. They were wearing the same dark padded jacket with a hood with two pointed ears. There was also a fluffy earmuff hanging between their small necks. Miles'' eyes were rolling. It seemed that Mummy really had note. Cedrick did not pick up their school bags from their backs, and the boys also had no intention of giving them to him. They were not heavy, after all. Cedrick raised his eyes to signal the car to stop on the opposite side, and the boys crossed the road on their own while Cedrick followed them from behind. Those parents who were awed earlier quickly came back to their senses. It turned out this masculine- looking man was the father of the famous twins! Miles threw the school bag into the corner of the car and climbed to the rear seat. Cedrick was about to remind them to fasten their seat belts when a small head popped out from the right side of his car seat, "Big Demon, are you angry with Mummy?" asked Miles. "Why? Is there a reason why I should be mad at her?" Cedrick started the car and drove up the avenue. Cedrick''s car was steady, and Miles had not felt ufortable even when he was not sitting properly in the car. Seeing that Cedrick was not angry, Miles said, "The photos! The photos of Mummy and the man hugging have been posted online!" "Yeah, so? why should I be angry?" Cedrick asked confidently. Miles'' eyes widened for a moment, and his mouth gaped open into an irregr shape. Ollie stood up from the back and hugged the passenger seat. He said, "Father, don''t you hate Uncle Nine? Mummy is hugging him in the photos. Do you really not mind that?" Cedrick saw the two boys staring at him. He tapped the steering wheel with his slender fingers and replied, "I''m the only one she loves. That''s all I need to know." "Wow, how narcissistic!" Miles squinted his eyes. Cedrick turned his head and nced at Miles. He said with a stern tone, "The way your ssmates'' parents looked at me just now fully shows that I''m the king of narcissism." N?velDrama.Org ? content. Miles sighed in disgust, and suddenly his eyes were sparkling." Then, would you ever be jealous?" Of course, Cedrick would be jealous! In fact, he was probably already thinking of punishing Catelyn severely when she returned hometer! Chapter 753 Chapter 753 Chapter 753 Jolene was right. It was one thing for Cedrick to see Catelyn hugging David, but would he actually mind it? Indeed, if it were not for David''s rescue, the consequences would be unimaginable. However, would Cedrick actually just sit still and watch his wife being embraced in another man''s arms? of course not! Cedrick raised his jaw arrogantly and squinted at Miles. "Go back to your seat." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "No." Miles said as he poked his fingers on Cedrick''s shoulder, " Are you really not jealous of Uncle Nine? I want to see what your jealous face looks like." Cedrick replied coldly, "I''m not jealous." Following that, ollie''s expression immediately became serious, and he looked at Cedrick in disappointment. "Mummy and Uncle Nine were hugging each other, and you are neither angry nor jealous. Do you even love Mummy?" Cedrick did not answer. Miles nodded in agreement and pouted. "Perhaps the Big Demon had already lost interest in Mummy after marrying her, and now he doesn''t mind Mummy hugging other men at all." "Mummy is so wronged." Ollie''s eyshes trembled. "Uncle Nine seemed like a nice guy. Perhaps we can match him and Mummy together?" said Miles. "... Do you think I cannot hear what you just said?" said Cedrick. He mmed his foot on the brake hard. The two boys stumbled several times and almost fell as the car came to a sudden halt. Miles stared at Cedrick angrily. " How dare you! I''m going to ignore you for the rest of the day!" It happened that the car had already arrived near Green Inds. Miles pushed the car door open and leaped out of the car. Ollie nced at Cedrick for a moment, then at Miles. He then followed Miles and got out of the car. When Catelyn returned to Green Inds, she felt a strange atmosphere in the living room. Miles and ollie were busy ying with some puzzles while Cedrick was monitoring some stock market charts on hisptop. They seemed to be ignoring each other. Catelyn eventually asked and found out that the boys were angry with Cedrick again. Discovering that it was all because of the photos, Catelyn immediately exined, "Your father is not jealous because I exined it to him in advance. Don''t you want US all to be a happy family?" "I do..." wailed Miles while being nestled in Catelyn''s arms, with her short hands around her neck." I''m just helping you to test his loyalty toward you." Catelyn tapped the tip of his nose. "And how did he do?" Miles frowned and said, "I''m disappointed. Even if you had exined, he should still be jealous and angry! what should I do, Mommy? Maybe he doesn''t love you enough!" Catelyn turned to look at Cedrick. "My son said you don''t love me enough." Cedrick could not bother with the two boys. Even if he were really angry or jealous, he would never let them see it. Hearing this, a trace of evil shed across his eyebrows. He raised his eyebrows at Catelyn. "Then let me show you some real love tonight, eh?" "... Okay, quit joking already. Hurry up and tidy up the table," said Catelyn. Cedrick withdrew his gaze while half-smiling. At this moment, the doorbell rang suddenly. Catelyn and Cedrick were both stunned for a moment. It''s already sote, who woulde all of a sudden? Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Catelyn pulled open the door and was shocked to see Grandpa Mason and Uncle Ford standing in the doorway. Grandpa Mason looked hostile and red at her with malevolence. In his hands was a stack of photos... Catelyn immediately understood that he was there to interrogate her and was somewhat amused by this scene. Grandpa Mason did not go after the person who he should be going after, but instead was here bugging their happy family incessantly. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Cedrick followed to see what was going on. He saidzily with one hand in his pocket, "Grandpa." "Care to exin these photos?" Grandpa Mason ignored Cedrick, his dark eyes locked onto Catelyn. Catelynposed her thoughts, then smiled, and exined, "It was a misunderstanding, I was framed by my colleagues. Nine happened to pass by and support me. The photos were carefully edited by people with intentions. Grandpa, you are a smart person. You must be able to tell what is right or wrong." "You don''t have to tter me. I won''t buy it!" Grandpa Mason interjected Catelyn coldly, and his tone was even more hostile. Of course, he knew about Maribel framing Catelyn. This was already widespread on the inte. However, the photos... He could not stand it. "You are Ced''s wife, but you are hooking up with other men. I cannot allow this! Whatever you said are all excuses. I only believe in what I saw in the photo. Not only are you hooking up with Nine, but you are not even discreet about it..." Catelyn paused for a few seconds, then only said slowly, "So you admit I am Ced''s wife now?" Grandpa Mason choked, and his frustration grew. He stomped his walking stick and said, "Stop talking nonsense! I am here to tell you today that Miss Atherton has been found. My next step is to get Cedrick and her married. If you understand the assignment, you should be filing for a divorce. I can tolerate you being a mistress for your kids..." Miss Atherton had been found, and he wanted her to be a mistress? Quinn Weir deserved this? Catelyn did not say anything but merely looked straight into Grandpa Mason''s eyes. Grandpa Mason saw that she was not replying, then raised his voice, "Do you agree to this or not?" "No," Cedrick replied on behalf of Catelyn. Cedrick raised his eyebrows and then asked Grandpa Mason, "The kids are still here. Let''s go downstairs and discuss this?" "You follow me downstairs too. I have something to discuss with you too!" Grandpa Mason did not want to tarnish his own image in his grandsons'' eyes and therefore gave in to Cedrick''s suggestion. Cedrick patted Catelyn''s shoulder, hinting at her to look after the kids and not to worry about him, then followed Grandpa Mason. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, a cool breeze gushed past them. Grandpa Mason held one of his hands into a fist and ced it over his mouth. He coughed lightly. His silhouette looked frail. Perhaps he was old, his temper got weird, and he liked to pick on things. As soon as Grandpa Mason calmed down, he thrust his walking stick at Cedrick. "Are you trying to piss me off by refusing to divorce that woman? You little brat!" Cedrick could have easily dodged his attack, but he did not. He took the hit and then slowly said, "Even though Catelyn did not have her name listed in the family book, from the bottom of my heart, she is my only wife." There was a rule in the Mason family that even if they got the marriage certificate if the spouse''s name was not listed in the family book, they would not be considered part of the family. Therefore, when Grandpa Mason knew that Cedrick and Catelyn got their marriage certificate, he was not too pissed either. He only scolded them for a few days. However, tonight, Cedrick''s words were igniting the grenade inside Grandpa Mason. He was frozen on the spot. Chapter 755 Chapter 755 Chapter 755 However, the angrier he was, the more he had control over his emotions. He looked at Cedrick, expressionless. "Are you so serious about her?" Cedrick did not even hesitate and replied, "I had given you the answer before. Between her and the heirloom, I will choose her. So stop your attacks. This will not affect my rtionship with her at all." Unlike his usual temperament, Grandpa Mason''s expression was icy cold, he said word by word, "Ced, before tonight, I could pretend that you were just ying a tea party, but now, I want her to leave, no negotiations." His face was calm like theke, but his heart was rolling in big tides. Cold breeze crept in from all directions, pulling someone down into a bottomless pit. Cedrick knew that Grandpa Mason had hidden his true intentions. His hand in his pocket slowly rolled into a fist. "Catelyn and the two kids are my bottom line. Grandpa, since you made it clear already, then I made it clear to you as well. 1 will not let anyone who picks on her get away." Cedrick did not even take another look at Grandpa Mason and left. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Just like he expected, he did not hear Grandpa Mason''s furious shout either. Nevertheless, this was the actual calm before the storm. When he returned upstairs, Catelyn and the kids had already set up the dining table with a few scrumptious dishes. Somehow, he felt much more grounded and calmer. Catelyn had an apron wrapped around her waist. She looked at him calmly, somewhat concerned. "Did you get a consensus from Grandpa? Did he give you a hard time?" Thest thing Catelyn wished for was for Cedrick to choose between her and Grandpa Mason. She had always given in to Grandpa mason, the biggest reason for which was because Grandpa Mason raised Cedrick. Now that he was old and no longer strong as he was, it would be easy for Catelyn to look bad if she pissed him off. That was a line that she would never cross. "How can he give me a hard time? He could only give me some useless threats," Cedrick said casually. Catelyn could not see his concern and therefore calmed down. "Then wash up and have dinner now." Miles went to wash his hands too. The little one had to stand on a stool before the sink. He applied some hand soap, his plump little hands contrasting with Cedrick''s humongous ones. He eximed, "Big Demon, your fingers are so thick." The two came out of the bathroom, with Miles hopping cheerfully next to Cedrick. Miles covered his mouth in reflex. Then he removed his hands, and his pink lips opened and closed. "Tyrant." After dinner, the family went out for a walk. Miles held Catelyn''s hand affectionately and told her about what had happened in school today. Every moment like this made Catelyn feel blissful. No matter how tired and exhausted she got from work, as long as she heard her kids1 voices, she felt satisfied. Her eyes were gentle and affectionate. After half an hour, the servants brought the two kids home, and Cedrick drove Catelyn to another ce. It was a private cemetery on the outskirts. Chapter 756 Chapter 756 Chapter 756 Cedrick had always wanted to bring her to see his mother. However, due to a lot of reasons, this was always postponed. The big four families each had their own cemeteries in which they buried their ancestors centuries ago. Only the people listed in their family book could be buried here. Therefore, even though they were legally married, as long as the Mason family prohibited Catelyn''s name in the family book, she would not be buried here after she passed away, she would also not enjoy respect from the descendants after her. In other words, she would be seen as just a mistress to theter generations. Catelyn noticed the cemetery drawing closer and said cautiously," Are you bringing me to see... my mother-inw?" "Yes." Cedrick pinched her soft hands and looked into her eyes with a gentle gaze. Catelyn could not help but feel nervous. She looked at her casual loungewear and said, "Why didn''t you inform me earlier? At least let me change into a pair of proper clothing. I am underdressed. Would she think that I am disrespecting her?" "My mother will not mind it. As long as I like it, she will like it too. " The closer they got to the grave, the more wrenched Cedrick''s heart was. That was because... His mother''s name was not on the family book either. Catelyn did not notice the gloom in Cedrick''s expression because she was too nervous. She knew that Cedrick cared about his mother a lot... She felt disgraceful and disrespectful to havee to see a deceased in loungewear. The graveyard forbade people from parking their cars nearby and had metal fences around the area. There were twelve security guards taking shifts to watch over the ce 24/7. Any unauthorized trespasser would be prosecuted. The Mason family was very serious about it. The tall fence looked extra grim in the moonlight. However, when they got near the cemetery, Cedrick brought Catelyn into an alley. Catelyn followed closely behind him and looked at the main entrance to it, full of questions. "Aren''t we going to see my mother -inw?" "She is not in there," Cedrick exined in a slightly depressed tone. Catelyn noticed his gloomy expression. The rk family had the same rule too, that you could only be buried in the cemetery if your name was on the family book. In other words, herte mother-in-w was not in the family book, and the Mason family sacrificed her to keep Cedrick''s life. There was also another patch of graveyard right opposite the private cemetery. It was also a guarded one. This was built by Cedrick for Daphne Coleman. Cedrick brought Catelyn to a bigger grave. It was circr, and the tombstone was rectangr. There was no photo on the tombstone but a realistic engraving of Daphne''s face on it. She was a very elegant and gorgeousdy. She resembled Janice very much, only healthier and had more naivety. There was a bouquet of fresh flowers before the tombstone. Someone will change the flowers every day because mother loved fresh flowers. "Mother." Cedrick''s hand caressed Daphne''s name, engraved on the tombstone. He said in a husky voice, "I have not visited you in a long time, are you well? I have married Catelyn. I am sorry to only have brought her to see you after so long." Right now, Cedrick did not have his usual aggressiveness but instead looked like a lost child. He pulled Catelyn to the tombstone. Catelyn came unprepared without bringing anything, so she could only take a bow to the tombstone and said, "Mom, nice to meet you. I am Catelyn, Ced''s wife. Thankyou for giving birth to such a beautiful man, for him to be my perfect husband." Then, she took one look at Cedrick and said sternly, "From now on, I will take care of him on behalf of you. Hope you are happy in heaven." Cedrick caught her looking at him. He smiled and said, "So, I am perfect for you?" "...I am just ttering you in front of your mother." Catelyn refused to admit it. Cedrick''s gloom was slightly brightened. "Don''t lie about it anymore." "Right, I did not like to talk about it..." Catelyn admitted, then turned and said to Daphne''s tombstone, "Mom, see? Ced Content held by N?velDrama.Org. likes to bully me." Chapter 757 Chapter 757 Chapter 757 "It''s not good to lie about this." Cedricklooked at her, amused. Catelyn blushed and reached her hand out to cover Cedrick''s mouth. "Stop! I am blushing..." Cedrick took the opportunity to peck a kiss in her palm, she instantly withdrew it, and then she heard his sexy voice in her ears. "This was to tell my mom that I am happy in the marriage. Soon we will have a baby girl, and she will be happy for US." Nonsense! It was all nonsense! Catelyn was speechless. She was doubtful. He already had his vasectomy. Where would they get a baby girl from? On Friday, at the press conference. Catelyn invited many media reporters to witness the demolishment of the tower and also the quality inspection of the new property. Everyone was carefully treated at the scene. She even arranged a number of security guards to maintain order at the scene. However, after a long wait, only a few reporters turned up. They were the ones who were connected to the Worldwide Entertainment Co. and only turned up because of Joanne. They also noticed that there were not many people at the scene and looked at each other awkwardly. It turned out to be a scene of a few security guards circling one reporter. Catelyn frowned questioningly as well. Jolene strode across and whispered something in her ears. Catelyn''s expression turned rather unpleasant. Then, the reporters received the memo too. At the hotel nearby, Pentnd Group was holding a press conference to announce their ambassador and invited a lot of A-list celebrities to hype the scene! Moreover, a famous female actress announced that she would be tapping into the new industry to film some adult films... She was wearing a see-through dress, making it media-worthy. Plus, a lot of people wanted to tter the Pentnd Group and naturally went to support the Group... Therefore, the reporters that were supposed to report about the demolishment all moved away to the press conference of Pentnd instead, and only came back to shoot some photos of the demolishment after. After all, entertainment news always got greater public attention rather than the demolition of a building. A few reporters left the demolition scene, and more followed. They were all headed to Pentnd. Moreover, the press conference for Pentnd was indoors, with many perks given, and did not make everyone''s face dusty. Jolene was exasperated to see the reporters whispering to each other. This was obviously a deliberate move to steal the show! Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Kitty, what should we do? Perhaps we should move the demolition to the afternoon?" "No need. Remember to live this and record everything. Quinn liked to steal the show. Let her. We just need to do what we need to. " Catelyn informed public rtions and carried on as nned. In the Pentnd Hotel lobby. L was the main character of this event, and Quinn was only standing backstage. She was pleased to see all the reporters stolen by her. "I had sent them money in private and told them not to go to the demolition. Now there is nobody at Catelyn''s demolition. Let''s see how else she can run this show!" L was pleased to see the oue as well. The more reporters there were, the more exposure she would get, and her worth would naturally inte. She took out a syringe from her purse and handed it to Quinn. "This is for you. It''s enough for Ste." Chapter 758 Chapter 758 Chapter 758 Quinn looked at the syringe that was filled with greenish liquid. She was trembling and did not take it. "I can actually just ask someone to get rid of my mother..." "Mother? You only have one mother, and that is Summer Atherton! " L threw her a shady look and handed the syringe to her. "If Ste made a scene, we would be dead! Don''t worry. I had it specially made. It would, at most, only get someone vegetative!" T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. "Vegetative?" Quinn''s hand trembled again. "How different is that from a corpse?" Quinn was not brutal. She was thinking about how to push it back to L. L snickered, "Of course, it is different. A corpse can''t breathe, and a person in a vegetative state still has a possibility of waking up. Think about it, Ste was a ticking time bomb. After you inject the medicine in her, I will arrange for her to be flown out of the country for a good rest, when Granny Atherton finally passes away, we can think of ways to wake Ste up again." Quinn decided topartmentalize her emotions, she was right, and nothing could stop her from bing Miss Atherton. Ste had never raised her for a single day. She was only a stranger that was rted to her by blood! Quinn took the syringe. "Then you get the flight ready. I will inform you when she goes unconscious." On the other hand, a few reporters went to the demolition scene to take some photos after being invited by the public rtions department. There were only a few of them, and it looked a little pathetic. The person in charge of the live streaming also sighed when he saw the number of people tuning in to the live stream. The property at Marine Pearl Bay would be hard to sell. Perhaps thepany would really be bankrupt soon. He did not even have the mood to interact with the audience anymore. Then, the quality control department went around the new building and performed a thorough inspection, including the engineers, who were all pointing out the ws in the project. Standing in front of the live stream camera, Catelyn did not frown for one single bit and instructed for the demolition tomence. This was a public announcement of the Group''s determination. Even if there were no reporters and audiences, they could not take it lightly. Even though the workers were putting in all their effort, they inevitably felt a little demotivated when they saw no reporters and audiences. Catelyn was trying to hype them up when she received the call from L. L turned the video on and deliberately showed off to her the number of reporters and crowd at her end. Catelyn responded coldly and hung up on her. Jolene got even angrier. "Good for her to use this kind of low-ss tactics! The media who were attracted by a female body were horrible too! 1 have toin about this to Cedrick! Let him get another dozen reporters to support our scene..." "There''s no point asking Cedrickfor help. We should instead ask Edwin." "Mister Atherton?" Jolene''s eyes lit up. "Right, the entertainment industry influence now lies in the hands of Mister Atherton. I will call him right now..." However, right at this moment, there was amotion at the roadside near the crowd. "Look, who''s that?" "Oh my, isn''t that Mister Atherton?" "My idol! Oh my god, why is he here?" "No, look, there''s a woman next to him. Is that his new girlfriend?" "That looked like the controversially famous actress Joanne?" Chapter 759 Chapter 759 Chapter 759 The initially unimpressed reporters were suddenly intrigued, and all looked in the direction of themotion. Was Mister Atherton going to express support toward the VSA Group? Everyone rushed forward and crowded around Edwin. After Edwin and Joanne descended from the elongated business vehicle, a number of celebrities descended from it too, including award-winning actors, famous social media influencers, and some famous live-streaming tform personalities! Jolene did not even press the dial on her phone yet but was already too stunned to speak. Edwin''s crowd was so morously dressed up, as though attending a red carpet show. They strode gracefully across the uneven ground full of potholes and arrived in front of Catelyn. They were holding themselves professionally like a public figure was expected to be, without showing a single sign of dissatisfaction with the scene''s chaos. Joanne even winked at Catelyn joyfully, in secret. The phone buzzed in her hand. Catelyn slid across her screen and took a nce. It was a message from Cedrick, saying that he knew about Quinn stealing the show and that he had arranged for some captivating news. Catelyn replied with a string of hearts and kisses emoticons and thanked him. she was thrilled. The news reporters interviewed Edwin about why he brought along all the celebrities of hispany to support. He replied in a frank manner that he and Catelyn were very close friends, and he had a lot of confidence in the property project of Marine Pearl Bay. He had already personally verified a number of units in the tower to be given to his staff members as hostels! This immediately created a sensation in the live-stream chatroom. Worldwide Entertainment Co. purchased properties under this project as staff member hostels. In other words, it was likely that the celebrities would be living in this very building... Owning a unit on the premises would mean being neighbors with celebrities? The fans were all thrilled. Catelyn was too touched to say anything, she tried hard to suppress the joy in her and coordinated the demolition systematically. Soon, the drones captured a lot of footage from high above the ground. In mid-air, the skyscraper was bombarded, and the building copsed. It was dusty all around, but the helicopter was scattering man-made rain to remove the dust and debris, to minimize the impact. Catelyn stood before the camera and promised earnestly to the public, "VSA Group will never sell properties that do not meet the quality standards. We will build properties that are true to its values, with public safety as our highest priority. We will treat each customer like our family..." The video went viral immediately, perhaps the scene was too overwhelming, or perhaps it was because of Edwin and his fellow celebrities that more and more people flooded the live stream. [They really demolished the problematic tower! All these building materials andbor costs, I reckon they suffer millions of losses...] [It''s pretty admirable that she really demolished it as she promised. Even Mister Atherton went to show his support...] [I really wish to be neighbors with Mister Atherton! Will he stay in the Marine Pearl Bay?] [Where is the quality inspection live streaming of the Marine Pearl Bay? When is it starting? I can''t wait anymore... No problem, I will go and make my purchase too...] [If Mister Atherton has the confidence to purchase it for the artists, I suppose there is no problem with the quality...] Joanne snuck up to Catelyn''s side, watching the dust and debris in the air, then asked in a soft voice, " Kitty, how much N?velDrama.Org ? content. are the losses on this building?" Catelyn watched as the hard work of the construction workers shattered the rubble, she would be lying if she said she did not care about it. However, thepany could never salvage its reputation if she did not take down the building. "All constructionpanies most fear a reputation crisis, as it could directly ruin the entire Group. We just have to do what we have to. If we do not have the heart for this, we cannot achieve what we want. I don''t have other options either." Catelyn patted Joanne''s hand and said, "Thanks foring over with Mister Atherton." "I will always be the first one to be here whenever you are in trouble, haha." At Pentnd Hotel. L and Louis signed the agreement to be the ambassadors of the Pentnd Group. They also made a series of statements, including subtle disses about Marine Pearl Bay''s building quality. They tried to make it a point that staying in the Pentnd properties would be the safest choice. During the question and answer session, L gracefully allowed the reporters to capture her elegant photos. However, she had not expected that... Chapter 760 Chapter 760 Chapter 760 Before the reporters started their interviews, they all received a few photos simultaneously. The photos were shockingly promiscuous; one showed L and a mosaiced middle-aged man sleeping at a hotel together, and another was Louis with his associates seen snorting on some white powders together. Everyone was stunned. All of their questions immediately changed. "Miss Atherton, you were seen at the hotel with this middle-aged man together. Is the man married? Are you a mistress?" "Mister Joe, you have always portrayed a righteous image to the public. You were seen taking drugs with your friends... Is that true? II "Pentnd Group hired both of you as their spokesperson. Do you feel guilty about taking up the role?" "Regarding the highly controversial building safety issue, did you secretly work together with Pentnd Group to create the buzz around it? I understand that Pentnd is currently leading in terms of the sales rate..." The camera lights shed incessantly. L and Louis did not know what had happened. When the reporters all raised their phones and rubbed the scandalous photos on their faces, they were both frozen on the spot. When... When were these taken? L and Louis both covered their faces, their chests moved up and down, panting, and their faces were twitching. They wanted to leave under the cover of their security guards. However, there were too many reporters! They all blocked the exit of the ce, and even the guards could not contain the situation anymore... The ugly situation was live-streamed, with the city watching. The audience in the live streaming tform all saw the photos too and immediately flooded the screen. [Did I see wrongly? L and the middle-aged man... Please tell me this is not true, she is Miss Atherton! she was born riched and privileged. How could she hook up with this middle-aged man?] [L is not the direct descendant of the Atherton family, she is only a rtive. The point is, the middle- aged man is from the Kingsley family, he has money and power, and L must be sucking up to him...] [Louis, my Louis, my idol, his image is all gone now, I can''t believe my idol is snorting on drugs...] The news shed one by one on the stage. From the groundbreaking demolition of the VSA Group property to the Worldwide Entertainment Co. celebrities turning up to show support and the scandals of the Pentnd Group ambassadors, the entertainment industry was bombarded with shocking news all day. The social media were all blown up for the whole day. Catelyn took the opportunity tounch the Marine Pearl Bay presale at a lower-than-market price, as promised. In the same area and for the same quality, it was definitely worth the price. The discount was over ten thousand dors, plus the celebrities effect, the presale immediately overtook Pentnd''s position, and the numbers spiked incredibly. The project was almost sold out when Catelyn received the marketing department''s phone call. Catelyn immediately called Cedrick, intending to share the good news with him. N?velDrama.Org ? content. However, Cedrick''s phone could not be connected, and she was not sure what he was doing... Catelyn left him a message. Edwin and Joanne came over and asked Catelyn if she wanted to have a celebration at night. "Yes, of course! You decide the venue. It''s my treat..." Catelyn put her phone back into her pocket and said. Ocean Path Residence. Quinn was slightly hesitant, she did not want to see Ste at first, but when she saw how the media attacked L, she could no longer sit still... She could not ce herself in a simr position. Therefore, she could not give in. She could not have a possibility of Ste exposing her. She told Ste that she would be home for dinner tonight. Ste was not excited as she used to be, but she still prepared a whole table full of dishes and happily waited for Quinn to be home. Chapter 761 Chapter 761 Chapter 761 If Quinn was attentive, she would have seen that Ste had lost several kilograms in just a few days. Ste opened the door and invited Quinn in. Quinn, wearing branded clothes and a high-end purse, felt ufortable the moment she stepped into the hall. Nheless, she held Ste''s hand and said affectionately, "I¡¯m so sorry, Mom. It was my fault, but I didn''t do it on purpose." Ste felt her face growing warm at the affection. She sat down on the sofa, wiped her tears, and hastily blustered, "Then tell me: Since when did you be a member of the Atherton family?!" "I..." Quinn hung her head low, pretending to be embarrassed. "If I tell you I stole Catelyn''s identity, will you keep it a secret for me?" "W¡ªWhat?!" Ste¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as tears welled up. Quinn wanted to gain Ste''s trust before dealing with what wasing next, so she frankly said, "You heard right: Catelyn is the most respected daughter of Miss Atherton. Do you remember that bracelet that I''ve been asking you for? That''s the token of the Atherton family''s recognition of rtives. I secretly went to get the bracelet back, and the Atherton family recognized me as their descendant..." "How could you do that? That''s Cat rtives! Cat¡¯s grandmother!" Ste finally understood why Quinn had been looking for the bracelet and why Catelyn kept it locked in a safe. The bracelet was a token of kinship all along! Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Ste felt a mix of fear and fury altogether. She then took Quinn''s hand and was about to call Catelyn while her panic magnified in her heart. "If that''s true, you must call Cat immediately. Tell her that you''re sorry and have her assume her true identity once more. You''re blind to your faults..." This swiftly irked Quinn, and she swung away Ste''s hand. "I knew you''d never think about me, always caring only about your stepdaughter! I''ve never felt the love from you for a day, and you even want to cruelly take my grandma, who truly loves me from the bottom of her heart, away from me! why would you do that? Why are all the good things in the world belong only to Catelyn?!" She screamed in a hoarse voice with all her forces as if to deliberately damage her vocal cord and burst her lungs. She med herself for turning soft-hearted earlier when she saw Ste. "It''s not that I don''t want you to be loved by your grandmother, but I''m afraid that they''ll discover that you''ve lied, and the Atherton family will never forgive you by then! I''ve been in the upper ss for many years, and I know what they''ll do when something like this happens very well. You may die! "The only way for now is to ask for Cat''s forgiveness. Quinn, can you be my good little girl onest time, just like how you used to?" Ste could tell that Quinn was so heartbroken by the tears in her eyes as she persuaded her heartily. Quinn lowered her head to hide the hideous look in her eyes. "Are you...going to help me plead with the Atherton family and let me go?" "Of course, I''m being serious!" Ste unhesitatingly nodded, believing that Quinn finally came around. Quinn raised her eyes again, and her eyes looked clear and harmless. "Alright, I''ll do as you say. I''ll call Catelyn after this meal and tell her the truth." "I''m really, really d that you''ve figured it out in the end. Cat has a kind heart, and I''m sure she''ll forgive US if I beg her to..." Ste believed that Quinn had changed her mind as she wiped away her tears of delectation. "I''m a little thirsty. Can you pour me a ss of hot water?" Quinn asked with a grin. "Of course. I''ll be back soon." Ste smiled, went to the kitchen, and poured a ss of hot water while chattering about her insights. "We, as humans, will be more overthinking the older we get. I can''t help but feel sorry for you back then. I shouldn''t have abandoned you for glory and wealth. Now I regret it, but I promise that we''ll live happily ever after together..." When Ste was immersing herself in her thoughts and insights, Quinn had already quietly taken out a syringe from her bag. She was told that the injection of this drug would cause cerebral hypoxia. With that, Quinn slowly paced toward Ste... Chapter 762 Chapter 762 Chapter 762 All the while, Ste was happily pouring water into the ss. However... Through the mirror ced on the oblique corner of the table where the kettle was ced, she spotted Quinn walking toward her N?velDrama.Org ? content. with a syringe at hand. The hideous expression on her face and the viciousness in her eyes was something she had never seen before. ng! The ss in Ste''s hand slid on the table, and water was all over the floor. She turned around straight away, and her eyes were red as she stared at Quinn. "What are you holding?!" Quinn did not expect Ste to turn around suddenly. A hint of guilt shed across her expression, yet she grabbed the needle and brought it down to her neck, stabbing her. "For the sake of me calling you my mother, please sacrifice for me! This won''t be lethal!" "You¡¯re crazy! You''re crazy!" Ste hastily grabbed Quinn''s hand to stop the syringe from prating her skin. The tip of the needlended on the back of Ste''s hand. However, Ste did not notice that the needle was slowly prating through the skin of her hand while she was resisting Quinn''s attack. She felt the pain, coupled with her despair about Quinn, and desperately pushed Quinn to the ground overwhelmingly. However, the counterforce force was so great that her back hit the sharp corner of the table. There was no time for her to shout in pain, so she hastily ran down the stairs while screaming for help. The moment she screamed, however, she closed her lips tightly, and two lines of tears fell from the corners of her eyes. ''If Quinn is caught by the police, will she be prosecuted for attempted murder?'' Meanwhile, Quinn picked up the syringe that had fallen on the ground and chased after Ste madly. At that moment, there was no longer a rationale in her mind. All she thought was that she could not let Ste escape. Ste, despite her age, ran faster than she had expected. Seeing her getting into the elevator, Quinn gritted her teeth and ran down the stairs. Since that was the fifth floor, she should be able to catch up with Ste. Sure enough, Quinn caught up with Ste on the road outside the building... "Stop running!" Bang! Just when Ste''s eyes were blurred by tears, a ck Mercedis Maybach was speeding in her direction. With a dull crashing sound, Ste was knocked off her feet, flying before she fell fiercely onto the ground. Shey weakly on the ground while her body trembled, and blood oozed out of her mouth and nose, gradually painting the road below her red. Not long after, her consciousness dissipated. Quinn covered her mouth and exaggeratedly widened her eyes, looking at the luxury car that was speeding by. The car and driver turned out to be... ''How is this possible?!'' Quinn trembled, and her heart beat violently as if to pop out of her body. "There was a car ident! Hurry up and call an ambnce!" There happened to be an old couple who came homete passing by. Seeing Ste lying on the ground, they hurriedly shouted for help. Quinn suddenly came back to her senses and quickly hid the syringe. Out of the corner of Ste''s eyes, she saw Quinn and the old couple walking toward her. still on the ground, she supported her body with both hands as she tried to crawl forward, leaving long bloody marks across the road as she did. When Catelyn received a call from Quinn saying that Ste was hit by a car, she was singing with Joanne in a karaoke bar. Her first reaction was that Quinn was lying. Ste should be fine at home, and it was already night, so it seemed to Catelyn that Quinn''s utterance was nothing but nonsense. Quinn cried on the phone and kept repeating that it was true, with the noise of discussion that sounded to be from doctors and nurses. She even took a photo of Ste being sent to the operating room. Eventually, Catelyn went to the hospital warily. At the door of the operating room, Quinn was the only one sitting on the waiting bench. Chapter 763 Chapter 763 Chapter 763 After confirming with a nurse several times, Catelyn finally believed that Ste was indeed involved in an ident. The doctor said that Ste was undergoing surgery, so Catelyn could do nothing except wait. She rushed to Quinn and pulled her off the bench, "she was fine when I handed her over to you, so what''s all this ident crap about? Did you do that?! What did you do to her?!" Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She knew that Quinn had not been sincere with Ste, and she should not have left Ste unattended to Quinn. Her heart was full of self-me and worries. Quinn pretended to wipe away her tears, yet she had unspeakable doubts in her heart, just like Catelyn. ''Why is her reaction like this?'' Catelyn was confused. "It''s my fault, and I''m sorry for my aunt! If I hadn''t asked her to buy me a drink downstairs, she wouldn''t have been run into by a Mercedis Maybach..." Catelyn did not pay attention to her evasive exnation. "Where''s the driver now? Have you called the police?" Quinn choked and shook her head. "No, I don''t dare to call the police. H¡ªHe has a lot of power..." "Even more powerful than you, Miss Atherton?" Catelyn sneered. She despised Quinn for being afraid that people would find out she was Ste''s biological daughter. Promptly, she felt a little dizzy because she had been biting her bottom lip for too long. After the dizziness subsided, she asked in a deep voice, "Tell me the license te number, and I''ll call the police!" The light outside the operating room was still on, and Catelyn''s pale, worried face was reflected on the icy-cold floor. Quinn panicked and grabbed her cell phone. "No! If you call the police, you''ll never see Master Cedrick again!" This threw Catelyn off-guard as she looked at Quinn incredulously. "What do you mean? Make it clear!" "I... I..." Quinn shivered, tears and panic all over her face, and she kept shaking her head. Catelyn then grabbed her wrist. "My mother was hit by a car, so what does it have to do with Master Cedrick?" "I...I saw the face of the driver who caused the ident...and it''s Master Cedrick." For a moment, Catelyn felt as though the ground was falling. Her grip on Quinn''s wrist suddenly increased, and her eyes were bloodshot. "You must be kidding, aren''t you? why...would Cedrick do that? "Quinn, I could forgive you for all the things you''ve done to me, but why are you ndering Cedrick now?!" Quinn was hurt, and she screamed, "I didn''t nder him! I know he''s your husband, so you''d of course side with him, but what I saw with my own eyes is that he hit Auntie Ste with his car! If you don''t believe me, you can go back and check to see if the car has hit anyone!" Quinn was dumbfounded at the time, but she was quite sure that she was not mistaken. The person who hit Ste was Cedrick. Seeing Catelyn stunned with a bbergasted expression, Quinn secretly felt proud, and her guilt and grief were gone instantly. She wanted to see if Catelyn, the loving child of her mother, would still be by Cedrick''s side after knowing he was the perpetrator. Even if they were still together, that ident would remain to be a thorn in her flesh. What Quinn said afterward was lost on Catelyn. She called Cedrick but never got through. The emotionless electronic voice made her heart sink into an abyss. Biting her lower lip, she ran back to Ocean Path Residence to buy the surveince video from a shop near the ident spot. The more she re-watched the video, the colder she felt her heart was. After all, the ck Mercedis Maybach in the video was indeed Cedrick''s car. The overall look, model, and license te number were all in line with Cedrick''s car. Even the man in the driver''s seat looked exactly like Cedrick. ''What the hell is going on?'' Catelyn felt Cedrick could not run into her mother for no reason, but she could not get through to him all the while. ''Was Cedrick...drunk driving?'' Chapter 764 Chapter 764 Chapter 764 Catelyn was lost in the internal chaos. Just before dawn, she received news from the hospital informing her that Ste''s surgery had beenpleted. She hurried back to the hospital, just in time to hear the doctor say, "Good news. We''ve managed to put the patient in stable condition, and it seems to be getting better at this rate. "However, the patient''s brain was severely impaired, and the situation isn''t looking too good, she also hit her head not long ago, so I can¡¯t tell when she''ll wake up." Quinn was even more anxious than Catelyn as she grabbed the doctor and hurriedly asked, "So she¡¯s vegetative now?" "That''s uncertain. It depends on herter recovery," the doctor exined. Quinn sighed in relief and hurriedly thanked the doctor. In contrast, Catelyn vehemently begged the doctor to get Ste out of hera. At that moment, all her hopes were pinned on the doctor and the hospital, she could not see Ste suffer from the ident. After all, it was her mother on one hand and her husband on the other. She did not want to lose either of them. Deep down, she still did not believe Cedrick had hit Ste. Even if he did run into Ste, he would never have left her be. With that, Catelyn went to the Mason Estate again overnight. When Grandpa Albert saw Catelyn at the door, he hurriedly ordered the servants to make tea for her. "Don''t trouble them, Grandpa Albert. Can you take me to the garage?" Catelyn went straight to the point. Grandpa Albert did not know what happened, so he did not refuse and did as Catelyn asked. In the huge garage, more than 20 luxury cars were parked. Some were gifted by others, and some were bought by Cedrick himself. There were all kinds of branded cars, including sports cars, business cars, and SUVs. Catelyn took a while to search around, but she could not find the Mercedis Maybach that hit Ste. She told Grandpa Albert the license te number. The answer that Grandpa Albert gave her petrified her on the spot. He said, "Ah. If my memories serve, Master Cedrick went out in that car this afternoon." "Are you sure it was a Mercedis Maybach? A ck one?" Catelyn''s eyes were slightly red and her face turned pale. Grandpa Albert nodded solemnly. "Master Cedrickhas been driving his Bently to work recently, and asionally, he''ll drive his Mercedis Maybach. Yes, it''s the Mercedis Maybach you mentioned. What happened, Miss rk? Did something happen?" "Then, did he tell you where he was going when he left?" Catelyn continued to ask nervously, she seemed to hear a voice in her head telling her to not believe it, that Cedrick could not be a murderer. Still, all the pieces of information and evidence were not in his favor. Grandpa Albert shook his head. "I don''t know about this. Master Cedrick always does whatever he wants, so we''ll never get to know if he doesn''t tell US intentionally." Catelyn came out of the Mason Estate in despair. Perhaps the car te could be a fake one, but no one could exin the coincidences that Cedrick personally drove the car out and the surveince camera caught a guy who looked the same as him. Her brain hurt a lot, and she felt like it was about to burst. In the end, she returned to Ocean Path Residence. She decided to review all the surveince footage again. Before that, she had been too desperate to find out who the driver that hit Ste with the car was, so she only watched the scene where Ste was being hit, which was only 10 seconds long. She hit the reverse button and started watching a minute or two before the ident happened. In the footage, Ste hurried out Content held by N?velDrama.Org. of the building with fear and despair on her face as if she was escaping something. Immediately after that, she lost control and fell out of the double yellow lines, which the car just sped past. Catelyn hit on the pause button. She was too out of her mind before, and that was why she failed to notice Ste''s reaction. With a clear mind, she finally realized that Ste...looked like she was being chased. She kept repeating the section of the footage, but due to theck of sufficient light source and the limiting angle the low-quality camera could capture, she could not see who was chasing after her. Quinn''s face suddenly shed across Catelyn''s mind. She quickly ran to the refrigerator and opened the door. It was filled with various drinks. That meant that Ste, ording to Quinn, did not actually go out to buy drinks. Quinn was lying. Nheless, Catelyn could not figure out what her lie had to do with Cedrick hurting Ste. Chapter 765 Chapter 765 Chapter 765 ''Had someone instructed Quinn and strung her along in an evil n? Catelyn was troubled by these thoughts as she, not long after, fell asleep as she leaned on the couch. As soon as she closed her eyes, and before she could fall into rapid-eyes-movement, the scene of Ste being rammed by Cedrickkept reappearing in her head, and she was awakened by that, covered in sweat. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and wanted to pour herself a ss of water. The table where the kettle was usually ced was in a mess. The lid of the was on the floor, too, and the decorations on the table topped. It seemed as though a scuffle had urred. Catelyn leaned over to pick up the lid of the kettle but was almost pierced by a sharp object. She frowned, and upon closer inspection, she realized that it was a sharp needle. A green liquid is faintly visible at the tip of the needle. ''What''s this? Catelyn took a clean tissue paper and wrapped the broken needle. With innumerable questions in her heart, she went out and handed the needle to the nearestboratory for testing. It waste in the night, so theboratory technician informed her that she would only get the report in three days. Catelyn thanked him profusely before leaving theboratory in worry. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Wandering around in the chilling street, she took her phone out from time to time to check, but Cedrick had neither called her back nor replied to her text on social media. 1 1 ''What''s he doing? why didn''t he answer the phone? He...can''t be the one that ran into Ste, right?'' It was already the second afternoon when Cedrick returned to Green Inds. He was entirely exhausted, more so evident with the eyebags he had. His cell phone was turned off as it ran out of power. After charging it in the car, he noticed a lot of missed calls hade from Catelyn. Those calls were made between yesterday afternoon and the early morning of that day. Cedrick parked the car in the underground garage, frowned slightly, and called Catelyn as he worried that something had gone wrong. While on the phone, he was walking to an elevator. He had not changed his clothes for almost a day and a night, and he could not stand it because he was a little obsessed with cleanliness. However, a familiar bell rang in a corner of the underground garage. It was the exclusive ringtone that was set by Catelyn for him. Cedrick subconsciously walked toward the source of the bell and found a slender figure leaning against the white wall, seemingly asleep. He finally eased his troubled mind and walked over silently. Catelyn put her hands on her knees and buried her head in her knees, she did not fall asleep as she woke up the moment Cedrick bent down to carry her. "Why did you fall asleep here?" Seeing her waking up, Cedrick asked with a hint of ountability in his tone. Catelyn raised her head to meet his eyes with hers. The masculine body scent of his, apanied by the faint smell of disinfectant, lingered in her nostrils, and the most sensitive nerve in her brain suddenly grew taut. ''The smell of disinfectant? Has he been to the hospital? Is it to visit Ste, or...'' She managed to put away all her doubts after a long while, and stood up against the wall. "You didn''te backst night, so I''m waiting for you." Squatting for too long had weakened her muscles and hindered the blood flow to her legs, and she could not help falling back to the ground the moment she stood up. Cedrick immediately took her hand, sped her waist with the other, and brought her into his arms. This was how he noticed that her body and palms were extremely cold as if she had stayed there all night. That realization made Cedrick¡¯s nerves tense again. Chapter 766 Chapter 766 Chapter 766 "Sorry. Everything all happened so suddenly that I didn''t have time to inform you." Catelyn stared at Cedrick uneasily. Before he returned, her mind was brimming with questions as she had lots to ask, including if he had a hit-and-run involving Ste, but... When she saw him, she lost the determination to do so. She was afraid that all his answers would indicate that he was responsible because she would not know how she would face Ste and Cedrick afterward. However, he was calm and did not reek of alcohol, and she saw no guilty conscience after an ident from him. If she asked the question out of a sudden, it would seem she did not trust him all the while. Finally, she pretended to be nonchnt and asked, "Is it something troubling? I called youst night, but you didn''t answer. It "It''s all a matter of work, but it''s resolved now. what happened to those phone callsst night?" Cedrickdid not n to borate on what happened yesterday. Instead, he grabbed her hand and rubbed it before putting it in his pocket to keep them warm. "With Charles?" Cedrick paused, then nodded lightly. "Yes." Catelyn''s breath paused at this. He was lying! When she could not find himst night, she called both Charles and Eason, but neither of them knew where Cedrick had gone. Here he was, lying to her that he was with Charles. ''But why?'' Catelyn took out her hand from his pocket with a forced smile and nced at the Mercedis Maybach parked behind him, which was the same as the car that hit Ste in the footage. What made her heart skip the most was that there were several scratches in different shades on the bumper on the front of the car. She looked at Cedrick in bewilderment. He also noticed that she was staring at the front of the car, so he said casually, "On the way back, a biker almost crashed into my car, hence the scratches. I''ll have someone touch up the paintter. Let''s go upstairs." Cedrick subconsciously reached out to hold her hand once more, but Catelyn unwittingly put her hands in her pockets and took a half step back. "I rarely see you drive your Mercedis Maybach. Don''t you always drive your Bently to work?" With his hand grabbing at nothingness, he stared at Catelyn quietly with his eyes narrowed. After getting along for so long, he thought he knew her very well. Still, he could not tell if her subconscious action was to avoid him or if it was just the cold weather. ''No, she was definitely resisting me.'' "What happened yesterday?" Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn was flustered by his sharp eyes, and she wanted to ask about the ident, but her utterance was changed as her mind was a mess. "My live broadcast yesterday was very good, and the poprity of Marine Pearl Bay has increased, ahead of Pentnd Group. I want to share the news with you, but you''re not here..." She did not dare to meet his gaze right after and hurriedly ran to the elevator, she felt there was more to the ident than what met the eye. ''It can''t be him, and these pieces of evidence should be just a coincidence. Cedrick isn''t the type of person who hit-and-run. He''ll admit it if he''s the one.'' Catelyn pondered, she wanted to find out about this on her own. Cedrick always felt that Catelyn was strange. When she turned around, he quickly followed and spread her arms from behind to embrace her. With his chest against her back, she could feel his heartbeat. "Catelyn, we''re a married couple now, so I hope you trust me enough," came his husky voice. "You can tell me anything and let me help you." Catelyn''s heart felt like it nearly popped out of her chest. She desperately wanted to be on his side, but there were too many coincidences that associated him with the hit-and-run culprit. Chapter 767 Chapter 767 Chapter 767 "I''m fine, honest. Let''s go home already, I''m so hungry." Catelyn needed to sort out these clues. Cedrick turned her around and made her face him. His sharp cold eyes were full of hostility. "Is that so? You''re not lying now, are you?" "Yes." Catelyn lowered her gaze, and her mind was in chaos. Of course, Cedrick did not believe her. Her current state was so unstable that anyone could see that something must have happened. Suddenly, two fingers pinched her chin, forcing her to raise her gaze slightly to meet his eyes. "Tell me, what happened?" "I¡ªI... The..." Catelyn hesitated and tried to organize her utterance, but she was somewhat at a loss for words. Just when she made up her mind and nned to ask about the ident, Cedrick swung her chin from his hold, and his tone became gloomy when he spoke, "It seems that you''re forcing me to have someone check you before you answer." "Answer me first: what did you dost night? I know that Charles wasn''t with you!" Cedrick''s eyebrows suddenly tightened. Coldness shed in his eyes, and he fell silent. Seeing that he did not answer, Catelyn became anxious and grabbed his wrist. "Didn''t you say we''re a couple? If you want me to trust you, shouldn''t you show that you''re trustworthy first?" Cedrick stared at her silently for a moment and then pried off her fingers, one by one. Catelyn would not let go, however, even if her knuckles were hurt by his action. "Answer me! As long as you say it, I''ll believe you!" Catelyn still had hope in her. As long as Cedrick showed his alibi or even gave a reasonable exnation, she would believe that the footage was forged by Quinn, and the scratches on the car were caused by some random rider. Cedrick''s eyebrows tightened even more, and he pushed her hand away from his arm. The hand slumped unexpectedly easily. With a phone call, two bodyguards¡ªa man and a woman¡ªswiftly came out of the lift and greeted Cedrick and Catelyn. "Master Cedrick, Missus Mason." "Where did Missus Mason go yesterday? who did she meet, and what happened?" Cedrick asked the two bodyguards coldly in front of Catelyn. Catelyn stared in disbelief at the two bodyguards in front of her. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. They were neighbors who had just moved in for two or three days. She even greeted them, thinking they were a married couple, just like Cedrick and her, but they were bodyguards Cedrick had ordered to spy on her! The bodyguards looked at each other before they replied in a formic manner, "After Missus Mason got off work yesterday, she went to the Barricade Club with Mister Atherton, Miss Winters, and others. She stayed there until about nine o''clock, then went to the hospital to meet Quinn before she went back to Ocean Path Residence until the middle of the night. During that time, they made another visit to the hospital..." All the details of her itinerary that were known by the bodyguards horrified Catelyn. She could not help staring angrily at Cedrick and confronted him. " Seriously? You had someone follow and spy on me all this while? For God''s sake, how long has it been going?!" Cedrick, the apathetic man as he always was, did not soften his tone, "I told you I don''t want that ident at Mister Zimmer''s ce to happen again, and I don''t want my woman to need to be rescued by the Ninth Master when an ident urs. They''re protecting you." "Even if it''s for my sake, why didn''t you tell me before?" Catelyn did not see that as a way of protection at all. They pretended to be neighbors and greeted her but would follow her closely in private like spies. Her life was nothing of a secret to the eyes of these two. There was no privacy at all! Cedrick did not answer her. Instead, he looked at the bodyguard and asked, "Why did they go to the hospital to meet Quinn?" "Missus rk was in a car ident, and she''s now in aa, residing in the hospital," said the bodyguard. ''Ste had a car ident?'' It was not until that moment Cedrick understood why Catelyn had been emotional. He had the bodyguards leave them soon after. Catelyn looked in the direction where the bodyguards disappeared. They got into the lift again and still lived near her house. The fear of being watched all the time became thest straw that broke the camel''s back. "Cedrick, I need you to remove these two bodyguards from spying on me, now!" Chapter 768 Chapter 768 Chapter 768 "Your mother was in the hospital because of a car ident, and you''re hiding the news from me?!" Cedrick ignored her Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. usation, and his expression became fierce. "She''s injured and needs help. You should tell me that instead of trying to change the subject of the topic! What the hell are you doing? Are you guilty?!" "I''m not! I''m just... I..." Catelyn bit her lower lip. "What is it, then?" Cedrick continued to pressure her, wanting to hear what exnation she coulde up with. He thought that they had gone through so much that she would trust him no matter what, yet he did not expect her to keep secrets from him. If she had long told him that Miles and ollie were his, there would not have been so many things happening. That would only seem to him that she did not trust him wholeheartedly. Catelyn was about to go mad because of him pressuring her. Abruptly, she thought of something and blurted out, "Do you have twin brothers?" Cedrick frowned and stared at her suspiciously. "Excuse me?" If Cedrick did have a twin, the elder of the Mason family would not hand over the Mason Group to him, and he would not hide him from her. That sounded heartbreaking and unbelievable to him. Catelyn''s body''s strength seemed to be drained in an instant, and there was a sense of powerlessness filled up her muscles. She could not help admitting her guilt. She neither wanted to be hurtfully blunt with Cedrick nor face the truth of him hurting Ste. However, Cedrick was sensitive and brilliant at the same time. Associating the car ident with the abnormal behavior of Catelyn that stared at his car''s scratches, Cedrick suddenly lowered his eyes and asked, "Don''t tell me that you thought I''m the one who hit your mom?" "I...didn''t say that." "That''s what you think!" Cedrick sneered as if he finally understood something. "You suspected that I ran into your mother yesterday and then ran off. Now youe and interrogate me as a suspect! Is this what you call loving me?!" His questioning was like a needle pierced into Catelyn''s heart. " Can''t you just tell me what you did yesterday?" she feebly retorted. "What are you hiding?!" "That''s two different things at all!" snapped Cedrick. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to the Mercedis Maybach. As Catelyn''s hands and feet still felt limp, she was dragged all the way as she staggered. "Let go of me! where are you taking me?!" Cedrick turned a deaf ear, put her in the passenger seat, and mmed to lock the door afterward. Catelyn tapped the car window vigorously but to no avail. After that, Cedrick also got into the car, started the engine, reversed the car, and made a detour to the ident center of the traffic brigade in Ocean Path Residence. Before Catelyn realized what had happened, Cedrick had already made a report to the police. "I need you to check it with all the approaches you know. I was suspected to be the culprit of a hit-and-run ident outside Ocean Path Residence at around eight-thirtyst night." Cedrickbriefly exined the situation and tried to prove his innocence in the simplest and most effective way. Although he could not tell her his whereabouts and actions yesterday, he knew that he did not run into anyonest night. The officers gave Cedrick a once-over and thought they had heard him wrong. No one had ever volunteered to be the suspect in any case! They were shocked by Cedrick''s re. "Please wait a moment as we need to obtain the testimonies of witnesses nearby and check the footage from all surveince cameras." One of the police officers poured a ss of water for the two and asked them to sit and wait in the hall. Cedrick would be presumed innocent before they foundpelling evidence. Chapter 769 Chapter 769 Chapter 769 Catelyn looked at the officers in the center, frowned, and tugged at the hem of Cedrick''s clothes. "Cedrick, stop making trouble! Let''s leave now!" "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that I''m the murderer, or that I''m looking for trouble?" There was no warmth in Cedrick''s deep eyes. Catelyn did not dare to admit that she was afraid of both. Even though she believed from the bottom of her heart that he was not the murderer, she was afraid that something else would catch her by surprise. He never exined his whereaboutsst night, and the police officers would undoubtedly ask for an alibiter. She tried to persuade him politely, "You''re the CEO of the Mason Group, which is a public figure in a way. Even if you didn''t do anything, you''ll still be the topic of the public''s chatter while you''re here! Let''s go and have thewyer or Charles deal with it. Since the case has been filed, I''m sure the police will prove your innocence." "Until then, we won''t go anywhere!" Cedrickinterrupted her domineeringly. "I can''t stand being suspected ofmitting a crime that I didn''tmit!" "It was my fault. I shouldn''t doubt you. Let''s go home, okay?" Catelyn turned softhearted and started to beg him. s, Cedrickhad no intention of leaving. Instead, he took a sip of his drink and said, "Don''t you want to find out who''s the culprit that hit your mother?" Catelyn felt helpless. It was because she knew the man was Cedrick that she was afraid. Cedrick stared at her for a moment, put down the paper cup in his hand, and his sharp eyes narrowed coldly. "First of all, I''m not a murderer. Second, I want to know the truth even if you don''t. Since you don''t believe what I say, then let those who you believe give you the answer." Catelyn knew that there was no other way to persuade him anymore, so she acquiesced to stay by his side. Cedrick no longer spared a word for Catelyn afterward, while she did not know what to say to him at the moment. Silence enveloped the two. Cup after cup, and hour after hour. Finally, when Catelyn came out of the bathroom for the second time, an officer came up to them with evidence and witnesses. The witness should have been Quinn, but she did not answer her phone. In the end, the policemen found an old couple in their 60s and 70s as witnesses. When the old couple saw Cedrick, they immediately pointed at him, shouting, "Officer, is the car at the door his? He''s the murderer! We saw ourselves that this was the car that hit the woman!" Cedrick suddenly shot up from his seat, and his ck eyes shone fiercely. "You better watch your mouth. What do you mean, the car is mine and I''m the murderer? Do you need me to exin to you about ''mimic cars''?" Seeing how fierce Cedrick was, the old man pulled his wife behind him and stared at him furiously. "Your car still has marks of impact. Who else could it be if it''s not you?" It was a luxury car, and the old man was dead sure with his statement. Cedrick''s hand that hung by the side of his leg slowly squeezed into a fist, and his thin lips raised into a mocking arc. "You must be over sixty, right? The ident happened at night, so how did you see it clearly from such a long distance?" The old couple choked upon hearing this. Catelyn hurriedly apologized. After soothing Cedrick''s emotions, she pulled him to a corner and sat down. Cedrick sneered silently. He had been doing a great job holding his temper. If he had been charged with a crime he nevermitted, he would have gone crazy. However, Cedrick''s face sank when he saw the footage that the officers showed them. The policemen managed to obtain the remaining surveince footage at the crime scene and processed them to be in resolution. All the footage clearly showed that at eight o''clockst night, a man drove a ck Mercedis Maybach outside the Ocean Path Residence and knocked Ste into the air. The model of the car was the same as the Maybach parked at the door, and so was the license te number. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. The most frightening thing was that, with a zoom-in close-up look at the driver''s face, it was exactly like Cedrick. Chapter 770 Chapter 770 Chapter 770 Cedrick was baffled by their findings. He asked the police officer, "Are you sure the footage is real?" "We''ve made a thorough check, and there is no trace of editing," said the officer, as to be fair. "In addition, we also need to detain the car at the door, analyze your driving record, and arrange for a specialist to do the appraisal." Cedrick frowned deeply. Aplex look shed across his eyes. "I''m going out to make a phone call," he said. The officer immediately stood up. "Do you want me to arrange for someone to apany you?" Cedrick shot him with a sharp cold nce. "Why? Am I already the murderer before the examination''s resultse out?" "Well, I..." The officer was flustered at this, not knowing how to answer. "Officer, the victim was my mother. I believe Cedrick won''t try to escape, or he wouldn''t even take the initiative to file a case today, would he now?" Catelyn tried to ease the tension in the atmosphere. The officer waved his hand, indicating that Cedrick could go and make a phone call while also arranging for Cedrick''s car to be impounded. Catelyn did not go out with Cedrick. He did not seem to be reacting to her, anyway. When he saw that a man who looked like a spitting image of him hit Ste with a car, she was also in sheer disbelief. ''What''s happening? Does it have anything to do with what he did yesterday? Why can''t he tell me?'' Catelyn pondered various possibilities in her mind, and before she knew it, half an hour had passed. The policeman peeked at her from time to time. He was probably either worried that Cedrick would escape, or felt pity for Catelyn because her husband bumped into her mother, which was something hard to ept. Finally, after another 10 minutes, Cedrick came back. The peaks of his eyebrows were always tightly wrinkled and never stretched out. Benjamin, together with anotherwyer, followed behind him. He walked up to the officer and started introducing himself. The officer, who heard his name, was trembling. "Mister Anderson, w¡ªwhat brings you here today?" "On behalf of my client, Mister Mason, I''d like to offer a few points of view on the hit-and-run incident..." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Benjamin and the policeman began to negotiate and Catelyn''s heart sank. ''Cedrick called Benjamin? Does it mean that he had admitted that he was the one who hit Ste with his car?'' There seemed to be telepathy between the two. While Catelyn was looking at Cedrick, he was also looking at her. Cedrick frowned and said, "I''ll figure this out. I don''t remember that I bumped into your motherst night." "You can''t tell me what you didst night, but you shouldn''t be alone, right? No one else can provide an alibi for you?" Cedrick pursed his lips a little tighter. "Just wait for the appraisal result of the car." Cedrick was basically telling her that there was nothing she could know from him anymore. "I''ll go to the hospital to visit my mother, then. The doctor said that her brain activity is very weak. She needs someone to talk with her often, which will increase the probability of her waking up." "Okay." Aftering out of the ident center, Catelyn was restless. On the way to the hospital, she was stopped by a ck Spiker. The car window rolled down, revealing Uncle Ford''s face in the process. "Miss rk, Grandpa Mason wants to see you." Chapter 771 Chapter 771 Chapter 771 Uncle Ford took numerous turns into various alleys, probably to shake off the bodyguard who followed after Catelyn. Eventually, they arrived at a tea house with a quiet environment on the corner of a street. Grandpa Mason was in the private room on the top floor, standing by the window with one hand on the railing, looking out into the distance. The tea house was elegantly decorated as there were elegantly carved handicrafts on the shelves, and the whole house was filled with a faint tea fragrance. After Uncle Ford announced to Granda Mason that the ''guest'' was here, he slowly turned. Sporting a ck coat, his face was etched with sternness as his eyes gleamed coldly. "Ceddy has you well-guarded, it seems. I had to get rid of his people before I got to meet you." "If you have something to say, please get straight to it." Catelyn was neither humble nor arrogant, but calm. A faint glint could be seen in her eyes. Draco stepped back to the table with a stern expression. "I''ve reminded you many times that I want you to leave Ceddy and give up custody of the two children, but it seems that you take none of my words to heart. You even get the marriage certificate with Cedrick secretly. Do you think the house rules of the Mason family are just child''s y?" "I respect you as Cedrick''s grandfather, but it doesn''t mean that we should always follow your orders." "So you''ve made up your mind not to leave him?" Draco stared at her mockingly. Catelyn took a deep breath and dered, "Unless he doesn''t want me, I won''t divorce him, and I sure as heck won''t give up custody of the children." "Is that so?" The sneer on Draco''s face gradually became unfathomable. "In the past, if it weren''t for the fact that you''ve given birth to my grandchildren, I''d have had someone get rid of you. Ceddy has been resenting me for always putting you in difficult situations. "Now, Quinn¡ªMiss Atherton¡ªis back, she can do things, take care of Ceddy, or even give birth to more heirs of the family a hundred times better than you. If you truly love him, you should leave as soon as possible!" "Do you truly think Quinn is the daughter of the Atherton family?" questioned Catelyn casually. Draco, however, was not surprised at all. "Do you think that matters? The Atherton family just needs to admit her identity." It seemed that he was determined to force her to leave. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn offered him a solemn bow. "I''m sorry, but I can''t do it. If you ask me to be here just to talk about this, I''m afraid we have nothing to talk about." Just as she was about to leave, she heard Draco¡¯s monotonous voiceing from behind, "I heard that Ceddy has injured your mother and is now in aa, lying in the hospital bed." Catelyn''s heart began to race upon hearing this. "Leave her alone!" she hissed. "She has nothing to do with this!" "Ceddy hurt her, yet you refuse to leave him. It seems that you don''t actually care about Missus Hills after all." Disdain shed in Draco''s eyes, but he suddenly changed the subject of the conversation. "What if...Ezekiel was in trouble instead?" Draco took out a stack of photos and threw them in front of Catelyn. Fwoosh! The photos rustled in the air and finally fell to the ground at the other end of the table, one after another. Catelyn casually picked up the one on the table and nced at it. Instantly, she found herself unable to breathe as her eyes were filled with sheer shock. ''It''s Dad!'' The person in the photo was Ezekiel, Catelyn''s father! The photos seemed to have been taken in a dirty ce, and Ezekiel was wearing a prison uniform, crouching on the ground, cleaning. Behind him stood many men wearing the same prison uniform with malicious smiles on their faces. She hurriedly picked up the other photos and looked at them all. In other photos, Ezekiel was weeding thewn, doing handicrafts in the dark room, and was even beaten and kicked by a group of gangsters. One of her hands flew to sp her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes. There was no doubt that this was a prison, where Ezekiel was suffering. He was not dead yet. She knew her father was alive! However, seeing him so oppressed in such a state, she felt infinite guilt and remorse in her heart, "where did these photose from?" she asked. "How is my father now?" Chapter 772 Chapter 772 Chapter 772 "Leave Ceddy, and give up custody of the children. I''ll let you reunite with your father," said Draco coldly. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn''s heart skipped a beat, she picked up the photos and responded in the same cold tone, "Aren''t you afraid that I''ll tell Cedrick about this? If you threaten me with my father, what kind of elder are you?" "If you''re interested in finding that out, go ahead and tell him. I''m also curious to know how Ceddy has grown over these years, or there''s many a good tune yed on an old fiddle?" Draco was deeply disinterested, and his expression was even more indifferent. "There are so many prisons in the world. How long do you think he''ll take to check all the jails?" Catelyn clenched her fists. "Despicable!" "Despicable or shameless; call me whatever you like. I''mCeddy''s grandfather, so I have to think about him. If you continue to be involved with Ceddy, the next photo you see will be Ezekiel''s posthumous photo." Blood surged throughout Catelyn''s veins, and her shoulders trembled. On one hand was the father she had been looking for four years, and on the other was Cedrick and her two children. She could not make a choice. "How do I know you didn''t make these photos up?" The sunlight prated through the ss window and faintly enveloped Catelyn''s body, still, she could not feel any warmth. All she felt was how cold it was. Draco poured himself another cup of tea and took a few sips, and he seemed to want to talk about that topic. He signaled for Uncle Ford toe in front of Catelyn. Uncle Ford bowed respectfully and asked, "Master?" Draco said calmly, as if evaluating the taste of the tea, "Pass my order to our men in there: Cut off one of Ezekiel''s fingers and take it back for Miss rk to check¡ª" "No!" yelled Catelyn. she bit her lower lip and whimpered, "Don¡¯t hurt my father. He''s too old and can''t bear the torture! "I... I''ll take your advice into consideration, but you have to keep him safe first!" She did not even know why she promised Draco this. "That depends on whether you''re cooperative or not." Catelyn clutched the photo tightly, suppressing the sourness and anger in her heart. "Even if I did leave Cedrick, he won''t marry Quinn. Your wishful thinking will be fruitless!" "That''s not what you should worry about. I think I should''ve separated both of you with all I could when I was in Franche. I''ve given you a few more months of good times being with him, so you should be grateful. My great-grandson mustn''t have such an immoral woman like you as a mother." The photo in the palm of her hand nearly crumpled in her hands. She sneered, "You may find yourself to be disappointed, then, because they''ve always only recognized me as their mother." Thinking of the two children''s dependence on Catelyn, Draco finally changed his attitude. Cedrick was easy to deal with as he could find a way to make him give up, but the two children were still so young. He did not want to use Catelyn to hurt them unless it was ast resort. "Children are forgetful. In the future, I''ll find a better, gentler mother for them than you. You won''t be remembered when they grow up." After that, Draco asked Uncle Ford to see Catelyn off. Catelyn staggered out of the private room. When she went down the stairs, she waspletely lost, she identally skipped a step and almost fell. Uncle Ford managed to catch her hand before she fell. "Miss rk, be careful." Catelyn''s fine eyshes quivered, she was desperate at this point as she grabbed Uncle Ford''s hand as if he was her lifeline. "Uncle Ford," she whimpered, "you watched Cedrickand Ollie grow up. I''m sure you wouldn''t want them to lose their lover and mother, right? So please, tell me, which prison is my dad in?" Uncle Ford frowned and immediately withdrew the hand that was supporting her, expressionlessly replying, "I don¡¯t know." "Grandpa Mason asked you to give the order just now, so how could you not know my father''s whereabouts? Uncle Ford, please, tell me where he''s being held!" she kept begging as tears fell down her cheeks, leaving a trail of tears. Uncle Ford turned his face away to not look at her sadness out of guilt. "I really don''t know. Even if I do, I won''t betray my Master. "Miss rk, no one can betray him, so ept your fate. Leave now, and you can save your own life by that, otherwise..." Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Uncle Ford did not say what would happen otherwise, but Catelyn understood. It turned out that Elder Mason not only nned to use her father to threaten her but also nned to get rid of her together if necessary. She was not afraid of death, but she was afraid that her father would be hurt. She lost her biological mother when she was a child, and though Ste took care of her, she could not give her the maternal love she wanted most. It had always been her father who supported and encouraged her by her side. Four years ago, her father had an ident, and that ced her in great suffering. Today, she finally had a little bit of hope, knowing that her father was not dead, still, she could not give up her love and two children. ''Happiness is only one step away, but why can''t I get it?'' shemented. After Cedrick had dealt with the traffic brigade, he came to the hospital to pick up Catelyn, only to find that she was not in the hospital at all. When he called thepany, Jolene told him that Catelyn had taken leave for the day. Cedrick frowned, but just as he was about to call the bodyguards assigned to look after Catelyn, they rang him up and guiltily confessed they had lost Catelyn. Cedrickcursed, thinking of the footage that the police showed him, and was worried if Catelyn was deliberately avoiding him. When he went home helplessly to change his clothes, he was rather surprised to find that someone was hiding in the quilt. He quietly approached, lifted the quilt from a corner, and saw Catelyn lying quietly on the bed with her eyes widened. Her eyes met his. Cedrick''s mind finally eased off as he breathed a sigh of relief. " Didn''t you say you were in the hospital? why did you run home without telling me?" Catelyn pinched her thigh intensely, preventing herself from crying out of sadness, she had cried many times already, so she should not be crying over it anymore lest Cedrick would find it out. "I didn''t have a good restst night, so I came home to take a nap, " Catelyn exined softly and stretched out her arms for a hug. " Can you hug me?" Cedrickgently lifted her from the bed. she sat on hisp while he leaned over to pick up the shoes on the ground and put them on for her, without the slightest impatience or disgust. Catelyn leaned into his arms and listened to his steady heartbeat. " My ssmate in elementary school asked me something. Can you give me some advice?" "What''s the matter?" "My ssmate secretly married her boyfriend, but her boyfriend''s grandparents are against their marriage, so they used the rtives she cared about most to force her to divorce him, or her rtives will die. How do you think I should answer her?" N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Her boyfriend is that much of an ipetent guy?" Cedrick smirked sarcastically, but Catelyn immediately exined, " It''s not ipetence, but because the elders in her husband''s family are too arrogant." "He can''t even protect his own wife and her rtives, so that''s definitely ipetence." Cedrick deeply despised the man Catelyn was making up. "If he can''t keep his promise to protect her, he shouldn''t marry her at all. That''ll only hurt her more." Catelyn''s nose suddenly became sore. She leaned her head against his shoulder and asked softly, "You mean...they should get divorced?" Chapter 774 Chapter 774 Chapter 774 Cedrick enjoyed Catelyn''s docility as his palm quietly slipped up along the hem of her clothes. His slender fingers fell to the buttons of her coat, and his thin lips were close to her ear. "This kind of man isn''t worth it. she should divorce him as soon as possible." N?velDrama.Org ? content. Catelyn did not notice that his hands were starting to undress her and instead continued, "what if my ssmate and her husband have a child?" "If she hasn''t given birth to the child yet, kill it. The child will only trouble her and be a weak spot for her. Your ssmate would be tied up to the child, and she''ll never be able to get away from that for the rest of her life." Cedrick was right. If she did not agree with Elder Mason earlier that day, he would hurt her father and even threaten her with Miles the next day. After all, Elder Mason always looked down on her, what more her baby, Miles. "Isn''t there a better answer?" rasped Catelyn as though asking Cedrick and herself. He suddenly licked her earlobe, stretched his hand into her clothes, leaned over, pressed her against the edge of the bed, and said nonchntly, "Of course there is." Catelyn grabbed the hem of his clothes in surprise. "What is it?" "Have your ssmate find a way to kill her husband''s grandparents, and all the problems will be solved." This startled Catelyn as her pupils shrank instantly. She stared Cedrick into his eyes. She could not possibly Elder Mason, so this remained an unsolved topic. Cedrick did not want to hear her talk about her ssmates anymore. He wanted to hear from her that she believed in him and would always be with him. In fact, after she left in the morning, he went to check the dash cam in the Maybach. He realized that the driver had indeed gone to the vicinity of Ocean Path Residencest night. There were too many unexinable questions and mysteries about this matter, waiting to be solved. Without any extra movement, his lips fluttered from her earlobe to her lips, seizing it instantly. His dominating kiss eventuallynded on her mouth, rolling her tongue with his as if to seek more from her. Catelyn did not n on resisting whatsoever, she wrapped around his neck and responded to him gently. To her, this could be thest time they kissed deeply and had such intimate contact. She could not be so selfish that, for the sake of her own happiness, she did not even care about her father''s life. Gradually, she closed her eyes and touched his chest unconsciously. Cedrick felt a little surprised by Catelyn''s initiative. When she was in the ident center of the traffic brigade, she still avoided his hand like the gue. The sudden change in behavior within just a few hours baffled him. Still, his suspicions did not stop him from getting lost in this deep kiss. When Catelyn woke up after their intimate affair, Cedrick was already headed toward thepany, but he had left a sticky note on the bedside that said there was porridge in the rice cooker. Cedrick hardly ever went to the kitchen to cook. He believed that gentlemen should keep themselves away from the kitchen. Catelyn put on her pajamas and went to the kitchen. Taking off the lid of the rice cooker, hot steam blew at her face as the porridge inside was already cooked, she scooped out the porridge and put it in a white ceramic bowl. Sitting alone in front of the dining table, she began to eat. Although the porridge was tasteless, it tasted better than all the great meals she ever had, all because Cedrick cooked this himself for her. That afternoon, Catelyn did not go to thepany and took another leave. She then went to the kindergarten to pick up both Miles and Ollie before the ss ended. The teacher thought she had something urgent at home and did not ask any further questions. However, Miles and ollie were curious why Catelyn suddenly picked them up before ss ended that day. she used to be strict and not allow them to y truant. To their surprise, Catelyn drove the chauffeur''s car, took the two little guys to go shopping, and bought a lot of brand-new clothes and toys for them. Chapter 775 Chapter 775 Chapter 775 Miles and Ollie were excitedly unboxing their newly bought toys. "Would you like to change into your new outfit? You''ll be very handsome." Catelyn, having brought two sets of small red coats, gazed at the boys innocent expression with a frail heart. "Okay!" answered the boys in unison as they got into the fitting room. The mirror in the fitting room reflected Catelyn''s pale face. She thus took out her lipstick from her purse and put on makeup for herself. She then gently patted her cheeks, making herself look livelier, as she sported a grin. The boys then came out of the fitting room. Miles would probably make a gifted athlete as he suddenly jumped over, hugged Catelyn''s legs, and hung on her to act like a spoiled child. "Mommy is the best in the world! I love the new clothes you bought for US today. Are we celebrating something?" Ollie pursed his lips shyly. Both sets of new clothes were red with green stripes, which were festive colors only worn during Christmas. The shop assistant on the side teased that they looked like Santa us, too. Catelyn half-squatted in front of him, smoothed his little head, and said, "Yes. Mommy is going to find Grandpa, and Mommy is very happy about that." Tears rolled down from her eyes, and she quickly wiped them off. Miles immediately noticed something was wrong with her and asked, "Are you crying?" Catelyn raised her head and faked a smile at him. "No." "Lie." Miles stretched out his tiny hand to wipe the tears on her face and asked, "What''s this, then?" A crystal teardrop shone on his fingertips. 1 At that very second, the ache in her heart intensified. She gently held his little face. "I admit that I cried, but it''s because I was so happy that I can finally see Grandpa after being separated for four years. That''s a tear of joy. I''m very excited that I finally got some clues about him." Ollie stared at her suspiciously. "Is this true?" "Yes, it is." Catelyn nodded surely. "Do you want to go to the amusement park?" Miles wound his arms around her neck, his voice carrying a hint of distress and a fierce warning as he spoke, "You mustn''t cry, then. If you cry again, I''ll be very, very angry. Grandpa can''t make Mommy cry." Although it was unbearable for her to leave her children, she still held back her tears, not letting them fall in front of the children. She was a mother, and she wanted to leave them with the best memories. Soon, they arrived at the amusement park. Although Miles and ollie said that they did not care about amusement parks, they contradicted themselves as they hopped and ran around excitedly upon their arrival. Catelyn secretly recorded their sincere smiles with her phone. The boys were smiling sweetly and kept waving at her to signal her to catch them up. when sitting on the kids'' train, Miles put his hands on his mouth, acting like he was ying a trumpet to cheer her. Throughout the entire afternoon, the smile on Catelyn''s face did not fade. The three of them had a great time at the amusement park, and they stayed there until the park closed at night. Even though it was winter, the boys sweated buckets, she looked at their happy faces, lowered her head, and kissed their Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. foreheads. " Do you have anything else you want to eat? Mommy will take you for a fun one-off today." Miles was ted to hear this as he rubbed her cheek while sitting on her thighs. His kisses littered her face, coating her with a thin sheen of his saliva in the process. Catelyn could tell that Miles had not been this happy for a long time. However, ollie had been frowning since they left the amusement park. He had observed Catelyn for a long time, and he noticed how she would secretly wipe her tears from time to time. ''What''s going on? shouldn''t Mommy be happy to take US out to y? Were those really tears of joy?'' he pondered. Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Catelyn took Miles and Ollie to eat their favorite dishes. Miles liked spicy food, and ollie liked light food. Catelyn had been driving tirelessly from one ce to another to take the two little guys to have the most fun. Shortly afterward, the two little kids were so tired that they leaned against her arms and fell asleep. They were carefree, like angels sent by God. "Miles? Ollie?" Catelyn whispered softly in their ears. Miles was too tired to y anymore and slept very deeply. Catelyn did not want to wake them up, so she took out a nket to cover them. Ollie was awakened by the slight movement, so he looked at Catelyn in a daze. "Huh?" "Tell Mummy, do you have any wish? Mummy will help you make ite true," said Catelyn with her head bowed, and tears fell out again in disobedience. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Fortunately, Ollie squinted his eyes coincidently and did not catch that. He muttered, "I want Daddy, Mummy, Miles, and me, the four of us, to be together forever." After saying that, the little guy fell asleep again unconsciously. Catelyn almost burst into tears, but she covered her mouth and her tears just in time, still, it did notst long. Tears fell on the tiny cheeks of the little kids. She was afraid to wake them up, so she wiped them off gently, hugged them, and the cry was suppressed in her throat. "I''m sorry, my babies... I''m so sorry for you... Please forgive me." She begged in her heart for their forgiveness for not giving up Ezekiel for them and not being able to watch Grandpa Mason hurting Ezekiel. She did not know how long she had been sitting in the car. she bit her lower lip to stabilize her emotions while driving back to Green Inds until her lip bled. When she carried Miles upstairs, she vaguely heard Miles unconsciously whispering, " Mummy, don''t cry..." Catelyn stopped, then replied softly, "Okay, I won''t cry." After running twice to carry both kids upstairs, she took a shower and rested with her two children. She then packed all her stuff in her luggage. There were very few things, and it was quick to pack up- staring at her fireworks ring, she hesitated and was still reluctant to take it off. She also put a sticky note on the bedside to remind Cedrick not to skip his meals. When she was at the door, about to leave, her eyes fell on the King''s bed in the bedroom. Just earlier that day, they were still embracing and depicting a happy future, but in the blink of an eye, it all turned into a pipe dream, which made her whole heart break again. No matter how reluctant she was, she had no choice but to leave and give up the custody of her children. All those happy memories in the past started shing in her head. Then, she left without looking back ever again. She was afraid that if she did not leave this time, Grandpa Mason would really cut off her father''s finger, she knew that he was never all talk. When she got downstairs, she called the maid at Green Inds while waiting for the taxi. The maid was dispatched by Grandpa Albert from the Mason Estate to stay in the Green Inds. Usually, she would help with housework and take care of the two children when Catelyn and Cedrick were not at home. It took her more than half an hour to tell the maid about Cedrick''s and the two children''s taste preferences. The maid was paying attention at first, but the more Catelyn said, the more puzzled she became. "Ma''am, are you nning to go abroad in the near future? Is that why you have to tell so much at one time?" Catelyn was already in a cab when she heard that, she was silent for a while before saying to the maid, "Well, you can help me take good care of them in the future." The phone was hung up afterward. ''Cedrick, please forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye. I''m afraid I don''t have the courage to say that in front of you.'' Chapter 777 Chapter 777 Chapter 777 Catelyn sent a message to Joanne in advance, telling her that she would make a visit to her house for a while. For two reasons Catelyn made the visit. Joanne had a good rtionship with her, so she was the best candidate when she needed someone to confide in. Besides, Joanne was now living in Shoal Vi, which was owned by Edwin. For the sake of Cedrick''s rtionship with Edwin, he would not do anything silly or irrational. Knowing that Catelyn wasing, Joanne deliberately waited for her outside the vi. When she saw her getting off the taxi with luggage, she was bbergasted. "Cat, did you quarrel with Master Cedrick? Why are you here alone?" she hurried to take over the luggage. Fortunately, it was not heavy. Catelyn smiled bitterly and said, "It''s a long story. I might divorce Cedrick..." "Divorce?!" Joanne''s pitch suddenly rose several degrees and sheughed. " Haha, today isn''t April Fool''s Day, so stop teasing me! You and Master Cedrick are such a lovely couple, plus he asked Edwin and me to help you before, so that must be a joke. Nice try, Cat." Joanne''sughter echoed in the air. still, Catelyn stood quietly and said nothing. Joanne''s smile slowly faded, looking embarrassed. "You really n to divorce Master Cedrick...?" "So, can I stay at your ce... just for some days?" "Stay as long as you want. Bad Guy Edwin rarely sleeps here, and I feel lonely living in such a big vi!" Joanne carefully observed Catelyn''s expression. Her eyes were red, and her long eyshes were stuck together. It was obvious that she had cried.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ''What did Master Cedrick do that made her think of divorcing him? Why didn''t the two babies follow her here? Did she n to give up custody of her children already? That''s so out of her style! She was so afraid of losing Miles that she was reluctant to gamble on even the slightest possibility, but now she''s going to give up voluntarily?'' Joanne mused. Cedrick soon received a call from the maid. He did not pay much attention to what the maid had said, except for thest sentence. "I just went to Green Inds, but the security guard told me that Missus Mason had long left with her luggage." Cedrick was initially on his way to the meeting room, but he stopped immediately when the maid told him about that. He walked to the corner of a balcony and said in a cold voice, "what happened?" "I don''t know what happened. Missus Mason suddenly told me a lot of details about your life and the young masters, when I was about to ask again, she''d already hung up the phone. Master Cedrick... do you think Missus Mason is going to take her own life? " the maid said anxiously on the phone, with no idea where a woman could go with luggage in the middle of the night. Cedrick frowned, unable to imagine that the woman who was still with him at noon would suddenly leave. "Did someonee to pick her up?" "The security said that Missus Mason took a taxi and left by herself. " Cedrickhung up the phone and immediately called the bodyguards, who just happened to report what they had found, and they said bluntly, "We followed Missus Mason all the way to Mister Atherton''s Shoal Vi." "I know. I''lle right away." Cedrickgot the exact address and directly said to Charles, who was beside him, "Have the Deputy CEO preside over the meetingter. If there''s anything that can''t be decided, leave that until Ie back tomorrow." Charles saw that Cedrick was about to leave and hurriedly reminded, "Master Cedrick, hold on! You will have a cross-border video meeting with the Europaen cooperatorter, and this meeting has been postponed once before. I''m afraid if we push it back again, the Europaen cooperator will be unhappy¡ª" "Tell them that they can cancel the cooperation if they are unhappy," said Cedrick as he left the building. It was already night, and cold winds came in from all directions. Yet to him, nothing was more important than Catelyn. Chapter 778 Chapter 778 Chapter 778 Charles still wanted to persuade him, but Cedrickhad already disappeared from sight. Helplessly he sighed and notified the Deputy CEO to preside over the meeting on Cedrick''s behalf. Every time something rted to Catelyn happened, Cedrick would stay calm. Even if the young masters made a fuss, he would never be that anxious. Shoal Vi, as Joanne said, was huge, and there were a lot of rooms. Edwin seldom came home, and when he did, the purpose was to have sex with Joanne. That was why Edwin never came back once during Joanne''s period. Although Joanne did not know what happened between Cedrick and Catelyn, she still cared for her in every possible way, took her to the bedroom, and prepared daily washing supplies for her. There was the sound of a car''s engine being turned off downstairs. Joanne pricked up her ears. "Hey, is that Bad Guy Edwin?" Catelyn heard how Joanne made fun of Edwin by giving him such a funny nickname, still, she could not find it funny as she just sat on the sofa dumbly and tucked her knees with her hands. "Wait here for a while. I''ll tell Bad Guy Edwin that you''re here," said Joanne before she ran out of the room. It just took her three seconds to run back and exim, "Oops! Cat, it''s not Bad Guy Edwin who came back. It''s Master Cedrick. Hurry up and hide. I''ll let the maid stop him..." Catelyn was in a daze just now, but then she regained consciousness when she heard those words. She knew that Cedrick did not get rid of the two bodyguards, so he found her whereabouts with ease. If she had chosen to return to Ocean Path Residence that night, she would have already been tied up and brought back by him. "Thank you, Joanne." "You mustn''te out!" Joanne warned anxiously and ran downstairs. Cedrick was confronting several maids in the hall downstairs. His face was ashen, and that exuded a fierce aura, which made the maids tremble. Joanne was also frightened by his look, "G...Good evening, Master Cedrick. Edwin isn''t here. You can go to Eclipse Entertainment if you want to find him¡ª" "Get Catelyn down." Cedrick did not want to waste time with her. Joanne rolled her eyes and moved her shoulders back "Hmm, I didn''t know Cat was at my house all this while." T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. "On the count of three, if you don''t hand her over, then don''t me me for breaking in." Joanne did not dare to look at Cedrick''s cold eyes, but she roared back with a feigned arrogance, "I said Cat isn''t here! There''s no point in threatening me. I am Missus Atherton now, so if you insist on making a fuss here, I will have the bodyguard throw you out! Don''t mess with me! I''m on my period now, and I really want to dump all my anger!" Meanwhile, the bodyguards beside her were confused. If Missus Atherton ordered, should they get Master Cedrick out or not? Cedrick sneered. Disdain shed across his eyes. He passed her and the bodyguards and went straight upstairs. Joanne''s eyes widened. "Stop! You¡ª" "What''s happening today? My house suddenly became so lively?" Abruptly, a yful voice came from the door, and it was Edwin who came back. Following his arrival, the bodyguards in the vi all bent down to greet him. Joanne was a little relieved when she saw him. she startedining about Cedrick before Cedrick said anything. "You came back just in time. Master Cedrick was trying to kill me!" While on his way back, Edwin had heard about Catelyn''s matter from his bodyguard. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Cedrick. "If she wanted to see you, she would havee down a long time ago. If you push too hard, it may not end up good." "Even the death sentence has an announcement beforehand. I can''t ept her leaving without saying goodbye. I must see Catelyn today. You better not be in my way." Chapter 779 Chapter 779 Chapter 779 "She''s a close friend of my wife. I have to care about my wife." In the guest bedroom upstairs, Catelyn overheard them arguing about her. she knew no matter how hard she tried to hide. They would still eventually meet one day. She needed to make him give up. So, she pushed open the door and went downstairs, standing at the entrance of the stairs, and stopped the two people who were arguing. "Stop it. I''m here." Following the source of the sound, Cedrick saw Catelyn. Under a plum tree whose branches were covered with pink buds in the courtyard of the Shoal Vi, there were withered leaves scattered on the ground. Cedrick grabbed her wrist and asked forcefully, "Why did you leave without saying goodbye? Take your things ande back with me!" "Cedrick Mason, let''s divorce." Catelyn tried very hard to pretend to be calm. There was a silence of a few seconds before Cedrick''s eyes suddenly became gloomy. "Take your words back immediately. T can treat that as a joke!" "I''m afraid I can''t. Cedrick, I''m not kidding." she had no turning back. If Cedrick knew that she came to the Shoal Vi, that would mean Grandpa Mason also knew that. The photo of her father being beaten was still in her purse. She did not want to exchange her happiness with her father''s blood. "We have already got our marriage certificate from the city council, and you have signed a prenuptial agreement. If you want to break up with mepletely, what are you going to do with the two children?" Cedrick could not believe she could be so calm. Still, what Catelyn was about to say would hurt him even more. "No, I don''t want them anymore." "Say that again?!" Cedrick''s eyes narrowed. He was barely not losing his mind. He stared at her as if he would kill her if she dared to repeat it again. Catelyn stared back at him stubbornly, not allowing herself to cry, and pretending to be okay. "Screw that agreement. I want neither yourpensation nor the children. I''m relieved to let you raise the kids..." Cedrick could not ept the mind-blowing fact. He frowned. There was anger in his eyes and blue veins on his forehead. "Did someone do something to you?" He could not believe that she would give up custody of the children so easily. She used to desperately want to snatch it from him. "No." "You think my brain is just a decoration?! Do you think I can''t think with my brain?!" Cedrick stared at her with his scarlet eyes as the strength of grasping her wrist also increased. "If no one is forcing you, why did you run away without saying a word and give Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. up custody? What did Grandpa Mason tell you? Tell me, and I will solve it for you. We are a family. We swore that when we got married. You also promised my mother that you would take good care of me..." He gradually got softer, and he looked at her stubbornly as if to get her response. Catelyn felt that her internal organs were being torn apart, and it was painful. She really wanted to throw herself into his arms and tell him the truth, but she could not. There were so many prisons and prisoners in the world. They would not be able to find her father''s whereabouts. Elder Mason might kill him at any time. Hiding all her grief, she pretended to be angry, shook off his hand forcefully, and responded decisively to him, "Grandpa Mason didn''t do anything to me. It''s you. You hurt my mother, and she''s in aa now. I will think of her in pain when I see you! I can''t ept that you hurt her but still pretend to be a man with justice and morality, so let''s end it here!" Chapter 780 Chapter 780 Chapter 780 Hit-and-run, justice, and morality... That sentence provoked an outburst of anger from Cedrick instantly. His tone became aggressive, and he almost yelled at her, "You think I am the murderer before the police have concluded the case, don''t you? Even if I may be the murderer, I didn¡¯t mean it. Do you want to divorce me just because of that?! Have you ever believed me?" It was ridiculous that he used to think they would be able to live happily ever after. Catelyn was so distressed that it felt like someone had stuck a needle in her heart. Her doubt about him was the result of the umtion of countless coincidences and evidence, yet, she was still willing to believe him that it was an ident even if he was the driver. However, she could not exin to him, so making him misunderstand was the best solution of all. She choked up and nodded with tears in her eyes. "Yes! She''s too old to suffer. I would rather be the one who''s lying on the bed. You can me me, hate me, N?velDrama.Org ? content. or do whatever you want. I really can''t be happy by your side without not caring about her..." Cedrick thought she was talking about Ste, but in fact, she was referring to Ezekiel. The father who used to treat her like a little princess and gave her a carefree life. All she could do now was to obey Grandpa Mason''s orders first. She should leave Cedrick and the children to keep her dad safe. "Then what if your mother could wake up? Can you pretend that this never happened?" Cedrick asked in a deep voice when he saw the tears in her eyes. He could not deny that he became soft hearted at that very moment. Watching him give in to her, Catelyn med herself even more. " Let''s talk about it when she wakes up. I''m sure you will take good care of your two children in the future. I can live well here in peace. " After that, Catelyn was afraid that she would lose control, so she ran away. Cedrick stared at her back which slowly disappeared. She left once again like she always did, yet he stood there and waited as he used to. Cedrick clenched his fists, and his eyes were filled with fury. He wanted Ste to wake up in the shortest possible time and wanted to find out what happened during the car ident. ''Could it be that the medicines I took had side effects and would cause short-term memory loss?'' The secret of the Mason family was that there were very few men in the lineage of Draco who could live to adulthood, because the elders had been poisoned in history, which caused the gic defects in the body to be amplified and inherited by the descendants, resulting in the need to take medicine all the year round. Cedrick was one of them. However, the drugs had been tested many times and were confirmed safe to be consumed, so there should be no such ws. He had never experienced such amnesia before... Catelyn watched Cedrick gradually drive away from the living room, covering her mouth with the urge to cry. Joanne had been private space, still, Edwin responded with a re. Then he said, " Cat doesn''t seem to be in a good mood, so please bring her to the room with you." Joanne immediately and gratefully nodded her head and then apanied Catelyn into the bedroom. In the bedroom, she finally lost control and burst into tears, she hurt Cedrick once again. Chapter 781 Chapter 781 Chapter 781 Especially when Cedrick was backing down for her just now... "Kitty, don''t cry,"forted Joanne, she gave Catelyn a napkin and said, "Your eyes are all red. You know you can tell me anything, I will be here to listen, and I promise not to tell anyone." Catelyn took the napkin and wiped her tears. Before she could finish, her eyes were wet, and tears started flowing out again. "Is there any wine?" mumbled Catelyn. She really wanted to cry, but she was really fed up with feeling this weak. She just wanted to get drunk at the moment. "Can you apany me for a few drinks?" "Yes, there''s nothing but a lot of alcohol here. You can drink as much as you want!" said Joanne excitedly, she immediately ran to the wine cer downstairs and took out a bottle of good wine that Edwin had kept. Catelyn popped open the cork and poured the wine into a transparent goblet. The scarlet liquid slid down her throat and into her stomach, she drank too quickly and ended up choking, feeling a burning sensation in her body. Seeing Catelyn like this, Joanne was concerned if she should continue letting her drink. "Kitty, I don''t know what happened between you and Master Cedrick, but I can see that he is not the type of person who would give up on you so easily." Cedrick was being very aggressive when he rushed over, looking as if he was about to explode. However, he managed to endure it and controlled himself in the end. Of course, Catelyn also knew that Cedrick would not give up. "I''m not going back to him." "Do you really n to give up custody of the children and divorce him?" asked Joanne, her eyes widened. Catelyn''s heart was numb, and she poured another ss of wine into her mouth, feeling a little drunk already. Only by being in a drunken state could she dare to speak out all the emotions from her heart unscrupulously. "I don''t know what I should do next. His grandfather forced me to leave him, or he would kill my father. Tell me, Joanne. What should I do? I don''t want to hurt him... I don''t want to..." cried Catelyn. Listening to Catelyn''s painful murmur, Joanne was stunned for a second, and then her nerves exploded. "Your father? Isn''t he already..." "No." Catelyn squinted. "My father isn''t dead, but I don''t know what happened. He is locked up in prison somewhere across the world. Grandpa Mason found him first, and now he''s using him to threaten me. "I knew it was impossible for you to give up Master Cedrick and the two boys just like that! How could Grandpa Mason do this? eximed Joanne, She paused for a while and stared at Catelyn. Not wanting to see her in such pain, Joanne asked tentatively, "Have you ever thought about telling Master Cedrick the truth? You both can pretend to be separated and let him secretly rescue your father..." "But that''s a gamble with Dad''s life," said Catelyn. There are so many prisons in the world it would be very difficult even for Cedrick to locate Ezekiel. Knowing that Grandpa Mason was the scheming person he was, Catelyn suspected that he had already been watching her and Cedrick from a long time ago. If Cedrick knew that Grandpa Mason threatened Catelyn, he would definitely not give in. As long as there were signs of them trying to locate Ezekiel, perhaps that would be the end of him. What''s the difference between this and her murdering Ezekiel? Catelyn admitted that she was timid, cowardly, and not brave enough. N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Kitty, you only think about your father and Master Cedrick, but have you ever thought about yourself?" Joanne hugged her. Catelyn stared back at her and smiled bitterly. "Me? I''m fine... I didn''t suffer in prison, and I have many friends..." "I''m asking, can you really ept leaving Master Cedrick and two children?" Catelyn did not answer her, and tears started blurring her vision again. Leaving the two kids was something she was most reluctant to bear. Even when she was with Cedrick at the beginning, it was only because she wanted to get close to ollie, she would never expect herself to be so devastated to leave him in the end. All his good and bad traits... Cedrick may not be perfect all the time, but Catelyn still loved him with all her heart. She nodded solemnly. "I can do this. I know I can." Chapter 782 Chapter 782 Chapter 782 Joanne knew Catelyn was just saying it to make herself feel better. Catelyn was drunk at the moment, but when she woke up sober the next day, she continued to think of a n. She did not believe it was a dead end. Surely, there must be other ways. Before Catelyn waspletely drunk, she reminded Joanne not to tell Cedrick, to which she agreed. Soon after, Catelyn fell into a deep sleep. Joanne shook her head and called her servant to help Catelyn to her bed to rest. After everything was settled, Joanne took off her shoes and crawled into her bed. At this moment, the room door was opened, and in came Edwin with his eyebrows raised. He could smell the strong, pungent smell of alcohol in the room and frown in disgust. Joanne turned her head and stared at him. " You... You! Who gave you permission toe in? This is the girl''s room! Get out!" Edwin ordered his servant to take care of Catelyn. He then proceeded to drag Joanne and threw her back on the bed of the master bedroom. "Ouch!" eximed Joanne, shey on the bed with her stomach down, suddenly feeling ufortable at the moment. Eventually, she could not help but vomit on the bed. The bed sheets and pillows were all stained in an instant! Edwin¡¯s temple bulged and his blue veins popped. "Joanne!" "Here..." murmured Joanne, she raised her right hand when Edwin roared her name as if she was in some sort of military training. Edwin resisted the urge to beat her and shouted, "Don''t you know your own limits? Don''t drink if you can''t drink!" N?velDrama.Org ? content. Joanne shook her head to ease the drunk feeling, the double image in front of her gradually disappeared, and she saw Edwin''s nasty old face. "What''s wrong with me drinking?" she askedzily. Edwin was speechless, and he did not expect Joanne to have the guts to talk back to him like this. Joanne sniffed around a little, probably realizing there was a smell of vomit on her body, and jumped off the bed. She bumped into Edwin and pushed him away as she walked toward the bathroom while humming a song out of tune. "Itsy bitsy spider went up the broken spout... Down came the rain and washed the spider out..." Thud! Joanne identally hit her head on the door. Chapter 784 Chapter 784 Chapter 784 Cedrick returned to the Mason Group after leaving Shoal Vi. It waste at night, but the video conference with Euro had not yet officially started. He directly informed Charles that there was no need to postpone it. At the end of the video conference, both parties had confirmed the business cooperation, and all they needed to do now was to wait for the follow-up details. "Master Cedrick, it''s a pleasure to have the chance to do business with you," said the other party in the video. Cedrick replied expressionlessly, "§¤§ä looking forward to it too." Then cut off themunication. He rubbed his temples with his long fingers. On the way back, he thought that something was wrong. If Catelyn really cared that he had hit Ste with his car, she should have shown up immediately in the morning, not a dayter. What happened during the moment when her bodyguard lost her? The chill in Cedrick''s eyes shed away, and he called the bodyguard again. "Go and investigate the moments after you''ve lost Catelyn, where she went, and who she saw. If I don''t have an answer, you don''t have toe to work anymore." The bodyguard responded tremblingly. After Cedrick hung up the phone, he sat alone in the office for a while. The neon lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows flickered. The whole city was vibrant and full of energy. The noisier it was, the lonelier he felt. When Cedrick returned to Green Inds, the maid was still there, not daring to leave the two children at home alone since Catelyn had left. Seeing Cedricking back, the maid looked behind him subconsciously. Seeing that there was no trace of Catelyn, her heart tightened, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Master Cedrick, have you eaten? Shall I cook you a meal?" She knew Cedrick was in a bad mood every time his wife was not around. "No, go to sleep," Cedrick said expressionlessly and walked towards the children''s room. There were many shopping bags in the children''s room, which were piled up in the corner. Catelyn must have been in a hurry, not even having the time to unpack these things... Or perhaps she was just afraid of waking up the kids with all the noises and movements from packing. The two boys slept soundly. Their unworldly cheeks resembled that of a woman who would leave without saying goodbye. Cedrick''s eyes dimmed again, and he silently closed the door of the children''s room. As Cedrick walked through the living room, every inch of the space here reminded him of good memories. Cuddling together on the sofa, watching soap operas together, working, eating, massaging one another... Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick''s chest trembled slightly, and he walked back to his bedroom in silence. He turned off the lights in the living room, and only the nted light from the streetmps outside the window poured in, which only lit up the room very dimly. Cedrick returned to the master bedroom, and the woman who would bring him the pajamas with a smile was gone. It was said that if one were to do the same thing for twenty-one days repeatedly, it would eventually be a habit. Standing stiffly for a moment, Cedrick entered the bathroom to wash up. In the midst of it, he realized that he did not have his pajamas. He yelled out habitually, "Catelyn, I forgot my pajamas. Could you..." Cedrick stopped talking abruptly and instantly realized that Catelyn had already left. How could he forget this? No one responded to his pajama request. The deepest part of his heart seemed to be missing. Cedrick turned off the shower and walked naked to the wardrobe in the bedroom. His clothes would always be hung neatly on the left side of the wardrobe. However, when he opened it this time, it was empty. She was gone. This ce could no longer be called home. Cedrick changed into a pair of ck pajamas casually and dried his hair. He sat on the edge of the bed and inadvertently nced at the bedside table... He saw a post-it note with words written on it. Cedrick quickly took the note and turned on the bedsidemp. "I wish you health and happiness. I wish you wealth and everything else you could wish for. May your love always be added. May it never be subtracted. May your household multiply, and may your hearts never be divided." Cedrick stood up abruptly, staring at the words with cold and stern eyes. Catelyn did not want to leave him either, did she? Chapter 785 Chapter 785 Chapter 785 What happened? why did Catelyn leave? N?velDrama.Org ? content. Why did she stubbornly refuse to tell Cedrick anything? The next day, the maid woke the two boys up gently. They had so much fun yesterday. They both were still a little tired and could not keep their eyes open. Miles yawned coquettishly. He tucked himself into the nket and said to the maid, "Please let me sleep for a little while." The maid said sheepishly, "Breakfast is ready. Master Cedricksaid that he would send you to school after your meal." Although Ollie''s eyelids were also struggling to open, he knew he had to wake up. He sat up first and pushed Miles'' arm. "Get up. You''re going to bete for school." "Five minutes." Miles drooped his eyelids and saidzily, "The Big Demon can go first. Just ask Mummy to take US to school." The maid suddenly shed her eyshes in a guilty conscience. How should she tell the boys that Catelyn was not around anymore and Cedrick was the only one left? The maid hesitated, not knowing how to exin. Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room turned gloomy. Ollie lifted the nket and got out of bed. He called out obediently, "Father." Cedrick ignored him and walked to the other side of the bed. He looked at Miles, who was sleeping soundly against a small pillow, and directly lifted the nket off him. It was winter now, and Miles immediately felt the chill. He quickly curled up into a fetal position. "I''ve said it. Let me sleep a little more." "I''m going to count to three. Get up now!" said Cedrick. Miles just ignored him. The maid secretly observed Cedrick''s face. He looked as if he was about to blow up at any time. She quickly said, "Little Master, time to get up. Master Cedrickis here." Cedrick did not have the maid''s patience. Seeing the boy ignore him like this, he simply grabbed him by the cor of his pajamas and pulled him up. As soon as Cedrick let go, Miles fell back into the soft bed. Ollie could not bear to see this. He knew Miles was not the type to snooze in bed like this. "Father, perhaps he''s too tired from yesterday, why don''t you let him sleep for a little longer? Mummy can take US to schoolter." Cedrick looked down at the sleeping Miles. "Fine, sleep as long as you like. Your mom doesn''t want you anyway." As soon as he finished speaking, he took Ollie out for breakfast. Just as he was walking to the door, someone suddenly hugged his calf. "Stop! Don''t go! What do you mean Mummy doesn''t want me?" yelled Miles. His eyes were wide open. Apparently all the drowsiness had vanished in an instant. "Don''t you understand? she left you all to me. She''s nevering back." Miles'' mouth gaped open, and his jaw dropped. Ollie also froze on the spot. The gifts that Catelyn bought with himst night were still all piled up in the room, unopened. Cedrickwas now telling them that she didn''t want them anymore? Chapter 786 Chapter 786 Chapter 786 Was Mummy cryingst night because she knew she was leaving? Ollie guessed it right. Mummy was sad. But... "Why?" he asked stubbornly. Without answering him, Cedrick pulled out his slender legs from Miles'' little embrace and continued walking straight. Ollie wished someone could just tell him what was going on... The boys did not even bother washing up. They both wore their crumpled pajamas and searched across the whole house, but there was no sign of Catelyn. The scary thing was that the amount of toiletries in the bathroom had been significantly reduced. Later, at the dining table, the two boys seemed to be entangled with Cedrick One stood on his left, pulling on the hem of his clothes, and the other stood on his right, respectfully. "Did you lie to me on purpose, big demon?" Miles pouted. "I''ve already woken up! You can''t say Mummy didn''t want US now..." "Father, Stop joking around. You''re scaring us!" said ollie in a serious tone. Cedrick pulled his hand back from the Mile''s small little ws and continued eating his breakfast expressionlessly. Miles stubbornly went to grab his arm again. "Tell us! Mummy just went to work She woulde back to US, right? Right? Right?" he asked with a panicked face. Cedrick put his spoon away and shouted impatiently at Miles, "Go away!" He smacked his hands, and a bright red mark appeared. Mile''s rubbed the red spot on his hand and stared at Cedrick tearfully. " Everything was okay yesterday!" The servant was startled when he saw the red marks on the back of Mile''s hand. "Master Miles, let me see your hand." "I''m fine," said Miles as he held back his tears. He turned around and ran back into his bedroom. Ollie pursed his mouth as he looked at Cedrick. He did not question Cedrick annoyingly like Miles, but that did not mean he was not flustered at the moment. "Father, what happened?" "Sit down and eat your breakfast! If you''re not hungry, then go pack your bags. I''ll be taking you to school in twenty minutes," ordered Cedrick coldly. Ollie did not even bother with his delicious breakfast on the table. He left and walked to his bedroom. Miles tried calling Catelyn. The phone beeped and beeped, but no answer. Miles did not give up and kept trying again. Beep... Beep... ''Just answer the phone, please...'' The waiting process was the most torturous. Miles had called five times but to no avail. The light of hope in his eyes dimmed a little. "Mummy didn''t answer the phone?" asked ollie nervously. Miles shook his head and said, "Did the Big Demon tell you what happened between him and Mummy?" T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Now it was Ollie''s turn to shake his head. Miles suddenly clenched his little fist. "Mummy has never left me before. This time, she won''t even answer my calls..." What on earth is going on? Chapter 787 Chapter 787 Chapter 787 Ollie recalled carefully and said to Miles, "Did you feel that something was wrong with Mummy the day before yesterday?" Miles'' eyes sank. "You mean it started when Mummy didn''te home?" Ollie nodded, his little heart clenched into a ball. "Especiallyst night, Mommy took US out to y and kept saying that she wanted to fulfill our wishes and make up for US. she was clearly ready to leave early in the morning." Listening to Ollie''s exnation, Miles also quickly understood what had happened. He started regretting that he only cared about ying yesterday, not paying attention to Mummy... Staring at the big pile of shopping bags in the opposite corner of the room, Miles grew enraged like a little lion, running over angrily and knocking everything down. All the gifts, including clothes, school bags, shoes, and toys, were scattered all over the ce. Miles did not want these gifts anymore. He just wanted Mummy to stay by his side! When the maid heard themotion, she hurried over to look, fearing the boys might identally hurt themselves. Miles just rubbed his slightly red eyes and said nothing. He straightened his back and went to drag out an 18-inch suitcase with great effort. After that, he went to the closet and took out his coat and clothes from the closet, stuffing them all into the suitcase. Ollie frowned. "Are you going to run away from home?" "Wrong, my home is where Mummy is. I''m just going to find my new home. I don''t want to stay and be abused by the Big Demon. He doesn''t love me anyway," replied Miles. Miles paused halfway in the midst of packing his stuff, feeling a little sad in his heart, but he quickly regained his strength and looked at ollie deeply. "We''ll go our separate ways. I''ll miss you." N?velDrama.Org ? content. Ollie did not say anything back to him. At first, Miles wanted to bring all his clothes along, but the winter coat was too heavy. In the end, he threw all the clothes that Cedrickhad bought for him into the trash and only folded the ones that Catelyn gave him and ced them into a small box. The maid listened and covered her mouth in horror. "Master Miles, you are only four years old. It¡¯s dangerous to go out there alone. It''s very chaotic outside, and many kidnappers are looking out for kids like you," she said. Ignoring the maid, Miles finished packing his suitcase and pushed it up with great effort. It''s a little big and heavy, but it''s alright. Miles had money, and he could just find someone to help him move it. He pped his little hands and pushed the suitcase out. The wheel of the suitcase made a dull sound on the ground. Suddenly, Cedrick''s looming body appeared at the door of the bedroom, which startled Miles. He remembered the moments earlier when he smacked his hand earlier and snorted back at him. "I''ve known for a long time that I shouldn''t have let Mummy marry you in the first ce," said Miles. Cedrick frowned at the little guy. "where do you think you''re going?" "Move away, you old hag," said Miles, ignoring his question. Cedrick put his knees against the suitcase, making it hard for Miles to push it. "I don''t need to go to school, but you still need to go to work, don''t you?" said Miles stubbornly. All he needed to do now was to wait for Cedrick to go to work. Then, no one would stop him from leaving. Just be patient, and never be afraid of the Big Demon! Cedrick''s temple bulged a little, and his face was looking very irritable. Whoever said that ollie was stubborn? Miles was obviously way more stubborn than him! Ollie immediately tried to persuade the two of them. "Miles, Father doesn''t want Mummy to leave. Don''t cause any trouble, and he will get Mummy back! I''m sure if Mummy were here, she wouldn''t want to see you both quarrel!" Usually, at home, Catelyn was constantly acting as a peacemaker between the father and son. Miles said, "I didn''t quarrel with him. It was him who was causing trouble to us kids." Cedrick stared at him, his sharp ck eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly raised his eyebrows and said, "Do you want to get your mom back?" Chapter 788 Chapter 788 Chapter 788 Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Miles gave it a thought. He pouted and said, "Do you know where Mummy is?" "She''s at your godmother''s house, and I can have someone take you there," replied Cedrick. He briefly exined what happened to Miles but not mentioning the car ident with Ste. He emphasized that Catelyn suddenly left without any warning. Something seemed odd about it... "In other words, I need you to find out why she left. Can you do that?" asked Cedrick. Miles just snorted back at him. Seeing him like this, Cedrick deliberately taunted him, "Well, just say it if you can''t do it. I won''tugh at you." "Do you think I''m you? You can''t coax Mummy back even though you already knew her whereabouts?" Miles stared at Cedrick with disdain. "Just wait. I will definitely find out the truth!" After speaking, he dragged his suitcase and continued to walk out. Ollie suddenly felt a little envious of Miles. If he could speak so freely like him, he would leave too. However, his sense of reasoning had always been tight all the time Cedrick nced at ollie. "It''s gettingte. Go eat your breakfast." "Okay, father," Ollie reluctantly said. He was also looking forward to finding out the truth as soon as possible. In his heart, Catelyn was not the type of person who would just abandon them all. At this moment, Cedrick''s cell phone rang. He nced at it and saw the caller ID was from the bodyguard who he had arranged to investigate Catelyn. He frowned. It was almost twelve o''clock at noon. Quinn had epted Grandpa Mason''s invitation and went to his house. After wandering around the premises, she had a preliminary understanding of the rtionship between the Big Four Families. Grandpa Mason tried to see old Madam Athertons several times for the past few days, but she avoided him. Quinn knew that she did not want to see him, as they both had a bad history with each other. However, Grandpa Mason gave Quinn expensive jewelry and a vi as a gift. Quinn could not reject the old man''s invitation after receiving the gifts and came to see him. Grandpa Mason had never met Quinn before. He had only seen her on the news prior to this. With lots of make-up and high-end luxury clothing, Quinn lost the submissive temperament she had when she was a small her words, and such a quality of a woman was definitely not worthy of being a member of the Mason Family. "Miss Quinn, do you still like the set of jewelry I gave?" asked Grandpa Mason. He sat with a cup of tea in his hand, sipping it gently. Quinn stared at his majestic-looking face, she smiled and nodded at him. "Thank you, Grandpa. I like it very much." "That''s right, the Masons and the Athertons had many conflicts many years ago because of some misunderstandings. I have always wanted to resolve this, and the best way to do it is a marriage between the two families," said Grandpa Mason. Even when Grandpa Mason softened his tone deliberately, his presence still brought an intimidating aura to the surrounding atmosphere. He continued, "I''ve called you here today to ask you. Do you have someone you like? otherwise, what do you think of my grandson?" Chapter 789 Chapter 789 Chapter 789 Quinn choked on her tea when she heard Grandpa Mason¡¯s statement. She stared at him in surprise. "What... What did you say? II "Miss Quinn, Grandpa Mason meant to say that Master Cedrick is interested in you. Do you want to be the granddaughter-inw of the Mason Family?" exined Uncle Ford with a smile. Quinn put down the teacup, suddenly feeling nervous. Now that she was afraid of being exposed as a fake granddaughter of the Athertons, she needed to find a rich and powerful man to marry quickly. This way, she could also be part of the upper circle. She suppressed the excitement in her heart, but the corners of her mouth could not help curling up. "But I heard that Master Cedrick is married. Although I''m interested in him as well, I have never been someone else''s mistress, what¡¯s more, he also has two children." "Ceddy is so outstanding. There are so many women after him. But no one that is not in the upper circle is worthy of marrying him. Quinn, as long as you''re interested in Ceddy, then there won''t be any problem. He will soon divorce that woman and make room for you." said Draco Mason with a smile. "Really?" Quinn asked in surprise, "Master Cedrick will divorce Catelyn?" She had been so busy recently and had not paid much attention to both of them. Quinn had not expected them to get divorced so soon! "Of course. Why would I lie to you?" assured Draco. Quinn covered her mouth happily. "Thankyou, Grandpa Mason!" "Why didn''t I know that I was going to get a divorce?" Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by a manly voice. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Cedrick came walking in. He was dressed in a ck coat covered with some frost from the cold weather outside. There were two bodyguards at the door trying to stop him. " Master Cedrick, the old man is busy with his guest. We were told not to let anyone in..." "Get out of the way." With a push of his arm, Cedrick easily shoved the two bodyguards away. Grandpa Mason stared at this chaotic scene and said, "Enough! Stop it!" Only then did the bodyguards leave the scene, and Cedrick approached gracefully under the morning light. "Master Cedrick? Long time no see," Quinn greeted him with a smile. However, Cedrick did not even bother looking at her. His dark eyes gazed at Grandpa Mason coldly. "I have something to tell you." "Is this how you talk to your elders?" asked Grandpa Mason. "Then please ask yourself, is your behavior worthy of being an elder?" replied Cedrick expressionlessly. At this moment, he had the least respect for the old man. In the past, even if the two quarreled, Cedrick would always give in to him. Grandpa Mason''s expression sank, and he nced at Uncle Ford. Uncle Ford quickly understood him and invited Quinn to leave. Quinn also knew it was not good for her to stay any longer. Before leaving, she hinted at Cedrickand said, "Master Cedrick, I will never forget your kindness that night. It doesn''t matter if you will divorce Catelyn. I have always loved you." That night? Grandpa Mason seemed to have heard some shocking secret, and his eyes kept wandering over between Quinn and Cedrick. As Quinn left, he hurriedly asked Cedrick in an excited tone, "Have you and Quinn had a thing in the past?" Chapter 790 Chapter 790 Chapter 790 "What did you say to Catelyn the day before yesterday?" Cedrick asked, ignoring Grandpa Mason''s question. His tone was cold and aggressive. Draco slowly sipped his tea. It was no surprise to him that Cedrick would eventually piece everything together ande here to question him about this. If he did not have this ability, Grandpa Mason would never allow him to take over the Mason Group. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "Whatever I say to that woman is to make her feel more conscious that the Athertons have found their granddaughter. If she loves you, she will leave you as soon as possible and allow you to marry Quinn. Seeing you angry like this, she probably already did it. A wise decision," said Grandpa Mason. "§¤§ä not a chess piece in your palm. I''m not that stupid." Cedrick''s eyes were full of anger. The bodyguard had told him that while Catelyn was on her way to the hospital, she was taken to see Grandpa Mason. The two had a conversation for nearly half an hour. When everything was done, Catelyn''s entire body language changed. Grandpa Mason must have done something to her... "No matter what means you use to force Catelyn to leave me, I have to tell you that I have no ns to divorce her, and..." Cedrick paused for a moment and continued, "she and I have signed a prenuptial agreement. In the event of a divorce, all my property will automatically be transferred to her name." The atmosphere suddenly changed. Draco choked on his tea, and his old face flushed. He stared at Cedrick in disbelief. "What did you say?" "The agreement is in triplicate, other than mine, the rest are kept in Benjamin Anderson''s office. Would you like to go check on it?" Draco coughed a few times. He took a cane, tempted to swing it on Cedrick''s face. "You bastard! Do you want to give that woman what the Mason Family gave you? She is not worthy of owning any of these assets! I don''t care! You will immediately find a way to transfer the assets or cancel the agreement. You''re not allowed to give her a cent!" eximed Draco. Cedrick did not even budge. "It can¡¯t be done unless she dies. But if she dies, I will bring the entire Mason Family down with her. Try me." "You..." Draco was almost really out of breath. "That''s all I have to say. Since you won''t tell me what methods you used to threaten Catelyn, then I''ll just have to look for it myself," said Cedrick. He turned around and left. Draco grabbed his cane and chased after him, his breath unsteady. " Cedrick! Are you really going to be ruined by such a woman?" "I never wanted to rely on marriage in exchange for anything. I decide who I want to spend my life with, Grandpa. Don''t try to convince me that this is all for my future of the Mason Family, and you''re just doing this all for your own benefit. After all, you''ve betrayed old Madam Atherton in the past, and you''re regretting it now. All you want is her forgiveness," replied Cedrick. There was danger and disdain in Cedrick''s deep voice. "Scum... You scum!" yelled Draco. Cedrick turned around and continued to walk out. He had shown Grandpa Mason his stands. Now it was just who was the more ruthless one between the two of them. Just as Cedrick walked to the door of the main hall, he suddenly heard Uncle Ford shouting from behind, "Grandpa! Grandpa?! Quickly, call the doctor! The old man has passed out!" Cedrick slowed his pace for a moment and then continued walking resolutely and left the house. The result of a hangover was a splitting headache! Catelyn had just woken up from a very long sleep, and her eyes were swollen like walnuts. Fortunately, she had no ns for the day. She was all sober now. Chapter 791 Chapter 791 Chapter 791 All she asked was a clean break with Cedrick so that Grandpa Mason would hand over her father, she knew she should focus on the bigger picture and stop indulging herself already. Besides, she had one more thing to find out¡ªthe truth behind Ste''s car ident. Days ticked by, and it was already the day to take theboratory results of the needle. Joanne was afraid that Catelyn was pretending to be calm, but she undeniably lookedposed. "Cat, are you okay?" asked Joanne worriedly. "I''d be lying if I said I''m fine." Catelyn tried her best to squeeze out a smile. "But I can''t live in the shadows forever. I need to get myself out of this littlefort zone of mine, or I might not be able to make it before Dades back." She had a feeling she might never meet a man better than Cedrick in her life and would not fall in love with other men again. However, she would hide her feelings toward him deeply in her heart until the day she would hear he was thriving. Joanne gave Catelyn a big hug, burying the sadness in her heart with her. "I''ll stand by you through everything, girl." Catelyn returned her smile. Edwin did not want to intervene with them, merely handing them eye creams when he saw how red and swollen their eyes were. Catelyn took the eye cream, but her thoughts drifted away. "Mister Atherton, there''s something I want to ask you." Edwin leaned on the coachnguidly. "What''s the matter?" "Is...Quinn your cousin?" Catelyn was not sure if Quinn managed to fool Edwin, so she decided to be careful with her question lest she was used of purposely provoking their rtionship. After all, Quinn''s Pentnd Group had been against her for a long time. Edwin''s long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly. "My aunt was a very gentle woman. There were countless men attracted to her back then, and she had a lot of choices. I don''t think she''d silently give birth to an illegitimate daughter in a rural town." Catelyn sighed, relieved that Edwin was still the brilliant man she knew. "Then, why did you ept her that day? Is it to use her as a cover to find out the mice in the Atherton family?" "This is why I love having a conversation with smart women." Edwin hinted at Joanne with a nce and continued, "Quinn came to the door with the Atherton family inheritance bracelet, just to fool my grandmother and get her approval. s, my grandmother is no fool, so she and I decided to y along to find out who had been instructing her. As you said, she''d be a good pawn in the game." As far as he knew, many people in the Atherton family had frequently courted Quinn since she moved in, especially her uncle, Eugene. He even followed Quinn''s lead as if he believed that the Atherton family would hand over the family business to her eventually in the future, and he also urged her to coax Granny Atherton to change her will. Catelyn seemed to understand a little of what Edwin said and warily asked, "The bracelet inherited from the Atherton family?" Quinn came from a rural town, and her only rtive was Ste. Therefore, Catelyn could not figure out where she got the Atherton family''s inheritance bracelet from. ''Was it L? It doesn''t make sense for L to have Quinn pretend to be the missing daughter. That''s too risky.'' "Can I take a look at the bracelet?" Joanne also widened her eyes curiously, staring at Edwin. Edwin frowned. Catelyn understood the embarrassed expression on Edwin''s face and responded, "It''s okay. Joanne and I are just curious. If it''s Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. not convenient, then it''s fine." "The patterns of the bracelets passed down by the Atherton family to men and women are different. Mine has no value of reference. Plus, both bracelets are now locked in the safe of the Atherton Manor," Edwin exined. Joanne lowered her eyes in despair. "If it''s that troublesome to see it, it''s alright." Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, Edwin quickly added, "I do have photos of it saved in my phone, and I can show you those." Chapter 792 Chapter 792 Chapter 792 Joanne''s eyes widened as a twinkle of hope shed in them, she stretched her neck, anticipating the photos. Edwin looked away from her white neck, calmly took out his phone, clicked on the album, and pressed the TV-sharing button. The pattern of the phoenix bracelet instantly appeared on the LCD TV screen in the living room. Before Edwin could introduce them to the two, Catelyn shrank her eyes suddenly, staring at the pattern, and asked, "Mister Atherton, are you saying that this bracelet is the inheritance bracelet of your family?" "Yes. It was passed on to the eldest daughter of the next of kin, but my aunt fell out with my grandmother twenty years ago and took this bracelet with her. It''s been said that it has disappeared ever since." Noting Catelyn''s peculiar behavior, Edwin added, "Have you seen it before?" "My mother used to hang a family photo in the bedroom, and there was a bracelet that was very simr to this one, but I''m not sure if that was the one." The family photo had been hanging in Ste''s bedroom for many years. Although Catelyn usually helped her to clean her room, she had never paid close attention to the photo. It just happened that when she saw the picture on Edwin''s phone, the relevant memories of the bracelet came back into her head. The longer she stared at it, the more she found it simr to Quinn''s bracelet. That bracelet was closely rted to Lisa, and that was why Edwin frowned and asked suspiciously, "where is that family portrait? Take me to see it right now." "Alright." Edwin ordered the driver to prepare the car, intending to find the family photo. Joanne also wanted to go with him, but she was overworkedst night and felt rather dizzy. She only managed to stand up and walked a few steps before she fell limply forward. Her knee identally bumped the leg of the coffee table because of that. She groaned in pain and limped on one leg. Edwin noticed her odd behavior and asked, "what''s the matter?" "I''m fine; just a light bump is all. Let''s go see the family portrait now." Joanne stood up with the support from the coffee table and shook her right leg. she felt like that was a bad omen. She had long disliked Quinn, and it was time to expose her. "Calm down. The family portrait isn''t going anywhere, stop moving around. Do you think it looks good if you''reme?" Seeing that Joanne was going to run out, Edwin took a few steps forward and wound his arm around her waist. "W¡ªWhat are you doing?" Joanne was hoisted bridal style as Edwin''s arm went underneath her knees. Looking at him from this angle, she could see the man''s jawline. Coupled with his attractive eyes and silhouette against the warm light, she started to feel butterflies in her stomach. She quickly pped herself mentally and tried distracting herself. Edwin nced at her. "Stay still in my arms, would you? You weren''t born pretty, and if you fall and smash your face, don''t expect me to take you for stic surgery." "Shut up. Have you not heard that beauty is a woman''s wealth? Don''t curse me!" Joanne nestled in his arms and touched her face. She was a celebrity, so her beauty meant a lot to her.Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Speaking of beauty in the entertainment industry, she always thought that those actresses who worked hard were because they were not innately gorgeous. Edwin threw her back on the couch and held her arm with one hand so she would not move, and he then lifted her leg to check the bruise. It looked rather concerning, but it was not a serious injury either. "§¤§ä really curious. You can even fall while walking on a t surface. How did you manage to survive all these years?" "Everyone has their first time in their lives!" replied Joanne proudly. Edwin red at her before turning to Catelyn and said, "I think you didn''t rest wellst night. You should stay. Give me the address and key, and I''ll find it myself." Truth be told, Catelyn was suffering from dizziness and headache from being drunk, so she relented and told Edwin the address. Chapter 793 Chapter 793 Chapter 793 "That portrait should be on the wall in my mother''s bedroom." "Alright, then." Although Edwin was anxious to see the family portrait, he did not forget to instruct a maid to help Joanne ice her wound. Joanne sighed. "It''s so good to be rich, Cat. I''m telling you, Cat: All it takes is a ring of the bell on my bedside, whether I wanted to eat or y, the maids would bring it to me without me leaving the bed. No wonder so many people want to be capitalists." Catelynughed and joked, "Well, you''ve already upgraded to a richdy." "I''m not!" Joanne was very self-aware, she patted her purse and said bluntly, "My savings haven''t reached thirty thousand dors, which is far from the definition of being rich!" Monique Entertainment relied only on Joanne to make money over the years, yet they gave her only a small proportion of the shares. In addition, she had been contributing to charity work, so there were not a lot of savings in her ount. Catelyn was lying on the couch with her, looking up at the splendid crystal chandelier and slowly got lost in a daze. "You''re now Missus Atherton, and Mister Atherton will satisfy you with whatever you want. Don''t live a sober life. Living with wealth, sometimes it''s better to be a little confused." Joanne blinked and muttered in a low voice, "I n to have a baby in two years. Maybe something will change by then." ''Will Edwin abandon me and take the children away from me in the future?'' fretted Joanne internally. ''I guess I''ll have to do what Cat has done by then; secretly taking the children away.'' That afternoon, Cedrick brought Miles, who was babbling endlessly, to shoal vi. Joanne was basking in the sun in the garden, leaningzily on the sun lounger, and listening to melodious music. When she saw Miles, she got up from the sun lounger excitedly. "Ah! It''s Miles, my sweetie!" She quickly hoisted him into his arms and peppered his face with kisses. Miles wiped off the saliva in disgust and said without squinting, " Godmother, where''s Big Kitty?" "She''s resting upstairs." Joanne watched vigntly at the tall man who followed Miles. He was carrying a suitcase in his hand. ¡®Don''t tell me he wants to live here...'' Joanne would not allow that to happen. Elder Mason would torture Mister rk if he knew about this! She could not bear to see Catelyn ming herself anymore! "Master Cedrick, Catelyn told you very clearlyst time to not disturb her and give her some space. Is it that hard? If you get close to her again, you''ll drive her nuts!" Joanne raised her voice to emphasize that with a straight face. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick tightened his grip on the suitcase handle. "Do you know why she left me?" Joanne suddenly covered her mouth and shook her head like a rattle. "No, I don''t." "You im to be her best friend, but you chose to turn a blind eye when she divorced me suddenly and suffered from inner pain. Is this what you call a bestie?" Cedrick stared at Joanne as his tone turned cold. It was at this moment Joanne decided to no longer pretend ande clean. "Yes, I know why she left you, so quit provoking me. I won''t tell you! It''s her business. Unless she''s willing to tell you personally, I won''t betray her." She admitted that she was not smart enough, but that did not mean she was brainless. If it was something else, she would dare to tell Cedrick about it. However, if she pointed it out to Cedrick, he and Elder Mason might turn against each other, which would put Mister rk''s life in danger. Cedrick sneered, "Do you think you''re helping her by that? That only deepens her pain." Chapter 794 Chapter 794 Chapter 794 "Miles, let me sing you a nursery rhyme. The wheels on a bus go round and round..." Joanne quickly shifted her attention to Miles and sang to him, all to avoid leaking more information. Miles then ran into the vi, looking for Catelyn up and down. Joanne did not stop him. ''How heartless can an old man be to take a mother''s children and thest bit of happiness away from her?'' However, after a few minutes, Miles rushed to her anxiously and shouted, "Godmother, where''s Big Kitty? Didn¡¯t you say she was resting upstairs? where is she?" Joanne shot up from the sun lounger instantly. "She''s in the first guest room on the left on the second floor. Let''s go, I''ll take you to find her." Miles held Joanne''s hand and they paced to the guest room. Although he was just a kid, he ran so fast that Joanne had to trot after him to catch up. When Miles pushed open the door of the guest room, the room was empty and the quilt was neat, but the luggage was there and Catelyn was nowhere to be seen. All the while, Joanne did not notice that Cedrick was following closely behind. The curtains in the bedroom were tightly closed, and the environment seemed depressing. He turned his head and asked Joanne, "Where''s Catelyn?" Joanne froze in ce as her face paled with worry. "Why is this room empty? She was here just a while ago. She said that she was sleepy and wanted to take a rest... oh, dear lord! Please don''t do something silly!" Cedrick and Miles'' faces sank the moment they heard Joanne. At that moment, the thought that she might have attempted to take her life crossed their minds. The air in the room seemed to freeze, and the temperature seemed to have dropped. Joanne realized that she had said something that worried the two, so she immediatelyforted them, "Impossible! Cat felt much better this morning. She said she was all right, so she must be busy doing her work now. I''ll call her and ask..." A familiar, unique ringtone suddenly rang in the room. It was the ringtone that Catelyn had set for Joanne''s dial. The source of the sound seemed to be on the nightstand in the bedroom. ''Where did she go? she didn''t even bring her cell phone!'' Joanne panicked as she shouted at Cedrick, "It''s all your fault! If it wasn''t for you and your family, Cat wouldn''t be in this dilemma! If something happens to her, I''m going to get you!" A thought instantaneously shed in Cedrick''s mind. Before he could catch the gist of it, Miles dragged him out of the room. "Quickly, order your people to find Mommy! What are you doing just standing here?!" Cedrickhad his bodyguards investigate the surveince footage near Shoal Vi to find Catelyn''s whereabouts. Since she did not deliberately conceal her whereabouts, the bodyguards soon located her by tracking down the cab she took. They found out that Catelyn had gone straight to a private cemetery on the outskirts of the city. Catelyn held a bouquet of white chrysanthemums in front of a tombstone, sat quietly on the ground, and talked to the tombstone of Daphne. She did not know why she came here. Perhaps, deep down, she wanted to apologize. The cemetery was remote and sparsely popted. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The cold breeze of the winter was freezing cold. However, although she was alone, she was not afraid. She probably felt that way because this was Cedrick''s mother. Thest time Cedrick brought Catelyn to visit Daphne''s tombstone, they held hands and made a lifetime promise in front of it. s, all it took was a few days for things to drastically change. Drip! A drop of water fell on the back of her hand. Catelyn caressed her face and realized that this was her tear, and she was crying again. She thought that she had be stronger, but it seemed that she was not brave after all. When she was alone, she could not help but recall the beautiful moments she spent with Cedrick. The sweeter it was, the more heartbroken she felt. Chapter 795 Chapter 795 Chapter 795 Cedrick hurried to the cemetery. After receiving an affirmative reply, saying that Catelyn was there, his mind was finally at ease. He walked into the cemetery quietly but hastily, and when he was close to where Catelyn was, he deliberately slowed down so as to not startle her. In the distance, he saw a slim figure leaning on a tombstone. The lifeless monument made the woman look a little more delicate. Catelyn could vaguely hear faint footsteps behind her before she was engulfed in the dark shadow of a man. Catelyn did not need to turn to know who it was¡ªno one but Cedrick woulde here. She rapidly blinked away her tears, stood up, and walked past him as if nothing happened. "Why did youe here?" Cedrick took a big step in an oblique direction and stood in front of her, halting her in her steps. Catelyn''s eyes slowly moved up along his shiny, ck leather shoes, ck trousers, and high-end suits, and eventually stopped at his deep eyes, she then said firmly, "I didn''t keep my promise, so I came to apologize to Daphne." ¡®Daphne? You changed the way you addressed her?!'' Cedrick took out the sticky note that Catelyn had left in Green Inds from his wallet. "If you want to divorce me, then exin this." On the sticky note was Elie, a lyrical poem that expressed the wife''s wish to help her husband to ovee his sadness and to stay with him until the end of time. That was totally different from what they were at the moment. Catelyn knew that poem should not be left, sheughed at herself, and her voice was so emotionless as if she was talking to a stranger. "Take that as a blessing from me. I hope you can remember me for a lifetime." Cedrick was hurt by Catelyn''s words as his heart tightened. "I just went to Shoal Valley to see Joanne, she fessed up already, so why don''t you choose to believe me? I can fight Grandpa for you!" Catelyn stared at him nkly as her eyes widened. Her mind nked for a moment. ''Does he...know?'' "As long as you''re willing, our current predicament is nothing of a dilemma." Cedrick stared at her intently. The guilt in her eyes was evident to Cedrick. As long as he kept trying to lure her into telling the truth, she would lose control and spill the beans in the end. Before Cedrick could continue, Catelyn suddenly took a step back defensively. "You''re lying! Why would Joanne tell you anything? You ran over my mother! T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. "Yeah, I am in a dilemma to choose between my family and my lover, but who cares?! Forget about your conspiracy theory. I love you, but I don''t like you anymore. I came back to you just for my children!" Catelyn would never tell him the truth, she was lying to him. "Swear with your children that you don''t love me anymore, then!" Cedrick stared at her as his eyes reddened. "Children have never been a tool for my curse." "Then that means you still love me! What exactly did Grandpa do to you?" Cedrick squeezed her shoulders with both hands. If this went on before the truth was told, this whole thing could make him go insane! Catelyn had made up her mind, she did not want to be in that situation anymore, so she roared back impatiently, "No one did anything; you caused all this! You said you didn''t hit my mother, but you insisted on not telling me what you did and where you went on the night she had an ident!" Cedrick suddenly loosened his grasp on her shoulders, and his body started to sway. Catelyn knew that it must be something he did not want to tell, and that unexpectedly seemed to be a good excuse she could use for her lies. She pulled her fingers away, one by one, and when Cedrick''s arms fell from her shoulders, that gave her the feeling of losing the most important thing in her life. Just when she was about to go, however, he grabbed her hand and hoarsely spoke, "If I tell you what I did that day, would youe back to me?" Catelyn almost fell by that surprising grasp. Cedrick was backing down for her again. He did not want to say all this the night she first questioned him, but at this moment, he was faltering. However, Catelyn did not want him to be so selfless for her anymore. He should be the king who would not bow his head for anything or anyone. She decided to leave him cruelly this time as she said with an emotionless, derisive expression, "Alright then, fess up right in front of your mother''s tombstone. Let''s hear about your shameful scandal." Chapter 796 Chapter 796 Chapter 796 The warmth in Cedrick''s eyes dissipated at that very moment. They turned cold and deadly like the water in an abyss. "Is that what you want to hear?" "No lies In front of the dead. Yes, that''s what I want." "Hah! Very well, then!" Cedrick guffawed in anger, no longer bargaining with Catelyn. "If this is what you want, then I¡¯ll do as you wish." Catelyn felt a chill and forced herself to stand firm." Thank you." Cedrick was dying to know what she was thinking as he warned furiously, "Don''t ever appear in front of me again, or you won''t be able to bear the consequences!" With that, Cedrick left without looking back. He swore that he would never take the initiative to find and please her like a simp anymore. To be more precise, it was futile to ask her anything until the truth was made known. As she watched Cedrick walking away, Catelyn sped a hand over her mouth as she cried in agony, no longer able to hold back the sadness in her heart anymore. She could only bite the back of her hand forcefully, so as not to let the cry leak out to rm him. She did not know how long she had stayed in the cemetery by herself with her mind lost until Joanne came to find her. It was Cedrick who told her she was here. Catelyn returned an apologetic smile as if nothing had happened. ''¨¬ made you worry." "What''s important is that you''re safe and sound. You didn''t see how worried I was! You''re not allowed to run away without informing me anymore! God knows I''m going crazy looking for you..." Joanne sighed in relief as she returned Catelyn''s phone to her. Catelyn unlocked her phone and found many missed calls, not only from Joanne and Miles but also from the hospital. It had to be about the result of the drug test in the needle tube. Joanne then drove Catelyn to the medicalboratory of the hospital. Theboratory doctor called Catelyn into the office alone, took out the severed needle very seriously, and stared at her. "Ma''am, where did you get this thing?" "My friend asked me to test it. Is there a problem?" The doctor saw that she might not have any idea what the needle could cause and said, "We''ve tested the green liquid in it, and it''s been confirmed that it is a potent poison. After being injected into the human body, it can cause a high degree of cerebral hypoxia in a short period that can lead to brain death." ''Cerebral hypoxia? Brain dead?'' Thebination of these words made Catelyn stunned. "Is this poison? Could the test result be wrong?" "Theboratory report is here. If you don''t believe me, you can see it for yourself. Youngdy, this drug is very poisonous, so you have to be careful." The doctor handed a stack of heavy reports to Catelyn with a shaky hand even though he was a doctor. Seeing that Catelyn was in shock, Joanne pulled her aside and asked, "Where did you get this needle?" "After my mother''s ident, I went back to Ocean Path Residence to rest for a while, and I identally found it on the ground." Fortunately, she had a terrible feeling about it and took it to the hospital for examination that night, otherwise, the truth of Ste¡¯s ident would be untold forever. "What? How could there be such a thing at Auntie Ste''s house?" Joanne''s eyes widened in disbelief, and she whispered, "Is there anyone who¡¯d want to poison her?" The word ''poison'' struck Catelyn''s heart heavily, leaving her dazed. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. "I remember that before my mother was hit by the car, she ran out in panic as if someone was chasing her. Could it be that she knew that person was going to poison her, so she ran outside?" "It¡¯s very possible! Was the one who was chasing after Auntie Ste caught on the surveince camera?" Catelyn shook her head, and her face turned pale. "No, but after the car ident, the person who reported to the police and sent my mother to the hospital was... Quinn." "I don¡¯t think she looks like a good person. That¡¯s murder! She even had Cedrick take the me for her." Catelyn clutched the report as her gaze darkened. Chapter 797 Chapter 797 Chapter 797 Ste was Quinn''s biological mother! ''Why would she do that? Was it because she was worried that Ste would reveal that she was not the granddaughter of the Atherton family?!'' Catelyn pondered in fright. She never wanted to expose Quinn. All she asked for was just for her father to return safely to her! Quinn could have enjoyed a happy life with that fake identity she dered to own. Catelyn could not If Quinn were the murderer, she would never spare her! Catelyn resisted the urge to find Quinn for a showdown in the end because there were still too many doubts to be sorted out. Even if she went to confront Quinn, she would not admit anything; it would only alert her. After receiving the report, the two went to Ste''s ward to make a visit. The doctor told them that he could not foresee Ste waking up. Catelyn was afraid that Quinn would secretlye to the ward and poison Ste again, so she asked Edwin to get two female bodyguards to stay in Ste''s ward. Coincidentally, as soon as Catelyn and Joanne left the ward, they bumped into Quinn. Ever since Quinn knew that Catelyn was about to divorce Cedrick, she was no longer as submissive as before. When she woke up that morning, she had an upset stomach and kept vomiting. The maid was worried that she had eaten spoiled food, so she asked the doctor to check on her. The result of the inspection surprised her. She was told that she was pregnant! It had to be that night when she was with Cedrick, and this . must be his child! She immediately came to a private hospital for a more detailed pregnancy check and also to check on Ste''s condition by the way. She asked the doctor before and knew that Ste would most likely not wake up from thea, so she did not take Ste''s recovery to heart. In the future, when Cedrick and her got married and she gave birth to a son safely, it would no longer matter if Ste was awake or not. She would arrange for someone to take care of her for the rest of her life so that she could rest easy. The three of them met in such an awkward situation. Quinn was walking in pride, escorted by three maids, while Catelyn and Joanne had a look of sullenness on their faces. Theck of makeup added a bit of sadness to the sullenness, but even so, Catelyn and Joanne''s Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. features were way better than Quinn''s. When Quinn saw Catelyn, she raised her eyelids, took out an invitation from her purse, and handed it over to Catelyn while covering her mouth and smiling softly. " Well, don''t say that I didn''t invite you. After all, I''m grateful for your help in getting me back to my family. I''ve now met my grandmother. Next week, my grandmother will hold a grand reunion banquet for me. You both are wee." The invitation was made of a white card with golden drawings. It was easy to confuse it with a wedding invitation. Catelyn felt a little disgusted. "Reunion banquet? Your neighbor in the rural town said that your mother abandoned you to follow a wealthy man to the city. How could you be the daughter of the Atherton family then? Why does it feel like something''s ...wrong?" she sneered sarcastically. Quinn''s pupils dted upon hearing this, showing vignce and panic. "You had someone investigate me, didn''t you?" "My mother cherished you wholeheartedly and is even willing to sacrifice for you. Now, she''s lying inside a hospital ward, and I don''t know when she¡¯ll wake up. How can you manage to smile so happily? Can you teach me how to be as heartless as you?" Chapter 798 Chapter 798 Chapter 798 Quinn subconsciously nced at the maids behind her. Seeing their expressions were calm as usual, she continued, "I admit that you helped me when I was living in Sapphire City, but it doesn''t mean that I can¡¯t live my life. Are you jealous that I''ve finally met my grandmother and be the most respected daughter of Miss Atherton? If you don''t want toe, you can just be honest." Catelyn did not care whether or not she was truly grateful to her. Just as Quinn was about to ce the invitation back into her purse, Catelyn quickly snatched it. She started to Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. read the words written on the card. [With the joy we share in finding my granddaughter, the Atherton family has specially organized a dinner party and sincerely requests the pleasure of yourpany.] The signee was Granny Atherton. "Yes, why would I not want it?" Catelyn closed the invitation slowly and looked at Quinn with cold eyes. " You said that you''re sincerely inviting me, so how rude would I be to reject it? You may want to be careful though, Miss Weir. The same knife cuts bread and fingers." Quinn felt a chill on her back when she heard that. She immediately responded with a smile and straightened her back, caressing her belly gently as she did. "Ah, one more thing. Grandpa Mason has just invited me to be a guest. He said that you''ll soon divorce Master Cedrick and make room for me and the baby in my belly. Oh, so sorry that I took your man from you.¡± When Joanne heard that, she almost burst with anger. " Are you pregnant?" "Yeah, did I stutter?" Quinn covered her mouth exaggeratedly with an expression of being wronged, and she rolled her eyes. "I''m sorry. The baby isn''t Cedrick''s; I''ve never been to a hotel with Cedrick either. "I guess I''ll go first. Remember toe to the family reunion banquet next week." Quinn walked away triumphantly. Joanne stared at her back fiercely, not wanting that dog to walk away unscathed. She was about to catch her up when Catelyn grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Why are you stopping me?" hissed Joanne. "Quinn said she has Master Cedrick''s child! I¡¯ll beat her so badly that she''ll miscarry. Let''s see how proud she''ll be by then! "When did Master Cedrick hook up with her, anyway? A pregnancy test will take at least half a month-" Joanne quickly stopped in fear of upsetting Catelyn. Catelyn bit her lower lip and restrainedly said, "She''s the most respected daughter of Miss Atherton now. It''ll only cause US more trouble if we do something to her. It¡¯s best to y her game on the same level.¡± "Do you have a n?" Joanne hurriedly asked. Through the ss window, Catelyn nced at Ste, who was lying quietly on the hospital bed. Since Quinn wanted to get rid of Ste so much, she decided to surprise her with a ''gift''. Back in Ocean Path Residence. Since no one had lived in for a few days, dust had umted. About six bodyguards in ck suits swarmed in with Edwin. With Edwin¡¯s order, the bodyguards began to look for the family portrait in Ocean Path Residence, but there was nothing on Ste''s bedroom walls. The ce where the family portrait should be hung on was already empty, leaving only a light color wallpaper on it. Edwin stood firmly in front of the wallpaper, looking at the nk wall, and he narrowed his eyes. He then sent people to search the entire room. The bodyguards searched the room but found nothing. "Mister Atherton, I didn''t see the family portrait you mentioned." Edwin could probably guess that it was taken away in advance. He pursed his lips and said, "Interesting. Very interesting. They even got rid of the portrait. It seems that the people behind this are afraid that I''d see this portrait." Chapter 799 Chapter 799 Chapter 799 Edwin went to the hospital to fetch Catelyn and Joanne, telling them what he found. "I checked the doors and windows, and they were all perfectly locked without signs of forced entry." This puzzled Joanne. "How did the thief get in?" Catelyn and Edwin looked at each other, and they both saw something unusual in each other''s eyes. The doors and windows were all in good condition, indicating that it was not a break-in but a legal entry with the key instead. ''If the bracelet in that photo was simr to the phoenix bracelet, who''d deal with the painting?¡¯ Catelyn and Edwin pondered at the same time. The only reasonable exnation was that the bracelet in the portrait was the one that Quinn gave to the Atherton family, so Quinn was the one who wanted to get rid of the portrait. It was precisely because of that that she seemed guilty on the night that ident happened. Edwin asked Catelyn, "Do you still remember the origin of that bracelet?" "It¡¯s been too long. I can''t remember clearly.¡± Catelyn had never looked at the bracelet carefully. With the vague memory she still had, she said, "I vaguely remember that in that family portrait, little me was grabbing onto the bracelet. I''m afraid only my mother knows the origin." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Edwin seemed a little interested when he heard that. " You held it?" "Yes. Before our family was ruined by bankruptcy, he''d often give me all kinds of strange things to y with. I even found a skeleton of a small dinosaur in the storage room a few years ago. A real one. That''s why I didn''t take the bracelet to heart at all; there were so many odd things in my house." Joanne finally caught up to the conversation. "That means it is very likely that Quinn took Catelyn''s bracelet and stole her identity as Miss Atherton as well, right? That''s why if she wants to keep her secret forever a secret, she has to...kill Ste..." The realization horrified Joanne. Quinn waspletely a psychopath! Edwin had never worried about Quinn. He was instead worried about the people from his family who were dealing with her every day. He looked at Catelyn and warily asked, "Do you have a photo of your mother?" "If I said no, would it shock you?" Catelyn helplessly gave a wry smile. Joanne reacted to that before Edwin could. "Don''t you even have one?!" "No." Catelyn shook her head. "I knew Ste was my stepmother when I was very young. I asked my father where my mother was, but he only told me that my mother died birthing me. He wouldn''t tell me the information either, so I went around looking for pictures of my mom-" "What then?" Joanne could not bear the long story Catelyn was going to tell. "My father said that when my mother died, she was full of regrets, so he burned all her things, including photos, and buried them with her. Therefore, I never knew what my mother looked like, but my father would asionally stare at my face in a daze. I''m guessing... that we share some simrities." Speaking of her past, Catelyn instinctively thought of Ezekiel. He was suffering in a prison somewhere in the world. She had already divorced Cedrick and given up the custody of her two children at the request of Elder Mason. She did not know when Elder Mason would be willing to let her fathere back to reunite with her. ''Does he want to wait until we go through the divorce entirely?'' Edwin''s sharp gaze fell on Catelyn''s sad face for a moment. He always thought that his aunt and Catelyn looked alike, but he did not expect that they were simr even when she was sad. Perhaps Catelyn had never been so helpless in front of him before. When they got out of the car, Edwin secretly collected a string of Catelyn''s long hair. Maybe he and his grandmother could find the real Miss Atherton without waiting for the day when Quinn was exposed. Until then, he had a question in his mind. ''My aunt left Sapphire City with that mysterious man, so how did she have a daughter with Ezekiel?¡¯ Chapter 800 Chapter 800 Chapter 800 ''Could it be that the man betrayed her, so my aunt was too ashamed toe back to the family?'' It was all a mystery, and it seemed like Edwin needed to dig into his family''s history of the past 20 years to unearth everything. All the while, Catelyn had only been thinking about calling Elder Mason to inquire about her father''s whereabouts. She did not notice that Edwin was staring at her. As soon as she returned to Shoal Vi, Miles sprinted toward her with his tiny legs. His short hands tightly wrapped around her legs, and he rubbed his chubby face against her knees. "Mommy, Mommy!" Catelyn was taken aback as she never expected to see Miles. Feeling as though something was lodged in her throat, she squatted and hugged the boy tightly. "How could you leave me like that? That''s unforgivable! If you do that again, I''ll find a new mother!" Miles, despite obviously grieving and sobbing, sounded endearing all the same. Catelyn felt upset, but she did not cry. "How did you get here? You should return to Daddy..." Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "The Big Demon hit me. I don''t want to be with him!" said Miles aggrievedly, his eyes filled with tears. "You said that we''d never be separated again... I''ll be obedient in the future, so please don''t leave me!¡± Catelyn wiped the tears from the boy¡¯s eyes. "I''m sorry. Forgive Mommy. I have no choice..." "What do you mean? Where are you going? Just take me with you!" "It''s not that easy, honey. I can''t take you with me." Miles could not understand all the entanglement and vendetta between the adults. After all, he was just a child who was about to turn four. "Why can''t you take me with you? You just want to leave me and Ollie here, don''t you? We could escape to Franche together likest time!" "This time is different." Catelyn tried to push Miles away gently as her nose turned sour. "Mommy has to leave you and Daddy for now, but trust me: As long as I find a way to solve the problem, I¡¯ll be back again.¡± "How long?" Miles'' melodic voice came out of his throat. No matter how hard Catelyn tried to pry off his hands, he still hugged her tightly and refused to let go. Catelyn swayed, afraid of hurting the child. She did not dare to exert force, so she could only repeat, "Soon, very soon. I promise..." "Lies. You''re lying again! If you knew, you¡¯d tell me in detail instead of skirting around your answers. You''re not mentally prepared, are you? I don¡¯t want it! "If you let me go to the Big Demon, I¡¯ll go on a hunger strike or even jump off a building. I refuse to separate from you!" "Don''t be like this, Miles. Don''t you always say that you''re not a three-year-old child anymore? You''re already a young man, a little superhero, so be strong for me, will you? "Miles, you have to let Mommy go, alright?" ''Why is Miles here? Why did you send him here? You knew I couldn''t bear it, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ Catelyn tried her best to hold back her tears, but the tears fell down her cheeks as she lost control. Drop after drop, it hit the back of the child¡¯s tiny hand. Miles also started to cry bitterly, and the more he cried, the more miserable he became. He started to mumble, admitting his fragility and panic, "I''m only four years old, so I am still a kid! Kids are all unreasonable, so I won''t leave..." "You''ve be disobedient, haven''t you?" said Catelyn sharply. Miles bit his lip, and his shoulders trembled. Joanne could not stand it any longer. "Cat, just keep Miles with you, please. He isn''t used to losing his mother suddenly." "But I''m afraid¡ª" "Maybe we could make a phone call! No one can be that inhumane.¡± Joanne could not see Miles crying so painfully, so she took out her phone, intending to call the stubborn Elder Mason. Chapter 801 Chapter 801 Chapter 801 "We¡¯re living in the twenty-first century. No one should talk about marrying a person from a simr societal status family anymore." Just when Joanne scrolled through her contact, she suddenly remembered that she did not have a phone number from Elder Mason, so she turned to look at Edwin. Edwin asked slowly, " How do I help you if you don''t tell me what Elder Mason has?" As soon as he finished, he saw Catelyn suddenly grab Joanne''s mobile phone, and with the number in her memory, she called Elder Mason. Joanne was right, she should always try to fight for what she wanted. While waiting for the call to get through, Catelyn passed Miles, who was about to faint from crying, to Joanne before she headed to a quiet ce with no one around. Uncle Ford had been in charge of Elder Mason''s phone, whenever there was a call, he would screen out the unimportant ones before passing the phone to Elder Mason. When Uncle Ford heard Catelyn''s voice, he asked politely, "Miss rk, what are you calling for?" "I want to talk to Grandpa Mason." Uncle Ford felt hesitant upon hearing his request and thus said, " Master isn''t free to talk to you right now. You can tell me what you need, and I''ll pass it to himter on." "I''ll divorce Cedrick, but I have a request." Catelyn''s words instantly piqued Uncle Ford''s interest. When Cedrick and Elder Mason were arguing, he was on the spot, so he knew that Cedrick had signed a prenuptial agreement with Catelyn. Uncle Ford''s attitude suddenly changed. "Miss rk, please wait a moment." Catelyn did not know why Uncle Ford was willing to help all of a sudden. About two minutester, she heard Elder Mason''s voice on the phone, "What''s the matter?" "I''ve left Cedrick ording to your request. Can you tell my father''s whereabouts now?" "Rx, youngdy. Ceddy hasn''t married Quinn yet. Who knows if you''d break your promise after I hand over your father to you," Elder Mason said coldly, sounding oppressive. Catelyn had long expected that. Her father was the trump card in Elder Mason''s hand. He would not hand it over so easily, and arguing with Elder Mason was thest thing she wanted to do. "I''ll go through the divorce formalities with Cedrick tomorrow. Before my fatheres back, I want to keep Miles with me. Is that okay? "Don''t worry, I won''t act rashly since my father is in your hands, and I don''t dare to take him away, but Miles has never been separated from me. If I leave him so abruptly, he may fall apart horribly." Elder Mason suddenly fell silent, and Catelyn was pleasantly surprised there was a trace of humanity in him. She clenched her fists tightly and continued, "I promise that when Fatheres back, Miles will get used to living without me, and I''ll send him back to Cedrick. This is myst request. I hope you can understand the feelings of being a mother." "About the divorce, I need you to postpone it," said Elder Mason. This baffled Catelyn. "Isn''t this what you''ve always hoped for?" "I said postpone it, so just do what I told you to! Miles has never been obedient in our family, so take him with you if you like! After Ceddy and Quinn get married, I''ll have someone pick him up." If they were to get divorced, Cedrick would be so stubborn as to not give all his assets to Catelyn. That was not the result Elder Mason wanted to see, so he had to take a step back. Of course, Catelyn did not know what Elder Mason was thinking. She was mistaken that Elder Mason did not like Miles, her adorable son. "Okay. As long as you promise to let me keep Miles beside me, I''ll wait for your nextmand." Catelyn hung up the phone, and she felt more relieved than ever. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After all, she was d that she still had Miles by her side. Chapter 802 Chapter 802 Chapter 802 Meanwhile... Elder Mason was in a hospital bed, having been admitted after falling into a short-liveda. He did not n to go back to Mason Chateau for those few days, and he was nning to use his health to ckmail Cedrick. Although Cedrick looked cold and fierce on the outside, Elder Mason knew he was soft-hearted and caring. However, he did not expect that Cedrick would not even visit him once during the time he stayed in the hospital. The hospital became his one-man show in the end. "Master, do you want to send the young master to Miss rk?" Uncle Ford asked worriedly. Although Elder Mason said that he hated Miles, Uncle Ford had been with him for so many years, so he knew whether or not he was honest. Elder Mason genuinely liked Miles, or he would not have given Miles so many nicknames in secret. Deep in his heart, he had long wanted to include Miles as part of the family. Draco sarcastically said, "So you want me to have the annoying brat to piss me off every day?" "Young Master Miles is just a kid after all. Indeed, aspared to Young Master ollie, he is a little more unruly," Uncle Ford exined with a smile. "Let''s talk about it after the Atherton family''s reunion banquet. Before that, we must find a way to ruin the prenuptial agreement. Ceddy is too brash!" After that, Elder Mason nced at the door again. Besides the medical staff, there was no one else. He was sent to the hospital, and it was kept a secret from everyone except Cedrick, but not once did he come. Miles cried out of breath. Joanne carried the boy back to the living room, feeling badly distressed. "Sweetie, please don''t cry anymore. Your mother won''t abandon you like that." Joanne carefully wiped off his tears. "If you cry again, you won''t be as cute as you used to be anymore, and you''ll be a little crying bun." Miles wiped his tears and stopped crying when he heard about food. He pursed his lips and said, "I''m hungry." Hearing this, she looked at Edwin, who turned his gaze to the butler. That was the first time the butler met Miles. The boy looked chubby and endearing in the eyes of the butler, like a miniature version of Cedrick. The butler then bowed respectfully and asked, "What do you want to eat, young man? I''ll have someone prepare it right away." "Pancakes, Nigerian pepper soup, barbecue, fried chicken, kiwi, and lobster..." Miles started to list out all his favorite food brazenly. The butler wrote them down one by one. Joanne put her arms around Miles and said, "Nigerian pepper soup isn''t suitable for children." "But I want to eat." Miles stared at Joanne with his big, watery eyes. Joanne could tell that Miles would retaliate horribly if his wish was not granted, thus she turned and said to the butler, "Make it mild, please." "Noted, ma''am." The butler nodded. Edwin ordered some other side dishes too. They all went out for so long, so they could feel hungry at any time. After the butler left, Edwin''s eyes drifted to Joanne''s gesture of coaxing Miles. She smiled so sweetly, and she could not hide her love for Miles in her eyes. As she gently wiped away the boy''s tears, that got Edwin thinking,'' If we have children in the future, would she be as gentle as T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. now?'' A figure suddenly appeared at the gate. Chapter 803 Chapter 803 Chapter 803 Catelyn walked in with an ted smile on her face. Miles immediately jumped up and ran to her, clinging to her index finger and clenching it tightly. "Mommy, please don''t send me back." "We''re not going anywhere." Catelyn leaned forward and kissed her son¡¯s cheek. "Why would Mommy be willing to send you away? II "Really?" hesitated Miles. "Will you wait until I fall asleep and secretly send me back to Big Demon?" "Let''s have a scoop of ice cream, shall we?" Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Miles''s eyes immediately lit up, and he rubbed his cheek against Catelyn''s. Edwin''s eyebrows raised as he asked, "Is there a story about a scoop of ice cream?" When Joanne heard that Catelyn was not going to send Miles back, she sighed relievedly and exined delightfully, "Miles loves ice cream, but having too much of it is not good for his health. So, Cat promised him that she''ll take him to have ice cream twice a month if he behaves well, and the phrase gradually became a secret password between the two." "Is it that fun to raise a son?" Edwin rubbed his jaw, thinking of something. Joanne nodded with vigor. "Yes, yes! Especially raising a prodigy. That''s the most interesting thing ever. Do you know that when Miles was still a baby, I bought him a dummy, but he threw it away angrily, and I had to secretly put it back in his mouth..." Edwin nced at her excitedly telling the story. "You''re quite funny." "That''s mainly because Miles was so cute back then! You won''t understand..." Miles nestled in Catelyn''s arms, blushed, and said weakly, " Godmother, why do you always embarrass me in front of others?" "Well, when you grow up and have a wife of your own, I''ll tell your wife this story. I''ll say it for a lifetime," Joanne said with a smile. Miles buried his face in Catelyn''s shoulder in disgust, turning the back of his little head to her. Joanne giggled even more at the sight, yet she could not fend off the looming sadness internally. She knew Elder Mason would never let Catelyn go. A short reunion might be a long parting. Soon, the butler reported to them that the meal was ready. Everyone got to the table. Even Miles regained his strength and began to gobble down all the food on the dining table. Joanne and he were both foodies. They kept stuffing their mouths with the cooked food in the Nigerian pepper soup. A lustrous, oily glow appeared on the corners of their mouths, dyeing their mouths bright red and shiny. Catelyn did not allow Miles to eat too much and instead took him to wash his dirtied hands. Edwin saw Joanne eating mouthfuls without caring about her image, and he could not help worrying that marrying her would embarrass him in the future. So, he cast a sidelong nce at her. " Can''t you be more elegant when you eat?" Joanne raised her eyelids. "I''m elegant already." Edwin did not respond to her but moved his gaze to her fingers instead, she was holding food with her bare hands, and her fingertips were covered in red oil. Joanne thought he wanted to take away her food, so she quickly stuffed thest piece ofmb in the Nigerian pepper soup into her mouth and murmured, "I''ve washed my hands, and eating is a very enjoyable thing, so why can''t I enjoy my food?" "Because the way you eat disgusted me." Joanne''s eyelids drooped. "We are people from two worlds. Your ideal wife is a gentlewoman, and a woman like that won''t be as rude and rude as me. Though, I never said that I perfectly meet your requirements. My mother abandoned me when I was very young, and my father didn''t deem me his daughter. "Whenever my aunt got angry, she''d starve me and wouldn''t allow me to eat. Therefore, in my eyes, being able to eat is a thing to be grateful for. The most important thing is that if you can''t stand it, don''t look at me. "There''s also another solution to it. As long as you don''t sue me, we can part ways." Joanne thought she must have knocked her head that time when she agreed to marry Edwin. Chapter 804 Chapter 804 Chapter 804 Edwin had looked into Joanne''s life before, so he knew most of her background, but he did not expect that she had been abused when she was young. The whole dining room was quiet for a while. Seeing that Edwin was still staring at her hands, Joanne felt embarrassed and stretched out her tongue to lick her fingers. The wrapping of her tongue around her fingertips turned into a silent charm in Edwin''s eyes. She took back what she said before as she finally agreed that marrying a man from a family with simr societal status was important. Edwin and she were a great example in that case. They were not from the same ss at all, and they were in different circles, so when they lived together, there were many contradictions in their daily life. Just as she was annoyed, Joanne raised her head coldly and saw that Edwin was staring at her strangely. His eyes seemed to have... reddened slightly as if he wanted to eat her. Joanne stood up in fright, though she was one meter away from him. "I''m sorry that I disgusted you. I won''t be at the table next time you eat." Edwin tugged at his tie and thought, ''Is this woman stupid or just pretending to be?'' Turning his head and ring at her, he strode upstairs. Halfway through, he suddenly stopped and stared at Joanne. "If you dare to do something like finger- licking in front of other men, I swear you''ll lose your job, and no one will hire you again." ''He could just say it outright if he thinks I''m dirty. Why beat around the bush?!'' Joanne was totally mistaken about Edwin''s implication. When Catelyn came back after washing hands with Miles, she noticed that Edwin was gone. "Mister Atherton doesn''t seem to have eaten much, huh?" Joanne was embarrassed to say that he disliked the way she ate, so she scratched her head, pretended to not care about it, and said, " It''s okay; that''s just how he is. He eats less for several meals to be healthy." "I can''t tell that he''s such a healthy man before this." "Haha...yeah." Joanne faked a smile. Miles soon became sleepy, so Catelyn helped him shower and then carried him to bed. Sitting at the bedside and reading fairy tales to him, Miles fell asleep before the story even ended. Catelyn quietly left the bedroom and nned to go downstairs to chat with Joanne for a while. What she did not know was that the moment she left, Miles'' eyes opened. The boy nced at the door of the bedroom and crept out of bed. He ced his ears on the door and quietly listened to the movement outside for a while. After confirming that Catelyn had gone downstairs, his expression became very cold. His sharp eyes were searching back and forth in the guest room. Catelyn had made shoal vi her home for the time being; Miles Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. could see all the luggage. He quickly took out the children''s mobile phone and called Cedrick. He pouted. Although he did not want to unite with Cedrick, Catelyn seemed to be threatened, and she needed superhero Miles to rescue her. He felt that Catelyn probably did not want him by her side anymore. In the study of Green Inds, Cedrick had arranged for his men to find out what Elder Mason might be using to threaten Catelyn. Joanne said that she was in a dilemma, so it must be something she cared about. The two children were safe and sound, so they could not possibly be the leverage. Ste was lying in the hospital, and none of the medicine or treatment was abnormal, so she was also not a leverage. ''Hmm. Then, the remaining possibilities are...'' Suddenly, Cedrick''s phone rang, and it interrupted his thoughts. Knowing that it was a call from Miles, he epted the call, without any nonsense, he asked straight to the point, "what did you find out?" 1 Miles sat on the bedside as his short legs hung above the floor. Chapter 805 Chapter 805 Chapter 805 Miles grabbed the phone with his tiny hand and, with his adorable voice, replied, "I''ve looked through Mommy''s luggage, and there''s nothing suspicious. Maybe we''re looking in the wrong direction. When Old Demon threatened Mommy, he probably didn''t leave behind anything that could be used against him." Cedrick squinted at this, not knowing whether it was reliable to pin his hopes on Miles. "Anyway, there are more clues that you can get by her side." Miles continued, "I found a very strange photo, too." Cedrick narrowed his eyes coldly again, "what photo?" "That''s a picture of an old man in a prison uniform being beaten and kicked. He was bleeding so pitifully. I don''t know why Mommy kept it in the bag," Miles spoke as he stared at the miserable, bloody photo. Fortunately, Miles''s mental endurance was rtively strong, so this did not unsettle him too greatly. Cedrick''s grip on the phone involuntarily tightened. With the clues Miles gave, he had a vague image of that man in his mind already. "Send me the photo immediately," ordered Cedrick. Miles disliked his domineering tone because he ordered him as if he was his subordinate. "I did something you couldn''t do, so is there any reward?" "Stop negotiating with me! Hurry up!" Cedrick urged impatiently. The more anxious Cedrick sounded, the more Miles realized that the photo might be of great importance. He thus raised his eyebrows in an adult-like manner and said, "You have such a bad temper. I decided to reconsider whether or not to send it to you." Cedrick deeply felt the threat from a three-year-old child. He softened his tone in an attempt to persuade him. "Well, what do you want?" Miles showed an evil smile. "I want to ride a horse." "The foal has been airlifted back. It''s at the racecourse, when this is over, I''ll take you to ride it. The photo, now!" Cedrick urged irritably. Miles covered his face with his little hands. "I don''t want to ride a foul or a pony. I want to ride a big horse." "You''re underage, so you can''t do it. Are you going to send the photo or not? If you can''t find out why she was threatened by old Demon, he''s likely to throw you out too next time. Is this what you want to see?" Cedrick was no longer led by the nose when he turned the tables. Indeed, Miles was most afraid of being separated from Catelyn, so he frowned. "Then, I want to ride you and sit on your shoulders instead." Just like other children, sitting on their father''s broad shoulders was what every kid asked. He had long wanted to see into the distance from a height. "Are you kidding me?" guffawed Cedrick. Miles''s voice weakened, but he quickly countered, "It''s fine if you don''t want the photo. After all, Mommy is leaving you, not me." "... Deal!" Cedrick agreed to such a humiliating treaty in the end for the photo. It seemed that he got angry easily whenever talking to Miles. He was like a bomb that was going to explode anytime. Miles giggled and sent the photo to Cedrick, all while asking, " Have you received the photos? Who''s the man in the prison? Why does Mommy keep his photo? "Hello...? Big Demon, are you still there?" Beep! T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick got what he wanted and hung up the call immediately, leaving Miles pouting on the other side. "Bad, ugly Big Demon! You wouldn''t have known the existence of that photo if I hadn''t helped!" At that very moment, Miles heard footsteps outside the guest room. Chapter 806 Chapter 806 Chapter 806 Before Catelyn opened the door, Miles carefully stuffed the photo back into her purse and climbed onto the bed as if nothing had happened. Right after all that was done, Catelyn gently twisted the handle and pushed open the door. Everything was indifferent in the bedroom as she left, she did not notice anything strange. When she saw Miles sleeping peacefully on the bed, the missing piece of her heart seemed to be found and filled. In the Green Inds, Cedrick stared at the photo sent by Miles on his phone. He was lost and silent for a while. Then, he turned on theputer and started searching for Ezekiel. Four years ago, Ezekiel was a murderer in Sapphire City that caught international attention for a short period. The case was so famous that there were many photos of Ezekiel showing on the Inte at that time. Comparing the photo on his phone to the search result, Edwin could almost be certain that they were the same person. 1 The only difference was that Ezekiel, who was wearing a prison uniform, had aged a lot. is this what grandpa used to force her to leave me?'' Cedrick mused. Everything that had happened these days shed through his mind, and he finally understood why Joanne would say that Catelyn was in a dilemma. Ezekiel was in Elder Mason''s hands. He remembered that day before leaving, Catelyn suddenly took the initiative to kiss him and told him about her ssmate being forced to break up with her boyfriend by her parents. He finally realized that she was talking about herself. ''But why didn''t she tell me?!'' At that time, he thought she was just finding irrelevant topics to have a conversation with him. Cedrick silently shut hisputer and made a phone call to Eason to give his orders. His mood never turned bright during the course because Catelyn would not get back to him as long as Ezekiel¡¯s whereabouts remained a mystery. Unknowingly, Cedrick sat in the study until dawn broke. Eason sent a message saying that he was already at the door. Cedrick crushed the cigarette butt in his hand and stood up expressionlessly. The living room without any light was as dark as Cedrick''s mind now. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. When he opened the door, Eason, who was already standing at the door, handed a ck gift box and a ck shopping bag to Cedrick. " Master Cedrick, everything you want is here. These are thetest technologies. Even with the asional effect of electromaic waves, it is still difficult to detect them unless they are dismantled deliberately." Cedrick took the gift box and took a look at the things inside it. "Is my grandpa still in the hospital?" "Yes, Grandpa Mason has been in the hospital since you went there. I asked the doctor over there, but the doctor kept his mouth tightly shut and would not reveal Grandpa Mason''s condition to me." Eason smelled tobo from Cedrick and wondered how many cigarettes he smoked. When Catelyn was still there by Cedrick''s side, he could not smell tobo from Cedrick''s body because Catelyn would educate him about the adverse effect of second-hand smoke on their children''s health. Cedrick responded coldly while rubbing the edge of the gift box. " Get someone to keep an eye on grandpa''s most capable assistants and bodyguards, especially those they have contacted abroad recently. Be careful not to alert them. If there is no definite clue to find Ezekiel''s whereabouts, I would rather let it go." Of course, Eason understood that Cedrick was worried that Elder Mason would hurt Miss rk. That would be tantamount to stabbing a knife in Catelyn''s heart. After all, Catelyn left Cedrick to keep Ezekiel safe. "Yes, I know what to do." Cedrick nodded slightly and smirked. He underestimated Elders Mason''s capability. It took a long time for him to pinpoint his trump card. Chapter 807 Chapter 807 Chapter 807 Perhaps Elder Mason never gave up trying to get rid of Catelyn, and it just so happened that Ste was hit by ''him'', creating an opportunity for him to eliminate Catelyn from Cedrick. "Master Cedrick, do you want me to send Uncle Ford..." Before Eason could finish his sentence, he received a nce from Cedrick that signaled him to stay quiet. Immediately at the corner of the living room, a tiny little guy walked out of the darkness... Thud. Thud. Ollie was walking into the living room in a pair of oversized fluffy slippers. He stared at both Cedrick and Eason with a "No." Cedrick calmly replied and told Eason, "Let''s talk about that tomorrow. You''ve been running around all night. It''s time to go back and have a rest." "Goodbye, Young Master ollie." Eason smiled and waved to ollie before leaving. On his way back, he felt that the timing of ollie''s appearance was a bit coincidental. Then his worries were lessened when he thought that such a kid would not have any idea what they were talking about. Cedrick closed the door, threw the ck shopping bag onto the coffee table, and sank into the couch. "How much did you hear just now?" "A little bit." Ollie''s eyes flickered slightly, and he asked curiously, "Is the ''Ezekiel'' you and Uncle Eason talked about my grandfather? II Ollie remembered that when Catelyn took them to the amusement park that day, she cried for the first time because she found a clue about his grandfather. The lights in the living room were still not switched on yet. with the twilight illuminating the living room through the window, they both looked at each other and could urately guess each other''s thoughts. Cedrick did not n to keep that secret from Ollie. "Yes." "Is it because of grandfather that Mummy left US suddenly?" "You guessed it right. The most important thing at the moment is to find your grandfather''s whereabouts." Cedrick pushed the shopping bag that was on the coffee table in front of Ollie. " Tomorrow, I will take you to see grandpa. You will apany him, live by his side for a while, and give this to him." Ollie did not hesitate and agreed, "okay." The next day when Elder Mason had enough and wanted to leave the hospital, he received news from Cedrick, telling him that he would visit him in the afternoon. He would bring ollie with him. Uncle Ford was pleasantly surprised. He went to the door early to greet him beforehand. About ten minutester, a ck car stopped, and Cedrick took ollie out of the car. Cedrick was wearing a ck suit, while Ollie wore a ck padded jacket. They both looked good in their attire. "Master Cedrick, I knew you would want to visit..." Uncle Ford rubbed his red eyes as he said. Ollie pursed his lips. "Grandpa Ford, how is Great-grandpa doing?" "The doctor said that Master''s condition is not stable, and he can''t take any shock anymore, so it is best for him to take some rest." Uncle Ford exined kindly and then told Cedrick, "Master Cedrick, you came here because you still care about Master, don''t you? Please, for the sake of his health, don''t disobey him." Cedrick sneered in his heart and mocked, "I know what to do, and I don''t need others to teach me that. You got me?" Uncle Ford knew that he had made Cedrick unhappy, so he hurriedly lowered his head and said, "Master Cedrick, please forgive me. I''m just too worried about Master..." "He''s my grandfather, so why wouldn''t I care about him?" Cedrick''s utterance made Uncle Ford speechless. He then took Ollie into the ward. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. There was a very faint smell of disinfectant in the air. Besides the bed, the ward was nothing like a ward in a hospital, as the interior decoration was high-end. Elder Mason was lying weakly on the bed. "I thought you wished to see me dead, but you brought my great- grandson to see me today." Chapter 808 Chapter 808 Chapter 808 Cedrick dide to quarrel with Elder Mason, so he chose to ignore his taunting. Seeing that his insult did not trigger Cedrick, Elder Mason was somewhat disappointed. He cleared his throat and became soft-hearted. Looking at his great -grandson holding a shopping bag, he waved at him and said, " Ollie,e here. I miss you a lot." Ollie nced at Cedrick, who pursed his lips tightly and said nothing. "My my. Do I need permission to hug my lovely great-grandson?" Elder Mason immediately became satirized. He was bored in the hospital for several days, and there was no one to talk to him. The hospital strictly controlled his diet, so he could only eat nd food every day. Because of that, when he saw ollie, he undoubtedly wanted to be close to him. Cedrick ruffled the little guy''s head and said, "Go ahead." Only then had ollie walked to the side of Elder Mason''s bed, took out the delicate gift box from the shopping bag, and passed it to him. "Great-grandpa, I heard that you are sick. I have nothing to give you, so I bought a sr-powered watch for you. I hope you like it. It works as long as the sun does not set." Uncle Ford initially found it strange Cedrick and ollie bought a watch as a gift instead of fruits or bouquets. He then immediately understood, covered his mouth, and smiled. " Master, Young Master Ollie is wishing you a long life!" Elder Mason abruptlyughed tedly, "oh, lovely! That''s so sweet of you." "Great-grandpa, shall I help you put it on?" Ollie opened the box, and a silver watch came into everyone''s sight. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The watch was elegant, simple but stylish, and suitable for all age groups. Elder Mason immediately stretched out his hand happily. The skin on the back of his hand had lost moisture and became dried because of his old age, which contrasted with Ollie''s hand, which was white and full of moisture. Ollie carefully unbuttoned the watch and put it on Elder Mason''s wrist. Looking at his loving smile, a sh of guilt shed in his heart. Although he did not know what Cedrick added to the watch, he hoped that Cedrick had no intention of hurting Elder Mason with that. However, when he imagined being separated from Catelyn, he strengthened his determination again and smiled at Elder Mason as if nothing had happened. "It''s done, Great-grandpa. Do you think it looks good on you?" "You picked the watch, of course, it looks good." Elder Mason smiled happily, not knowing the conspiracy Cedrickand Ollie had. That smile on Elder Mason''s wrinkled face made ollie feel even more guilty. He lowered his head and excused himself to go to the bathroom with Uncle Ford''s lead. There were now only Cedrick, and Elder Mason left in the ward. Without the presence of Ollie, the atmosphere between the two immediately became a little stagnant. "Tell me. What are you going to do for Quinn and the child in her stomach?" It turned out that Elder Mason went to ask Quinn after the quarrel. Quinn told him that she already had a child with Cedrick, and with her current status, the two of them would be a match made in heaven. Cedrick''s eyesnded on Elder Mason''s gesture of stroking his new watch. He then asked without a slight change in his expression, " Have you not learned enough from Maia? Are you sure the child of Quinn is mine?" "Don''t try to fool me. I''ve already had someone check that and I know your ligation was undone. If you never had sex with Quinn, would she dare to deceive you?" After the incident with Maia, Elder Mason was very cautious about lineage. He had someone go to check if Cedrickhad taken Quinn to the hotel that night and it was affirmative. That was the reason he needed Cedrick to be responsible for Quinn and the unborn child. "I don''t care what you think, but Quinn is not worthy of being my wife." Cedrick had gotten what he came for, so he had no interest in continuing the conversation anymore. Chapter 809 Chapter 809 Chapter 809 "Who''s worthy then?! Catelyn? A murderer''s daughter and a bankruptdy? what has she done to make you fall so deeply for her?" Elder Mason''s face turned pinkish red because of anger, and he suddenly sat up from the bed. "The doctor said you need to rest. I''ll go first and see you when I have time." Cedrick turned his head and strode out without the slightest hesitation. "Stop right there!" Elder Mason''s anger was fueled by Cedrick''s sudden leave. He grabbed a pillow by his hand and threw it at him. " Mark my words! If you don''t settle the prenuptial agreement and marry Quinn, you''ll never see Catelyn again for the rest of your life! II Cedrick''s eyes suddenly became deadly cold. With his darkened eyes, he calmly stared into Elder Mason''s eyes. "Didn''t the doctor say that you are so ill that it is difficult to get up?" He was right. His grandfather was pretending to be sick all the while. Elder Mason was stunned for a moment, and after a long while, he said, "Are you very dissatisfied that I can sit up now? You''d only be happy if I got into aa because of you, wouldn''t you?" "I didn''t mean that. There is a lot of work left with me in thepany, and I''m really busy. Take care. I will let Ollie stay here with you for a few days." Afterward, Cedrick gently picked up the needle that fell on the ground and put it on a nightstand before striding out. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Elder Mason rolled his eyes involuntarily, grasped his left-sided chest, breathed heavily, and cursed bitterly with all his force, "You brat!" Since Cedrick refused to settle the prenuptial agreement, Elder Mason was left with no choice but to force him to do it. When Uncle Ford came back, he gave his order, "Go to Catelyn and ask her to tear up the prenuptial agreement. If she refuses, cut off a finger of Ezekiel and give it to her." Catelyn had a series of strange nightmares that kept waking her up in the middle of the night. She felt that her body was light and airy as if her soul had escaped from her body, crossed the boundaries of time and space, and appeared in a huge prison. The prison was located on an overseas ind and was one of the most secluded prisons in the world. Ezekiel was in it, surrounded by a group of strong and fierce people of different races. They kept instructing him to do all kinds of vile and dirty things and seemed to take pleasure in torturing him. Those people would snicker contentedly, watching him covered in blood and sweating profusely. Catelyn wanted to rush over and protect her father over and over again, but she was just a soul floating in the air, prating through Ezekiel''s body every time she tried. All she could do was witness those people torturing her father... Catelyn screamed and woke up from the nightmare, grabbing the quilt and breathing heavily with cold sweat all over her forehead. Miles, who slept with her, was awakened by her scream and immediately got up from the bed. "Mummy, did you have a nightmare?" He carried the tissue box over with his little hands and grabbed a piece of tissue paper to wipe off the sweat on Catelyn''s forehead. The soft and concerned voice startled Catelyn. She almost fell off the bed, but when she saw that the little figure in front of her was Miles, she hugged him tightly in her arms. "I won''t leave you again ... I will never leave you..." The suffering of being a bystander that could do nothing but watch others suffer had drowned her like a wave. It was too scary to be true. Although Miles did not know what nightmare Catelyn had, he gently patted her back with his tiny hand, trying to give her the most sincerefort. "Miles knows, and Miles is here. Don''t be afraid, Mummy, I will sing to you..." Chapter 810 Chapter 810 Chapter 810 The childish nursery rhyme echoed in Catelyn''s ears, and her restless mind was graduallyforted. She kept telling herself in her mind that dreams were the opposite of reality and her father would be fine. She had already left Cedrick, so Elder Mason should not be hurting her father anymore. Joanne got very worried when she knew that Catelyn had a nightmarest night. Still, the family reunion banquet held by the Atherton family for Quinn was about to start, so Joanne forced Catelyn to go to the top beauty salon for styling and beauty maintenance. Catelyn did not want to look embarrassed at the banquet, so she did not refuse. That was a high-end clubhouse with a private car park that was upied with all luxury cars at the moment. Joanne had driven her little Polio and searched for a parking slot for a long time until a guard opened the entry to a reserved parking slot for her. The two entered the clubhouse and were led by the waiter to the top floor. Coincidentally, they saw a woman covered in jewels sitting on a soft couch. She had just taken a foot bath, and a masseuse was wiping the water stains on her feet. The woman also saw both of them, and when their eyes met, a thought shed in Catelyn''s mind, ''what a small world!'' It turned out to be Quinn. When Quinn caught sight of Catelyn and Joanne, she lifted her eyes proudly, covered her mouth, and snickered. "Do you still have the mood to take care of yourself? oh, right. You''re now the unwanted ex- wife of Master Cedrick. Of course, you need to take good care of yourself. Because if you don''t, I guess you''d probably spend the rest of your life alone. How poor that would be just by imagining it. Here, let me introduce to you, that''s Catelyn, the woman that Cedrick found disgusting and also the daughter of a murderer..." Joanne was very dissatisfied with Quinn''s arrogant appearance, but before she could say anything, Catelyn stopped her. They were here to get themselves to look attractive, not to fight. There were not many days left for Quinn to be unreasonablycent and proud. Quinn thought that Catelyn was afraid of her and became even more arrogant. She asked the senior masseuse to give her a facial massage. The masseur and masseuse in the clubhouse were all ordinary people, and they did not dare to piss off wealthy customers like Quinn. Right before Catelyn and Joanne entered the room, some masseuse secretly nced at them. "I really can''t wait to tear Quinn''s face off right now! If she hadn''t joined hands with Elder Mason and used those filthy tricks, she wouldn''t even have had the right to stand right here!" Joanne could not help but speak up for Catelyn. Yet, Catelyn, in turn,forted Joanne, "It''s okay. We''re not going to get mad, okay? she can do whatever she likes." "You''re just too kind!" Joanne rolled up her sleeves with her puffed cheeks. "If I were you, I would just walk up to her and give her two big ps!" She had wanted to hit Quinn for so long. Catelyn poured her a ss of lemonade. "You should care more about your public image. You''re a celebrity, and you should know there always are paparazzi out there, constantly taking hundreds of photos of you every day just to get one that you don''t look good in. So, do you still want your fame?" "My reputation is worth nothing to me when ites to you!" Catelyn was touched by Joanne¡¯s utterance. Soon, they were given a facial massage and skincare routine by two masseuses. It was an hour and a halfter when they went downstairs. As soon as the two of them got downstairs, they heard loud, shrill shouting. By tracing the noise, they found the source. Passersby on the street formed a circle of people. In the circle, a burly man with a tattoo on his arm was choking an olddy with one hand, waving a sharp knife in another, and his eyes were full of anger. He shouted fiercely, "You f*cking bitch from the This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Atherton family! I went bankrupt because of you! You''re going to pay for your life!" Through the gap in the crowd, Catelyn recognized the olddy at a nce. The olddy that the man held hostage was Granny Atherton. The crowd had surrounded the gangster and Granny Atherton, but not a single bystander went up to help... Chapter 811 Chapter 811 Chapter 811 Quinn and a few bodyguards following behind Old Madam Atherton did not dare to approach hastily. Kelly was so frightened that her face turned pale. She secretly took her phone out and called Edwin. "Kitty, what are you looking at? The car is parked over there..." asked Joanne. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn stared in the direction where Old Madam Atherton was being held hostage. "There seems to be something wrong going on over there." Feeling confused, Joanne simply went over toward the crowd. From her line of sight, there was someone blocking her view. Joanne quickly took two steps sideways, and then she saw Old Madam Atherton being held at knifepoint. Fresh, red blood was seen oozing out of the sh wound on her neck. Joanne immediately covered her mouth in shock. This olddy... Wasn''t she the one Joanne met that day at Worldwide Entertainment Co. when she was looking for Edwin? Catelyn and Joanne ran over and squeezed into the crowd. At that moment, the burly man was negotiating with Kelly. "Get back now! One step closer, and I''ll kill her right away!" he yelled. "Please don''t..." begged Kelly as she sobbed chokingly, trying her best tofort the man. "Sir, Old Madam Atherton has not been involved in thepany for many years. Your family''s bankruptcy may be caused by some other member of the Atherton Family. Please let her go. We promise topensate you and bring justice back to you!" "Fair enough, I want the Atherton Family to suffer as much as me now! Prepare a live broadcast and announce all the scandalous things the Athertons had done over the years, or I will kill this old woman!" yelled the man. Old Madam Atherton''s neck was held tightly by the man, and she struggled to breathe. Earlier, she happened to be visiting an exposition nearby. In the midst of it, she received a call from Quinn, and stopped by to pick her up. However, old Madam Atherton would never imagine this crazy man rushing over to her frantically the moment she got out of the car. Everything happened so fast that even her bodyguards did not have time to react and stop him. Kelly continued speaking. Although her voice was trembling, she was not panicking. "The Atherton Family has a deep foundation. Even if you want to broadcast the scandal, it won''t copse. In the end, yourpany will go bankrupt. I can offer you aeback. I can make you even more sessful than before." Hearing this, the man grabbed his dagger even more tightly. His heart started beating a little faster. Quinn was also trying her best to remain calm, she shouted at the man, "Don''t you want money? The Athertons will give you all the money you want! So let my grandma go! If anything happens to her, don''t you think you can get away with it!" "You dare to threaten me?" The man''s eyes instantly red up, and the blue veins on his forehead bulged. "Let me tell you, I am bankrupt! My wife ran away with my son! I''m all alone now, get it? You have nothing to threaten me with here, and I have nothing to lose!" Quinn was frightened by the terrifying statement of the man. she yelled back at him, "But you still have parents and friends, right?" "Just shut up already!" Kelly shouted at Quinn as she rolled her eyes. Neither she nor the olddy dared to provoke the man, so they could only try to negotiate peacefully. However, Quinn''s words were full of threats and provocations, which would only make the situation even worse! If anything happened to old Madam Atherton because of this, Quinn would be at fault indirectly... Old Madam Atherton''s icy gaze swept over Quinn, and Quinn instantly realized that she seemed to have said the wrong thing and quickly took a step back in panic. The man was so full of adrenaline in the current situation that his whole body trembled. Slowly, he started poking the olddy''s neck with the tip of his knife. It was not a lethal cut, but he did this to cause the olddy some pain, deliberating torturing her. Old Madam Atherton clenched her teeth as she felt the sting from the knife. Her whole body trembled, and her neck was sweating profusely. Catelyn looked at Quinn and thought, ''what an id*ot!'' She quickly walked in front of the crowd and said, "Sir, do you want to take revenge on the Athertons? I have a better way!" Chapter 812 Chapter 812 Chapter 812 The man watched Catelyn and Joanne squeeze out of the crowd. "Really? There''s abetter way? Tell me!" he eximed. Due to his adrenaline rush at the moment, the man''s face looked distorted and ferocious, and his eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. Catelyn raised her slender hand and pointed at Quinn. "That is the granddaughter of the Athertons, the jewel in the palm of Old Madam Atherton. The person you''re holding now is an olddy. There''s no point in taking away her short lifespan. However, this girl is different. She''s still young..." Following Catelyn''s exnation, the man''s eyes lit up and turned to Quinn, staring at her with a terrifying gaze, like a predator T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. looking at its prey. Quinn''s entire body went numb, she stared at Catelyn and shouted, "What are you talking about? This is my grandmother! It''s none of your business. Get out of my way!" "My granddaughter is my precious," Old Madam Atherton suddenly choked and started talking, "She''s only in her early twenties. There''s so much ahead in her future. You can torture me all you want, but please don''t hurt her..." Old Madam Atherton was so anxious her eyes started tearing up. In addition, she was elderly with striking white hair. The man looked at her and then at Quinn, suddenly feeling a little unfulfilled. Since her granddaughter was her precious... The man grinned and stared at Quinn aggressively. "You,e here. I''ll let the old woman go." "No..." Quinn shrank in fear. The man sneered as he drew the tip of his knife on Old Madam Atherton''s arm. A bright red slit was torn open. "Don''t hurt her..." begged Kelly nervously. She hurriedly said to Quinn, "Miss Atherton, just go to him. old Madam Atherton is very old and frail. I''m afraid she can''t take this much longer. Don''t worry. We will do everything we can to ensure your safety, and the bodyguards wille and save you." Catelyn also persuaded Quinn, "Didn''t you keep saying that Old Madam Atherton is your dearest grandmother? Now is the time for you to show it. Saving her would be the most important thing to do. II Quinn''s teeth chattered non-stop. If she managed to save the olddy, even if her identity as a fake granddaughter was revealed in the future, Old Madam Atherton would still forgive her, as she owes Quinn her life. Thinking about this, Quinn hesitantly walked over to the man. The closer she got to him, the stronger she could feel the murderous aura oozing out from him. The man''s eyes glowed with excitement as Quinn approached him. The knife in his hand was trembling so vigorously that it identally cut through several strands of the olddy''s hair. Quinn felt an icy chill feeling going down her spine, and she suddenly screamed in fright. She hugged her head and looked back at Kelly and the several bodyguards. They were all staring at her as if telling her not to even think about retreating. Quinn finally could not take it any longer and suddenly shouted¡ª "I''m not her granddaughter! I''m a fake! Catelyn is her real granddaughter! She''s the person you wanted, not me!" she cried. The man shouted back, "Stop pretending! You''re lying!" Quinn''s eyes reddened, and she shook her head desperately. "No, no, I really am not! Look at Catelyn! Don''t you think she is very simr to the olddy?" Everyone was shocked as they heard Quinn''s remarks, including Old Madam Atherton. Chapter 813 Chapter 813 Chapter 813 What? Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn is the granddaughter of the Athertons? Hearing this, Catelyn''s heartbeat also stopped for a moment. At the same time, a car arrived and stopped not far behind the man. It was Edwin. The man nced suspiciously at Catelyn and Quinn¡¯s faces, and it seemed that Catelyn indeed had a simr resemnce to old Madam Atherton. "So who''s the actual granddaughter?" he shouted. "I am," said Catelyn. she took a deep breath and stepped forward, facing the man. "Let the olddy go. I''ll be your hostage." Listening to Catelyn''s words, the man looked confused. Something seemed wrong about this. As Catelyn was approaching him, he narrowed his eyes and said, " Stop! Are you all trying to make fun of me? Finding a random woman in exchange for my most valuable hostage?" Unknowingly, Edwin came from behind silently. In one instance, he grabbed the man''s wrist and broke his bones effortlessly. As the knife fell to the ground, Edwin proceeded to m the man down to the ground, suppressing him on his shoulders. Catelyn kicked the knife away with one foot and quickly walked over to help old Madam Atherton. The olddy was feeling unstable from all the loss of blood. The moment Catelyn rushed over and supported her, she shivered and lost consciousness. Before she closed her eyes, she held Catelyn''s wrist tightly. "Grandma! Grandma! Are you okay..." Quinn cried as she rushed over after regaining her senses. Edwin subdued the gangster and handed him over to the police. Next, he quickly took old Madam Atherton to the hospital. Catelyn''s hand was tightly sped by the olddy, so she had to go with her. In the hospital, the smell of disinfectant roamed the air in the spacious ward. Old Madam Atherton was lying on a big white bed, surrounded by many people around her. There were many cries and scolding going on, making her unable to rest soundly. In a daze, she struggled a little, identally reopening the wound on her arm. The olddy groaned in pain and then felt a soft little hand ced on her. It was a veryforting feeling. She slowly opened her eyes and just happened to see Catelyn sitting on the edge of the bed with a solemn and worried expression on her face. Seeing that old Madam Atherton had woken up, Catelyn said in surprise, "Ah, you finally woke up! How are you feeling?" "You..." muttered the olddy as she moved her lips slowly. Her throat was feeling sore. Edwin was also waiting by her side. He immediately poured a ss of water for her. He inserted a straw into the ss and brought it to Old Madam Atherton''s lips. "Grandma, try not to talk now. Drink some water and moisten your throat. Catelyn and I are here for you." Old Madam Atherton took a few mouthfuls of water. As she finished, she turned her head and stared at Catelyn nervously. " Was it true, what that man said? You are my actual granddaughter, not Quinn?" she asked. Chapter 814 Chapter 814 Chapter 814 Quinn actually admitted that Catelyn was Old Madam Atherton''s granddaughter. Was this all true? Wasn''t Catelyn the daughter of Ezekiel rk? Does this mean that Summer has not left Sapphire City? Countless thoughts were shing through old Madam Atherton''s mind at the moment. Looking at her puzzled expression, Catelynforted softly," Take it easy. The situation earlier was critical, and the man was really dangerous. I had to appease him first, so I pretended to be your granddaughter..." "So... you''re not?" The light in Old Madam Atherton''s eyes gradually dimmed. Catelyn actually had some suspicions as well. How could the phoenix bracelet inherited from the Athertons appear in the rk Family? However, she had no other evidence to prove that her mother was rted to the Athertons. Perhaps the bracelet was obtained by ident? Catelyn smiled and shook her head. Seeing the two of them sping their hands together, Edwin could not bear it any longer. "Grandma, there''s something I haven''t told you, actually..." he said. Before Edwin could finish his sentence, Quinn barged in together with a few doctors. "Grandma!" she yelled. With tears in her eyes, she ordered the doctor to give old Madam Atherton a thorough checkup, she pushed Catelyn away and knelt beside the olddy''s bed, holding her hand while crying. "Grandma, you''re finally awake! I was so worried! Please understand the situation was so critical just now. when I saw Edwin getting out of the car, I wanted to divert the gangster''s attention, so I lied to him and said I wasn''t your granddaughter. Please believe me!" cried Quinn. Old Madam Atherton held back her anger. This id*ot girl almost got her killed! She pulled Quinn close to her. "Silly girl, how can Grandma not believe you? You''re the one who possesses the bracelet. Just don''t be so reckless in the future. Just be thankful that both Catelyn and Edwin are here today." "Don''t worry about it," said Catelyn. Even if Old Madam Atherton was Edwin''s grandmother, she could not just sit back and do nothing if she was in danger. Quinn thought that since she was not present earlier, she did not know what the olddy and Catelyn had spoken about. Catelyn must have taken the opportunity to speak ill of Quinn. Fortunately, Old Madam Atherton still believed in Quinn. She took a big sigh of relief as she thought about it. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She turned her head and looked at Catelyn with a mocking expression. "Thank you for your hard work, Miss rk. However, even if you didn''t show up today, Edwin would save the day anyway. Now that I''m here with the doctors, we''ll take it from here. I will get Kelly to prepare a cheque to reward youter." Catelyn nced at Quinn. She did not n to stay long anyway. " Granny, have a good rest. I''ll excuse myself," said Catelyn to old Madam Atherton as she prepared to leave. "Wait a minute," said the olddy, suddenly reluctant to let Catelyn leave, especially after she had just heard earlier from Quinn that Catelyn was her actual granddaughter. The more old Madam Atherton looked, the more she felt that Catelyn might just be the person she was looking for. "Quinny, Miss rk had saved me, and I owe her my life now. Now you''re driving her away with a cheque. Are you that shameless?" said Old Madam Atherton. Quinn quickly replied aggrievedly, "Grandma, you know I don''t mean that..." "You don''t seem respectful, not showing any gratitude to Miss rk at all. Had I spoiled you so much that you have now lost all your manners?" said old Madam Atherton solemnly, not showing any sympathy to Quinn. Quinn felt her heart turn sour in an instant. Chapter 815 Chapter 815 Chapter 815 Old Madam Atherton has never spoken to Quinn with such a harsh tone before. This was all because of Catelyn! "I''m just too worried about you. The doctor said you''d better rest. It''s inconvenient to have too many outsiders present and disturb you," said Quinn. "Miss rk, my apologies. Perhaps I''ve spoiled Quinn." old Madam Atherton gently apologized to Catelyn with a sincere attitude. Catelyn smiled and shook her head. "Don''t worry about it. It''s understandable. Anyway, I''ll be heading off now." Old Madam Atherton looked at Edwin and said to him, "Eddy, please send Miss rk off." Edwin nodded calmly. Quinn rolled her eyes. She suddenly got up and said, "Grandma, why don''t I go and send Miss rk off? I''ll go buy some food Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. for you as well. You must be hungry!" The olddy said in a stern tone, "If you''re not going to do it sincerely, then you don¡¯t have to." "Are you still mad at me, grandma? I already apologized earlier," said Quinn, wondering why Old Madam Atherton suddenly had such a high opinion of Catelyn. Could it be that what Quinn said earlier in desperation that made her suspicious? Quinn''s face turned pale a little. As soon as the both of them walked out of the corridor, Quinn looked around and saw that there was no one nearby. She immediately stared at Catelyn sarcastically. "Don''t even think that you can take my ce by saving my grandmother. I lied and said that you are the granddaughter of the Athertons so I could fool the man! Let me warn you, don''t you ever get close to my grandmother again! otherwise, you won''t be getting away with it!" Catelyn looked at Quinn calmly. The more anxious Quinn was, the more she seemed to be hiding something... "You can''t just let me go, can''t you? Are you going to poison me and leave me to die as well, just like how you treat my mother?" sneered Catelyn. The air was quiet for a moment. Quinn''s eyes were looking everywhere, dodging Catelyn''s gaze with a guilty conscience. Did Catelyn know something? "You... What are you talking about? Ste ran out by herself and got hit by your husband. It has nothing to do with me. I''m the Atherton family''s granddaughter, and Granny Atherton loved me the most, why would Imit a crime? There is no evidence. You are ndering!" replied Quinn. "Good question. Then tell me, why do you curse my mother to die? Perhaps there''s something you did that you don''t want others to know?" asked Catelyn, giving Quinn aplicated look. There was a strong panic in Quinn''s heart. In order to coverup, she arrogantly roared back, "Nonsense! Sue me then if you have any evidence! Whatever it is, my grandmother doesn''t like you! You are an outsider to the Atherton Family! You dare give US any trouble?" After that, Quinn ran away. Catelyn looked at her disappearing back, and her eyes turned cold. Quinn reached for another door and entered the corridor. Unexpectedly, she ran into a man''s arms at the corner and smelled the familiar scent of cologne. She raised her head and met Eugene''s gleaming eyes. "Quinny, I''ve heard everything you said to Miss rk just now," he said to her. Eugene had hurried here after learning that Old Madam Atherton was being held hostage by a man. As he arrived here, he happened to encounter Quinn and Catelyn in an argument. Eugene clearly heard Quinn calling the woman named Ste, her aunt. As far as he knew, there was no such person in Quinn''s story. Chapter 816 Chapter 816 Chapter 816 Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn went to hail a taxi on the opposite side of the road as she left the hospital. The moment she got into the cab, she received news from the female bodyguard that Ste had regained consciousness. Catelyn was stunned for a few seconds, and she could not believe it. Then, she instructed the driver to take her to Ste as quickly as possible. On the way, she called the female bodyguard and asked her to keep this news a secret. It must not be leaked! otherwise, Quinn might make another murderous attempt on her! When Catelyn arrived at the examination room, Ste had already woken up, but she had suffered a fractured right leg from the car ident. The moment Catelyn saw Ste, it was like a dream. "Mom..." cried Catelyn. She stepped forward to her and held Ste''s hand excitedly, she started tearing up, looking worryingly. Ste was still very weak, she stared at Catelyn for a long while before her dted pupils gradually focused, and then she burst into tears. "Kitty.... Kitty..." Although she has been in a state ofatose, it was amazing that her body could still function properly. She could hear someone talking outside and felt that someone was rubbing her body. It''s just that she could not open her eyes, unable to see the outside world. Adversity shows true love. If it were not for this illness, Ste would not have known that she was so reliant on Catelyn, and Catelyn really took care of her as if she was her real mother. "Don''t talk yet. You just woke up. Try not to get all worked up," said Catelyn. "No," said Ste as she grabbed Catelyn''s clothes. Her withered face was full of guilt, she stammered, "I need to talk to you." Seeing her weak but persistent appearance, Catelyn could not bear to refuse. "Well then, let me briefly tell you what happenedtely." Ste was most concerned about Quinn, of course. Catelyn had also simply mentioned her to Ste in the conversation, but she did not say anything but about Quinn. Even so, the fact that Quinn had be the granddaughter of the Athertons still stung Ste''s heart as if it was being pierced by a knife. Her own daughter is killing her... "Mom, can you tell me? Did you see who hit you?" Catelyn asked nervously. After a moment of silence, Ste replied hoarsely, "It happened so fast. I couldn''t see anything clearly. I know that Quinny has done bad to you. Go stop her, don''t let me make the same mistakes again. It Catelyn did not know whether to be happy or disappointed. Ste should have seen Cedrick, but she did not even mention his name directly. Was she doing this so she could protect the rtionship between Catelyn and Cedrick? "What did Quinn do?" asked Catelyn. "She..." stammered Ste. It was a little hard for her to say it out loud. She gritted her teeth and said, "She stole the bracelet your mother left you and went to the Athertons, old Madam Atherton was supposed to be your grandmother. Because of this, she poisoned me. To avoid her, I rushed out onto the road and got myself into this ident." Catelyn''s heartbeat stopped at this moment. "Is she really trying to harm you? she is your biological daughter!" Everything seemed to being together now. Quinn had made it clear that she had known the meaning of the bracelet for a long time, and she had long known that she was the granddaughter of old Madam Atherton. Therefore she approached Ste to cut off her rtionship with her. Right after that, Quinn took the bracelet and faked her identity as an Atherton. It all made sense now! In order to cover up the truth, Quinn would even attack her own mother! Chapter 817 Chapter 817 Chapter 817 "You... You knew?" asked Ste in a low voice. "Do you really think that your rtionship with Quinn could deceive everyone? Cedrick had been investigating her from the very Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. start. Did you know that she even tried to seduce Cedrick countless times?" said Catelyn. "What... What?" Ste''s face flushed red, and her eyes widened suddenly, feeling extremely guilty. "1... I didn''t know she did this. You should go and see Old Madam Atherton..." "Of course," replied Catelyn. She thought about Quinn having the guts to fake herself as an Atherton and said to Ste, "I just regret that I didn''t break your rtionship with Quinn more forcefully." Catelynforted Ste and tucked her in her nket. "Kitty, you know that I have taken care of you for so many years. Even if you do expose Quinn, please make sure that she is safe from the Athertons, okay?" begged Ste. "Even after how she treated you, you still care for her?" asked Catelyn. "She''s my daughter. After all, I was the one who abandoned her first..." muttered Ste. Her mood was fluctuating so much as she spoke she was almost out of breath. Catelyn said, "Okay, I promise you." She continued sitting on the edge of the bed with Ste for a little longer. Eventually, Ste fell asleep out of exhaustion. At that moment, Catelyn had the urge to meet Old Madam Atherton. As she walked to the garden, the anger within started to cool down. Quinn just publicly said that Catelyn was the real granddaughter of Old Madam Atherton. If Catelyn were to see her and im that Quinn was the one who stole the bracelet from her, would anyone believe it? In addition to that, the family photo of Catelyn having the bracelet was gone. There was simply not enough evidence. Plus, intergenerational kinship testing was also not that urate. She had to find a way to expose Quinn. Catelyn''s eyes fell back to the invitation card lying quietly in the bag. She sat on the stone steps and was in deep thought when suddenly a human figure suddenly shrouded her. she raised her eyes and saw a familiar handsome face. Her heart skipped a beat as she stared nkly at Cedrick. It''s been many days since she moved out, but the moment she saw him, she immediately thought of those memories back in Green Inds. Catelyn stood up from the stone steps, turned around, and left. Cedrick took a few steps ahead and stood in front of her, blocking her way. Catelyn said to him, "I didn''t take the initiative to appear in front of you..." These words had causedyers of ripples in Cedrick''s heart. Yes, she did not take the initiative to appear in front of him. As long as Cedrick did note looking for Catelyn, could she keep hiding from him forever like this? Cedrick heard that Old Madam Atherton was held hostage and that Catelyn stood up to the culprit. God knows what Cedrick would do if she were actually hurt in the process. To him, Catelyn was his one and only. If he loses her, he will never find anyone else like her. Catelyn was caught by his gloomy eyes, and she felt inexplicably flustered, she could even smell the thick tobo scent on his body, which was very choking. He must have been smoking a lottely. "Cedrick, please let me go. We have broken up," said Catelyn. Cedrick''s eyes turned dark as he heard the words ''broken up''. He said solemnly to Catelyn, "Tell me, how long are you nning to hide the fact that your dad was being threatened." Chapter 818 Chapter 818 Chapter 818 Catelyn looked at Cedrick. His question kept echoing in her ears. Since Cedrick already knew the ins and outs of the matter, she could not hide it from him any longer. Or was he just trying to deceive her deliberately? "I don''t know what you''re talking about," said Catelyn and looked away. Cedrick clenched his teeth. "The old man found Ezekiel first. He found him in a certain prison and then used his safety to threaten to break up with me and even give up custody of the children. That''s what happened, am I right?" Catelyn''s face turned pale every inch with his aggressive questioning. Cedrick knew everything. Her body trembled slightly, and she still wanted to resist. "It''s not true. Everyone said that my father died a long time ago, and I gave up custody of my children because you could give them a better life. It "You still dare lie to me?!" Cedrickroared. He stretched out his hand and pinched her chin, staring at her coldly. "The bloody photo, the phone call between you and the old man, Uncle Ford asking you to cancel the prenuptial agreement. Do you really think I''m an idiot, keeping all these from me in the dark? Catelyn, I''m your husband! why won''t you tell me the truth? Do you think I''ll take your father''s life and death lightly?" Catelyn felt his anger. What followed was despair and powerlessness. "I''ve thought about telling you and we''ll go through this together. But I''m scared! It was your grandfather who decided my father''s life and death. With his order, even if he didn''t hurt my father, the family reunion I''ve been looking forward to for the past four years hase to nothing, what are you going to do? Are you going to confront him and continue to be unnecessarily involved in this? Why not just take a step back? I believe this is all only temporary," exined Catelyn. With that, she confessed everything from the bottom of her heart. There was a little relief, but Catelyn was feeling more pain. All she did was pull Cedrick into this mess with her. She did not even know if Grandpa Mason had sent someone to watch her the entire time. Will he even know about this conversation? Suddenly, Catelyn thought of Old Madam Atherton. Grandpa Mason wanted to break her rtionship with Cedrick because he looked down on her upbringing and background. Perhaps, if she was acknowledged as an Atherton, then he should not have any reason to stop her from being with Cedrick. Thinking of this, Catelyn actually felt a little overjoyed. She said to Cedrick with tears in herughter, "I think I found a way to make your grandfather ept me. You don''t have to do anything, don''t tell him that you know the truth. Just wait for me! Very soon, we will be reunited again, I promise." Cedrick''s eyes sank. "Is this all to give you time to n for another escape?" He said it in such a sinister tone that it sent a chill down Catelyn''s spine. She stared back at him in astonishment. "You think I''m trying to deceive you? I''m not! Really! I just found out today that... II "What did you find? You found out that I couldn''t protect you and your family. You found out that I was ipetent. I''m a waste of your time. So you didn''t even have the courage to tell me the truth and rather kept everything to yourself?" sneered Cedrick. Catelyn''s questions and answers from that day were still lingering in Cedrick''s ears. Heughed at her so-called ssmate''s husband''s ipetence, which finally came true today. It was Cedrick who was ipetent! C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org It was Cedrick who did not have the trust of even his own wife! Chapter 819 Chapter 819 Chapter 819 "It¡¯s not like that! You''re not ipetent. I was the one who was too cowardly. It¡¯s my fault for not telling you. Please don''t me yourself like this..." Catelyn choked and put her hand on Cedrick, wanting to hug him. However, Cedrick broke her embrace expressionlessly, looking indifferent like a sculpture. "I''ll get your father back." After speaking, Cedrick turned around and left. If he stayed any longer, he might be unable to control himself and bring Catelyn home by force. The cold wind whistled past. Catelyn stood in front of the stone steps, staring nkly at Cedrick''s back, slowly disappearing. Tears rolled down her cheek. Her sense of reasoning overcame her impulse, and she did not go after him. Catelyn just persuaded herself to be patient and wait a little longer. As long as old Madam Atherton acknowledges her as her granddaughter, this problem will all be solved easily. Catelyn''s whole body seemed to be drained of energy at the moment, she sat weakly on the stone steps, hugging her knees tightly and burying her face in her own embrace, allowing the tears to fall and wet her knees... Later, at the Barricade club. Cedrick was very drunk, all alone in the private room by himself. When Edwin entered the room, the smell of alcohol and tobo in the air was so strong it almost made him puke. Cedrick was seen holding a bottle of wine in his hand, which he drank straight from it. Edwin raised his eyebrows. It was a rare sight to see Cedrick lose himself like this, especially with such heavy drinking, as if his sanity was all gone. Feeling unable to stand the sight of this, Edwin walked in front of Cedrick and kicked his foot, "stop drinking! My wife is at home, taking good care of your wife. No one will ever feel sorry for you drinking like this," he said to Cedrick. Cedrick satzily on the dark leather sofa. "Maybe she won''t even feel sad when I die." The word ''die1 slightly triggered Edwin. He looked at Cedrick with a strange expression on his face. "I''ve never seen you give up on yourself like this. Is this all because of the breakup with Catelyn?" Cedrick just smiled mockingly back at Edwin. He sullenly picked up another bottle of hard liquor and poured it into his mouth. The alcohol overflowed and stained his clothes a little. Edwin sat beside him, took out a cigarette, and habitually went looking for a lighter in his pocket. It suddenly urred to him that he and Joanne were nning to have a child. Frowning, Edwin threw the cigarette into the ashtray and nced at Cedrick. "Aren''t you gonna find out the reason for Catelyn breaking up with you?" "She doesn''t think I can protect her and her father," said Cedrick. "Her father?" Edwin was startled. "Isn''t Ezekiel already dead?" "Not only did he not die, but he''s currently in a certain prison," replied Cedrick. His dted pupils stared at the dark ceiling above Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. him, and the colorful lights in the private room seemed to be going around in circles incessantly. Edwin stood up excitedly in an instant. "Are you saying Ezekiel is in jail now?" The test report of Catelyn and his grandmother hade out, and it was confirmed that they both were rted across generations. In other words, Catelyn was Edwin''s cousin. Originally, he nned to tell this to old Madam Atherton today. However, after being interrupted by Quinn, he never mentioned it again. Now, Ezekiel came into the picture... "Do you know where this prison is? I''ll get someone to look for it right away!" asked Edwin. Chapter 820 Chapter 820 Chapter 820 Cedrick sat up on the sofa and frowned. He stared at Edwin suspiciously. "Why do you care so much about Ezekiel all of a sudden? Are you hiding something from me?" Edwin originally wanted to talk about Catelyn''s life story, but he stopped when he heard Cedrick''s words. Catelyn was pregnant with Cedrick''s twins before she was twenty years old. Thinking of the pain she had gone through all these years, Edwin thinks Cedrick deserved a little suffering as well! "Ezekiel is Kitty''s father, and he was also the root cause of your breakup this time. I care about him as well as you. If we can get Ezekiel back, then you and Catelyn can both be together again, right?" replied Edwin. Cedrick''s eyebrows tightened, even more, ring sharply at Edwin. Edwin did not bother Cedrick''s cold gaze and just casually put his slender legs on the coffee table. Cedrick put down the wine bottle and leaned on the sofa. He murmured, "If I knew where Ezekiel is, I wouldn''t be sitting here drinking wine, wouldn''t I?" He asked Ollie to nt a wiretap on the wristwatch, which he gifted to Grandpa Mason. It was a highly difficult task to investigate the location of Ezekiel without Grandpa Mason''s knowledge quietly. Therefore, Cedrick could only resort to such shady methods. So far, it seems that Grandpa Mason had not yet revealed the whereabouts of Ezekiel and only vaguely mentioned that he was in a privately contracted prison. Cedrick also had an in-depth technical analysis done on the bloody photo. Since it is purely indoors, there was no clue in the picture to give away any hints of possible coordinates of the location. "How did your grandfather find Ezekiel? He disappeared for four years after all," said Edwin. Cedrick did not answer him. Edwin turned his head and saw Cedrick there with his eyes closed, apparently falling asleep. No matter what, Edwin was determined to get Ezekiel back. After the club workers tidied up the private room, Edwin dragged Cedrick back in and left him on the bed. He stood by and stared at the sleeping Cedrick for a moment and left. He ordered someone to start an investigation into Ezekiel''s whereabouts. Whatever happened, it happened over 20 years ago. Ezekiel would have to show up to answer everything. Edwin drove back to the shoal vi. As he approached the premise, he could see a slender figure standing in front of the living room window from afar. He gave his car keys to the security guard and walked into the hall slowly. Feeling the familiar aura, Joanne winters, who was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, suddenly turned around and stared at him embarrassedly. "Are you back?" She seemed to have a very cautious tone. Edwin changed into dark cotton slippers at the entrance. As he was putting his leather shoes away, he saw several pairs of pink girl''s slippers in the shoe cab, and his heart itched all of a sudden. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He sat on the sofa with azy expression and said to Joanne, "why do you sound so guilty? Did you do something behind my back?" "What? Don''t be silly!" said Joanne, shaking her head quickly. Chapter 821 Chapter 821 Chapter 821 Edwin remained silent for a while, squinting his attractive eyes to stare at Joanne closely. Joanne was slightly terrified as she moved in front of Edwin on her knees, on the couch. "I think I know why your grandmother suddenly asked you to marry me already." "Why?" ''Well, when I went to talk to you about canceling the contract once, I stopped the wrong car. I didn''t know that your grandmother was sitting in Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. the car and identally said something wrong, which she might''ve mistaken..." Earlier that day when she heard Edwin addressing the olddy as his grandmother, she was bbergasted. She realized that she could not me Edwinpletely for their contractual marriage as it was part of her fault that she made such a mistake. Edwin drank some wine with Cedrick in the evening, and coupled with the cold breeze, he felt a little drunk when he had already calmed down. His lips happened to brush against her small earlobe when he tilted his head. Joanne''s earlobe turned pinkish. At that moment, it seemed like there was a halo on her as the fine hairs on her earlobe seemingly glowed under the light and danced gently as his breath fanned her. Edwin shook his head quickly to get rid of the strange thought. ''When did I be so desperate for intimacy?'' "Stay away from me," he growled. Joanne thought that he was angry about the incident in the morning, so she quickly clung to his arm, gently shaking at it as she pleaded, "You can''t me mepletely for that. I didn''t know it was your grandma. Don''t be mad-" "Joanne Winters, let go of me!" Edwin rarely called her by her full name. Her instinct was telling her that she had to calm him no matter what. Catelyn was still living with them, so if he was mean to her, she would be embarrassed. With that thought in mind, Joanne tried her best as she wrapped her arms around him coquettishly, coaxing him in a soft voice, "Darling, it''s my fault, I admit it. Can you not be angry with me anymore? I''m being very sincere right now, and I won''t do that again in the future..." Her voice grew softer and softer, and it went straight into his heart. Edwin gradually lost control of himself to Joanne''s seductive pleading. He suddenly turned over and pressed her onto the couch, inflicting slight pain against Joanne''s chest. Nheless, her blush seared across her babyish face as she stared at his handsome face. She could not help but have the urge to kiss his jaw. ''No, Joanne. Not now!'' Joanne then exerted all her strength and pushed him away. Falling back onto the couch, Edwin sat up angrily, wanting to punish Joanne, but when he sat up, he noticed that her buttons were undone. Drip! Edwin felt a warmth on the back of his hand, and when he was about to look down, Joanne nervously shouted, "Don''t move, Edwin. You have a nosebleed!'' Edwin halted, and his head froze in the air at an odd angle. Chapter 822 Chapter 822 Chapter 822 Joanne hurriedly grabbed a box of tissues and tilted Edwin''s head with one hand while wiping the blood with her free hand. ¡°The blood will flow backward if the head is raised too high during a nosebleed, and it''ll be bad if the trachea is blocked..." Edwin finally knew why Joanne had the full support of Monique Entertainment; it was her fresh face and perfect body. He had seen countless pretty women, but he was never so aroused by any woman that his nose bled. ''I must''ve drank too much.'' This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Joanne was too anxious when she got off the couch that she slipped. Her body nted to the side as she fell backward toward the coffee table. rmed, Edwin quickly pulled her back, and her thin body mmed into his chest by the pull. On the couch, Edwin put one arm around Joanne''s waist while she stared nkly at the erged version of the handsome face. The living room was quiet, save only their irregr heartbeats. Edwin suddenly lowered his head, intending to seize her lips. Joanne was on pins and needles as her eyes widened. Her head subconsciously moved back half a few centimeters while Edwin approached, thus only allowing Edwin''s lips to lightly graze hers. Edwin felt a little unsatisfied and wanted to continue the kiss, but Joanne pulled back from him. Patting her chest, she said, ¡°Thank you so much. I would''ve fallen if it weren''t for you." ¡°I''m relying on you to take good care of me and the house in the future, dear wife. Please don''t let my backyard catch fire." Edwin, of course, was being sarcastic, but poor Joanne failed to realize his growing anger as she nodded. "But of course! Those reporters always care about whether or not I''ve learned a new skill. Now, I urgently need to study extensively and focus on improving..." ''Does this silly woman not see I''m irked right now?'' Joanne then stopped and gave Edwin a somewhat stern look. "Wait, didn''t we agree on keeping our marriage secret? And what about the part that you won''t embarrass me by dating other women while we''re together? Besides, why would I care about your chicks out there? I''m not even being serious in our marriage." Edwin gritted his teeth. "You should sleep now." The Atherton family held a family reunion banquet for Quinn at Century Hotel. A professional makeup and styling team came to Atherton Manor to do makeup for Quinn before the sun rose. Quinn had stayed up all night due to her excitement. She was told that a lot of media reporters were also invited to do a broadcast live in the hotel that day. If everything went well at the reunion banquet, she would be the one- and-only daughter of Miss Atherton of the Atherton family. She gently caressed her lower abdomen where the baby of hers and Cedrick''s resided, knowing that Cedrick would marry her one day and that she would be Missus Mason in the future with Elder Mason''s support. Staring at her bedazzled self in the mirror, Quinn raised her chin arrogantly as her eyes gleamed proudly- Knock, knock! There were knocks heard on the door. Chapter 823 Chapter 823 Chapter 823 ¡¯Second Master." A female makeup artist curtsied to Eugene when he walked in. Eugene smiled. "My niece, Quinn. I hope I¡¯m not bothering you by visiting." ''Uncle Eugene, you''re too polite.'' Quinn stood up immediately and got a chair for Eugene to sit on before having everyone else leave the room. With only him and Quinn left in the room, Eugene immediately suppressed his smile and asked arrogantly, "How is it? Have you gotten the password to the olddy''s safe?" Quinn lost her arrogance and asked nervously, ¡°If I give you the password, will you help me keep it a secret?¡¯ That day, Eugene overheard Quinn''s conversation with Catelyn. It was then he found out that Ste was not her aunt but her mother instead. "Of course! Keeping you as my niece is better than having the real ''phoenix'' back in our family and splitting the cake with her." Quinn hesitated for a moment, but she opened the drawer under the dressing table, took out a piece of paper, and handed it to Eugene. "I secretly wrote this down when Grandma entered the password." Eugene opened the folded paper and saw a series of numbers on it. His eyes lit up with excitement. He sneered, "That olddy never deemed US as her sons! We weren''t allowed to enter the safe room back then, let alone see her safe, but I didn''t expect her to fully trust you, her so-called granddaughter!" Quinn lowered her eyelids guiltily. She knew that besides some important documents and property certificates, the most important thing in Granny Atherton''s safe was her will. Before Eugene urged her to persuade Granny Atherton to change her will, he urged her to know how Granny Atherton would distribute their family business. She did not know if she should give the password to Eugene, but at this rate, she had no other choice. The Atherton family reserved the whole Century Hotel for their reunion banquet, so there were no uninvited guests in the hotel that day. The long red carpet spread from the banquet hall to the street with beautiful flowers and lilies on both sides of the carpeted walkway. Melodious music reverberated in the air. It was a dream-like banquet. It was early in the morning, yet there were already numerous reporters and photographers waiting at the gate of Century Hotel. Soon, luxury cars arrived one after another, all of whom were guests invited by the Atherton family. When the guests knew that Granny Atherton had found her long-lost granddaughter, they did not hesitate to ept the invitation and came to the banquet with priceless gifts. There were even four staff in the hotel''s hall to register the gifts on an insanely long list. As it was about 9 a.m., a Spiker stopped at the end of the road. The door was pushed open. An old but hale and hearty man came out from the Spiker. With an eagle-headed cane in his hand, Draco stood quietly at the gate of the luxurious hotel. He was in a suit and leather shoes and was high- spirited. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. He did not look like he was in his seventies at all. "When will Ceddy arrive?" Draco asked Uncle Ford whilementing the efforts he had made to make it here. He could finally meet Granny Atherton. Chapter 824 Chapter 824 Chapter 824 Uncle Ford was wearing a suit and leather shoes, which made him look stately. "The driver said he will be there soon. Master, it''s windy here. Let''s go in.¡± Draco adjusted his hem and neckline. "Is it okay for me to wear it like this?" ¡¯You look fantastic, Master! You''re still as handsome and handsome as always. I don''t know how many little girls have been fascinated..." Draco beamed as he entered the banquet hall with Uncle Ford''s assistance. His gift was the most expensive one, which was worth 120 million dors. Even the gift-registry staffs voice was trembling when he read as he wrote on the list, ¡ö A set of diamond jewelry, eighty-eight gold bracelets, A high- end mansion, and twelve million in cash..." After reading the list for about 10 minutes, there was an uproar at the scene. The guests were all amazed by Draco¡¯s generosity, and they praised him for being an excellent elder of the Mason family, the top and wealthiest of the Four Great Families. The members of the rk family attended the banquet too, but the family was known for their wealth coming from sons-inw of other wealthy families through marriage. Therefore, the rk family could not afford to give such generous gifts. Coincidentally, the rk family was the next one in the queue to present their gifts. The staff then registered and read out the rk family''s gifts. Although the rk family brought some auspicious jewelry, they just could notpare to Draco''s gifts. Missus rk could even hear some guests snickering around her, and her expression turned grim. Draco, on the other hand, did not even think the gifts were expensive at all. He had been secretly looking for Granny Atherton in the crowd. After waiting for about ten minutes, Granny Atherton finally showed up to greet the guests. Granny Atherton''s long hair was tied high in a bun. She had them dyed ck for the banquet and sported a pair of pearl earrings. Draco knew Granny Atherton rarely cared about her appearance and temperament that much. Draco then quietly approached Granny Atherton. ''When was thest time I talked to her in person? Twenty years ago? Thirty? '' Draco pondered as he walked toward her. It was too long ago, and Draco could not remember it anymore. To his surprise, he could recognize her at just a nce, never forgetting how Granny Atherton looked. "Syl..." Draco affectionately called out Granny Atherton''s nickname. Granny Atherton was startled to hear the nickname. After all, no one had called her that for a long time. She turned around expressionlessly and looked fiercely into Draco''s eyes. ¡¯ I don''t think we''re that close, so please call me Missus Atherton." Draco lowered his eyelids in despair. "I thought you¡¯d forgiven me when you invited me here, that you were willing to give the children of both families a chance..." "My eldest son was in charge of inviting guests." Granny Atherton said coldly, her gaze hardening apathetically, which diforted Draco even more. Draco remembered how Granny Atherton was head over heels for him before, even pursuing him on her own ord. No matter how clear he made to her that he was not into her, she would still pine after him silently. In the end, he broke her heart. "It doesn''t matter who invited me, because the most important thing is that I can finally see you again." Draco looked into Granny Atherton''s eyes, trying to please her. "Quinn and you have been separated for so many years, and I''m happy for you that she''s returned to you." C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Granny Atherton took a sip of red wine. ''Quinn isn''t my granddaughter. Happy? I don''t know what''s there to be happy about.'' Although Granny Atherton did not answer Draco, he was not discouraged and yet continued, "I think you deserve to know this. Cedrick and Quinn are in love and they have a child, so why don''t we take advantage of the great joy today to announce their weddingter together?" Granny Atherton''s expression did not vary at all when she heard the news. Chapter 825 Chapter 825 Chapter 825 Granny Atherton took a napkin and gracefully wiped the red wine stains on the corner of her mouth, then stared at Draco coldly. "Your grandson is turning twenty-eight this year, right?¡¯ Draco nodded excitedly as Granny Atherton was willing to speak to him. '' Yes, he''s about the same age as Edwin." However, Granny Atherton''s next sentence instantly shattered Draco''s mood. "Hmph. Almost all of your grandsons are dead, aren''t they? Do you truly think Cedrick will live till he''s thirty? You came to talk about their marriage with me. Is it because he only has two years left to live? Do you want Quinn, my granddaughter-me, Sylvie Smith-to be a widow in a few years? How cold-blooded you are! Why can''t Quinn marry a good, healthy man? Doesn''t she deserve to live a happy life?!" Draco was caught off-guard by the sudden spike of anger and hastily exined, "Syl, don''t think like that. Ceddy has been taking medicine over the years, strictly sticking to the routine, and we''ve also funded many medicalboratories to ovee this problem!'' Sylvie initially wanted to warn Draco and the whole Mason family to stay away from Quinn, but she suddenly remembered that Quinn was just a fake. Draco probably did not know about that. Still, Sylvie did not see the necessity and responsibility to tell him that. Nheless, there was one thing that she had not figured out. ''Aren''t Cedrick and Catelyn a married couple now?'' Thinking of something, Sylvie asked again, "Then, what are you going to do with Catelyn?" "Don''t worry about this. How can a bumpkin from a poor family stand against the respected descendant of the Atherton family? I''ll just give her some money to chase her off. I''ve got something up my sleeve, so she won''t dare to disobey me. Well, she''s going to regret it if she tries!" Sylvie clenched her fists secretly as she felt disconcerted by his response. Her gaze toward Draco suddenly grew fierce. Draco''s shoulders trembled slightly due to such intensity. "S-Syl?" "You''re still the same as before, never knowing what love is." There was a sadness in Sylvie''s heart all of a sudden, and it surprised her herself. She called Kelly to bring her two pills of aspirin to relieve her heartache. Draco did not dare to stimte Sylvie any further, but at the same time, he had no idea how he had made her feel so crossed. In the blink of an eye, it was finally time for the climax of the banquet. Cedrick arrivedte, but he did not attract many people''s attention. Still, Sylvie, who was giving a speech on stage, happened to spot his tall and straight figure in the crowd. The hatred for him started to grow in her heart when she thought of him abandoning Catelyn for money and status again. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. How abominable! Sylvie then averted her gaze, not wanting to look at Cedrick. She then sported a smile as she faced the guests offstage and said gracefully into the microphone, ''It is a great honor to be able to have you here today at the Atherton family''s reunion banquet. "For more than twenty years, I''ve lost my beloved daughter, and I''ve been living in regret and guilt. I thought I''d never see Summer again in my life, but I didn''t expect God to take pity on my love for my daughter and send my granddaughter to me..." Following Sylvie''s speech, Quinn, who was waiting to take the stage, was so delighted that her heart was beating wildly. On a tray on the left side of the stage, there was a crown studded with rhinestones, shining under the shroud of the spotlight. This crown, symbolizing her status, was to be ced on her as others bore witness. Sylvie''s speech finally came to an end, and the audience burst into thunderous apuse. Quinn was invited to the stage, immersed in the joy of wearing the crown. ¡¯ Grandma, being your granddaughter is the greatest thing of my life." Sylvie held up the dazzling crown in both hands and was about to put it on for Quinn when- "Hold on. Quinn Weir is not worthy to be crowned!" rang the cold voice of a female from the door. Chaos ensued. Chapter 826 Chapter 826 Chapter 826 Everyone at the banquet turned their heads toward the direction of the voice subconsciously. There stood ady with long hair, dressed in a wonderfully sewed white dress and high heels, bearing a noble and elegant disposition. The guests in the middle of the hall automatically stepped back to make a way for her. Catelyn walked through the crowd and up the stage at a slow pace, and in her wake were whispers from the crowd. "She looks familiar." "Hold on. Wasn''t she the one who made a scene at Cedrick''s wedding?" "That''s right. I remember she''s called Catelyn..." "How did she get in here? What are the securities doing? It''s the reunion banquet of the Atherton family, and the guests here are all well-known people like politicians, businessmen, and celebrities!" When Quinn heard Catelyn''s voice, horrifying memories flooded into her head like a flood which made her feel guilty, as if she had seen a ghost. She then quickly shouted for security guards. Sylvie stopped Quinn and lowered her gaze a little so that she could see Catelyn clearer. "Miss rk, what did you mean when you said Quinn was unworthy?" Quinn was so nervous that her heart was about to burst. She stared deeply at Catelyn, and there was horror in her eyes. "Old Lady Atherton, I''m sorry to ruin such an important moment, but thisdy in front of you is not your granddaughter. She''s a fake, so she can''t bear the crown." "What? She''s a fake?!" "No way... It''s the twenty-first century! How could DNA testing go wrong?" "Wait, I think that''s possible. For one thing, Old Lady Atherton had lost her daughter, so the uracy of the DNA tests done with her granddaughter''s DNA and hers would be greatly reduced. Plus, it isn''t strange to have someone out there, wanting to leech on the Atherton family''s wealth by faking their identity." When Quinn heard Catelyn''s usation, her whole body trembled violently. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. For some reason, she had had an ominous premonition before Catelyn set foot in the hall. ''Did she know the truth? No, she can''t have evidence. She must be deceiving me.'' Thinking of this, Quinn yelled angrily, "I''ve already exined to you that the reason why I said that I wasn''t my grandmother''s granddaughter that day was to fool the gangsters! Don''t tell me you''ve taken that seriously! That''s hrious! If I''m not worthy, who is? You?" "Why are you being so loud and testy? Are you guilty of being a thief of identity?" "Why would I be guilty? I''ve done nothing bad. It''s just that I don''t want to embarrass you in front of the guests! I''m being too kind to you!" To show her innocence, she stood straight with her chest protruding. Catelyn smirked. "You''ve done nothing bad, you say? Why would Ste be lying in the hospital now, then? Why was there a fire in the pawnshop? And why would my things end up in your hands?! 1 "Miss Weir, I forgot to tell you that Ste has already awakened." Quinn suddenly felt the world was falling apart, and she was falling into an abyss. "What... What did you say?!" Chapter 827 Chapter 827 Chapter 827 ''Ste woke up? Didn''t L arrange for someone to stay in the hospital? Why didn''t I receive any news?'' Quinn was downright terrified at this point. ''Your biological mother has woken up and has identified you as her attempted murderer. To be the daughter of Miss Atherton, you didn''t even hesitate to harm her! She''s your biological mother! How can you do that?!" "No, it''s impossible..." Quinn, in sheer disbelief, roared, ''You¡¯re fooling them! My mother isn''t Ste¡ªit''s Summer! I''m part of the lineage of the Atherton family!" "Did you forget how great Ste has treated you? You had no ce to live, so she took you in. You didn''t have a job, so she begged Cedrick to give you a job. You felt insecure, so she gave you all her savings, just to satisfy your freaking vanity!" Quinn covered her ears, not listening nor believing, and kept shaking her head. She stubbornly repeated, "My mother is Summer! I don''t know what you''re saying!" "She sacrificed her whole life for you. How could you even poison your mother for the sake of prosperity and wealth? How can there be such a mad daughter like you in the world?" Catelyn pressed her with every step she took. The hall was so quiet that one could hear their heartbeats, and the atmosphere in it reached the peak of the tension. Quinn could not take Catelyn''s pressure anymore and thus burst. ''Why is she only being nice to me now? As soon as I was born, she ran away with the rich men in the city and abandoned my father and me! Do you know the life I''ve lived when I was a child? No new clothes, no new schoolbag, and I can only wear clothes that my ssmates threw away. The patches on my shirts were getting more and more every day. My ssmates started to secretlyugh at me, mocking me that I was a wild breed abandoned by my mother... ''I hate her, and I hate you too! You and Ezekiel stole my mom from me... I gave her a chance. I would''ve let her go if she was willing to keep this a secret, yet she refused! "Do you know what she said? She asked me not to make mistakes again and beg you for your forgiveness! "And you? You''re nothing! You''re just a wh*re who gave birth to twins for Cedrick just to be one of the upper ss! If you can do that, why can''t I? "She was kind to me because she wanted to make up for her guilt over the years so that she could sleep well at night! My father was dead. No matter how she tries to atone, she''ll never get my forgiveness! I should''ve taken the opportunity of the ident to secretly inject the medicine into her body so that she''d never be able to open her mouth again!'' This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. All the while Quinn was staring into Catelyn''s eyes with anger, madness, and hatred, barking as if she was wronged by the whole world. Catelyn''s expression was indifferent, calm as the moment she walked in, but her eyes were full of irony and disdain. ''Even if everything you said is right, and even if she is sorry for you, she gave you life! Is that how you repay her, by murdering her?'' Quinn''s red eyes seemed to swell as she shouted fiercely, "It''s all your fault! You''re the one who pushed me to a dead end!¡¯ Catelyn fell silent. Then, she looked at a camera in the far corner with a smirk. "You caught all of that, right?" The photographer in charge of the camera nodded in hindsight. When Quinn came back to her senses and realized what she had just said, she wanted to p herself. Catelyn was using Ste to provoke her! Since she was a child, shecked maternal love from Ste. Hence, her weakness and the most painful spot in her heart was Ste. That was why she lost control. ''Catelyn, you framed me!" Quinn, like a madman, grabbed the things on the stage and threw them at Catelyn. Catelyn swiftly turned sideways to dodge them. She then spotted Draco, who was stunned, and turned to Sylvie, who had tears in her eyes, to bow to her out of apology. "Sorry for ruining the reunion banquet, but Quinn is not your granddaughter, and she poisoned my mother. She needs to be brought to justice." After that, she slowly took out a DNA test report from her purse... Chapter 828 Chapter 828 Chapter 828 "This is the DNA test report of Miss Weir and my stepmother, Ste. It shows that they''re blood-rted. This is the most powerful and intuitive evidence that proves that she is not the blood of the Atherton family at all!" The entire banquet hall was instantly filled with noise as numerous pairs of suspicious and disdainful eyes were aimed at Quinn. "Goodness gracious! What a cruel youngdy! What has she done to be the Miss Atherton of the Atherton family? Fortunately, someone has exposed her today, or it''d be Old Lady Atherton who''ll be poisoned in the future!" "I met her before and said a few words to her. Boy, do I regret it!" "My dad used to want me to marry the members of the Atherton family. Thank god I didn''t..." "I pity Old Lady Atherton. Her biological daughter has been missing, yet so many immoral peoplee to fake being her granddaughter..." Quinn shivered when she heard the guests'' discussion. The color from her face drained instantly, and her resentful eyes met Catelyn''s again. Catelyn handed the report to Kelly, who then handed it over to Sylvie to look at it. Catelyn stood in the middle of the crowd calmly with a faint smile as if mocking Quinn, and instantly, Quinn''s heart was filled with monstrous hatred. "Grandma! Grandma, don''t fall for that! it''s all fake!" Quinn staggered and knelt before Sylvie¡¯s knees. She clung to her trouser hem with both hands, "She was just joking. T-This is all an act! She''s jealous that I had a grandmother and that my family background is better than hers, so she fabricated the DNA report and wanted to provoke the rtionship between us!" Sylvie was not surprised by the report in her hand. She already knew it long ago. Looking at Quinn, who was half paralyzed on the ground, she slowly leaned down, grabbed her by her chin, and was heartbroken. "Quinn, I''ve always believed in you, loved you, and treated you as my dearest granddaughter, but you''ve fooled me all this while! How could you treat me like this?" said Sylvie helplessly, then at the opposite side where the guests could not see, beside Quinn''s ear she whispered, "Is the reunion banquet today unforgettable?" When Quinn heard these words, it felt as though an invisible hand had grabbed her by the throat as she stared at Sylvie in a daze. "D-Did you do it on purpose?" "From the first day you returned to the manor, wearing the phoenix bracelet, I knew you weren''t my granddaughter. Even if Catelyn didn''t expose it, I wouldn''t let you live sofortably for too long." Quinn felt like she was falling into an abyss in an instant, and there seemed to be a freezing breeze around her. She was shocked that she had fallen into a trap that she could not even get out of. "Quinn, you disappoint me." Sylvie stood up and dered to all the media, "I''d like everyone from the media to record and remember the farce that happened at this reunion banquet today. I now dere that I have no rtions with Quinn, and the Atherton family will not tolerate such a vicious woman!" The noise in the hall became louder. Those eyes full of maliciousness, contempt, and disdain, were like des that stabbed into Quinn''s heart. Grasping the hem of her dress, her eyes reddened as she roared toward Catelyn, staggering as if she would fall at any moment, "Catelyn, you b*tch! You framed me!" She ran frantically toward Catelyn, raised her hand, and intended to p her. Catelyn took up a ss of red wine from the tray in the waiter''s palm beforehand and, without hesitation, sshed it right into Quinn''s face. With cold eyes and a fierce tone, she sneered, "If you didn''t poison Ste, why would I frame you? It''s all your fault!" "Agh!" The wine dripped down Quinn''s face. Quinn still did not know why she subconsciously shouted out her feelings. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Those feelings had been kept in her heart for a long time, and she never vented to the outside world until Catelyn provoked her! Chapter 829 Chapter 829 Chapter 829 She was fine until Catelyn said Ste had woken up. That meant Quinn had to make another choice, and her conspiracy was about to be revealed. "Curse you! You''re the one who should be dead, Catelyn! Why did you take my mother from me?! If you hadn''t done that, our family would''ve lived happily, and I wouldn''t have poisoned my mother! You think I''ve had good sleep all these years? I''ve been haunted by nightmares about my father questioning me why I did that to my mother!" With a flustered look, Quinn pushed Catelyn angrily. Surprisingly, Catelyn did not fall. A sturdy palm rested on her lower back, followed by Cedrick stepping out behind her. He pursed his lips, showing his displeasure. When Catelyn raised her head, her lips brushed against his lower jaw. Staring nkly at his handsome look, her heart skipped a beat. When Quinn saw Cedrick, it felt as though her savior hade for her. She suddenly burst intoughter. "Catelyn, it doesn''t matter now if I''m not the granddaughter of the Atherton family or not, because I have your husband''s child in my womb! Grandpa Mason said that as long as I give birth to a boy, he''ll give me the shares of the Mason family!" Draco felt utterly humiliated when his name was dragged into the pandemonium. "I meant I''d give you the shares of the Mason family when you give birth to a child, but that''s only if your surname is Atherton!" Draco pointed his eagle headed crutch at Quinn shakily. He could not believe it. He was tricked by a woman again. First it was Maia, then it was Quinn! He did not even dare to look at Sylvie as he felt that she must beughing at his foolishness at the moment. ''If Quinn isn''t the granddaughter of the Atherton family, where is Summer''s daughter, then?'' He suddenly had a premonition. "Master Cedrick, I know I did you wrong, but the child is innocent. Will you help me? I don''t want to give birth to our child in prison..." Cedrick sneered, "How can you be sure that the child is mine?" This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Whose child would this be if they''re not yours? I was a virgin before that night, and you were the only man in the room with me, you know that!" Quinn''s voice was getting louder and louder, and her heart was full of fear. The only trump card she had left was the child in her womb. Quinn was thoroughly unnerved and high-strung due to the tension. "I know, but I also know that the night was dark and windy, and you were drunk." Cedrick shattered her hopes almost cruelly. Overwhelming despair enveloped Quinn, and the light of hope in her eyes gradually turned into anxiety. "What...are you trying to say?¡± "I have a wife and twin sons that I love deeply. A woman like you is just dirty in my eyes." Cedrick nced at Eason as he spoke. Soon, Eason took out a CD from his briefcase and walked onto the stage. ¡¯ If Miss Weir wants to find a father for your child, you should watch carefully what the man looked like that night." After Eason put in the CD and pressed the ''y'' button, an obscene footage popped up on the screen. The footage seemed to have been taken in a dimly lit hotel room...where Quinn and a man were evidently in the throes of passion. After several minutes into the footage, Eason paused and zoomed in, revealing a handsome man''s face. Quinn was downright bbergasted as she grabbed at her chest, unable to breathe. She did not know the man she had slept with! "W-Who is this guy?!" Chapter 830 Chapter 830 Chapter 830 Cedrick''s eyes were sharp as though he was staring at an enemy. "How would I know?" "Didn''t you send the man to my bed? Why wouldn''t you know?!" Quinn was about to go crazy, and her rationale began to copse. She had been joyful, thinking that this was her most beautiful day, until the farce happened. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. When she saw the arrival of Draco, she wanted to convince her grandmother to let her marry the Mason family... "Alright. He''s just a gigolo I hired for a few hundred dors." Cedrick mocked her whimpers. "Do you want to know the brothel''s name or his nickname? Look at how happy you were that night! I bet the quality of his service must be excellent. You have his child now; maybe it''ll be a free service next time you go..." Yuck. When Quinn heard this, she got goosebumps as she clutched her lower abdomen and bent down, retching for a while. "Stop! Stop talking, Cedrick, you devil incarnate! Why do you do this to me?! What the hell did I do wrong?" "You shouldn''t have provoked me, and you shouldn''t have pretended to be a rtive of the Atherton family." Sylvie came in front of Quinn and stared down at her. "Who gave you the phoenix bracelet?" Quinn was still in shock that the child belonged to a gigolo, unable to extricate herself from the disbelief. She covered her head with her hands and internally retched at how dirty she felt. Although she seduced Cedrick, she was never in love, and her virginity was always her pride. Sylvie thought that Quinn did not want to answer, so she ordered the securities to hold her arms. She grabbed her chin and fiercely repeated, "I''m asking you something, so answer me! Where did you get the bracelet?" "I''ll tell you the answer, Grandma," Edwin walked out of the crowd as he spoke. He was wearing a burgundy suit with a dark blue tie and one hand in his pocket. His attractive eyes were narrowed. As his voice fell, everyone looked at him, including Sylvie. "You know where this bracelet came from?" she asked anxiously with resentment on her face. "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?" Edwin shrugged slyly. "If I had told you earlier, we wouldn''t have been able to see such a big show today, would we now?¡± "Who gave Quinn the bracelet? How is your aunt now?" Sylvie was impatient as her eyes shed with longing. She had been thinking about Summer for more than 20 years, and finally, she got news about her! How could she not be wanting to hear from Edwin? Edwin peeked at Catelyn in the banquet hall from the corner of his eyes. The expression on her face, just like Sylvie, was also veryplicated and worn out with worry. When Catelyn saw that Sylvie cared so much about her mother, she was anxious, not wanting her to face the cruel truth. Sylvie was old. Catelyn did not know if she could ept it if she were to find out that Summer had passed over 20 years ago. It seemed that there was a thread in the shadows, leading Sylvie to follow Edwin''s peek and look at Catelyn for no reason. The eyes of the heartbroken grandmother and long-lost granddaughter met. One stirred with emotions, the other nervous. Sylvie''s lips moved gently, but she was too agitated to speak, "l-ls it her?" Afraid that Sylvie would faint after knowing the truth, Edwin immediately stepped forward to support her. "Quinn took advantage of her rtionship with Ste and grabbed the phoenix bracelet from the rk family to fake being a rtive of the Atherton family. I took Cat''s hair and yours for a DNA test..." "Then, what''s the result?" Sylvie held Edwin''s hand tightly, her nails sinking into his skin unconsciously. Edwin nodded gently. "It''s the same as the test report that Quinn showed you." Even though there was spection, Sylvie still had mixed feelings when the truth was told by Edwin, and her heart skipped a beat instantly. Chapter 831 Chapter 831 Chapter 831 Catelyn''s father died when she was very young, too. In other words, while Sylvie had found her granddaughter, her daughter was gone forever. "Oh, Cat..." Sylvie stared at Catelyn with tears in her eyes. When she stepped forward to hold her hand, the tears finally fell. "You... You were my granddaughter all along! "Forgive me. It took me so long to find you. When you came to participate in thepetition held by Chandier Jewelry, I should''ve thought about it and asked someone to do the test..." That was the first time Catelyn saw Sylvie break down. Catelyn''s hands, too, trembled as her nose turned sour. She could not help crying. "No, this isn''t your fault at all. I knew about my C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org rtionship with you for a long time, but I never dared to tell you the truth. Please don''t me me..." "Silly girl. Why would I me you?" beamed Sylvie said tearfully. "Please, call me Grandma from now on." That look of anticipation made Catelyn open her mouth. She wanted to call her that, but she was not used to it. She was told that her mother had passed away when she was a child, not knowing who her maternal rtives were. She had always only kept in touch with rtives of the rk family, but at this very moment, she realized she had a grandmother. Seeing Catelyn struggling to say anything, although disappointed, Sylvie still hugged her tightly and comforted her, "It''s okay. I know you''re not used to it for now, but I''m willing to wait. "Oh, you poor girl... Let me have a good look at you. You must''ve suffered a lot out there these years. I''ll treat you with the best I have from now on and let those who once belittled you regret it!" The blue veins on Draco''s forehead bulged. Although Sylvie did not mention him, he felt that she was talking about him. ''How could Catelyn be Syl''s granddaughter? What...have I been doing all this while? Separating Catelyn from Ceddy, making the two children lose their mother, and threatening her with Ezekiel...'' Immediately, Draco felt guilty and wanted to take this chance to exin himself. However, he felt that it would only be futile at the moment and would instead ruin the heartwarming scene of Sylvie finally finding Catelyn. Inadvertently, he met Cedrick''s gloomy eyes. Even if he did not say a word, it still seemed like he was using himself of making their lives a huge mess for the past few days. Draco pursed his lips in dissatisfaction, ready to stare back righteously, but in the end, he lost his confidence and left in despair. It was too embarrassing for him to stay. Edwin took some tissue papers and handed them to Catelyn and Sylvie.'' It''s a good thing that we finally found my cousin, Grandma. Don''t be too sad now. Since we''ve reunited, my aunt should be able to rest peacefully in heaven now." "Grandma, don''t cry. Edwin is right. Crying on the stage will only make peopleugh." Catelyn held Sylvie''s hand andforted her softly. Sylvie''s eyes suddenly lit up. She quickly grabbed Catelyn''s hand as she stammered, "W-What did you just call me?¡± "Grandma." Catelyn looked at her seriously. "I wanted to call you that from the moment I knew you were my grandmother, but I''m just too embarrassed. Please don''tugh at me. I never thought that one day, I''d find someone from the lineage of my mother." "Good girl. Oh, you good girl..." Sylvie was so excited that she did not know what to say. While Edwin reassured Sylvie, he suddenly realized that a sinister gaze fell on him. When he turned, he saw Cedrick staring at him, and his slightly narrowed eyes were filled with a murderous aura. Edwin knew that Cedrick was angry that he did not tell him the truth. Edwinughed even more cheerfully. After all, he had made his cousin suffer too much grievance over the years. ''Sorry, but you brought it on yourself.¡¯ He did not forget how many times Catelyn had shed tears during these years. Cedrick''s expression became even more gloomy because he was once again kept in the dark about Catelyn''s background. Chapter 832 Chapter 832 Chapter 832 L witnessed everything that happened at the scene, and she knew she could not stay any longer. She quietly nned to escape, but Edwin-not wanting to spare her the chance-sent someone to guard the door and pulled her back in. L was thrown into the banquet hall. Seeing L in despair, Quinn immediately barked, "It''s you! You nned everything! "I''m just an aplice, Old Lady Atherton! I admit my fault, but all the things I¡¯ve done were L''s ideas! She burned the pawn shop and stole the bracelet... Please forgive me!¡¯ L got up from the ground and frantically replied, "It''s not like that, grandma! I can exin! I don''t know this crazy woman at all. She''s ndering me! She''s crazy about money, and now she''s making all that up, ming me after she got caught..." "Stop denying it, L! You''re the real murderer!" Quinn was thinking about getting a clean getaway, so she spilled everything including how L found her, ordered her to lure Sylvie to tell the whereabouts of the phoenix bracelet, and had her be the Atherton family¡¯s granddaughter. 1 Everyone was fooled by L, even Eugene. The more Quinn spoke, the more despaired L became, so she snapped," I barely know you. Why are you pulling me into this mess? Do you have evidence that I ordered you to do all this, you crazy b*tch? You''re just using me as a scapegoat for your crimes! Just wait for mywyer''s letter." "Ah. Fortunately, I knew you''d say that, so I secretly recorded a video..." Quinn took out her phone as she spoke and yed a video. The video was taken secretly, for which her phone was ced at a hidden spot like a coffee table, hence it was recorded from a tilted perspective. In the video, L was being arrogant to Quinn with a serious look. "Don''t forget who made you the Miss Atherton of the Atherton family. Without me, you''d still be a bumpkin. ¡¯I need you to do me a favor. I want to be the spokesperson of Pentnd Group." Immediately afterward, Quinn shakily responded, "Although the Old Lady Atherton asked me to take charge of Pentnd Group, won''t it be too obvious if I change the spokesperson as soon as I move in?" "What are you afraid of? That undying, olddy loves you very much now. It''s just a spokesperson..." L did not even pay attention to the videoter. That video convicted her right on the spot. Her cheeks became pale instantly, and her expression was dazed. The video caused discussion and uproars among the guests once again. "So this is all part of L''s evil n?" "A hillbilly like Quinn who came from the rural area couldn''t possibly know about the phoenix bracelet of the Atherton family. It had to be L!" ''I heard that after L was expelled by Old Lady Atherton, she started her career in the entertainment industry. Gosh, it looks like she really knows how to act..." "Well, there is so much media here today. She''ll no doubt be famous after today, but just the opposite way she thought she¡¯d be!" Amid the heated discussions among the guests, the police arrived.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Photographers and reporters were recording and broadcasting outside the hall, and Quinn''s usation against L had many citizens believing in her. Catelyn handed over the evidence to the police officers and said politely, ¡¯ Officers, regarding the case of my mother''s attempted murder and the fire in the pawnshop in time, I hope you can find out the truth soon. The people, including us, deserve the truth." The police officer took the USB sh drive and solemnly assured them,'' We''ll do our best to solve the case as soon as possible." "Thank you very much." Thus, Quinn and L were taken away by the police. Edwin had already found evidence of the collusion between L and Quinn before the banquet. He handed that to the police officer too together with the USB sh drive. As L was taken away, she roared at Catelyn as her eyes burned with hatred, "I hate you! I hate you so much! Why didn''t I kill you? "Just you wait, Catelyn! Even if I''m going to jail, I won''t let you live in peace!" Catelyn''s eyes cooled down. "Alright, but it is said that life in the women''s prison is very miserable. Maia went crazy after staying there for less than a month, so I''m looking forward to what you can do when you''re there." Chapter 833 Chapter 833 Chapter 833 ''You b*tch!" Sylvie immediately frowned in displeasure and nced at the police officer. The police officer then gagged L with a towel, rendering her into nothing but a blubbering, groaning mess as she was forcibly dragged to the police car. The hall fell silent once more. Receiving instruction from Sylvie, the master of ceremonies came to the stage to liven up the atmosphere at the scene. Since then, the guests in the hall never mentioned the incident that happened earlier again. Instead, they congratted Sylvie for finally meeting her granddaughter atst and praised Catelyn for her beauty and wisdom. Catelyn was taken by Edwin to the inner hall to change her dress. The quarrel she had with Quinn just left wrinkles on her dress. Catelyn sat in front of a dressing table and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was tied into a low braided bun with only a few strands of slightly curled hair resting aside, gently brushing along her white cheeks. Her earlobes were embellished with crystal earrings, and the ankle-length royal blue dress seemingly fluttered with every movement, setting off her elegance. ''Do you like it?" Edwin crossed his armszily, leaned against the door, and stared silently at the woman in front of him. Catelyn nodded vigorously, still in a state of mild shock. "I like it; it fits perfectly. Thank you! ''You know, if it weren''t for the unexpected incident, I would''ve thought this was tailor-made for me by you." it was.¡¯ "Wait, what?" Catelyn reeled back in shock. All she nned was to catch Quinn and leave the banquet afterward. She did not n to stay. ''Why did Edwin prepare a dress for me?'' Edwin raised his eyebrows yfully. '' You and Aunt look alike. Plus, the phoenix bracelet came from the rk family. Do you think I''d just ignore these and not investigate deeper? Little Cat, I''m very happy to be your cousin, and I''m d that you came to live with Joanne after arguing with Cedrick." Otherwise, Edwin might still be kept in the dark. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn understood what he meant and winked at him yfully. '' Why are you being so sentimental all of a sudden? It doesn''t quite fit your style." ''Then what style do you think I am?" "A womanizer." Edwin smiled dotingly, and memories from his childhood started to surface in his mind. He was about four years old that year. As his parents were wed against their will, pressured by their parents, the two spent most of their time outside the home, hence causing Edwin tock parental care. He recalled an older boy, his neighbor, who always mocked him for having a different stepmother every day. One day, he got very angry and got into a fight with that boy. He was small, so he was no match for his opponent. As a result, he was beaten by the boy and got himself covered with injuries. He lowered his head and limped home. Before he entered the living room, standing far away by the flowerbed in front of the stone steps, he heard his father and mother quarreling again, apanied by the sound of vases and other objects being smashed on the ground. He bit his mouth sullenly, turned, and ran away silently. That night, his parents did not notice that he did not return home. He spent a few hours under an overpass until his aunt came to him with her driver in the middle of the night to pick him up and gently applied medicine to his wound. During the course, she softlyforted him as if he were her biological son. It was from then on that he and his aunt began to get close. A bodyguard''s voice suddenly sounded outside the door, interrupting Edwin''s thoughts, '' Master Cedrick, I''m sorry, but Mister Atherton has instructed US not to allow outsiders to enter." Chapter 834 Chapter 834 Chapter 834 "Move, or I''ll make you," Cedrick threatened the bodyguard. Although the bodyguard was intimidated by this taunt, he remained loyal to his duty. "I really can''t let you in, Sir." Cedrick sneered and was about to roll up his sleeve when the door to the dressing room suddenly opened. "Tsk! Don''t shed blood at Catelyn''s reunion banquet, Ced. It''s not auspicious." Edwin propped himself on the door with one arm, looking at Cedrick with a delighted half-smile as though reveling in his misfortune. Cedrick stared at him coldly and arrogantly. "I''ll have a word with youter. Where''s Catelyn?" "Cat''s reunion banquet is about to start. It''s not good to make the guests wait." The subtext in his words was obvious: he did not want Cedrick and Catelyn to meet at this point. If Catelyn were not his aunt''s daughter, Edwin would have allowed Cedrick to get his wife back. However, the situation was different. Catelyn suffered tremendously while she was with the Mason family. As her cousin, Edwin could not let that happen again, and he wanted the Mason family topensate her for that. Edwin made his decision to stand by his cousin, against his friend. "Did you already know Catelyn is your cousin when we were drinking at the Barricade Club that night?" asked Cedrick, fist balled tightly as he stared at Edwin who was in his way. "No." Edwin stretched out an index finger and waved in front of Cedrick. "A little earlier than this." Cedrick sneered, "I''ll give you that then, you son of a b*tch."C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Everyone knew about Catelyn''s rtion to the Atherton family except him. He med himself for immersing himself in investigating Ezekiel''s imprisonment and did not think of investigating Catelyn''s background. Thinking of that, Cedrick was even more annoyed. At that moment, he caught a whiff of gardenias on Edwin''s body. He must have stayed with Catelyn for a long time. He even knew that she had nted gardenias in the garden of Shoal Vi. With an annoyed look, Cedrick pushed Edwin away with a flick of his hand and went straight into the dressing room, where Catelyn was sitting in front of the dressing table with several makeup artists beside her, setting her hair and helping her to get dressed. That dress was rather difficult to put on, and she had to change her hairstyle to make it easier to wear the crown. Sitting still and looking through the mirror, her eyes met Cedrick''s. She saw him barging in aggressively, ignoring all the makeup artists present. He grabbed her waist, lifted her from the soft chair, ced her on the dressing table, and pressed her against the mirror with his hot body. Cedrick moved too fast, leaving everyone baffled and making Catelyn dizzy when he suddenly picked her up as she felt a strong sense of weightlessness. Then, a domineering kiss was nted on Catelyn¡¯s cherry lips. With the faint mellow aroma of red wine mixed with strong male hormones, Catelyn''s heartbeat grew erratic as she stared at the man who suddenly broke into her dressing room. ''How dare he do this in front of so many people?!'' Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a make-up artist''s horrified expression and struggled fiercely, whimpering, trying to push him away. Cedrick did not take her struggles seriously at all. He squeezed her wrist with one hand and pressed it against the dressing mirror behind her. With the other hand, he held her waist in ce, preventing her from moving. It seemed that he was venting all the emotions that have umted these days, trying to give Catelyn a punishment for not telling her anything. She did not tell him about being threatened by Draco nor her background as the granddaughter of the Atherton family. She shouldered everything on her own. Cedrick felt distressed, regretted, and even unspeakable grief. He always put her first, but she never once did because she always cared about her father and two children before anything else when something happened. Chapter 835 Chapter 835 Chapter 835 ''Totally crazy.'' Cedrick did not know when he became this insane that he would be easily preupied with such childishness. Catelyn kicked him with both legs but still could not break free from Cedrick''s grip. They had long not kissed and hugged each other so fiercely since the day she was forced to leave him. She had had countless dreams on numerous nights, missing his warmth and scent, until she finally felt them again at this very moment. When she returned to Atherton Manor, Draco could no longer stop them from being together. Catelyn seemed to have seen the light of hope at the end of the darkness. She did not know how long they kissed each other. When Cedrick let go of her again, she found that the entire dressing room was empty except for the two of them. It seemed like Edwin had asked the makeup artists to leave the room for them. In the quiet room, Catelyn snuggled into Cedrick''s arms, her soft body pressing against him. "Didn''t you say you''d never appear in front of me again?" she sniffled. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick ignored that question and replied with another, "Then why didn''t you tell me earlier that you are the granddaughter of the Atherton family?" "I nned to tell you in the hospital that day, but you didn''t listen to me, and you pushed me away angrily. Even now, your grip still hurts." Catelyn started toin when she recalled what happened that day. Cedrick was silent for two seconds. The situation at that time was very chaotic. He remembered that she did try to say something at the time, but he interrupted her. He grabbed her wrist and stared at her slender fingers earnestly. There was no trace of a healed wound on her snowy skin. "Where did I hurt? Let me see..." "It''s been a few days already, so of course it''s healed by now. You don''t need to check it." Catelyn turned her face away angrily. She was sitting in front of the dressing mirror, so when she tilted her head, she saw how indecent their postures looked in the mirror. Cedrick was still pressing her knee with one hand. Catelyn did not want any wrinkles on her dress since the makeup artists took a long time to put it on for her. Thus, she hurriedly pped Cedrick away, slid down from the dressing table, and straightened the hem of her dress. Cedrick, after being pushed away by Catelyn, saw that she only cared about her dress and was unhappy. However, he then thought of the torture of being separated in the past few days and took the lead in being the soft one. "Alright. I''m really sorry for that. Would you ept my apology?" Catelyn stared at him in amazement, her cheeks blushing a little. She missed him very much. She was not really angry at him but was just venting to make herself feel better. They looked at each other, and it was as though sparks flew when their eyes met. Suddenly, the door of the dressing room was pushed open from the outside. Sylvie broke in with a few bodyguards. Edwin followed behind her and shrugged helplessly at Cedrick, hinting to him to be prepared. Catelyn saw that her grandmother''s eyes were cold when she red at Cedrick as if she was looking at some wicked beast. Thus, she hurriedly called out, "Grandma, why are you here?" "Don''t be afraid, Cat. Grandma is here, and no one will harass you." Sylvie already knew that Cedrick had forced Catelyn to have sex with him and give birth to the twins, and it was because of that that she did not even finish college. She then seethed, "Please get Master Cedrick out of here." Chapter 836 Chapter 836 Chapter 836 Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Soon, several burly ck-suited bodyguards rushed into the room. All of them had an aggressive, fierce look. "Grandma, what are you doing..." Catelyn froze for a moment and subconsciously walked in front of Cedrick to protect him, blocking Sylvie''s re at Cedrick. Sylvie gently pulled Catelyn over in distress, her tone soft as if she was coaxing a three-year-old girl. "The people from the Mason family are no good. Grandma knows what he did to you. Leave him, Cat. I''ll find you a better man in a few days!" Cedrick was speechless that the divorce proceedings between Catelyn and him were not done yet, so they were technically still a married couple byw. "Old Madam Atherton, do you have any misunderstanding about me?" Cedrick frowned and defended himself. Sylvie raised her eyebrows and said coldly, "Cat was forced by you to be pregnant with twins at such a young age. Don''t you know that it''s not good for a girl to be pregnant too early? Now that Ezekiel is in jail and I know it has something to do with your family. So, tell me, is there still any misunderstanding?" "If it weren''t for that chaotic night four years ago, there would be no twins, and Catelyn and I wouldn''t end up being together. Now Catelyn and I have decided to let it go, so why are you still holding onto that, Old Madam Atherton? I believe he knows he is wrong about the thing my father did to Ezekiel." Sylvie did not want to listen to Cedrick. She only felt sorry for Catelyn, ¡¯ Then, ask him toe here to apologize. I want to see how sincere he is!'' Cedrick remained silent and frowned. Although Catelyn did not know Elder Mason well, she knew his temperament. Hence, that request was something impossible. "Grandma, this is a matter between Cedrick and me, so please don''t worry too much." Catelyn gently comforted Sylvie and secretly winked at Cedrick, signaling him to go first. She would go to him when she had time. She felt sweet and helpless at the same time in her heart. Sylvie loved her very much, but that love became over-protective. "How can Grandma not worry about it?'' Sylvie held Catelyn''s hand tightly with worried eyes. "You are only in your early twenties, young and inexperienced. Therefore, you are easily deceived by sweet talk. Who knows what they are thinking, darling? Next time when you get a boyfriend, you must bring him to Grandma first..." Catelynughed and cried, "Grandma, I''m in my twenties, I''ve worked for many years, and, obviously, I''m not a child anymore." Sylvie tensed her face''s muscles. "Even if you are in your 70s or 80s, you''d still be a little grandchild in my eyes. Otherwise, how would you fall in love with the boy whose surname is Mason? You must be immature and deceived by him." It was the first time that Edwin saw Sylvie''s childish side, and he smiled merrily. "Grandma, didn''t you use to praise Ced as an outstanding descendant of the Mason family? Since when did you be so prejudiced about him?" "He kidnapped your cousin, so don''t you dare talk to him in the future!" Sylvie sneered angrily. With a deep tone and a pair of solemn eyes, Cedrick said, ''It seems that I have not done well enough to make you satisfied. I''ll work harder in the future to improve myself." "Draco has already left, so please leave too," said Sylvie emotionlessly. Cedrick and Catelyn exchanged nces. She winked at him because she wanted him to get on with her grandmother. Selfishly, she had long longed for family affection. Now that she had met her grandmother, she only hoped to take good care of her grandmother for the rest of her life. There was mixed emotion in Cedrick''s eyes. "If that''s the case, then I''ll leave as you wish." Fifteen minutester. In the Mason Chateau, Draco was watching the broadcast of the banquet, and he saw Catelyn standing beside Sylvie and being crowned. She was elegant and noble, and her demeanor was natural. As soon as she appeared, she amazed the guests at the banquet. The media captured such a sensational scene, and no one in front of the TV would doubt her rtionship with Sylvie because their eyes looked alike. Chapter 837 Chapter 837 Chapter 837 Catelyn''s eyes were proof of her identity. ''Thank you very much for attending my grandmother''s family reunion banquet today. I have lived in the rk family since I was a child, and I never thought that one day I would be able to meet my biological grandmother. Even though the tragedy has separated US for more than twenty years, God has his n for US, and I''m happy that we finally reunited in the end. My biggest wish for now is to find my father to share the joy...¡¯ The beautiful and sonorous words echoed in the silent banquet hall. When the speech was over, the audience burst into warm apuse. Sylvie''s eyes shed with crystal tears as she hugged Catelyn tightly. The cameraman zoomed in, framed, and filmed that scene. Staring at the TV, Draco fell into deep thought and was moved by it at the same time. He was happy for Sylvie that she was able to find his granddaughter in the end. Still, he felt that Catelyn''sst sentence was hinting at and provoking him from a distance. Draco then ordered Uncle Ford to release Ezekiel from the private ind overseas, feeling restless. "Master, you should be happy." Uncle Ford respectfully brought a cup of hot tea andforted him. Draco sat at the desk with a sullen face. "Why should I?" ''Didn''t you always hope that the Mason family and the Atherton family could get married, so the two families could forgive each other? Now that Miss rk and Master Cedrick are in love with each other, and they even have a pair of twins, I believe they will do their best to convince Old Madam Atherton without you being worried. Your wish will surelye true." Draco''s frowning brows gradually rxed. "You''re right. I''m just afraid that she has power in her hand now, she hates me, and she''ll leave Ceddy heartlessly..." This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Uncle Ford smiled and said, "Miss rk is not that kind of person." ''You still call her Miss rk?" Draco asked. Uncle Ford was stunned for a moment, then replied, "Mistress Catelyn." At that moment, a guard came to report, "Master Cedrick has just returned." Catelyn''s coronation and the announcement of her identity had put her in the limelight and gained a nationwide attraction. Such an extravagant, luxurious, grand banquet made all the women in the city envious. Even L and Quinn, who were in the detention center, watched the news on TV. Catelyn had just moved into the Atherton family, and she still had a lot of work to do. She had to register her name into Atherton''s genealogy, hold another family banquet, and get to know other close rtives and elders of the Atherton family. However, she never forgot Ezekiel, who was imprisoned far away. The next day, Edwin took Miles back to Atherton Manor. When Miles knew that his mother was the most respected daughter of Miss Atherton, he instantly became excited. Wearing cool little ck sunsses, surrounded by two bodyguards, he walked into the Atherton Manor on his tiny legs. 1 At first, he was carried by a bodyguard. After entering the hall of the manor, he slid down from the bodyguard''s arms and ran happily into the manor. Sylvie and Catelyn were waiting for the arrival of the little guy. In the distance, they heard the cry of the little guy. "Big Kitty? Mummy?" Sylvie''s eyes instantly shed with excitement. She stood up from the couch and looked at the door from afar. Chapter 838 Chapter 838 Chapter 838 Miles'' arrival was much anticipated by Sylvie and Catelyn. A child with sunsses covering half of his face, which made him look like Cedrick, soon showed up at the door. Even though Sylvie hated Cedrick, she could not be irritated by Miles''s cute and chubby face. Catelyn squatted down and pped her hands at Miles. "Mummy is here!'' "Mummy!" Miles rushed over and kissed her cheek twice before he raised his head arrogantly and said, "Do you notice anything different from me today?" Catelyn looked up and down at the little guy. "You...have a pair of cool sunsses?" "Godmother brought me to have a haircut!" Miles broke free from Catelyn''s embrace, took off his sunsses, raised his little head forty-five degrees, tightened his jaw, and stared at the ceiling. Only then did Catelyn realize that the little guy''s hair had been trimmed a little, and he seemed more vigorous now. Sylvie stayed quiet and stared at them all the while. Her eyes could not help but turn red. She quickly turned her face away to avoid crying in front of the child. She wanted to leave a good first impression on Miles. Catelyn pulled the little guy back into her arms. "You little boy! Come here. Mummy will introduce you to your elders." "No need for that. I know them. Uncle Edwin already told me..." Miles said with a smile, feeling proud of himself. Catelyn was surprised. "Then do you know how you should address Mummy''s grandmother?" Miles'' curled eyshes trembled, and he met the longing eyes of Sylvie. Seeing that Sylvie''s tears were about to fall from her eyes, Miles quickly took out a tissue paper from the tissue box, ran to her, stretched out his little hand, and wiped it gently for her. "Great-grandma, shouldn''t you be happy seeing Miles? Why are you crying? Am I ugly? Or scary...?" Since Sylvie was sitting, Miles had to stand on tiptoe to wipe her tears. Sylvie involuntarily leaned slightly forward to ease Miles''s action. She was moved by Miles and also the fact that she had be a great grandmother of such a cute child. "Could you call me again?" "Great-grandma." Sylvie responded with tears falling, "Oh, my lovely boy!" Harry also came to the manor early in the morning. He was still in shock that Catelyn had suddenly be his niece, although he had long suspected her identity as she looked nothing like his family members. The return of Catelyn to the Atherton family was followed by her two little twins. In other words, there were now three morepetitors fighting for the Atherton family''s property. For all he knew, Sylvie would most likely leave most of her estate to Catelyn and her children. Then he thought, ''If Edwin had a child in the future, they would be as cute as Miles, wouldn''t they?'' "Miles,e to Uncle Harry," Harry said in a low voice, sounding demanding. Miles nced at Edwin and said, without being afraid, "Uncle Edwin is more handsome than his father, Uncle Harry." Looking at Harry, who was speechless, Edwin raised his eyebrows and said yfully, "Of course, I''m younger than him. I don''t have wrinkles on my face, nor need to ''greet'' those gorgeousdies out there." Harry rolled his eyes at Edwin when he heard his sarcasm. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Miles covered his mouth and snickered. "You are so narcissistic." Afterward, the little guy ran to Harry and said, "Good morning, Uncle Harry." Chapter 839 Chapter 839 Chapter 839 Harry took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it over to Miles with a solemn face. "Here''s a gift for you." "Thank you, Uncle Harry. Uncle is wise and invincible.¡¯ Miles was ted. The envelope was thin, seeming that there was not a lot of cash in it. Miles stuffed the envelope into his pocket, turned his head, and winked at Catelyn. Kelly teased Miles a little. "Young Master Miles, didn''t you just say that Mister Atherton was more handsome?" "That''s because Uncle Harry paid me." Miles raised his lips to act cool. Harryughed and asked, "You''re not even four years old, but you already like money this much?" "A gentleman loves money, and I''m no exception." Miles pulled his cor handsomely and coolly said, "Because you gave me money. When I grow up and make a lot of money in the future, you cane and borrow some from me if you be poor." Everyone was amused except Catelyn, who covered her face out of embarrassment. However, no one noticed that Harry''s smile was perfunctory. When he saw Catelyn and Miles, a sh of anger showed in his eyes. In Sylvie''s will, one-third of her estate was left to Summer, even though no one knew if she was still alive or not. ''She never knew how poor I am!''This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The Atherton Manor covered a vast area. Catelyn and Miles were not familiar with the manor. Hence, after having breakfast, they took a tour around the manor in a sightseeing car. They were amazed by the pce-like design of the manor. Near noon, Sylvie received a call from a doorman saying that Draco and Cedrick had arrived at the manor''s main gate. She looked through the ss windows into the depths of the distant manor. Catelyn had taken Miles to the garden. Therefore, she refused coldly without thinking, "Let them leave." The doorman told the two exactly what Sylvie had said. Then Draco said something to him, and then he dialed back again, "Old Madam Atherton, Elder Mason said that he came to apologize in person to you. He said that you asked them to apologize yesterday." Sylvie sneered, "If it''s an apology, they should be more sincere. I don''t want to see them now, so tell them to leave." Cedrick could hear what Sylvie said, standing beside the doorman, and snatched the phone''s receiver. "Old Madam Atherton, I know you don''t want to see US, but we''re here today with a gift for Catelyn. Are you sure you want to reject our gift on her behalf?" Cedrick''s voice came from the receiver. Sylvie stood in front of a pot of fresh flowers, holding scissors in one hand to trim the branches and holding the phone in the other hand. Her face sank immediately when she heard such a disrespectful question from Cedrick. "Then tell me, what gift did you bring?" "Let us in, and you will know then." "How dare you negotiate with me? Cat is my granddaughter, and I have the right to make decisions on her behalf!" "Catelyn and I are not technically divorced yet. That means you''re my grandmother-inw. I have always respected you, and I will not hurt Catelyn," Cedrick replied calmly. It seemed that Catelyn would regret rejecting this gift. Sylvie was a little hesitant. Cedrick and Catelyn were so in love. Maybe it was something important that Cat might be disappointed if she did not receive it. In the end, Sylvie reluctantly agreed to let them in. She wanted to see what gift Cedrick was going to give Catelyn. Chapter 840 Chapter 840 Chapter 840 However, what was presented in front of Sylvie a few minutester was a tiny little guy. Ollie was introverted aspared to Miles, who was lively, but he had a pair of cute eyes that could melt one''s heart when one looked into them Ollie let go of Cedrick''s hand and walked upright in front of Sylvie. He knew the rules very well. He bowed to the olddy first and shouted in a cute voice, "My pleasure to meet you, Great-grandma." Sylvie was so shocked. She had long known that Catelyn had given birth to a pair of lovely twins, but she did not expect their look to be so simr. Generally speaking, no matter how simr twins look, there will be a subtle difference. If she had not seen Miles in advance and knew that Miles was lively and active, she would have mistaken Ollie for Miles. The two were almost perfectly identical, as if they were made out of the same mold... Sylvie suppressed her inner excitement so that she would not make a blunder and asked, "Why?" "Catelyn loves Miles and Ollie very much. She''ll be pleased when she knows that I''ve sent them here." Of course, Cedrick could not say he was letting his sone over to gain favor. Miles was mercurial that when Catelyn returned to the Atherton family, he left Cedrick behind right away. However, Ollie stood by Cedrick, hoping mostly that he and Catelyn could get back together. Sylvie could not refuse her little great-grandson to stay by her side because that was what a real family reunion was. She asked Kelly to lead the little guy to Catelyn and have a tour around the Atherton Manor on their way. When the little guy disappeared, Sylvie said slowly, "I''ll keep Ollie by my side. You can leave now if there''s nothing else." "Of course there is. Syl, I''m here to apologize. I was a jackass before and couldn''t understand the severity, and I hurt Cat. Please, for the sake of the love between our grandchildren, let them be together." Draco thought that when he became Catelyn''s grandfather-inw in the future, it would be justifiable for him to visit Atherton Manor. Sylvie took a light sip of her tea and said, "You''re the Elder Mason, the most powerful man in the country. There''s nothing you can''t do or achieve by simply giving an order! I''m just an old granny. How dare I ept your apology? You should just take your things and leave." Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. When Draco came to see Sylvie, he did note empty-handed. He asked the driver to carry arge number of gifts, which were some supplements and gorgeous jewelry, but she did not care about those gifts at all. "Syl, I know I had wronged you, but you can''t make Cat and Ceddy suffer because of your prejudice against me." "I already said that I disagree with this marriage, don''t you understand?" Sylvie mmed the teacup on the table. "I know that you forced Cat and Cedrick to divorce some time ago, and I am going to hire awyer, filing awsuit against you." "When did I say that? No divorce! They''re not going to divorce at all!" Draco blushed. Sylvie''s eyes instantly filled with anger. "Your grandson is going to die soon. I''m not going to let my granddaughter be a widow! Don''t try to fool me!" "Draco choked for a moment. If it were someone else who said that Cedrick was about to die, he would make them speechless for the rest of their life, but it was Sylvie who said that. He could not refute it since she long knew the gic disease of the Mason family. Draco felt powerless, and after a long while of silence, he said quietly, "You have to believe that my team is doing quite well in developing the medicine now, and Ceddy has funded many other medical teams internationally as well. It will just be a matter of time before we ovee this disease." "They better be! If these gic disorders from your family are passed on to my little great-grandson, you know what I''ll do..." Sylvie did not make it clear, but the threat was self-evident. At the same time, she was worried. Chapter 841 Chapter 841 Chapter 841 ''Such a lovely pair of twins. Whatever happens, please don''t contract this disease from the Masons...'' Judging from Catelyn''s optimistic attitude, she probably was not aware of the gic disease of the Masons. As Draco was kicked out of the Athertons'' residence, he could not help feeling angry at Cedrick. "Why didn''t you find out Catelyn''s identity sooner? Look at all this mess. Are you happy now?" Cedrick was not as irritable as the old man, he replied casually, "What about you? You''re the one that trusted that Atherton imposter Quinn." Draco was speechless. He choked again, leaning heavily on his crutches on the ground. "Now you''re ming me? I''m doing it for your own good! Now, go get Catelyn pregnant, perhaps then Syl will not ask Catelyn to divorce you," eximed the old man. In response to him, Cedrick gave a contemptuous sneer. He did not want to tie down Catelyn in this way. Ollie and Miles were already an inseparable connection between him and Catelyn. However, Draco was very clear about Sylvie''s temper. As long as she does not agree to the marriage, she would definitely not let go that easily. How annoying. Meanwhile, in the dining hall of the Atherton Manor, the rectangr dining table that could amodate twenty people was covered with in tablecloths and elegant flower arrangements. Pink tulips and white rosesplemented each other, filling the atmosphere with their floral fragrance. Old Madam Atherton had always been at the main seat, while Eugene and Harry sat on the left and right side of the olddy, respectively. However, today, sitting on the left of Old Madam Atherton were Catelyn and Miles, while on her right were Edwin and Ollie. Eugene and Harry sat in the back row instead, forming a strange atmosphere at the dining table. Edwin saw that there was a te of fried chicken in front of Eugene. Thinking that Catelyn might like to have some of it, he got up and brought the te directly to Catelyn. "Our chefs are far more skilled than the cooks of any five-star hotel. Would you like to have a try?" Catelyn nodded, feeling Eugene''s gloomy gaze from afar. "Eddy is really good at pleasing girls, but he has never been so considerate to Granny Atherton before," mocked Eugene. "Uncle, are you jealous or something?" said Edwin. Eugene immediately choked. Harry, being the eldest brother, was feeling amused to see Eugene like this. He cleared his throat and said, Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Why are you so ignorant, Eugene? Kitty just returned to the Athertons. Naturally, it is our duty to take care of her." Eugene twitched the corners of his mouth, and he had lost his appetite for this meal. Old Madam Atherton was not paying attention to any of this. She asked Edwin directly, "Eddy, when would you be bringing Joanne back? Everyone''s here except her." "Her web drama has started, and she won''t be back for the next two days," exined Edwin. Old Madam Atherton frowned. "She went for the shoot despite being pregnant?" Chapter 842 Chapter 842 Chapter 842 "Joanne is not doing any high-intensity filming work," said Edwin. Old Madam Atherton asked with a disapproving face, "That''s not going to work! I''ve been looking forward to my little great-grandson. What if he gets hurt in the process? Did you make her unhappy? It''s normal for a pregnantdy to have hormonal imbnces in her body. As her husband, you should be more understanding." Old Madam Atherton wanted to bring Joanne back to the manor so she could raise her baby. However, Edwin always gave her various excuses for his wife''s absence. Now, Joanne had gone for her filming... Edwin secretly nudged Catelyn under the table. Catelyn bit her spoon and hurriedly said, "Grandma, Joanne is my good friend. Although she loves filming, she is also very careful to ensure she doesn''t hurt your little great-grandson." "You are always the more sensible one," said Old Madam Atherton. Her anger disappeared the moment she heard Catelyn''s words of Catelyn squeezed out a sweet smile and served the olddy some vegetables. However, she was thinking about the moment she stayed in Shoal Vi a few days ago, and Joanne did not look like she was pregnant. Momentster, when they were done with the meal, Catelyn dragged Edwin to the garden. After making sure that there was no one around, she asked in a low voice, "What''s going on with Joanne''s pregnancy?" Edwin shrugged. "Is she not pregnant?" Catelyn''s voice became even lower. Edwin looked straight at Catelyn. Catelyn subconsciously touched her cheek and asked seriously, "I''m not joking with you." ''Well, to be honest, Joanne really has nothing in her stomach," replied Edwin. "Are you crazy?" Catelyn frowned lightly and said unhappily, "Grandma is looking forward to her child so much. What happens if she finds out that Joanne wasn''t pregnant..." "Back then, I used to worry about grandma getting angry, but it doesn''t matter now." Edwin held a nted smirk on the corner of his mouth. Standing under the dim yellow streetmp, his nose was high, and his facial features had a devilish look. "If youe back with the twins, even if grandma gets angry, it will be more joy than sorrow." "No, absolutely no! This will make grandma look down on Joanne..." said Catelyn. Faking a pregnancy like this would only give Joanne a bad impression. It would only damage her reputation even further. Edwin whistledzily. "I will try to get her pregnant as soon as possible." "Edwin, Joanne likes acting very much. Getting pregnant only means that she would have to stop doing what she loves. As you know, the entertainment industry is changing so quickly nowadays," said Catelyn. She could not help but feel worried for Joanne. Edwin raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?" "Get Joanne back and be honest with grandma. Miles and I will intercede for you. I hope this will ease all the turmoil," said Catelyn. "I will consider it," Edwin replied. Catelyn saw that his face was not as calm as before. Feeling that it was difficult to continue the conversation, Catelyn felt it was better to look for Joanne instead of talking to him. Catelyn and the two boys spent a whole day strolling around the Atherton Manor, and only then did they get a rough idea of theyout of the whole ce. It did not feel like a normal residential at all but rather like an inner courtyard of a grand pce. The main hall was luxuriously decorated. The suites extending along it consisted of a study room, living room, and a meeting hall. Usually, all major events are discussed here. Going further back, there were gardens, pavilions and gazebos around, all of which had a modern architectural style. Miles had always been lively and active. However, after walking around, his legs felt sore. He whined loudly,ining as if he was walking around a museum. Kelly chuckled, ¡¯Many things in our manor are indeed antiques, some of which are inherited from the ancestors of the Atherton Family. Some C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org were bought from major auction houses over the years, and some were given as gifts." "I see some stuff that I really like. Can you move them back to my house?" Miles blinked his eyes longingly. "Isn''t this your home?" Kelly replied casually. Ezekiel had gone bankrupt, Summer had passed away, Catelyn had no other rtives, and the olddy loved her so much. Nobody would dare to say a thing even if Old Madam Atherton wanted to keep her for a lifetime. Miles was startled. Although he had epted the Athertons as his family, he still did not consider this ce his home yet. Chapter 843 Chapter 843 Chapter 843 In Miles'' ideal home, there were way fewer people in it. There should be only him, the Big Demon, and Ollie. Mummy too, of course. She was the most important one. That''s it. Grandpa Mason had tried to see Catelyn several times, but he was rejected by Old Madam Atherton. She was busy gathering young and handsome men from all over Sapphire City and organized them all into a blind date website. They all had to have an extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit or an excellent family background. Catelyn could not bear any of this! She was not any ''princess''. Was all of this necessary? This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn repeatedly emphasized to her grandmother that she was married. However, Old Madam Atherton did not listen to her. She insisted that Catelyn go on a blind date, or else she would not eat! Catelyn was dumbfounded for a while. She could not believe that this was the Old Madam Atherton that she knew... Seeing that the olddy med herself for not taking good care of her, for letting her be deceived by Cedrick to give birth to a pair of twins prematurely, her eyes became red. Catelyn was also worried and finally had to agree to this. Anyway, she just wanted to be with Cedrick and was not really bothered about dating someone else. Old Madam Athertonughed. Worried that Catelyn would be awkward, she hurriedly held a blind date party, which was filled with high-quality elites, both men and women. The driver took Catelyn to do a simple makeup and sent her to the blind date party in person. However, on the way to the party, the car suddenly got hit. Due to inertia, Catelyn subconsciously leaned forward, and she quickly stabilized and regained her bnce. The driver swiftly checked Catelyn¡¯s condition. As soon as Catelyn replied that she was fine, someone knocked on the car window. Catelyn got out of the car to check the situation of the car, checking for damages. This was the car Old Madam Atherton gave her. Arge piece of paint was scraped off the rear bumper, and it was a little troublesome to repair. Catelyn nced at the driveway and the car behind that rear-ended her. "Miss, I''m really sorry, I''m not very familiar with the road conditions here..." The driver of that car quickly apologized. Catelyn looked behind the driver and saw that he was driving a Spiker. There was a man in the backseat of the car, and he did not seem to have any intention of getting out of the vehicle. "This car is very expensive. Let me talk to your boss," said Catelyn. The middle-aged driver frowned slightly and said, "My boss is in a hurry to attend a business meeting, and he may not have time to talk to you at the moment. Shall we settle this quickly? How much do we have to pay you?" Catelyn narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure about this? These two cars are worth millions. Let me talk to your boss, or I will call the police. "I..." Suddenly, the car door of the Spiker was pushed open, and a handsome man in a suit came out. The mild afternoon sun shone on his ck suit. The man had deep facial features, and he seemed to be of mixed blood. He has long, straight legs and a strong chest, looking like a very seductive man. "Boss, I''m sorry." The middle-aged driver nodded apologetically when he saw his bossing down in person. The man walked calmly in front of Catelyn, his deep pupils were fixed on Catelyn, and a trace of suspicion instantly appeared. She looked... very familiar. He kept smiling while taking out a business card from his bag and handing it to Catelyn. "My apologies, Miss, but I''m really in a hurry right now. Here''s my business card. I''ll ask awyer to contact you forpensationter." Catelyn took the business card and saw a simple name and phone number on it. President of Kingston Investment. "Alfred Wagner?" she asked suspiciously. Chapter 844 Chapter 844 Chapter 844 Catelyn had never heard of such a person in Sapphire City. Many celebrities and people from the upper circle were invited to the blind date party. However, there was no Alfred Wagner. Catelyn was even more suspicious and asked calmly, "Are you trying to just give me a business card and make a run for it?¡¯ The middle-aged driver argued on behalf of Alfred. "Miss, we are from Fidelysia. It''s our first time in Sapphire City, and we do not wish to be in debt for this." Tm sorry, there are too many liars around these days. Now, let''s discusspensation," said Catelyn. She did not trust them at all. Moreover, the driver was so rude to her earlier. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The driver took a peek at Alfred''s face. To his surprise, Alfred did not show any signs of anger. He asked Catelyn with great interest, "Then I''ll just buy you a brand new car of the same model. How about it?¡¯ Catelyn looked at Alfred, and he did not seem to be joking. She sneered at him. ¨¬ see that you have the money, and I don''t n to be a difficult person. You may go, and I will send you the bill for the car repair. Don''t you dare disappear on me, or I will make a police report!'''' Catelyn noticed that she waste for the party, and she did not want to waste any more time with Alfred. She got back into her car and left the scene. Alfred stood silently on the spot as he watched her leave. The driver reminded him, "Boss, the meeting with the president of Mason Group is about to start soon..." Alfred''s dark eyes sank slightly. He turned his head and asked the driver, ¡¯ Do you think this girl looks a bit like Aunt Carrey?" The driver thought of Missus Carrey for a moment. She would always wear a veil every time she made a public appearance. He had only seen her a couple of times. Before he could answer, Alfred asked again, "Could that be her? Alicia?" Alfred''s parents had arranged for him to be married to Aunt Carrey''s daughter, Alicia, ever since he was young. The reason he hade to Sapphire City was not just for the business meeting with Mason Group but to meet her as well. His future wife. Alfred was also not certain if Alicia was still alive... Perhaps he was just overthinking things. He had only arrived in Sapphire City for two days. How could he find Alicia that easily? Catelyn arrived at the blind date party, which was held in a hotel. The venue was kept secret, and an invitation letter was required to enter. Catelyn showed her invitation letter, and the receptionist said that the blind date party was on the fifth floor. She turned and walked toward the elevator. Little did she know that a person was staring at her from a corner with a pair of falcon-like cold eyes. Cedrick received a call from Ollie earlier and learned that Catelyn was going to have a blind date this afternoon. Coincidentally, he was about to have a business meeting right here in the same hotel! Even from a distance, Cedrick could see that she was wearing delicate yet elegant light makeup today. Catelyn''s long hair was slightly curled and tucked behind the ears to make her facial features more prominent. Her beautiful lips were glossed with pearlescent lipstick, reflecting the dim light around her. Cedrick pursed his thin lips tightly. He was about to take a step forward and follow Catelyn from behind and was suddenly interrupted by Charles. "Master Cedrick, Mister Wagner is here," he reminded Cedrick, stopping him on his track. Cedrick took a deep breath and resisted the urge to rush up to Catelyn. He turned to Charles and said, "Follow Catelyn. Let me know who she is going to meet." If Catelyn even dared to unt her unmarried status and go out on a blind date... Hmph. Who knew what Cedrick would do to her? Chapter 845 Chapter 845 Chapter 845 Charles shuddered and followed Catelyn silently from behind. Meanwhile, Cedrick met Alfred andmenced the business meeting. Coming alongside Alfred was a person from the upper circle of Sapphire City, who rmended him to Cedrick. As soon as Jean saw Cedrick, he immediately greeted him with a smile, ¡¯ Right on time, Master Cedrick. My apologies. There had been a slight dy earlier on the way. The room is ready for US now. Let''s talk upstairs." Cedrick calmly shook hands with him while fixing his eyes on Alfred. Jean introduced the both of them to each other as he led them upstairs.'' This is Mister Alfred Wagner from Fidelysia. He is the founder of Kingston Investments. I¡¯m sure he will greatly benefit yourpany''s business ventures." "Please to meet you, Master Cedrick," greeted Alfred with a smile. Cedrick shook Alfred''s hand. "Wee to Sapphire City," he said, not showing any signs of joy on his face. "It''s a pleasure toe here to work with such an excellent person as you. ¡¯ Alfred chuckled lightly. As they arrived on the fourth floor, several people were already waiting in the private room. After a brief introduction, they began to talk about business affairs. This time, an oil field ofrge magnitude was excavated in Fidelysia, and the capital invested by Kingston Investments was not enough to support the entire project. Therefore, through this business meeting, Alfred was hoping that Cedrick would have a joint venture and invest in the project. Cedrick had sent someone to investigate the reserves of the oil field. As Alfred mentioned, it was indeed very suitable for development. Hence, business cooperation was set on this very day. In addition to that, Cedrick also knew a thing or two regarding Alfred¡¯s background. This man was one of the most influential bachelors in Fidelysia, but he has never been close to any women. It was also rumored that he had a lost fiance that he had been looking for for many years. On the other hand, Catelyn managed to arrive at the blind date party on time. There were about 50 people on the premises. As Old Madam Atherton said, the people here were all excellent young talents, and Catelyn could recognize many of them from the cover of magazines and TV interviews. She found a corner and sat there, intending to wait for the party to end before leaving. Following Catelyn¡¯s arrival, many handsome men had gathered around her. Charles silently listened to those ttering and flirtatious words of the men and could not help but cringe. Master Cedrick is not going to like this... Cedrick was wearing a wireless headset, and he could clearly hear that there were men flirting with Catelyn. She did not even reject them! The murderous aura in his eyes became stronger. Even Jean and Alfred could feel it. "Master Cedrick, is there anything bothering you?" Alfred asked with a smile. "It''s nothing. My wife has been angry with me recently." Cedrick sighed, pretending to be helpless. He turned to Alfred and asked, "I heard that you''re here to search for a fiance as well?" "Yes, my mother-inw is from Sapphire City. She got separated from her daughter by ident more than 20 years ago. She is not in good health at the moment and has asked me toe here to see her," said Alfred. "If you don''t mind, you can be more specific about this. Perhaps I could assist you in finding your fiance," suggested Cedrick, hoping he This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. could help him through his connections. Alfred replied with a smile, "That would be great. Thank you for the help." "No problem." The meeting was about toe to an end. Cedrick apologized and excused himself. He left the room and went straight to the blind date party! Chapter 846 Chapter 846 Chapter 846 The party was warm and vibrant, with men and women chatting happily with one another. As the host announced the start of the event, a series of mini-games to promotemunication between men and women were put on the big projected screen. The host selected five pairs of couples to match on the spot, and their names were all disyed on the screen in turn. The rules of the game are very demanding. As for the first task, the men were required to carry the women and walk around the banquet hall! A girl next to Catelyn secretly winked at her. "The rules of this game must have been thought up by men. It''s just so disadvantageous for the girls!" Catelyn followed and nodded. "I just hope that I won''t be drawn." Ding! "32!" Just as Catelyn was making a silent wish, the host called out her number all of a sudden. Instantly, she quickly became the center of attention. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The men all hoped to be matched with Catelyn. The numbers on the screen started rolling and eventuallynded at 21. Next, the man whose number was selected stood up. He was a very handsome man and a president of a certain listed group. "Wow! It''s President Anthony!" "How lucky! Jerrad was drawn together with the little princess of the Athertons!" ''I wonder what the rules of the next game would be?" "A one-minute kiss? Haha!" Amidst everyone''s discussion, Catelyn stepped onto the stage. Although she did not really want to participate, she still had to abide by the rules of the game. The handsome President Anthony stood beside Catelyn and introduced himself to her with a smile, his eyes glued to her. Catelyn shook Jerrad''s hand perfunctorily. Then, the host clicked on his remote, and the screen started rolling again. At the end of the five-second countdown, the screen eventually froze, and the task of the next game that popped up turned out to be... "A hot kiss between both parties for thirty seconds!" As the title came into view, the scene began to burst into a tidal wave of screams and apuse. The ceiling seemed about to be overturned... "Hot kiss! Hot kiss!" "Thirty seconds! What a lucky day for President Anthony..." Everyone shouted in unison, the atmosphere waspletely nuts, and some people secretly took out their mobile phones, nning to record the entire kissing sequence and upload them online. Catelyn was shocked. Thirty seconds kiss... She was a married woman, and it was already too much for her toe out for a blind date. If she were to kiss another man, Catelyn could already foresee how ugly Cedrick''s expression would be. She wanted to run away. However, there was an uproar at the scene, and there was a group of participants blocking the exit. There was no way to escape. Catelyn took a deep breath and whispered to Jerrad, "Erm, I''m sorry. I didn''te here voluntarily for this blind date, and I''m married. Could you just maybe use your hands and cover our faces and pretend to kiss me? Just so that everyone can''t see it..." Jerrad seemed to have known her background for a long time, and he nodded. "Of course, I can''t refuse a request of a beauty like you." He scanned Catelyn''s body from top to toe. She looked really beautiful. Amid the urging cheers of the crowd, Jerrad pressed Catelyn''s shoulders with both hands and tilted her head slightly to the side of the wall. He then held her cheeks and slowly lowered his head. What a perfectly pretty face... Especially her lips, the honey-colored luster seemed to tempt Jerrad constantly. As if being bewitched, he could feel a fire burning within... Without hesitating any further, President Anthony dropped his head and went for Catelyn''s lips. Chapter 847 Chapter 847 Chapter 847 Catelyn pretended to close her eyes, waiting for the ''kiss'' toe. She could feel Jerrad''s breath getting closer and realized something was wrong. It was toote. Ayer of icy temperaturended on Catelyn''s lips. She opened her eyes and saw Jerrad''s evil-looking face right in front of her. He was about to kiss her right before everyone! Catelyn''s eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively wanted to push him away and p him in the face. However, Jerrad was a step quicker than her. He pinned her shoulders down, keeping her from moving. Catelyn felt anxious. She was about to raise her knee and ram it against Jerrad. Thud! C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org A strong wind swept past her ears. In the next moment, Jerrad''s neckline was grabbed by a hand, and his whole body was overturned to the ground. Catelyn turned her head and saw that it was Cedrick who mmed Jerrad down. She suddenly became nervous, and her heart was thumping incessantly. How could this be so coincidental? ''It''s over. It''s all over.¡¯ Jerrad may be a strong man, but he was still not a match against Cedrick. Hey on the ground paralyzed, with one of his hands holding his tailbone, ¡¯ You... What are you doing?" he stammered as he looked at Cedrick. "Come here," said Cedrick to Catelyn while staring coldly at Jerrad as if he was a puny little ant. Catelyn knew that she was in trouble. She moved toward Cedrick embarrassingly. Cedrick put his arms around her waist, took her into his arms, and said domineeringly to all the male guests present, "I don''t care if you all are here for a blind date. However, if you want to pursue my wife, you have to go through me first!" Wife? The wife of Cedrick Mason? Are they actually married? Everybody knew Cedrick was a bachelor. Perhaps he had a lover, but nobody knew that he was married for real! Moreover, it was Catelyn to whom he was married to. All the female guests at the party suddenly started gossiping excitedly. Seeing that everyone''s eyes were full of envy or curiosity, Catelyn blushed in embarrassment. How shameful... Coming to a blind date party as a married woman. Catelyn just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide there forever. Cedrick did not give Catelyn anytime to be deep in thought. He held her arm and dragged her out of the banquet hall, leaving all the shocked guests behind. In the midst of it, he called Charles. His tone was full of anger, "There was a man named Jerrad Anthony guy at this party. I want you to bankrupt his business and drive him out of Sapphire City!" Catelyn shuddered. Cedrick was really pissed! Her wrist was hurting from Cedrick''s tight grasp, but she did not dare to tell him to let go. Instead, she smiled cautiously and asked, "Dear, why are you here?" Cedrick did not answer her, and his ck eyes were as gloomy as the dark stormy clouds. He took out some wet wipes from his pocket and started wiping off her lipstick. Catelyn only felt numbness on her lips, and she was disgusted by Jerrad''s breath. She could only obediently let Cedrick wipe her lips. "Serves him right! Get him out of Sapphire City!" She smirked at Cedrick. Cedrick''s face was still expressionless, looking terribly cold. Catelyn''s tone softened. She tugged at the hem of his clothes. "I swear, I didn''t mean to go on a blind date without telling you. You also know that my grandmother has a conflict with the Mason Family and wants me to divorce you... Please understand I''m just going through the motions, Don''t be mad at me, okay? You''re the only man in my heart." Chapter 848 Chapter 848 Chapter 848 ''Oh, now Catelyn is acting all sweet, eh?'' Cedrick could not help but sneer silently in his heart. With one hand on the wall, his strong chest pressed against Catelyn''s body. "I saw that youpletely forgot me when you went back to the C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Athertons. I asked you to call me so we could meet, but you dare to go on a blind date? Am I dead to you already?" "No, no!¡± Catelyn put her little hand gently on his chest as if coaxing a furious lion. "Grandma sent someone to watch me. There''s no chance for me to meet you..." "But there''s a chance for a blind date, hmm?" sneered Cedrick. "I wanted to meet you after the party," said Catelyn. She raised her right hand up and swore, her clear eyes looking at him aggrieved. Meanwhile, Alfred and Jean had just finished their meal. They were chatting casually while waiting for the elevator. Ding! The door of the elevator opened. What Alfred and Jean saw next startled them. In the elevator, Cedrick was pinning a girl in the corner. His one arm was on the side of the girl''s head, just blocking the sight of both Alfred and Jean. They both could not see the girl''s face clearly, but Cedrick''s body was perfectly exposed. Light poured in through the elevator door as it opened. Out of the corner of Catelyn''s eyes, she caught a glimpse of two men in suits and leather shoes standing at the door. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly lowered her head and buried it in Cedrick''s chest. Cedrick''s pose was slightly stiff. His nose was on the tip of her hair, and he smelled the faint fragrance of flowers. He nced at Alfred and Jean and closed the elevator door. They went directly to the top floor of the building. Cedrick did not make any superfluous expressions. He pulled Catelyn straight to the hotel room, locked the door, and shoved her onto the soft bed. Just as things were getting intense... Knock! Knock! Knock! Like three muffled ps of thunder, the knock suddenly came from the door, interrupting the two of them. Cedrick ignored it and continued to kiss Catelyn passionately. However, the knocks on the door did not stop. Catelyn said to Cedrick reluctantly, "Sounds like it''s something important. Go take a look." Cedrick breathed unevenly and stared at her with his deep eyes. After a long while, he finally pulled the nket over her and got up from the bed. "I''ll let you go for now. But you have to make up for it!" His ferocious tone made Catelyn''s knees tremble. What Catelyn did not expect was that the person knocking on the door was actually the driver sent by Old Madam Atherton. The driver stood at the door with a phone in his hand, looking embarrassed. "Miss Catelyn, a call from the olddy," said the driver. Catelyn had no choice but to answer. She took the phone and said, "Hello? Grandma?" "Kitty, that stinky boy Cedrick didn''t do anything to you, right? The bodyguard told me that you were forcibly taken away by him, and I couldn''t get through to your mobile phone. I was so worried!¡± said Old Madam Atherton in a very serious tone. Chapter 849 Chapter 849 Chapter 849 Catelyn looked at Cedrick''s gloomy face as she held the phone in one hand. She could not help butugh. She shrugged helplessly and gave him an apologetic look. "We''re fine, Grandma. Sorry for making you worried," said Catelyn. ''I know that you are all grown up, and you can decide for yourself. However, I think Cedrick is really not suitable for you. Don''t get close to him anymore, or you''ll make me sad," replied Old Madam Atherton. She did not want to mention anything about Cedrick''s illness for fear that she would cling to him even tighter and not let him go. However, if Cedrick made Catelyn pregnant again... They both would be even more inseparable. If Cedrick could not live a long life, Catelyn would end up a widow! Catelyn immediately blushed. She may be an open-minded person, but she still would not talk about her private life with her grandmother. She mumbled, "I understand, Grandma. Well, I didn''t really want to go on a blind date as well. Could we not arrange a party like that anymore?" Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn winked at Cedrick as she spoke as if to show him that she was serious about this. Cedrick''s expression darkened slightly. Old Madam Atherton sighed and said, "Alright, as long as you''re happy. However, I will still have to get someone to protect you. You must be followed at all times for your safety." The driver seemed to understand that the olddy was referring to him, and he showed a warm smile to Catelyn. Cedrick did not expect Old Madam Atherton would be so protective of Catelyn from him to such an extent. The driver was also ordered to keep an eye out for Cedrick specifically. He would not appear if Cedrick was not around. However, once Catelyn was within 100 meters of Cedrick, the driver would be on high alert while monitoring her. In a fit of rage, Cedrick almost wanted to knock him unconscious, but he was stopped by Catelyn. It did not matter if Cedrick took out the driver. Old Madam Atherton would just get a new bodyguard for Catelyn the next day. Later on, they both went out for dinner together. Catelyn seemed to be thinking of something deep. She rested her cheek on the side of his arm and asked Cedrick suspiciously, "What happened to Grandma and Grandpa Mason back then? It looks like she really hates the Mason Family, and it has been more than three generations already..." Something was bothering Cedrick within. His face was still tense, as his jaw sank a little. The reason why Old Madam Atherton wanted to iste him and Catelyn was probably because of the disease which he inherited in the Mason Family. It was the most important thing for Cedrick today to find out whether he had actually injured Ste that night. Did his disease actually spread? "Back then, Sapphire City had the Big Five Giants, and one of them was the Smiths, which was your grandmother''s family," exined Cedrick. ¡¯Your grandmother was infatuated with my grandfather. Due to her strong personality, the old man wanted to get rid of her. In a fit of rage, he caused a lot of trouble for the Smith Family and identally involved your great grandfather''s unscrupulous activities. At the same time, they were also on the verge of bankruptcy. Your olddy went to my old man for help, but he left her after a miscarriage," he continued. "Later, your grandmother married into the Atherton Family and became their eldest daughter-inw. Ever since then, the Smiths were no longer part of the wealthy circle of Sapphire City." At that time, there was also another woman involved in this entire affair, who seemed to be deceiving Grandpa Mason the entire time. However, Cedrick had not much knowledge about this and did not mention it to Catelyn. Chapter 850 Chapter 850 Chapter 850 Catelyn''s eyes dimmed. She now understood why Grandma developed such a deep hatred toward the Masons. If she was in Old Madam Atherton''s shoes, and if someone were to use her to frame her father and leave her after a miscarriage, she would probably not let this go for the rest of her life. Catelyn suddenly held Cedrick''s hand. "Let''s work together and let grandma know that you''re different from Grandpa Mason. I''m sure she would bless US then," she said. "Okay," replied Cedrick, his voice a little hoarse. He would not let go of her hand. Even if he lost his memory after taking medicine that night, he would never let her go. ''I just want to be with you forever. No Masons or Athertons can get in our way,¡± said Cedrick. Catelyn was amused by his sudden statement and asked, "Aren''t you afraid you''ll grow tired of me?" Cedrick narrowed his eyes. "Are you?" She hurriedly changed her words. "I''ve watched my son for three years, and I still haven''t gotten tired, so I''m sure that I won''t grow tired of you. I''m just afraid that when I get old, countless other celebrities and beauties will be in my way, and you can''t resist them." Cedrick squeezed her palm, not wanting to spoil the moment. He said, ¡¯ That''s not true. No matter how beautiful other women are, they can''t bepared to you." Catelyn''s heart warmed up. ¡¯Am I that good-looking?" she asked. Cedrick stared at her deeply, not taking his eyes off her. "You were already gorgeous the first time I saw you. As time goes by, you''ve just never stopped bing more beautiful. Even if we grow old together, you''ll only end up looking better.¡± Catelyn''s ears were on the verge of burning, and she was squealing within like a little girl. ¡¯Have you been secretly reading romance novels online recently?" she asked with a chuckle. "Do I need to?" Cedrick said back to her confidently. "It''s as if you''ve suddenly unlocked certain skills," replied Catelyn. Those are such sweet words... Such a warm feeling to hear it from a manly person like Cedrick. At that moment, it seemed that all the conflicts and distrust between them had all disappeared at once. After Ste awakened, she had been recuperating in the hospital. Catelyn had just returned to the Atherton Manor, not having the time to pay Ste a visit. Cedrick had proposed to see Ste himself. However, Catelyn was worried that it would cause even more misunderstandings. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Still, Cedrick insisted on seeing Ste, and Catelyn agreed to apany him. The visitation time of the hospital ends at nine o''clock in the evening. Cedrick personally took a short drive and arrived at Ste''s ward an hour before the hospital closed for visitors. Catelyn had called Ste in advance and brought some of her favorite snacks. The door of the ward opened. Although there was a hint of sadness in Ste''s eyes, she was still looking forward to Catelyn''s arrival. However, her smile froze the moment she saw Cedrick. What came next was a fearful expression. As if she just saw a ghost! Catelyn put the snacks she bought on the small table. With Cedrick around, the originally spacious ward instantly became cramped, and the air pressure around seemed to intensify. Ste looked panicked. Her whole body was trembling, and she kept shrinking toward the foot of the bed. Chapter 851 Chapter 851 Chapter 851 ¡¯I¡¯m sorry, Ste. I should¡¯ve visited you earlier.¡± Cedrick''s expression softened, and he admitted that his attitude turned better. Ste, however, got goosebumps as she stammered, ¡¯T-Thank you, Master Cedrick. May I have a few words with Cat?¡± Cedrick got the hint and nced at Catelyn, who just happened to wink at him. He then nodded lightly and headed out, giving Ste some time to recover from the shock. "I''ll be waiting for you outside. If you need help, just call me." "Alright." With that, only Catelyn and Ste were left in the quiet ward. Ste seemed dehydrated as she looked visibly dry, although there were cold sweats on her forehead and the back of her neck. After Cedrick left, Ste''s breathing became stable. She grabbed Catelyn''s hand and said solemnly, "Cat, you must leave Master Cedrick. He''s a dangerous man!" "Mom, don''t think like that. Ceddy treats me very well..." Ste struggled to find words to further assert herself. After all, the rtionship between her daughter and Master Cedrick had always been strong as they were deeply in love. Even Quinn wanted to ruin that up, but she ended in a dismal end. Nheless, Ste felt if she did not make it clear to Catelyn, she would not see reason in her words. "Did you see the driver who rammed you that night?" asked Catelyn, getting straight to the point and wanting to find out if there was a misunderstanding. Ste''s face turned pale, and her heart raced at the memory. She gritted her teeth as the image of how she was hit by a car shed past her mind, and it was so agonizing that it felt as though her organs were torn apart. "Of course," Ste nodded heavily. "I know you won''t believe it, but I swear I saw it right. The person who hit me was your husband; he was sitting in the driver''s seat at the time. His eyes were abnormally fierce...!ike he was a beast! I think he deliberately elerated when he saw me rushing out..." C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org The pain of being run over to the ground by a car was still vivid in Ste''s mind. Her shoulders trembled, and tears started to drop from her eyes. Catelyn wanted to ask more questions, but when she saw how terrified Ste was, she just could not do it anymore. She hurriedly hugged her andforted her gently while her mind was about to explode. ''Is it really you, Cedrick? But why do you have no impression of it at all?'' "Ste, are you a hundred percent sure that the person in the driver¡¯s seat is me?" At this moment, Cedrick, who was supposed to be at the door, pushed open the door and entered. His eyes were calm and soft, but Ste''s mind was haunted by the fierce, bloodthirsty, and cruel look in Cedrick''s eyes in the driver''s seat that night. She shrank into Catelyn''s arms and stuttered, "I¡ªI don''t know. I don''t know anything! I won''t call the police. Please don''t kill me... Don''t kill me!" In just mere seconds, she slipped into a state of fragility and restlessness once more. Once Cedrick appeared, she became incoherent. Catelyn hugged her even tighter and gestured for Cedrick to stop talking. Cedrick spoke nothing after that and waited silently for Ste''s mood to be stable again. He came here mainly to make a final confirmation with Ste. After all, she was the victim who had seen the perpetrator. Chapter 852 Chapter 852 Chapter 852 Ste took about three minutes for her mood to gradually settle. She breathed heavily, and Catelyn fed her half a ss of juice. The moment the sweet taste greeted her taste buds, she felt freshened as her panic dissipated. Still, she did not dare to look at Cedrick. "Ste, if I wanted you to die, there are a thousand ways to do so. Why would I drive my car to hit you?¡¯ reasoned Cedrick, intending to extract information the best he could. "Think about it again: Did anything special happen that night? Or.Js there something different about the perpetrator?" Catelyn also tried to make Ste jog her memory, adding, "I also believe that Ceddy is not the criminal who tried to kill you. Could you recall everything?" Ste took another sip of the juice, covered her forehead, and immersed herself in thought. That night, to escape from Quinn, she ran downstairs without calling the police because she did not want her daughter to be caught. As soon as she got to the side of the road, a car rushed toward her and mmed into her. Before she fell to the ground, she was the closest to the person in the driver''s seat. She saw the driver''s face and something that was hanging on the driver''s neck. It was... "A skull!" Ste eximed. "I remember that he has a skull ne hanging around his neck! That''s right, it''s a ck skull..." "I don¡¯t think I''ve ever seen you wearing something like this." Catelyn looked sharply at Cedrick, doubting. Cedrick repeatedly recalled the surveince footage he saw at the police station. Since the angle was obliquely downward, the camera could not capture what decorations the man in the driver''s seat was wearing. Additionally, the car window further lowered the rity furthermore. "I don¡¯t wear jewelry; too girly for my taste." Cedrick tightened his eyebrows and asked, "You said he had fierce eyes, and when he saw you rushing out, he deliberately elerated? Does it mean that he is rational, awake at that time, knowing what he was doing exactly?" "I...didn¡¯t pay attention to it. I just felt like you were apletely different person at the time," Ste murmured, still very frightened when she recalled it. She felt like she had just returned to life from hell. Cedrick fell into deep thought when he heard her utterance. He had nned to go to Catelyn''spany to help her out, but a serious headache hit him as if countless needles were piercing his head. Blood oozed out of his eyes as he felt like he was losing control of his mind. He called the head of the Mason family''s privately funded medicalboratory and went to the basement. To prevent outsiders from knowing the secret of the Mason family''s gic disease, the basement was at a deste ce, bordered the suburbs, and there was no surveince camera along the way. After getting a dose of a stabilizing drug and staying in the medicalboratory for half a day, the pain was relieved a little in the evening of that day. He wanted to drive home, but he had a minor car ident on the way, so he had to rest in a small hotel nearby. It was not long until he heard that Ste had been hit by him, which prompted him to look into the case in detail. However, it waste in the night and he was in the suburbs, so there was nothing much he could find. He then thought that he was the one who hit Ste with his car as he lost his memory due to the effect of drugs. Looking back at this, however, it seemed to him that there was some key information missing from the ident. Seeing Cedrick''s thoughtful appearance, Catelyn could not help but ask curiously, "Ceddy, did you recall something?" "I''m notpletely sure yet. I''ll tell you when I confirm it." C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org "No matter what you find, don''t hide it from me, okay?" Catelyn looked at Cedrick expectantly. "I want to share weal and woe with you, just like how we swore when we got married. Even if it''s you, don''t lie to me." Cedrick nodded solemnly and replied, his voice deep and husky, "I promise. ¡ö He then went to the corridor to make a phone call while Catelyn remained in the ward and continued tofort Ste, who was still worried about Quinn. Chapter 853 Chapter 853 Chapter 853 Catelyn promised Ste that Quinn would be safe. "I''ve hired a criminal defensewyer for her. Thewyer said that she''s not the mastermind but an aplice, so the sentence shouldn''t be too severe if she has a good attitude and is willing to cooperate." Catelyn also told Ste the truth that Quinn would not be acquitted. She was a criminal who attempted to poison her biological mother, which severely conflicted with thew and morality. Ste secretly shed tears, and her eyes were covered with a gray fog of despair. "I tried to stop her long ago, but she didn''t listen... Maybe it''s best for her to be imprisoned. There''s no material temptation there, a-and maybe she can change her mind. In the future when she''s released, she''ll get to embrace a new life." The sky was gloomy, and it started drizzling when Catelyn and Cedrick left the hospital. Cedrick''s car was parked in the parking lot. He was about to enter the driver''s seat, but Catelyn stopped him, and the atmosphere became a little dignified because of what Ste had said. To ease the tension between them, Catelyn intertwined her fingers with his as she said, "I don''t want to go back yet. Do you want to apany me to take a stroll outside?" Cedrick gazed up at the sky. "It''s raining now. Why would you want a stroll?" "Because we''ve never done that before. Don''t you think it''s very romantic?" At the end of the day, Sylvie sent a bodyguard to follow Catelyn wherever she went in the name of protecting her, so they could not do anything too '' brazen''than that. Cedrick nced at her dotingly, then went to his car and took out arge ck umbre. The two were walking on the long street outside the hospital, and there were not many pedestrians on the road due to the rain. Nheless, the drizzle was so light that it felt like pepper kisses on Catelyn''s cheeks. She enjoyed the warmth Cedrick emitted as she clung to his arm and nestled to his shoulder while he held the umbre forthem. The big umbre perfectly amodated them. She forgot how long it had been since she felt at ease. Whenever she inhaled his scent, no hardship daunted her anymore. Cedrick adored how Catelyn clung to him, but his eyes were inadvertently deepened. Stepping on the wet ground, Catelyn, giggling like a child, quietly stretched out her hand outside the umbre, pretending to catch raindrops for a while. The icy cold raindrops fell on her palm, but all she felt was an indescribablefort. "Stop ying like a kid. You''ll catch a cold," Cedrick dismally reminded her from overhead. "You wouldn''t know how romantic it is." Catelyn winked at him yfully and asked subconsciously, "Now that you brought both children to the Atherton Manor, won''t your grandfather be angry?" ¡¯No." Cedrick exined, "He probably knew that your grandmother didn''t like seeing him, so he agreed to calm her by letting the two children stay with her." ''Then, won''t you feel lonely at home?" Cedrick frowned. "Are you worried that I''ll cheat on you?" "Hey, don''t you dare deem me as a suspicious woman. I''m just sad that there''s always someone behind US when we want to spend some sweet time together. I mean, we''re a married couple, so why can''t we spend some private time alone?" Catelyn did not dare to voice that out in front of her grandmother. She always felt that her grandmother would force her to divorce Cedrick whenever she mentioned Cedrick. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Everytime she wanted to reject her grandmother''s request, she would fall into silence, thinking that it was not easy for them to be reunited after years when she saw her graying hair. Her mother would never be able topensate Sylvie for the hardships she had gone through to raise her, so she wanted to cherish her grandmother kindly for the rest of her life on her mother''s behalf. In addition, she used to be somewhat disrespectful to her grandmother, so the guilt stopped her from refusing her grandmother. Looking at her longing for the future, Cedrick felt his heart inexplicably heavy. He hesitated for a moment and asked seriously, "Do you still care about what I did on the day your mother had an ident?" Chapter 854 Chapter 854 Chapter 854 Though Cedrick interrupted Catelyn''s contemtion, she did not want to assert unnecessary thoughts toward him. Everyone could have a little secret. ¡¯If you want to tell me, I''ll listen. If you don''t, I''ll respect your decision." After all, it was already a fact that Ste was injured in the ident. Catelyn, however, believed something else was at y. Otherwise, he would not have taken her to the ident center so confidently and asked for a video that was unfavorable to him to be investigated. That would put him in great danger and make him the biggest suspect in the case he was the culprit. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick stopped. There was not only Catelyn in his eyes, dazzling like stars, but also bitterness and self-deprecation. ¡¯If it''s a good thing, why wouldn''t I tell you?" It was precisely because he was at his toughest and weakest when the disease attacked that he did not want to let Catelyn see that side of him, discover his emotional fragility, or even love him out of mere sympathy. Although Catelyn did not know what happened to him, she felt that he was preupied by sadness at the moment. ¡¯Come rain or shine, I''ll always be by your side.¡¯ She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly, warming his body with hers. In Catelyn''s eyes, Cedrick had the kind of appearance that would get more attractive the more one got along with him. He had such a sharp nose, a striking profile, and sexy lips. Under the dim moonlight which blurred his jawline, Cedrick looked like an angel who fell from heaven. She raised her head and stared at that handsome man while he inadvertently looked at her and steadily approached her cheek- Screech! A sharp braking sound came from the side of the road,ing from a motorbike. Although not loud nor irritating, it still attracted the attention of the two. Catelyn turned to look toward the motorcycle unwittingly and saw the rider swearing at a pitiful puppy laying in front of the bike. The puppy was probably a stray. Its ears fell at the sides of its face as it kept one of its legs raised, looking injured. There was a lot of dirt on its milky white fur, too. The rider had disappeared when Catelyn tried to search for him again. Frowning, she crossed the road and ran toward the puppy, much to Cedrick''s surprise. Fortunately, the rain was light, and only a few droplets had fallen on her head and face when he reached her side. Catelyn squatted in front of the puppy, noting that it probably was not weaned yet. She then carefully lifted it. The puppy immediately whimpered when Catelyn touched its right leg. "Aww..." She ruffled its wet fur pitifully. She used to have pets until she had to take care of Miles and was too busy to take care of her pets. At that moment, she was moved by the puppy''s adorable but sorrowful eyes. Cedrick looked at the puppy in her arms and the bloodstain on her cloth with disgust, frowning. "It must be an abandoned mongrel. Look at its fur color. Careful, I''m suspecting that it got some infectious disease. You better put it down. I''ll let someone handle it." ¨¬ think vets are still open at this hour. Let''s take it there, shall we?¡¯ Cedrick''s eyebrows tightened even more. "I didn''t know you like puppies.¡¯ "I guess most girls like this kind of fluffy animal. Sadly, Grandma is allergic to animal fur, so I can''t take it back to Atherton Manor." Catelyn felt rather dismayed, but her intention to treat the puppy''s wound took priority as she said to Cedrick, "Hurry. I know there''s a vet nearby!" Chapter 855 Chapter 855 Chapter 855 Catelyn noticed that Cedrick was rather displeased by her actions. After having an instant thought, she held his arm and coaxed, "Look, it''s still raining. You wouldn''t want it to get hit by a car, right?" Cedrick was aroused by her intimacy. Catelyn, noting that his expression grew grim and fearing he would make her dump the puppy, took the lead and ran to the nearby supermarket, bought a blue woven basket, and carefully put the puppy into it. ''There, your car won''t get dirty now." She smiled. Cedrick took the basket with a serious look and wordlessly walked back to his car, all while a giggling Catelyn followed after him at a distance. "Do you or do you not want to go home?" Cedrick growled without looking back when he saw that Catelyn was no longer by his side. "I''ming!" She quickly chased after him and leaned on his arm. As her coat was soiled when she held the puppy, Cedrick then took off her coat and put his suit on her. The two of them got into the car soon, and Cedrick drove them to a veterinary hospital. After the examination, the veterinarian frowned slightly. "Why is the puppy like this? The poor fellow is thin, dirty, and injured!" This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The puppy was evidently malnourished. The female vet, who adored animals, looked at Catelyn and Cedrick with a hint of anger in her eyes. ''We picked it up from the side of the road. A bike knocked it down," Catelyn exined. Cedrick''s expression was extremely cold, which made the female vet a little panicked. She did not dare to speak to Cedrick directly. ''I see. Please wait for a while." The female vet then had a simple surgery on the puppy''s right leg. "The puppy''s right leg has a little fracture. I''m sorry for assuming you both did this to the puppy. If it''s not convenient for you to adopt it, we can keep and foster it temporarily until its leg fully recovers from that." Catelyn bit her lower lip. She wanted to keep it. She turned her head and blinked her beautiful eyes at Cedrick. Cedrick could tell her intention just with one look into her eyes, but he curtly replied, "Having two children at home is more than enough to bother me already." ''Miles and Ollie are human; a puppy isn''t one. You can''tpare it like that. ¡ö "I don''t want you to keep it. Just let Grandpa Albert take care of it. He''ll have the maids in the house to make a kennel for him and feed him..." Cedrick''s eyebrows were still tightened as he said solemnly, "If you like it, you can keep it in a pet store all the time and have it fostered." ''What''s the point of that? I have to go to the pet store when I want to see it, and it won''t be close to me emotionally..." Seeing that he was unmoved, Catelyn lowered her head and eyes. "Fine, forget it. I hope it recovers soon and gets adopted by a better owner in the future." Cedrick saw her disappointment, and his chest felt stuffy. There was no mistaking Cedrick''s displeasure when they came out of the veterinary hospital. The puppy nestled quietly in the blue woven basket he was carrying. With a receipt in one hand, Catelyn poked Cedrick''s slightly bulging cheeks with a smile. "You''re so loving. Now we have a good excuse to tell Grandma when we want to go on a date next time! We could tell her that we want to take the puppy out to see the vet.'' Chapter 856 Chapter 856 Chapter 856 Cedrick scoffed at Catelyn''s words. ''Well, shall we go buy some dog food for the puppy now?" Catelyn excitedly suggested. Cedrick''s face was dull as though a haze shrouded him. "Grandpa Albert will buy it. I''ll take you home first-it''s gettingte." "I want to be the very first person who buys food for it! And it needs a lot of other things too. Just take it as a walk with me, please." Besides the reason for buying food for the puppy, Catelyn also did not want to go back to Atherton Manor so early. It was best to wait until Sylvie went to bed before she went back. Seeing her being so kind to a stray dog, Cedrick got a bit green-eyed and bitter. "You''re more excited to own a dog than to go out to dinner with me." Catelyn did not notice Cedrick''s overflowing jealousy at all as she smiled.'' Because it''s been so long since Ist owned any pet. It feels just like Miles and Ollie growing potted nts for the first time. They were very excited, and they''d water the nts every day..." Cedrick remained silent. He never went to the supermarket to buy daily necessities for his sons, let alone a stray. Catelyn sighed in disappointment, "Well, if you insist, just have Grandpa Albert buy it. But remember to ask him to buy the healthy and nutritious one, because the puppy is very weak now." Cedrick stared at Catelyn, who was paying full attention to the blue woven basket, and his jealousy grew even stronger. Cedrick''s face had been cold since they shopped in the supermarket. He was carrying a bag of dog food in his hand when they got out. Catelyn bought heaps of things that were not urgently needed, so Cedrick left the address of Mason Estate and had someone from the supermarket deliver these items. He would never let the puppy stay in Ocean Path Residence as it was a ce full of memories of him and Catelyn. He did not want the puppy to ruin that. The smile on Catelyn''s face never dissipated. Staring at Cedrick''s back, she felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Although he was fierce to her every time, he would alwayspromise for her at the end of the day. Cedrick sent her back to Atherton Manor, and his car stopped half a kilometer away from the gate of the manor. Before Catelyn got out of the car, she wound one arm around Cedrick''s neck, leaned in, and kissed his lips. She wanted to do this when they were walking in the rain, and the urge got even stronger when Cedrick conceded and listened to her wishes. However, they were not far from Atherton Manor, and the bodyguard was just behind them. Seeing that Master Cedrick''s car stopped in front of him but Miss rk did not step out of it, the bodyguard in the driver''s seat was torn between disturbing the intimacy of the two and leaving them alone, or having them part. In the end, the fear of being fired by Old Madam Atherton triumphed as the bodyguard walked out of his car and toward the front of Cedrick''s car. When he was about to knock on the window, the door was pushed open from the inside, hitting the driver''s nose with a bang. The driver covered his nose and took a few steps back, tilting his head, feeling that his nose was bleeding. Cedrick got out of the car as if nothing had happened. He held Catelyn''s hand with one hand and an umbre with the other, keeping her C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org from the rain. Catelyn had note back to her senses from the intimacy as her cheeks flushed and her ears were burning hot. She did not notice what happened to the bodyguard. Before she left, Catelyn nced at the puppy uneasily. It seemed to have fallen asleep. She then ruffled its fur. "You''ll get better, little one." Even in its sleep, the puppy unconsciously leaned into Catelyn''s palm gently a few times and stuck out his tongue. Cedrick suddenly thought of something, grabbed the puppy with one hand, and opened its legs to look at it by the light of the streetmp. Catelyn looked at him in surprise. "What are you doing?" ''To check if it''s a male or female," responded Cedrick in a matter-o-factly manner. "I''ve checked. It''s a male." Catelyn did not understand why Cedrick would care about the puppy''s gender so abruptly. Cedrick stared at the puppy and said with disgust, "He looks ugly. I''ll get you a purebred Samoy." Chapter 857 Chapter 857 Chapter 857 Catelyn felt like Cedrick was hard toprehend. ''Didn''t we go through this already?'' She reached out to take the puppy back and said with a hint of resentment, "No. This puppy is destined for US, and I''ll take care of him. If you don''t want to, then I''ll ask my cousin to do it." Cedrick looked at her for a while with a livid expression. Seeing her stubbornly unwilling to let go, he picked up the woven basket in silence and hinted for her to put the puppy back in. Catelyn quickly put the puppy back in the woven basket and repeatedly reminded them not to abandon her puppy behind her back. Cedrick was even more annoyed by that. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ''Is a dog more important than me now?'' Cedrick put the basket on the backseat and closed the door, not wanting to be annoyed by the puppy anymore. Before leaving, Cedrick said, "Your father is already on his way back to Amarica. He''ll probably arrive at Sapphire City tomorrow afternoon. I will take you to pick him up." "Really?" Catelyn was surprised. She had heard from Cedrick that he would get her father out as soon as possible, but as it was a private prison overseas, there had to be a lot of cumbersome procedures. Even if the procedures were done, the transferring process would take a week. Cedrick''s annoyance dissipated a great deal. He ruffled her silky ck hair and was ecstatic to see her happy. "Rest early tonight, and wait for my news tomorrow." "Thank you, darling." Catelyn was ted. In front of the bodyguard, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. Then, when the bodyguard was about to stop them, Cedrick just began to leave. The bodyguard looked at Catelyn pleadingly, despite his nose being swollen when the door mmed against his face. "Miss rk, Old Lady Atherton said that you should keep your distance from Master Cedrick." Catelyn nced at his aggrieved gesture. All the joy and affection she had in her eyes were lost as she found him both amusing and infuriating. "You can go and tell my grandmother that you''ve failed your job, and that Master Cedrick and I have kissed several times." He was dumbfounded. "It''s impossible for Master Cedrick and I to get a divorce. He''ll be her grandson-inw in the future. You''ve worked in the Atherton family for so many years, and I guess you won''t want to lose your job, right?" The bodyguard looked flustered. '' Miss rk, I was just doing my job." Catelyn then raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "As long as you pretend nothing has happened, I''ll ask the housekeeper to give you a raise so that you can work without worry for the rest of your life." She thought that by reuniting with her grandmother, she would be able to convince Elder Mason to let her get back together with Cedrick. She did not expect her grandmother to stop her from getting along with Cedrick. ''Why is it so hard to just be with the one you love?'' Cedrick took the puppy back to the Mason Estate. The more he stared at it, the less pleasing it became. He resisted the urge to dig a hole, bury it, and leave Grandpa Albert to take care of it. Grandpa Albert had been in the Mason Estate for many years, and it was the first time he saw Cedrick bring any pet back, rendering him stunned for a good while. "Master Cedrick, the puppy-" "Keep it in the backyard. Take good care of it, and don''t let it run around." Cedrick was so disgusted that he did not even want to look at the puppy. Grandpa Albert happily agreed, feeling very surprised. Then, he thought that maybe Mistress Catelyn intended to keep the puppy, so he was more attentive to taking care of it. At that moment, Eason just arrived at the Mason Estate with the results that Cedrick ordered him to investigate. The result of the investigation shocked him. Chapter 858 Chapter 858 Chapter 858 After a long period of investigation and interrogating all the guests and staff who stayed at the hostel where Cedrick waited the day of the ident, Eason found a video. It was a short video of a young couple climbing a mountain nearby. They habitually shot a video and uploaded it to social media, but their camera happened to catch a certain...scene. Cedrick stared at the video that Eason brought back, and his pupils shrank in sheer shock. In the video, it was clear that ''Cedrick'' was walking toward a parking lot. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Inadvertently looking at the camera, his eyes gleamed with pure malice, one that could only be from a demon that crawled out of hell. He was in a ck suit, the same as what he was wearing that day, except there was a ck skull ne on his neck. This detail matched the confession Ste made. This man, wearing a particr skull ne, hit Ste with his car. The time on the lower right corner of the video showed that it was 7 p.m., which was the same time he checked in and should have been taking a shower in his room. In other words, there were two Cedricks in Sapphire City. While he was taking a shower, the man in the video secretly drove the car away, hit Ste, and then returned the car as if nothing had happened. Cedrick fell into a deep sleep after taking the medicine and did not know all of that. That was why he was forced to take the me. "M-Master Cedrick, I heard that having twins is also hereditary. Could you have a twin brother out there that your parents never told you about?" Eason asked timidly. Eason was very clear that Cedrick would not show such a ferocious expression to strangers. He doubted Cedrick had taken too much medicine and its side effects made him lose his memory. Ste made it clear that the man who ran her over felt different from Cedrick. When Cedrick saw that video, he finally connected the dots and was shocked. "Who else knows about this?" Eason shook his head solemnly. "I investigated this myself. No one should know about it." ''Take this to your grave, then." "Understood." Cedrick ordered Eason to pick up Ezekiel the next day, then went upstairs to take a hot shower so he could wash off the disgusting smell of the puppy''s fur. He then drove to Mason Chateau, where Draco was ready to go to bed. When a servant told him that Cedrick had arrived, he went downstairs doubtfully after putting on a coat. Draco sat on the couch and, with a cane at hand, asked in a dignified manner, "What brings you here?" "Do I have a twin brother?" asked Cedrick, getting straight to business. Cedrick¡¯s parents passed away very early, and he did not have many memories of his parents. Moreover, he never considered the possibility of having a twin brother until he saw the video that showed another ''him''. Draco said firmly, "No." "No?" Cedrick doubted, his brow sinking slightly. ''I raised you, so how would I not know?" growled Draco. "Back then, Yuv insisted on being with your mother and refused the marriage I nned for him, causing the other girl tomit suicide, making me guilty for the rest of my life. Although I was enraged about his ignorance, he was my son. The day you were born, I went to the hospital to see you and gave you a lucky amulet!" It irked Draco that Cedrick came in the middle of the night just to ask silly questions. Chapter 859 Chapter 859 Chapter 859 Cedrick ruled out the possibility of having a twin brother, but another thought came into his mind: a half-brother. ¡¯Did my father, besides my mother, have any other woman out there?'' Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Draco was sipping tea, and when he heard this, he red at him angrily. ¡¯If Yuv had another woman out there, you wouldn''t be my only grandchild!" Cedrick was silent for a while. He, too, did not want to doubt his father who had long passed, but the appearance of another ''Cedrick'' in the video was just too odd for him. He had to figure this out on his own. ''Is it a biological brother of mine, or does someone else have stic surgery just to look like me?'' is it possible that he had another woman but you didn''t know?¡± Draco felt that his majesty as the elder of the house was being challenged. ¡¯Since he met your mother, he rarely came home. How do I know if he has any other woman outside? It''s better to ask your aunt. Maybe she knows something!" Cedrick was sure that the amount of information that Draco had was not much, so he stopped questioning any further. He thus wished Draco to take care of himself and then strode out. Draco worriedly asked him if something had happened, but Cedrick simply made up something to brush him off. When he walked to the door, he could hear Draco asking him to find a way to quickly repair his rtionship with Catelyn and hold their wedding as soon as possible. While walking out, Cedrick called the housekeeper of Nandose Vi and learned that his aunt had woken up after a sleep. He took the opportunity to ask two questions and then got what he wanted. First, he was an only child and had no twin brothers. Second, there was once a woman who pestered his father, Yuri Mason, but he never bedded that woman and only loved his mother, Daphne Coleman, deeply. Cedrick sat in the backseat of a luxurious car as he stared at the video in his phone, lost in thought. In the end, he came to Yael Yowell, a personal doctor and his close friend. Yael was a medical geek born into a medical family and was so in love with researching that he would immerse himself in the medicalboratory 24 hours a day. Therefore, he had pretty white skin. However, his physique was extraordinarily buff, and he often worked out in a gym in theboratory. When Cedrick came over with the video, Yael was sitting on the sofa, listening to soothing music to rx while watching the experimental analysis result. Cedrick handed the tablet to Yael. Yael was startled when he saw how...daunting this ''Cedrick'' looked, especially his eyes. "Wow. Who messed with you that you got to put on such a cannibalistic look? ''Wait. Isn''t the time this was recorded the night you left myb?" Yael subconsciously raised his eyebrows, shot Cedrick a once-over, and joked,'' The virus in your body must''ve mutated. That''s why you looked weird." This man was entirely different from the usual Cedrick. Seeing that even Yael could notice the difference, The doubt Cedrick had earlier in his heart became stronger. "Please help me identify whether the man in the video has undergone stic surgery." Yael threw away the experimental data sheet and jumped up instantly. "Y¡ª You mean this...person in the video i-isn''t you?" "We''ll wait until the results of your analysise out,¡± Cedrick said solemnly. Yael immediately became interested and grinned. "There have been so many strange urrences over the years I worked for you. First, I was working on finding a cure for the strange gic defect in your family, and the next moment, you asked me to investigate a weird guy who looked like you!Tsk, tsk! "Just wait here. I''ll study his facial structures now." Cedrick pursed his thin lips tightly, opened Yael''s wine cab, and took a bottle of premium red wine from it. Yael returned after half an hour with an analysis chart. There was a magnified screenshot of the man''s face on the chart with red marks and notes beside it. Chapter 860 Chapter 860 Chapter 860 ''I can''t do CT examinations and X-rays without the person being here. It seems the surgery was long ago. The incision scars on his face have fully recovered, so it''s difficult to tell, but I''m sure that his nose has undergone external reduction surgery. See, the cut is right here..." ''So he had stic surgery?" Cedrick stared at the lower corner of the bridge of his nose where Yael pointed. Yael nodded with vigor. "I''m eighty percent confident. Get him here so I can do a more detailed appraisal. By the way, who is this person? Why does he look like you? Can your wife tell the difference? In case he pretends to be you to sleep with your wife..." Cedrick red at him. "If you still want me to continue funding your medical research, you better shut up." Yael avoided Cedrick''s re and answered cheerfully, "You''re the boss! You got me!" Cedrick collected all relevant data analysis materials. The truth behind Ste''s ident was revealed. Sapphire City had a man who looked exactly like him. He was a threat to Cedrick, so Cedrick could not allow him to assume his identity and do whatever he wanted. He formerly thought it was because he had lost his memory after taking the medicine that he hit Ste. Cedrick then sent Catelyn a message, telling her about what he had learned. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Catelyn, on the other hand, was immersed in the joy of her father''s uing return and was so excited that she could not sleep at night. Seeing the message from Cedrick, she instantly invited him on a video call. Through the call, Catelyn could see that Cedrick was staying at Mason Estate while she sat cross-legged on the bed in her pajamas after taking a shower. Since the manor was heated, she wore moderately thin pajamas and greeted Cedrick with a smile. She was puzzled why he was texting her in the middle of the night. Cedrick was worried that his doppelganger would use the same look as him to harm Catelyn and his two children, so he sent the video to her. Catelyn stared at the man in the video. He had the same face as Cedrick, his eyes were fierce, and a ck skull ne was hanging around his neck. She was shocked beyond words. "T-There are two of you?" "Yes, the one with the skull head is the real perpetrator who injured Ste that night." "Howe there are two of you?" Catelyn could not believe what she saw. "Your twin brother?" "No, I''m an only child. For now, the identity of this person is unknown, but he must be no good man." Catelyn felt like her brain was about to explode, and her breathing grewbored. She thus got up from the bed and walked around the room to get some fresh air and calm herself. "Why did he hit my mother? Did he n to frame you? But why didn''t he show his face before running away? That''ll destroy your image and hurt you more." "I guess he may not be familiar with the performance of that sports car. I had a feeling he didn''t intend to hurt your mother. I bet it took so much effort to make his appearance look exactly like mine. If he did that just to frame me, that''ll be a bit of a fuss," analyzed Cedrick. Catelyn nodded in agreement and turned to worry. ''Has he appeared before? Has he ever approached me and the children?'' "Then, have you found out what else he did?" Catelyn was afraid that she had mistaken her husband and did something she regretted. Cedrick saw her through andforted her softly, "Don''t be afraid. His demeanor ispletely different from mine. Judging from his tracking of my itinerary, he''s probably trying to get close to me and imitate me." In other words, there was a high probability that he had never shown up in public before. Catelyn let out a sigh of relief, but that ominous feeling never faded. If one day in the future, two identical Cedrick appeared in front of her, would she and Miles fall for the fake Cedrick? Chapter 861 Chapter 861 Chapter 861 "I''ve arranged for Eason to track down the whereabouts of this guy, so don''t panic," said Cedrick. "But since the man has stolen your appearance and is following you, it shows that he''s been nning this for a long time, and I don''t think it''ll be difficult to catch him." Catelyn was thinking of asking her grandmother for a few well-built bodyguards tomorrow to watch over Miles and Ollie at every hour of the day. The two chatted for a while, but Catelyn''s screen suddenly froze on Cedrick''s handsome face. "Hello? Can you still hear me?" She fiddled with her phone and even tried another spot in the room, but the video remained frozen. Not long after, however, she realized that the inte was cut off. Wanting to check the inte modem, Catelyn opened the door and saw Kelly standing nearby it, startling her. "Aunt Kelly? You scared the lights out of me!¡± Kelly straightforwardly reminded her, "Miss rk, there is an inte ban in the manor. You should go to bed already." Catelyn was aghast to hear this. ''Why didn''t I hear about the inte ban a few days ago? Could it be that Grandma found out that I was video calling Cedrick, so she had Kelly cut off her inte connection? I had enough!'' [Catelyn: I''m sorry, sweetie, but my grandma has cut off my inte.] [Catelyn: Let''s talk tomorrow. Good night.] Catelyn apologetically sent two text messages to Cedrick, then threw herself into the soft mattress and covered herself in the quilt to sleep. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, in Mason Estate, Cedrick could not fall asleep. When Catelyn and he were hunted down by Richard in Franche, he had a feeling that someone else was behind the scene and wanted to kill him. As if that was not bad enough, Cedrick could not even hunt the man down as he left no trace of himself. All of a sudden, a doppelganger of his popped up and framed him for an ident. ''Is he the same guy in Franche? Who is heing for? Me, or the Mason family?'' The next day, Cedrick went to the Atherton Manor to pick Catelyn and the two children up to meet Ezekiel. Although Sylvie was reluctant to let him do so, she knew this meeting would mean a lot to Catelyn, so she repeatedly told her toe back for dinner that noon. "I will, Grandma." After Catelyn hugged Sylvie, she held Miles and Ollie''s hands and got into Cedrick''s car. The two kids were sitting in the back while Catelyn sat in the passenger seat. She could not hide her happiness as she had been smiling since Cedrick arrived. Even though she learnedst night that the one who hit her stepmother was someone else, her mood was still not affected. "What are you so happy about?¡± Cedrick asked. Catelyn looked at the road ahead with longingness. The lush trees exuded vitality, just like her mood at the moment. Nervousness, excitement, and anticipation. "I''ve reunited with my grandmother, and now, my father will be back soon. My life is nowplete; that''s why I''m happy!" Cedrick frowned slightly, tapped the steering wheel with his slender fingers, and asked displeased, "So you didn''t put me in your life n?" "Of course you''re in my life n. You, Miles, and Ollie are the most important parts of my life, but Dad and the others are a ''biological'' kind of family." "When your grandmother isn''t so against me, we''ll hold a grand wedding. It''s time to mark the end of this secret-married-life game," remarked Cedrick firmly. Chapter 862 Chapter 862 Chapter 862 Catelyn nodded embarrassedly as she felt a little remorseful. Back then, if she had not been willful, they would have held their wedding already, and her grandmother would not have had so many This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. excuses to separate them. However, it was not that bad. Her father wasing back, and the wish she made at the beginning had finallye true. This time, if she was to hold her wedding, her father would walk her down the aisle and hand her to Cedrick to be his lifelong bride without any regrets. They soon arrived on the Mason Private Helipad. The helicopter that was supposed to send Ezekiel back had notnded, and Catelyn walked around nervously. Not long after, a propeller set off a huge wave in the air, and the helicopter began to descend slowly. Catelyn quickly stepped back a little and waited for the helicopter tond. When it finallynded, she ran over anxiously. The door then opened, and a middle-aged man came down the helicopter. His face was haggard and full of wrinkles, showing the vicissitudes of his life, and his right cheek seemed to be slightly bruised as if he had been beaten. His hair was messy, and he looked stuck with a hunch. The man was Ezekiel, whom Catelyn had not seen in four years. Catelyn felt inexplicably saddened when she saw how careworn he looked. Four years ago, her father was still a decent man, buff and good-looking. Four years passed, and he became older with a hunched back. "Dad..." Catelyn whimpered, brought the two children forward, and threw herself into Ezekiel''s arms emotionally. Ezekiel froze for a while and raised his trembling hands in disbelief to hug Catelyn in his arms. His voice was aquiver. "Cat? Cat, is this for real? Dad isn''t dreaming, right?" Catelyn nodded vigorously and croaked, "Yes, Dad, everything is real. You''re finally back after four years! I missed you so much..." "I¡ªI miss you too." Ezekiel secretly wiped away his tears and let go of Catelyn. "Let me take a good look at you... Four years have passed, and you''ve grown into a big girl. Oh, you''re no longer the little girl who used to persuade me for candy..." Catelyn blushed in embarrassment and then introduced Miles and Ollie to him. "Grandpa!" greeted Miles and Ollie in unison. Baffled, Ezekiel said, "A¡ªAm I a grandfather now?" "Please to meet you, father-inw, Mister rk." Cedrick walked to Ezekiel and politely extended his right hand to him. "I am Cedrick, Cat''s husband, and also the father of two children. Sorry for only getting you out of theretely. You must''ve suffered a lot." Trembling at the sight, Ezekiel was about to shake Cedrick''s hand, but when he heard his name, his shoulders nted subconsciously, showing a hint of panic. "W-Who are you again?" "Your son-inw, Cedrick Mason." Before the ident that happened four years ago, Mason Group was already under the monitoring and management of Cedrick. The group then quickly became the top leading group in the market within two years. In fact, Ezekiel heard of Cedrick''s name at that time; he was the future sessor of the Mason family. He looked at Catelyn in surprise and asked for proof. Catelyn chose to intece her fingers with Cedrick''s to answer Ezekiel''s doubt. "Cat, how...are you married?" Ezekiel''s eyes widened, then he stared at the two kids in shock, "I''m sorry for not being by your side for your marriage..." "How can I me you for that? You were forced to be at a ce that you shouldn''t be!" Catelyn warmly took Ezekiel''s arm. "We''ll never be separated again." Ezekiel''s eyes dimmed as he sighed. "Why am I so useless?!" Chapter 863 Chapter 863 Chapter 863 Ezekiel looked around and, upon not seeing Ste, sheepishly asked," Where''s your mother? Is she...waiting for me?" From what he knew about Ste''s personality, it was very likely that she had remarried another rich man. Catelyn knew his concern, so she waved her hand quickly. "Mom has been waiting for you. She didn''te today because she had a car ident not long ago, and she''s still in the hospital." "A car ident? Is it serious? How is she doing?" Ezekiel became worried instantly. "She''s already much better. The doctor said her condition was fine. She''ll be discharged from the hospital soon." At first, Sylvie asked Catelyn to take Ezekiel back to the Atherton Manor as she would be there weing him. At the same time, she wanted to ask him about Summer and how he met and raised Catelyn. However, Ezekiel wanted to visit Ste first as she was in the hospital. When Catelyn told her grandmother about Ezekiel''s decision, Sylvie did not insist on wanting Ezekiel to be at the manor. They all went to the hospital afterward. Ezekiel was carrying a ck package in his hand. Cedrick wanted to carry it for him, but Ezekiel clenched the bag even tighter as his gaze darted back and forth. "N-No need for that. The bag is not heavy, so I''ll just carry it myself. No need for the trouble, Master Cedrick." "Dad, Ceddy won''t hurt you, so don''t be afraid of him," Catelyn joked, trying to ease her father''s mind, but deep down, she was grieving. Catelyn could not imagine what Ezekiel had endured in the past four years thatpletely changed his personality. Ezekiel had not been rxed when he got into the car with heavy steps." I''m not afraid of him. He''s my son-inw; why would I be afraid of him? It''s just that I can carry it myself." Feeling helpless, Catelyn lowered her voice, leaned into Cedrick''s ear, and said, "My dad seems to be very afraid of you. Did your grandfather do something to him that left him traumatized?" Cedrick frowned. "I asked him about this. He said he neverid a finger on your father." Draco said that finding Ezekiel was purely coincidental. He was imprisoned on charges of theft and idental wounding, thus was sentenced to serve his sentence because he had no money to pay a fine on a private ind. Because he was an Amarican, he was discriminated against and often tortured by other cellmates. When Draco found Ezekiel, he paid the prison warden to ensure a stable and basic living condition for him, whichter on improved the standards of his imprisonment: a separate, en-suite, private cell equipped with a TV, refrigerator, and other electrical appliances. The most important thing was that Draco never showed up, and Ezekiel never knew that he had been receiving help from the Mason family. "That¡¯s weird. Dad trembled when he heard your name," Catelyn said in confusion. Draco raised his eyebrows slightly. "Perhaps when I was too on the top in the business circle, he lost quite some money to me. That''s why he has lingering fears." Catelyn rolled her eyes at Cedrick''s joke and replied, ''Maybe it''s because Dad just came back and hasn''t adapted to living with someone with such a high societal status. Don''t you dare bully him, I warn you." "Well, you look like someone better than me at bullying people, especially men. What''s the point of bullying an old man?" Cedrick made fun of Catelyn as he stared at her. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Catelyn understood the joke as she blushed and gently punched Cedrick''s chest. "Stop it! Hurry up and drive, don''t make Dad wait." The scenery along the way to the hospital was different from what Ezekiel remembered. He no longer felt familiar with the streets he used to know. "Right there. That was still an empty lot with nothing four years ago, but they built a tall building there now." Ezekiel pointed at a building outside the window and sighed with emotion. Catelyn sat beside Ezekiel, took his arm, and sighed. "Yeah, Sapphire City''s development is flying in recent years. Everything has changed since you left." "As we go further to the south of the city, you''ll find the changes to be even greater. The ce is now the economic and financial center of Sapphire City. I''ll show you around another time when you''re free." Cedrick tried his best to make himself look friendly and to lessen Ezekiel''s fear of him. Chapter 864 Chapter 864 Chapter 864 Ezekiel smiled and waved his hand to Catelyn and Cedrick, gesturing to them that he could go by himself. Cedrick frowned. ''Am I that scary?'' His eyes met Catelyn¡¯s, and she shrugged helplessly. Ste burst into tears when she saw Ezekiel. She cried so woefully as she held him tight, not wanting to lose him again. Catelyn, who was outside the ward with Cedrick, would asionally wipe her tears. With Cedrick around, however, Ste and Ezekiel were restrained from expressing their true feelings, hence their awkward behavior soon after. They both seemed afraid of Cedrick. Perhaps that was because Catelyn did not have a chance to exin to Ste that the one who injured her was someone else. Cedrick suddenly handed her a key. The shape of the key was familiar to Catelyn. "What''s this?" "The key to rk Mansion." Cedrick exined sinctly, "I was thinking about where Ezekiel could live when he came back, and after thinking about it for a long time, he won¡¯t be at peace in the Atherton Manor or the Mason Estate all the time. So, the ce that is full of your childhood memories came to my mind, and I bought it without hesitation." Catelyn sped a hand over her mouth in shock. Ignoring the presence of the two children, she quickly kissed him on the lips. "Oh, honey, you''re so endearing. Wasn''t it auctioned by the court four years ago? You must''ve spent a lot to buy it, didn¡¯t you?" "I raised the price for the owner, so they have no reason not to sell it to me, '' Cedrick said with a hint of male chauvinism, enjoying Catelyn''s affectionate approach. The depression of being despised by Ezekiel also disappeared in his mind. "I was also thinking about this before. I just reunited with my grandma and took my two children to live with her in Atherton Manor. It''s impossible to live in my grandmother''s house for a long time because it''s not fair to the other juniors of the Atherton family. I didn''t expect you would buy the rk Mansion back for us!" Cedrick suddenly changed his tone and said with displeasure, "Are you going to move the two children to the rk Mansion?" He thought she would go back to the Mason Estate with him after all of that. "That''s thest n." Catelyn raised her eyes and said with seriousness,'' Grandma''s hatred of the Mason family is still strong. If she insists on US breaking up, I''ll find an excuse to move in with my father, and we''ll then find another way to be together. She''s old, and the Atherton family isn''t harmonious. I don''t want to be too harsh to stimte her. Of course, the best thing is to change my grandmother''s mindset.¡± Cedrick was pleased when he learned that Catelyn cared about their future and was actually working toward it. He would solve every other problem for her as long as she stood by his side and supported him. He then pulled her into his arms and gave a gentle, warm kiss on her cold forehead. Catelyn¡¯s heartbeat was elerated by such sudden surprise. She wound an arm around his neck and hugged him tightly, cherishing the kiss with all her heart. Cedrick investigated the origin of the gic illness. It was a curse that Draco had sought for himself and his descendants. Many years ago, Draco cheated on Sylvie andter abandoned her for another woman. However, when he found out that the woman he cheated on Sylvie for had taken part in a scandal that was targeting the Smith family, Draco decided to make a clean break with that woman and marry the daughter whom his family sought. Unexpectedly, the woman poisoned Draco due to hatred of his betrayal, but at that time, things did not go as she nned. Draco failed to eat the poisonous food, instead, his sons ate it by mistake, and the poison has been passed down the lineage from his son''s generation since then. It was not until Cedrick''s generation, the third generation, that the Mason family had barely obtained restraint drugs for the inherited disease. Recently, however, there had been signs of a rebound effect due to disease mutation. That was why, in the lineage of Draco, Cedrick was his only grandson left.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 865 Chapter 865 Chapter 865 For that reason, Cedrick''s father died early. Cedrick had to ask Yael to speed up his research on the inhibiting drug topletely eradicate the gic disease. It was the first time Ezekiel came to the Atherton Manor. The manor was huge, luxurious, and antique, and every room had a unique charm and vibe that stunned him. The Atherton family was rtively traditional, so when Ezekiel set foot on the path in the courtyard, Eugene brought him a loaf of bread and threw some salt over his shoulders to get rid of his bad luck. Catelyn knew that Eugene did not like her, so she politely declined these actions. Eugene replied with a serious face, "Imprisoned people must go through the ritual to remove their bad luck before entering the door of C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Atherton Manor." Catelyn sneered and immediately refuted sarcastically, "What about you, Uncle Eugene? I remember that you were taken to the police station due to sexual harassment some time ago. When you returned, have you gone through the ritual as well?" Eugene choked upon hearing this and red at her fiercely. "Cat, your uncle is right. I''ve been imprisoned for so long, and I might''ve brought back a lot of bad luck with me. A ritual for that is just right." Ezekiel patted Catelyn''s hand with a gentle smile. Then, without the slightest impatience, he took the bread and let the maids throw salt over his shoulder and his face before stepping into the hall. Sylvie had been waiting for him for a long time. No one knew Summer''s whereabouts and the truth behind the incident that happened that year besides Ezekiel. Sylvie sat on a couch quietly. Although she did not say a word, her aura was extremely cruel and cold, which waspletely different from when she faced Catelyn. It seemed that Sylvie would only be a benign olddy in front of Catelyn and Edwin. To others, including her two sons, she had always been a strict, aloof olddy. Ezekiel felt that the air was full of oppression at that instant. He walked up to Sylvie and respectfully greeted, "Old Lady Atherton." "I''ve waited for more than twenty years to meet you in person.¡± Sylvie red at Ezekiel. He had a hunched back, a worn-out face, and a disheveled appearance overall. Even though years passed, she could not understand why her daughter had fallen in love with a man like him. However, one could vaguely see the handsomeness of his youth on his face. "It''s all my fault. I didn''t know Sunny was your daughter at the time, and I never came to visit," Ezekiel exined embarrassedly. Sylvie took a deep breath, no longer caring about having a meal, and asked anxiously, "Summer... Is she truly gone?" "Yes," said Ezekiel after a moment of silence. Sylvie''s eyes rolled to the back of her head due to the shock, and she almost fell from the couch. Fortunately, Edwin''s reaction was quick, and he caught Sylvie in time. Her chest heaved violently, and it took a long time for her to recover from her grief. She tried her best to keep the tears from rolling down, suffocating with distress, and rebuked, "What happened to you and Summer back then?! Why didn''t you return here?!" Catelyn quickly strode up to her grandmother''s side andforted her as she patted her back lightly. Feeling the pressure from Sylvie, Ezekiel subconsciously nced at Catelyn. "Dad, please tell US. I want to know the story between you and Mom, too." ''That must be very poignant, isn''t that?'' Ezekiel thus recalled his memories. "I met Sunny in a bar. She was very frustrated and often got drunk. I was just your regr shop owner. asionally, I went to the bar, and I happened to meet Sunny every time..." Eugene snorted lightly and interrupted, "Who are you lying to? Summer is a good girl; she never goes clubbing. Did you imprison her? How are you going to exin the fact that she didn''t keep in touch with US then?" Chapter 866 Chapter 866 Chapter 866 "No, I wouldn''t dare to do that." Ezekiel waved his hands in fear. "Summer seemed like she had just broken up. That was probably why she was in the bar." Of course, Catelyn believed in Ezekiel and was dissatisfied with Eugene''s interruption, so she barked back at him, "It''s not surprising that someone went to a bar after they broke up. That doesn¡¯t mean anything." "Ezekiel, please continue," Sylvie said. Ezekiel immersed himself in the memories of the past twenty years. He then started to tell the story with a bittersweetness in his eyes. "There was once Sunny, who was too drunk, and someone wanted to lure her back home with bad intentions, so I took her home and took care of her myself. Later, to repay me, she invited me to dinner. Since then, we started to have feelings for each other..." After listening to the love story, Sylvie asked, "Then why has Summer never contacted US?" "Sunny didn''t tell me her identity. She only told me that she was sorry for her family and was too ashamed to see them. I have been Ezekiel burst into tears. "If Cat hadn''t told me that she had found her grandmother, I would never have thought that Sunny was the daughter of the Atherton family." "Oh, Summer...my daughter..." Sylvie suddenly copsed and cried out in grief. "It''s all the fault of the man who broke up with my mom!" Catelyn clenched her fists indignantly. "If it weren''t for him, my mother wouldn''t have been afraid to return to the Atherton family, and she wouldn''t..." Summer Atherton had always been a vague memory for Catelyn, living only in her imaginary world. The image of Summer gradually became fuller as she returned to the Atherton family and learned more about her mother. She was said to be a gentle, kind, and generous woman. She never looked down on others because of their background and always enthusiastically contributed to charities. She was the kindest aunt that Edwin had ever had. With tears, Sylvie asked, "Have you ever heard Summer mention that man''s identity?" If Sylvie could find out who that man was, causing her to be separated from her daughter and granddaughter for more than 20 years, she would not spare that man''s life. She could not understand why Summer left the Atherton family for that man. Ezekiel wiped his tears and shook his head embarrassedly. "Sunny never mentioned her past to me. I was afraid to make her sad again, so I would deliberately avoid talking about her past. But... I think I remember that the man was from outside of Sapphire City..." All of a sudden, the missing piece to the puzzle was finally found. It was the mysterious outsider who hurt Summer. Sylvie''s blood surged to her head suddenly as she was furious, then she passed out. "Grandma!" "Mom!" Everyone was shocked as they shouted. Edwin quickly ran toward Sylvie and carried her while instructing Catelyn, "Grandma is emotionally stimted. Get the doctor!" Catelyn did not hesitate and quickly went to call the family doctor. The news of Summer''s death had dealt a heavy blow and made Sylvie look aged. Even though Catelyn tried to cheer her up with various daily tricks and had the maid prepare a decent diet for her, she still lost weight quickly, making Catelyn anxious and heartbroken. She had already lost her mother and did not want to lose her grandmother. She then asked the long-serving maids the matters about her mother. One day, when she appeared in front of everyone wearing a long in white dress with little makeup and long hair on her shoulders, they almost thought that Summer was back. She apanied Sylvie by her bedside all day, and Sylvie often looked at her face in a daze. In the evening of that day, Sylvie finally showed a slight smile on her face again, and she was willing to eat at the table with everyone. Ezekiel stared at Catelyn''s face, his eyes full of longing and a stroke of sadness that was hard to detect. Chapter 867 Chapter 867 Chapter 867 Catelyn looked almost identical to Summer in that appearance. As soon as the meal came to an end, Sylvie wiped the corners of her mouth and said solemnly to everyone, "Okay, I have something to announce while everyone is here tonight." Eugene said with a smile, "Mom, we are all happy to see that you are in a better mood." "I''ve been thinking about it these days." Sylvie swept over the people at the dining table and said earnestly, "I decided to revise the will and put all the shares that belonged to Summer under Catelyn''s name." Catelyn raised her head and looked at her grandmother in astonishment. ¡¯I don''t agree!" Before Catelyn could speak, Eugene was the first to stand up against it, almost jumping. The share was one-third of the assets. Harry also disagreed, "Mom, I, as Summer''s eldest brother, also grieved when I heard that she was dead. But Cat has already married someone from the Mason family. Don''t you feel it''s inappropriate to give her the assets belonging to Summer?" "What''s inappropriate about that? Summer''s gone, and Cat has not been living with US for many years. There''s nothing wrong withpensating her. ? Eugene was in dissatisfaction, and he roared uncontrobly, "Mom, please stop making silly decisions! Giving Cat assets is nothing different from giving to that brat from the Mason family." Sylvie suddenly threw the cutlery on the dining table to her te, making a loud noise that shocked everyone. "Those are my assets! I can give them to whoever I want! I will give it to Cat along with yours." Eugene was silent for a while, not daring to interrupt her mother anymore, but he cursed in his mind, ''Little b*tch, how dare youe back to the Atherton family just to take my properties!'' Although Harry did not want to share the cake with Catelyn, there was nothing he could do as Catelyn was now all and only thing Sylvie cared about. Pretending to be smiling, he scooped some meat from a dish for Catelyn. At the end of the day, he had a son, Edwin, who would get a portion of Sylvie''s properties too. He was certain that his mother would never treat them badly. Catelyn did not intend to inherit the assets of the Atherton family, but looking at her grandmother in a good mood, she pretended to be ted about her grandmother''s decision for now. Eugene was jealous and pissed when he saw Catelyn did not object to Sylvie''s decision and was even happy about it. The next day, Catelyn apanied Ezekiel back to the rk Mansion. Cedrick hired several maids for him and had the furniture and furnishings all reced by new ones. Catelyn and Ezekiel stood in the living room of the mansion again, and memories began shing back. They finally return here after four years. Catelyn suppressed her excitement and sent a text message to Cedrick. [ Sweetheart, thank you very much. I didn¡¯t expect that one day I would be able toe back here with my father.] The phone rang soon after the text message was sent. She picked it up and heard Cedrick''s attractive voice from the phone saying, "Just a thank you?" Catelyn stuttered, "Didn''t I thank you with my actions that day?" "One kiss is not enough." Let alone that was just a gentle kiss. Catelyn saw that Ezekiel was still wandering around in the mansion and slipped into the backyard. "Then what else do you want?" "Get rid of the stalker who was sent by your grandma, ande to Gented Diner. I''ll wait for you.¡± Cedrick''s voice sounded light, and he seemed to be in a good mood. Catelyn somehow felt excited to talk to Cedrick without letting her father and grandmother know as if she was cheating on someone with him. She licked his lips and responded eagerly, "Okay, give me the private room number, and I will find a way to get rid of the bodyguard and Cedrick was just asking for fun and never expected that she would agree. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. However, he immediately sent a private room number to Catelyn and then called the restaurant to reserve that particr private room forthem. As soon as he hung up the phone, Charles knocked on the door and came in. "Master Cedrick, the Second Master is here, saying that he has something to discuss with you.¡± Chapter 868 Chapter 868 Chapter 868 The Second Master, Eugene Atherton. The smile on Cedrick''s face disappeared in an instant, reced by a cold look, and he said solemnly, "Let him in." C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Within two minutes, Charles led Eugene into Cedrick''s office. Hearing the gurgling sound of water, Eugene saw Cedrick pouring tea at a coffee table. There was a rockery stone with a fake waterfall on it, rendering a nature and leisure vibe. "Master Cedrick, good to see you," Eugene said with a smile. Cedrick motioned for him to sit across from him without looking at him. ¡¯ Uncle Eugene, I want to thank you for taking care of Cat in the Atherton Manor." "Sigh, speaking of her, I feel sorry for her too. You and she are so in love, but your grandma is so stubborn that she wants to separate her from you." Eugene sighed helplessly, picked the teacup up, and took a sip. Cedrick raised his eyebrows calmly. "What advice does Uncle Eugene have for me today?" Eugene was pleasantly surprised, not knowing Cedrick was baiting him, and said, "Your grandma has been very busy recently taking care of Catelyn. What if something tragic happened in thepany and that makes the people who support you and Cat''s wedding have power in their hands? With a backer like that, won''t your predicament be solved?" "It turns out that Uncle Eugene is trying to subvert the Atherton family?" Cedrick asked sarcastically. Eugene waved his hand angrily. "Don''t nder me for that! Thepanies of your grandma will eventually be my brothers'' and mine. We''re just speeding up the process." He was afraid that Cedrick would disagree, so he hurriedly said, "As soon as I take control of the Atherton family''spanies, I will cooperate with the Mason family and make sure you have all the power you need to sit firmly behind the desk of the Mason Group''s CEO. It''s a win-win, what do you say?" "No. Part of the Atherton family¡¯s assets would be given to my wife." Cedrick''s tone suddenly became fierce, and he shot a furious stare at Eugene to warn him. "I hate people who covet her things!" Eugene panicked a little when he saw that look, but then he spoke with confidence, "I can help you solve your problem with my grandma and make you even richer. We can cooperate and make more money, maybe even more than Cat''s share. Are you sure you want to reject me?" "What do you think will happen if I go and tell Grandma that her good son is betraying her by transferring thepany''s assets to several foreign ounts several times? Will she support your idea?" Eugene was stunned and looked at Cedrick in disbelief. Since Quinn took the position, he had been taking advantage of her many times to embezzle from the company in huge amounts andundered the money by transferring them to ounts in foreign countries. He had always been careful. ''How does Cedrick know?!'' "You had someone investigate me?" "Do you think I will let my wife be the victim of your evil n?" Cedrick''s tone suddenly became cold. "Sylvie is also my grandmother. She''s old and frail. I will forget about the talk we had today. Uncle Eugene, please leave now." Eugene left with a gloomy expression on his face. He did not expect Cedrick would not cooperate with him. Since that was the case, Eugene decided to do it his own way. Cedrick watched Eugene leave and immediately called Eason. "Keep an eye on Eugene. Don''t let him y any filthy trick." The next afternoon, Catelyn made an excuse that she had a stomach ache and asked the bodyguard to send her to the hospital. She then bribed the female doctor, told the bodyguard that she needed intravenous therapy and that it was inconvenient for men to be present, and had the bodyguard waiting outside the ward. After that, she took the opportunity to sneak out of the back door quietly and quickly arrived at the restaurant to meet Cedrick. Pushing the door open, surprisingly, she saw no one in the restaurant. Contradictorily, outside the restaurant, the street was very lively. Ding. Catelyn¡¯s phone suddenly rang. It was a text message from Cedrick, telling her to go upstairs to the top floor. Catelyn was curious and did not know what Cedrick was going to do, so he obediently entered the elevator and went up to the top floor. Chapter 869 Chapter 869 Chapter 869 A waiter was waiting for Catelyn in the corridor on the top floor. Seeing her arrive, he warmly weed her to the designated private room. An oval dining table was in the middle of the private room. There was no one else in the private room except Cedrick. Under the dazzling chandelier light, the room seemed majestic and fascinating. Catelyn looked around in surprise. "Why isn''t there a single customer in the restaurant?¡± "Because..." Cedrick strode to her and paused. "I booked the entire restaurant tonight, just for you and me." Too extravagant, she thought. Catelyn could not ept such extravagant behavior from Cedrick. Cedrick smiled lightly and snapped his fingers. Immediately, several waiters rushed in and began to fill the table with bright red roses and filled the tall ss with high-end champagne. The faint refreshing fragrance of roses and the romantic candlelight dinner made Catelyn fall in love with Cedrick again. "Do you like it?" Cedrick picked up a ss of champagne and handed it to her. Catelyn took the champagne and took a big sip. "I like it, but this is too grand..." "I haven''t had a chance to celebrate with you for a long time. Congrattions on reuniting with your grandmother and your father. You have fulfilled your long- cherished wish." Cedrick enjoyed seeing Catelyn''s blushing and embarrassed face at the moment. He smiled and clinked sses with Catelyn. Catelyn finished her ss of champagne and grinned. "Thank you." The next moment, a melodious sound of the violin came from afar. A man in a ck tuxedo came in through the door. He was the violinist, and his graceful music amazed all the people in the room. Catelyn''s gaze never moved from the moment the violinist entered. "He''s ying so well! If he goes to apetition, he will surely win it..." Catelyn was intoxicated as she gave such high praise to the violinist. Cedrick''s face suddenly turned cold, and he nced at the violinist. The violinist noticed it, trembled a little, and almost yed out of tune. Then he slowly left the private room and yed at the door instead. Cedrick moved to the front of Catelyn, blocking her and the violinist''s sight just right. She had already drunk several sses of champagne, and her breath now had a sweet fragrance. She was totally satisfied with the date arranged by Cedrick. Putting down the wine ss, she wrapped her arms around his waist and put another on his shoulder. "I want to dance with you." C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org The dazzling ze shone on the two of them as they spun romantically in the middle of the room. She had not taken her eyes off Cedrick''s while they danced, deeply attracted by his starry night-like eyes. After the romantic candlelight dinner, Cedrick went to the bathroom under the pretext. Catelyn continued to drink champagne in small sips. The champagne that Cedrick cherry-picked tasted pretty good. She just could not get enough of it. Thud. Suddenly, all the lights went out, and the room was inplete darkness. The surroundings were quiet as Catelyn could only hear his breathing and heartbeat. She then relied on her memories, groping to the exit while calling those waiters. ''Why there''s suddenly a ckout? Where did everyone go?¡¯ Chapter 870 Chapter 870 Chapter 870 No one answered, and it was eerily quiet. Catelyn held her breath and listened carefully to her surroundings, but she heard no movement at all. She found her purse in the dark, took out her phone, and turned on the shlight to see what was going on. Sparkles. Unexpectedly, a subtle sound was heard from the door, and a sparkler with glowing light appeared in the dark, illuminating the room and reflecting Cedrick''s facial features. Catelyn''s racing heartbeat finally slowed down, and she ran over excitedly.'' So it wasn''t a power outage, but you turned off the lights on purpose?" Cedrick took the opportunity to take her into his arms. "Clever." Catelyn happily took the sparkler, opened the door, and headed toward the balcony. "I''ve not yed this since I left primary school! Come on, let''se to the balcony..." Cedrick followed closely behind her, looking at her smile dotingly. Catelyn held the sparkler and waved it slowly. Soon, the light on the sparkler faded as the fuel on the stick came to an end. Cedrick then handed her a few more sparklers. The sparkles were flickering, like the stars in the night. When the light of the third sparkler extinguished, Cedrick handed her a new one right away, but Catelyn had enough and shook her head. "That''s more than enough already. I had fun. They reminded me of my childhood memories. If only I get to see those firewor-¡¯ Boom. Before Catelyn could finish her words, a few splendid fireworks suddenly burst into the sky in front of her and then exploded beautifully. Countless sparks fell like meteorites, forming a love shape in the sky... This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ''What a beautiful firework!" Catelyn covered her mouth in amazement. She was touched by the words drawn by the fireworks. Down the restaurant on the street, the pedestrians were also attracted by the stunning fireworks in the sky. One after another, the fireworks bloomed in the cold, dark sky. "Look, there are words in the sky!¡¯ ''I Love You? There must be a marriage proposal! Oh my God! Such a romantic show of love..." "I also want to have a boyfriend like this who''s rich enough to prepare a firework show for me! He must be loving his girlfriend a lot..." The night sky was lit up by the fireworks. In the six-star hotel opposite the Gented Diner, Alfred Wagner heard the noise outside the window and raised his eyes to look at the sky. The dazzling fireworks formed lines of colorful love words in the night. Alfred''s eyes gradually narrowed. If he could find Alicia, he would give her the grandest confession like Cedrick had. Suddenly, the face of the girl in the car ident that day shed in his mind... A young man and a woman embraced selflessly under the fireworks. Catelyn did not know what to say at a moment like that, so she said nothing but enjoyed the moment. The two of them were very close to each other. Whatever happened in the room afterward was the result of the unconditional love of the two for each other. Catelyn did not know who kissed who''s lips first. During the entanglement, she could smell the refreshing mint aroma on Cedrick''s body. Catelyn was afraid that the phone would ring at a time like this. Her grandmother would usually call to remind her about the curfew, but unexpectedly, Sylvie did not look for her the whole time. Inside the Atherton Manor, Sylvie stared at the clock again and again, from time to time, anticipating seeing Catelyn show up at the door, but she did not. When she was about to instruct Kelly to call Catelyn, Ollie ran up to her. The little hands tightly grasped the hem of her clothes, and his deer-like eyes stared at hers for a moment. "Great-grandma, Mommy bought me a new puzzle, but I can''t do it. Can you teach me?" Chapter 871 Chapter 871 Chapter 871 Old Madam Atherton nced at the doorand hesitated. "Can I get Uncle Edwin to show you how? "Why? Are you giving up on me?" Ollie let go of the olddy''s hand and lowered his eyes in disappointment. "I know I''m annoying. It''s okay, I¡¯ll just do the puzzle myself.¡± Old Madam Atherton''s heart immediately softened. She took Ollie''s hand and said, "No, no, why would I give up on my own great-grandson? Come, I''ll be here with you." Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The puzzles wererge andplicated. Ollie piled them all on the floor of the living room in a continuous line. Old Madam Atherton was dazzled. Such aplicated puzzle; could a three-year-old actually solve this? Ollie''s tiny body stood up straight. "Great-grandma, can we start now?¡± he asked. Old Madam Atherton could not bear to disappoint a child, "Okay, let''s start! '' she replied to Ollie excitedly. The puzzle pieces slowly converged into apleted image pattern. As Old Madam Atherton looked at the wall clock in the living room, she realized that more than an hour had passed. She rubbed her slightly stiff back and stood up from the sofa. At the same time, Miles came over excitedly with a colorful fruit tter in his hand. "Great-grandma, I made this tter for you! Does it look good?" said Miles as he offered the fruit tter to Old Madam Atherton as if offering a treasure to her. The olddy sat back on the sofa and replied to Miles with a smile, "What a smart boy you are! But next time, just let the servants do it, okay? I''m worried you might hurt your hand doing this." "Don''t worry, I''m a superhero!" Miles yelled as he took off his shoes and climbed onto the sofa, raising his eyebrows coolly. "Come, Great-grandma! Let me feed you some fruits." With a piece of watermelon on his fork, he brought it to Old Madam Atherton. "Open your mouth. Ah....¡¯ How cute! "Great-grandma, Let me give you a massage. Thank you for doing the puzzle with me," said Ollie. Ollie took off his shoes and climbed on the sofa too. He reached the back of Old Madam Atherton''s back and started tapping on her shoulders gently with his tiny fists. Although he was not a skilled masseuse, Old Madam Atherton was still very satisfied with his massage. The two boys kept the olddy apanied the entire night. Eventually, she got exhausted and went to her bed. Before she fell asleep, Old Madam Atherton thought as if something was missing, as if she had forgotten something... What was it, exactly? She just could not remember. After coaxing the olddy to sleep, Miles and Ollie both took a deep breath and secretly exchanged nces. Miles raised his jaw arrogantly. "Don''t think I''m helping the Big Demon, I''m just helping Mummy!" Ollie smiled kindly. "Anyway, let''s go. We need to tidy up the puzzle downstairs." "I''ve made too many fruit tters, and I haven''t even finished eating them yet." Miles frowned. The fruits would definitely not be fresh anymore the next day. Ollie waved his small fist. "Well, I happen to be hungry now. Let''s go eat them." "Then you shall experience Chef Miles'' gourmet cooking!" eximed Miles as he pulled Ollie downstairs excitedly. Two hourster, Cedrick came out of the restaurant and carried Catelyn all the way to the nearest private clinic. Catelyn buried her face in Cedrick''s arms, and her ears were seen bleeding. Chapter 872 Chapter 872 Chapter 872 Cedrick had a very serious expression on his face. The atmosphere around him was instantly chilled. He called the doctor in advance. When he arrived at the gynecological clinic with Catelyn, he saw a male director of the medical department. ¡¯ Didn''t I tell you I needed a female doctor?" He frowned immediately. ''The female director of our department is on leave today. Don''t worry. I''m a skillful doctor as well, rest assured.¡± The male doctor smiled. However, Cedrick''s face remained gloomy, and he coldly said, "All the male doctors, get out now! The female doctors, stay." The male director''s face froze, and he left with the other male doctors angrily. Cedrick ced Catelyn gently on the bed. The female doctor eyed Cedrick in secret. What a handsome-looking man! She suppressed her excitement and asked carefully, Master Cedrick, thisdy..." "My wife was identally hurt," said Cedrick, his voice filled with regret. The female doctor was a little heartbroken when she heard the word ''wife''. She quickly got a hold of herself and smiled at Catelyn. "Missus Mason, where are you hurt? Let me see your wound." Catelyn wanted to dig a hole in the ground and bury herself in it. She blushed and spread her knees open in shame. Although Catelyn did not say a word, the doctor understood her immediately. She shuddered as she examined the wound.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Chapter 873 Chapter 873 Chapter 873 After the inspection, the female doctor breathed a long sigh of relief. "Master Cedrick, your wife will be fine. She needs a few days of rest. I''ll prescribe some medicine for her,¡¯ she said. The air was quiet. If Cedrick had not insisted on taking Catelyn to the hospital, he knew she would never go get herself checked. "Get me the ointment," said Cedrick. The female doctor nced at Catelyn enviously and went out. In the infirmary, Catelyn regretted that she did not wear a mask. She lowered her eyes, feeling ashamed. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Feelings of distress, regret, and guilt were intertwined within Catelyn. Before she could say anything, there was a knock on the door. The female doctor came in, handed the ointment to Cedrick, and left the room. Cedrick stayed the night with Catelyn. The next morning, before the sun rose at dawn, he sent her back to Atherton Manor. Chapter 874 Chapter 874 Chapter 874 When Old Madam Atherton woke up the next day, she realized that she had spent the whole night being entangled with the two boys. Looking at Catelyn''s awkward walk, she knew what was going on, and her eyes were full of worry. 1 The deeper Catelyn fell in love with Cedrick, the more Old Madam Atherton got worried about her future rtionships... For now, all she could do was pretend that she did not know anything. Catelyn rested for two solid days, and Cedrick did not even bother getting her out of the clinic within her recovery period. The two of them chatted on social media every day. Catelyn would constantly send Cedrick pictures of the two boys and also urged him to update her about the daily life of the puppy. Cedrick''s face was so pale as he reluctantlyplied with her request and asked Grandpa Albert to record several videos of the puppy and send them to her. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org When the puppy was first picked up, it looked thin, malnourished, and had dirty fur. After being under the meticulous care of Grandpa Albert, the puppy was now much more energetic, looking cuter than ever! Catelyn could not wait to go back to the Mason Estate to see the puppy. Speaking of which, she had not given it a name yet. It seemed that the rtionship between Catelyn and Cedrick did not dissipate with the distance. Instead, it got even better! As the saying goes, you never know what you have until you lose it. If they both were to be together all the time, it might produce certain friction. Now that they both were apart, it kept the rtionship fresh. Early in the morning, Catelyn had just sent her boys to kindergarten when she received a strange call on her way to work. "Hello, I''m Alfred Wagner," said the voiceing from the receiver. However, Catelyn was confused, as she could not seem to remember the name. "How can I help you?" The receiver was silent for a few seconds, and Alfred said, "I received the car repair bill from you. The total is USD5,000.1 am very sorry for the inconvenience caused, and I would like to invite you for dinner as a way topensate you. May I know if you are avable?¡± The deep and melodious voice prated Catelyn¡¯s eardrum, and she suddenly remembered. It was the man who crashed her car that day when she was on her way to the blind date party! "That''s alright. There''s no need for that. You can just transfer the money to my ount," replied Catelyn. Alfred raised his eyebrows slightly. With his looks and worth, there were countless people who wanted to invite him to dinner. However, this girl was actually rejecting him. Alfred started questioning his own charisma for the very first time. "It''s my first time here in Sapphire City from Fidelysia. I don''t think a fund transfer would be convenient," Alfred said. "Aren''t you the founder of an investmentpany? Wouldn''t youe to Sapphire City for business without preparing your own currency? If so, then you are pretty ipetent as a boss. Please send the money to my bank ount within three days," said Catelyn, not keen on meeting the man. Not giving Alfred a chance to talk, she hung up the phone. She rolled her eyes. Do rich guys really flirt with girls everywhere they go these days? It was almost New Year, and many of the constructionpanies were at their peak business at this time of the season. Hunter suddenly had aplete change in attitude toward Catelyn, making her feel a little ttered. Catelyn did not care about Hunter''s sudden behavioral change. She only cared about doing her job well, andpleting her assigned task was her biggest goal at the moment. At noon, she made a lunch appointment with a client to discuss cooperation. As the two of them were in the restaurant and about to order their food, a male voice suddenly came from behind. Chapter 875 Chapter 875 Chapter 875 "What a coincidence, we met again." The voice sounded familiar... Catelyn turned her head and saw Alfred''s handsome face. Her heart sank. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Could he be following her deliberately? Alfred smiled. "I''m a frequent visitor here. I didn''t expect you to like it here as well. It seems that we both have the same taste." ¡¯Well, it just so happened that there was nothing elsewhere to eat today," replied Catelyn perfunctorily as she continued to bring her client in for dinner. However, her client''s phone rang all of a sudden, and he had something to attend to. He apologized to Catelyn and left. Without her client around, Catelyn naturally did not n to stay any longer at this restaurant. As she tried to leave the ce, Alfred took a step and stopped in front of her. "It¡¯s noon and you still have to eat something eventually. Let me buy you a meal. Consider it aspensation for all the trouble I caused in that car ident,¡± he said politely. "I''m married," Catelyn said. Alfred did not investigate Catelyn''s background, and he was slightly startled when he heard her say it. His eyes slid down instantly,nding on the ring finger of her right hand. That dazzling ring on Catelyn''s finger reminded him of the splendid firework show he had seen in the skies of Sapphire City just days ago. He changed his words and patiently suggested, "I don''t mean anything else, I just heard that the local people in Sapphire City are very hospitable, and I wish to experience it." Catelyn was trying to figure out how to reject this troublesome man. At this moment, she saw a good- looking couple entering the restaurant. The man was Louis Joe, but Catelyn could not recognize thedy beside him. Louis'' contract was canceled by the Pentnd Group. In addition to Quinn''s scandal and his recent financial betrayal, his reputation also plummeted. The fact that he still could get a woman with him now was most likely due to his good looks. A sly look shed in Catelyn''s eyes, and she pointed to the two of them. ¡¯ Did you see that? That man has a grudge against me, and I don''t like being in the same restaurant as him." "Not a problem. If I can make them disappear, will you ept my invitation?" Alfred said indifferently. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Catelyn listened to his domineering and arrogant words. She chuckled. ¡¯ Mister Wagner, I thought you were just thick-skinned, but I didn''t expect you to be very bragging." Alfred kept a smile as he continued to look at Catelyn. He motioned her to take a seat as he snapped his fingers, and right after that, a waiter followed them. Catelyn thought he was going to ask the waiter to force Louis and the woman out. However, he handed her the menu of the restaurant instead. Alfred politely asked, is there anything you don''t eat?" Catelyn did not order any food. She asked Alfred yfully, "Didn''t you say that you can make some people disappear? Was that all just a lie?" ¡¯Why don''t you order something first? After that, I''ll show you a magic trick. "Alfred smiled. Catelyn was on the fence with him. Let''s see what sort of tricks he had up his sleeves¡¯ Thedy who came along with Louis was all dressed up in luxury clothes of famous brands. The bag she was holding was a new model from Franche, which would cost at least a few million dors. It was something money could not necessarily buy. Catelyn ordered a few dishes, which took almost three or five minutes. During this period, Alfred just fidgeted with his mobile phone and sent a text message. Catelyn finished ordering and handed the menu back to the waiter. She asked the man across from her with a half-smile, "Well? I''ve finished ordering my food. Is it time for the magic now?" What happened next was not what Catelyn had expected. Chapter 876 Chapter 876 Chapter 876 He actually did it! Catelyn followed Alfred''s line of sight and looked out the window. Next, she saw Louis and the girl being escorted out by two waiters. They both saw Catelyn on the way out and gave her a vicious look before leaving the restaurant angrily. Catelyn looked at Alfred in astonishment. Unbelievable. Alfred casually ced the cutleries and napkin in front of Catelyn. His sleeves were folded as he did so, revealing his extremely high-end Patik Filippe wristwatch. The watch looked a bit tacky with its golden color. However, it did not have that rustic look on Alfred''s wrist. Instead, it gave out a very calm and reserved vibe, probably due to Alfred''s overall temperament. Catelyn took a deep breath and said solemnly, "It is said that the owner of this restaurant is quite a powerful man. I admit that you are not bragging, Mister Wagner. But, aren''t you afraid that..." "Afraid of what?" asked Alfred. "Causing too much trouble," replied Catelyn, subtly reminding him that he was trying too hard. Although Alfred did not seem to have a simple background, he was from Fidelysia, after all, with no knowledge about Sapphire City. Who knew what methods he used to drive Louis and the girl away earlier just now? "Are you worried for me?" Alfred looked at her, ttered. "Anyway, the food is here now. Shall we eat?" Subconsciously, Catelyn did not feel very secure in this restaurant. She finished her food pretty quickly. Alfred asked with concern, "Would you like to order another steak?" "No, I''m full." Catelyn declined, wiping the corner of her mouth. She then asked Alfred to pay her the car repair fee directly and also settled for her own bill for the food, not intending to take advantage of Alfred. "Mister Wagner, my apologies for the trouble today. I must go now, so I''ll take my leave first," said Catelyn. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Alfred stood up from his seat gracefully and said, "Are you going back to thepany? Where is the location? I can drive you there if it''s on the way." "No,¡± Catelyn blurted out. Alfred stared at her for a second and then sighed helplessly. "It seems you have a bad impression of me, seeing that you have repeatedly rejected my kindness." "My husband is easily jealous, and he doesn''t like me being around other men. I just don''t want to cause any unnecessary trouble for you. Please don''t misunderstand," replied Catelyn. Catelyn waved goodbye to Alfred as she entered a cab and left. Alfred heard her mention her husband several times. With such a happy look on her face, it seemed she had a blissful marriage. He could not help touching his cheek. Tm not an ugly person... right?'' Alfred did not know who Catelyn''s husband was, but he must be someone really charming that she would turn down a man like himself. At this moment, Alfred saw a ck Megotan, which was parked on the side of the road earlier, drive off behind Catelyn''s cab, following her from a distance. He nced at the driver and saw he was wearing white gloves with a fierce expression on his face. Alfred frowned slightly. He went into his car and started driving, following the ck Megotan closely. Catelyn sat in the back seat of the cab, thinking of what had happened just now. She opened her bag, took out Alfred''s business card, and threw it in the trash can. She then let out a sigh of relief. Chapter 877 Chapter 877 Chapter 877 It was a weird day. There was a series of car idents on the way back, and the cab driver had no choice but to take a long detour. Seeing that it was not too far away from her destination, Catelyn exited the cab and took the shortcut, which passed through a residential building. Just as she crossed the road, a ck Megotan suddenly rushed over and stopped right in front of her! The screeching sound of the tire gave Catelyn a shock as she took a step back in fright. Immediately afterward, the car window was winded down, revealing Eugene Atherton''s face behind it. "Kitty, where are you going? Get in the car, let me drive you," asked Eugene with a smile. His grin contained a hint of coldness, making Catelyn feel very ufortable. However, they were on the main road during broad daylight, and Eugene probably would not attempt to do anything rash. Catelynpi replied with a smile, "That''s okay, my workce is right around the corner. I can walk there on my own." Eugene usually drives a million-dor luxury car, but today he was in a Megotan. Something just does not feel so right. Whatever it was, Catelyn thought that it was wise for her to just be cautious for now. Thinking of this, she turned her head and left. ¡¯You still have quite a distance to walk, don''t you? Kitty, you''ve always been close to Uncle Harry and Edwin. I''m your uncle too, you know," said Eugene as he got out of the car. Catelyn felt a little uneasy as she heard his words. This was not the usual Eugene she knew, and he was acting really strangely. ¨¬ appreciate your kindness, but I called my colleague earlier, and he wille to pick me up soon," said Catelyn. "Isn''t it just about a tiny constructionpany you''re working in? In the future, you will be inheriting a big fortune from the olddy. You will be so rich that you can even make money in your sleep. Why would you care so much for such a smallpany?" said Eugene. Eugene''s tone suddenly got a little stern. "Now, Kitty, get into the car. I have something I need to tell you." Catelyn quietly put her hand into her bag, wanting to make a phone call. However, she could see that Eugene was staring at her with a fierce gaze, and such action would likely anger him even more. Eugene narrowed his dangerous eyes. Although he was smiling, it had a hint of viciousness behind it. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Kitty, are you ignoring me? It seems that I have to force you into the car then!" said Eugene. He grabbed Catelyn''s arm, and she struggled to yank him off. Catelyn''stone suddenly became cold. "Uncle Eugene, what are you trying to do? Kidnap me?" "I said, I just want to talk to you!" said Eugene, forcibly stuffing Catelyn into his car. At this moment, Catelyn lifted her leg and kicked Eugene''s thigh. He groaned in pain and loosened his grip on Catelyn. Seeing the opportunity, she shoved him off and ran away. However, before she could escape, Eugene''s driver pulled her hair to stop her from running away. She felt as if her scalp was about to be torn off. Catelyn took a deep breath. "Uncle Eugene, aren''t you afraid that I will tell Grandma? What do you want?" Eugene sneered grimly. "That depends if you even have the chance to tell her!" His words sent a chill down Catelyn''s spine. Eugene was like a beast, ready to attack her at any moment. "You had deliberately colluded with L and Quinn with the intention to bring harm to the Athertons! Grandma still forgave you after everything, so please don''t dig a bigger hole for yourself. Let me go now, and I will pretend that nothing has happened. In the end, I will still respect you as my uncle!" cried Catelyn. Eugene waved his hand bitterly and pped Catelyn across the face. "Shut up!" He then turned his head to the driver and ordered, "Take her away!" Chapter 878 Chapter 878 Chapter 878 Eugene pped Catelyn so hard that her eardrums buzzed, making her feel dizzy. The driver took the opportunity of Catelyn''s daze and threw her into the rear seat. Instantly, he got back to the driver''s seat, started the engine, and drove off quickly. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Edwin watched the Megotan disappear. Heughed wickedly, hummed a little tune, and walked off. Alfred was following the ck Megotan initially, but he lost it at a traffic light intersection. When he saw the Megotan and the cab part ways, he thought that perhaps he was overthinking things and everything was fine. However, he still had an uneasy feeling about this and continued to follow the Megotan. As Alfred witnessed Catelyn being stuffed into the car forcibly, he stepped on the gas and stopped the Megotan at a narrow intersection. The two cars nearly collided. The driver did not recognize Alfred. He lowered the window and yelled at him, "Are you crazy?!" Alfred got out of the car politely and walked up to the driver. He said apologetically, "I''m sorry, I just got my driver''s license not long ago, and I''m not very skilled at driving. How shall Ipensate you?" The driver''s eyes lit up when he heard the word pensate''. Just when he turned his neck to look at the condition of the car, Alfred grabbed his head and mmed it on the car door really hard. Thud! The driver fell on the ground weakly. Without wasting any second, Alfred walked straight to the rear door. Catelyn had a piece of cotton stuffed in her mouth, and her wrists were clipped and tied behind her back. Seeing Alfred here to save her, a look of gratitude gleamed in her eyes. ¡¯Mmmm... Mmmm..." Catelyn struggled to speak with her cotton-stuffed mouth. "Don''t be afraid. I''m here to save you. Are you hurt?" asked Alfred as he bent over to her seat and unbound her. Catelyn was only tied up for a short time, and she could still move them around as Alfred released her. However, her cheeks were a little numb with all the cotton in them earlier. "I''m okay, Mister Wagner. Thank you!" eximed Catelyn. "Your face..." Alfred saw a bright red palm mark on her cheek, and his face instantly became gloomy. "Don''t worry about that. It doesn''t hurt if you don''t touch it," said Catelyn as she quickly picked up her handbag and got out of the Megotan. Breathing in the fresh air outside, she was instantly refreshed. "Let''s get out of here first." ''¡¯Alright," replied Alfred. He helped Catelyn by supporting her as she walked weakly away from the car. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. Seeing that it was a call from Cedrick, she quickly answered it. Before Catelyn could speak, Cedrick''s anxious voice came. "Where are you now? Listen to me. I received news that someone was going to hurt you. You should go to a crowded ce immediately. I wille and pick you up soon." Catelyn could feel Cedrick''s deep worry and panic across the receiver. What happened earlier was indeed terrifying. She took a deep breath and put on a rxed tone, ¡°I know. Someone tried to kidnap me. Luckily, I happened to be rescued by a friend, and I have now escaped. Don''t you worry." Cedrick was silent for a moment, then asked worriedly, "You''ve escaped?" "Yes, of course. Otherwise, how could I answer your call?" replied Catelyn with a chuckle. At this moment, Alfred had already opened the door of his car and invited Catelyn in. Catelyn did not think twice. She went to the passenger side and got into the car. She looked outside and saw the unconscious driver of the Megotan car. Suddenly, he held his hand up, and there was a pistol in it, which was aimed at Alfred. Catelyn''s heart jumped immediately. Her face was as pale as paper as she shouted at Alfred, "Be careful, Mister Wagner!" Alfred subconsciously looked at Catelyn as she heard her scream. Chapter 879 Chapter 879 Chapter 879 Catelyn pushed open the car door in horror and rushed out. Bang! The gunshots were deafening, and the rest of the world had never been so quiet. On the other end of the phone call, Cedrick''s heartbeat stopped. "What happened? Is that a gunshot? Catelyn? Answer me!" After about a few seconds, Catelyn''s trembling voice was heard. "The gunman... I got shot..." Buzz! A harsh electric sound suddenly pierced Cedrick''s eardrum, and Catelyn''s voice stopped abruptly. Cedrick swayed slightly on his spot, almost losing his bnce, and the phone slipped from his palm... Was Catelyn hit by a gunman? No. It cannot be. The coldness between his eyes dissipated as he became more worried. Eason saw Cedrick''s unusual expression, and he could not help asking,'' Master Cedrick, is Miss Catelyn alright?" Just twenty minutes ago, Eason discovered Eugene''s abnormality. He has been in frequent contact with people from the Kobra Group recently and hinted that he had a big foreign business going on with them. Under Cedrick''s orders, Eason paid attention and tracked Eugene''s every move. Turns out, this ''foreign business'' was actually Catelyn! Eugene wanted to kidnap Catelyn and sell her overseas and put the me all on Edwin. However, since Edwin had always ignored Eugene, he could not find the opportunity to frame him. In a fit of anger, Eugene contacted some of the most vicious criminals in the underground forces. It was obvious that he was going to attack Catelyn! Eason hurriedly reported everything to Cedrick, hoping that he could save her in time. Cedrick held his breath and quickly regained his usualposure. He said coldly, "She will be fine. She must be fine! She is still waiting for me to save her!" He turned his head and said to Eason, "Find Catelyn immediately! Locate her, see where she was taken." ''Wait for me, Catelyn! I''ming for you!'' Eason gave instructions to the bodyguard. Within two minutes, he located Catelyn''s mobile phone. Perhaps the perpetrators were too careless, and they forgot to turn off Catelyn''s phone. Catelyn''s coordinates were moving east, and eventually, she disappeared at the edge of a mountain. Cedrick and Eason immediately set off and followed her trail. When they arrived at the location where Catelyn was tied to the car, Cedrick winded down the window and looked out. A Spiker was quietly parked at the side of a road, and there was a pool of dazzling red blood near the driver''s seat... Something had happened here, obviously. Cedrick instantly imagined whatever happened to Catelyn at this very spot...N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She was lying in front of the driver''s seat when a bullet prated her body. She started bleeding and whimpering in pain. In the midst of it, she dropped her phone, which caused a sharp buzz sound over the phone call. Was this all that happened? Cedrick did not want to think about it any longer. In the meantime, Eason had received a surveince video. It happened to be a traffic camera footage of Catelyn being taken away. Eason transferred the video to Cedrick. He tightened his eyebrows as he watched the video. How could it be him? Chapter 880 Chapter 880 Chapter 880 Due to it being in a certain angle, the surveince only showed the footage of Catelyn being taken away by Eugene''s people, followed by Alfred chasing after them, apparently trying to save her. Cedrick suppressed his suspicion and quickly pulled the surveince video to the end, eager to see who was the one that got shot. The moment the driver fired his weapon, Catelyn rushed over to save Alfred. While trying to protect her, Alfred hugged her tightly in his arms. When the sound of the gunshot was heard, the both of them were still embracing each other tightly. So, who got shot? Cedrick''s heart tightened, and when he saw the two embrace each other, his eyes darkened immediately. Why was Alfred with Catelyn? Was he not here in search of his own fiancee? Why did Catelyn desperately try to save him in such a critical life-and-death situation? With countless doubts growing in his heart, Cedrick asked coldly, "Has Eugene been captured?" "Well, we searched over the ces where he would usually hang out, but we couldn''t find him. We will try harder to look for him!" Perhaps he was hiding somewhere at the moment, plotting the next step. Cedrick tugged on his tie irritably and said solemnly, "Drive faster!¡¯ Eason had already floored the pedal to the bottom. The car could not go any faster at this point. Eason put his hands tighter on the steering wheel as he looked at Cedrick''s mood, understanding that he was worried about his wife. When the car approached the foot of the mountain where Catelyn''s cell phone signal had disappeared, misty snowkes started appearing around the environment. It was snowing around the foot of the mountain, and the road was pretty wet. Eason did not dare to speed up his driver. If the car skidded and rolled over, not only would they be trapped, but precious time to save Catelyn would also be wasted. Thinking about this, he decelerated the speed of the car as much as possible within a controble range. Passing a sharp turn, a red Leving was seen driving slowly ahead. The driver of the Leving was humming an unknown tune, with one hand resting on the window side while controlling the steering wheel with the other. Eason was too focused on searching for Catelyn¡¯s whereabouts, not realizing the red Leving ahead. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. As soon as they drove past it, Cedrick''s gaze swept across the driver of the red Leving, and his eyes narrowed. The driver was clearly one of Eugene''s men! Prior to this, they had also investigated the mountain routes, and there was only one main road going to it. If the culprit were to kidnap Catelyn and enter the mountain, it would be impossible to abandon the car and walk. Therefore, Catelyn must have been hidden somewhere on the road ahead. "Eason! Turn around! There was something suspicious about that driver just now!" shouted Cedrick. The bodyguard that was sent to protect Catelyn was knocked unconscious! When Old Madam Atherton received the bodyguard''s call, she could only hear the anxiousness from the other side of the phone. "Miss Catelyn is missing." Old Madam Atherton eximed, "What?! How could she disappear? Your job is to protect her, and you can''t even handle it?!" The bodyguard hesitated for a long time. Finally, he told her that the person who knocked him unconscious was a subordinate working for Eugene. Chapter 881 Chapter 881 Chapter 881 Unable to believe what she had just heard, Sylvie warily asked, "Are you sure about that?" The tense bodyguard feebly replied, "Yes, Ma''am. You know I won''t dare lie to you." ''Eugene took Catelyn? What does he want to do?'' Not wasting time, Sylvie called Eugene, but the call never went through. Instead, a few minutester, an unknown number rang Sylvie''s phone. She answered. Before she could speak, Eugene''s voice came from the other end, his voice feigning sympathy, "You rarely call me on your initiative. What''s the matter?" "Where are you now?" said Sylvie, masking her worries. "Why, I''m doing something outside, of course. Where else would I be?" "Come back now. There''s a very important project in thepany that I need to exin to you." Sylvie lowered her voice, not wanting to trigger him and wanting to lure him to lower his guard. "Hahaha!" cackled Eugene sardonically. "I''ve been in the Atherton family for so many years, and this is the first time you''ve assigned me an important project, Mom! Wouldn''t you rather believe in an outsider than me, like you always did?" Edwin left the Atherton family five years ago and founded Worldwide Entertainment Co. Sylvie did not trust her own sons, Eugene and Harry, and promoted the son of her assistant who had been with her for many years instead. This, to Eugene, was a great shame. "I was hoping that I could train more talented youths to assist you and your brothers in the future when you two are in charge of thepany," exined Sylvie, her voice unwavering. "A knight could never bear the weight of the throne. You know that." Knowing Sylvie was just lying, Eugene sneered, But I''m preparing to wee an important guest right now, so I don''t have time to go back to thepany." Sylvie''s heart skipped a beat. This guest of his...had to be Catelyn! "The assignment of the project won''t take too much of your time. Besides, you''re one of the important shareholders in the Atherton family. You''ll be in charge of the family when I leave-" "You don''t have to be high-sounding here," interjected Eugene curtly, his voice heavily dosed with mockery. "I am your son-your biological son! Why can Sissy get one-third of the inheritance while I only have one-fifth, even though she''s been dead for years?! You''re too biased!" Sylvie was stunned for a moment before she snapped, her voice shrill," Have you peeked at my will?!" N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Hmph. Otherwise, I wouldn''t know that you only nned to spare me some changes!" Sylvie finally understood why Eugene brought Catelyn away all of a sudden. It was because he peeked at her will and knew that she reserved a greater amount of assets for Edwin and Catelyn than for him, which annoyed him. He was rebelling, all because he did not want to receive this little! "Eugene, aren''t you clear why I give you only one-fifth of it? Think about the projects I handed you over these years; which of them even became a sess?! No matter how much wealth I give you, you''ll only lose all of it in the future!" Sylvie had such high hopes for Eugene, but he never made her proud. With disappointment, she said earnestly, "I know you''re my biological son. If I can give you more, I''ll-" "No matter how bad I am, I am still better than Catelyn!" Eugene seemed to be irritated as his tone became sharp. He roared, "You''re f*cking biased, that''s what! Catelyn is married to Cedrick, yet you''re not angry with that. You even n to give her the assets of the Atherton family, knowing that all the money will eventually be in Cedrick''s pocket! I bet you never really gave up on getting back to Elder Mason, do you?! You said you wanted to cut off contact with him. Those are just lies!" Chapter 882 Chapter 882 Chapter 882 "You''re too presumptuous!" Sylvie was so enraged that her entire body quaked. Her past with Draco was taboo to be mentioned for her for many years, and she would never tolerate anyone bringing it up. Eugene, her own son, mocked her and dug up this past. She had been troubled and worried for the Atherton family all these years. No matter what she did, she hoped that her family would be N?velDrama.Org owns all content. better, yet all this was mere partiality to Eugene! She was indeed biased, but if Eugene was capable enough to take her ce, she would not have left him out all this while. ''What do you want, then?¡± hissed Sylvie, no longer continuing the facade. "It''s very simple." Eugene grinned devilishly. "The title of ''Granny Atherton , or your biological granddaughter-pick one." Sylvie clenched her phone tightly and, feeling her blood surge, yelled, "What do you want to do to her?! She''s your niece!" ''I don''t have a niece with the rk surname," Eugene said with a sneer.'' You''ll only have half an hour to consider. If you decide to keep Catelyn, then transfer your authority in the Atherton family to me. But if you decide to keep the throne, I will..." "You''ll what? You''ll kill Cat?!" roared Sylvie, her heart palpitating violently. "When you have an answer,e to ss Imperial and find me. Don''t try to call the police; Catelyn''s not on the cruise ship. If anything happens to me, Catelyn won''t be alive anymore," warned Eugene before he instantly hung up. Sylvie quivered at the ominous words as she anxiously shouted, "Hello?! Eugene! Eugene!" s, the busy dial tone merely fueled her anxiety. 1 She had just reunited with her and had not brought her into the circle of high-ss celebrities yet. Nothing must befell Catelyn! However, Eugene said that Catelyn was not with him. Thus, she could not act rashly and pissed him off. At the end of the day, they were all her family. She was far less cold blooded than her appearance. Eventually, she chose topromise. She immediately called awyer to draft a new will and then went to the cruise ship. At the same time, somewhere in the city, Eason speedily drove and overtook the driver of the Levin car, forcing him to break immediately. Cedrick wordlessly walked toward the man and pulled him out of the driver''s seat. After checking in the back of the car and not finding Catelyn, Cedrick gritted his teeth and interrogated the man with a beast-like aura emanating from his body. "Where''s my wife?!" The driver¡¯s tailbone was hurt when he was dragged to the ground, and the pain was agonizing. He rolled on his side, still on the ground, and retorted, ¡¯ W-What wife?! I don''t know what you''re talking about!" A devilish smirk suddenly appeared on the enraged Cedrick''s face. Eason forcefully kicked into the driver''s belly in his shiny leather shoe." Stop f*cking around! Where''s Mistress Catelyn? Where did you hide her?!¡¯ "Argh!" The man wailed in pain, terribly terrified. Taking the opportunity to roll back, he secretly reached out for his pistol. When Cedrick strode over and threw him to the ground, it was too fast that he could not take the gun. However, before he could load the gun, another kick from Eason knocked the pistol away and hurt his hand. The pistol fell to the ground with a tter. Eason picked up the pistol to take a look at it. It was a new model widely circted on the ck market; light and had a powerful long-range shot. Chapter 883 Chapter 883 Chapter 883 Eason pointed the pistol at the driver. "Answer, or you die now." Being kicked several times, the driver felt as though his organs were failing and even coughed up blood. s, he remained stubborn. ¨¬ don''t-know what you''re talking about. I''m a good citizen; how could it be possible that I''m a kidnapper?! "Who''s Catelyn? I don''t know at all..." "Master Cedrick, he''s still acting tough. What should I do?" Cedrick walked to the driver and looked down at the stubborn man. "Put the gun away. Don''t be so cruel." "Yes." Eason withdrew the gun. Immediately afterward, he saw Cedrick searching the ground and found a stone a little bigger than two fists. Wordlessly, he picked up the stone and mmed it into the driver''s right leg fiercely. In an instant, blood was everywhere, and the driver''s kneecap seemed to have shattered. A tenth-grade pain. The driver let out a miserable howl as his blood sttered onto Cedrick''s face. However, Cedrick merely lifted the stone and smashed it on the man''s kneecap again. He did not stop until the driver¡¯s wails turned hoarse and his body quivered vigorously. Cedrick''s eyes were cruel as though he was a devil from hell. "I''m asking you once again: Where is my wife?" The man clutched his right leg, which waspletely shattered, and was so frightened that he could not open his eyes. "I¡ªI... I said... I''m only responsible for delivering her to Simon, and he''ll take her to another ce. I -I don''t know the exact ce, but it might be a factory! I heard that the one who hired US has a factory here! "Please, please release me. I still have-¡¯ Cedrick mmed the stone at his head, and the driver passed out after letting out a horrifying scream before he could even finish his words. The blood stained the white bandage. Cedrick calmly looked at the road ahead with determined eyes. "I''m going to check the location of all the factories here that are owned privately by Eugene. Send our subordinates to surround all the entrances and exits. I want him to have zero chances of escaping!" Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Snowkes fell from the heavens, but the coldness could neverpare to how frigid Cedrick''s heart was. Meanwhile, in a factory where arge number of cables are stored... A man and a woman were huddled into the corner of a wall, their hands and feet tightly bound. The man was lying on the ground, breathing weakly; only the slight ups and downs of his chest showed that he was alive. Blood spread across his chest, dyeing the floor red. This man was Alfred, and the woman next to him who had just woken up was Catelyn. When the driver took out his gun, Catelyn nned on taking the shot for Alfred, but he was faster, so much so that he took the bullet as she stood slightly obliquely. After a long journey on a rugged road and being left unattended in a corner, Alfred''s untreated wounds deteriorated as more blood oozed out of his wound. Catelyn slowly moved to his side with difficulty. Since her hands were tied behind her back, she could only use her shoulders to rub against Alfred''s arm a little, her eyes filled with guilt. "Mister Wagner? Mister Wagner, wake up! Don''t sleep! Just hold on; someone wille to rescue US soon!" Unable to wake up Alfred, Catelyn called out to the gangsters outside the gate for help, sweating profusely. She refused to allow her savior to die! Chapter 884 Chapter 884 Chapter 884 "You have a huge lung capacity, Miss rk...'' Alfred was awakened by Catelyn''s calls for help. He opened his eyes weakly and teased her, trying to ease the tense atmosphere. Despite sounding weak, he could hear Catelyn''s heartbeat beating fast, and he was pleasantly surprised. "You¡¯re awake? Thank God you''re not dead!" Catelyn could not help but breathe a sigh of relief, followed by a solemn apology, "I''m so, so sorry. These people targeted me, and I dragged you into this identally." "Well, ''whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save if. Even if it wasn''t you tied up here today, I wouldn''t stand by and watch anyone being taken away like that." Alfred''s injury was on his chest, and the blood loss caused his face to be stiff and pale. He slowly sat up, leaning on a cable crate, panting tiredly. Simple as it was, it was difficult for him to perform with a serious wound. "Don''t move! You''re bleeding..." Catelyn reminded him when she saw that his movements caused more blood to spill out. Alfred tilted his head back and closed his eyes slightly. "Can you chat with me for a while? I''m afraid I''ll fall asleep like this." "What do you want to talk about?" "Talk about your husband." Knowing that Alfred was curious about her husband, and though it was a little awkward, she did not think too much for fear that Alfred would not be able to hold on. Thus, she started talking about Cedrick. "We''ve known each other for more than four years and have a pair of lovely twin sons. He can be domineering and solipsistic, but at times, he''d be very warm, making you feel that as long as he is there, you can do anything without holding back-" "So you think he''lle to save you this time, right?" Alfred listened silently and interjected with a pale face. Catelyn firmly replied, "Whenever I''m in danger, he''ll always be by my side. It won''t be any different this time." ''I can''t wait to meet him..." Alfred silently said. His voice was low as if he was muttering to herself so that Catelyn could not hear it. She asked, "What did you say?" "Nothing. I was just being emotional for a moment..." replied Alfred in a low voice before changing the topic by staring at Catelyn. "Do you know why I chose toe to Sapphire City?" "You told me that the people of Sapphire City are very hospitable," Catelyn said. Alfred smiled weakly, breathing heavily. "They are, but there is a more important reason. I have a parental betrothed fiancee who''s been missing since Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. childhood. If she''s still alive, she''s probably in Sapphire City." "So you came to find your fiancee?" Catelyn looked at him in surprise. "Yeah..." Alfred let out a wry smile, sweating coldly on his forehead because of the pain in his wound. He tried to distract the pain by recalling his past. "Her mother, Aunt Carrey, and my mom were good friends. When Aunt Carrey was pregnant, my mother said that if the baby was a daughter, she''d be my wife when I grew up. I know it sounds funny, but I took it seriously at that time." A weak chuckle escaped Alfred as he added, "We eventually found out that it was a girl after all, and everyone was so happy that day..." Catelyn was very focused as though she was listening to a story from a long time ago, but she was then curious about the turning point of the story. "So, how and why did you and your fiancee get separated?" Alfred was silent for a while. He had kept the truth with him for many years and never talked about it to any of his friends. Chapter 885 Chapter 885 Chapter 885 if you don''t feel like sharing, forget it," Catelyn hurriedly stated, not wanting Alfred to be hurt by the tragedy. Alfred opened his eyes and took a long breath before continuing, "Back then, Aunt Carrey left her family to be with her husband, so after Aunt Carrey got pregnant and missed her family, she secretly went back to Sapphire City without my uncle. No one knew that the ne crashed due to natural disasters on the way back. It wasn''t until a few monthster that my uncle found Aunt Carrey. "Aunt Carrey was gravely injured while her daughter went missing. The doctor said that Aunt Carrey was so stimted that she lost most of her memory, but sometimes in her sleep, she''d call out Alicia''s name in her dream. "That was how my uncle guessed that Aunt Carrey had named their daughter ''Alicia''. Over the years, I''ve been looking for Alicia''s whereabouts." Even though Catelyn had not personally experienced the tragedy before, she was involuntarily brought into it when she heard Alfred talk C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org about it.'' That must be hard for a pregnant mom to suffer that much and be separated from her daughter. Even though she suffered from amnesia, she still hasn''t forgotten about her daughter...'' "I believe it''s not easy to look for someone in such a big world." Catelyn had a trace of inexplicable sadness in her eyes as she spoke. If her child disappeared, she would have gone deranged, too. "You should know that Fidelysia is a presidential republic country, and my uncle is quite powerful. He sends a lot of people to find the whereabouts of Alicia every year, but...he found no new clue.'''' "I''m so sorry." Catelyn felt sympathy whirling within her before curiosity settled in. "Then, did your uncle go to your Aunt Carrey''s house to ask her family? Maybe Alicia has been living with them secretly." Alfred shook his head helplessly. The redness on his lips gradually faded, and more beads of sweat were on his forehead. Alfred began to lose focus as he started seeing two Catelyn in front of her. "That''s the most difficult part of the story. My uncle didn''t know who Aunt Carrey¡¯s rtives were or her family. My uncle met Aunt Carrey by chance every time before she got pregnant. It was like fate calling. Then, one day, Aunt Carrey suddenly showed up crying and asked my uncle to take her somewhere far from home... "Aunt Carrey initially nned to wait until she was forgiven by her family before taking my uncle home to meet her family, but I guess you''ll never know what the future holds. As the saying goes, ''Life is like a box of chocte''." For some reason, Catelyn suddenly thought of her grandmother. The situation of her mother and Aunt Carrey was very simr, but the difference was that her mother met the wrong guy and was severely hurt by that man, while Aunt Carrey met the love of her life. Fortunately, Summer eventually met Ezekiel. Although she passed away long ago, Catelyn was d that she got to reunite with her family again. "Don''t give up yet. I believe that no matter how difficult it is, you''ll one day find your fiancee!" Bang! The metal doors were abruptly pushed open as two masked thugs walked in. Fine sunlight shone in, which meant that only a few hours had passed as the sky was not dark yet. One of the tall,nky men shouted wickedly, "What are you mumbling about?! Don''t think about running away. I''ll break your legs if you dare!" Catelyn took this opportunity to look outside through the opening of the doors and saw arge area of lush trees. ''We must be in the suburbs, but Alfred won''t hold that long...'' "Sir, you''re just after money and don''t intend to kill people, right? Mister Wagner was shot and is bleeding a lot; he may not be able to hold on. Is there a doctor here? Can you help him to stop his wound from bleeding?" pleaded Catelyn, hoping that they would help. "Don''t plead with them." Alfred did not want to see Catelyn lose her dignity for him. "Tsk! Don''t you see yourself? stop acting rough, you d*ckhead!" One of the men rubbed his chin, looked up and down at Catelyn, and walked toward her. The eyes under the mask were full of malice... Chapter 886 Chapter 886 Chapter 886 Alfred could not be any clearer about what the man was thinking. He subconsciously dragged his tired body and sat sideways in front of Catelyn. "Don''t touch her!" ''You can''t even save yourself, and you''re trying to save someone else now? ¡ö The man let out a wickedugh and kicked Alfred''s stomach ruthlessly, earning a grunt from Alfred as he keeled over. Blood gushed out of his wound. Alfred lost his bnce and fell to the ground in a state of embarrassment and his breaths grew shallow, yet thenky man did not cease his attacks, kicking at Alfred''s wounds again. "Mister Wagner! Stop it! Don''t hurt him!" shrieked Catelyn in sheer worry. Alfred was already injured, and he could die if the torture continued! Just when the man was about to kick him with all his strength, Catelyn tried his best to stand up, mustering all her strength, and mmed into the man with her body. Thump! The man was caught off guard by Catelyn''s surprise attack and fell backward, knocking over the cargo box behind him. These cable crates fell, and the cables somehow entangled the man who was yelling in pain miserably. He eventually stood up from the messy cables with a huff. His eyes glowed with a murderous aura, and Catelyn found herself unable to escape. He grabbed her neck with both hands and lifted her off the ground with his hold. ''Let me go, y-you jerk!" choked Catelyn, strangled and unable to breathe properly. She could only kick the man''s knees as hard as she could. s, the man''s strength oupeted her struggle, and she almost passed out. The image in Alfred''s pupils began to blur as hey on the ground. "Let her... go..." ''You all want me to let go? Okay, if you wish!" The man grinned sinisterly. Catelyn realized that something terrible was about to happen. The man then suddenly lifted Catelyn high and threw her heavily to the cargo boxes beside him. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Thump! Catelyn fell onto the cargo boxes, causing them to copse onto her. She felt paralyzed on the ground in pain, unable to move anything but her head to look at the man with despairing eyes. However, the bottom of her eyes exuded a hint of determination and rebellion, invisibly oppressing the man in front of her. The man felt inexplicable heart palpitations when his gaze met hers. "How dare you stare at me like that, you brat!" He pped Catelyn with the back of his hand. Catelyn''s head tilted, and a wisp of blood spilled from her mouth. Her vision was blurred by that heavy p, yet she fearlessly warned, "I''ve seen your face now, so you better kill me! Otherwise, if I survive this, I''ll seek revenge when I get out there!" The man suddenly cackled exaggeratedly. "Oh, I''m so scared! Well then, you better stay alive until you have the opportunity to get out of here! "Let me tell you something, my boss wants to sell you to Southeast Asia. That''s what you get from stealing others¡¯ money!'' The man once again showed a sinister grin to Catelyn. Chapter 887 Chapter 887 Chapter 887 "Don''t!" Seeing the man walking toward Catelyn, Alfred tried his best to get up from the ground again and feebly stopped him. "If you want to kill, kill me! Pick on someone your size! "Or do you want money? I can give you all my money..." The man was stunned for a moment. He did not expect Alfred to be such a brave man. "Well, I''ll f*ck her and then get your money afterward!" The man suddenly swung his fist at Alfred. Blood sshed, and the heavy scent of metal hung in the area, nauseating Catelyn. She was anxious and angry that there were bruises on her wrist as the tie was frayed. Lubricated by her blood, she managed to set her hands free from the rope. She bit off the very tip of her tongue over the course. The severe pain tensed Catelyn''s consciousness and instantly made her awake. She quickly untied the rope on her feet while the blood on her wrist trickled to the ground. She tried to untie the ropes on her feet vehemently but failed. When the man realized that Catelyn broke free from the rope, he picked up the cargo box on the ground and smashed it down at Alfred''s head. The brunt force knocked him unconscious instantly. Then, the man took out a dagger from his bag. The reflection on the dagger''s de dazzled Catelyn''s eyes as if it was warning her to stop. When Catelyn finished untying the ropes and had no time to stand up to look for a weapon, the tall man had already ced the de edge on Catelyn''s face. With the gleaming tip of the knife sticking between her eyebrows, Catelyn froze, and the quiver in her voice revealed her panic at the moment. "What... do you want to do?" "Your bravery surprises me. I didn''t think of you breaking free of the rope! "Hmph. Now what? You''re not going anywhere." The man let out a savageugh, and then slid the dagger down her shirt to the first button. With a lift, the button was removed. Catelyn''s clothes were torn, revealing her delicate and beautiful corbone. The man swallowed, turned over, and pressed toward Catelyn... The back of Catelyn''s head hit the floor. "Ah!" ¡¯It hurts, doesn''t it?" The man heard her scream and teased, his eyes, gleaming devilisly, "Don''t worry, more pain is toe! Hahaha!¡¯ Just as Catelyn was about to struggle, he swung the dagger at her cheek." If you move again, I¡¯ll leave a scar on your pretty face. You¡¯ll be worthless even if you''re sold to Southeast Asia! Do you know what''s waiting for you there?" "I don''t want to know! Shut up!" Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The stench of garlic in his mouth disgusted her. ''Am I going to end up being raped by this man? No...my body and heart belongs only to Cedrick. I''d rather die than be raped by him, so my name would be safe from being defiled and from fulfilling Eugene''s wish!'' However, it was too heartbreaking for Catelyn to say goodbye to Cedrick and her twin boys in this way. Her eyes fell on the dagger held in the man''s right hand. All she had to do was raise her head to it and, with a little force, bring down her neck on the tip of the knife. By that, she would save herself from being raped. Chapter 888 Chapter 888 Chapter 888 Seeing the despair in Catelyn''s eyes, Alfred''s eyes reddened. With adrenaline coursing through his veins, he garnered increased strength, got up from the ground, knocked the man down, and pressed him down on his back. "Run, Catelyn¡ªquickly!" Alfred shouted to Catelyn sharply. She lived in hope once again! "No, I''m taking you with me!'' Seeing that Alfred had suppressed the kidnapper, she quickly picked up an iron bar on the ground and hit the man. ''Go to hell, *sshole!" The man felt dizzy due the blowsnding on him, but he managed to drag Alfred''s body down. With a vigorous spin, Alfred was the one pinned to the ground instead, though the man could not break free still as Alfred pinned the man''s legs down with his. Catelyn almost hit Alfred, but she stopped in time. Knowing he would not be able to restrain the man any longer, Alfred yelled, "Run! Run quickly! Leave me!" ''No! How can I leave you here?! Wait for me-l''ming back for you!" Catelyn''s eyes flushed with anxiety as she clutched the iron rod in her hand tightly, goosebumps running down her skin. "I''m just a burden now; I can''t run far at all! As long as you escape, you can send someone to rescue me. We''ll both die if we waste any more time. "Run! I can''t hold it any longer!'' yelled Alfred, his body already tense to the extreme. Alfred knew this man had an aplice. After all, he was not totally unconscious when they were both being transported. He did not know where the other kidnapper had gone, but he had a feeling thispanion would be back soon. Leaving the abandoned warehouse was the safest decision Catelyn should make, and it must not be dyed any longer. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Catelyn''s eyes reddened, knowing that Alfred was sacrificing to buy time for her to escape. Thus, shooting the man onest nce, she held tight to her worry and anguish as she ran toward the industrial door. She must bring someone back to save him! However, just as Catelyn had just opened the door of the warehouse, a bullet whizzed past her face, causing a hot tingling sensation on her cheek. Startled, she screamed. Another kidnapper had returned, and he was heading toward her with a warning shot fired. Catelyn froze in ce as that burly kidnapper put a gun to Catelyn¡¯s head and forced her back to the warehouse step by step. Seeing this, Alfred had an ominous feeling that none of them would make it out of the warehouse alive. ''Let go of my buddy now," said the man with a gun, "or I''ll send this woman to heaven right away!¡¯ Alfred gritted his teeth, loosened his limbs, and let go of the man. As soon as the man broke free, he punched and kicked Alfred again. Alfred lost too much blood, and his vision blurred before falling unconscious once more. Tm...sorry..." he murmured beforepletely losing consciousness. ¡¯Alfred!" shrieked Catelyn, anguished with worry. "Wake up. Don''t die! I should be the one sorry... You haven''t found your fiancee yet!" "Hahaha. You should be worried about yourself, girlie!" The man who had been looking after Catelyn and Alfred spat fiercely and said to his armed aplice, "Dude, this woman is hot. Since our boss is going to sell her to Southeast Asia anyway, why don''t we...?'' Hearing these words, the fierce kidnapper whistled frivolously, and instead of aiming his gun at Catelyn, he fired another shot at Alfred''s leg. Alfred, who fainted, was suddenly woken up by the immeasurable pain of the shot he took. "Stop it! Stop torturing him!" Catelyn rushed toward the kidnapper with reddened eyes, trying to grab his wrist and beg him, but the man ced his index finger on the trigger and was about to shoot again. Frightened to the core, Catelyn stopped and froze in ce. ''Take off your clothes," the man ordered evilly. "If you don''t want me to torture him, take off your clothes, and let my buddy and I have some quality time with you..." Chapter 889 Chapter 889 Chapter 889 Catelyn froze in ce. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡¯On the count of three, if you don''t take your shirt off, I will send your Mr. Wagner to hell!" the man threatened. Catelyn looked at Alfred deeply. He could no longer speak as the injury was so serious that he could only blink his eyes, signaling her not to do so. Tears rolled down Catelyn''s cheeks. She nced at the vicious kidnapper before she spat, "Do it, then. I won''t take my clothes off. If he dies, I''ll avenge his death one day!" Instead of being raped in front of Alfred, she preferred to die with him. ''No, I can''t go down that easily. I will exact vengeance for Alfred!'' The kidnappers were thoroughly enraged upon realizing that Catelyn was not letting them have their way. No longer fooling around, one of them reached out and tore Catelyn''s clothes and skirts. Catelyn was then pushed to the ground in the refusal, and the two kidnappers stooped over her body. She cursed and struggled against their hands but to no avail. Suddenly, Catelyn managed to break free, resisting the urge to vomit, and when the two kidnappers were not paying attention, she snatched the ck pistol from the hands of the fierce kidnapper. Seeing that she got the gun, the two kidnappers reeled back in shock. "F*ck off! Get the hell away from me!¡± screamed Catelyn as she sped the pistol tightly with both hands, aiming it at the two. The originally fierce kidnapper suddenly softened his attitude and persuaded Catelyn to put the gun down with kind words. "Alright, calm down, Miss rk. You might cause unintentional discharge-¡¯ "Let us go! Set US free! Now!" Catelyn''s emotions were on the verge of self destruction as she roared hysterically. The two kidnappers exchanged nces and continued tofort Catelyn. ¡¯Okay, our car is just outside the door. You can just leave and drive. Just... don''t point the gun at US. That''s not a toy.¡¯ Catelyn instructed one of the kidnappers to help Alfred into the car while pointing the gun at the other kidnapper who intended to assault her. Everyone moved toward the factory door at a strangely slow speed. The wind was cold, and it was snowing heavily outside, visible through the window. Catelyn''s clothes and winter skirt were torn, but she did not dare to ease her mind. She desperately ordered the man to bring Alfred into the car quickly. However, when they were at the door, the kidnapper who supported Alfred slipped on a frozen puddle, dragging Alfred down with him as they fell onto the ground. Alfred could barely support himself, much less stand due to the gunshot wound on his leg. When Catelyn saw him falling, she gasped in shock and ran to help him. At that critical moment, the fierce kidnapper showed a vicious look and jumped toward Catelyn, taking the opportunity to snatch the ck pistol in her hand. Suddenly, a shot was fired. Bang! Chapter 890 Chapter 890 Chapter 890 When Cedrick, Eason, and several bodyguards arrived at the door of the warehouse, a harsh gunshot was heard. Following the first shot were two more deafening sts. Bang, bang! Cedrick, who was already a bundle of nerves, felt his heart skip a beat when he heard the sound of gunfire. "Quick, find Mistress Catelyn!" barked Cedrickto his subordinates and quickened his pace, running toward the source of the sound. The closer he got to the warehouse, the more anxious he became. ''No, no... Catelyn''s fine... She can''t be the one shot!¡¯ He kicked open the ajar door, and when he saw the scene inside the warehouse, he froze. Catelyn was covered in blood, standing less than two meters away from the door, clutching the pistol tightly in both hands. Her clothes were torn to shreds, revealing her pale skin riddled with fine scratches and dripping with blood. Her cheeks were also swollen in red. She had gone through too much; that was the one thought that haunted Cedrick. On the ground, a man was lying in a puddle of blood, shot twice in the stomach. He was shivering and gasping for air. Alfred, too, was lying on his back with injuries all over his body. There were two bullet holes in his legs and chest, and the front of his clothes was torn, revealing a bloody gunshot wound. The air was filled with the nauseating smell of blood. With the gun still at hand, Catelyn shivered violently, unable to think.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! When she heard the door being kicked open, her pupils shrank, her shoulders trembled, and she almost subconsciously aimed the gun at Cedrick who rushed in. Her eyes were scarlet and full of fright; the kind of fright that one would only possess when on verge of death. "Catelyn..." Tolerating his headache, Cedrick called her name in a low voice. He did not dare to be too loud for fear of provoking the frightened Catelyn. The only thing that was left on his face was distress. He med himself for beingte and swore to put Eugene to death by torturing him the same way his men had done to Catelyn. He then softened his voice and coaxed, "Don¡¯t be afraid, Cat. It''s me, Cedrick! You''re safe now. Let''s put down the gun first. Don''t hurt yourself...¡¯ Catelyn was softly coaxed by the familiar voice. Her pupils shrank again as she regained a sliver of her consciousness. Still, she did not let go of the handle of the pistol as she was still in shock after a life-and-death crisis. Eason was also taken aback, but he quickly ordered all the bodyguards to turn their heads, not allowing anyone to have any chance to peek at Mistress Catelyn. Cedrick did not miss Catelyn''s every expression. He spread out his arms, indicating that he was no harm, and approached her very slowly. "Do you remember me? I''m your husband and the father of Miles and Ollie. They¡¯re waiting for US at home. Come on, put the gun down now..." ''Family...? Take me home?'' Thud! The ck pistolnded on the ground with Catelyn, whose Strength had been drained. Cedrick hurried over and took her tightly into his arms. "Cedrick?" Catelyn clutched the hem of his clothes tightly and slowly opened her eyes. In her line of sight, Cedrick''s worried look gradually became clearer. She threw herself into his arms and mmed her fist against his chest harshly, crying her heart out until she was out of breath. "Why... Why are you only here now? Did you know that I almost... ''I thought I¡¯d never see you again!" Cedrick quickly took off his coat and put it on her, wrapping her scarred body, feeling extremely remorseful and guilty. "I''m sorry. I''mte! But I''m here now, and I won''t let anyone hurt you anymore..." Chapter 891 Chapter 891 Chapter 891 It was a cold, snowy day, so much so that Cedrick''s coat was not warm enough. Catelyn, however, seemed to have found the strength to stabilize herself. Gazing at Cedrick with bloodshot eyes, she asked anxiously, "Did I just...kill someone? Are the two kidnappers dead? I... I killed someone..." Cedrick nced at the two bloodied kidnappers lying motionless on the ground. Eason immediately stepped forward to check their breaths. Among them, the one who had the gun was indeed dead, but the other was just passed out. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He decisively shook his head at Catelyn. ¡®They¡¯re still alive, Mistress Catelyn. Please don''t me yourself. They''re all vicious criminals; you''d still be in the right even if you killed them.¡± "Are they?" Catelyn asked warily. She then recalled what had happened. One of the kidnappers rushed over to grab the gun a few moments ago, and she had only one thought in her head at that very moment. She must not let them snatch the gun back. Panicked as she was, she pulled the trigger. Even though she was safe in Cedrick''s arms, she still felt endless dread. "Yes, they are." Cedrick gently pressed her head against his chest, preventing her from seeing the aftermath and furious nuances in his eyes. "They lost their consciousness. Rx, you didn''t kill anyone, darling," he gently spoke. "Don''t overthink it. I''ll take you back to the car first. It''s too cold here." "Ugh..." Catelyn finally got to ease her mind at that moment. She wrapped her arms around Cedrick''s neck, allowing him to carry her. Cedrick gently stretched his arms under Catelyn''s neck and knees, lifting her, though feeling disturbed. Only then did Eason dare to go into the warehouse with the other bodyguards. Alfred, too, lost too much blood and fell unconscious. Fortunately, there was a doctor in Eason''s team who could give Alfred first aid. Still, Alfred had to be sent back to the hospital immediately. With such a serious injury, the doctor estimated that it will be difficult for him to recover within a month. As for the surviving kidnapper, Eason was clear about what Cedrick wanted for him: death. Cedrick carried Catelyn into the car and gently opened the hem of her clothes to check the bruises on her body. The bruises varied as there were cuts, bruises caused by hits, and some scratches. Cedrick''s eyes became colder. He admitted that he had overlooked Eugene. Initially, he thought Eugene was nning to frame Catelyn to get her proportion of the Atherton assets, yet he never expected Eugene to kidnap Catelyn. Eugene had totally pissed him off, and he deserved death. The backseats of Cedrick''s car were separated from the front seats by a metal te, so Eason could not see what happened to the two people in the back seat, but based on his familiarity with Master Cedrick, he knew he was thoroughly irritated. ''May God bless you, Eugene.'' Eason shook his head. Unanticipatedly, Eason received a phone call, and his expression turned flustered. After hesitating for a while, he firmly knocked on the metal te and said," Young Master, we''ve found the whereabouts of the Second Master, but the troublesome thing is that he held Old Lady Atherton hostage and is now on ss Imperial-'''' "What?" Catelyn was leaning against Cedrick''s chest weakly. Hearing the news, she sat up abruptly and shouted, "He got Grandma, too?! Take me to him immediately...!" Chapter 892 Chapter 892 Chapter 892 As she hastily shot up from Cedrick''s hold, her body ached with pain from her injuries, and she almost hit Cedrick''s jaw, too. She winced in agony. Cedrick held her down quickly and sternly red at her. Not allowing her to refute, he said, "You''re injured now, and you must go to the hospital for a body check! Leave this to me; I''ll bring your grandmother back safely." "No," Catelyn said weakly, "Eugene has already betrayed his family and all rtives for the Atherton family''s assets. He must''ve used me to bait my grandma to the cruise ship. He must''ve known that I was rescued and he has no way to escape anymore. Who knows he''d be so mad that he wants to die with Grandma?" "Don''t you believe that I can save her?" Cedrick asked confidently. "Of course I do..." Catelyn knew that Cedrick was easy to yield with sweet talks. Thus, she tugged at the hem of Cedrick''s clothes pitifully and rubbed her head against his chest. "Why wouldn''t I believe in you? I just reunited with my grandma, and I want to see her safe personally. Can you take me there? Otherwise, even if I get to the hospital, I won''t be able to calm down for a body check..." "No. Your body can''t bear it now." Cedrick insisted on sending her to a hospital. Judging from the fact that Eugene kidnapped Catelyn and intended to send her to Southeast Asia, his hatred must be profound. ''Who knew how Eugene would threaten her if she went to the scene?'' Compared to Granny Atherton, Cedrick only cared about Catelyn. When Catelyn heard him, she refused to let go. She turned away angrily and shoved him off of her. "Fine. If you don''t want to take me there, then I''ll do it myself, and I won''t cooperate with the doctor when I get to the hospital. If you''re caught and threatened by Eugene, don''t regret that I''m not there to help." The determination in her eyes made Cedrick feel helpless. ''Why is she so stubborn?'' Cedrick leaned over and gently kissed her lips, wetting her dry lips. "What should I do with you?" Catelyn pushed him away. "Don''t kiss me if you don''t agree." Cedrick met her breath, stared into her eyes and, after a while, sighed helplessly. "Okay, I''ll take you there. But when you get to the cruise ship, no matter what happens, you have to put your safety first!" "Will you?!" Catelyn instantly perked up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and offered a kiss. "You''re the best, my dear." Cedrick stretched out his hand and flicked her forehead. "Remember what I said, you must never trade yourself for your grandmother''s safety, alright?" Catelyn covered her throbbing forehead yet smiled. "I understand. I haven''t lived enough and given birth to a little princess for you, so how would I be willing to exchange my life for my grandma''s life..." However, deep down the hearts of the two, they both had a presentiment. Meanwhile, on the deck of ss Imperial... Eugene had never been happier. Although he was worried that his n was somewhat exhaustive to the point that he should n step-by-step before seizing Edwin''s and Catelyn''s power, he was relieved because he got Sylvie in control by using Catelyn''s safety as bait. All along, he had been suppressed and looked down upon by her-his own mother. He could not understand nor bear that all important projects in thepany were assigned to an outsider instead of him, Sylvie''s second son. He thought he could take advantage of Quinn and coax her mother to treat him a little better by giving him all the inheritance, but in the end, he was just nothing in her eyes inparison to Catelyn, the granddaughter who had been separated for 20 years. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Seeing Granny Atherton bowing before him, Eugene instantly felt that he had chosen the right method to seize her inheritance that he had long coveted. Chapter 893 Chapter 893 Chapter 893 "If you want me to release your precious granddaughter, sign this contract quickly!" Eugene sat on the couch with his legs crossed and slid a contract in front of Sylvie. Meanwhile, two burly bodyguards were standing beside him, their eyes gleaming maliciously. Sylvie was warned not to bring anyone, so it was just her own, standing opposite Eugene. Even so, facing the condescending Eugene and his bodyguards, she showed no fear. She gave the contract a once-over and realized it was to transfer all her assets under Eugene''s name. Sylvie was heartbroken and made herst persuasion. "Eugene, stop being depraved by wealth. As long as you''re willing to let Cat go back now, I can forgive you for everything you''ve done in the past. You''ll always be my son, the Second Master of our family..." "Haha! The Second Master?" Eugene seemed amused as he burst intoughter. "You never allowed me to be in charge of anything in thepany, and I wasughed at by my elder brother! What kind of Master am I? "Ten seconds. If you refuse to sign, I''ll have your granddaughter killed!" He smirked wickedly as his facial features scrunched together distortedly. Freezing sea breeze constantly blew onto the deck, tensing the atmosphere. Due to her age, Sylvie began shivering. She gritted her teeth. "Alright. If you want me to sign, then I have to ensure Cat''s safety first. Let her speak to me. I''ll consider signing it." "For the sake of your obedience that you didn''t bring anyone along, I''ll allow that..." Eugene sneered proudly. The kidnappers he hired were all dangerous people who were once criminals, and they must have lost control when they saw the woman. Eugene was confident that when Sylvie heard her granddaughter''s cry, begging for mercy, she would sign the contract immediately. He then called one of the men tasked in kidnapping Catelyn. However... Beep! Beep! Beep! No one answered. Eugene frowned. At first, he thought the signal at sea was unstable. He thus changed a spot and dialed again, still, no one answered. Sylvie grew nervous. "Didn''t you say that you have Cat with you? Why is no one answering the phone? What have you done to her? Will she be fine? She is Summer''s daughter, your niece! How could you-" "Shut up!" Eugene was also a little panicked and immediately asked for the bodyguard''s phone to try calling the kidnappers again. s, the results remained the same. ''What the f*ck is going on?'' C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org He only gave the kidnappers a deposit, and there was still a final payment that he had promised them after all things were settled. Hence, it was least likely that they would ditch him and take Catelyn away. "Is it part of your n?!" Eugene suddenly turned his eyes to Sylvie and asked cautiously, ''You purposely boarded the boat alone to distract me and take the opportunity to find someone to rescue Catelyn, didn''t you? You bloody old hag! I underestimated you! I don''t care, you''ll sign this contract no matter what!" "What the hell are you talking about?" Sylvie''s heart sank. "Cat isn''t with you anymore?!" "Make her sign the contract!" Eugene thought Sylvie was acting dumb, so he decided to force her. There was no one else on the cruise, so it should not take long. He gestured to his bodyguards. The bodyguard immediately stepped forward from both sides of Sylvie, forcibly stuffed the signature pen into Sylvie''s hand, and held her hand to sign on the signature slot for her. Their actions were arrogant and ferocious,pletely ignoring that she was already an olddy in her seventies. They had only one job: to make Sylvie sign the contract. Sylvie''s right wrist ached in pain as she snarled, "Get off! Don''t touch me! I''ll do it myself!" Chapter 894 Chapter 894 Chapter 894 "Good, you should''ve done that from the start," sneered Eugene before signaling the bodyguard to let go of Sylvie. It was only if Sylvie was willing to ink on her own would the contracte into legal effect. Sylvie held the ck pen apprehensively, worrying about Catelyn''s safety and whereabouts. She suspected that Eugene had kidnapped Catelyn. Otherwise, her bodyguard, whom she assigned to protect Catelyn, would not say that he saw Eugene''s subordinate taking Catelyn away. However, Eugene did not seem to know where Catelyn was, so it was likely that she had been rescued. Edwin had been busytely and rarely met with people, so he would not be the one who saved Catelyn. ''Could it be Cedrick?'' Thinking of the possibility of it being true, Sylvie tightened her grip on the pen. Her will was longpleted, and inking this agreement was tantamount to ruining the Atherton family''s century-old business empire. Sylvie would never forgive herself if she did so. Therefore, when the bodyguards were not paying attention, Sylvie suddenly picked up the contract, rolled it into a ball, and threw it into the sea. "My contract!" Eugene''s expression changed, and he hurried to the railing. The contract softened as it soaked up the ocean water, then slowly sank into the sea. Eugene stomped furiously and smacked the table. "Curse you, old hag! You dare y with me?! Let me tell you: there are many printers and printing papers here. If you lose one copy, I''ll make another hundred thousand copies. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "If you don''t sign, you can''t leave this ce alive!" The primary purpose of Sylvie''s visit to Eugene was for Catelyn''s safety, but upon learning that Catelyn was no longer a hostage of Eugene, there was nothing Sylvie should be afraid of. She turned and ran to the cabin. Eugene gave an order, and a bodyguard with fierce eyes followed after her. When Sylvie was about to reach the stairs, he grabbed her long hair, dragged her back to the deck almost savagely, and threw her to the ground. Sylvie''s head mmed against the corner of the table before she fell on deck, and blood oozed out of her wound, causing her dizziness. However, Eugene gave her no room topose herself. They brought the ink pad, intending to paint Sylvie''s thumb with it to press it on a new printed agreement. "Let go of me, Eugene! I''m your mother! How dare you treat me like this?!" Sylvie began to pant as her wrinkled face flushed red amid her struggle. She must not sign the agreement! However, no matter how hard she struggled, she could not break free from Eugene. Instead, her thumb was almost crushed to the point that her bones were about to shatter. Eugene was wickedly ecstatic, thinking that he would soon get all the property of the Atherton family. When the day came, he would kick Harry and Edwin out of the Atherton family, monopolize all the assets, find a super-rich husband for L, and take control of the Atherton family''s businesses. The moment Sylvie''s thumb was about toe into contact with the paper Bang! A gunshot shocked all the people on the cruise ship, and a bullet hit the chair beside Eugene. The chair overturned on the deck with a tter, which frightened Eugene into a panic, causing him to subconsciously let go of his hold on Sylvie. Sylvie took the opportunity to retract her hand and bit her fingertips fiercely, destroying her fingerprints. "Boss, look!" One of the bodyguards shakily pointed to the sky. Chapter 895 Chapter 895 Chapter 895 Judders. The noise of a helicopter engine was getting louder. As soon as Eugene looked up, he saw two ck helicopters hovering above the cruise ship. At the door of the cabin, a man in a shirt was holding a sniper rifle, aiming at him. Eugene trembled, and he almost fell. "Boss, be careful!" The bodyguard quickly helped Eugene get up. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Puzzled, Sylvie also looked at the sky. The two helicopters were getting closer to the deck, and the person in the lead was Cedrick. "Grandma, Grandma! We''re here!¡± Beside Cedrick was Catelyn, sporting a big jacket and waving at Sylvie. Cedrick rescued Catelyn after all! Sylvie breathed a sigh of relief. Catelyn''s safety was all she wished for. Seeing this, Eugene came back to his senses and immediately took out a dagger. He brought it against Sylvie''s neck and dragged her to the railing, with Sylvie facing the sniper on the helicopter while he hid his head behind Sylvie''s. Soon, a helicopternded firmly on the deck. A ropedder was put down on the other helicopter, and Eason came down with several bodyguards. Shortly afterward, about eight bodyguards quickly surrounded Eugene and his two bodyguards, who were all trembling with fright. At the railing, Eugene timidly hid behind Sylvie and shouted, "Don''te any closer! If you do, I''ll kill her!" "Uncle Eugene..." Catelyn suppressed the anger in her heart and persuaded him, "Release Grandma; she''s innocent." "Innocent, you say? Then who''s not?! You? You were ''dead'' all these years, but you just waltz in one day to steal my money! If it weren''t for you, Summer''s share of the property would''ve been given to me and Harry eventually!" "Stop your nonsense right now, Eugene!" Sylvie''s face reddened as Eugene restrained her. "Even if Cat didn''t return, I''d use Summer''s property to establish a charity foundation to fulfill her passion for charity back then!" "See?! You''re biased-you always are! Summer has been dead for more than twenty years and even abandoned her family for a man, yet you''re still willing to take so much money to fulfill her charity dream! What about me? Do I only deserve that little amount of money?" Eugene became more agitated the more he talked. What he hated the most was that Sylvie never favored him as a son. Trembling, the tip of the knife nicked Sylvie''s neck, causing blood to surface. She had been held hostage once in the past, so she was calmer this time as she said, "I won''t give it to you because you can''t keep it! Why can''t you understand?¡± "I don''t understand, and I don''t want to!" Noticing the small cut on her grandmother''s neck, Catelyn shouted anxiously, "Uncle Eugene, the person you should hate is me! I stole your portion of the property. I shouldn''t havee back. I¡ªI''ll give you all the money, so please let Grandma go! There are so many people here, and you can''t escape at all!" "Who said I was going to escape? I didn''t intend to be living as a coward for the rest of my life when I held you and her hostage!" Eugene shouted. He thought of his daughter, L, who was abroad, and wanted to do something for her before he died. He knew that if there were fewer children and grandchildren in the Atherton family, the proportion of the inheritance L could receive would be greater. Thus, Eugene told his bodyguard to throw a pistol in front of Catelyn. "Well, you always said that you''d do anything for your grandma, and now it''s the time to prove it! As long as you kill yourself, I''ll let her go! How about that?" "No, Cat, no!" Upon hearing Eugene''s ''offer1, Sylvie became anxious as she shouted to Catelyn, "Even if you kill yourself, he won''t let me live! I''ve already lost you once, and I can''t bear to lose you again..." "Shut up, you old hag!" Eugene became enraged and struck Sylvie''s temple with the handle of the dagger. Chapter 896 Chapter 896 Chapter 896 Sylvie could not see clearly as she started losing consciousness, then she heard Eugene''s voice. ¨¬ wouldn¡¯t have done this if you had been fair and given me one-third of the assets?!" Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Sylvie was too old. After being dragged by Eugene and the bodyguards one after another, she could not bear the torture anymore. Catelyn was so distressed that she decided to take a gamble. Her eyes slowly fell on the ck pistol in front of her... She had just shot two kidnappers not long ago... Seeing Catelyn bending over to pick up the pistol, Cedrick''s face changed, and his heartbeat spiked suddenly. Just when her hand was about to touch the pistol, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "What the hell do you want to do? Have you forgotten what you promised me when you came?" ''She never took her own life seriously! Looks like my presentiment ising true... When will she learn to put her life first before anything?!'' Cedrick was extremely disappointed, to the brink of rage. Cedrick''s pull was so strong that Catelyn mmed into his chest. She had no time to care about the pain, quickly pinched Cedrick''s waist, and stared at him. Cedrick was startled, but soon he understood her intentions. It looked like she wanted to attract Eugene''s attention by pretending tomit suicide, so Cedrick could catch him off guard and rescue Sylvie. She had no intention tomit suicide at all. In the next instant, Cedrick saw a thinyer of mist in Catelyn''s eyes, and she burst into tears. "That''s my grandma! I can''t just watch her die... I''m sorry that I''m breaking my promise again! Cedrick, let me go. Grandma is waiting for me to save her..." "Cat, don''t!" Sylvie was moved by Catelyn''s intention and could not help but redden her eyes. She choked up and shook her head at Catelyn and then ordered Cedrick, "Cedrick, hold Cat! Don''t let her kill herself for me! Otherwise, I will never forgive you!" "Haha, you love your grandchildren deeply, aren''t you?! Now quit putting on a sh*tty act in front of me! If Catelyn didn''t cause me so much trouble, I wouldn''t be willing to let you die..." Eugene grinned, seeming like a lunatic. Of course, Cedrick would never let Catelyn be in any danger, let alonemit suicide. There was a hint of coldness in his eyes. He suddenly stood in front of Catelyn, stared at Eugene,pletely ignoring his threat, and stepped forward step by step. "Stop! What are you doing? F*cking stop right there!" Eugene hid his head behind Sylvie, dragging Sylvie with him, and stepped back subconsciously. "Don''t you want to kill Sylvie? Go ahead! What are you worried about?" Cedrick looked at him expressionlessly and said forcefully. Eugene had not expected that he did not care about Sylvie and waspletely stunned. Chapter 897 Chapter 897 Chapter 897 ¡¯Wasn''t he afraid that I would kill her in a fit of rage? She''s Catelyn''s grandma and also his grandma-inw!'' Eugene panicked. Catelyn was also shocked, staring at Cedrick in astonishment, and her heart almost stopped. ''He was deliberately angering Eugene. But Eugene''s knife was right on Grandma''s neck. What if Eugene lost control...?'' Cedrick''s action was way more thrilling than her n... "Say something." Cedrick looked at Eugene with cold eyes and said disdainfully, "You asked me to help you subvert the Atherton family by offering me a way to stay with Catelyn. Now you''ve almost done it. As long as you kill Old Lady Atherton, the Atherton family will no longer stop me from being with Catelyn, and I will help you to sit on the throne of the Atherton family! So what are you hesitating for? Hurry up and kill Old Madam Atherton!¡± ¡±Bullsh*t!" Eugene almost went mad under Cedrick''s pressure as the dagger in his hand kept shaking. Cold sweats fell from his forehead, and he roared at Cedrick, "Do I still have the right to live if I kill someone? No! My life will be miserable, so what''s the point of subverting the Atherton family now? That''s just giving the wealth to you for nothing!" ''How could it be given to me? Don''t you have a daughter?" "Don''t any of you ever dare toy a finger on my daughter!" Eugene roared furiously. Eugene had a daughter, Tracy Atherton, who was studying abroad. She was a kind, well-behaving grandchild of Sylvie, and it was because of her that Sylvie had been giving Eugene chances, over and over again, without evicting him from the Atherton family. However, Sylvie underestimated Eugene''s greed for money. At that moment, Eugenepletely lost his rationality. He yelled with his eyes scarlet, "I won¡¯t talk to you! Tell Catelyn toe out! I''ll count to three. If she doesn''tmit suicide, I will-" ''Will what? Tracy must be upset to have a father like you. But don''t worry. When you die, I will send someone to take good care of her. I will take care of her as you take care of my wife. I heard that there is still a shortage of young girls in Southeast Asea. Tracy should be just twenty-five this year, right?" "Don''t you dare! Ahh!" Eugene suddenly seemed to be stimted, and his eyes were red. He moved the dagger in his hand away from Sylvie''s neck and pointed at Cedrick, shivering. "If you dare to touch my daughter, I will die with you! Catelyn! Catelyn, go and kill Cedrick now, and I will release your grandmother right away... I have been conscientious in helping the Atherton family''s business for so many years. Why can''t I get anything?! I have to fight for what I deserve! Cedrick, you would never know!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. At the moment when Eugene lost control, and the dagger was far from Sylvie''s neck, Eason and the other bodyguards caught the opportunity and immediately shot at Eugene and his subordinates. After several shots were fired, Eugene''s bodyguard fell on the spot. Eugene was hit in the abdomen, and the huge impact made his body sway. However, he was not resigned to the fact that he was defeated and was unwilling to let Catelyn and Cedrick be together so easily. He hated Catelyn. He hated her to the point that he wanted Catelyn to live with regret when he died. As long as Sylvie died because of Cedrick, Catelyn would never forgive him. With this crazy thought in mind, Eugene dragged Sylvie''s arm,y back, and fell into the sea... ''Grandma!'' Catelyn shouted anxiously, running over quickly to grab Sylvie''s arm. However, Eugene was simply baiting Catelyn. His purpose was to take the opportunity to harm Catelyn when she stepped forward. Just when Catelyn approached Sylvie, wanting to pull her back, Eugene, with a triumphant smile, grabbed the dagger and dashed toward Catelyn... Catelyn did not care too much and hurriedly pushed Sylvie away, facing the dagger that wasing at her. Sylvie was pushed away by Catelyn and staggered onto the deck. The sea breeze ruffled her long hair, and her thoughts were in chaos. When she looked up again, all Sylvie saw was a dagger almost stabbed into her granddaughter''s belly. She could not help but tremble. Chapter 898 Chapter 898 Chapter 898 "No!¡± Shunk. The muffled sound of the dagger stabbing into flesh was heard, and a few blood droplets spattered on her face. Soon, she passed out from shock... C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Several secondster, Catelyn smelled blood, but the expected pain did note. She opened her eyes and found that Cedrick had stood in front of her, and taken the stab for her. Cedrick wrapped Catelyn with one arm, turned around, and kicked Eugene forcefully. Eugene fell and rolled on the deck and eventually fell into the sea. Ssh. "Ceddy..." Catelyn quickly got her head out of Cedrick''s arms and checked the wound on Cedrick''s belly. Her pitch was high as she was in fright and almost burst into tears. "Quick, Eason, take Master Cedrick and my grandma to the hospital! Now! "Ceddy, hold on, you''ll be okay... I''m sorry, it''s all my fault..." Eason was also quite frightened, so he had someone to bring two stretchers and carried Cedrick and Sylvie into the helicopter. Time flew, and it was the middle of winter. It had been more than a month since Catelyn and Sylvie were held hostage by Eugene. The first snow of the year''s winter was heavy, as the snow looked like a rain of swan feathers. They fell slowly, covering the earth. After Sylvie woke up, she went to visit Cedrick for the first time. Before she fell unconscious, she saw Cedrick''s silhouettes and knew that Cedrick had rescued Catelyn. From then on, she no longer stopped the two from dating. asionally, she would remind Catelyn, intentionally or unintentionally, to take care of Cedrick''s physical condition. Catelyn thought that her grandmother was worried about Cedrick''s wound and was a little surprised. Cedrick did not know whether he should hate Eugene for stabbing him or thank him for changing Sylvie''s mindset. At the end of the day, it was not that bad to be stabbed. Sylvie hade to see Cedrick twice, secretly without letting Catelyn know, to ask him about the gic virus in his body. Knowing that it was not a secret to Sylvie, Cedrick then did not keep her in the dark about his recent condition. His condition was stable for many years, but until recently, there have been signs of a re- emergence of the disease. He and his friend, Yael, were working on the research and invention of a new antidote. Sylvie had only one request for Cedrick, which was to keep Catelyn happy for the rest of her life. The next day after the incident on the cruise, Sylvie announced that Eugene would be evicted from the Atherton family and could no longer ever set foot in the Atherton Manor and theirpanies. Eugene was pulled out from the icy sea after soaking in it for half an hour. When he heard the news of being expelled from the Atherton family after he had woken up, he vomited a few mouthfuls of blood. Yet there was no time left for him to recover from the coldness and the shock. Police officers soon arrived on the deck and cuffed him. It turned out to be that Sylvie had made a report and filed awsuit, using him of kidnapping, attempted murder, andmercial crimes. However, because he was shot twice and soaked in ice water, his injury worsened, and he had to recuperate in the hospital... It was not until a monthter that he was transferred to the detention center. However, one night, Catelyn received a call from Joanne. She was bbergasted on the other end of the phone as she stammered,'' Cat, your uncle, Eugene, he..." "Isn''t he being transferred to jail? I heard that he was given a life sentence. What''s wrong?" Catelyn asked suspiciously. Chapter 899 Chapter 899 Chapter 899 "No! He was in a car ident and died on the spot..." Joanne''s heart beat fast as she spoke. Since she became a member of the Atherton family, she would pay attention to news rted to their family. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Just two hours ago, Joanne suddenly saw the news that Eugene, who was being taken to the police station from the hospital, was killed on the spot by an out-of-control truck. Even though it was just right outside the hospital, the doctors did their best but still failed to save his life, and his death was soon announced. Catelyn was stunned, and after a while, she answered calmly, "I see." "That''s it?" Joanne asked suspiciously, as Catelyn was way too calm. "What do I have to do then? Hug him and cry for his death?" Catelyn sighed helplessly, but she was a little shocked. She thought he would serve in jail for the rest of his life, but a tragedy happened and took his life just like that. She had wished for Eugene''s death so badly when she and her grandmother were kidnapped. Thinking about it in hindsight, Eugene was her uncle after all, and her grandmother would surely be reluctant to attend his funeral. No mother would want her child to pass away before her, no matter how heartbreaking the child was. Joanne started analyzing the situation. "Chill, I''m just asking. But don''t you find it suspicious? He was killed in a car ident as soon as he was discharged from the hospital and taken to the police station-" "Do you think someone hit him to death on purpose?" "I did not say that! Forget it. Maybe I''ve watched too many thrilling shows... ¡¯ Joanne muttered, "Hey, I asked for a leave from the crew, and I''ll be right back to apany you on Christmas. Cat, wait for me!" "Okay." Catelyn smiled softly. Thendscape was filled with snow, indicating Christmas was around the corner. Silently, Catelyn hoped that next year would be a good year. In the evening, Cedrick brought Miles and Ollie to pick up Catelyn for dinner. It was the same restaurant where the two of them had a candlelight dinnerst time. Miles and Ollie were present, so they could not have a romantic dinner. Cedrick had a slightly annoyed face. Sylvie did not mind him being with Catelyn anymore, so he made an excuse to send the two little guys back to the Mason Chateau, but they both refused. Hence, they were still living in Atherton Manor. Every time he went to find Catelyn, Catelyn would bring them out. The two little helpers became the third and fourth wheels! "Mummy, I''ll peel the shrimp for you!" Ollie picked up a crayfish from the te in disposable gloves. Not wanting to be outdone by Ollie, Miles offered to pour juice for Catelyn. When Catelyn saw the cute looks of the two little ones, she took out her phone and recorded their every move. The kids looked even cuter on the screen. Miles made a cool gesture when he saw Catelyn was filming. Suddenly, a man''s figure appeared in the background. Cedrick was wearing a gray casual outfit. He was raising his eyes and looking at her through the camera. Catelyn looked at him through her phone and secretly hit the shutter button to take several photos of him with the children. Thinking that they had been through a lot of life-and-death situations together, Catelyn''s heartbeat sped up uncontrobly. She still remembered how much hatred she had for him when they first met... The scene of him taking the stab for her on the deck would sometimes reappear in her dreams, touching her once again. Ollie finished removing the crayfish''s shell and handed it to Catelyn. Yet when Catelyn was about to take it, she saw the greasy fingertips of the little guy, and nausea suddenly filled her stomach... Chapter 900 Chapter 900 Chapter 900 Ollie looked at Catelyn worriedly. ''Mummy, are you feeling unwell?" Catelyn forcibly suppressed nausea in his stomach, squeezed out a smile, and said, "I have a little cold and stomach difort. You can have the crayfish." After a pause, Catelyn added, "Your dad can''t eat it as well. The wound on his belly is notpletely healed yet." ¨¬ know. I''ll share it with Miles." Cedrick noticed Catelyn''s abnormal reaction and frowned. He thought it might be Catelyn''s trauma from shooting the kidnappers with her own hands. She often had nightmares. Several times he woke up in the middle of the night and found her in a daze with her eyes open. Hence, he did not say anything but scooped her some light vegetables. Catelyn blinked at him and then heard his low voice. "My grandpa asked me to bring you and Miles back to venerate the dead and register your name on our family book this weekend. What do you think?" After speaking, Cedrick stared at her for a moment, waiting for her answer. "Register my name on your family book?" Catelyn knew what that would mean. Before this, Sylvie and Draco had always been at loggerheads, so Draco did not dare to force her to be registered in the Mason family book. Since Cedrick almost sacrificed his life to save herst time, Sylvie did not have a good reason to stop Draco from getting Catelyn in the book of pedigree. Of course, Catelyn was happy that Draco finally epted Miles and deemed him as his great- grandson, but she was a little worried. "After putting our names in the book, that would mean we have officially be part of the Mason family. Would that bring US any trouble in the future?" After all, once they were a branch of the family tree, they would have to abide by the rules of the Mason family. ''Grandpa is eager to please you now, so what trouble will there be?" Cedrick took her hand silently and said resolutely, "I have already decided for you by promising him." Rejoicing was in need for now for both the Mason family and the Atherton to help them get through the sadness caused by Eugene''s betrayal. "You''ve already made up your mind, so why did you still bother to ask me about my opinion?" Catelyn asked in dissatisfaction. "Just informing you." "You''re such a jerk!" Cedrick''s cold eyes sank, and the aura of getting irritated struck, so Catelyn waved her hands to calm him down. "Well, you have the final say. Juste to pick me up on the weekend. Now it¡¯s time to eat!¡± "Feed me," Cedrick said indifferently, staring at her with raised eyebrows. Catelyn raised her eyes and looked at the two children, one was unhappy, and the other was excited. Catelyn immediately blushed, secretly stepped on Cedrick''s leather shoes under the table, and roared in embarrassment, "Hurry up and sit back. Your wound is almost healed. Can''t you eat it yourself?" Cedrick replied solemnly, "Didn''t you just tell Ollie that my injury hasn''t healed yet?" "Blimey!" Miles covered his eyes with both his cute little hands and sighed. Ollie looked at Catelyn and Cedrick expectantly. "Mummy and father, please do your best. Please grant US a little sister as soon as possible." Catelyn''s face turned even redder. ''Ollie is just almost a four-year-old little kid. How did he know so much?!'' Thinking that she was going to officially be a member of the Mason family, Catelyn was a little anxious, but the anxiety was quickly dispelled by theughter of the two children. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! After the meal, Cedrick and Catelyn took the two little guys for a stroll around the neighborhood. When Eason came to pick them up, those little guysy on the back seat and had fallen asleep. Only then did Catelyn turn her head and ask Cedrick, "Uncle Eugene''s death ... is it you?" Chapter 901 Chapter 901 Chapter 901 ¡¯Were you hoping that it was me?¡¯ asked Cedrick as he stared at her with burning eyes. Catelyn shook her head. "Of course not. No matter what Uncle Eugene has done, there will be legal sanctions. I hope you will always be innocent," she said honestly. "There¡¯s no man who is truly innocent in this world," said Cedrick. He raised his hand and rubbed Catelyn''s cheek fondly. Feeling that her "You still haven''t answered me. Did you do it or not?" said Catelyn. ¡¯No/ Cedrick replied sinctly without any hesitation. He did n to kill Eugene silently, but he did not want him to die so quickly. Death was better than rotting in prison. However, someone was Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. already a step ahead of Cedrick and killed Eugene. That person was... Alfred Wagner. Cedrick raised his eyebrows slightly. "Since when did you and Alfred know each other?" "... It was just a coincidence!" stammered Catelyn. There was no need for her to hide from Cedrick any longer, so she told him everything about the car crash. She threw her hands helplessly and said," He had been saving me repeatedly as if he had always been following me." "Stay away from him!" said Cedrick, feeling dissatisfied that someone was coveting his wife. Regardless of whether Alfred had other intentions or not, Cedrick did not believe in a pure friendship between men and women. Moreover, Alfred was even willing to give up his life to save Catelyn. Catelyn could instantly feel Cedrick''s jealousy. She pinched his cheek and said, "Look, you''re thinking too much. Alfred is here in search of his fiancee. I''m sure he won''t be targeting married women like me, okay?" With a dark face, Cedrick pulled her hand off his face and said in a deep voice, "What if his fiancee was already married?¡¯ "Don''t be so stubborn," replied Catelyn. "You have nothing to do with him anymore. So, just keep your distance away from him in the future," said Cedrick. Alfred mentioned that he was looking for his fiancee. However, said fiancee had been separated since childhood, so he could not have known this woman that well, to begin with. It''s possible for one man to change his mind, and Cedrick certainly did not want to make another rival for himself. Although it was not all smooth sailing for him and Catelyn to be together, at least there were no other men between them. George Graham did not count. In the eyes of Cedrick, he was not a worthy opponent anyway. Catelyn secretly rolled her eyes. What a jealous and possessive man! Suddenly, Cedrick pinched Catelyn''s jaw. With a dangerous gaze, he said to her, "Do you have a problem?" Did she think that he did not see her rolling her eyes? Catelyn immediately sneered and coaxed him, "No, no! Not a problem! As your wife, I have to stay away from any male species! Including the adopted puppy!" Cedrick could feel his wife mocking him, and he stared at her maliciously. Before Catelyn realized the situation at hand, it was toote. Her body was instantly wrapped by Cedrick''s domineering arms. The man then leaned over and kissed her cherry-colored lips. Catelyn could not help but keep looking at the two boys who were in the backseat. Fortunately, they were both deeply asleep, with no sign of waking up at all... The next day, Catelyn received a call from Alfred. Back then, he was more seriously injuredpared to Eugene. Now, he has just been discharged from the hospital. Before going out, Catelyn put on some light makeup and wore a thick winter outfit. Perhaps she was getting old. Her body seemed to be more sensitive to the cold weathertely. Chapter 902 Chapter 902 Chapter 902 Even if Cedrick had warned Catelyn to stay away from Alfred, he was still her savior. How could she be ungrateful? Her thick winter jacketpletely concealed her slender figure. Her lightly powdered cheeks lit up, reflecting the sunlight on herplexion. Alfred held the coffee cup in his hand and took a deep sip. He seemed to be deep in thought. It''s unbelievable. The girl whom he thought might be his fiance actually turned out to be Cedrick''s wife... If it were any other man, it would be fine. However, it was Cedrick! i''m sorry, there was traffic on the way. My apologies for making you wait," said Catelyn as she arrived at the cafe, taking off her winter jacket. Her slender body was instantly revealed as she removed her jacket. Alfred looked away. "It''s okay. I''ve just arrived as well. The New Year is approaching, and I just wanted to let you know that I''ll be leaving for Fidelysia in two days." "So soon?" Catelyn was a little surprised. Alfred had just been discharged from the hospital for a day or two. "I wanted to invite you to dinner. If it wasn''t for you back then, I''ll probably be dead already," she said. Alfred''s eyes had a trace of sadness as he thought of Catelyn and Cedrick together. "It''s okay. I can stille back next time, and we can meet again," said Alfred. "Okay, then it''s a promise. And I wish you all the best in your search for your fiance," said Catelyn. Alfred nodded lightly. Initially, he did not have any intentions of returning to Fidelysia. However, something urgent came up at home, and he needed to return to deal with it. In addition to that, he wanted to see Aunt Carrey and retrieve some hair samples from her to conduct some tests. "Before I leave, I have a present for you," said Alfred. "A present?" Catelyn felt a little embarrassed. Her savior had a gift for her, but she came empty- handed! "I noticed that you don''t like reading the weather forecast. Here''s a storm ss for you. You can keep it in the office or at home," said Alfred as he took out a beautifully packaged box from his bag and pushed it in front of Catelyn. Catelyn opened the lid of the box and saw a conical ss bottle in it. The ss bottle had a cork at the mouth, and the insides were filled with a transparent solution composed of chemical substances which contained certain crystals. The crystals would exhibit different characteristics based on the surrounding temperature. Catelyn had heard of storm sses. It was often used as a decoration or a tool to predict the weather. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! "It''s beautiful. The blue solution in the bottle is like a deep ocean. Thank you!" said Catelyn. "This storm ss could predict snowy days very urately." Alfred said as he pointed to the lower half of the bottle, "Before it snows, there will be a certain amount of sediment here, and it will be more beautifulpared to other weather." Catelyn tilted her head and looked curiously in the direction of Alfred''s fingers. They were slender and long, with well-defined knuckles. In fact, they were also very good-looking, even more than ordinary hand models. As soon as she looked up, she instantly met Alfred''s gentle eyes. Catelyn quickly looked away. "Let me know when you are leaving. I should give you a present too in return." "Okay," replied Alfred, not mentioning that the storm ss was actually made by himself. It snows very frequently during winter. He hoped that Catelyn would think of him every time she saw this storm ss. The next time he returns to Sapphire City, he would then know whether Catelyn is his fiance. Unknowingly, Cedrick actually found out that Catelyn had gone to see Alfred. He even ignored her for the entire day! Just like that, the both of them were in the state of a cold war, not talking much to each other until Draco invited Catelyn toe over to the Mason Estate for the genealogy over the weekends. Chapter 903 Chapter 903 Chapter 903 Catelyn was very unhappy and had a lot of trouble with Grandpa Mason in the past. Now that the misunderstanding was resolved, their rtionship somewhat improved. She was apanying the boys while they were doing some ink painting. Ollie was the main artist, while Miles was his assistant. Catelyn was also guiding them, and they nned to give this painting to Draco. Cedrick went to thepany early in the morning and did not arrive at the Atherton Manor until about ten o''clock. Today, he wore a light-colored casual outfit. His appearance was not too abrupt while standing alongside his wife and the two kids. On the contrary, it made him look even younger. Catelyn also put on cute little jackets and jeans for the two little boys. Many people in the manor praised the kids, saying that they both looked like child stars, which reminded Catelyn of Joanne. These days, it is not umon for cute little children to appear on television. Joanne had been pestering Catelyn many times, desperately wanting her son to be on TV! It¡¯s simply maddening! Cedrick drove a cool-looking sports car, and the family of four arrived at the Mason Estate. This was the first time they brought the boys to visit with serious intentions. Catelyn could not help but feel a little uneasy. It would be embarrassing if there were any disagreements and quarrels with Grandpa Mason. In order to ease the tense feeling, Catelyn kept drinking water. Not only did she drink her own ss of water, she even took the two boys'' cups of drinks and finished them as well. Cedrick felt her unease. He controlled the steering wheel with one hand and squeezed her hand with the other. "Don''t worry. Grandpa will definitely like you. It¡¯s going to be okay," he assured her. "He also liked Maia and Quinn back then," Catelyn said awkwardly. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Cedrick could not find any words to answer her. "Master Cedrick, wee!" At the gates of the Mason Estate, Uncle Ford was eagerly waiting for the four of them. His face was sincere when he saw Catelyn as if forgetting that he was once the person who threatened her. Catelyn had no choice but to smile back at Uncle Ford. "Uncle Ford," Catelyn greeted him politely as if nothing bad had happened between them before. Uncle Ford smiled back and enthusiastically invited them into the premises. "You look beautiful, Missus Catelyn. The old man had been expecting you. Pleasee in. He is waiting for you in the hall." Before their arrival, Draco had been feeling nervous. What if Cedrick could not get back together with Catelyn? Finally, when Draco saw the four of them, the dust settled. He breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Catelyn was willing to be here with Cedrick probably meant that everything was okay. Draco cleared his throat and tried his best to maintain a dignified image, but the enthusiasm in his voice betrayed him. ¡¯ You''re back?" he said excitedly. "Great-grandpa, Miles and I drew a picture for you," said Ollie. He noticed that Draco was still wearing the watch he gave him thest time. The dignified expression on Draco''s face suddenly disappeared, revealing a hint of curiosity. "You drew this for me? What kind of painting?" "Here!" Ollie took out a pair of ink paintings from Miles'' tiny school bag and showed it to Draco. "This is the family painting I drew with Miles. Do you like it, Great-grandpa?" said Ollie. Chapter 904 Chapter 904 Chapter 904 Draco stared at the painting in front of him. It was a family of six sitting together for a meal. Sitting at the main seat was him, a white-bearded old man. Although the brushstrokes were obviously not done by a professional artist, they definitely did not look like they came from a three-year-old child. Draco immediately nodded proudly. "As expected of my little great- grandson. Such a genius! What a masterpiece of art!" "We still have half of our genes from Mummy." Miles stuck out his head and said boldly, "It''s not all from you." Draco raised his jaw arrogantly. "If it weren''t for my son, no matter how many great genes your mother has, how could they be passed on to you?" Cough! Cough! Uncle Ford coughed twice suddenly as if to remind Draco of something. He suddenly returned to his senses and nced at Catelyn awkwardly. Draco cleared his throat and waved at Uncle Ford. "What a lovely painting. I love it! Please take the two young boys to choose a frame for it and hang it up in my study room." ¡¯Shall we?" Uncle Ford asked the boys with a smile as he bent down. Ollie nodded excitedly. Draco''s study room was somewhat of a sacred ce in the house, and outsiders were rarely allowed to enter. Everything in that room was precious. Today, the boys'' painting was about to be hung up in that room! This was an affirmation of their painting skills! Miles wanted to say something but was quickly pulled away by Ollie, and they both ran into Draco''s study room to choose a photo frame for their artwork. Catelyn witnessed the entire scene of Draco getting along with her two kids. Although it was a little awkward, it was actually quite loving. She had to say Draco''s temperament was a little bit simr to a certain arrogant man. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! As if feeling Catelyn''s gaze, Draco stood up from his seat slowly and turned around, looking like he was hesitating to speak. The veins on his temples bulged, and his old face flushed. Catelyn had a bad feeling as if she was about to see him erupt in anger. However, after a few seconds... ''Catelyn, I had misunderstood you before. Please don''t take it to heart. Since you have a child with Ceddy, you should be a good wife to him and raise the two kids," said Draco. Catelyn was stunned upon hearing Draco''s words. What aplete change in tone. She even wondered if she was hallucinating. Grandpa Mason... actually apologized to her? Seeing that Catelyn was not responding, Draco''s already livid face became more sinister. "Do you not ept my apology? Tell me, what can I do to earn your forgiveness?!" The confident tone of this old man certainly reminded Catelyn of a certain man once again. The two of them really looked more alike now... After hearing Draco''s sincere apology, Catelyn said, "Don''t worry, Grandpa. You don''t have to me yourself. I can understand that you are doing everything for Cedrick. But I do have a question for you, and I hope that you can answer me truthfully." Draco''s waist straightened as he heard her call him ''Grandpa''. He sure was not used to sumbing to a person who was three generations down from him! ''What is it?" asked Draco. "Did you ept me or my identity as the daughter of the Atherton Family? What happens if there was a girl nobler than me in the picture next time? Would you pull the same trick again and force me to break up with Cedrick, asking my children to recognize other women as their own stepmothers?" asked Catelyn. Chapter 905 Chapter 905 Chapter 905 Catelyn then asked a few more questions, which were all very blunt and straightforward, as if she was pouring everything out after bottling it all for a longtime. There was a burning pain on Draco''s face. He felt that he had underestimated Catelyn! She was clearly calling him out for all the bad things he did to her and the two kids back then. Draco choked, seemingly unable to find any words to answer her. Cedrick pretended not to hear it. He sat on the sofa and listened with great interest while pouring himself a cup of tea. There were not many other things in the old house, but there was a lot of good quality tea around, which was collected by the old man over the years. "Grandpa, is it difficult to answer my questions?" Catelyn continued to ask. She had suffered so much in the past, and her dignity had been trampled repeatedly from time to time. Now, she finally had an opportunity to stand her ground and express herself truthfully. Otherwise, she would still be looked down upon, even if she was part of the Masons. Draco knew that he could not fool her any longer. "You are the granddaughter of the Athertons! Rest assured that I will not ept any woman as my granddaughter-inw except you. Does my answer satisfy you?" "How sad," said Catelyn as she sighed. Draco tightened his eyebrows and leaned on his cane unhappily. "I have already said this from the bottom of my heart, and you will not be forsaken ever again. Why are you still sad?" "I feel sorry for Cedrick! When you choose a wife for him, it''s not about her character, and it''s not about her feelings, but her background!" eximed Catelyn. She continued, "As you said, if I weren''t the granddaughter of the Athertons, I would not have been epted by you. It''s really unfortunate for Cedrick to be your grandson." Draco did not deny what Catelyn said, but it sure sounded particrly harshing out of her mouth. Even when her identity was revealed at the reunion banquet, Draco had never been so embarrassed. What Catelyn said was the truth. A woman''s background was indeed the most important thing for Draco in choosing a wife for Cedrick. Even though Cedrick had repeatedly stated that he did not need a marriage and had repeatedly protested against his grandfather for appointing a fiancee for him, he stubbornly believed that this was the right thing to do! N?velDrama.Org owns all content. To Draco, the century-old foundation of the Mason Family was his priority, not true love. Now that Catelyn''s background has been revealed, her position was instantly transferred to the top. Since she was together with Cedrick already, there would not be any more conflicts. Draco still wanted to persuade Catelyn to list Miles in the family book. "Anyway, I''m getting old, and I won''t be able to control you in a few years. Since you and Ceddy don''t like my methods, have it your way then. Do something and make the foundation of the family so solid that Miles and Ollie don''t have to go through any marriage to strengthen the family," said Draco. Catelyn stared at the old man and pursed her lips. She stopped arguing with him. However, deep inside, she silently swore that she would never allow Ollie and Miles to not be with the person they love because of family reasons. As long as they truly love their future partners, Catelyn would fully support them. At about twelve o''clock, all the senior members of the Masons were present at the ancestral hall. Catelyn''s and Miles'' names were about to be listed in the family book of the Masons. Cedrick had alreadye up with a new name for Miles. He shall be named Alvis Mason. Miles himself was even unaware that he was renamed. Chapter 906 Chapter 906 Chapter 906 Catelyn had not received any notice in advance, and she only noticed Miles '' name change then. She looked at Cedrick and gave him a weird look. Since when did he change Miles'' name? Cedrick just smiled back at her calmly. Catelyn could not figure out what he was thinking. Meanwhile, Grandpa Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Mason''s eyes were all excited with Miles'' new name because he was the one who actually came up with it! Since knowing that Miles was the son of Cedrick, Grandpa Mason had been working on his new name. Miles just sounded too tacky! Draco had scrambled through countless books and came up with more than twenty names in total. All were sent to Cedrick. Cedrick did not mention anything, and the old man was a little worried that he would dismiss the names he proposed. However, he did not expect Cedrick to actually select the name ''Alvis'' in the end. After reciting the prayer session, Catelyn brought the two little boys to pay respect to the ancestors. Cherry looked at Catelyn and the two little guys beside her. Her eyebrows twitched a little. Draco and Cherry had been fighting for many years as siblings. Seeing Cherry''s expression, Draco mocked her, ¡¯Why are you looking at Catelyn like that? Forget it. David can''t even give you any grandchildren as bright as Ollie and Alvis." Cherry replied sarcastically, "Don''t get too cocky. Anything could happen, and something good could turn into something bad.'''' "I''m younger, yet stronger than you. Having said that, I heard that Nine had a thing with a girl from the Kingsleys. So when can I hear the good news?" sneered Draco. He continued, "Anyway, I really admire the way you handled things. In order to please that girl from the Kingsley Family, you sent Nine to her bed. However, Nine was a weird person himself. Beware, you might get bitten by him at anytime." Cherry stared at Draco fiercely as she heard his words. In fact, David was not Cherry''s grandson. He was adopted by her a long time ago. Because of this, Cherry had never taken David seriously and treats him as a tool to cultivate for the next generation. David did an excellent job in the family business, and the credit was given to Cherry''s most entric grandson, Ronald. If something were to happen, David would be med, and he would be deemed responsible for everything. Not many knew that David was adopted. Now, Draco just casually mentioned it like it was a joke! Realizing that he had said something wrong, Draco frowned. "Look, I''m in such a good mood today that I can''t keep my mouth shut." He snickered and said to Cherry, "Hey, what''s the point of our fighting for so many years? Now I finally understand clearly, having a family full of children and grandchildren is one of the great joys in life." Cherry scoffed. She got up and left for the living room. Since the standing position in the session was based on seniority, Catelyn stood very close to them. She could see that Draco and Cherry were having an unpleasant conversation, but they did not know what exactly was said. They had been fighting much less now that the both of them were old. Back then, during their younger days, the drama was much more intense! Chapter 907 Chapter 907 Chapter 907 After the genealogy, Catelyn was officially part of the Masons. ording to the rules, she and the two boys had to spend the night at Draco''s house. Uncle Ford had taken the children to their bedroom early. Miles had lived in this house before, so Uncle Ford was very aware of his preferences, bringing him some of his favorite toys. Catelyn followed the servant to the bedroom, which belonged to Cedrick. Since she was now officially Cedrick''s wife, it was natural for her to stay together with him. As soon as Catelyn opened the door, she was shocked by theyout of the room. The curtains in the luxurious bedroom have been reced with white ones, while the king-size bed is covered with fiery red rose petals, which form a peach-colored heart shape. Even the pajamas ced on the sofa at the end of the bed were all eye catching burgundy. At a nce, everything was all red and fiery. The servant blushed as she picked up a small ck box and handed it to Catelyn. "Madam, this is for you and Master Cedrick. You must wait for him to be by your side in this room before opening it. I wish you a good night tonight." Catelyn stared at the servant who had left and looked at the box, feelingpletely confused. She was only staying here for a night. Was it necessary to make everything look like a wedding room? She and Cedrick had yet to have an actual wedding, and they were only both certified. Catelyn looked at the bedroom around her and felt some happiness growing in her heart. How considerate of Grandpa Mason. Catelyn went into the bathroom with her pajamas in her arms. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The bathroom was also covered with ayer of red petals. The air around was filled with the fragrance of roses. How refreshing... Draco called Cedrickto his study room. The luxurious crystal chandelier hung down with gorgeous light. Cedrick immediately noticed that the usual art painting on the wall was missing, and it was reced with Miles'' and Ollie''s painting instead. Draco tried to maintain his image of an elder in front of Cedrick. "When are you and Catelyn going to have the wedding?" he asked. Cedrick replied slowly, "Since when did you be so concerned about my marriage with her?" Draco wished that they would hold a wedding soon to announce the world of their marriage, but he was a little annoyed with Cedrick''s chill attitude. He urged, "I''ve already got someone to pick a good date. It is advisable to get married on the eighth day of the month. Go and discuss it with your wife, and if there''s a problem. I''ll have someone to fix it," "You shouldn''t be telling me. You should tell Old Madam Atherton," said Cedrick. Knowing how much the olddy loved her granddaughter, she must have a lot of demands for the wedding. She would not just allow Catelyn and Cedrick to just go through a simple wedding! Draco was silent for a while, and then he said quietly, "If only she were willing to see me." Cedrick stood silently as he folded his arms around his chest, subtly hinting to the old man what a selfish person he was. "I''m your grandfather! How dare you talk to me like that!" yelled Draco. He picked up a paperweight on the table angrily, wanting to smash it at Cedrick''s face. Suddenly realizing that the paperweight was actually made of gold, he quickly calmed himself down and put down the paperweight on the table. Cedrick was not bothered,pletely ignoring Draco''s wrath. "I will persuade Old Madam Atherton for you." Feeling satisfied, Draco replied, "Good." Chapter 908 Chapter 908 Chapter 908 Draco took a deep breath and suddenly frowned again. "There is one more thing I have always wanted to ask you. Since Catelyn wasn''t the one who put Ollie at the entrance of the mansion, have you investigated to find out who actually did it?" Cedrick''s cold eyes sank. The culprit did not only know that the woman in the Four Seasons Hotel was Catelyn but also deliberately created the illusion of Catelyn''s ''premature birth'' to take Ollie away... Cedrick had been investigating this conspiracy for four years. There were not many clues to be traced. Instead, it was this ''fake Cedrick'' who appeared recently in Sapphire City that got his attention. Cedrick had an intuition that this impostor was rted to the conspiracy. This fake version of himself appeared in Sapphire City and imitated him. In other words, he would likely be reced by this impostor sometime in the future! Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. There was an opportunity when there was danger. Cedrick was thinking of using himself as bait, eager to find out what sort of fish he could catch... ''I will continue to investigate further," he said to the old man. "Have you ever considered that Cherry and David were behind it?" asked Draco. He had always suspected this, feeling something was wrong. If it were them, Ollie and Miles would be the perfect tool. Why even bother leaving Ollie at the gate of the mansion? Cedrick had the same thought as Draco. He shook his head, "It''s not them. There''s something bigger behind the scenes." Catelyn took a nice hot shower. She wiped the water droplets on her face as she hummed a pleasant little tune. She then put on the pajamas that Draco had prepared for her. The size was a perfect fit. The pajamas were soft andfortable. She was still wiping her damp hair casually. She did not blow-dry her hair since the bedroom was already heated. She then went straight to the bedroom. Cedrick was not back yet, probably still talking to Grandpa Mason about something important. Her eyes fell coldly back to the small ck box that the servant had given her earlier. The servant had also specifically instructed that the box must be opened only when Cedrick was present. Could it be that there was something of a surprise inside? If the servant did not emphasize thest sentence, maybe Catelyn would not pay much attention to the contents of the box. However, the servant''s words kept circling in her ears. Catelyn wanted to open the box to find out. She curiously walked over and picked up the box. The box was not locked. It was simply closed. Catelyn flicked it gently. With a click, the hidden button of the box was released. "Why did youe out without drying your hair?" Suddenly, a slightly dissatisfied voice came from behind. Catelyn was so frightened that her hands shook. The box rolled down to the ground, and the contents were scattered over the floor... Chapter 909 Chapter 909 Chapter 909 Catelyn''s face immediately turned red as she saw the contents of the box. Cedrick followed her line of sight and saw the items that fell on the ground. Noticing the beautifully furnished bedroom, Cedrick probably knew what was going on. He raised his eyebrows and said with a half-smile, "I haven''t seen it yet." Catelyn hurriedly stuffed all the scattered things back into the box. She then threw it on the sofa and covered it with a pillow. She said embarrassingly, "What do you mean? Your grandfather prepared all these. Am I supposed to use them?¡¯ No wonder the servant was so awkward earlier. It was Catelyn''s first time staying here, and the servant had to prepare everything. How embarrassing! Cedrick grinned as he approached Catelyn, his eyes looking devilish. "Well, since Grandpa had done all this for you. You better do something, or you''ll let him down,'' he taunted her. She could feel his low, hoarse voice and warm breath through her ears. Catelyn blushed. Tm warning you. Don''t do any rash and ruin my reputation, otherwise, I''ll call off the wedding!" Cedrick thought Catelyn looked really cute when she blushed, he could not help but want to pinch her cheeks. However, his eyes narrowed as he heard her threat. "Who else would you marry but me?" ''I''ll just not get married!" Catelyn roared back at him as she heard the warning in his tone of voice. Cedrick was slightly startled. He said, "We already have the marriage certificate anyway. It doesn''t really matter if we have a wedding." "You...¡¯ Catelyn could not answer for a while, and her pretty face flushed immediately. She red at Cedrick angrily and sneered. "Well, you can save some money if there''s no wedding, right? If you and grandpa get tired of me next time, you can just kick me out, and no one will ever know that I''m your ex-wife." Cedrick was just teasing her, but he did not expect her to be that angry. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. He took her hand, put it on his lips, and gnawed on it gently, leaving a tooth mark on it. ¡¯I''m just kidding. The wedding is already being prepared, and it will be held next year." He continued, "This will be the only wedding in my life, and no one else can be my bride but you. I promise." Catelyn covered her ears. "Stop it with all the sweetness!" "And I say this all from the bottom of my heart. I don''t have a very big heart. There is only one woman who could fill the void within it, and that person... is you," said Cedrick as he stared at her deeply. He then said in a hoarse voice, "Go and dry your hair." Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the bathroom, Catelyn''s heartbeat returned to normal. Chapter 910 Chapter 910 Chapter 910 Cedrick went to the balcony for a smoke. Ever since the incident where he broke up with Catelyn, he had picked up the habit of smoking again. Catelyn finished drying her hair and came out of the bedroom. She looked around and saw that there was nobody around. She turned her head toward the balcony and saw a glimpse of a tall figure on it. Cedrick took a deep breath as he finished his cigarette. Suddenly, a small hand stretched in and snatched the cigarette butt from his fingers. Catelyn said angrily, "Smoking is not good for your health. You promised me you''d stop doing this. Well, why did you start again?" N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Just as she was about to crush the cigarette butts and throw them into the trash can, Cedrick''s big palm intercepted her small, fragile hand. He stared at her with his dark eyes and slowly exhaled smoke at her face. Catelyn choked and coughed several times and stared back at him furiously. When Catelyn woke up the next day, Cedrick was no longer by her side on the bed. She rubbed her slightly swollen head. Her cold had been cured for a couple of days, so why was her head still feeling so groggy? She looked at the time. It was half past nine! She quickly jumped out of bed. Why did the rm not sound? In lightning speed, Catelyn quickly cleaned herself up and changed into a cashmere jacket, and went downstairs. The living room was full ofughter. Draco was spending his time ying with wood blocks with the two boys. As he saw Catelyning downstairs, he was not displeased at all and was smiling instead. "Ceddy said you were too tiredst night, so I didn''t ask the servants to wake you up. Anyway, there''s breakfast in the kitchen for you.¡± Catelyn guessed that the old man was thinking crookedly. She tugged her long hair and asked, "Where''s Ceddy?" "He went out early in the morning to get something," replied Draco. Catelyn nodded. She sat down as Uncle Ford brought her breakfast to the table. Staring at the rich and nutritious food, her appetite widened. It was a typical breakfast with eggs and sausages. It tasted light and healthy. Draco sat down opposite her and hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively, "If there is anything wrong with Ceddy, would you despise him?" Chapter 911 Chapter 911 Chapter 911 Catelyn chewed the swordfish rolls. When she heard Draco''s words, she quickly swallowed and responded questioningly, "What has he done? Grandpa, don''t tell me you''re still looking for a mistress for Ceddy." "That''s not what I meant.¡± Draco put on a serious look and added, "I mean, if Ceddy has...an underlying illness, but one that won''t affect your normal life at the moment, would you still love him the same?" "Underlying illness? What do you mean?" "It''s a long story; me me for it if you must. It was all because of a lover of mine in the past." Draco sighed faintly. Since Catelyn was officially a member of the family, he decided not to keep secrets. Even if he did not tell her, Syl would sooner orter tell Catelyn before the wedding. He told Catelyn that someone poisoned him decades ago but identally harmed his descendants, and as he ryed the story, his eyes seemed to be glossed with tears. ''Ceddy is the lucky one. When he was born, medicine development flourished globally, and our team sessfully developed an antidote to restrain the toxin. Still, it''ll attack him from time to time, which is indescribably painful. Maybe I''m being too abstract here, but most of my sons and grandsons couldn''t stand the suffering and eventually The fork in Catelyn''s hand fell on the dining table with a tter. As she listened to Draco, perhaps it was because of empathy, but she felt like she had traveled back in time and saw a young boy covering his head with his hands, mming himself against the wall repeatedly until he fell unconscious. Her heart tightened for a moment, her vision became blurred, and her voice nearly cracked with how intensely she snapped, her eyes red as she did, "Why did you betray that woman? Why can''t you protect your children? And my grandma was deeply hurt by you! "You''re a living devil. People like you don''t deserve forgiveness. I hope you live the rest of your life in guilt and remorse!" Draco listened on as his lips quivered, but he had no right to refute it. Tears fell, and finally, he hunched over his back and repeatedly said, "I''m sorry..." "Being sorry doesn''t help. Your apology won''t make up for my grandmother and to get rid of the toxins in Ceddy''s body. You said that this virus can be inherited, so what about Miles and Ollie? Are they going to suffer in the future, too?!1'' Catelyn suddenly became emotional and agitated. She thought she could already live a happy life, but she never thought that the greatest tragedy had always been by her side, and it was just a matter of time. If Miles and Ollie also housed this virus in their system, they would suffer from severe pain in the future. She was so afraid that she would even want to kill Draco. She was not afraid of being despised and trampled on, nor of being threatened and hurt, but for her babies to suffer for the sin of their elders instead. The more she talked, the angrier she became. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. No longer having the mood for breakfast, Catelyn shot up from her seat and stormed to the living room. She gazed at her two sons ying, trying her best to suppress her sadness, but she was just not strong enough to hold back anymore. Soon, she burst into tears. ''Why didn''t Cedrick tell me about something this important?'' Some time ago, Cedrick brought the boys to the hospital in the name of a physical examination and took away two tubes of blood samples. ''Is it just to check whether there is a virus in their body?'' Miles keenly noticed his mother''s mood, threw away the Spyderman model in his hand, and looked up at her, his chubby face concerned. "Who upset you, Mommy?" "Go and pack up. I''ll take you home." Catelyn could not stay any longer. Every time she came to Mason Chateau, she would be disappointed. She was afraid that she might curse Draco with all the vicious words in the world the longer she stayed. "Catelyn, don''t leave yet." Draco chased after her at the moment, wiped away his tears, and said with guilt, "I know this is all my fault, but it has happened. What''s the use of taking two children away? That won''t solve the problem. Ceddy owns a privateboratory in-" Chapter 912 Chapter 912 Chapter 912 "Don''t bother; I''ll find solutions myself. Now, get out of the way!" Catelyn did not give Draco a chance to finish his sentence and resolutely took the two children, leaving him frozen in ce at Mason Chateau. Sylvie saw Catelyn striding in, past the gates of Atherton Manor, with a furious expression. ''That cursed old man. For Cedrick''s sake, I relented in letting my precious granddaughter be registered on your family pedigree book. How dare you even bully my granddaughter?!'' "Oh, Cat, don''t cry. Tell me: why did that ungrateful old man bully you? I''ll get back at him for you.¡± Sylvie handed a tissue to Catelyn and gently wiped her tears for her. Catelyn said incoherently, "Grandma, does the Atherton family have any doctor specialized in hereditary diseases? Miles and Ollie... They may have a gic disease in their bodies, but I¡ªI... I can''t do anything for them...¡± Sylvie''s movement of wiping her tears halted, and her eyelids twitched. The thing she was most worried about finally happened. Catelyn knew the truth. She never dared to tell Catelyn all this time because she feared that she would panic when she found out. ''Oh, don''t cry, Cat... I''ve heard about the gic disease of the Mason family too, but it''s not that scary. Medicine development and inventory are so advanced now, so perhaps Miles and Ollie won''t inherit the disease. That''s possible, too! Hasn''t Cedrick kept the disease well under control all these years?"N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "But apart from Cedrick, Elder Mason''s sons and grandsons are all dead!" Catelyn whimpered aggrievedly as though countless ws were scratching her heart, and she felt tormented. "Grandma, is this why you have been preventing me from being together with Cedrick? Tell me, please..." Sylvie sighed helplessly and nodded. In the end, she could not conceal the truth. "I know Cedrick will be a good husband for you, but he has a gic disease in his body. I don''t want you to suffer with him-" "I''m so stupid! Why didn''t I find it out earlier?!" Catelyn cried until she was out of breath, and all her grievances and sadness were thrown at her grandmother. Sylvie keptforting her that the medical team would soon run the test, all while patting her back gently and saying, "It''s okay. Vent it out. I''ll be here with you..." Catelyn cried bitterly, and when she was done, she felt like her strength had returned to her. After all, she was a mother of two kids, and she needed to be strong for them. Soon, with Sylvie''s order, a gic expert came to the door to take blood samples from the two little guys fortesting. When the expert lifted Miles'' arm, he saw a thin pinhole on the skin above his vein, and he could tell that it was a newly formed wound. Catelyn stroked the pinhole and asked in a trembling voice, "Where did thise from?" Miles pouted and pointed at the transparent test tube in the expert''s hand. ¡¯ Just a few days ago, Big Demon took Ollie and me to a hospital for a physical examination. The doctor took our blood with a much thicker tube than this one." Chapter 913 Chapter 913 Chapter 913 It was true after all. Cedrick took the blood of Miles and Ollie for testing in advance. Cedrick was also worried that they might carry the virus in their bodies. The realization made Catelyn''s knees go limp. "It''s been tested, so do I need to test again?" the doctor asked suspiciously. Miles and Ollie had just been through a blood-drawn of arge amount recently. She was afraid that they could not stand it. Sylvie noticed the worry in Catelyn''s eyes and decided on her behalf as she gestured for the doctor to leave. "Don''t be freaked out. Maybe the boys are blessed,¡± Sylvieforted earnestly. Catelyn choked up and nodded. She could not wait to call Cedrick, wanting to know the results of the test. Her hands were still shaking until the call came through, and she was panicked and scared. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. After all, women would only understand how terrible it was for their children to be sick when they became a mother. Coincidentally, Cedrick happened to arrive at Mason Chateau and found out that Catelyn had taken the two children away. Noticing that Catelyn was calling him before he even searched her up, he answered the call in mere seconds. He did not notice Draco''s hesitant expression and went straight to the flower garden to answer the phone. His tone was very soft and indulgent as he spoke, ¨¬ promised to send you back in the afternoon. What''s wrong? Why didn''t you wait for me to leave?¡± Hearing his nonchnt question, Catelyn gritted her teeth and asked," Miles and Ollie have pinholes on their arms. Did you take them for a blood test?" Cedrick and Catelyn have been together for so long, hence Cedrick could hear the subtle choking in her utterance. He nced at Draco, who was sitting in the living room sighing, and had an inkling of what had happened. "What have you found out?" "I know everything." Catelyn covered her face nervously, her heart beating wildly as if it was about to pop out of her body. "The truth...that you''re the only seedling in your lineage, in the Mason family. It''s because of a gic disease! "How are the test results? Are they out yet? Do Miles and Ollie carry the virus in their bodies?" Cedrick''s face became even more gloomy, and he nced at Draco coldly. He told Catelyn everything, obviously. Draco noticed Cedrick''s ufortable stare, so he turned his face away and called Uncle Ford to help him go upstairs. Without Miles and Ollie, the Mason Chateau was unexpectedly quiet. Even though they only stayed for a day and a night, Draco was already used to their presence. When he went upstairs, his entire figure seemed all too despondent to Cedrick. ''Where are you now? I''lle to find you," said Cedrick without hesitation, and a steely expression overtook his face. When Cedrick arrived at Atherton Manor, it was just lunchtime. Catelyn pulled him to theke house in the manor, clutched the hem of his clothes nervously, and anxiously asked, "What about the test results? How are they?¡± Cedrick frowned slightly and knew that she would lose her temper when she learned the truth. That was a tough row to hoe, and he knew she was concerned about the safety of the two children more than anything else. "Don''t worry, Yael is still doing the analysis, and the results may note out until tomorrow." "You''re lying!" Catelyn, afraid that Cedrick was lying, bit her bottom lip and retorted," When we were in Mason Chateau, your grandfather said that you went out in the morning to get something. Is it a report?! "Please, no matter what the oue will be, tell me... Stop keeping me in the dark like a fool..." Seeing that she was about to cry, Cedrick reached out and put her head into his chest. Chapter 914 Chapter 914 Chapter 914 Catelyn was caught off-guard when Cedrick pulled her to him, but she then violently resisted. The more she resisted, however, the tighter Cedrick held her. He patientlyforted her, "I''m not lying to you. I went to pick up a confidential document from thepany in the morning. You know you can trust me. If the results are out, I''ll let you know as soon as possible." Catelyn softly hit Cedrick''s chest with her fist and whimpered, "I don''t believe you. You always refuse to tell me about important things. How long do you still n to hide your secrets from me? I am their mother and have the right to know their health!" Cedrick did not feel any pain in his chest. Seeing the tears shing in her eyes, he subconsciously frowned slightly and said in a hoarse voice, "I just don''t want you to worry..." "Excuses! Grandma knows it, and you know it, too. Everyone in the Mason family knows it except me!" Annoyed and worried, her emotions became unstable. She then bit on his arm and indistinctly growled, "You even took their blood for testing secretly. It was premeditated, wasn''t it?! I don''t know how many things you''re still hiding from me! "Tell me: your disease has something to do with the ident Ste was involved in that night, doesn''t it? You refused to tell me where you went because of that, right?" Cedrick''s frown deepened at how she shoved him away. He noticed the conflict of emotions in her eyes. "I did find Yael that night. He''s my doctor and has always been in charge of my disease, but he''s obsessed with medical research, so I didn''t take you to see him." ''No wonder he''s been refusing to tell me what he was doing day and night when he disappeared... Once he exined that he went to the doctor, it''d make me suspect that he was sick. He''d rather be misunderstood that he hurt Ste than exin where he went.'' Catelyn felt sad and helpless. "Then, what would you do if the two children were found out to have inherited the virus? Would you continue to hide it from me?" "I don''t answer hypothetical questions." Repeated questions from Catelyn made Cedrick uncontrobly grit his teeth as he was holding his temper. He gave her a sharp stare. "Since you know everything now, your grandmother must''ve told you that this virus is very hereditary. I was told that I''d die anytime. Knowing this now, will you still want to be with me?" Catelyn''s focus was not at all on either being with him or not; she never thought about leaving him after all. She was most concerned about the safety of her two children at that moment. A moment of silence in Cedrick''s eyes seemed forever. His expression suddenly cooled down as he sped Catelyn''s wrist with one hand and forced her against a pir of theke house. "Answer me: will you break up with me because of this?" Although he did not believe that he would die from the virus, he was still curious about Catelyn''s thoughts. "You''re hurting me! Let me go!" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick''s grip on Catelyn''s wrist was so painful that she unconsciously struggled, wanting to fling away his hand. Cedrick stared at her trembling shoulders, then smiled bitterly, looking determined. "While on the way here, I kept asking myself if you disliked that I wasn''t an ideal person and that the child you had with me might have a gic disease. ''What would I do?'' I asked myself. "I thought about many possibilities, but I saw you, and at that very moment, I knew very well that whether you want it or not, I won''t let go as long as I am alive. You''re destined to be only mine in this life!" After that, Cedrick let go of Catelyn''s hand, turned around, and left. Just as he took two steps, however, Catelyn hugged him from behind. Chapter 915 Chapter 915 Chapter 915 Catelyn''s tears dropped as her arms tightly wrapped around Cedrick''s waist. "I''m sorry. I didn''t want to lose my temper with you, and I never hated you... '' she wept, sounding like a child. ¡¯I just can''t ept that Miles and Ollie are going to suffer... It''s such a serious illness..." She recalled what Draco had told her; that most descendants of the Mason family could not stand the pain and As a mother, her greatest hope was the healthy and safe growth of her two children. Catelyn hugged him even tighter. "I''m too selfish. You''re a victim too. You''re already in great pain, but I still imposed my sorrow on you." Cedrick''s heart that was iid with frost was once again softened by Catelyn. Nheless, the word ''victim'' inexplicably induced a little self- deprecation in Cedrick. He was clear that having such a strange disease at birth, even if well- controlled, was still a hidden danger. The saddest thing was that his sons and grandsons would all inherit this disease. "Are you taking pity on me? Yes, I''m a poor man-" "No!" Catelyn hurriedly shook her head. "You gave me hope and stayed by my side when I was in despair, helpless, and sad. You alwaysforted me, and you were always there. You might have the most arrogant look in the world, but I''m sure that deep down, you have the softest heart in the world. I didn''t take pity on you. I love you..." ''At the same time, I feel sorry for you. Sorry that I wasn''t there when you were just a kid to help you get through the suffering of the disease...'' She hugged him for a long time and did not let go while Cedrick closed his eyes silently, slowly held her hands, and remained silent. While waiting for the test results, Catelyn had been restless constantly. In addition, she had been haunted by nightmares since she shot the kidnappers. She dreamed that a bloody man came to ask her for her life. She could not sleep, so she went to a chapel in the Atherton Manor. When Eugene died, Sylvie had someone to build the chapel, and Catelyn would usuallye to pay homage to him. Catelyn genuflected in front of a cross, solemnly crossing her fingers and resting her forehead on it. She prayed for Cedrick and her children to be healthy. She was even willing to sacrifice her own life in exchange for their health. Catelyn stayed in the chapel for more than half an hour. When she got up, her knees became numb due to kneeling for too long, and she almost stumbled and fell forward. Fortunately, a hand helped her up in time. Catelyn smelled a familiar scent of cologne and turned to look at the man who grabbed her arm in time. "Cousin?" N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Edwin helped Catelyn to sit on the wooden chair beside him. He seemed a little less condescending but a little more caring. "You looked restless since afternoon. What''s been bothering you? Rx: God has his n, and everything will be fine. Don''t put all the burdens on yourself, darling. It''s not your responsibility after all." "Thank you. I didn''t want to stress myself out too, but I shot someone that day. I had nightmares every time I closed my eyes. I just...couldn''t sleep sometimes, no matter what I did." It made her feel like this was the retribution her children should pay. "Kitty, it''s not right for you to think so. That man is a criminal with countless murder cases on the record. You did kill him, but think about the people you might''ve saved. You''re doing good deeds, so good fortune wille." Edwin yfully raised his eyebrows to ease Catelyn''s anxiety. Chapter 916 Chapter 916 Chapter 916 Catelyn almost burst withughter at Edwin''s reply. She was amused that Edwin managed to put murder into such a sublime act. She signaled him to look at the cross and said smilingly, "You might want to be mindful of what you say in front of Him. God bless you." Edwin nced at the crucifix enshrined in the middle of the chapel. After Eugene''s death, Sylvie woulde to recite the prayer for the dead whenever she was free. At the end of the day, it was an ordeal for a mother to lose a son. ¡¯I don''t believe in gods or ghosts. I only believe in myself." Catelyn seemed to have seen Cedrick in Edwin when he said that. Cedrick, too, never believed in those. As an atheist, he felt that religion was just a form of psychologicalfort. "Forget it. Let''s talk about your Christmas n with Joanne. Christmas ising soon, and no matter how much she tries to hide, she''ll need to go back to Atherton Manor. You know Grandma has been thinking about her grandchild in Joanne''s womb." "Uncle Eugene has just passed away. It isn''t bad after all to let Grandma have high hopes and look forward to something." "So you''re still going to keep her in the dark?" Catelyn frowned. The longer Edwin kept it a secret, the greater the impact Joanne would face when he debunked it in the future. It was undeniably a snowball effect that would lead to an adverse oue. ''What, then? Do you want Grandma to suffer another bereavement? Kitty, as Joanne''s best friend, you should understand that she came from an ordinary family with an upsetting growing environment. She won''t be looked down upon only if she moves into Atherton Manor when she''s pregnant." Of course, Catelyn knew Joanne''s growing background very well. She lost her biological mother when she was a child, and her father married her stepmother. She was not treated well by her parents as they were extremely biased toward her step-sister. It was because of that that she entered the entertainment industry to make money while still in college. In fact, their family was fairly well-off as her father owned a medium-sizedpany with a constant annual ie of around several million dors. He also had a vi in a good location in the city center. It was just that thepany was far from beingparable to the Atherton family''spanies, hence Joanne was most likely nothing different from an ordinary person in the eyes of the Atherton family members. Catelyn stubbornly stared at Edwin and asked him for a cast-iron guarantee, "Promise me that no matter what happens, you''ll protect her well. If you hurt her in the long run, you''ll find that she''s a very distressed girl. I don''t want to see her hurt in the slightest." Edwin smiled yfully but did not take it to heart. "You know I''m always protective of prettydies." Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ''She''s not that kind of mistress you''ll find out there!" Catelyn stressed angrily. "Okay. Chill!" Edwin waved his hand. "I have an agreement with her that I''ll make her the brightest star in the circle of celebrities. She''s my money maker now, so why would I hurt her?" Catelyn felt annoyed and restless for Joanne. "You''ve been hurting her since the night you spent with her in the Barricade Club. I apanied her to the hospital for a body check that day, and you''ll never know how much she suffered. When she was taking the contraceptive pill, she felt wronged as if she asked for the suffering, yet she was tough and didn''t me anyone, not even you! I don''t think I''ll ever forget that day for the rest of my life. "Cousin, if you don''t love her, just let her go. Spare her, leave her, and be a f* ckboy if you wish!" If it were not for the fact that Joanne had married Edwin, she would never forgive Edwin. She would even file a However, Edwin took a deep breath and said with a faint voice, intending to show dominance, "She''s not only your friend but also your sister-inw now!" In other words, he would never let Joanne go. Chapter 917 Chapter 917 Chapter 917 Cedrick brought Catelyn to see Yael in the morning two dayster. In that mysterious and well-guardedboratory, Catelyn finally met Yael for the first time, and as Cedrick had reminded her, he was obsessed with medical research and was wearing a whiteb coat. He had eye bags, too. Yael perfunctorily greeted Catelyn and Cedrick, took two sets of protective suits for them, and took them to a sterile culture room. Several Petri dishes were ced on the high cultivation tform, and Yael and Cedrick were speaking in medical terms that Catelyn could not understand. Nheless, she understood that the cells in these Petri dishes were all cultured with the blood of her two sons. If they wanted to find out the effectiveness of the medicine, they could not use reagents for the test because the risk and uncertainty were high. Wearing a protective mask, Catelyn asked Yael hurriedly, her voice indistinct, "Tell me: do they inherit the disease? Will the suffering be as painful as Ceddy''s years ago, and do they need to constantly take medicine like him?" Miles had not taken any medicine to inhibit the growth of the virus in the past few years, not to mention that he was a premature baby. Catelyn worried that it might be toote for Miles to have his predicament under control. Yael then exined the information, but as it was riddled with medical terms, Catelyn became exasperated and urged him for ayman''s exnation. "English, please!"Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. "Did I speak alien?" Yael looked at Cedrick, seekingfort. Cedrick replied disrespectfully, "Stop beating around the bush. You said a lot, but you didn''t give an urate answer!" "Okay, fine,e with me." Yael took the two of them to a transparent ss room with the most advanced blood analyzer. After Yael hit the pad on the machine, two test sheets were printed, and he handed them to Cedrick and Catelyn. "This is the current status of the virus and immunity in your son''s body." Catelyn did not know what the colorful things sticking to the outer wall of the cell in the erged photo were and looked at Cedrick subconsciously. Cedrick, on the other hand, was extremely astonished. The virus immunity in the blood of Miles and Ollie were as high as 70 percent. Although the virus was hereditary, with the development of medicine, some gic engineering and means could be used to weaken the impact of the virus, resulting in weaker infectivity in cross-generations inheritance. The immune system in Cedrick''s body was only 17 percent. Therefore, he needed medical drugs to suppress his disease and hence live a normal life. However, certain unknown causes would still incur his disease. For example, certain drugs he took during the injury would neutralize the medicinal properties of the antiviral drugs he had been taking, weak willpower, or other diseases in the body. The two children''s immune bodies were unexpectedly high enough that as long as the virus did not mutate within a controble range, they would not have to worry about their health at all. "The result of the inspection shows that...they''re safe from the virus." Cedrick breathed a sigh of relief. "Are they?!" Catelyn covered her mouth in disbelief, tears almost falling out of her excitement. "Are the children in good health? The result won''t go wrong, right?" Before she came, she had been working up to ept the worst oue calmly, but when she saw the analysis report, her heart palpitated, and she could not remain calm. "Miss rk, even if you don''t believe me, you have to believe in my high- tech instruments. These are all sponsored by Cedrick at a huge cost!¡± boomed Yael, exceptionally proud when he said that. Chapter 918 Chapter 918 Chapter 918 "Thank you so much!" Catelyn blinked profusely and looked up at the ceiling, trying to hold back her tears. She should not be crying at an ted moment like this. She then put on a smile, and the smile made Cedrick less worried. Cedrick was the head of the family, and he needed to take responsibility to protect her. Hence, no matter how worried he was, he would never show it. The anxiety of the past few days finally vanished when he got the report. Catelyn, on the other hand, regained her vigor and insisted on inviting Yael to dinner. When Yael came out of theboratory, he saw a vast expanse of white snow that covered the earth. The temperature was below zero, implying that it was wintertime. He eximed, "Hmm. I thought it was still autumn just a moment ago. It seems like there''s snow everywhere!" Catelyn gave him a speechless look, thinking that he was too engrossed in his work. Cedrick teased, "He can only make contributions to developing medicine. When ites to anything beyond that, he knows nothing." Catelyn covered her mouth and snickered, folded the report sheets neatly, and kept them in her purse. When they were waiting for food at the dining table, she kept asking Yael about the virus, "When will youe back for a re-examination? Is it possible for the virus to mutate? Do they need other drugs to restrain it when it mutates?" Yael put down the cutlery, sat up straight, and started to exin with his right-hand gesturing, "Body responsive test will be carried out every three to four months, and that would be more than enough. The virus is constantly mutating, but it''s only worrying when the mutation is beyond the controble range. There is no need to take medicine for now. The children are still young, so the medicine will be three-fold poisonous to them." "I don''t know how I can return your favor. Don''t be shy to order whatever you want to eat today; it''s on me!" Catelyn said, being generous. The happier the three of them were, the more resentful the person in a corner watching them was. It has been a while since Tracy and her mother returned to America. The day Eugene was sent to the hospital, she was forced to halt her studies and return to take care of her father. Initially, it was thought that the punishment for Eugene was just life imprisonment and that she could find a way tomute his sentence, so he could be released on parole sooner. However, disaster struck. On the way from the hospital to the prison, Eugene was involved in a fatal car ident that killed him on the spot. With clenched fists, a pair of eyes stared at the three of them resentfully from the dimmed corner. Tracy''s mother, Sammy Winx, gently pulled her daughter''s arm and said," Tracy, let''s go." Tracy, however, was unwilling to leave. "Mom, that woman killed Dad!" "Didn''t the police close the case and tell US that it was purely an ident? Stop thinking about it anymore. Your Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! grandma has finally epted US, so let''s calm down and go home." Sammy sighed helplessly. Sammy was only Eugene''s second and unofficial wife many years ago. During that time, his legal wife had several abortions before she married Eugene, and her fertility was eventually impaired. Eugene could not have children with his first wife, so he always loved Sammy and their daughter, Tracy, very much. However, the names of the two of them were never registered in the family book. That meant they were not being deemed as members of the Atherton family by other members. After Eugene''s death, Sylvie allowed them toe back to the Atherton Manor and put their names in the Atherton family book. "Don''t be fooled by them, Mom. Hiring someone to murder somebody is just as simple as buying food for dinner! I''m sure Dad''s death wasn''t an ident, and there''s also a problem with the confession of the driver who caused the ident! Even if it was an ident, if Catelyn hadn''te back out of nowhere to steal Dad''s property, Dad wouldn''t have done such mad things that brought him to his death!" Chapter 919 Chapter 919 Chapter 919 Besides being in charge of Eugene''s funeral, Tracy had been secretly observing Catelyn and Cedrick all this while. Tracy and Sammy were still saddened by the loss of their loved one, yet Catelyn and Cedrick were happily chatting andughing. To Tracy, it was no different than mocking the death of her father. "Tracy, enough." Sammy stared at Tracy with red eyes. "No! Why can''t I voice it out? He''s your husband. Your husband was killed! Shouldn''t you avenge him?" "But the two of us have no status in the Atherton family. How can we fight Catelyn and Cedrick?" Of course, Sammy wanted to seek revenge for her husband, but she could do nothing. Tracy wrung her fingers together and said indignantly, "Isn''t grandma''s seventy-seventh birthday just around the corner?" "What?! Are you nning to do something at your grandma''s birthday party? '' Sammy was taken aback by his daughter''s bold idea. "Don¡¯t. If something goes wrong, we''ll be kicked out of the Atherton family!" The only thing they could rely on was the Atherton family. After all, Eugene''s inheritance that was left for them was not much. "Anyway, I won''t let them get away with that!" The heavy burden on her heart finally disappeared, and Catelyn could finally n for the wedding with peace of mind. She and Cedrick nned to hold a wedding on an artificial ind near Sapphire City. It was a tourist attraction with mountains and rivers, and there were many local farms nearby that could be the source of fresh food for their wedding. ''It must be very majestic to walk toward an officiant against the sea breeze in an elegant wedding dress,'' Catelyn pondered. Most of the things had been prepared and arranged by the Mason family, and Catelyn only had to decide on her style and preference. Sylvie also wanted to be at the helm of Catelyn''s wedding, but her seventy seventh birthday was approaching, and the Atherton family had been busy preparing for that. Initially, not long after Eugene died, she did not want to hold a big birthday party. However, life had to go on, and so did everyone else. She faintly felt that her health was getting worse every day, especially the wounds that were caused by Eugene on the cruise ship, which made her ufortable and could not sleep at night. She wanted to take that opportunity to poprize Catelyn among the wealthydies and socialites of the upper ss, hence she specially invited famous nobles and a few rtives of the Atherton family abroad to the wedding dress and let the Mason family take care of the arrangement of the wedding. The Mason family even prepared a booklet that included all the details of the wedding for her to look over. Sylvie''s birthday party was such a big event as every one of the Atherton family was preparing gifts and surprises for her. Catelyn and her children were no exception. On the eve of her birthday, Catelyn and the two little kids had built a snowman in the garden of the manor, putting on a hat and holding a carrot in its hand. They looked very happy, and Sylvie could hear theughter of the three from afar. Tracy and Sammy passed by the garden and snorted in disgust. "Let''s see if you can stillugh tomorrow!" "Mommy, does my snowman look good?" asked Miles as he drew two lines on the snowman''s cheek, representing wrinkles. Catelyn''s hands were red from the cold. "That''s cute! Your snowman is much prettier than mine." Catelyn always praised his son to give him confidence and encouragement. "Do you still remember how to make a cake? Mommy taught you that." Miles nodded, raised his chin arrogantly, and coolly replied, "Don''t worry, I''ll make a super delicious strawberry cake for my great-grandmother tomorrow!" "Awesome!¡± Catelyn lowered her head and gently squeezed the little guy''s chubby cheeks. Miles did not really feel cold since he had been running around. Still, when Catelyn touched his cheeks, he shuddered and immediately tightened his eyebrows. "Mommy, your hands are so cold. You should go back in! Leave it to me and Ollie. We''ll be able to make our own snowman." Miles wiped his hands and pushed Catelyn back into the manor. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Catelyn could not help butugh. Sometimes, her sons behaved more like her husband. Chapter 920 Chapter 920 Chapter 920 Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The clock struck midnight as a reminder of the next day''s arrival. Catelyn immediately sent a text message to Sylvie to congratte her. She knew that her grandmother was asleep, but she still wanted to wish her on time. Thinking of the gift she would give to her grandmother the next morning, she was afraid that her grandmother might not like it. At 12.30 p.m. on the next day, guests started to arrive at Atherton Manor right after having lunch. In the past, no matter what kind of celebration that was, it was always held in a hotel. Henceforth, for all the guests, that was the first time a party was held in Atherton Manor. Holding a party in Atherton Manor was a symbol and also a showcase of the Atherton family''s dignity. Catelyn went to the airport to pick up Joanne early in the morning and went straight to the nearby high- end evening dress boutique. Although the banquets she attended in the past as a celebrity was not as high-ss as the Atherton family''s, Edwin told her the preference of his grandmother and how their family''s parties would usually look like before. Thus, she chose a low-key mossy-green high low-hem dress, which showed off her exquisite body shape. Catelyn chose a light blue one-shoulder evening dress with a hollowed-out chest, which was fashionable and attractive. While she was looking in the mirror, Joanne peeked from behind. "Screw you." Catelyn picked up the hem of her chest and teased Joanne, "Yours is more exaggerated than mine!" Joanne chuckled, not feeling embarrassed at all, and raised her chest to show off. "Aww, someone''s jealous. I guess it''s gic, you know?" Catelyn rolled her eyes at Joanne and then looked at her own. It was iparable. Joanne was a typical baby-face girl with big boo- Silently retracting her eyes, Catelyn asked about Joanne''s gift for her grandmother. Joanne said that Edwin had it ready, and she did not have to care about that. In fact, Joanne had prepared something else. She knitted a scarf for Sylvie, but Edwin disliked it and told her that he would buy a gift for Sylvie on their behalf. Joanne''s eyes dimmed when she heard that. Sylvie was very kind to her, but unfortunately, Edwin did not allow her to give that to her, probably because the scarf was too embarrassing in appearance. After taking a deep breath, Joanne smiled again and changed the subject of their conversation. However, Catelyn nced at her t belly with a hint of worry, hoping that everything would be smooth and no trouble would be encountered at her grandmother''s birthday party. Around 5 p.m., Catelyn and Joanne finished getting ready, and the driver took them to Atherton Manor. That was the first time Joanne came here, so she was rather nervous. Fortunately, with Catelyn apanying her, the tension and difort were relieved a lot. Arriving at the door, they found Kelly, who was dressed maturely and prudently, waiting for them. When she saw Catelyn and Joanne getting out of the car, she was a little surprised. She had long known that the eldest Master Edwin had married a baby faced female star, and she often apanied Granny Atherton to watch Joanne''s TV shows. It was just that Joanne was not that famous and there were rumors about her. Most of the characters Joanne yed in those films and TV shows were the antagonist, too. It was because of this, and the fact that Joanne did not have a lot of fans, that most people found her characters annoying. Fortunately, Joanne had been showing her best side in interviews andte- night talk shows, which somewhat gained her some poprity. When Kelly looked at her, she found Joanne had a pair of pleasing eyes, and she could tell from them that Joanne had a generous heart and a kind soul. Chapter 921 Chapter 921 Chapter 921 "Miss rk, Madam Joanne.¡± Kelly suppressed her inner anxiety, gazed at Joanne quietly, and said with a smile, "Pleasee with me quickly. All the guests are almost here, and they''ve been waiting for both of you." "Joanne, this is Aunt Kelly. You can seek help from Aunt Kelly for anything in the manor," introduced Catelyn. "Oh, hello, Aunt Kelly, I''m Joanne. Your help would be lovely when I''m around the manor." Joanne grinned at Kelly. The smile was sincere and naive, and it amused Kelly. Kelly could not believe that there was such a big contrast between Joanne''s personality and the characters she yed in the film and TV shows. She seemed to understand why Edwin would fall in love with her. She shook hands with Joanne and said respectfully, "Madam Joanne, I''ll be here for you all the time. By the way, Granny Atherton has been thinking about you." "There''s a show I''ve been working on, so I''m quite busytely." Joanne habitually wanted to stroke her long hair, but when she reached halfway, she remembered that she had her hair nicely tied up, so she tidied up the hem of her dress instead. That was typical behavior of Joanne whenever she lied. She did not want toe to the manor and deceive a kind, olddy and hurt her with the fact that she was not pregnant. Fortunately, Catelyn brought the twins back. Otherwise, she would die of guilt. Kelly brought both of them to the main hall of the manor. Many societies and wealthydies kepting up to chat with Catelyn. Unsurprisingly, they did not recognize Joanne, but they were very curious as to who the woman that the most respectful daughter of Miss Atherton brought along was. In the main hall, Sylvie was chatting with her neighbors and close friends in her boudoir. She looked calm, kind, and amiable as she spoke. "Aww, is she your granddaughter? She''s very good-looking!" "Who''s the girl next to her? She''s pretty." "She looks very much like her mother. If I didn''t know her age, I would''ve thought that Summer has returned home." Everyone was praising Catelyn fondly, and it made Sylvie beam with pride. Summer ran away from home when she was young, and Sylvie did not have much chance to show her the world. Therefore, she wanted topensate Catelyn, her granddaughter, for the love and care she failed to give Summer. She smiled and beckoned for Catelyn and Joanne toe before introducing them. Everyone was shocked when they heard Sylvie say that Joanne was her granddaughter-inw. ''Is Edwin married?'' was the question in everyone''s head at that moment. Joanne, who was being looked at from head to toe by those nobledies, blushed ufortably. She and Edwin agreed that their marriage would not be made public, so her work would not be affected. All that, and Sylvie just said it so openly, and everyone in the hall knew about it! Even though there were no media present that day, she still felt ufortably weird. "Joanne,e here." Sylvie smiled and waved to Joanne. When Joanne faced Sylvie, she smiled. "Yes, G-Grandma?" "Thest meeting was in a hurry, so I didn''t have time to pick a proper greeting gift for you. This is a gift from the Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Atherton family to you, my granddaughter-inw. Please ept it." Sylvie opened a box in her hand and took out a shiny, silver bracelet. She then wore it on Joanne''s wrist. The silvery jewelry on Joanne''s white skin made her look even more elegant. Joanne knew at a nce that the bracelet was expensive and tremblingly wanted to return it. Chapter 922 Chapter 922 Chapter 922 Joanne wanted to decline Sylvie''s gift when- "Since Grandma gifted this, you should ept it," a sexy, pleasant- sounding male voice came from not far. Edwin, dressed in a red suit, had his hands shoved in his trouser pockets, his glittering eyes rolled up in a smile. He looked like a handsome devil that walked out of a painting. Joanne and Catelyn were shocked by his red attire. They had long known that Edwin was handsome, but they were surprised that the red suit looked oddly great on him. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Joanne''s heart was beating wildly, and her eyes lit up as if they were about to pop out of her sockets. She pressed her chest with both hands, stupidly trying to slow her heartbeat down with that and suppress the urge to push him down. Edwin walked up to Joanne with a doting expression and held her right hand, realizing then that the bracelet on her wrist matched her very well. "Thank you, Grandma," he said to Sylvie on Joanne''s behalf. Seeing how enamored her grandson and granddaughter-inw were with each other, Sylvie felt indescribably ted. She was d that Edwin finally found the love of his life, and she could leave the world with no regret. Sylvie then excitedly said to a group of her old friends, "My granddaughter inw is pregnant, so please don''t pester them with curiosity, dear friends. Let the young couple have some rest." There was a hint of bragging in the announcement, and everyone looked at Edwin and Joanne again with regrets in their eyes. "Edwin, I introduced you to my granddaughter before and I was hoping that she''s the one, but in the blink of an eye, you got married and became a father. Why didn''t you make it clear to me at the time? You''re going to upset my granddaughter for a long time." That''s right, Edwin. How could you hide such a pretty wife from US? You don''t even invite US to your wedding!" "Maybe they haven''t held one yet. Let me guess: she''s pregnant by ident?" The crowd started tough at the jokes they made. Joanne, somewhat of an introvert, was not very good at dealing with the crowd, more so with the guilt of lying that she was pregnant, so she grabbed Edwin''s hand unconsciously, tightly so. Edwin ced his long arms around her and ced her head against his chest. "Respecteddies, my wife gets shy easily, so I''ll take her to get some rest first. I''lle back to thank you all another day." His doting gesture made a few olddies say emotionally, "Why didn''t I know earlier that Eddy is such a caring and understanding man?" Sylvie burst outughing and asked Edwin to take Joanne to rest while Catelyn stayed with her to greet and chat with the guests. After a while, Cedrick came with two kids, and all three of them were wearing high-end suits of the same color. Although the boys were about to turn four years old, they looked like two young gentlemen in suits with their shoulders upright and standing straight. Their every move was graceful, and they showed rationality beyond their age. Miles''s mouth was honey-lipped. The way he called her ''great-grandma'' melted the elders'' hearts in the hall. Ollie was introverted, calm, well-behaved, and cute, which made the elders want to hug and kiss him immediately. Catelyn and Cedrick sped their fingers, and their reflections were in each other''s warm eyes, smiling happily. Meanwhile, Tracy wallowed in deep jealousy. Her temper was like an umted volcano that could erupt anytime with just a spark. Joanne pulled Edwin to a balcony where the curtains were closed, and no one knew they were there. Seeing that no one was around, Joanne immediately took off the silver bracelet from her wrist and handed it back to Edwin. Edwin''s ted mood disappeared. "What are you trying to say here?" "It doesn''t make any sense. This silver bracelet looks very expensive, and it''s inconvenient for me to film every day. If I identally abrade it, I won''t be able to pay for it," said Joanne solemnly, and seeing that he did not pick it up, she stuffed it into his hand. Edwin broke free from her grasp and warned, "If you keep it well, it''ll be in good condition...unless you never take Grandma''s gift seriously." Chapter 923 Chapter 923 Chapter 923 "Then, can you change it into a regr aluminum bracelet?" Joanne scratched her head and added, "That should be fine; they''re not easily scratched." Edwin really wanted to pry open her head to see what was inside. The value of an aluminum bracelet was far less than that of a silver bracelet! ''Good god, she''s so daft. Can''t she be a bit more vainglorious?'' Edwin raised his hand and flicked her forehead. "For my sake, keep it. If it frays, the cost will be deducted from your sry. You shouldn''t have any problem paying that with our long-term contract." "What?!¡± Joanne covered her forehead, feeling a little pain, and grinned. ¡¯ Hehe. Your grandmother gave it to me as a gift, so it''s mine now. I can do whatever I want! Why should I pay for it again?" "So you''re not hopelessly stupid after all." "I''m not, but you are!" Joanne became a little annoyed. "I''m sorry, but judging from our appearance, you look more like an airhead than I am," replied Edwin calmly. "Urgh!" In the blink of an eye, it was already evening. More guests wereing into the hall, and the venue became more lively. "Happy birthday, Grandma." Tracy walked over with a beautiful box in her hand, wishing Sylvie with unconcealed surprise and joy in her tone followed by her mother, Sammy. Everyone turned back and saw that they both were simply dressed. Some were shocked, while most understood the sadness Tracy and Sammy might bear from losing Eugene. Tracy was a gorgeousdy, perfectly inheriting the genes of the Atherton family. She had curved eyebrows, a pointed nose, pink lips, and a faint scent of jasmine on her body when she passed by. Sylvie often missed Eugene, so she stared at Tracy a little longer. "Thank you, both of you. How do you feel living in the manor these days? Is everything alright?" "Thank you for your concern, Grandma. We''re fine." Tracy caught a hint of alienation in Sylvie''s words and quickly changed the topic of their conversation. If they had been living in the manor all the time, her grandmother would not ask if they were used to living in the manor. Clearly, her grandmother did not intend to hide the fact that they had just moved in. If the guests heard it, they would specte and even find out that Sammy was just Eugene''s second, unofficial wife. Tracy immediately smiled and said, "Grandma, this is my birthday present to you." "What is this? It looks pretty and smells like pear wood." Suddenly, Tracy heard something unpleasant... "I heard that Tracy is Eugene''s illegitimate daughter. She has a good temperament, but she seems to be a little off whenpared to Summer''s daughter..." said a woman, ttering Catelyn intentionally by mocking Tracy in a high voice. When Sammy heard that her daughter was belittled, she turned to look at Catelyn from head to toe. ''Pfft. You''re not that alluring after all.'' Tracy and Sammy opened the box and took out a perfect oil painting. Under the scorching sun was arge field of purplevender and a joyful- looking family. Immediately, someone in the crowd eximed quite a bit. The next moment, they saw Tracy holding this painting and walking in front of Catelyn, then she blinked yfully. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. "Sister Catelyn, I heard that you''re an expert in oil painting. Do you think this painting is worth being a gift for Grandma?" Catelyn and Tracy had met several times at the manor before, but they had never spoken to each other. Without knowing Tracy''s intention, she smiled and began to introduce the oil painting to the crowd. "This is ''Happiness'', made by the famous oil painting master, Morison, and it was painted in Europe in the 19th century. Rare as it is, it''s a splendid painting, but-ah!" Chapter 924 Chapter 924 Chapter 924 Before Catelyn could finish her sentence, someone behind her bumped her arm that was holding a wine ss. Everyone watched as the red wine in the ss spilled onto the oil painting. The audience was silent for two seconds. Tracy gasped, pulled the oil painting back swiftly, and hurriedly took a tissue paper to wipe the red wine stain. Unfortunately, it was toote. The red wine seeped into the canvas, and the paint got wet, lost its original artistic conception, and became a waste product. Seeing that the painting could not be repaired, Tracy bit her lip in grief, looked at Catelyn, and said, "Miss Atherton, I know my father has offended you, but this painting had cost me tens of millions. I bid for it at the Swiss auction house for Grandma! I know you hate me, but you can''t just ruin my gift like that." Sammy pulled off the hem of Tracy''s clothes fearfully. "Tracy, how can you talk to Miss Atherton like that?! Hurry up and apologize!" ¨¬ didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I won''t apologize!" Tracy wiped away her tears stubbornly, looking pitiful. With the honorific title of ''Miss Atherton'', Sammy and Tracy sessfully put Catelyn in a position of a bully as if she had been treating Tracy badly. Whispers and usations immediately came from the crowd. "How rude is she?" "I know she''s the most respectful granddaughter of Old Lady Atherton, but Tracy is Old Madam Atherton''s granddaughter, too. Being the descendant of her son, Tracy''s bloodline is purer than Catelyn who was just the descendant of the daughter." "I saw her dignified manner and thought she was a civilizeddy, but I didn''t expect her to be so vicious!" "It''s probably because her birthday present isn''t as valuable as the painting, so she wants to destroy that painting to embarrass Tracy." When Cedrick heard those nders, his expression contorted with fury, which terrified all the guests in the hall and silenced them. No one in the hall knew Catelyn better than him, and he was clear that she would not destroy the painting on purpose, not to mention that it was a gift to her grandmother. Even if she did that intentionally, these outsiders had no right toment on that. Catelyn was very moved that Cedrick always stood up for her, and she was not frightened by everyone''s aggressive attitude. Her eyes slowly fell on Tracy. Before this, she always felt that Tracy seemed to have a bit of hostility toward her. It seemed that her intuition was right after all. "Tracy, did you bid for this for millions of dors at a Swiss auction house?" Not knowing what Catelyn was thinking, Tracy nodded. "Yes, and I keep the receipt with me. If you don''t believe me, I can show it to you." "Then, you should thank me for destroying this oil painting." Catelyn''s words surprised Tracy, causing her to gasp and hardly breathe. Sheughed out of extreme anger as if she was wronged. "Thank you for destroying the gift that I spent a lot of money and time on! I''ve learned a lesson, Miss Atherton!" The guests present were even more pissed off by Catelyn''s utterance. She was simply too aggressive! Ady daughter who was close to Tracy sneered, ¡¯ Miss Atherton, I heard that your father used to be a murderer, and you used to be homeless before your sudden level-up and became ady of the Atherton family. Did the excitement impaired your brain? You asked Tracy to thank you for destroying such a precious oil painting, so does that mean the family of the victim killed by your father should worship your father?" N?velDrama.Org (C) content. A small group of guests snickered suddenly, and they looked at Catelyn disdainfully. Chapter 925 Chapter 925 Chapter 925 Catelyn did not care about being the object of ridicule, but when they joked about her father, she could not hold back her temper. Her expression suddenly changed from calm to aggressive, and she said in a strong voice, "Tens of millions of dors for a fake oil painting as a gift for Grandma? Is this a joke? I destroyed it so it won''t embarrass her when you all found out it was fake! Shouldn''t I be thanked?" "A fake oil painting?" Tracy¡¯s heart sank when she heard that. Truth be told, she did not buy this painting at a Swiss auction house but at an underground trading house outside the auction house instead. The seller swore that it was an authentic artwork and gave her a receipt that looked indifferent from one from a regr auction house. Afterward, she rushed back to America to take care of Eugene, so she did not have time to verify that painting. ''But how could Catelyn know at a nce that it was a fake? She must be bluffing.'' Thedy who defended Tracy sneered again and said, "Miss Atherton, you seem to know oil painting, but didn''t you major in architecture?" "Miss Atherton, I know that what Tracy said has offended you, but don''t take it to heart. I''ll make amends on her behalf, but this painting was bid through a regr auction, and it has been certified by art experts." Sammy did not want to cause trouble, but when she heard Catelyn call Tracy''s name, she immediately became anxious. Spending around ten million dors on a fake oil painting was humiliating. Some might think that they could not tell the difference and were hence fooled, but others might think that they deliberately wanted to fool Granny Atherton with a fake painting. That was a nder that Tracy and Sammy would not want to bear. Sammy''s concession made the rumor that Catelyn had been bullying them seem even truthful. Those ladies who secretly disliked Catelyn because of her sudden gain of social status and wealth as Miss Atherton were enraged. Catelyn was not provoked by that, and she even exined calmly, ''Fake paintings in the market generally use printing technology, but that isn''t the case with this painting. It''s a fake hand-painted copy, so it bears over ny percent simrity to the real one. That increases a certain degree of difficulty in identification-" ¡¯Since it is difficult, how can you be sure that this is a fake?" "Because the neenth century wasn''t as developed as today''smodities, to preserve oil paintings for a long time, oil painters would apply ayer of varnish after the pigments arepletely dry. Different painters generally use different methods. I had the honor of seeing Morison''s other masterpieces up close before. For other oil paintings of his, the varnish he used was specially made by him. The smell of rosin in those paintings was unique andsting, but the smell in this is impure as it is mixed with a very light paint smell. Hence, it''s likely that this is a forged painting by a painter with good mimicking skill." People who did not know oil painting was confused. They found it suspicious that it was able to determine the authenticity of a painting by the smell of varnish which had been there for over a hundred years. For a while, they did not know who to trust. However, Tracy''s face turned pale. Obviously, she, too, knew about the method of using varnish on oil painting for identification, but she did not want to believe that the one she had was a fake copy. "You said you smelled paint, but I couldn''t smell that! What a wonderful story that you made there! I admire your imagination!" "Then, why don''t everyone go and smell it?" Sammy feebly suggested. She believed that what Tracy bought must be an authentic art piece. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. After watching the y for so long, Sylvie frowned. "Now there''s ayer of red wine on the oil painting. The aroma of the wine is so strong that it overwhelms the other smells. I think it''s hard to smell it." ¡¯That''s right! She did it on purpose!" "She purposely spilled red wine on it to destroy the smell and then deceived everyone about the smell of paint by making up a fake story. All I can pick up is the fragrance of pear wood. Stop spewing nonsense about the varnish-" ¡¯I believe what my wife said is true." Listening to the chatter, Cedrick suddenly raised his voice, intending to protect his wife. Chapter 926 Chapter 926 Chapter 926 Cedrick¡¯s sharp eyes swept across everyone present, and with just one nce, he made everyone shut their mouths up. Tracy looked at Cedrick, trembling, and was shocked. "So, Master Cedrick, to protect Miss Atherton, are you ndering me by saying I''ve gifted a fake painting to Grandma?" "Tracy, let''s go," Sammy stepped forward to support Tracy and choked up, ¡¯ The painting has been ruined, and we can''t question what the superior, high above Master Cedrick said. Whatever he said will be the truth no matter what. But I believe that you will never deliberately fool Granny Atherton!" If it were not for Sammy''s sincere expression, Catelyn would have thought that she was acting to ridicule her. Catelyn turned her head and instructed Kelly, "Aunt Kelly, please send someone to invite Mister Abma, the president of Sapphire''s Oil Painter, toe over. He has a lot of research on Morison''s works, so he can give my aunt and Tracy a satisfactory answer.¡¯ ''Really? That''s great!" Sammy immediately burst intoughter, looking forward to it. Tracy''s hand tightened unconsciously. When she was about to say something, she was interrupted by Sylvie. Sylvie made a final decision and said without hesitation, "That would make my birthday party a great show too. Well, let''s find out. I can''t wait for the answer too. At the end of the day, you can''t convict anyone for no evidence." Seeing this, Cedrick asked Eason to pick Mister Abma up immediately. Eason did note to the birthday party. He was in the city, so he was close to the base of Sapphire''s Oil Painters. Sammy was immersed in the joy of being able to prove that Tracy was wronged and said to Catelyn, "Miss Atherton, don''t be angry when the appraisal resultes outter. Tracy won''t ask you to compensate. You just need to promise not to avenge Tracy in the future, and we''re even." Catelyn looked at Sammy squarely. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. She still looked very beautiful at the age of forty, as there were no wrinkles but a little retro charm on her face. She looked very innocent, as though she had never encountered any adversities in life. ¡®But was what she said just now serious? Or is she ying tricks?'' "Aunt Sammy, don''t worry. If I''m wrong, I''ll apologize to Tracy," Catelyn said lightly, and the hand hanging by the side of her leg was suddenly tightly grasped by a big palm. She felt a warmth on her palm and looked up along the arm of the man. Cedrick''s handsome face fell into her eyes. Under the dome, his deep eyes were full of affection. Catelyn winked yfully at him and tightened her grip soon, the president of Sapphire''s Oil Painters, Mister Abma, who was over 60 years old, arrived at the hall with Eason. Countless people were eagerly waiting, wanting to know the results if the oil painting was an authentic artwork of Morison. Everyone subconsciously gave way to them while Eason supported Mister Abma into the hall. When Mister Abma heard that there was one of Morison''s oil paintings there, his face was full of excitement and a longing smile. He was even more agitated than Eason, as his hand that held a high-degree magnifying ss shivered. "Mister Abma, please be careful," Eason reminded. it''s okay. I''m good." Mister Abma waved his hand, implying that nothing was more important than the oil painting of Morison, not even his body condition. Shortly afterward, he was in front of Catelyn and the others, and he said eagerly, Master Cedrick and Mistress Catelyn, may I know where is the oil painting by Morisian that you mentioned? It would be a great honor to me if I couldy my eyes on the masterpiece. I have admired this work, the master of the oil painting of all time, Morison, but unfortunately, there are not many artworks left..." Chapter 927 Chapter 927 Chapter 927 Cedrick and Mister Abma met each other in the circle of collectors before. He exined in a low voice, "Mister Abma, I guess today is your lucky day then. This painting was bought by my wife''s cousin as a gift for Granny Atherton. It was said to be worth tens of millions of dors." ¡¯Thousands of millions of dors?!" Mister Abma nodded excitedly." Morison''s famous paintings are indeed worth the price. Well, I guess, as you said, it''s my lucky day!" While waiting for Mister Abma to arrive just now, Tracy was trying to find a way to wipe off the red wine stain from the oil painting. She tried every means but still could notpletely get rid of it, so she had no choice but handed it over to Mister Abma, the ruined painting. Mister Abma held the painting carefully and ced put it on a clean table. He gently stroked the surface of the painting, lowered his head to smell the fragrance of it, took down his sses, and held the magnifier to scan through the oil painting. The more he looked, the more piqued he looked. Sammy then said, "It''s an authentic painting of Morison, right? I''m sure Mister Abma will soon let everyone know about it. Tracy won''t bother to buy a fake painting!" However, Sammy''s overconfidence made Mister Abma impatient. He threw the magnifier in his hand onto the oil painting and yelled, '' Nonsense! Shame on you both! This ten-million dors worth of ''Happiness'' is a forgery! What idiot in the world would spend ten million dors on a fake painting than donate it to poor children?" It was just a waste of his time and anticipation. "What?! A forgery?!¡¯ "Impossible! Tracy wouldn''t buy a fake painting to shame herself in public. You must''ve bribed him-" "Mister Abma is highly respected and has been in oil painting appraisal for over 50 years! You can nder others, but you can''t damage his reputation!'' Tracy trembled slightly, and Sammy''s expression fell. Sammy approached in disbelief. "How could it be a fake? Mister Abma, you must''ve made a mistake." Tracy also echoed closely, "Mister Abma, please check again. Did the red wine affect the smell? This painting originally had a faint rosin-" "There''s no need to waste my time. I''ve studied Morison''s works for many years, and I''m confident with the result of my prior appraisal. This is a fake! ¡¯ Mister Abma did not want to look at that painting anymore and waved his hands in disgust. He then looked at Catelyn curiously and asked, "Please enlighten me, youngdy. How do you know this painting is a fake?" Eason had already told him the whole story on the way to pick him up. Someone had doubts about the authenticity of the painting, so he was invited to perform an appraisal of it. He thought that the painting, which cost the buyer ten million dors, would be authentic, but he did not expect that Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. it was such a low-quality copy. Being stared at by the authority of the oil painting industry, Catelyn repeated what she had told the crowd just now and added a fewmon points of view for distinguishing between authentic and forged oil paintings. While speaking, she felt a little embarrassed as she might sound like she was teaching a fish how to swim. "You have meticulous observation and good eyesight, which is rare. If I hadn''t studied Morison''s works for years, I might not have been able toe out with an answer so quickly." Catelyn replied with a well-deserved smile, "It''s my honor. I was fortunate enough to be in the ss of a few art professors while I was in college...¡¯ The answer could not be more evident now to the crowd. Tracy spent tens of millions of dors to buy a forgery and even gifted it to Old Madam Atherton as a birthday present. Chapter 928 Chapter 928 Chapter 928 Tracy''splexion instantly turned pale. "Miss Winx, it seems that I''ve had too high hopes for you. You are far worse than Ezekiel when ites to educating your daughter.¡± Sylvie sighed regretfully, her disappointment undisguised. Ezekiel also came to attend Sylvie''s birthday party that day. He was now the son-inw of Sylvie. Everyone was treating him nicely, buttering him up. Even the file of the suspected murder case four years ago that he was suspected of was disposed of by Cedrick outside thew... Although it was just a few words of regret, it made Tracy feel more ufortable than giving her a few ps, and she stammered to exin," Grandma, this is... I was careless... I didn''t expect it to be a fake painting...¡¯ Ezekiel, who was called out by Granny Atherton, walked out of the crowd and suggested, "Didn''t Tracy have the receipt with her? She can contact awyer to hold the auction house ountable and recover some of the losses." Tracy''s face paled even more. "Tracy, don''t be afraid. Get the receipt, and we''ll make the auction housepensate for the loss!¡± Sammy voiced out angrily and gritted. In Tracy''s mind, she had a feeling that if the painting was a forgery, the receipt was most probably fake. She was so anxious to return to Sapphire City at that time that she simply found an ''expert'' for appraisal. "Tracy, where is the receipt? Take it out quickly." Seeing that Tracy was silent, Sammy became even more anxious. Her heart was pumping fast, causing her face to turn red. Yet, she did not stop asking for the receipt. Tracy was repeatedly questioned by her mother, and she was speechless for a while. Of course, she could not tell her mother that she had met a professional con artist. Hence, they had no way to hold the seller ountable. In her anxiety, she suddenly had an idea. She pressed her chest with one hand, her eyelids drooped, and she suddenly fell into Sammy''s arms, fainting... "Tracy? Tracy?!" Sammy was terrified, hugging Tracy and eximing in shock. Sylvie''s little goodwill toward Tracy and Sammy immediately dissipated. They made her birthday banquet end in such a mess. She immediately signaled Kelly with a look. Kelly then had several bodyguards carry Tracy to the second floor to rest. As soon as Tracy and Sammy were gone, negativements started to spread out among the crowd. ''I thought Tracy was a nice girl, but I didn''t expect her to buy a forgery to fool Old Madam Atherton!¡± "And her mother kept hinting to US that Miss Atherton has been using her power to oppress them both. Gosh, we were fooled by her! Miss Atherton didn''t seem to have poured red wine on the oil painting on purpose just now..." "Yeah, I remember seeing ady identally hit Miss Atherton''s arm..." "Tsk, what a disaster!" The bodyguards carried Tracy to the corner of the stairs on the second floor, and she could hearthose sarcastic Downstairs, Sylvie smiled and pretended that nothing had happened and continued to introduce Catelyn to everyone. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. The guests all praised Sylvie for having a good granddaughter. Everyone at the birthday banquet finally got to know Catelyn aspared to the previous family reunion banquet. They finally understood why Sylvie was so partial to Catelyn because she was worth it. At the same time, everyone was also very curious about the gift Catelyn had prepared for Granny Atherton. Chapter 929 Chapter 929 Chapter 929 Soon, it was the Atherton family¡¯s close rtives'' turn to present their gifts. There were all kinds of gifts, all of which were exquisite, overwhelming, and invaluable, including antique vases, porcin, expensive jewelry, some high-end health supplements, and more. When it was Edwin''s and Joanne''s turn, Edwin gave Sylvie a lovely red coral tree, which was listed as one of the seven treasures, representing wealth and auspiciousness, and is priced by the gram in the market. It was undoubtedly the most astonishing gift throughout the banquet. Everyone could not help but praise Master Edwin for his generosity. Yet Joanne curled her lips. Her hand-woven plush scarf was in her purse. She really wanted to give it to Sylvie, so she could keep herself warm with it in winter, but Edwin disliked her shabby gift. However, little did she know Edwin''s intention was to prevent her from being ridiculed. She would only be looked down upon by guests if she was given something cheap. After Edwin, everyone''s eyes fell on Catelyn, wondering what she would give. Under the curious stares of the guests, Catelyn exchanged nces with Kelly, and in the next second, the lights in the hall suddenly went out. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. At the moment of the power outage, a few timid female guests screamed subconsciously. "Everyone, don''t panic. This is part of the gift that I prepared for my grandma. It''s not a power outage, and there''s no need to panic..." Catelyn exined to everyone calmly with the microphone in her hand. Immediately afterward, a spotlight in the hall shone straight onto a passage connecting the hall to the kitchen. Under the spotlight, two small figures appeared in the blink of an eye. They were Miles and Ollie. They both held arge metal tray in their hands, and a giant cake was ced on the tray. There were sevenrge candles and seven small candles on the cake, lit. Together, they represented Sylvie''s age. With cheerful or restrained smiles on their faces, the two little guys passed through the crowd and walked over to Sylvie. Miles raised his chin and said, "Great-grandma, this is the birthday cake we made with Mommy and Daddy. We wish you good health..." Ollie smiled and continued,"... and happiness forever." "Life has been wonderfully kind to you..." "... and we wish you all the good fortune in the world as you deserve." Miles and Ollie then said together, "Throughughter or tears. Your loved ones will always be by your side! Happy birthday, Great-grandma!" The children''s voice was lovely, like and of flowers quietly creeping into Sylvie''s heart. When they were done, Sylvie felt a surge of blood in her heart as she was moved. Choked, she said, "Oh boys... my dearest great- grandsons..." "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." At that moment, therge projection screen in the hall suddenly lit up. A birthday song filled withughter was heard. Sylvie looked up at the screen subconsciously and saw a pasture in the background. Catelyn fixed the camera on a tripod and pulled Miles and Ollie in front of the camera, together with Cedrick. The four of them recorded a video of them singing a birthday song, wishing Sylvie a happy birthday. Catelyn pped in the video to lead the beat while the two babies sang the song, and Cedrick worked hard to soften his cruel look so that he could better blend into the video. Their smiles made the guests'' hearts melt and smile at the screen involuntarily. To them, the family of four was just too sweet, too loving, and too perfect. The song wasing to an end, but the video was just about to begin. There were candid photos of Sylvie on the screen after the birthday song. Chapter 930 Chapter 930 Chapter 930 There were not many photos of Sylvie alone because most of them captured Sylvie with other Atherton family members together. Those photos included one in which she and Catelyn warmly stared at each other with a smile on both faces, one in which she and Edwin yed chess together, and one in which she and Harry took a stroll in the garden... Hundreds of photos were arranged clearly and orderly by Catelyn and projected on the big screen. Sylvie was deeply moved, and tears filled her eyes. The narration of the video was the voice of Catelyn. "Grandma, you are the most respected elder in my heart. It is my greatest honor to be your granddaughter. I believe that no matter what you did, you did it for my good. Now it''s time for me, Ceddy, and the children to spend time with you. On your first birthday after our reunion, I thought about giving you very precious gifts like my cousin, but those gifts were dead, and I always felt that something was missing. Then, one day, I finally realized what had been missing. It was a kind of love for you, so I chose to make you a video of your memories..." After the long dubbing by Catelyn, as the end of it drew to a close, Cedrick starred again, alone, in the video. He was always taciturn in front of outsiders, but in the video, he sincerely wished Sylvie a happy birthday. His low, sexy voice spread throughout the main hall, and many people were moved by it. Yet that was not the end of Catelyn''s surprise. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. The night sky outside the window suddenly burst into brilliant fireworks, rising to the highest point in the sky and exploding with a bang. "Look, there are words on it..." "Grandma, happy birthday. We love you." The guests shouted out in unison, and they were all stunned. What a heart-warming and attentive surprise! Sylvie also excitedly moved to the window sill with the help of Kelly. Looking at the bright fireworks in the sky, she could not be more moved. The two little guys, Miles and Ollie, were still holding the tray high in their hands. After holding it for so long, their arms were sore. Sylvie could not move her eyes away from the fantastic fireworks for a long time. No one had given her such a ''romantic'' surprise for many years. "Great-grandma, my hands are sore..." said Miles while trying to keep a smile on his little chubby face. Sylvie suddenly realized that she had forgotten about the cake and hurriedly took the tray from the two little guys. Ollie handed the cake cutter and server spade to Sylvie and said, "Blow out the candles to make a wish, and then cut the cake." "Alright, sweetheart." Sylvieughed so hard that tears fell from her eyes. She then put her hands together and stood in front of the cake, making wishes like a child. "May the family be safe and happy, May Cat and Eddy live happily ever after with their loved ones, and may I have another lovely little great-grandson in theing year." Miles cheered and pped his little hands. "Great-grandma, you are so greedy! You even made three wishes!" "I heard that saying your wishes out while wishing would make your wishes note true..." Ollie was a little concerned. Sylvieughed and waved her hand at them. "It''s okay. As long as we''re sincere when we make wishes, it should be fine." Since the cakes brought by the little guys were not big enough to share with the guests, only the Atherton family members got to taste them. Still, Catelyn had the chef prepare fruit cakes for the guests. Initially, eating the cake was the next step, but it was brought forward because of Catelyn''s gift. Everyone was eating cakes and standing by the window admiring the beautiful fireworks. Suddenly someone pointed to the garden not far from the window and eximed, "Why are there so many snowmen?" Everyone looked in the direction of the person''s finger and saw eight snowmen in the garden. The snowmen looked different in height and size, and it was obvious that they represented Catelyn, Cedrick, and the two children, Edwin and Joanne, and Granny Atherton and Harry. Those big snowmen formed a circle, surrounding two small snowmen and an ''old-looking'' snowwoman. They looked extremely happy and harmonious. Chapter 931 Chapter 931 Chapter 931 "Ha! Was this specially made to wish the olddy a happy birthday?¡± "You all do look quite vivid." "No wonder Miss Catelyn has been building a snowman with the two young masters recently. I sure didn''t expect the snowman to be specially made for the olddy. How sweet..." "The olddy must be so happy to have such a thoughtful granddaughter." "The Masons and Athertons used to have a beef with each other in the past. Now, the Masons were invited to the olddy''s birthday party! It seems the rtionship between the two families has improved, and I''m sure they will be more cooperative in the future. I can already foresee a brighter future for Sapphire City now..." When Old Madam Atherton saw the snowmen piled up in the garden, all her stern and dignified expression vanished in an instant. After all, she was over seventy years old. Immediately, she stopped eating her cake and went over to y in the snow with her two great- grandchildren. Miles pulled Old Madam Atherton, and the both posed beside the snowman while Ollie held a bulky- looking camera in his hand and took some photos of them. Theughter between the three of them lasted for a very long time as they spent time together ying around. Seeing Old Madam Atherton''s heartfelt smile, Catelyn could not help but feel very moved. Cedrick stepped forward and took Catelyn into his arms gently. He lowered his head and kissed her head. "Grandma seems to like your gift. You don''t have to worry anymore." Catelyn was always concerned that her grandmother would not like her present. After all, many guests had given her very luxurious items for her birthday. She winked at Cedrick yfully. "I hope that my grandmother''s wish wille true, and we can be happy all the time. By the way, have you taken your medicine?" she said. Cedrick was initially very moved when he heard the front half of Catelyn''s words and was about to hug her tightly when he heard herst question, and his expression instantly became a little stiff. Catelyn nervously asked, "Did you not take it again? Yael said you can''t stop taking the medicine!" Ever since Catelyn knew that Cedrick had a virus in his body, she was always worried about his rpse. Every once in a while, she would go to theboratory to look for Yael and learn about the recent progress of the antidote. She also made sure Cedrick took the medicine on time every day for fear that he would forget and miss a dose. Cedrick suddenly leaned his head forward and bit Catelyn''s lower lip. He smiled at her and said, "You are acting more and more like a housewife now." Catelyn quickly blushed as she felt Cedrick''s lips. She quickly looked around embarrassingly and shoved him away. Her cheeks were all bright red from shyness. "Stop messing around. We''re at Grandma''s birthday party!" "The medicine I took was too bitter. I need a little bit of sweetness for you," teased Cedrick as he looked at her with a deep smile. Catelyn was afraid that he would kiss her again in public, so she quickly made a random excuse and ran to the bathroom.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. She patted her ears and felt that they were all warm. She felt really blissful at the moment, and she never imagined that she would be so happy! A family reunion, a husband who loves her deeply, two lovely kids... Joanne loved ying in the snow as well. Seeing Old Madam Atherton and her two nephews having such a good time, she also took off her coat and joined them. The olddy was horrified as she saw Joanne approaching and quickly told the servants to take her away. In the end, Joanne could only watch them y with grievances. Chapter 932 Chapter 932 Chapter 932 Joanne looked around, not seeing Edwin anywhere. She then quickly took out the hand-woven maroon scarf from her bag and wrapped it around the neck of Old Madam Atherton. The scarf was very fluffy, and it was reallyfortable to wear. The olddy stroked the scarf around her neck in shock. "What''s this?¡± "Grandma, I knitted it myself. It''s my first time knitting. It may not look perfect, but this is the best I can do. If you Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. don''t like it, you can always use it as a tablecloth..." said Joanne sheepishly. Old Madam Atherton''s eyes lit up when she heard Joanne''s words. "You learned to knit for me?" "I wanted to buy one for you. My scarf was probably nothingpared to other expensive gifts that you''ve received. I thought I might as well make one myself. Besides, I came from a poor family, and I''m used to doing everything on my own," said Joanne. Joanne felt embarrassed as she spoke, wondering if her grandmother would have a bad impression of her after this. Whatever it was, this was the truth, and Joanne did not want to hide it. "It''s good to have the initiative in life! Our ancestors suffered to start a business, and it is now even more difficult for US to maintain it. Nothing in lifests forever. I really like your scarf. Would you put it on me?" Old Madam Atherton said. The olddy bent down slightly, making it easier for Joanne to tie the scarf around her neck. Joanne was so delighted to see how happy her grandmother was. She even praised her! She wrapped the scarf around Old Madam Atherton''s neck twice and hung the end of it down her chest. The scarf made the olddy look instantly young wearing it, and it really fitted her! While downstairs was full of life andughter, Tracy just got up from bed upstairs. She had a gloomy face as she woke up. She med Sammy, "You kept asking me questions earlier. Do you think it''s not enough for me to be ashamed? Mom, Dad is gone now. So, can you be a little smarter and stop holding me back?" Sammy lowered her head aggrievedly. "I''m sorry, Tracy. I really thought you had bought the oil painting from a regr auction house." "If I had bought it there, I wouldn''t need you to remind me, would I?" said Tracy angrily. "I''m sorry," replied Sammy. Acting like Tracy''s loyal servant, she kept apologizing to her with a face full of guilt. "What''s the use of feeling sorry now? I can''t let Catelyn be too arrogant! She has be the limelight of tonight''s birthday party!" scoffed Tracy. "So what are you going to do?" asked Sammy. She was also feeling annoyed with Catelyn. Tracy did not answer her. She lifted the curtains and looked at the corner of the garden corridor downstairs. There were many people in that location, all looking at Old Madam Atherton and the children. Sammy recognized at a nce that one of the middle-aged men with a beer belly was known as a yboy. "Tracy, are you thinking of pushing Catelyn to him?" Sammy asked curiously. "I think so, but she''s the center of attention at the party, and everyone could see her every move,¡± replied Tracy. She suddenly had a n and started smiling devilishly. "Mom, do you know who''s Catelyn''s best friend?" "Joanne Winters. They both hade to the party together," Sammy replied without thinking. "Yes, Joanne. She''s also Edwin''s wife. Now, what would happen if she was caught sleeping with Cedrick? Do you think it''ll piss Catelyn off?" said Tracy. Chapter 933 Chapter 933 Chapter 933 Sammy''s eyelids twitched several times. What a bold proposal by Tracy! If this seeds, it will definitely devastate the rtionship between Catelyn and Cedrick. In addition to that, it would paint a very bad impression of Candrick to Old Madam Atherton. It''s like killing two birds with one stone. "But Master Cedrick is a pretty smart guy and would definitely not do anything rash in the banquet," said Sammy. "Yes, Master Cedrick is smart indeed. However, Joanne is not a very bright person. I heard that she''s pregnant with Uncle Edwin''s child. Imagine if Cedrick got himself so deep into this and got rid of the child in Joanne''s womb. I don''t think Master Cedrick and Uncle Edwin would ever be friends again." Tracy sneered. "No, no, no..." Sammy was visibly shaken as she spoke, "The olddy really values the baby in her womb." "Aren''t you going to help me with this?" Tracy said angrily. "I''m thinking for your safety as well..." replied Sammy. "Forget it, if you''re not gonna help me, I''ll do it myself!" scolded Tracy. Sammy was feeling entangled at the moment, seeing her daughter being so furious, "Well then, what should I do?" she asked. Tracy motioned her mom to get closer and told her the n. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Just as Catelyn got to the bathroom, she suddenly felt a sharp sting in her stomach, as if something was tearing her from inside. Perhaps it was just her period. Catelyn requested the servant to prepare some sanitary products for her. Cedrick realized his wife was away for quite a while and sent her a concerned text message. Meanwhile, Old Madam Atherton was feeling tired from ying with Miles and Ollie. It must be the age catching up to her. Joanne apanied the olddy back to the living room to rest. Other guests around noticed the harmonious interaction between both Joanne and Old Madam Atherton, and some could not help but to feel envious, while some were sour. "Joanne, you are pregnant now. You must take care of your own safety at all times, understand? It''s really cold outside, yet you are wearing such thin clothing. The baby is going to catch a cold!" Old Madam Atherton said as she took Joanne''s hand earnestly. Joanne looked at Old Madam Atherton''s hopeful expression and asked, ¡¯ Grandma, do you love me, or do you love the baby in my womb?" Old Madam Atherton smiled dotingly. "The baby will being out of your stomach. Of course, I would love both you and the baby." "Miles and Ollie are also very cute, and they are almost four years old. They can run and dance and make you happy. My child, however, would still take several years to grow up to be able to y with you," said Joanne. Joanne was trying very hard to dispel Old Madam Atherton''s ardent expectations for the child in her womb. "That''s not the same. Miles and Ollie are already so big. I have never experienced the happiness of bringing up a little great-grandson. Fortunately, you came here just in time, and I can take care of the baby for you." Joanne was silent for a while and said, "Grandma, you really adore children. IV "I only adore Ceddy''s and Kitty''s children," said Old Madam Atherton happily. She was so happy that she did not realize the stiff smile on Joanne''s expression. Joanne apanied the olddy to sit somewhere nearby. In the midst of it, she went to get some food for herself. A waiter with a tray in her hand walked past Joanne and identally bumped into her arm. Chapter 934 Chapter 934 Chapter 934 Just like that, a ss of wine spilled on Joanne''s dress. Before she could say anything, the waiter took the lead and apologized tremblingly. She was about to cry, "I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean to..." Joanne looked at the smudge of wine stains on her clothes and frowned, but she did not intend to trouble the waiter either. It was an ident, after all. ''It''s okay, don''t cry,"forted Joanne. "Thank you. You are so kind," said the waiter, looking at Joanne gratefully. She then pointed upstairs. "Your dress is all ruined. Shall I take you upstairs to change to a new one?'' Joanne nodded. She looked back and waved at Old Madam Atherton and then followed the waiter up to the second floor. Just as she was about to reach the lounge, the waiter suddenly stopped and pointed to the room diagonally opposite. "That''s Miss Catelyn''s room. There are many unworn dresses in it. You can choose any one of them." Joanne did not give it a second thought. She and Catelyn had about the same body figure, and she would often change into her clothes while they were both living in Ocean Path Residence. Joanne entered the room alone. The moment she opened the door, a scent of gardenias filled her nostrils. What a pleasant smell! Joanne took a deep breath and sniffed the scent around the air. She then went to the closet and found a blue dress in it. In the midst of changing, the zipper on the back got stuck. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The gardenia fragrance became stronger. Joanne felt a little weaker for some reason, and her mind seemed foggy, not noticing that the door was pushed open. Cedrick was told by a waiter earlier that Catelyn had asked him toe upstairs to see her. He remembered that she mentioned that she might feel some difort during her period and asked the waiter for the specific room number. As he pushed the door open, he was instantly hit by the strong scent of gardenias. Cedrick frowned slightly. What''s with this strong scent? Immediately afterward, he saw a woman with her back in the direction of the door, struggling to pull the zipper of her dress. The blue dress was likeyers of waves, and the woman looked like a beautiful mermaid, which deeply attracted Cedrick''s attention. He had seen Catelyn put on this dress once before. With deep affection in his eyes, he walked toward ''Catelyn''. The fragrance of gardenias in the air just kept getting stronger. Cedrick stretched out his slender hands and helped ''Catelyn'' zip up the dress. His deep ck eyes were fixed on the woman in front of him... Although Joanne was a little brain fog at the moment, she could still sense the strong masculinitying from her back, which stunned her. She widened her eyes and looked back at the man behind her in panic. At this moment, the lights in the room suddenly went out. Cedrick and ''Catelyn'' could not see each other. Chapter 935 Chapter 935 Chapter 935 "Why is my head so dizzy? Don''t move Edwin, I can see four of you..." muttered Joanne. The moment she pressed her body against Cedrick''s chest, his face quickly turned dark. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her away. '' What are you doing here?!" he asked fiercely. What just happened? Where was Catelyn? Even though Cedrick had also inhaled the suspicious floral fragrance, his willpower was far stronger than Joanne''s. He quickly realized a certain possibility... Someone was setting them up! As the eldest grandson of the Atherton Family, Edwin was surrounded by many people at the party. Suddenly, he received a photo message on his phone. There was a photo attached to the message, and it was a picture of Joanne being led upstairs by a waiter. The photo was taken about twenty minutes ago. Then, there was another photo. In the period of a few minutes, Cedrick was also seen appearing at the same stairs. The two photos, one after another clearly implied something, which made Edwin''s heart tighten all of a sudden. Before he could call this mysterious texter, he received another text message. "Interested to know what your wife and your best friend are doing together? Come to room 205 on the second floor." A never-before-seen anger suddenly struck Edwin''s mind. He clutched his phone tightly. Although he did not know what was going on, it was obvious that the other party wanted him to go upstairs and take a look. Did Joanne and Cedrick really...? Harry had been looking for Edwin the entire time. The moment he found him, he noticed his foul facial expression, he was obviously not in the right mood for the moment. ''Eddy, there you are. Uncle Jones is back from abroad. Do you remember him? He once carried you as a young child. Let''s go meet him," said Harry. "Not now. I''m busy," said Edwin, not even looking at Harry. He walked straight to the second floor, following the message''s instructions. Harry was very angry that his son ignored him. Suddenly, he felt something was wrong. "Wait, where is Joanne? I didn''t see her around. Shouldn''t she be with you?" Edwin continued ignoring Harry and walked upstairs. Harry gritted his teeth and followed Edwin behind. As soon as he arrived at the stairs on the second floor, Edwin collided with Old Madam Atherton. The olddy was also holding her phone tightly in her hand. They both looked at each other for a while, and she asked, "Did you also receive a photo?" "It seems that this mysterious person didn''t just text me," said Edwin. He immediately instructed the housekeeper to arrange for bodyguards to guard the second floor. No one was allowed to go upstairs rashly, especially those social media influencers. Sure enough, the moment everyone heard about a certainmotion at the stairs of the second floor, several celebrities who were known for their bad gossip tried to go upstairs using various excuses, but they were all stopped by the bodyguards. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Harry looked at Old Madam Atherton and Edwin, looking very confused. ¡¯ Mom, Eddy, what''s going on?" They both ignored Harry and rushed into a room that the message had mentioned. Chapter 936 Chapter 936 Chapter 936 Old Madam Atherton''s face was tense. As she and Edwin arrived at the door of the room, they noticed it was locked from the inside. Edwin asked the olddy to step back a little before raising his knees and kicking the door savagely. He had learned boxing since he was a child, and his kick was naturally strong. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. With a bang, the door was kicked open... Edwin walked in with a murderous look on his face, followed by Old Madam Atherton and Harry. He looked around the room and realized that the scandal which he had expected did not actually happen. He quickly breathed a sigh of relief. In the room, Joanne was seen lying unconscious on the bed. Cedrick was also there with Catelyn! Earlier, when Cedrick realized that the woman in the room was actually Joanne. Fearing that Catelyn would also be part of this set up, he quickly called her. After confirming that his wife was safe, he quickly knocked Joanne unconscious and threw her onto the bed. Catelyn heard that Joanne and Cedrick were framed and rushed over quickly as well. To prevent any further misunderstandings, Catelyn wanted Cedrick to leave. However, Edwin and the others were one step ahead of them and broke the door. Catelyn was here in the room, fortunately. If Cedrick and Joanne were to be alone, things would be much moreplicated. Catelyn''s face was pale. She stood up, pretending to be shocked." Grandma, Edwin, why are you all here?" "We received a mysterious text message saying Ceddy and Joanne..." muttered Old Madam Atherton as she swept her gaze across the room. ¡¯ What happened to her?" she asked as she pointed at the unconscious Joanne lying on the bed. "She identally bumped her head just now, so I''m here to apany her to rest," exined Catelyn calmly. "I see..." said the olddy, still eyeing suspiciously at Cedrick. Cedrick returned a smile at her. "Grandma, do you think I did something with Joanne?" "Then why are you here by coincidence?" asked Old Madam Atherton. Catelyn cleared her throat and said angrily, "Because I asked Ceddy for his help. What are you thinking, grandma? Ceddy is not that kind of person!" Old Madam Atherton coughed and lowered her head embarrassedly. Edwin stared at Joanne''s rosy cheeks. While she was still downstairs earlier, her skin was pretty fair, but it was looking abnormally red now. He also noticed the unusual aroma around the air... Edwin then slowly rxed his clenched fists. "Grandma, this was all probably a prank made by someone who doesn''t like Joanne," he said. Old Madam Atherton replied, "I think so too. Eddy, go find out who sent those messages." Edwin nodded in response. He went outside the corridor to call his subordinates and arranged for someone to disperse thedies who were watching the drama from afar. Harry finally understood the situation at hand. Although he did not like Joanne very much, she was still pregnant with his grandson after all. "Mom, Joanne doesn''t look very well. I''ll get a doctor to take a look at her," said Harry. Chapter 937 Chapter 937 Chapter 937 "Perhaps this is unnecessary?" said Catelyn as she heard Harry''s words, fearing that this would reveal that Joanne was actually not pregnant." Joanne just needs to rest, and she''ll be fine." Old Madam Atherton was not usually on the same page as Harry. Today, however, she stood by and agreed with her son. The olddy retorted with disapproval. "Unnecessary? Joanne is pregnant! She must be treated with care!" Harry responded and called the doctor. With the situation at hand, Catelyn could not do anything to stop this. What if everyone finds out that Joanne was faking the pregnancy? Thinking of it, Catelyn quickly sat up from the edge of the bed. Her actions suddenly caused an inexplicable pain in her lower abdomen. The pain made her unable to speak for the moment, and she could only watch as Harry invited in a middle-aged doctor. He was not the usual family doctor of the Athertons, but another medical director from the hospital who happened to be present at the birthday party. "Doctor Rudolf, please have a look at her. Is she okay? How is the baby?" said Old Madam Atherton. The doctor made a simple diagnosis. When he heard the olddy''s words, he looked at her curiously. "You mean... this youngdy is pregnant?" N?velDrama.Org (C) content. "Yes, my granddaughter-inw has been pregnant for two or three months, isn''t it?" Old Madam Atherton was slightly startled, not understanding the meaning of Doctor Rudolfs words. "Please wait a moment. Let me take another look," he said, his facial expression looking stiff. He grabbed Joanne''s wrist and continued to feel the pulse. It sure did not seem like she was pregnant. For the moment, Doctor Rudolf was speechless. After waiting for a long time, Harry got impatient and shouted, "It''s just a simple question! Is she pregnant or not?!" "Well..." stammered Doctor Rudolf. Before he could continue speaking, Edwin came back in time, and his calm voice interrupted the doctor. "Of course, my wife is pregnant!" All eyes were on him now. Doctor Rudolf stuttered, "Ed... Edwin? Your wife... She..." Edwin raised his eyebrows as he looked at the doctor. He said lightly, "My wife is nearly three months pregnant. She is in good health. On herst checkup, the doctor also mentioned that her fetus was in a stable condition. Is that right, Doctor Rudolf?" Doctor Rudolf could vaguely hear the threat in Edwin''s words, and his knees almost went limp. "Yes, yes. Your wife and the baby are in good health. It''s just that she had been a little too active physically, which probably affected the fetal condition a little. Don''t worry, I will prescribe her some medicine, and she will be okay." Old Madam Atherton frowned, sensing something was wrong. "Is it really how it is? Then why were you so nervous earlier when I asked you about it? '' she asked the doctor suspiciously. There was a lot of cold sweat on Doctor Rudolf''s back. "This youngdy is a superstar, and my daughter has always liked her. I didn''t expect to see her in person today, so... I got nervous," he exined. It seemed that no one would believe the doctor''s words at this moment. Doctor Rudolf had been behaving fine until Edwin came along, and then he suddenly had aplete change in attitude. Old Madam Atherton gazed at Edwin coldly. "Are you hiding something from me?" ''What can I hide from you? Grandma, it''s your birthday today. Don''t be disturbed by these trivial matters. There are many guests on the first floor waiting to see you, let''s not keep them waiting," Edwin said with augh. "No! My little great-grandson is way more important than all those guests! Get the family doctor from the manor now, and have him take a look at Joanne!" eximed Old Madam Atherton. Chapter 938 Chapter 938 Chapter 938 Catelyn quickly said, "Grandma, didn''t Doctor Rudolf just examine Joanne just now? Let''s just let her rest already." "But we have to make sure that the child has any illness or fever before it''s toote!" said Old Madam Atherton. Nothing was going to change her mind about this. Catelyn tried to wink at Edwin, but he was keeping his eyes on Joanne, not noticing her signal at all. How frustrating! Before they knew it, the old family doctor of the Athertons had arrived along with Kelly Preston. This doctor had been with the Athertons for many years, and the family had always treated him well. As soon as he arrived, he quickly dispersed the crowd, leaving only Catelyn, Old Madam Atherton, and a few others. This doctor''s diagnosis method was more sophisticated than that of Doctor Rudolf. Within three minutes, he said to Old Madam Atherton while smiling, "Congrattions. Although the youngdy is a little unstable at the moment, she will be okay after some good rest." "Really?" Old Madam Atherton still could not help but feel suspicious. "Are you teaming up with them to deceive me?" The old doctor replied calmly, "I''ve been serving the Athertons for almost thirty years. I''m sure I don''t have the guts to lie to you. Besides, I also look forward to bringing in this new additional member of the family for you and that additional bonus reward as well." Old Madam Atherton now felt utterly relieved and smiled boldly. "Don''t worry. As long as you can give me a little great-grandson, I will reward you with a vi." Joanne felt dizzy. She could vaguely hear someone talking in her ear, and she could see a doctor examining her. When her consciousness gradually recovered, she just happened to hear the conversation between the doctor and Old Madam Atherton. She subconsciously stroked her lower abdomen. The olddy was looking forward to Joanne''s child so much, yet she deceived her... Noticing that Joanne was awake, Old madam Atherton quickly stepped forward and held her hand. "Joanne! The doctor said you were running around too much, and your baby is a little unstable! Make sure you rest well next time, and I will take good care of you." Joanne''s eyes turned red upon listening to Old Madam Atherton''s sincere words. For the first time, she got to enjoy such care and love from her elders. Not even the Winter Family cared about her life and death. Sob... ¡¯Why are you crying?" Old Madam Atherton wiped her tears lovingly and said gently, "Are you still feeling sick? Good, it''s normal for pregnant women. Just bear with it a little longer, and it will go away." "Grandma!" Joanne suddenly burst into tears and threw herself into the olddy''s arms. "I''m sorry! I''m really sorry..." She was not actually pregnant, after all. This whole scheme with Edwin was all to deceive Old Madam Atherton. The olddy tried her best tofort Joanne, but she could not stop crying. She frowned and asked Edwin to However, Joanne was still sobbing. She did not want to listen to Edwin. It was all because of him that she was Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. where she was at the moment. Joanne did not want to lie to Old Madam Atherton, but she was forced to. Was it time for her to tell the truth? She sure did not have the courage to do so. If she had admitted that she was not pregnant, those two innocent doctors would have been dragged into this mess as well. Chapter 939 Chapter 939 Chapter 939 Realizing what was happening, Edwin gave Joanne a hint of warning, but it was ineffective. Instead, Joanne shoved him aside, startling Old Madam Atherton. Edwin lost his patience. He lowered his head and kissed her lips. Joanne stared nkly at hisrge handsome face, speechless. The olddy smiled as she saw Edwin''s actions. Attaboy! She remembered that Edwin did not like kissing women. Even when he had many girlfriends, he rarely kissed them, iming that they were too dirty. From the situation at hand at the moment, it seemed that Edwin was having a really good rtionship with Joanne! Meanwhile, Harry kept his face down. He looked at Doctor Rudolf, and then to the old family doctor... Something fishy was going on! Catelyn wanted to keep Joannepany for a while longer, but the pain she had felt earlier was still lingering. Feeling extremely ufortable, she requested Cedrick to bring her to the guest room to rest. Cedrick noticed Catelyn''s pale face. "Hang on, let''s have the doctor examine you as well. You don''t look too good." Catelyn shook her head as she snuggled into Cedrick''s arms. She hummed weakly, "I''m not sick. My period is causing the pain, that''s all. Just let me rest and sleep for a while.¡¯ Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "But..." ¡¯I need my rest, and I don''t want to listen to the doctor''s chatter," said Catelyn as she stared pleadingly at Cedrick with her big watery eyes. With such an adorable look, Cedrick could not bear to refuse her. He hugged Catelyn and left her in the room to rest. Catelyny on the bed and huddled into a ball, falling asleep almost instantly. However, due to the pain in the lower abdomen, she could not sleep soundly. Her eyebrows were slightly wrinkled, and there was also a faint dark blue mark on her lips. Cedrick had not seen Catelyn being so ufortable during her period before. Perhaps after a few days, it would be a good time to bring her to the hospital... Tracy was eagerly looking forward to witnessing the drama where Edwin and Cedrick got into a big fight. However, whatever she expected did not happen at all. On the contrary, from what Tracy heard from the servant, Catelyn was actually in the room! Not only that, Joanne ended up getting praised by the olddy, and both Cedrick and Catelyn were unscathed! What happened?! It was such a genius n, but it failed?! Tracy sprayed hallucinogens in the room, mixed with gardenia perfume so that it was not easily noticed. Most people would have already lost control by just inhaling a little. How did Cedrick ovee it? Was Catelyn there to save him just in time? Tracy was furious! Her n failed! No... It was still not toote yet. Tracy took out a small ck porcin bottle from a box under a dressing table, turned her head, and walked downstairs. Chapter 940 Chapter 940 Chapter 940 Sammy saw the thing in Tracy''s hand and hurriedly said, "What are you doing?" ''Since Joanne is so useless, then I shall do it myself! When the timees, I''ll take a picture of Cedrick on my bed. I bet I can even threaten him. I don''t believe there''s such a thing as a truly faithful man,¡± replied Tracy without hesitating. "Are you crazy?!'' Sammy shouted. She had been apanying Tracy while she was studying abroad. Her daughter had always been clean. Even if she had a boyfriend, there would still be boundaries. Sammy would never imagine Tracy retorting to such dirty methods to deal with Catelyn. ''I want to avenge my father, Mom! Are you really okay with Catelyn and Cedrick getting away with this? I must make her kneel down and apologize to my father!" cried Tracy. The moment she thought of Eugene, hatred started burning in her eyes. To other people, Tracy''s father was a scumbag. However, Tracy was his only child, and he had spoiled her since she was a child. His death was a devastating blow to Tracy, and she would do anything to avenge her father. Sammy''s mouth gaped open, but no words came out. Before she knew it, Tracy had already rushed downstairs with a small bottle of hallucinogens. She looked around, trying to locate Cedrick, and when the opportunity arose, she would then give him another dose of the hallucinogenic stuff... In the midst of it, Miles was unawarely passing by through the crowd and identally bumped into Tracy. Tracy stumbled, and the small porcin bottle of hallucinogen also fell to the ground. "You... You brat!" scolded Tracy angrily. She then hurriedly went to pick up the bottle. Although there was some foreignnguage written on it, there was no guarantee that no one would recognize it. She has to pick it up quickly! However, the porcin bottle rolled around andnded in front of a pair of shiny leather shoes. She looked at the man in front of her, and she was suddenly taken aback. The man was handsome and mighty, but he had a savage aura from his eyes, like a murderous general from a battlefield. Tracy''s heart skipped a beat, and her body froze on the spot. She then proceeded to pick up the porcin bottle. However, the man was one step ahead of her and grabbed it just before her hands could reach it. He flipped the bottle over and saw the foreign texts on it. Hallucinogens? ''Sir, I''m sorry. That''s my skincare product. Please return it to me," said Tracy patiently with a forced smile on her face. "Skincare products?" The man yed with the small ck porcin bottle in his hand. "Such a small bottle. Is it a free sample?" "It''s none of your business!" Tracy was so furious that she raised her voice. She reached her hands out and grabbed the small porcin bottle from the hands of Trevor Jones. Tracy gave Trevor a sideways look shamelessly and walked away. As she left, Trevor took a deep breath of air in the direction in which she disappeared. He could still smell the scent on her body.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Chapter 941 Chapter 941 Chapter 941 Upstairs, Joanne realized that she had been tricked and almost mistook Cedrick for Edwin. The thought flustered her greatly. Fortunately, nothing happened, otherwise, it would not be enough to atone for her sin even if shemitted suicide! Cedrick was Catelyn''s husband, and she was her cousin-inw... She covered her face as she began to blush in embarrassment. "Did you learn your lesson?" In the room where no one was around except them, Edwin sarcastically said, "I told you before I came here to follow me closely and not run around. This circle isn''t as simple as you imagined." Joanne hid under the quilt and quietly poked her head out a little, showing a pair of regretful eyes. "I was right beside Grandma all the time, but who knew that the waiter would bump into me just as I turned around! Besides, how did I know that your waiter would harm me? It''s all because of yourx recruitment and improper review of your employee. If he were in the film crew, this kind of person couldn''t even pass the interview." Edwin smirked, and it was the type of smile that would unnerve people. Joanne''s back felt cold as she muttered again, "Okay, okay! I admit that I was too careless this time, but nothing went wrong, thankfully. By the way, did you bribe Doctor Rudolf early in the morning?" When Edwin heard that, he smiled evilly. "Even if he was bribed, you wouldn''t be able to hide it for long. Your belly should show up now." Joanne pursed her lips and touched her belly. She and Edwin had been constantly having sex, but still, she could not get pregnant. "Edwin, are you sick?" she asked suddenly. Edwin looked a bit crossed by this question. "What are you saying?" "No, no, don''t get me wrong! I mean, you''ve been a yboy for so many years, but you haven''t had any scandals about illegitimate children. Could it be that...you''re sterile?" Joanne''s face reddened as she hurriedly justified herself, "I have regr physical examinations, so I must be in the clear! Don''t turn the me-" "Get some rest. After the birthday party is over, we''ll go to the hospital for an examination to see who''s the one with problems." Joanne nodded, but she became suspicious as she asked, "If I''m the one with problems, you''ll definitely divorce me, right?" Edwin wanted to nod to that, but seeing her eyes shining with anticipation as if she was eager to divorce him, he sneered. "Grandma only recognizes you as her granddaughter-inw, so if you can''t give birth, I''ll find someone to be a surrogate. Don''t worry, you''ll be the child''s mom. In short, don¡¯t try to run away. I still have evidence that you sexually harassed me.¡± "Are you going to tie me up for the rest of your life?" Joanne sat up from the bed, frightened, and she stared at him intently. The mobile phone in Edwin''s pocket vibrated suddenly, indicating a text message was received. After reading it, he left the bedroom without looking back and went to find Cedrick.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Cedrick stayed by the bedside with Catelyn until the door was knocked. He opened the door and saw Edwin outside, though unsurprised. "How''s Cat?" Edwin nced at the girl lying quietly on the bed. Cedrick shook his head, motioning for him to keep silent, then quietly pulled Edwin to the railing at the end of the corridor. He put one hand on the railing and frowned at him. "Did you find out who framed my wife and yours?" Chapter 942 Chapter 942 Chapter 942 ¡¯Tracy." Edwin cut to the chase. "The waiter is spineless. It only took me two kicks to make him exin everything. It was Tracy who bribed him to tempt Joanne to go upstairs then pretended to notify you and lured all of us there, trying to mess US up." The moment Cedrick heard this name, a killing intent shed in his eyes. "I underestimated her. It''s clever to kill two birds with one stone." "If she wasn''t Uncle Eugene''s only daughter, I''d have her dead right now!" The murderous intent in Edwin''s eyes was extremely strong, and he took a deep breath to suppress his emotions. Cedrick was about to say something when he saw Trevor and Tracy being together. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Being a man, Cedrick knew very well what Trevor''s intention was. He looked like a beast ambushing its prey and determined to get it. Trevor was notorious for his nasty behavior. He was once a mercenary, so he would use all cruel approaches to get what he wanted. The smile on Cedrick''s mouth suddenly became wicked. "I have a better n for her." Edwin followed his gaze and nced downstairs. When he saw Trevor, he raised his eyebrows and whistled. "Tsk! Uncle Eugene is dead, so I guess I should show kindness to his daughter by getting her a ''good'' husband." After finally getting Trevor to leave, Tracy began to look for Cedrick. After searching for a while and unable to find anyone, she drank several sips of champagne in frustration. At that moment, she saw Cedrick and Edwining down from upstairs talking and ''Herees the opportunity...'' Tracy lifted her skirt, smiled, and walked toward them. She had changed into a light-colored, single-sling, deep-V dress which outlined her perfect figure. The hem of the dress was designed with high slits. As she walked, her slender, straight legs were pronounced. When she walked toward Cedrick and Edwin, she could not stop hearing exmations from other male guests. Tracy straightened her back and, with a hint of uneasiness in her pride, urged herself to get close to Cedrick to destroy Catelyn''s happiness and have her atone for hurting her father. In a blink of an eye, she arrived in front of Cedrick and Edwin and apologized politely, "Cousin, I was tricked about that painting of "Happiness ''. I''m sorry I made a farce at Grandma¡¯s birthday banquet..." Edwin did not want to talk to her at first, but he thought of something and said slowly, "Grandma isn''t angry with you, so I won''t me you." ''Then, I''d like to toast you both. You both are my most respected elder brothers!" Tracy raised her sses excitedly to the two of them, her delicate eyes fixed on Cedrick. Cedrick shook the wine ss in his hand and drank the red wine in one gulp. Tracy looked at his sexy Adam''s apple rolling up and down and praised, ¡¯ I''ve heard about Master Cedrick''s majesty before, but I didn''t expect you to be my cousin-inw. Actually, I''m going to find a job soon. May I ask for some advice from you, privately?" Before Cedrick could respond, he noticed someone staring at him. He nced to the second floor and happened to see Trevor raise a provoking toast to him. He knew he was threatening him. Cedrick lowered his eyes to cover his mocking gaze, and parted his cool lips lightly. "Yes, I agree that it''s not convenient to talk here." Chapter 943 Chapter 943 Chapter 943 Tracy''s eyes lit up, and she nodded excitedly. "Then, let''s go to the garden! It''s quiet there, and no onees and goes." "Sounds great." Cedrick and Edwin whispered a few words in each other''s ears before Cedrick ced the wine ss gracefully on the tray and went to the garden where no guests would go. The moonlight was beautiful that night, and Tracy and Cedrick slowly made their way. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The excited Tracy chatted aplenty with Cedrick along the way, but Cedrick merely responded with shorter answers. In order not to ruin the atmosphere, Tracy kept bringing up other new topics, undeterred by Cedrick''s indifferent responses. On the contrary, she became even more enthusiastic. The more challenging it was to get on Cedrick''s bed, the greater the blow Catelyn would take when she did it. No one was in the flower garden''s perimeter, and the dim street lights made the atmosphere even more ambiguous. Tracy grabbed Cedrick''s arm and rubbed against him. "Cousin-inw, I feel a little dizzy..." ''I don''t like to have any physical contact with women other than my wife. I''m sorry. I suddenly remembered that I have something to do, so I''ll be taking my leave now." Cedrick pushed Tracy''s hand away expressionlessly, turned around, and left. Tracy froze in ce as he flung away her arm. ''What the hell is he thinking?! Didn''t he bring me to such a remote ce because he wanted something more intimate to happen?!¡¯ "Cousin-inw, did I make you angry?" Tracy smiled reluctantly,ced with grievance, and chased after Cedrick. However, Cedrick took great strides, and in just a few breaths, he disappeared into the night. Tracy was wearing high heels and a dress with slits, so she could not catch up even if she wanted to. She stomped angrily, but due to the force, she twisted her ankle. She let out a low cry of pain, squatted on the ground, and stretched out her hands to rub her ankles. Thinking of the hallucinogenic potion in her bag, she regretted that she did not spray it right on Cedrick''s face. Suddenly, a pair of shiny ck leather shoes appeared in his sight, which were almost reflective. "Cousin-inw, I knew you''de back!" Tracy raised her eyes in surprise, thinking that it was Cedrick who came back, but when she saw Trevor, she took a deep breath. ''Why...are you here?" Tracy was so frightened that her face became a little terrified. Regardless of the pain in her ankle, she stood up and subconsciously walked quickly toward the banquet hall. s, the garden was too far away from the hall, and she was soon stopped by Trevor. He pulled her chin sinisterly and stood in front of her devilishly. "Seducing my cousin-inw in the middle of the night... You should¡¯ve told me you were itching for some action!" Chapter 944 Chapter 944 Chapter 944 "You...b*stard!" Trevor¡¯s harassment both flustered and irked Tracy. She swung her hand at Trevor''s face, but he grabbed her wrist in a reflex response. Trevor used to be a mercenary, so he was much stronger than that of ordinary men. Just being held by him like this, Tracy felt like her hand bones were about to shatter! "It hurts..." "Don''t you want my love?" Trevor smirked. Be a good girl, won''t you? Oh, look at this beautiful dress..." Trevor buried his nose in Tracy''s V-neck above her chest, deeply inhaling the fragrance of her body. Tracy''s face paled in shock. She never had such intimate contact with any man. "Let me go, you jerk! I''m Miss Atherton from the Atherton family. My grandmother will never let you go if you dare do anything to me!" Tracy yelled fiercely, pushing and hitting his head with her elbow. However, Trevor grabbed her elbow suddenly, and by a turn of his body, he wrapped her tightly in his arms, rendering her unable to move. "I told you to let go of me!" "Scream. It''s better to scream louder and attract everyone''s attention, so they''ll know how ''Miss Atherton from the Atherton family'' seduced me." "You pig!" Tracy yelled angrily. Then, she started to beg for mercy. "What do you want? Women?! I can call beautiful women to satisfy you so long as you let me go!" Trevor¡¯s hand quietly entered Tracy''s purse and took out a small porcin bottle from inside. Tracy froze and stopped struggling. At the same time, Trevor untied the bottle''s cap and brought it closer to the tip of her nose. A strange fragrance hit her nostrils, and Tracy inhaled the gas from the bottle out of panic. It was toote when she came back to her senses as illusions began to appear before her eyes, and she realized she was growing dizzy. She lost her strength to push Trevor away and instead clung to him weakly. Satisfied with Tracy being docile, Trevor carried her upside down on his shoulders, strode along the path, left the Atherton Manor, and went to garage number two. There was no one around in the garage, which made it easier for Trevor to carry out what he wanted to do. Thus began their passionate night in the car. Not long after, several security guards rushed over with several reporters following after them. They surrounded the car and shouted at them both inside. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. "The people inside,e out immediately! We''ve received a report and suspect that you''re hiding weapons and intending to hurt Old Lady Atherton!" The Atherton family held a birthday banquet for Old Lady Atherton that day and did not invite any media reporters. Still, the paparazzi could not help but want to get first-hand information about the wealthy party, so they had been waiting outside the manor, seeking opportunities to secretly take photos of celebrities entering and leaving the manor. When they heard the bodyguard''s yelling, they ignored the guard''s stop and rushed over with cameras on their shoulders. Chapter 945 Chapter 945 Chapter 945 Tracy''s mind was hazy due as she had inhaled the hallucinogen. She thought she saw several dazzling spotlights flickering outside the car, piercing through the windshield. Trevor suddenly stopped moving, much to Tracy''s dissatisfaction. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Immediately afterward, someone knocked on the ss window. Trevor could hear someone shouting outside, but he and Tracy were so into their throes of passion that he did not pay attention to it. The dissatisfaction with being interrupted caused Trevor''s gloomy face to be even more annoyed. He casually picked up the suit underneath the seat and put it on Tracy, pressed her against his chest, then lowered the car window, ignoring the people outside. ¡¯Get out!" he growled. "Don''t disturb our affair!" Click! Click! To Trevor''s surprise, there was a horde of reporters with their cameras as well as security guards holding electric batons outside the car. Trevor paused for a breath, and there was a hint of shock in his anger. Before he could say anything, a reporter rushed over and took a quick shot. Although Trevor was not often featured in magazines, his family''s notable background would make any news about him priceless. The security guard stopped Trevor from trying to close the window amid the shock. "Mister Jones, please get out of the car for inspection. We''ve received a report that you''re armed, intending to harm Old Lady-" "Who''s the whistleblower? You must''ve made a mistake, so get the hell out of here!" ¡¯Please show your invitation letter and get out of the car for inspection." The security guard said solemnly without giving Trevor a chance to exin. The electric baton was pressed against Trevor''s body. Trevor was ashen faced with shock and was at a complete loss for words. When the bodyguard craned his neck to get a look in the car and saw a woman lying in his arms, he said, albeit with a little disgust, "Please also ask the youngdy in your arms to get dressed. Take out her ID card and get out of the car together." The cold air blew into the car through the window, dispelling the smelly odor and also fanning some sense back into Tracy. s, that consciousness was not enough to keep her fully awake. Because of the drug''s effect, she did not care about the media and security guards present at all. With sharp eyes and quick hands, Trevor quickly picked up his coat, pressed Tracy''s head into his arms, and cursed lowly, wanting to drive out of the ce. However, an eagle-eyed reporter took the opportunity to recognize Tracy''s face and gave her a close-up. "Oh my goodness. It''s Miss Atherton!" "I heard that her father just died, yet she''s here with Mister Jones?!" "Yeah. She even gave her grandma an art forgery as a birthday gift. How low could she go?" Tracy wriggling herself and wantonly seeking pleasure from Trevor''s body were all recorded by the reporters'' cameras, yet she waspletely lost to it all. All she was thinking was to get pregnant with Cedrick so Catelyn would be in great pain again. The birthday banquet continued until 3 a.m. before it came to an end. Chapter 946 Chapter 946 Chapter 946 Catelyn and Joanne had gone to bed early and slept deeply,pletely unaware of what happened downstairs. In contrast to their wives, Cedrick and Edwin were the instigators, and they witnessed the debauchery from the start until the end. Moreover, they also paid off a few reporters to viral the news that Tracy and Trevor had an affair in the car. In just a few hours, everyone across the globe heard of the farce they made. As Catelyn''s father, Ezekiel had been cautious since returning to America, and Cedrick got a scapegoat to take his ce in prison at that time. As the son-inw of the Atherton family, he gradually became popr in the upper- ss circle. Gradually, even those who had looked down on the rk family in the past started to curry favor with him. Although Ezekiel looked gentle and always had his smile on, he was never nice to those who had betrayed or framed him in the past. Some of the guests who had been ridiculed by him gathered together andined, "What is Ezekiel so proud of? Didn''t he just marry a good wife who gave birth to a good daughter? If his daughter hadn''t married someone from the Mason family, he''d still be imprisoned!" Ezekiel heard those critiques identally, but he did not care. There was only one Cedrick in the world, and it had nothing to do with him that her daughter managed to make Cedrick fall in love with her. After the guests left, Edwin arranged a bedroom for Ezekiel and had him stay in Atherton Manor to rest. Ezekiel wascent and responded with a smile.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Edwin stared at the servant leading Ezekiel to his room and gently bumped Cedrick''s arm with his elbow. ¡¯I heard that you also bought back my uncle''spany and instated him to be in charge again. Is it true?" Cedrick nodded lightly. "Let him have something to do. Catelyn has been nagging about it." "Wow, what a good son-inw you are! I have nothing to say. You gifted him a car, a vi, and even a company. What are you going to give him next time? Bitcoins?" Edwin joked. "But that''s good too. Cat cares very much about her father. As the saying goes, ''Love the family of your loved ones''.¡¯ Cedrick frowned and said in deep thought, ¡¯Please help me to check the details of Ezekiel''s murder four years ago." ¡¯Didn''t you get a scapegoat to go to jail for him already? Do you still want to reopen the case for him?¡± Edwin was puzzled. "That''s the problem." Cedrick frowned slightly, his eyes full of surprise." Before Ezekiel''s murder case was known by the public four years ago, thepany was already heavily in debt. He was used of murdering a banker who could lend him the money. Think about it; he had no reason to kill the banker who could literally save his life." Edwin had never carefully investigated Ezekiel''s murder case four years ago. To him, the only things he cared about were his sister-inw and Catelyn. "Could the banker have refused to lend money, so he murdered him out of rage?" "No." Cedrick denied that possibility without hesitation. "ording to the information I got, the banker has agreed to lend him money and has passed thepany''s internal review, and the loan would be released." ¡¯So, there are other inside stories about Ezekiel being used of murder? Why didn''t you just ask him?¡¯ ¡¯He''s Catelyn''s father, mind you." Everyone had been caring only about Summer since he returned to America. In addition, it had been four years since the incident, and it might not be good timing for him to rashly ask about the details of the murder case all of a sudden. What Ezekiel said might not all be true. The more Cedrick got along with Ezekiel, the more he realized that he was not as gentle as he seemed. "Okay, then. I''ll reinvestigate the case again." Edwin agreed without hesitation. The next morning, Tracy woke up and found herself in her bedroom. Chapter 947 Chapter 947 Chapter 947 Tracy''s cheeks burned pink with embarrassment. ''This exins why so many women in Sapphire City have Cedrick as their dirtiest fantasy. His figure and ability are unparalleled in the world. Ugh, I shouldn''t have passed outst night. I could have recorded everything and showed it off to Catelyn!'' Shortly afterward, Sammy came in from the door in a hurry. "Tracy, you''re finally awake! What happenedst night? Why are there photos of you and that man doing that thing in a car everywhere? Goodness gracious, Tracy... you''re done for!" blurted Sammy anxiously as she paced forth and back in the room, pulling her long hair regretfully. "I should''ve stopped youst night..." At first, Tracy was angry that Sammy broke in without knocking, but when she heard about reporters taking photos, her eyes widened. "Did the reporter take photos and published them in the newspaper?" "That¡¯s right, and you''re all everyone in the Atherton family has been talking about since morning. I also received calls from many reporters asking for an interview with you. What should I do now?" Tracy''s annoyance dissipated in an instant, and she was pleasantly surprised instead. "Isn''t this a good thing? There is nothing to worry about. By the way, did Catelyn cry until she died or something?" She chuckled. "I can imagine her pitiful, tearful face!" She was upset that she did not record the affair between Cedrick and herst night, hence she could not be even happier when she received the good news. Sammy was bbergasted. "Are you mad? You call this ''good news''?! And why should Catelyn be crying?" "The photo of me having sex with Cedrick in his car is in every newspaper. Shouldn''t she be crying?" Tracy proudly puffed up her chest, lifted the quilt, and got off the bed. She had to admit, her knees and back were a little sore. ''Cedrick doesn''t know how to take care of women, does he?'' She was a little unhappy with that. Sammy realized that her daughter had lost her mind and looked at her in bewilderment. "Do you have no recollection of who you were withst night?" Tracy casually put on a bathrobe, wanting to go to the bathroom to take a shower, andzily said, "Of course, Master Cedrick and I had so many intimate momentsst night. Maybe I''ll be carrying his child soon." After saying that, Tracy saw Sammy staring at her with sympathetic eyes. Tracy''s smile faltered. "Mom, why are you looking at me like that?" "Tracy, you weren''t with Master Cedrickst night... You were with Mister Jones." The air was quiet for a few seconds, and a woman''s heart-piercing scream came from Tracy''s bedroom, apanied by the sound of things being smashed to pieces. When Catelyn woke up in the morning, herplexion was much better, and her lower abdomen did not hurt anymore. To her surprise, she missed her period again. There was only a little blood on her hygiene product. Standing in the bathroom, Catelyn could not help being a little suspicious. Last night, her lower abdomen hurt a lot. She did not know why her periodsted only for such a short time. ''Could it be the side effect of the medicine that was applied to my wound after sleeping with Cedrickst time?'' Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the bathroom door, and Cedrick''s deep voice was heard after that. "Catelyn, you''ve been in there for ten minutes." ''I''m fine. I''ll be out right away!" She should have asked the folk healer to give her a traditional body checkst Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. night, but it was toote to regret it. Chapter 948 Chapter 948 Chapter 948 Catelyn flushed the toilet, smiled, and pushed open the door. Cedrick looked at her suspiciously. ''Is your stomach still aching?" ¡¯The brown sugar ginger teast night eased my pain a lot, and I don''t feel any pain now." Catelyn winked at him yfully and took his arm. "Come on, let''s go downstairs for breakfast. Don''t keep Grandma waiting.¡± The Atherton family was very traditional. All rtives staying in Atherton Manor had to stick to the rule to have breakfast together, and they could not bete or absent. Cedrick stared at Catelyn quietly, his gaze softened with worry. He must be thinking of taking her to the hospital for a physical examination as soon as possible. The two of them joined hands and went downstairs intimately. Catelyn noticed that the servants were all whispering with smiling eyes as if they were gossiping about someone. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Catelyn looked at Cedrick in a daze. "Did I miss something?'' Cedrick briefly told Catelyn what happenedst night, took out two newspapers, and handed them to her with an inscrutable tone. "No, you''re right on time. The drama has just started. I received news that the Jones family was furious when they learned that Trevor and Tracy got in the newspapers because of their romantic affair. They''ll visit US to discuss a solutionter." Catelyn stared at the headlines in the newspaper and was baffled. The title was apanied by a photo and a caption of what Tracy and Trevor were doing in the car. The Atherton family and the Jones family were wealthy families of high societal ss. Such news detrimentally impaired the social images of both families, which was why they needed a solution to mitigate the impact as soon as possible. ''You arranged for someone to secretly take photos and published them in the newspaper? My goodness, that''s terrible!" ''If I''m not bad enough, you won''t love me enough, will you?" Cedrick put his arms around Catelyn''s waist, and after turning around a little, he pressed her against the back of the couch. "Tracy wanted to frame me and Joanne. She asked for all of this." Regarding Tracy''s attempt to seduce him with hallucinogenic drugs, Cedrick had no intention of telling Catelyn for the time being. Catelyn looked up to meet his gloomy gaze and blinked slightly. "Then, Trevor was also part of your n?" ''No. He just happened to be interested in your cousin, and I was just fulfilling his wish. Facts have proven that the oue wasn''t bad.¡± Cedrick saw that it was gettingte, and everyone was probably coming to the dining room. He quickly bit Catelyn''s lower lip lightly, and then let her go. Catelyn''s breath fluctuated slightly, and she was very satisfied with his sense of humor and kissed him on the chin rewardingly. ''Well done.'' Tracy''s thoughts were too vicious, so rooting her out of the family from the start would save them from a lot of trouble. Everyone had a limit that could not bepromised when someone went beyond it. Tracy was undoubtedly walking a tightrope, challenging their limit collectively. Joanne and Edwin soon arrived at the dining table, yet the meal would only be served when Sylvie arrived. Tracy sat at the dining table sadly with Sammy beside her. Her eyes were red, implying that she had cried, and she looked a little weak. Sammy keptforting her, but Tracy''s resentful eyes never left Catelyn. Joanne sat across from Tracy. Knowing that she was the culprit who almost caused her to sleep with Cedrick, she propped her chin on purpose and smiled at Catelyn who was sitting next to her. "Women nourished by love are different. They''re like blooming flowers, exuding an enviable sweetness. Master Cedrick, you must take good care of our Cat. If you do something unforgivable to her, I won''t forgive you." Catelyn and Joanne sat next to each other at the table, while Cedrick sat next to Edwin. Both pairs were facing each other. When Cedrick heard that, he gave Catelyn a vague wink. Catelyn happened to be looking at him too, feeling ted and waiting for his answer. Chapter 949 Chapter 949 Chapter 949 Sensing Catelyn anticipating a response, Cedrick poured a cup of warm milk for her in a very gentlemanly manner, his eyes gleaming with adoration. "She is my wife, so why wouldn''t I love her? I should thank Granny Atherton for taking care of my wife for so many years." Catelyn¡¯s cheeks grew slightly hot, and her heartbeat quickened at the response. Zing! Seeing that Cedrick only had Catelyn in his eyes, Tracy subconsciously pressed the knife in her hand harshly on her te, producing a grating noise. However, the screech did not affect the two pairs of married couples on opposite sides in the slightest. "Cousin, is your hand cramping or something?" asked Joanne. "Err, yeah!" Tracy smiled, unable to figure out why the man she was withst night turned out to be Trevor instead. "Could Cedrick have lured me out on purpose, and then called Trevor to the garden?" Thinking of this possibility, Tracy felt cold all over, feeling like she had fallen into the abyss. At that moment, Sylvie finally arrived. Having slept with Miles and Ollie, her grandsons, she could not hide the smile in her eyes. Following her arrival, everyone seated at the dining table stood up to greet her. After Sylvie waved her hand, everyone sat back down. Sylvie nced at Joanne''s stomach as she asked, "Joanne, are you feeling better?" Joanne nodded immediately. "I feel much better now. Thank you for your concern, Grandma." "Great." Joanne was scooping food for Sylvie with a smile, but just as she sat back down, she suddenly felt something approaching silently under the table. When she looked down, she saw a toe lifting her trouser leg little by little. When the man''s toe was about to touch her knee, Joanne was taken aback. Irked, she red at the man sitting opposite her, who had a serious look. Edwin did not notice Joanne''s embarrassment at all. Joanne suddenly turned her body sideways, causing Catelyn to look at her in surprise. ¡¯What''s wrong?" "Nothing..." Joanne blushed in embarrassment and hurriedly scooped some food for Catelyn. "I''ll get you some food!" The breakfast was light, but the finely prepared dishes were cooked with loads of chili. Joanne happened to scoop a big spoon of chilis. Staring at the amount of chili in the bowl, Catelyn felt like crying andughing at the same time. "S-Sorry, I''ll get you something else..." Joanne smiled awkwardly and got some side dishes for Catelyn while furiously ncing at the man who tried to make trouble from the corner of her eyes. However, Edwin merely stared at her teasingly like a ruffian, even though his bearing was gentleman-like. In the eyes of the others, he was eating gracefully. ''What a jerk,'' Joanne cursed. Above the table, he pretended to be calm and elegant, but underneath it, no one knew how roguish he was except Joanne.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Chapter 950 Chapter 950 Chapter 950 Joanne wanted to change seats with Catelyn so Edwin could not reach her. Unfortunately, Edwin seemed to have seen through her thoughts a long time ago. Before she and Catelyn could swap seats, a hand suddenly held her wrist, and Edwin stared at her displeasedly. "Don''t you know that eating while quietly sitting will aid your digestion?" Joanne was speechless. She wanted to shake his hand off, but she did not want to be the focus of the people at the dining table, so she silently took it in. Fortunately, Sylvie spoke, attracting everyone''s attention, and she sneakily got out of Edwin''s grip. Tracy, what do you think of Trevor?" Sylvie suddenly asked Tracy. Tracy hurriedly put down the tableware out of panic. "I don''t know him very well." "Do you now?" Joanne decided to express her anger that was umted from Edwin to Tracy. "But the video of your romantic affairst night was uploaded on the Inte. You both must be very close, aren''t you?" Tracy cast a furious nce at Joanne. "Sister-inw,st night was just an ident!" Seeing the resentment in her eyes, Catelyn shuddered and added slowly, "I read the newspaper just now, and it said that when you were with Trevorst night, you seemed to be delirious. If it was an ident, did Trevor do something to you, like he gave you some kind of drug? Don''t worry, Grandma loves you very much and will seek justice for you." Sylvie nodded lightly. "The Jones family called me and said they''ll beingter to discuss your engagement and marriage contract with Trevor." When Tracy heard the word "marriage contract", her mind almost exploded. The same went for Sammy. "Marriage contract?" they blurted. "Correct," Sylvie responded nkly. "Grandma, I don''t want to marry!" Tracy never expected that her evil n would eventually backfire at her. She quickly took Sylvie''s hand, aggrieved." I''m still so young, and I don''t want to get married! I want to be with you forever, Grandma..." Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Sylvie pulled her hand back, her tone neither cold nor harsh as she replied, ¡¯ If you don''t want to get married, why did you not know how to behavest night and make the whole world know about your little rendezvous? The farce hase to a point that if you don''t marry Trevor, the reputation of both families will only be worse. Did you know someone used me of not being a good leader in the Atherton family?" "Grandma, Trevor forced himself onto mest night! How can I marry such a man?" Sammy echoed, "Mom, we don''t know about Trevor. Tracy said that he threatened her. Won''t marrying him be no different from pushing her into a fire pit? Please rethink this carefully; this is a hefty matter! Maybe we could retract the news..." Having lost her appetite because of Sammy and Tracy, Sylvie picked up a napkin and wiped the corners of her mouth. "Trevor wille to the manor in the morning. You can get to know him slowly." Sammy was so anxious that she burst into tears. "How close can they be in such a short time? There are so many things she has to know before marriage! His family background, personality, and would he be nice to Tracy It "I''ve already decided. I''m just notifying you, not asking for your opinions." Sylvie frowned, announcing her irrefutable decision with a hint of irritability in her eyes. She also did not want to push Tracy out so unfeelingly, seeing as she was her granddaughter. However, the affair was so widespread that there was no choice left besides forcing them to get married. Tracy was well aware of what Sylvie had decided. It was useless for her to say anything, so she dropped the tableware angrily, turned her head, and ran out in anguish, her eyes reddening with tears. Sammy stiffly pulled out a sneer and hurriedly chased Tracy out. Sylvie asked everyone to continue eating as if nothing had happened. No one took Tracy and Sammy''s reluctance to heart... She brought it upon herself, after all. Chapter 951 Chapter 951 Chapter 951 After the meal, Cedrick invited Catelyn to try on wedding dresses, and Ezekiel tagged along, too. Joanne wanted toe along, but Sylvie refused to allow her to walk around. There were a lot of people during the festival, and she just ''bumped '' her head yesterday and passed out. Therefore, Sylvie was too worried about her. Joanne begrudgingly returned to her bedroom and went on a Netflix binge to kill time until she heard the sound of the doorknob being turned. She jumped up from the couch. It was Edwin who came in. Of course, no one else but him woulde in without knocking. She threw herptop aside angrily and red at Edwin. "What were you doing under the dining table just now, you wild beast?¡± Hearing Joanne call him ''wild beast,'' his eyes narrowed as he slowly paced toward her. "What did I do?" Joanne was unfazed by this, however, as his behavior only served to irk her. "Are you still ying dumb? You deliberately rubbed your foot against me just now, and there were a lot of people! You have to restrain yourself, sheesh. You know I get shy easily..." Edwin satzily on the couch, put his slender legs on the coffee table, and squinted at her. "Didn''t you notice that Grandma has been observing US? I did that just to make US look more harmonious." "No matter how harmonious we are, it won''t change the fact that you teased me!" "And you responded to me."Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Joanne blushed again. She remained silent for a long while, jumped on the couch several times in anger, and kicked the cushion down the couch, venting her dissatisfaction. Edwin was undted slightly by the bouncing couch as he sat next to Joanne. All of a sudden, he raised his eyebrows, grabbed her waist, and pulled her down. In the blink of an eye, he had her pinned against the couch. He smiled and looked at her. In Int Atelier, a high-end boutique, Cedrick had already ordered the designer to make a wedding dress ording to Catelyn''s size in advance. To surprise her, Catelyn had not seen the 20 blueprints whatsoever. He brought her to try them on that day to see which one she liked. In the transparent ss window, there were sets of sparkling white wedding dresses. The lights on the top of the disy cab shone down on the dresses, producing a halo effect on them as they seemingly glimmered. These were the wedding dresses she had dreamed of. The wedding Catelyn had imagined countless times before that day. It was just that Ezekiel was not by her side in the past, so she felt that the wedding would not be perfect enough. Since her father had returned, and with her husband and her lovely twins to apany her, nothing bothered her anymore. Although Miles was still a kid, his eyes lit up when he saw the beautiful wedding dresses. He frantically ran around in the boutique, choosing a wedding dress for Catelyn. Ollie went with him and would offerments on something from time to time. In just a few minutes, the two boys had picked the most beautiful dress for her. "Mommy, try this one! There are also other pretty dresses!" Chapter 952 Chapter 952 Chapter 952 As trying on wedding dresses was a very cumbersome thing, Catelyn patted Miles'' head and said, "It''s very troublesome to try on a wedding dress. There are fruits over there. I''ll ask one of the sales assistants to take you to sit there, okay?" A female sales assistant smilingly greeted them. ¡¯Young masters, pleasee with me." Miles raised his chin coolly. "No, I''ll just wait here for Mommy to try on the wedding dress." ¡¯I''m not hungry either, thank you." Ollie shook his head politely. Seeing this, Catelyn did not force them to obey. She knew that when they were tired, they would take a nap somewhere. With the aid of the sales assistant, Catelyn began to try the first wedding dress, which was the twins'' choice. It had a retro theme to it with a narrow waist made with soft materials, was translucent, and decorated withplicated patterns, exhibiting the elegance and sexiness of the wearer. It took Catelyn about 10 minutes to finish dressing, and she, once done, stood in front of the floor-to- ceiling mirror and looked at herself. Cedrick also happened to look in the mirror. ¡¯Madam, you look so beautiful!" gushed the other sales assistants. ¡¯This wedding dress fits you like a glove, and I''m sure you''ll be the brightest star at your wedding after makeup!" "I''ve never seen anyone look so perfect in a wedding dress like you do..." Miles and Ollie raised their heads, their eyes twinkling as they nodded vigorously. Catelyn spun around but felt that something was missing. She then asked Cedrick for advice. Hearing many people praising Catelyn for her beauty, Cedrick felt ted. ¡¯ You look good in anything you wear." The wedding dress was originally designed to narrow the waist, but Catelyn found that she had eaten too much recently and gained some weight. Her belly slightly protruded at this point. She frowned and contracted her belly, trying to look slimmer, but she could not hold long. ¡¯No, I''ll try other styles." Catelyn decided to try the second set chosen by Miles and Ollie. The upper part of the second dress was waist-tight, but the lower part was a hand-stitched tutu skirt withyers of light gauzeyered on top of each other, forming waves of gauze which covered up the defects of the wearer to a certain extent. When Catelyn came out after trying it on, everyone''s eyes lit up. To promote sales, the sales assistant naturally fawned over her. Catelyn had no choice but to leave the final decision to the men and children. Unsurprisingly, they praised them for being beautiful in the dress. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ''This one and that one look beautiful." Cedrick walked over and hugged her shoulders, his deep voice was melodious and maic. ¨¬ shouldn''t be asking you three for opinions on wedding dresses! It''s just my luck that Joanne isn''t here, or she would''ve given the most useful opinion." Every woman would feel that they had all kinds of ws and that their figure was imperfect. That was why makeup products and good-looking dresses were their best friends. At a time like this, all they needed was a truthful answer or opinion, not praises. If all the men did was simply praise, she would not know who was honest and which dress to pick. Chapter 953 Chapter 953 Chapter 953 Catelyn was thinking of calling her female colleague to help her choose, seeing as how unhelpful Cedrick and her twins were with their opinions. Suddenly, a person walked into the shop, and it took Catelyn by surprise. It was Janice. She was in poor health and rarely left her room, and it just so happened that she took a stroll that day for her health. Coincidentally, she passed by the bridal shop and saw Cedrick from a distance. Curious, she walked in and saw Catelyn trying on wedding dresses. "Aunt Janice?" Catelyn excitedly pulled Janice closer. "You came just in time! I need your help: Which wedding dress do you think looks better on me?" "I might not be the best person for this...but I could give you some advice." Janice took Catelyn''s hand lovingly. It was hard for her to imagine that Catelyn and Cedrick, who were not favored all the way, finally getting together. It was even harder to imagine Catelyn as the granddaughter of the Atherton family. "I appreciate it! You always have good taste in aesthetics," praised Catelyn smilingly. Cedrick, just as surprised, came to Janice, greeted her, and introduced Ezekiel to her. "This is Mister rk, Cat''s father. He just returned to America a while ago." "Pleased to meet you, Mister rk." Janice reached out to shake hands with Ezekiel, but when her eyes lingered on Ezekiel''s vaguely handsome face, she felt he seemed...familiar. She could not help but ask with a smile, "Have we met before? You seem familiar." Janice did not attend Sylvie''s birthday banquet yesterday, so she must have met Ezekiel somewhere before that. When Ezekiel saw Janice, his pupils shrank slightly, and his breathing was imperceptible for a moment before he shook his head with a smile. "If I have seen someone like the elegant, generous Miss Coleman before, surely I wouldn''t forget." "Apologies. I must''ve mistaken you for someone else." Janice did not take it to heart either and began to choose a wedding dress for Catelyn. There were more than a dozen sets of wedding dresses left, and Janice chose one of them at a nce, which was a pure white wedding dress with thousands of diamonds iid on the chest. It was a brilliant design. The design was ingenious with gardenia petals embroidered on the waist, perfectly embedded in the transparent tulle, indeed a masterpiece. Janice asked the sales assistant to take the wedding dress and handed it to Catelyn. She then carried the dress into the fitting room. Janice apanied her into the room and helped her in putting it on. The curve of the waist perfectly covered her protruding belly, which fit perfectly. After she came out of the fitting room, the air in the store seemed to have stagnated. Cedrick had changed into a gray suit, whichplemented Catelyn''s pure white wedding dress, making this lovely couple look even more youthful and gorgeous. Catelyn and Cedrick met each other''s expectant eyes, and they could not look away anymore. Cedrick, in Catelyn''s eyes, was like a prince who had stepped down from the altar, his eyes were less cold and much gentler. She could even imagine the day when they held their wedding. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. As he gazed at her wearing this dress, he walked up to her and held her hand in front of all the guests. It was not only to announce their rtionship to the whole world but also to show everyone his warm and caring side. Catelyn walked over and spread her arms, asking nervously, "How do I look?" Her figure was reflected in Cedrick''s eyes. "This is you, the iparable you." Catelyn slightly raised a smile, ddened that she had asked Janice for her opinion. Janice, too, smiled. "It seems that I still have good taste. This dress matches you very well." Cedrick turned his head and told the sales assistant that they would pick the dress Catelyn was wearing. After this fitting session, Cedrick intended to go back to Mason Chateau to discuss some other wedding details with the wedding organizer. "Alright, I¡¯ll see youter. I haven''t been with Dad for a long time, and I want to go back to the rk Mansion." Catelyn waved to Cedrick to signal him not to bete because of her, and her smile was sweetened with glee. Chapter 954 Chapter 954 Chapter 954 Cedrick lowered his eyes and pecked her forehead. ''I''ll pick you upter for dinner.¡¯ "Alright, I''ll wait for you." Reluctantly, Catelyn sent Cedrick to the car and left, then went to have lunch with Ezekiel, Janice, and her twins. Since Ollie preferred healthier food, Catelyn chose to eat at a Greek-themed restaurant instead. Janice had not seen Catelyn for a long time, so she enthusiastically asked about her recent rtionship with Cedrick. To her surprise, Miles and Ollie were more active in answering Janice''s questions than Catelyn was. Janice looked at their happy faces and emotionally remarked, "It''s our fate after all. I never thought that you were the woman who gave birth to Ollie for Ceddy four years ago. I''m d everyone is reunited now." In the afternoon, Cedrick came out of Mason Chateau after settling their wedding nning and drove to Mason Group. Eason said that he found some information and needed to report it to him, face-to-face. When Cedrick arrived at Mason Group, Eason was waiting in his office with a stack of photos and documents in his hand. Seeing Cedrick, he immediately went up to him. "Master Cedrick, you asked me to check the information on Mister rk''s previous imprisonment, but I found that..." Cedrick pursed his lips lightly, signaling him to continue. "EzekieL.was only brought in at the end ofst year on the small ind of the private prison. Because he had no money to pay the fine, he had never been released on parole. However, just a few months ago, a few days after the young masters'' birthday, someone photographed Ezekiel appearing in the commercial building in Sapphire City." In other words, Ezekiel, who should be serving his sentence in prison, appeared in Sapphire City when he should not have been able to. A person could not appear in two ces at the same time. Something was off. "This is the photo I took of Ezekiel in themercial building." Eason took out one of the photos and handed it to Cedrick. "I''ve already analyzed it, and there is no trace of it being photoshopped. This is Ezekiel." Cedrick stared at that photo. The background was a jewelry store in the mall. Ezekiel was preliminarily wearing a mask but was identally bumped into by a passerby, and the mask was identally torn off. In the photo, he was picking up the mask in a panic and nning to put it on again. He looked afraid that people would recognize him. Compared with the records of private prisons, Ezekiel must be hiding something. "He was imprisoned for idental wounding. What about the victim?" asked Cedrick sternly. As long as the victim was found, they would get to know whether the adjudication of Ezekiel''s imprisonment was faulty or not. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. s, Eason shook his head. "We''re one step toote. The victim immigrated to another country." "How could there be such a coincidence?" Cedrick put the photo upside down on the desktop and sneered inexplicably. "It seems that my father-in-w is hiding something. From now on, you have someone to watch him every hour of the day. Find out who he''s in contact with." If Ezekiel had appeared in Sapphire City a few months ago, he could have found Catelyn. Even if he was afraid that he would be involved in the murder case four years ago, he should not be afraid of contacting Catelyn, who would for sure harbor him. Catelyn always regarded him as her spiritual sustenance and belief and would never betray him. The only exnation was that he was up to something. Abruptly, Cedrick''s phone rang again. It was Ezekiel. "Hello, Dad?" Cedrick answered the call. Ezekiel''s anxious voice sounded through the phone. ¡¯Ceddy, Cat has passed out! Hurry up ande to The Pioneer Hospital!" Chapter 955 Chapter 955 Chapter 955 When Cedrick arrived at the hospital, Catelyn just woke up. Lying on the bed, her face was abnormally pale due to a pained stomach. "Why did Catelyn suddenly pass out?" asked Cedrick to Ezekiel the moment he walked in, his gaze hardening. Ezekiel wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and exined guiltily, ''After lunch, Cat apanied me back to rk Mansion. It happened that many shopping malls were remodeled and newly built near the vi. I suggested we go for a walk there, but all of a sudden, Cat suddenly said that she had a stomach ache in our walk before she passed out..." "Where¡¯s the doctor''s examination report?" Cedrick asked coldly. Ezekiel shook his head, not daring to meet Cedrick''s gaze. "The doctor is still analyzing the report, so it hasn¡¯t While speaking, Cedrick had already walked to Catelyn''s bedside. He saw her squinting, beads of sweat riddling her forehead and one hand covering her lower abdomen. It was evident how bone-tearing painful this was, yet she bit her lower lip forcefully, not letting herself groan in pain. For a moment, Cedrick felt extremely guilty. He should have let the folk healer that day check her so she would not have suffered. "Whine if it hurts, don''t hold back." Cedrick reached out to hold her hand. It was very cold due to insufficient blood supply. Catelyn did not cry out in pain but just looked at him worriedly. "I don''t know what''s been going on with my stomachtely. I can''t lift my hands and feet, and I''ve been suffering abdominal pain. I should''ve listened to you before and had a physical examination..." "Don''t overthink it. The doctor''s report hasn¡¯te out yet. The most important thing for now is to have a good rest." "D-Do I have some terrible illness?" asked Catelyn anxiously as her body tensed and her heart contracted. Cedrick held her hand harder and kissed her lips encouragingly. "Hey, no matter what happens, I''ll be by your side. Still, the result hasn''te out yet, so don''t put too much psychological burden on yourself." The more heforted her, the more scared Catelyn became, especially when she thought that they had just gone to try on the wedding dress early that day. She wanted to marry him in that wedding dress, with Miles and Ollie being their page boys. She did not want to die! Ezekiel quietly went outside to wait for the doctor and the report. Cedrick did not allow Catelyn to think about it any longer and forced her to close her eyes to rest. After rubbing her hands, he rubbed her belly to keep it warm. Still, Catelyn could not fall asleep. About 20 minutester, the examination report finally came out. When Ezekiel came back with the report, he thought that Catelyn was asleep and asked Cedrick to go out, but the moment Cedrick withdrew his hand, Catelyn, who was lying on the bed and had dozed off, suddenly opened her eyes. She held his hand, her eyes evidently pleading for her. "Don''t hide it from me! I''m the patient, and I want to know..." Cedrick met her determined eyes and said not a word but looked at Ezekiel. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Ezekiel pursed his lips and, waving the report card in his hand, tried to ease the atmosphere and joked, "Don''t be so serious. It made me panic! Fortunately, the report shows that Cat fainted due to stomach cramps. That isn''t a big deal." ''Stomach cramps?" This did not even put Catelyn at ease as it only weirded her out. Her lower abdomen pain did not feel like a normal difort to her, but then she thought there was no need for doctors to lie. "What did you have for lunch?" Cedrick frowned. Catelyn recalled the food and did not think there was any problem. "It''s just normal Greek food, nothing special..." Chapter 956 Chapter 956 Chapter 956 ¡¯Cat, did you forget? You also ate two persimmons you just took out of the refrigerator this afternoon," Ezekiel added, taking out some medicine, saying it was prescribed by the doctor, and asking Catelyn to take it. After Catelyn took the pills, as Ezekiel asked, the abdominal pain was miraculously relieved. She gradually felt relieved, thinking that it was just that she had a weak digestive system. She had two chilled persimmons after her lunch before taking a walk with Ezekiel, and suddenly stomach ache hit. As time passed, Catelyn leaned on the soft pillow, and her strength began to recover a little bit. She could not help but murmur suspiciously, "Is it my gastric problem? I used to eat persimmons, but nothing had ever happened to me." She always preferred dried persimmons to fresh persimmons. They were delicious after being dried over a cold winter, and she liked them so much that she would buy some and store them in the refrigerator every year. However, she never had any gastrointestinal problems after enjoying that sour snack for years. Cedrick frowned, took the report in Ezekiel''s hand, and quickly scanned through it at a nce. The results showed that Catelyn''s fainting was caused by gastrointestinal problems. While letting out a sigh of relief, he was also a little disappointed. He and Catelyn did not intentionally use contraceptiontely, but still, Catelyn failed to get conceived. After all, Catelyn felt difort was just due to her intestinal problem. "Persimmons are cold fruit, and women shouldn¡¯t eat too much of that. Plus, the persimmons you ate have just been taken out of the refrigerator, not to mention that it''s winter now. You''re not allowed to eat them again until the winter is over again!" Cedrick warned her domineeringly, thinking of emptying the refrigerator when he got home. Although Catelyn was upset that she could not eat any delicious food for the uing days or weeks, her abdominal pain was telling her to abandon the thought. So, she obediently agreed without any objection. Ezekiel immediately reminded, in addition to persimmons, there are durians, hawthorns, lychees, pineapples, and more, all of which you''re not allowed to eat until you''re fully recovered. Oh, and no alcohol too!" When Catelyn heard the list of inedible foods that were made by Ezekiel and Cedrick, she was stunned. "Dad, did the doctor tell you something else?" "No. I''m doing this for your good. You have an upset stomach, so you must avoid it. I also asked the doctor to give you some herbal medicine. You must finish all the drink..." Ezekiel immediately retorted. "Got it." Of course, Catelyn would not say no to Ezekiel''s kindness. She also hoped that she could get better soon... In addition, she wanted to ask the doctor about her inurate menstrual period recently, still, in front of Ezekiel, she was embarrassed to call the doctor, so she did not mention it for the time being. After Ezekiel left, Catelyn saw Cedrick''s rxed expression and did not want him to worry anymore, so she pretended to be not worried. ¡¯When the report hasn''te out just now, I thought I had some incurable illness and will die soon. I was scared to death, haha!¡± ¡¯I was scared to death by you too!" Cedrick held her in his arms and pressed his thin lips against her forehead. "Luckily, there''s no bad news. There''s no incurable disease." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ''I have a question to ask you," Cedrick said suddenly. Catelyn raised her head slightly and met his eyes. "What¡¯s the question?" "If Ezekiel is not as perfect as you imagined, or if he is deceiving you, what will you do?" ¡¯No one is perfect. I never thought that my father was a perfect person. Otherwise, no one would have framed him four years ago. But I believe that my father would not lie to me." "I mean, if." Cedrick pursed his lips and emphasized. Catelyn thought about it seriously. "Even you and I can''t be honest. The same goes for me and him. He is an adult, and it''s normal to have secrets. As long as it doesn''t surpass my limit, I won''t me him." "Then where''s your limit?" Cedrick stared at her with burning eyes. "The babies, Grandma, and you. But why did you suddenly bring up my dad? " Catelyn replied casually. Chapter 957 Chapter 957 Chapter 957 ¡¯Nothing, I just think that you and he have been separated for four years. After all, something may have happened during that time. No one knows...¡¯ ''Then let''s bury it.¡¯ ¡¯What?" ¡¯Dad loves me very much, and I trust him." Catelyn¡¯s eyes shone with total trust. Cedrick stopped hinting at her when she told him how much she trusted Ezekiel. Before there was any real Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. evidence to prove that Ezekiel had a conspiracy, anything he said would just be a suspicion, and she might mistake it as his dissatisfaction with Ezekiel. For the next few days, Catelyn was recuperating in the hospital, so Cedrick had been doing all his work in her ward hospital. When she was resting, he would handle business matters of hispany in the living room. In the ward, only her breathing and his keyboard noise could be heard. If he needed to make a phone call, he would go to the corridor without waking up Catelyn. Sylvie also had maids bring over some medicinal porridge for Catelyn, which could be easily digested. At the same time, Joanne and Ste would apany her now and then. With the ardent care of so many people, Catelyn recovered well. Soon, on the morning of the fourth day, the doctor approved her to be discharged from the hospital. She secretly went to ask the doctor about her inconsistent periods. The female doctor reassured her not to worry about it as varying periods for a month or two were not the symptoms of any diseases. Yet, she was warned to be more vignt if the casested more than three months. ¡¯Missus Mason, as far as I know, are you nning to have a wedding with Master Cedrick next year?" The female doctor wore sunsses and knew Catelyn''s identity, so she was extra focused and gentle when responding to Catelyn with a respectful smile. Catelyn admitted, "Yes." ¡¯Then have you spent a lot of time thinking about Old Madam Atherton''s birthday party?'' "Is there any rtionship between the two?" Catelyn stared at the female doctor, puzzled. "Of course, the birthday party is just over, and then you have to prepare for the wedding and deal with work. Your schedule must be packed, and it''ll most likely cause emotional tension, depression, or over- excitement, subconsciously in your mind. These will be reflected in your body. The more evident response is inconsistent period, as in your case." ''So you mean that I should rx a bit?" The female doctor nodded solemnly andforted her, "I got it. Yes, rx a bit, and don''t put too much pressure on yourself, and your period will naturally return to normal." ''Then do I need to take medicine?" "You don''t need it for the time being so as not to conflict with those medicines for nourishing the stomach." The doctor''s words calmed Catelyn''s emotions to a certain extent, at least letting her know that her current symptoms were normal and there was nothing wrong with her body. So when Cedrick came to pick her up, she got into the car excitedly while humming. When Cedrick saw her being in a good mood, he could not be more relieved. Shortly after they left the hospital, they encountered heavy traffic at a junction. The car stopped several times due to the jam, which made Catelyn feel extremely nauseous. It was as if something was choked in her throat, urging her to retch. Seeing this, Cedrick simply stopped the car, frowned, and said, "Still feeling ufortable?" "I feel like vomiting..." Catelyn hurriedly bent over and covered her mouth for fear that she would vomit it out by ident and dirty the car. Cedrick unbuttoned her seat belt, reached out to check her body temperature, made sure that she did not have a fever, and said sullenly, ¡¯ You have been feeling sick to your stomach for the past few days. I shouldn''t have believed the doctor''s words and brought you out of the hospital..." While speaking, he had the urge to send Catelyn back to the hospital. Chapter 958 Chapter 958 Chapter 958 She hastily refused, "No! There''s a smell of disinfectant in the hospital, and the wards are sopacted! It''s like being in prison. It''s just an upset stomach, not a serious illness. I would rather recuperate at home..." Because she covered her mouth, her utterance was intermittent. She pointed to her purse on the car''s back seat and said, "There are medicines in my purse. Get one for me." The caring nurse helped her to pack the medicines into individual bags ording to the amount she needed to take, so Catelyn just had to take one bag at a time. "Wait here for a while." Cedrick squeezed her fingers, looked out the window, immediately got out of the car, and went to a 24-hour convenience store opposite. Catelyn saw that he was talking with the female shop assistant, and the female shop assistant''s eyes were glowing when she looked at him. Soon, when Cedrick came out again, he was holding a cup of hot water in his hand. Catelyn''s nausea eased a little after having a quick rest. She leaned on the car window with one hand, feeling extremely depressed. "Oh, this damned gastric..." If she had known that eating persimmons could make her so sick, she would not have been greedy for her chilled persimmons. That feeling was way worse than food poisoning. Cedrick came back with a water ss and was about to get her medicine when his cell phone rang, but he did not even look at it. He took a pill in front of her mouth, coaxing her to open her mouth like coaxing a child. It was very strange to say that every time Catelyn felt ufortable in her stomach, she could immediately relieve it by taking some medicine. Yet medicine would only ease the pain but not cure the disease. Catelyn swallowed the pill, leaned on the cushion, and fell asleep for a while. When she opened her eyes, she found that Cedrick was looking her up and down suspiciously, which made Catelyn widen her eyes, touch her cheeks in horror, and said anxiously, "What''s wrong? Is it because I haven''t taken care of myself very muchtely, and I''ve be ugly?" Cedrick found the timing of Catelyn''s stomachache a bit odd. When Ollie was a child, he often had stomach upsets. One of the reasons was that he was born prematurely, and the other was that his taste was very nd that a slightly stimting food would cause him a stomachache He had seen the little guy vomit when he was sick, but he never vomited as Catelyn did... Seeing him staring at her all the time, Catelyn felt even more ufortable. She thought she must have be ugly. When she woke up in the morning and looked in the mirror, she found that several pimples had burst out on her face. When she wanted to say something, Cedrick suddenly raised her chin, pushed her onto the cushion, leaned over, and kissed her lips. His wide palm was sliding on her waist... "Hmm..." Catelyn was frightened by his sudden kiss and turned her head to avoid it, but there was only such a little space in the car, and it was impossible to avoid his kiss. After the kiss was over, Cedrick whispered unsteadily in her ear, "It''s useless to say it. I''ll prove it by doing it. No matter what you be, I''ll only have feelings for you." Catelyn thumped his chest angrily and blushed, but her mood improved because of it. She always liked his unexpected sweet talk and kisses. Catelyn had a stomach upset and was sent to the hospital without telling the two little guys. As soon as she returned to Atherton Manor, the children who were watching TV in the living room ran over immediately. Miles'' little hand pulled at the hem of her skirt and sniffed it vigorously like a beagle. His eyebrows immediately copsed, and he pouted his cheeks angrily. "It smells like medicine! You must have gone to the hospital and lied to me that you were at Old Demon''s ce..."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 959 Chapter 959 Chapter 959 Ollie also stared at Catelyn with his deep eye bags. "Mummy, are you feeling unwell?" ¡¯I''m alright now." Catelyn squatted down, hugged Ollie, and kissed him on the forehead. They had not seen each other for several days, and she missed him very much. ¡¯Did you eat obediently during the few days I was away? Did you listen to your great-grandmother?" "Yes, we behaved well every day! The teacher even called US personally to praise US for doing great homework during the winter break." Ollie stood upright and leaned against Catelyn''s arms. "What happened to you? Why are you feeling ufortable? We asked our godmother, but she didn''t tell us anything..." ¡¯It''s not that I didn''t want to tell you. It''s your mummy who ordered me not to. She was afraid that you two would be worried, so she didn''t let me say anything!" Joanne suddenly came in wearing an exaggerated feather costume. The first thing she did when she came home every day was kiss the two little guys. Miles hid behind Catelyn, hugged her leg, running away from Joanne''s rosy red lips. "Godmother, your lipstick smells terrible!" Joanne turned her head and asked Edwin, "You chose my lipstick for me, didn''t you?¡± "Peach vor, very fragrant and very tempting. It''s suitable for the event you attended today." Edwin shrugged indifferently. Joanne was now a female artist under the Worldwide Entertainment Co., so she needed to cooperate and participate in some promotional events held by thepany. Miles crossed his arms and looked at Joanne''s red lips with a sophisticated look that did not match his age. ''It doesn''t match your aura at all. Godmother, you should use the cherry red color fromst time. It''s fresh and elegant, soft yet firm. It looks much better than this one." Joanne''s eyes were filled with admiration, her starry eyes shed wildly, and she looked at the little guy like a little girl. "Oh, Miles, you have such good aesthetic taste! I love that cherry red lipstick too...¡¯ "Of course!" Miles snorted arrogantly, stretched out his little hand, and raised it in the air. Joanne understood in seconds and gave him a high five. Edwin smiled, and he stared at the little one with contempt. "You are only a kid under four years old, yet you know so much about lipsticks? Do you know what cherry red is?" Miles pursed his mouth and peeked at Edwin, looking arrogant. "My height and age are not directly proportional to my IQ! Uncle Edwin, you''ll lose a lot if you underestimate me. I used to apany Mummy to choose the color of her lipsticks." Ollie took the opportunity to raise his hand and said, "In the future, I will choose with Mommy too!" "Okay, next time when I want to buy lipstick, I''ll call both of you together, okay? I''ll let both of you choose the most eye-catching color for me." Catelyn smiled gratifyingly, feeling happy for having two children and a husband who loved her so much. Edwin sneered. "Aren''t you afraid that they are too precocious?" They were only three to four years old kids who were not weaned yet but were already familiar with lipsticks. Edwin Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. did not know women''s preferences for lipsticks until he was at least twenty years old... "What does choosing lipsticks have to do with precocity?" Catelyn disagreed. Edwin turned to Cedrick and asked, "Ced, don''t you want to say something? Maybe they will spend more money than me in the future." Cedrick did not care about his provocation at all as he added slowly, "They will be four years old after Christmas, and they should be sensible. However, there is one thing you both have to remember. Puppy love is not allowed before high school." Chapter 960 Chapter 960 Chapter 960 ''Puppy love is not allowed before high school, so is it okay when they are in high school?'' Edwin was speechless. When Catelyn heard that, her eyes widened. "Puppy love affects physical and mental health, so it''s not allowed until you both go to university..." "Having a few rtionships will help them grow emotionally," Cedrick responded confidently. "What kind of theory is this? Could it be that you had many rtionships before me?" Catelyn caught the point in Cedrick''s utterance and asked with a hint of threatening. "I only had Maia as my fiance before. Don''t you know that already?" "Maia was the only fiance, but what about girlfriends? What about mistresses? I didn''t know you before, so how would I know how many rtionships you''ve had?" Catelyn retorted. Even though she knew that he now belonged to her alone, she still could not help but be curious about his past rtionship history. Cedrick never told her about that before... It was so natural forthem to be together. They had two children and hence wanted to form a family for the children. Cedrick nced at Joanne and Edwin, who was waiting to see him being made fun of, and raised his tone, "Then let me tell you now, there is Maia. Besides, she and I were not really in love." That was why when he and Catelyn first got together, he made so many ring mistakes in their rtionship. However, Catelyn heard other meanings and became even angrier. "So you think you have too little rtionship experience, and now you regret not having more in the past?" Cedrick did not expect the description to get even more unfavorable for him, and he seemed bothered. "I never said that." "Then why are you educating your son like this?" Catelyn also seemed to be furious. She asked persistently as if she would fly into a rage at anytime. Cedrick was dumbfounded for a moment, not knowing how to respond to her. He fixedly stared at Catelyn''s stubborn expression, not knowing why Catelyn got mad when he was just telling the truth. After a short while, he said, "I just hope my sons be emotionally strong in the future." "In short, I... urn..." Catelyn was talking, but suddenly she felt nauseous again. She hurriedly pushed Cedrick away, covered his mouth, and ran to the bathroom. Leaning onto the washstand, retching turned into real vomiting... "Ugh!" Cedrick''s expression changed suddenly. He immediately stopped arguing with her, chased to the bathroom, and patted her back tofort her. Catelyn shook her shoulders ufortably, avoiding his touch. She always hoped that both her sons would be loyal in their future rtionship when they grew up. If they needed to go through many rtionships to find their true love, it would only show that their rtionships were not going well. Cedrick''s thin lips were tightly pursed, with an air of helplessness, but seeing her pale face vomiting heavily, he suppressed his inner anger again. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Catelyn did not know how long she had vomited. Her stomach was emptied before she raised her head with difficulty. When she saw herself in the mirror, she was taken aback. Her cheeks were pale, her eye sockets were sunken, and she looked like she had lost all vitality... Joanne stood at the door of the bathroom, seeing Catelyn''s ill appearance, and eximed, "Oh my God! Are you okay? If it weren''t for the doctor''s examination report that said you had gastric problems, I would have suspected that you were pregnant..." Catelyn turned on the faucet to wash her face. Hearing that, she was choking on saliva, and her face was flushed red. "What did you just say?! Pregnant?!" Chapter 961 Chapter 961 Chapter 961 ¡¯Yes! I yed a pregnant woman for a TV showst time. It was pretty much the same as your situation now. I couldn''t eat well, and I vomited everything out,¡¯ said Joanne as she handed over the tissue box. Cedrick took out a few clean tissues from the carton and gently wiped Cateyn''s mouth. Her temples throbbed several times, and she looked at her t belly. Pregnant? It seemed that the report of Catelyn getting diagnosed with gastroenteritis was taken out by Ezekiel that day... ¡¯Don''t be serious. How could I be pregnant? The doctor has already given a diagnosis report," said Catelyn as she waved her hand after wiping the corners of her mouth. She had vomited back then while she was pregnant with Miles and Ollie, but it was not this serious. It must be gastroenteritis. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Did the doctors lie to her with a false report? "It''s strange,¡¯ said Joanne puzzlingly. She turned and looked at Edwin," What about the Athertons'' family doctor? Could we ask him toe over and examine Kitty?" "No," replied Edwin without hesitation. Joanne squinted. "Why not? Don''t you want to know what happened to Kitty?" ''What are you talking about? I meant that he is not around at the moment, and he won''t be back until next week. Anyway, you don''t need a doctor to find out if Kitty is pregnant." Edwin shrugged helplessly. ¡¯You mean... A pregnancy test stick?!" Joanne''s eyes lit up. She and Edwin had prepared a lot of test sticks in the event of her pregnancy. They sure did not expect them to be used on Catelyn now. Catelyn looked at Cedrick subconsciously for his approval and saw his affirmative gesture. She then nodded to Joanne. Could she really be pregnant? How nerve-wracking indeed! Joanne took Catelyn upstairs, took out a pregnancy test stick from the suitcase, and handed it to her, telling her to get herself tested in the bathroom. Catelyn drank arge ss of water and took a deep breath before stepping into the bathroom with the test stick and a measuring cup in her hand. Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered, Cedrick followed her in from behind. Catelyn felt his looming presence instantly and said in a surprised tone," What are you doing here?!" ''I want to watch you do it. Come on, as your husband, it is important that I must be the first to know!" Cedrick urged upromisingly. Did Ezekiel actually bribe the doctor to change the report secretly? If so, Cedrick had to ensure that Catelyn was doing it the right way. Catelyn was horrified by his remarks. However, seeing how confident he was, she knew that it would be futile to try to convince him otherwise. Maybe she had drunk too much water. In just a short while, she was out with her measuring cup. Cedrick took apart one end of the pregnancy stick and proceeded with the test. The both of them stared at the stick intently. After about ten seconds, the first bright red bar began to appear, which gradually spread to the second segment, and then changed from light to red. At this moment, Catelyn could feel Cedrick''s stagnant breathing. Chapter 962 Chapter 962 Chapter 962 And then... Two clear lines were seen! Catelyn covered her mouth in disbelief and gasped. "Am... Am I dreaming? Am I really pregnant?" Cedrick''s pupils shrank as well. Rats! He should have figured it out earlier! Catelyn''s appetite was quite bad recently, and she had been vomiting all the time. How could it be just a simple gastrointestinal problem? Hold on... It seemed that she mentioned before that her period wasing. Was it possible to have a period during pregnancy? Could that period be a sign of a miscarriage?! Catelyn thought of it as well, and she anxiously clutched her lower abdomen. "Oh, I ate so much cold food. Will it affect the child?" "1''11 take you to the hospital for a detailed physical examination right away," said Cedrick as he put away the measuring cup and pregnancy test stick. Although he looked calm, he kept staring at Catelyn from the corner of his eyes. Catelyn did not doubt that he would grab her if she were to fall down identally. Seeing the twoe out, Joanne and Edwin greeted them. "So, what''s the result?" "I''m taking her to the hospital," answered Cedrick. "What?" Joanne shouted out in surprise. She spread her arms to hug Catelyn andughed wickedly. "Oh my God, you guys are amazing. How did you get pregnant so secretly? Cedrick must have done a really good job!" "Kitty, I''m so envious of you..." Joanne continued, looking at Catelyn''s belly. She had always wanted to get pregnant. In fact, Joanne agreed to Edwin''s contract because she was afraid of getting sued by him and getting into trouble. Deep down, however, she was longing to have a child. To have smart children like Miles and Ollie... Hearing Joanne''s words, Edwin felt that his self-esteem was being challenged. He smiled. "Joanne, I didn''t know that you envy Kitty so much. Don''t worry, I''ll do my best too!" "Hey, that''s not what I meant..." muttered Joanne. "Let''s go back to the room. I''ll satisfy you right away," said Edwin as he pulled Joanne away. She tried to fight back but to no avail. Cedrick brought Catelyn to a private hospital. He was guarding her the entire time, as if she was a fragile ss doll. Catelyny on the hospital bed as the doctor took some blood samples from her for a routine examination. Cedrick was sitting at her bedside initially, but he suddenly thought of something and immediately notified Eason to seal off the hospital to prevent the news of Catelyn''s pregnancy from being leaked. At the same time, he called Yael as well. The moment Yael heard that Catelyn was pregnant, his mouth gaped open so wide it could fit an entire egg in it. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. "Wow! You already have two boys, and here you are with another one on the way. Do you n to form a football team?" "I don''t have time for jokes now. Test the antibody status of Catelyn and the child in her womb for me," said Cedrick coldly as he handed Yael Catelyn''s blood sample. There was a hint of worry in Cedrick''s eyes. If Catelyn was really pregnant, would the child inherit that god-forsaken virus? Chapter 963 Chapter 963 Chapter 963 Cedrick was not around with Catelyn when she was pregnant with twins. This time, he would make sure to be with her the entire time. Yael looked at the blood drawn from Catelyn''s body as if it were a rare specimen. He had always wanted to study her since she could give birth to two healthy children. However, Cedrick had always refused his proposal, not wanting to involve Catelyn in this. Now that Catelyn was aware of the gic virus in Cedrick''s body, she had no choice but to draw blood for Yael for the safety of the child in her womb. This was a wonderful opportunity for Yael. i''ll study her blood thoroughly. Don''t worry. Since Catelyn could give birth to Ollie and Miles without any problems, she should be safe this time," he said to Cedrick. ¡¯I hope so," replied Cedrick. He stood in the corridor, looking through the ss window of the room in which Catelyn was going through a B- ultrasound procedure. Cedrick could not help but feel uneasy about this. It was almost certain that Ezekiel had concealed the truth of Catelyn''s pregnancy. Why did he hide it? Did Ezekiel want to get rid of this child secretly? Or perhaps he knew something and did not want the child to suffer? Whatever it was, since Ezekiel chose to do this, Cedrick would y along with him. Let''s see what Ezekiel''s true motive behind all these was. This time, the report came out very slowly. The doctor was afraid that the result would be wrong and underwent three full diagnoses. In the end, he came over with the B-ultrasound report and handed it to Cedrick." Congrattions to you and your wife, Master Cedrick. You both are about to be parents!" Catelyn''s tense feelings instantly rxed. Even though she had epted the fact that she might be pregnant, Catelyn was still shocked when she heard from the doctor. She grabbed Cedrick''s hand. "Am I really pregnant?" "Yes, we are going to have a daughter," replied Cedrick. He nced at the B -ultrasound report; there was only a small dot in the x-ray scan. He could not tell the gender at the moment, but he had an intuition that it would definitely be a girl. He leaned over and grabbed Catelyn''s beautiful lips and gnawed on them. Catelyn felt the itchiness on her lips and pushed him away angrily. "Don''t get so excited. What if it''s a boy?'''' "It must be a girl!" said Cedrick. "Nothing is certain. Besides, it''s still too early. It''s only the first month." Catelyn pursed her lips and smiled. Ever since Cedrick was serious about breaking his vegetarian diet, he had been mentioning having a daughter in Catelyn''s ear... Catelyn actually felt a little nervous about his actions. It would be interesting for Miles and Ollie to have a little sister. "Whatever it is, this child is definitely a girl! Forget about the idea of having another boy!" said Cedrick domineeringly, his eyes zing. He was already tired of having two boys in the family. Now, he wanted a girl with whom he could show her his full fatherly love. "It''s not up to me to have a boy or a girl,¡± said Catelyn. She knew how much her husband wanted a daughter. "Just N?velDrama.Org (C) content. prepare for the worst." Would Cedrick go crazy if she actually gave birth to a son? The doctor beside him snickered as he listened to their little argument. Cedrick stared back at him with a cold look, and he quickly left the ward hurriedly. Cedrick wrapped around Catelyn''s waist, bit her ear softly, and said with certainty, "If this child is a boy, then we shall try again until we have a girl." Catelyn could not help rolling her eyes. "What if I keep giving birth to boys?" Chapter 964 Chapter 964 Chapter 964 ¡¯I will not allow you to say such depressing words!¡¯ The aura around Cedrick instantly condensed as if he was wrapped in ayer of frost. Realizing that he was actually serious about this, Catelyn''s back shivered. He really wanted a girl. God, let''s pray that she will have a daughter. Cedrick proposed to let Catelyn stay in the hospital for a few more days. However, she refused. She had only been in the hospital for a few days, and she was already fed up with all the white walls in the ward. She wanted to go home to rest... On the way back home to the Athertons, Cedrick deliberately drove slowly, his speed just slightly faster than that of an electric vehicle. He made sure that the drive back was stable so that Catelyn would not feel any difort. Catelyn felt touched by Cedrick''s actions. He really put in a lot of effort to take good care of her... She could not help but think of her pregnancy four years ago. Back then, being pregnant was really a big deal for her. Having twins in her womb only meant that a miscarriage would be equivalent to murdering two small lives at the same time. She almost wanted to go for an abortion. However, if she had done so, she would not have met and fallen in love with Cedrick today. Till now, Catelyn was still very grateful for her decision to not abort her babies. Cedrick had kept the news of the fetal image being unstable a secret for the time being, other than his wife, Joanne, and the doctor, others, including Old Madam Atherton, all were kept in the dark. At the same time, Cedrick wanted to see what Ezekiel would do. However, he was also worried that Yael''s test result would reveal that the child was unhealthy. Catelyn also decided to tell her grandmother that she was pregnant on New Year''s Eve, but another problem was the time of the wedding. The wedding was expected to be held in early spring. However, she would be pregnant then, and she could no longer wear a beautiful wedding dress or high heels for her wedding. The only way was to hold the wedding in advance or do it only after the baby was born. Cedrick did not want to wrong Catelyn and wanted to give her a grand and beautiful wedding. Catelyn said to her husband, "No, let''s make the wedding earlier. Our little angel can be our witness..." "Are you sure? This could be too hasty, and it won''t be a perfect wedding," asked Cedrick. ''With you and two children, as well as grandma and father, for me, it''s already perfect! I don''t care about the external decorations and guests'' banquets," cried Catelyn. Seeing that she insisted, Cedrick no longer refuted it. As long as his wife was happy, he had no reason to refuse. However, the news of the early wedding reached the ears of Grandpa Mason. He could not help but feel worried. "Why did the wedding date change all of a sudden? Did the Atherton Family have any other requirements?" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "No, I just think the new wedding date was better," said Cedrick, not nning to tell Grandpa Mason that Catelyn was pregnant. ''What about the date that I chose? Wasn¡¯t that a good day? What happened?" asked the old man. Cedrick was silent. When he spoke again momentster, his tone became a little more serious, "Well, since you''ve asked, I won''t hide it from you." "Tell me!" Grandpa Mason demanded. ''Catelyn, she..." Chapter 965 Chapter 965 Chapter 965 "What''s up with her?" asked Grandpa Mason. "She is pregnant," replied Cedrick. The old man was really taken aback as if he had just struck gold. He walked around the study with an ecstatic expression on his face. "Really? I''m going to have a little great-grandson again? In that case, we shall not dy it any longer. The sooner the wedding is over, the sooner everyone will feel at ease. I wille over tomorrow and discuss it with Syl." "Wait, don''t tell Old Madam Atherton," said Cedrick. Draco frowned. "Catelyn¡¯s pregnancy is a good thing. Why don''t you n to tell her?" "Have you forgotten your gic disease?" Cedrick asked coldly. The initial surprise of the old man gradually dissipated, and his face now looked anxious. Darci slumped back in his chair irritably, his eyes were cloudy, and heughed at himself. "Yeah, how could I forget those viruses? Go get Catelyn tested then, see if the child in her womb is healthy." "You don''t have to tell me. I''ve already got Yael to examine her. However, Catelyn''s pregnancy is still early, less than three months. The test results may not be urate," said Cedrick. As he spoke, Cedrick suddenly gripped the phone in his hand tightly. No matter the results, he had to be calm. However, the bulging blue veins on his temples gave away his solemnity at the moment. Grandpa Mason sighed sadly. "It''s all my fault. If I had been more cautious back then or had dealt with that woman as soon as possible, there would be no gic virus." Edwin had been busy with Joanne the entire afternoon. By night, she was so tired she could not even lift her fingers. Old Madam Atherton did not ask Joanne to go down for dinner, thinking that she was probably too lethargic to eat. She just instructed the kitchen to prepare some stew and asked Edwin to bring it to Joanne. When Edwin returned to her room, Joanne was sleeping soundly on her bed. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Edwin stretched out his hand and tugged her nket. "Get up. Have some soup and take a bath. Then, you can go back to bed." ¡¯I just want to sleep now,¡± Joanne murmured in a low voice. Edwin ignored her and dragged her to the bathroom. Although he was not as harsh as Cedrick, Edwin could not bear to sleep without taking a shower after sweating all over. Joanne was too tired to fight back and just allowed Edwin to do whatever he wanted. After finishing showering Joanne, Edwin threw her back on the bed. He then lifted the quilt andy on the mattress as well. He closed his eyes and was about to fall asleep. Suddenly, a pale foot suddenly came over and rested on his knee. Edwin''s breath tightened instantly. He grabbed Joanne''s ankle and pushed her away a little. However, in the next instant, an arm that was full of shower gel scent stretched out and rested on his chest. How annoying! Edwin turned his head impatiently and warned Joanne to behave. Chapter 966 Chapter 966 Chapter 966 Joanne did not respond to Edwin, apparently already peacefully asleep. She still had a round-looking baby face, not exactly the most popr kind of look at the moment. There was a rumor that a director once suggested Joanne go for stic surgery to broaden her acting career, otherwise, it would be difficult to be popr in the entertainment circle. However, Joanne refused. Instead, she told the director that her baby face was her special trademark look. If she had removed that, she would have lost her identity. Edwin was thinking wildly beside Joanne, and she suddenly snuggled into him like a restless animal... With such a beautiful woman embracing him like this, Edwin did not know howto fall asleep. The next day, he woke up early, at five in the morning. Joanne was asleep soundly in his arms, with her face on his chest. He could hear her breathing sound, which sounded like a snore. Edwin was not turned off by it, and he felt that it was rather cute. Suddenly, his cell phone buzzed and vibrated. Edwin took his phone and saw a new text message from an unknown number. The content of the text could not be any simpler. "Eddy, I''m back." Edwin''s pupils suddenly tightened as he read the text! While Catelyn was asleep, she could feel as if many voices were whispering in her ears. She could not get up from the bed and ended up having a nightmare instead. In her dream, she was trapped in a bloody cave, and there were countless snakes circling around her... It seemed that the snakes would pounce at her at any moment and swallow her up! Frightened, Catelyn kept running toward the light, thinking that she could escape from this scary cave if she just followed the light. However, when she got out, she met Cedrick''s gloomy face. He suddenly grabbed her by the neck, threatening her to kill the child or else he would throw her back to the snake cave... Catelyn pleaded with Cedrick desperately, saying that her child was his flesh and blood, but he would not listen. In the midst of it, a snake suddenly wrapped around her neck, and she was awakened instantly. "Mummy, are you finally awake? It''s snowing heavily outside. You promised to build a snowman with me!" asked Miles. Miles was holding a little fluffy toy in his hand, rubbing it lightly against Catelyn''s neck. His eyes were full of excitement and anticipation. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Catelyn turned her head and looked out the window. The morning sun was gleaming. It turned out to be just a dream! Such a weird nightmare, though... Was it foreshadowing something? No. Catelyn knew Cedrick loved her and her child very much. It was impossible that he would tell her to abort the child! Whatever happened, they would all be safe and happy together. "Have I slept for a long time?" asked Catelyn. "Not really. It''s only ten in the morning," said Ollie as he looked at the time on his wristwatch. Through his actions, Catelyn could see his small but elegant hands. Although it was still bare, it had some distinct-looking joints It would not be hard to imagine that Ollie''s hand would be as good-looking as Cedrick''s when he grows up. Chapter 967 Chapter 967 Chapter 967 Knowing that she was pregnant, Catelyn quickly realized that she had spent less time with her two boys. She quickly changed her clothes and went out to the garden with her children. They built an oversized snowman using carrots, buttons, and branches as the body parts. The snowman ended up being taller than all of them. Catelyn could not be exposed to the cold too much, so she just helped the boys with the tools'' preparation. The rest of the snowman building was done by the two boys. As they were done, Catelyn wrapped her scarf around the snowman''s neck, and Ollie ced a bucket on the snowman¡¯s head. "What a cool snowman! I''ll get the camera and take a picture!" squealed Miles as he jumped on the spot excitedly. He then ran into the living room to get his camera. ¡¯Slow down! You might fall!" Catelyn shouted behind him. Ollie was busy building a snowy Spyderman, which was difficult for Catelyn. She had built many snowmen, but Spyderman? Now that''s a challenge. She searched for tutorials on the Inte and specially ordered some paint for this. Catelyn did not mind going a little crazy with the snowman project as long as the boys were having fun. In the end, Catelyn''s cheeks were all flushed red from the cold. However, her morning sickness was unexpectedly relieved. Catelyn wondered if she should exercise more. At the same time, she thought of another question.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. If she was not suffering from gastroenteritis but vomiting caused by pregnancy, why did the doctor give her the wrong report during the examination at the hospital? The report was from Ezekiel! Did he take the wrong report? Or did the doctor make a false diagnosis? In the afternoon, Catelyn took a taxi back to the rk Family vi. At five o''clock, the servants were very busy. The gardener and the cook were not around, and only a maid was cleaning the floor. She hurriedly bowed her head the moment she saw Catelyning back. "Miss," she greeted her respectfully. "Is Dad at home?" asked Catelyn. The maid pointed to the second floor. "Mister rk is handling official business in the study. I''ll call him for you." "No need. I''ll just go up by myself," said Catelyn. She wanted to surprise her father. After all, her father should be happy to see her, right? On the second floor, the corridor outside Ezekiel''s study was covered with a soft carpet. Cedrick purchased these rugs while he was in charge of the interior renovation of the vi. Catelyn was about to knock on the door of the study and realized that it was unlocked. She pushed it open. Perhaps her father was not expecting anyone toe at this hour? The moment she entered the door, she heard Ezekiel talking to someone on the phone. When he saw Catelyn''s arrival, Ezekiel hurriedly put away the stack of documents in front of him and stuffed them into the drawer on the right. He said to the phone, "I gotta go. I''ll talk to you another time." Immediately after that, he cut off themunication and stared at Catelyn with some displeasure. "Why don''t you knock on the door when youe in?" "The door was not closed tightly. I''m sorry. I''ll knock next time," said Catelyn. She did not expect Ezekiel to be so serious all of a sudden. Her face stiffened slightly, and she nced at the drawer on Ezekiel''s right side. "Dad, who were you talking to just now?" The moment she walked in earlier, Ezekiel quickly put the documents in the drawer. What kind of documents were they? Could he show them to her? Perhaps her gastroenteritis diagnosis was not an ident? "Just an old ssmate. He knew that I was back and invited me to his house," said Ezekiel with a smile. Catelyn, however, was already doubtful about it. Chapter 968 Chapter 968 Chapter 968 "Dad, I want to ask you a question," said Catelyn. "What is it?" "Back then, when you took my examination report for me from the hospital, did the doctor really say that I only had a stomach problem?" Catelyn asked as she stared at her father, not wanting to miss any of his facial expressions. She caught a hint of entanglement in his eyes, and her heart sank a little. Her father already knew she was pregnant long ago! That was the reason why Ezekiel had been reminding her about the many things that she could not eat. But why? Catelyn could not figure out why he would want to hide this from her. "Did you already know?" Ezekiel said nervously. Catelyn asked knowingly, About what?" Ezekiel fell silent and closed his eyes gently. "Are you here to test me?" Catelyn still cared about Ezekiel very much. After all, he was her father. Seeing his tangled demeanor, Catelyn''s heart softened. "No, I''m not here to test you. I just wondered if there was a misunderstanding. Did the doctor not find out about the pregnancy? Because the report you gave me only showed that I had a stomach problem, and I only found out muchter that I was actually pregnant when I started vomiting continuously. Aren''t you happy to have a grandkid? What are you trying to do to hide it from me?" said Catelyn.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "I... I had some trouble," said Ezekiel. He had made up his mind to confess, knowing that it would be futile to continue hiding this from Catelyn. He even thought those antiemetics would be useful to conceal the truth a little longer... However, Catelyn''s reaction toward her own pregnancy was just too strong. Ezekiel calmly said, "From the moment Cedrick took you to the Athertons, I knew that it would be revealed eventually, but I didn''t expect it to be so quick. I''m sorry, Kitty.¡± He had finally admitted it! "I don''t want your apology!" eximed Catelyn, her heart skipping a few beats in an instant. "Dad, what''s your trouble? You actually bribed the doctor to make a false medical report? I''m your daughter! Why would you do that? Do you think that I would hurt you?" she continued. If Catelyn treated her sickness as a gastrointestinal disease, she would probably end up having a direct miscarriage! Thinking of this possibility, Catelyn¡¯s heart tightened. "Of course, I didn''t think that you would hurt me. I''m just worried. In short, you''d better not get involved, it''s very dangerous," exined Ezekiel. "Dangerous?" Catelyn suddenly thought of Ezekiel''s fear when he first met Cedrick. She took a deep breath and said, "What is the danger? Why are you hiding so many secrets? Are you afraid of Cedrick?!" Ezekiel''s face went numb for a while. "Kitty, don''t worry about it too much. Just know I''m your father, and I''m doing this for your own good..." Catelyn took a big step back, clenching her fists in despair. "You don''t have to do this for me! I just wanted to know why you hid this from me. If I didn''t discover my pregnancy, would you take the child away from me?" Ezekiel was silent for a moment, then nodded calmly. "It''s not the right time to have this child..." With that, Catelyn felt as if there was an invisible hand grabbing her throat tightly. She would never imagine that her father, whom she loved wholeheartedly, would do something like this! Catelyn subconsciously touched her lower abdomen and stared at Ezekiel. "But... he is also your grandchild..." Chapter 969 Chapter 969 Chapter 969 Ezekiel''s words had been haunting Catelyn as she returned to the Atherton residence. ¡¯It''s just a small embryo now, not my grandchild!" Just because the baby was still an embryo, could her father arbitrarily deprive him of his right to live? Catelyn did not have the appetite for her meals all night. Cedrick delivered some supplements to Catelyn as he got off work and was told by the servants that she had not eaten anything at night. He went to the second floor and lightly pushed open the door of the master bedroom. He saw a figure on the bed suddenly shrink into the quilt as if avoiding something. Cedrick''s sharp dark eyes narrowed, quickly realizing that something was wrong. Did Catelyn not go and find her father this afternoon? Why was she so depressed? Did she find out that Ezekiel had deliberately changed her medical report? Just as Cedrick walked to the edge of the bed, Catelyn suddenly sat up as if nothing had happened. She pointed to the garden outside the window with a smile. "Did you see the snowman and spyderman in the garden? The boys and I did it! We''ve been working on it the whole afternoon!¡¯ Cedrick stared at her face, there was an indescribable sadness in her eyes. "What did your father tell you?¡± he asked. Catelyn was shocked. "You... You knew I went to see my father?" "You are pregnant now, and you must be protected at all times. Did you think I would allow someone like Eugene to kidnap you again?" said Cedrick. At this moment, the number of bodyguards who followed her in secret had tripled. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Cedrick took Catelyn''s hand, and he could feel a trace of chill in her palm, which made his heart ache. Catelyn blinked several times and pretended to be calm. "It''s nothing. He just told me he took the wrong report from the doctor." "Lies!" eximed Cedrick. He could immediately see at a nce that his wife was forcing a smile. He pinched her chin and said, "He bribed the doctor to forge that report. Would you cry if he told you that it was an ident?" "Whoever said I cried?" Catelyn wiped her eyes stubbornly. This time, she could not control her emotions. After Cedrick''s provocation, Catelyn could not help but tear up uncontrobly. It turned out that Cedrick had already known that the report was false. She was the only one who was not aware of it! Catelyn was still denying it, thinking that her own father could not deceive her. She bit her lower lip as she hurriedly wiped off her tears, but the tears would not stop flowing, and her vision was instantly blurred by the tears again. Cedrick helped her with her tears. "There there, don''t cry. I''m the father of the child, and no one can decide the life and death of the child but me!" "I''m not crying! My eyes were itchy, that''s all," said Catelyn stubbornly. Cedrick grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. "Okay, fine. You didn''t cry. Anyway, you don''t have to care too much about your father''s thoughts. As you get older, there will always be a generation gap. Right now, just remember that the most important thing is that you and I will always be together." Catelyny on Cedrick''s shoulders and said softly, "I feel ufortable not only because my father secretly changed my report but because... he actually wanted to get rid of the child in my womb without my knowledge!" She shuddered just at the thought of it. "Catelyn," Cedrick interrupted. He reached out and held her cheek, his dark eyes looking deeply into hers. ¡°To be fair, it''s been four years already. Are you sure that your father is still the same person?" Indeed, it was a long time ago. There were far more serious problems from Ezekiel other than his deception of Catelyn''s pregnancy. However, Cedrick felt that perhaps it was not the time to tell her more bad news about her father. Catelyn had been really happy ever since Ezekiel came back. It was natural that she would not think of any hidden agenda of her father. Chapter 970 Chapter 970 Chapter 970 ¨¬ already knew everything you told me. But still, I can¡¯t ept it because he''s my father..." muttered Catelyn. "So what if he''s your father? Sometimes, even family could be deceiving, just like Eugene and Old Madam Atherton. The olddy had only left one-fifth of her assets for Eugene. What happened? She almost lost her life! "Time will tell. But for now, I will not allow Ezekiel to hurt our children. I will find out his motives and protect you at all costs," said Cedrick affectionately. Catelyn felt more assured as she listened to Cedrick''s words. She raised her head and kissed his chin. Yes, no matter what her father tried to do, Cedrick would be here to protect her and the baby. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Even if Tracy was reluctant, her marriage with Trevor was already on the way. What a coincidence, it was actually held on the same day as Catelyn''s wedding! Old Madam Atherton had the intention to promote Tracy as she discussed further with the elder of the Jones Family. In the end, the two weddings would be held together and broadcast live throughout the city. The elder of the Jones Family had also agreed to this under pressure. Although they seemed optimistic on the surface, the Jones Family was actually not very keen on Tracy. "Trevy, are you sure about marrying Tracy?" asked Missus Jones sadly. The news about Trevor and Tracy had hit the headlines. Although it was an embarrassment to both the Jones and Atherton families, Missus Jones still hoped that her son would marry a girl with a clean background. However, Trevor''s father insisted on him marrying into the Atherton Family. Trevor had a sinister face hooked with a coquettish sly smile. "That woman tasted pretty good." Missus Jones'' face darkened. "But her private life is so chaotic. There will definitely be many scandals if she marries you! I was hoping that you could actually marry a girl from the Cheever Family at first..." "Don''t worry, Mom. I know how to handle this, okay?" said Trevor as heforted Missus Jones. Later in the afternoon, he met Tracy to discuss some of the wedding procedures. Due to everything being so rushed, they both did not even have the time to take a wedding photo. At the same time, Tracy also was not keen on meeting Trevor. The moment she saw him, she was instantly reminded of her failed plot against Cedrick. She could not help but to grit her teeth in hatred! Under the orders of Old Madam Atherton, Tracy had no choice but to follow Trevor to the photoshoot session reluctantly. She was very casual during the photoshoot. Tracy put on a white wedding dress and posed for the photo perfunctorily. The photographer had to constantly remind her to smile more and be closer to Trevor. Trevor whispered into her ears, his voice soft but threatening, "Disobey, and you will be punished." Chapter 971 Chapter 971 Chapter 971 Trevor''s voice, the moment it rang next to Tracy''s ears, sent goosebumps down her skin. "This marriage was decided by the elders against my will, and you know that!" ¡¯Whether you like it or not, you''re my bride-to-be, so get with it!" Several photographers and staff members in the photo studio were waiting to take wedding photos for them. Tracy was so frightened that her face turned pale. "You don''t love me, yet you insist on having me put on a show with you. Don''t you think it''s hypocritical for such an affectionate drama?" Rip! Trevor tore at the veils at the hem of her wedding dress the moment she spoke. He then pushed her face against the wall, and she began to struggle in panic. "Agh! Trevor, what are you doing? Let me go!" "Get out!" Trevor yelled at the staff in the room, his gaze burning. It was the first time the photographers saw the groom-to-be glowering and pressing the bride-to-be against the wall. However, with Trevor''s status, they did not dare to offend them, so they dropped the equipment at hand and hurried out. Before leaving, he pulled down the curtains in the room to block any streak of light froming in. In the confined space, Tracy waspletely frightened. "S-Stop messing around, Trevor. Okay, I w-was wrong. I''ll take our wedding photos with you as you wish, so please, just let me go..." "Only now you know you''re wrong? It''s toote!" Ezekiel knew he had hurt Catelyn. He tried calling her every day ever since the incident, but Catelyn never answered. Even so, Catelyn specifically told Cedrick not to be disrespectful to Ezekiel and to not make things difficult for him in business. She knew Cedrick''s temperament and knew he could suppress Ezekiel in every aspect if he wanted. Cedrick agreed ostensibly but secretly ordered his men to follow Ezekiel. Ezekiel failed in his attempt to get rid of Catelyn''s child, so he had to do something else. Cedrick was concerned about the children. He also wanted to make up for the love that Catelyn had lost from Ezekiel and to spare her from being troubled in her pregnancy. In the blink of an eye, a few days had passed, and the atmosphere of Christmas grew stronger. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Santa us ornaments, reindeer-themed decorations, and even various Christmas trees began to fill up the streets and alleys as various Christmas gifts were ced at the doorways of the shops. Catelyn and Joanne went out to shop for a few things, as well as gifts for Miles and Ollies. Together, they decorated Atherton Manor and turned it into a ce beaming with Christmas vibes, though they were so tired that they were out of breath in the end. This went especially for Catelyn, who was six weeks pregnant at this point. The two usually dared not appear in front of Sylvie at the same time for fear of being caught by Sylvie. If she found out that Joanne''s stomach was not as protruding as Catelyn''s, Joanne''s lie would be exposed. Joanne, at the same time, was anxiously looking forward to the end of Christmas every day so that she could move back to Shoal Vi. Sylvie was too kind to her. She had only been around for three months pregnant, yet Sylvie was already preparing the infant''s room and even nned to have a yground built in the manor. To her, It was simply outrageous. Chapter 972 Chapter 972 Chapter 972 When Catelyn finished helping Miles and Ollie in finishing their homework in the evening, she received a call from Grandpa Albert. "Madam, do you have a moment to spare?" pleaded the butler on the other end of the line. "Can you return to Mason Estate now? Master Cedrick has been drinking tonight, and he''s been calling your name in the living room..." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Cue the sounds of something seemingly smashed to the floor and falling apart in the background. Catelyn stood up from the couch in shock. "Is he throwing something?" Since they got together, Cedrick had quitted smoking and drinking. Although he asionally smoked or drank, he never got himself drunk. Even if he was drunk, he would not have gone that crazy. Catelyn sensed that something had gone wrong. "I don''t know! Madam,e back quickly! Apart from you, Master Cedrick doesn''t listen to anyone now, and we can''t talk him out of it!" Catelyn hurriedly agreed, hung up the phone, changed into a heavy down jacket, and was about to go out. Sylvie was walking around the garden and happened to bump into Catelyn at the door. Seeing that she was walking in a hurry in a heavy down jacket, she asked worriedly, "Where are you going tonight?" "Ceddy needs my help. I have to go to Mason Estate now." "He''s a man. What kind of help would he need from you?" Sylvie frowned in disapproval, trying to stop Catelyn. "It''s getting darker, and it''s snowing. What if you slip and fall?" "I won''t, Grandma. Ceddy doesn''t listen to anyone, and Grandpa Albert has begged me for my help," Catelyn insisted. "Well, knock him unconscious and let him sleep. When he wakes up tomorrow, nothing will happen!" Sylvie gave Kelly a look, and Kelly was ready to call Albert. Panicking, Catelyn quickly held Kelly''s hand and pleaded with Sylvie," Grandma, it''ll just be a while, and I''ll be back soon. I''ll be extra careful and not mess around. Please.¡± "Even so, that''s not necessary-" "Uncle Benny, is the car ready?" Catelyn did not want to give Sylvie a chance to continue to refute her, so when she saw Uncle Benny passing by the door, she immediately called out to him and ran out immediately. Sylvie stared at her back and sighed. "She''s getting more rebellious after marrying Cedrick.¡± Sylvie suddenly got emotional that she felt there was not much time left for her to be with Catelyn. A thickyer of snow umted on the ground, so Grandpa Albert had servants shovel the snow and piled it on both sides of the road. Catelyn walked quickly to the lobby of Mason Estate and saw Cedrick stumbling in the middle of a pile of shattered ss. The air was filled with a strong smell of alcohol. His ankle was cut, dripping blood, and his eyes seemed hazed over. "Madam, you''ve finallye!" Grandpa Albert greeted her in surprise. "Albert, what''s wrong with your face?" Even though the light was dim, Catelyn could still see the bruise on his right face at a nce, and it looked like a fist mark. "Ah, I just tripped... I''m fine.'' Albert stroked his cheek, reddish and swollen. The pain made him gasp, but he quickly tilted his head and avoided Catelyn''s gaze. Catelyn lowered her face and said coldly, "Then tell me, how did a fist mark appear on your face during your fall? Ceddy was drunk and hit you, didn''t he?" Chapter 973 Chapter 973 Chapter 973 Knowing he could not hide the truth from Catelyn at this point, Grandpa Albert sheepishly admitted, "Master Cedrick didn''t do it on purpose." "Even if it wasn''t on purpose, he shouldn''t hit you!" Grandpa Albert took care of Cedrick for so many years. To Catelyn, Cedrick had no business whatsoever to hit an old man like this. ''What the hell is he doing?! That''s not a good excuse to hit Grandpa Albert!'' "Is the pick-me-up ready? When it''s done, bring it over and feed it to him." Grandpa Albert looked at Catelyn''s lower abdomen concernedly, and then at the unconscious Cedrick. Cedrick identally knocked over a vase before she came, and the broken piece cut his ankle, causing him to bleed. Master Cedrick had to be awake, otherwise, it would be inconvenient for the doctor to treat the wound. Grandpa Albert asked a maid to get the sobering soup and stretched out his hand to help Cedrick. "Master Cedrick, didn''t you keep calling for your wife just now? She''s here now. May I help you to sit on the couch so you can take your pick-me-up?" Catelyn turned around to take the soup handed over by the maid when all of a sudden, she suddenly heard a low groan. "Ahh!" Catelyn turned and noticed that Cedrick had once more pushed Grandpa Albert, sending him lying on the floor with his right hand pressing his back. "What pick-me-up? Who said I''m drunk? I''m not!" snarled Cedrick, his expression contorted darkly. His expression took all the maids by surprise, and Grandpa Albert''s cry of pain stopped abruptly. Catelyn doubted her own eyes and ears and hurried over to help Grandpa Albert, but just as she took a few steps, the irate Cedrick suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his arms. "What are you doing here? You''re pregnant. You shouldn''t be running around! You should care about the baby in your belly. "Oh.-that''s right, life is unfair. After all, it''s neither up to you nor me to decide the child''s destiny..." Catelyn was baffled by his mumbles and thought he was talking nonsense. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Sure enough, his breath smelled like the rich, fragrant aroma of wine. It was hard not to think that he was drunk and crazy. The closer she got to him, the stronger the smell of the wine was, so much so that she felt nauseous just inhaling. She stretched out her hand to push him away, worrying that she would vomit at any given moment, but Cedrick just refused to let go. When Grandpa Albert saw the confrontation between the two, he was terrified. Disregarding his sprained waist, he got up from the ground and anxiously reasoned, "Master Cedrick, you''re dragging your wife. Missus Mason is pregnant, so please be careful! It''s okay to push me, but please don''t push Missus Mason..." ''Missus?1 Cedrick seemed to have regained his sanity as he stared nkly at the woman in front of him, and he suddenly let her go by reflex, slightly frowning. "Catelyn? When did youe?" He had been drunk-talking all along. Deciding to snap him from his stupor, she brought the pick-me-up toward Cedrick and said, "You want to drink? Alright, here you go." Cedrick''s eyes moved from her face to the bowl in her hand, thinking it was wine. A few secondster, he took the soup and brought it to his lips expressionlessly. He then sniffed it before suddenly throwing the bowl to the floor. "Do you think I''m drunk? Do you think I can''t tell the difference between the smell of wine and water?" The bowl fell to the ground with a thud and shattered into pieces, just like the antique vases he had broken. Catelyn subconsciously took a step back and gritted her teeth. It turned out that he was not drunk enough to be able to distinguish between the smell of wine and the pick-me-up soup. That meant he knew he had pushed Grandpa Albert. If he could not pull himself together, he would not be able to sober up before sunrise. Chapter 974 Chapter 974 Chapter 974 The maids probably knew that Cedrick would break the bowl, so they prepared several bowls of sobering soup. Catelyn gritted her teeth, took another bowl, and-after testing its temperature-sshed it onto Cedrick''s face. "Wake the f*ck up!'' Ssh! The pick-me-up dripped down Cedrick''s head. The soup, along with a few mung bean skins, dribbled down Cedrick''s face, and the cor of his shirt was also N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. dirtied by the pick-me-up. He trembled all over and blinked. Needless to say, he looked downright flustered. Grandpa Albert was scared witless upon seeing this. Catelyn was too aggressive! It was the first time he saw someone dare to ssh liquid onto Cedrick''s face. Cedrick came to his senses entirely. He stared at Catelyn deeply, letting a mung bean skin stick to the tip of his nose, but his breathing grew a little heavy due to anger. Catelyn''s pupils contracted by his stare, but she straightened her body stiffly. "I don''t know what happened, but you should look at how disgusting you''re behaving in the mirror! You even pushed Grandpa Albert, you drunkard!¡± Cedrick''s whole face was tense, and the veins on his forehead protruded. Touching her stubborn little face, his anger gradually dissipated, leaving only aplicated expression. He rubbed his swollen temples, walked to the couch, and sat down. With his head slightly lowered, he almost forgot everything that happened." Albert, did I push you just now?" "N-No, I simply fell because I wasn''t standing right. It''s not your fault." Albert hurriedly exined, trembling. ¡¯Let the family doctor check your wound for you, Master Cedrick, then you could go back to your room to rest." Catelyn only dared to approach Cedrick when he was sober. The smell of alcohol was neutralized by the soup; at least it was not so pungent anymore. Still, she was angry, so she kicked his leg with the tip of her toe and asked angrily, "Why did you drink so much wine?" Cedrick rubbed the tip of his shoe against his other calf, much like a fluffy kitten scratching its own paw. After Cedrick sobered up, his mood fell dismal. A few secondster, Cedrick quietly muttered, "Today is my mother''s death anniversary.¡¯ Catelyn was taken aback. The room fell into silence. She suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. "Your mother''s...death anniversary? Why didn''t you tell me earlier? I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to throw the soup to your face; I just want you to wake up." Catelyn finally understood his strange behavior. It turned out this day was the anniversary of his mother''s death. Cedrick always cared about family affection and Cedrick''s biological mother. Catelyn''s heart softened, and she took a clean towel and carefully wiped the soup on his face and neck. Linder the light, the liquid glowed with ayer of luster, reflecting his handsome face more perfectly. She rubbed down along his forehead, and when she just touched his neck, Cedrick suddenly reached out and held her hand, his gaze burning. "Promise me that no matter what happens, you''ll still be by my side.¡¯ "We''re a family. If I''m not by your side, who else can I be with?" Catelyn''s pupils reflected Cedrick''s face. Have you gone to your mother''s grave and brought her flowers? Why didn''t you call me?¡± Cedrick pursed his thin lips tightly to conceal the bitterness in his chest. His loss of emotional control was not only due to the anniversary of his mother''s death. More importantly, it was due to Yael''sboratory test result. Chapter 975 Chapter 975 Chapter 975 Catelyn stayed in Mason Estate for the whole night, and the next day, when it was time to go to her maternity checkup, Cedrick abandoned all his work and went to the private hospital with her. "Doctor, how is my baby?" N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Catelyn and Cedrick sat in the doctor''s consultation office, waiting for the doctor to announce the examination results. The corners of her mouth raised slightly, and the joy and anticipation could not be concealed in her eyes. To be frank, she did not expect that she would get pregnant so soon. Nheless, she swore to protect Miles and Ollie''s new sibling no matter what. When she was pregnant four years ago, Cedrick was not by her side. Four yearster, being able to experience pre-pregnancy and post-pregnancy with him, she had no regrets anymore. However, what made Catelyn feel a little uneasy was that after reading the examination report, the expression on the doctor''s face gradually became very serious. ''Is something wrong with my child?" Catelyn asked nervously, and her smile was gone. The doctor put the examination report on the table, looked up at her, and could not bear to say, "Missus Mason, you better be mentally prepared." ''Mentally prepared?'' Catelyn''s voice became more anxious in an instant. "What''s the matter? Tell me!" The doctor sighed longly, pointed to the pictures and statements on the report, and said solemnly, "After examination, we found that it''s an ectopic pregnancy, so-" "Ectopic pregnancy?" interrupted Catelyn, bbergasted as though struck by lightning. Cedrick tightened his grasp on her hand under the table. "Yes. An ectopic pregnancy means that the fertilized egg isn''t in the uterine cavity. As the child gradually develops and grows, it''ll be more dangerous for the mother. You''ve been pregnant for more than a month, and if you wait any longer, it''ll cause a rupture of the fallopian tubes and even be life-threatening, so we rmend that you remove the child." "What''s this nonsense about?!" screamed Catelyn, staring at the report in front of her in disbelief. Although her pregnancy reaction was still strong in the past two days, it was a normal phenomenon and did not reach the point of severe vomiting. Taking recuperation, there were no signs of miscarriage, too. ''How could it be an ectopic pregnancy?'' Catelyn began to lose her rationality. "If it''s an ectopic pregnancy, there''s no way the previous body examination failed to detect it! You''re lying to me, aren''t you?" Catelyn insisted that the doctor was lying as she could not ept the fact at all. "I''m a doctor..." The doctor''s pupils shrank suddenly, and from the corner of his eyes, he secretly nced at Cedrick and then waved his hands in trepidation." Generally, the formation of the gestational sac urs at the fifth week of gestation. The time when you came for the examination happened to fall within this time, so we failed to detect it. I''m sorry, Missus Mason, this was our mistake." "No way..." Catelyn felt breathless at the sudden turn of events. ''How could it be an ectopic pregnancy?!'' "Are you sure it''s an ectopic pregnancy?" Cedrick pursed his lips tightly and stared at the doctor with grief in his eyes. Quivering, the doctor hastily nodded. "Yes. We''ve done several tests, and the results all showed that it was an ectopic pregnancy..." Catelyn felt like she was falling into a bottomless abyss. She was trembling, and the joy of the pregnancy test was All that was left was unbearable despair. Although grief and sorrow were haunting him, he did not show any trace of being upset on his face except in his hoarse voice as he asked, "What''s the solution?" The doctor gulped and said, "The only option is to remove the child through surgery. The sooner, the better." Chapter 976 Chapter 976 Chapter 976 "No!" Catelyn roared almost instantly, mming the table and standing up. ¡¯ Quack doctors! You''re all quack doctors! You couldn''t find it out before, so this is probably another mistake! ''Ceddy, I don''t want to be examined here. Let''s go to another hospital!" Her sadness was awfully tangible and hung in the air. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Cedrick had a serious expression on his face. Seeing how agitated she was, he immediately hugged her to Momentster, after making sure that Catelyn was no longer burning with intense rage, he looked at the doctor coldly and said, "If you dare to lie, you should know the consequences." "I wouldn''t dare to lie to you, Master Cedrick! Your wife has an ectopic pregnancy, and it can''t be dyed any longer. She needs to undergo surgery right away." Cedrick took a deep breath, suppressed the despair in his eyes, put his hands on Catelyn''s shoulders, and looked at her. His voice sounded suppressed, making it appear extraordinarily deep. "This pregnancy is ectopic, and I''m haunted by this as much as you are...but you heard the doctor. If it''s an ectopic pregnancy, this child can''t be kept. I care about your safety more than the child." "No..." Catelyn bit her lower lip firmly. From knowing she was pregnant until this day, she had been anticipating the arrival of the baby. She amused herself with the questions of whether it was a girl or a boy, the name they should give the child, and how happy their family of five would be. However, no one expected that the nightmare woulde quietly. "It''s my fault that I didn''t protect you." Cedrick patted her back silently. "If it makes you feel better if you cry, then let it all out..." His words imperceptibly broke Catelyn''s psychological defense. She sped a hand over her mouth and buried her face in Cedrick''s chest, sobbing uncontrobly. From a low, suppressed sob, it changed to a howl as her shoulders trembled. Cedrick suppressed the grief that was about to explode in his chest and said to the doctor, "Go and have the surgery prepared." No one could see the entanglement and darkness in the depths of his eyes. After the doctor left, the office became quiet again. Catelyn''s tears were like broken beads, soaking arge patch of Cedrick''s chest, and there was a sharp pain in her heart as if her internal organs seemed to be smashed, and she felt utterly breathless. An hourter, the doctor and two nurses walked in and announced that it was time for surgery. Cedrick sent Catelyn to the door of the operating room. Catelyn looked at the open door in front of her as though it was the mouth of a giant monster that was about to swallow her. She willed herself to suppress her grief so as not to cry out again. "You must ensure my wife''s safety. If I lose her, you should be very clear about the consequences," warned Cedrick coldly. The doctor nodded tremblingly. "Don''t worry, Master Cedrick. Well put her to sleep before the surgery, and well guarantee that it won''t make Missus Mason feel any pain. Nheless.Jt''s a gynecological surgery, so can you please wait outside?" Cedrick''s aura was too strong. If he stayed in the operating room, none of the doctors and nurses could focus and perform well. Cedrick held Catelyn''s hand and did not want to let go at all. Catelyn had epted the reality of undergoing surgery, yet when she wanted to pull her hand out, Cedrick held her even tighter. Catelyn stared at Cedrick in surprise, shook his hand deeply, and said with a sob, "I should go in now." "Wait a minute." Cedrick''s warm palm suddenly changed to caress her lower abdomen. "Onest touch." He stroked her belly repeatedly in circles. It seemed that if no one bothered him, he would keep caressing like this. Catelyn was crying with sorrow, and her eyes were filled with sadness once more. "Okay..." Soon, their child would be gone. Their third baby would soon leave them. Chapter 977 Chapter 977 Chapter 977 Cedrick paused as he caressed her lower abdomen, feeling the urge to keep her from entering the operating room. Eventually, he let her go. ''Go. I¡¯ll wait for you outside." Catelyn followed the medical staff into the operating room without hesitation. Everything was ready in the operating room. The nurse held the anesthetic in her hand, pointed to the operating table in front of her, and said politely, ¡¯ Missus Mason, please untie half of your trousers, lie on the bed with your legs open, and 1''11 give you an anesthetic." Catelyn did not feel embarrassed at all when she was asked to unbutton her trousers, but she felt the urge to run away from the door. Looking at the word [Gynecology] on the doors of the operating room, she was lost in thought. Catelyn took off her trousers slowly andy down on the operating table ording to the doctor¡¯s instructions. She closed her eyes and kept telling herself, ''God has His n.'' The female doctor saw her epting her fate and exchanged nces with the female nurse, signaling her toe quickly to administer anesthesia. She was relieved that Catelyn finally believed that she had an ectopic pregnancy... The nurse walked up to Catelyn, holding an anesthetic tube in her hand. The moment the cold needle touched the skin, Catelyn''s cheeks turned pale. Outside the operating room, Cedrick stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, walking back and forth restlessly. He took out another cigarette from his pocket and lit it, smoking again. A male doctor happened to pass by the corridor outside the operating room and smelled a faint smell of smoke from a distance. He followed the smell, trying to find out the smoker. Not seeing who it was, he shouted,'' Sir, smoking is prohibited in hospitals. Please put out the cigarette immediately!" Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick stopped smoking and turned around slowly. A handsome and angry face came into the male doctor¡¯s eyes, and the male doctor¡¯s pupils shrank. "M-Master Cedrick?!" Cedrick held the cigarette between his fingers and looked at the male doctor expressionlessly. The male doctor stammered and shook his head. ¡¯ I''m sorry, Master Cedrick, I didn''t know it was you. I¡¯ve no problem with you smoking here, and I''ll leave right away..." While speaking, the male doctor ran away in a panic. Cedrick took a deep inhale of the white smoke, pursed his thin lips deeply, crushed the cigarette butt, threw it into the trash can, then leaned against the wall with his head hanging low. In the operating room, Catelyn was lying on the operating table, feeling the needle tip of the anesthetic piercing her skin. Just as the nurse was about to inject the anesthetic into the vein, a cell phone rang suddenly, breaking the silence of the room. The nurse''s hand trembled, and the needle tip slipped out of her skin. Catelyn opened her eyes and looked for the phone. "Sorry, I forgot to turn it off." "It''s alright." Unsurprisingly, none of the staff in the operating room dared to scold Catelyn. Catelyn smiled apologetically, took out the phone from her purse, and saw that the number of the iing call on the screen was Ezekiel''s. Her index fingertip, which hovered above the reject button so she could shut the phone, stopped. ''Dad wanted to kill this child behind my back. Did he know something?'' Chapter 978 Chapter 978 Chapter 978 Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn''s actions were faster than her thoughts as she pressed the answer button without thinking any further. ''Cat? You''re finally willing to answer my call!" Ezekiel was overwhelmed with surprise as he continued, "I was wrong. I shouldn''t have kept it from you..." Catelyn pursed her lips, and after a long time, she said tly, "I have an ectopic pregnancy, so you don''t have to bother trying to abort my baby in the future." "Ectopic pregnancy?" Ezekiel''s voice suddenly rose, sounding entirely baffled. "Yes." Catelyn covered her face in pain and cried, "I¡¯m in the operating room now, and I''m going to have surgery soon. Are you satisfied now?" Ezekiel remained silent for a while. "You''re my daughter, so why would I feel better seeing you suffering? Are you sure that your pregnancy is ectopic, however? The report I got at that time showed that the gestational sac appears to be in the uterine cavity." "What did you just say?!" Catelyn clenched the phone tightly with her mind blown. Ezekiel immediately felt that he had said something wrong and exined," No, no. Maybe it was because the pregnancy time was too short at that time, so it couldn''t be detected. Since you are going to have an operation, then I won''t bother you. I''ll visit youter. Please don''t hide from me anymore, okay?" Ezekiel hung up the phone as if fleeing, leaving Catelyn puzzled. Catelyn froze in ce while clutching the phone. She felt that she was shrouded and had nowhere to escape. In addition to suspicion, there was endless anger in her heart. ''What exactly is going on? Is my pregnancy ectopic?!¡¯ ''Missus Mason?" The doctor, noting that she was still holding the mobile phone but stopped speaking, looking dazed, called out to her cautiously, reminding her of her situation. Catelyn came back to her senses, and her gaze was icy cold. Grabbing the female doctor and staring at her sharply, she warned, ¡°Look into my eyes and tell me: Is my pregnancy an ectopic pregnancy or an intrauterine pregnancy?" A trace of panic shed across the female doctor''s expression, and she looked into Catelyn''s eyes with a guilty conscience. "Haven''t we discussed this issue before you walked into this room?" ''Do I need to emphasize my identity to you? I''m not just Missus Catelyn of the Mason family; I''m also the granddaughter of the Atherton family!" Catelyn dered coldly, domineeringly. ''I just want an answer. Is this pregnancy intrauterine or ectopic?!" The female doctor trembled, regretting and thinking that it must be what was said to Catelyn on the phone call. If she had known earlier, she would neither have let her answer the phone nor asked Cedrick to leave the operating room. At least with Cedrick around, he might have persuaded Catelyn to turn off her phone. ''I didn¡¯t lie to you, it''s an ecto-" "Think clearly about what you''re going to answer me next," snarled Catelyn. ''If you even lie with a word, you''ll be the murderer of my child and will be my enemy!" The doctor felt anxious as beads of sweat riddled her forehead. "As long as my child is safe, everything can be redeemed. Even if someone wants to take revenge on you, I can promise that the Atherton family will protect you." Threats and promises made the doctor fall into hesitation. Seeing this, Catelyn knew that she was short of a strong dose of medicine, so she simply threw the phone on the table next to her,y back on the operating table, and slowly closed her eyes. "Since you are sure that I have an ectopic pregnancy, then you can start injecting the anesthetic into me. Do it! You''ll do well to remember, though, that if I find out that these are all lies and that someone tricked me into aborting the child, I''ll take her and her family to be buried with my child." The entire operating room fell silent in an instant, and no one dared to take a breath. After the dead silence, the female doctor''s psychological defense copsed, and she frantically waved her hands. ''This wasn''t me, Madam. It''s all at the request of Master Cedrick. Your pregnancy is indeed intrauterine, but Master Cedrick asked us to lie to you that it''s an ectopic pregnancy. He was the one who asked US to get rid of the baby as soon as possible! ''We''re just doctors who do our job after all. You know we don''t dare to disobey the orders of Master Cedrick, so please spare our lives!" Chapter 979 Chapter 979 Chapter 979 If it was shocking that her pregnancy was found to be ''ectopic'', then finding out that everything was forged by Cedrick at this moment was no less than a catastrophe. ''It was him after alL.Dad didn''t lie. It was Cedrick who''s deceived me...'' "If it wasn''t for Master Cedrick''s request, how would we dare make such a life-and-death decision? Madam, please believe me!" begged the doctor, still exining herself. Catelyn stabilized her precarious body and sneered coldly, "If you vited your professional ethics as a doctor just because someone threatened you, what''s the difference between you and an executioner?" "I¡ªI''m sorry..." "Do you know why he wants to abort the child?" "Master Cedrick didn''t say anything. He only said that we needed to forge a report that said you have an ectopic pregnancy so you''d agree to remove the child surgically." Catelyn stretched out her hand to caress her lower abdomen. Her eyes were filled with determination, adamant in not letting him seed regardless of the reason he wanted to get rid of her child. That was also her child, and he had no right to decide the fate of the child alone. However, with his strength, it was not difficult at all for him to quietly hurt the child in the future. ''It''s ridiculous...'' When he found out she was pregnant, he still acted so pleasantly surprised. "I''m giving you a chance to make amends now. Will you prove your sincerity to me?" After half an hour. Cedrick was still leaning against the wall, motionless. Standing for too long without moving caused numbness in his legs. He was about to change his position when the red indicator light outside the operating room went out, and the female doctor stepped forward while wheeling Catelyn out with her. The past half an hour was like torment for Cedrick. He walked over quickly and asked, "How is my wife?" ''The operation isplete, but the effect of the anesthetic hasn''t worn off, so your wife is still unconscious..." The female doctor wore a mask and lowered her head deliberately to avoid eye contact with Cedrick. To prevent Cedrick from finding out about her odd expression, the female doctor could only use the movements of pushing the bed to cover up her anxiety. Catelynid weakly on the bed. Her cheeks were bloodless, her lips were transparent, and she looked as if she had gone through a catastrophe. ''I''m sorry..." At that moment, Cedrick took her cold hand and kissed it dearly. The female doctor watched him nervously. "Master Cedrick, although the surgery was sessful, Missus Mason''s constitution is very weak. Why don''t you send her back to the ward to have a good rest?" N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Cedrick¡¯s lip line turned white, and he wheeled the bed on his own. His back was straight, but he seemed to be staggering in his steps. In the CEO''s Office of Eclipse Entertainment, Edwin was looking through the stack of recruitment materials handed over by the staff of personnel. The Celebrity Director of Eclipse Entertainment was retiring because of marriage, so thepany was looking for someone to fill in the position. At the end of each year, countless employees were eager to try to change jobs. When he flipped through one of the resumes, he frowned and stopped at the resume of a person. The woman in the photo had a mature and charming oval face, golden wavy hair, and a strong aura, and seemed to be smiling at the camera, looking very charming. Edwin took out that particr resume from the file. Chapter 980 Chapter 980 Chapter 980 It was not the woman''s beauty that attracted Edwin. Thisdy, Noah Sinir, was his first love. Due to Edwin''s parents'' tumultuous marriage, Edwin used to be rebellious when he was in his early twenties. To run from the quarrels of his parents, he went abroad to study alone. While abroad, he met Noah. She, too, was an exchange student, and they spent wonderful moments together while studying. Later, Sylvie told Edwin to return to America, and he brought Noah with him. He wanted to take her to meet her parents and marry her, but the moment Noah knew that he was the grandson of Granny Atherton, she incessantly asked him for money. At that moment, he epted this due to his belief that men should earn money for their wives to spend. Unfortunately, she crossed the line. When he came home on one fateful day, he stumbled upon Noah having sex with a man 20 years older than her in the luxury suite he bought for her. ording to Noah, she had no father growing up, so she longed to be with an older man to taste the paternal love that she never had. Since then, Edwin had never seen Noah again. He just heard that she went abroad again. Five years have passed and the 26-year-old Noah lost her youthfulness, yet her charms only grew. Edwin threw the resume into the trash can and dialed the HR department. "Mister Atherton?" The HR manager answered the phone. "What the hell is your HR department doing? I want a Celebrity Director familiar with the entire entertainment industry, not a financial talent. Why is Noah''s resume on my desk?" Edwin scolded unceremoniously. The HR manager hurriedly exined, "Mister Atherton, although Miss Sinir graduated as a finance major, she''s been in the entertainment industry abroad, and her resourcework is very strong, so I think-" "Tell her that she''s been disqualified from the interview. Eclipse will not hire her!" The HR manager was surprised. ''Noah is an outstanding woman. Why did Mister Atherton disqualify her for the job? Does he know Miss Sinir? Hmm...it can''t be. Noah has been abroad and just returned to America recently...'' Without waiting for the HR manager to reason with him, Edwin hung up, got up, and went to smoke in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Looking far away into the distance, memories of himself with Noah suddenly shed past his mind. He felt that he did not love her very much at that time but was attracted by how endearingly naive she was at the time. Nheless, it was undeniable that he still could not forgive her betrayal. A few minutester, the phone in his office rang again. He quelled his annoyance, walked over, and pressed the answer button. ¡¯ What''s the matter?" "Eddy, is that why you don''t want to see me? Because of our past rtionship?" It was not the expected employee''s voice but a female voice that he had not heard for years instead, which made Edwin nk out for a blip. The woman continued, "I''m very suitable for the position of Celebrity Directorthat you''re recruiting, and you know that. You can''t just reject me because of hating me. Why don''t you give me a chance?" Edwin waited for her to finish speaking before casually asking, "Who are you?" The woman seemed to have expected that answer from Edwin. "So you''ve forgotten me? It''s okay, let''s get to know each other again. My name is Noah. I''m twenty-six years old, a hundred-and-sixty-five-centimeter tall, and weigh forty-five kilograms. I don''t have any bad habits..." "I''m busy. If you''re applying for a job, please contact HR." Edwin was about to hang up after finishing speaking when Noah quickly called out to him. "Eddy, don''t you want to know why I betrayed you back then?" she spoke, bringing up the one thing that would Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. surely make him listen. This was like a thorn that stuck to his heart and was also the wedge between them. After Noah finished speaking, she felt that Edwin''s breathing was out of order. She smirked proudly on the other end of the line. Before returning to America, she had done her investigation and found out that although Edwin had many celebrities as his exes, none of them stayed with him for more than a month. She figured out that he still loved her secretly, and she was confident that she could return to his side quickly. Chapter 981 Chapter 981 Chapter 981 After a while, Edwin whistled indifferently and casually replied, "I only look at the results, and I don''t want to know the process. Besides, I want to tell you that I''m married. Do you think I''m still pining after you?" ''M-Married?!'' Noah''s eyes widened in sheer shock. "You''re lying to me so I''d give up. Many reporters stalk you the moment you leave your house every day. If you get married, how can there be no news?" She refused to believe he was married. Edwin sneered, full of anger. "Whatever floats your boat. Anyway, I have a wife." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Your family probably arranged for this, didn''t they? You don''t love her, right?" spoke Noah, rather sad and helpless. "It''s all my fault, I shouldn''t have left you, but I can''t help it. Your father came to threaten me with my Mom''s safety. If I hadn''t broken up with you, my Mom would''ve died! "Eddy, I love you! The scene you saw in the suite years ago was fake. I spent a thousand dors on that just to break up with you." Edwin clenched his fist. ''So it was Dad...'' He sneered. "Since you decided to make that up, why don''t you keep that real till the end of time?" He would not tolerate any betrayal. If she was threatened by Harry, she should havee to him or left him a reminder five years ago instead of making a scene. Everything was irreversible, yet she brought up the past again. ''My Mom...was found out to have cancerst month. She may not live long, but she encouraged me not to leave any regret in my life. "Eddy, please, I need this job! I''ll be frank with you: I caused some trouble abroad, and Eclipse is the largest entertainmentpany in America. If even Eclipse rejects me, I''ll have nowhere to go! They''ll kill me!" Still, Edwin showed no mercy, and histone fell t as he replied, "My wife has a bad temper. If she knows that I hired you, she''ll be most displeased." "I promise not to let your wife know about our rtionship. I beg you! We''ve been through a lot of things together, so cant you help me?" When Catelyn woke up, it was already midnight. Cedrick had been watching her by her bedside. When he saw her wake up, he immediately stepped forward with concern, carefully tucked in the quilt for her, and asked how she was feeling. Seeing him caring for her, Catelyn could not help but burst into tears. ''How could he care for me so dearly yet have the heart to kill off our child?'' Cedrick thought she was suffering from the death of her child, so he wiped her tears with a tissue paper, leaned over, and kissed her dry lips. "Don''t cry. We¡¯ll have another child again." ''There won''t be any!'' Catelyn shouted in her heart, sobbing helplessly. Since he did not want that child, she would give birth to it herself. Cedrick could not wipe away her tears as his muscles were tense, and there was also an indelible sadness in his deep pupils. Catelyn was supposed to be hospitalized as she had just undergone surgery, but she insisted on leaving the hospital because she did not want to stay in the hospital. The longer she stayed, the more evident it would be for Cedrick to find out her n. Cedrick could not bear to refuse and sent her back to Atherton Manor overnight. He only told Edwin about her ''miscarriage'' that night. This, too, was a blow to Edwin, who was looking forward to his little niece or nephew, but it was more of a distress to Catelyn, who had long prepared various nutritional products for the infant before her due date. Chapter 982 Chapter 982 Chapter 982 Cedrick had thought of staying at Atherton Manor so that he could take care of Catelyn. Oddly enough, after returning to the manor, Catelyn lost weight quickly over just a few days, and all the new clothes Joanne had bought for her looked too loose on her. Whenever she ate, she would only take a few bites before she would run upstairs and lock herself in the room, not allowing anyone to get close. This time was no different; Cedrick was locked out of the door. He knocked on the door repeatedly, hoping she would open the door to let him in. After returning from the hospital, she had been acting abnormally, shutting herself in the room all the time, and he had no idea what she was doing. After he finally got in, he noticed that her face was pale. He wanted to stay by her side all the time, talk to her, and make up for the pain of losing a son, but she always turned her back against him whenever he was before her, and she even rolled up the quilt and pretended to sleep. This time, Catelyn insisted on not opening the door for Cedrick this time. Irked, Cedrick''s voice raised as he warned, "Catelyn! Do you want me to knock this door down?!'' "Can you stop pestering me?¡± Catelyn answered after a while, sounding like she was short of breath. "I just want to be alone..." Cedrick stood firmly at the door for a while, his lips tightly pressed, looking enraged. Seeing that Cedrick followed Catelyn upstairs, Joanne also stopped eating and took a piece of bread upstairs for Cedrick. "Here, eat something. Don''t forget about your gastric problems." ''Take it away." Cedrick did not even look at the food she offered. Clearly, he had no appetite at a moment like that. "We''re all very sorry for Cat''s miscarriage, but if you fall ill, who''ll continue to take care of her?" Joanne gulped subconsciously out of fear of Cedrick''s furious aura. Cedrick stared at Joanne silently but said nothing. Joanne stuffed the bread into his hand and pointed to the bedroom doorway. ''Can I try?" ''She doesn''t even want to see me. Do you think you can persuade her to open the door?" Joanne felt that she was being despised, and her face flushed red. "Cat doesn''t want to see you because you remind her of the lost child. I''m different. I canfort and enlighten her!" Joanne''s words were like a basin of cold water that was sshed onto Cedrick''s face, and he froze. A self-deprecating smile made its way to his face, mocking himself for being a heartless man. He closed his eyes lightly and suppressed a choked sob. "I''ll leave her to you, then. Please make her open the door. I''ll be downstairs. Call me whenever you need anything." Joanne waved to him, and after he left, she gently knocked on the door, but there was no response from the inside of the room. Just when she thought Catelyn did not want to see her too, the door opened itself. Joanne paused and pushed the door open in surprise, entering the room. Catelyn''s cheeks were pale, and she was holding the doorknob with one hand. Her forehead was sweaty, and she was hunching over as she stood. There was a trace of dirt at the corner of her mouth that had not been wiped clean. Joanne was taken aback. "Cat?!" "Don''t shout..." Catelyn held her breath and quickly ced a finger to her lips, telling her to be silent. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ''My God, what happened to you?!" Joanne quickly helped her to sit on the bed, wiped the corner of her mouth, and tested her temperature to check if she had a fever. ''Oh, God! I''m going to call Master Cedrick for help. You shouldn''t be discharged from the hospital at all! How can a woman who just suffered from miscarriage not be in a hospital without the care of doctors and nurses?!" Chapter 983 Chapter 983 Chapter 983 Catelyn feebly grabbed Joanne''s wrist before she could run, whimpering,'' No! Don''t tell Cedrick! I didn''t have a miscarriage at all; the baby''s still here. It''s Cedrick who wants to trick me into killing the baby..." Joanne''s mouth widened in shock. "W-What? Master Cedrick wants to trick you into killing off your child?" Joanne thought that Cedrick cared about her and the child the most, more than anyone else. The day he found out that Catelyn was pregnant, he was ted for several days. Even if he did not show it, everyone could tell that he was looking forward to the arrival of that child. There were several times she found Cedrick looking through books for a suitable name for the child. "I wished that this was a lie, too...but it''s all true. The doctor he bribed told me this. I don''t have an ectopic pregnancy at all, yet he threatened the doctor to make me believe in that." Catelyn took Joanne''s hand and pinned herst hope on her, her lips trembling slightly. "Listen to me. I have a strong pregnancy reaction now, and I may have severe morning sickness...but Cedrick has been staring at me, and I have no chance to see a doctor to get medicine. Can you-" "Right, of course. You can count on me!" Joanne understood Catelyn''s meaning and nodded repeatedly. At the end of the day, she was also a ''pregnant'' woman, so no one would suspect if she went to get antiemetics. Nheless, Joanne grew worried. "But you''ve been vomiting, and your nutrition level surely can''t keep up. The fetus won''t be healthy..." "I''ve figured it all out. In name, I just had an abortion, so I can ask a doctor to give me an infusion of nutrient solution." "You n to have an infusion in private?" Joanne looked calm, but she was internally frantic. She held Catelyn down with one hand and then walked forth and back in the room. "Even if you can hide it for a while, can you keep him in the dark forever? Master Cedrick will find out that you still have the fetus sooner orter. Why don''t we interrogate him and ask what he¡¯s really up to?" That was Catelyn''s initial n. She nned to hide it from Cedrick and prevent him from knowing that the fetus was still in her womb lest he harmed the fetus again. She would then unearth the truth silently. s, as soon as she returned to Atherton Manor, her pregnancy reaction became more intense. It was slightly better at first, but at this point, she could not even eat anything. ording to her previous pregnancy experience, these reactions would gradually subside after about three months. In other words, she needed to withstand the reactions for another month. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. She was genuinely afraid that her secret would be exposed before that. "If he''s determined to get rid of this child, confronting him and exposing everything will only increase risks toward me and the baby, especially now that I''m very weak. I don''t want to think about those things first and focus on recovery." "You''re right. Oh, Cat...this must be tough for you." Joanne hugged Catelyn distressedly and immediately realized her friend was all skin and bones. "You should take good care of yourself," she spoke. "I''ll try to get some info from Wild Beast and see if he knows. After all, he''s very familiar with Master Cedrick. Maybe he knows a little bit of the inside story?" Be careful, and don''t let Cedrick find out about this," Catelyn reminded. "Don''t worry, I will do my best to protect my little niece or nephew," Joanne emphasized solemnly. Chapter 984 Chapter 984 Chapter 984 As it turned out, Edwin did not know why Cedrick wanted to kill the fetus. Instead, Joanne noted that Edwin had been rather preupied. She liked to hug something or would ce her legs on something when she slept at night to feel at ease. She and Edwin lived in the same room in Atherton Manor, which meant they shared the same bed. For two nights in a row, Joanne vaguely heard the sound of rustling. She noticed that Edwin would go to the N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. balcony to make a phone call one night. His figure seemed to be a little restless. Joanne did not even realize that she stared at his back at the phone for more than half an hour. When Edwin came back from the balcony after making the phone call, she immediately closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. Edwin closed the balcony door lightly, feeling slightly cold due to the night air. There was a heater in the room. He nned to sit for a while before lying on the bed but inadvertently noticed that Joanne''s beautiful fan-like eyshes were trembling slightly. ¡¯She''s pretending to sleep?'' Joanne heard the sound of the door closing and thought that Edwin woulde to bed to rest soon, but after waiting for a while, she could not feel the other side of the mattress sinking, so she silently bit her lip and sneakily opened her eyes- "Gah!" Edwin''s handsome, though erged, face was right before her eyes. Edwin''s face was almost only two centimeters away from Joanne''s eyes. It was so close that she could feel the fine hair on his cheeks. Joanne yelled in fright, her heart skipping a beat. "Goodness gracious! What''s that for?" "Why pretend to be asleep when you''re not?" asked Edwin as he raised his eyebrows. "Tell me: were you peeping at me just now?" ''That''s not peeping? I was ''looking''!" Joanne retorted, then reached out to push his face away, but Edwin grabbed her hands and pressed them on both sides of her head. Edwin kicked off his slippers and jumped onto the bed, and a strong body scent greeted his face. Joanne blinked nervously. "W-What are you doing?" ''Why, to make love with you, of course." Edwin squinted his long, narrow eyes, scanning her up and down. Joanne could not help pursing her lips shyly, and her eyes sparkled. She always woke up when he was not around in the winter because it was too cold without his body warmth that kept her warm. Edwin looked into her sparkling eyes and kissed her gently. It tasted like no other. Chapter 985 Chapter 985 Chapter 985 Edwin leaned over to kiss Joanne''s lips again when all of a sudden, his phone screen lit up again, buzzing and vibrating. It was an unsaved number. Several iing calls were received over the period. s, they were immersed in intimacy and did not notice this whatsoever. The effect of the antiemetics was a bit better than Catelyn expected. In the beginning, she infused two bottles of nutrient solution, and her mood turned better. She also regained some of her energy and was able to eat. The doctor said that the severe morning sickness was rted to her mood. Thus, for the sake of the child, she must be strong. Even if she could not eat, she had to force herself to. While she could only have soup and soft food initially, she could drink milk and eat a few hard foods after a few days. Joanne, too, felt relieved as Catelyn¡¯s condition got better. "Cat, you should eat more." Joanne kept buying food for Catelyn and handed another sandwich to her. That would be the third sandwich if Catelyn ate it, and everyone at the dining table was looking at them. Joanne scratched her head btedly and smiled awkwardly at everyone.'' Don''t you guys think Cat has lost so much weight aftering back? I want her to eat more to keep her healthy." Edwin raised his eyebrows, his face full of contempt. "Can you take care of your image next time you eat? You''re a celebrity."Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She grabbed the sandwich with her hand when Edwin spoke, which was unhygienic, but she did not listen to what he said. Joanne curled her lips and confidently refuted, "Well, you''ve seen worse, haven''t you? It''s toote to dislike me now. Besides, you can choose to ignore me, and I didn''t force you to look at me." She was a female celebrity after all, and there were paparazzi out there who made money by taking pictures of her. Edwin should be grateful to see her at such a close distance for free, yet he kept mocking her. ''Men are pigs.'' The more Joanne thought about it, the more annoyed she became. Thinking that he hated her licking her fingers, she deliberately licked her lips in front of him and made a provocative sound. Edwin¡¯s face instantly soured at this. He knew she did it on purpose. It was rare for Kelly to see Edwin suffer. Witnessing that, she covered her mouth and snickered. "Looks like the rtionship between Master Edwin and Madam Joanne is great." Joanne repudiated that from the bottom of her heart. ''I don''t want to be '' great'' with that disgusting man.'' Sylvie, who was sitting in the middle seat, looked at Joanne for a while, then at Catelyn, and said, "Cat, when you went to the hospital for a gastroenterological examinationst time, did the doctor say anything else? I see that you vomited so much a few days ago, and now you''re eating so much. You look pregnant." Her utterance stunned everyone. Sure enough, an old ox made a straight furrow. Deep down, Joanne was impressed by Sylvie''s judgment. The gazes of the others turned to Catelyn. Catelyn tried to act dumb by quibbling, "The examination report had it that I''m not pregnant, Grandma. I know you wanted another great-grandchild badly. Don''t worry; I''ll tell you if I am pregnant." When she was alone in the room before, she had already thought of countless possible scenes of her secret being discovered by Cedrick, so she had prepared excuses to deal with certain situations. She just did not expect the first person to suspect her abortion was not Cedrick but her grandmother instead. Joanne''s nerves became frazzled in an instant, and she voiced hoarsely, ¡¯ That''s, Grandma. Cat gave birth to twins a few years ago and didn''t get a good rest since then, so she wouldn''t be pregnant so soon." ''It''s a good thing not to be pregnant...'' Chapter 986 Chapter 986 Chapter 986 Sylvie secretly sighed, then took a sandwich from the te and put it on Catelyn''s te. "Eat more if you like it. We''ve nothing but money, so if you don''t like the food, we can hire another chef that''s good at making other cuisines. Most importantly, my granddaughter must be happy and healthy." After breakfast, Catelyn stayed at home. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. She thanked Cedrick in her heart for taking a long leave for her when she was told to have an abortion. In the afternoon, Cedrick came to visit Catelyn after finishing work. The guards would usually let him in, but Catelyn felt that was inappropriate. It was impossible to hide her belly from him whenever they met. She did not want to suffer emotionally anymore. So when the doorman called, Catelyn directly declined Cedrick''s request for entry. That was the first time he was rejected to enter the manor, and the oue repeated itself for the second and the third time... It was not hard to figure out that Catelyn was simply avoiding him. Even if she said she was not feeling well and wanted to rest, she was too easy to be seen through, and Cedrick could catch the hint of avoidance in her excuses. Cedrick finally lost his patience and turned to find Joanne because Catelyn started to avoid him the day Joanne went into her room to persuade her. He wanted to find out what she had told her. When Joanne came out of the studio, she saw her colleagues all staring at a limited edition Maybach parked on the opposite road with jealous eyes. The Maybach was at the intersection for a while, looking like the driver was waiting for someone. The actors who came for the film shooting that day were people of the top tier celebrities, so everyone at the scene was guessing who that luxury car was there to pick up. ¡¯I have seen this car in a magazine before. It seems to cost tens of millions..." "It must havee to pick up Miss Diana. I''ve read in the entertainment news that the son of the cruise ship tycoon has been pursuing her..." "I don''t think so. The son of the cruise ship tycoon is a spendthrift. I heard that his father restricted his spending long ago, so he can''t afford to drive such an expensive luxury car!" "Alright. I bet you that the car is here to pick up Miss Diana." "Tsk." Joanne managed to squeeze her head out of the group of people. Edwin said that he was here to pick her up after she got off work that day. She looked around but identally twisted her ankle, causing her to fall in pain and subconsciously let out a sarcastic sound. As soon as the sound came out, it immediately attracted the attention of several female stars around. A certain admirer of Miss Diana, one of the most famous actresses, sneered in a condescending tone. "Joanne, did you just express your disdain?" "Ah?" Joanne shook her head like a rattle. "No! No, I just identally sprained my ankle." "Admit it. You''re jealous of Miss Diana, aren''t you? That car must be here to pick up Miss Diana. Look at you. Don''t you feel shame when you despise Miss Diana? Miss Diana is not someone who would simply have sex with anyone on the street." The woman was being sarcastic. For the sake of publicity, her previouspany dared to post any news to her, even if it brought poprity in a bad way. Before being employed by Eclipse Entertainment, it happened that a son of a supermarket tycoon that was about to go bankrupt was hanging out with her in a nightclub. It was simply a hype effect created by her agent, but the actresses who were at odds with her kept using it to mock her. Chapter 987 Chapter 987 Chapter 987 Joanne suddenly became angry as her face turned red. She tightly squeezed the LV bag in her hand, but then she rxed the grasp, calming herself down. She just started working for Eclipse Entertainment and just got rid of those paparazzi and scandals in the past, so she could not afford to cause any trouble again that would ruin her image. She would rather bare the mocks and seek revenge in the future. Joanne''s silence was deemed by the woman as a sign of surrendering. She immediately covered her mouth and snickered, and then added, "Pff, tough talker. So you have nothing to say now? Oh, be careful. Your fake LV bag is of poor quality. If the skin is torn, how can you keep ying your ''richdy'' game?" Joanne''s previouspany was very stingy as the percentage of shares it gave her was very low, so she never had any savings. Also, she was not a luxury aficionado, so she did not mind what kind of purse she used, and she always used purses of non famous or Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. sponsored brands. So much so that even though the LV bag she was carrying was an authentic product that Edwin had bought for her, no one believed that. Joanne''s eyes widened instantly, and she stared angrily at the woman in front of her. The woman seemed to have not seen her, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the door of the Maybach car opened, and she sneered even more ironically. "Don''t tell me you think that car is here to pick you up because that would make my day." As soon as the woman said that, all the surrounding actors snickered. That was the greatest irony Joanne bared since she came to Eclipse Entertainment. Everyone thought that the owner of such a luxury car would nevery eyes on an actress like Joanne, who was full of negative publicity... Joanne finally could not bear it anymore. Just when she was about to blow up, the driver of the Maybach walked out of the car. The man was someone Joanne was familiar with. Eason did not know what happened here, but he came over respectfully, lowered his head halfway, and called out in a low voice, "Miss Winters, Master Cedrick invited you to get in the car." ''Cedrick? Could it be... Cedrick Mason?! There''s no other Master Cedrick in Sapphire City that I know... Why is Master Cedrick''s driver being so polite to Joanne? But isn''t his wife someone else and not Joanne...?¡¯ Everyone present was stunned for a while, including the woman who insisted that the car was here to pick up Miss Diana. Joanne breathed a sigh of relief, and straightened her back. When she passed by the woman, regardless of whether there were paparazzi present or not, she sarcastically replied, "Sorry, this car is here to pick me up, not your madam." The woman instantly became embarrassed. Joanne had not finished venting her anger and continued, "Also, I know you had undergone countless stic surgery, so your whole body is a fake! No matter how big your boobs are, how tall your nose is, and how sharp your chin is, you can''t hide your ugliness. Are you jealous of me carrying my limited, authentic LV bag? To be honest, I have a whole collection that fills up a huge cab in my house. Tsk, there''s more for you to be jealous of." The Atherton Manor was now her home. Edwin bought a lot of luxury clothes and bags for her. Counting in those that Sylvie bought for Catelyn, she was not wrong after all that she said she had all of those in her house. The woman blushed immediately and shouted guiltily, "You''re talking nonsense! I have never undergone any stic surgery-" Joanne sneered. "Oh, yes, you didn''t undergo any stic surgery. You just had a new head and a new pair of boobs." The woman raised her hand and wanted to hit Joanne. Yet Eason reacted quickly and grabbed the woman''s wrist. With a cold look, the woman stuttered in fright. Joanne grimaced, "As a public figure, beating someone would end your career. You must pay attention to your image." After finishing speaking, Joanne took Eason''s hand and walked elegantly to the Maybach. Chapter 988 Chapter 988 Chapter 988 Eason had never witnessed actresses fighting with each other. That was his first time. Eason drove the car carefully but felt a chill, so he subconsciously turned up the air conditioner in the car by several degrees. Joanne stared nervously at Cedrick, who looked fierce. "Hey, Master Cedrick, what can I do for you?" Joanne broke the silence in the car. Cedrick then asked in a voice that was full of oppression, "What did you say to Catelyn in the manor that day? Why did she start avoiding me Joanne almost spilled the beans, but fortunately, thest strand of her rationality stopped her. "That''s a misunderstanding. Cat is not in good healthtely, and the doctor reminded her to rest. See, she isn''t avoiding you. Hey, don''t overthink. Your wedding is around the corner, and you should get some rest as well." "I''m asking you what you say to her," Cedrick repeated in a cold tone. Joanne''s heart tightened. Cedrick sounded too fierce. She turned her eyes away and sighed silently. "Do you want to know?" "Tell me!¡± "Well, I promised Cat not to tell you, but since you insisted on knowing the truth, I have no choice but to feel sorry for Cat." Joanne could not help but ask, "How much do you know about ectopic pregnancy?" "What do you mean?" Cedrick frowned. "It means that Cat feels very sorry for you because if someone who has had an ectopic pregnancy gets pregnant again, there is a high chance that she will have an ectopic pregnancy again. You want a daughter so much, so she is currently in a period of depression, and I am afraid that you will not be able to ept it." Cedrick frowned and stared fiercely at Joanne. He did not believe her words. "Do you think I don''t dare to hurt you because you''re Edwin''s wife?!'' "What I said is true. Think about how much you wanted a daughter before. She''ll naturally think of the lost child when she sees you! So what you have to do now is to wait patiently for Cat to ovee this emotional hurdle... And your wedding invitations have been sent out, so what are you afraid of? I* Joanne then nervously stared at Cedrick without blinking for fear that he would throw her out of the car in a fit of anger. They were on a highway, and the car was driving at high speed... The atmosphere in the car was extremely tense, and Cedrick''s face was emotionless. Just when Joanne was sweating profusely on her back and could not bear it anymore, Cedrick suddenly asked Eason to stop the car. Joanne wished she could escape and run away immediately... After Joanne left, Cedrick pursed his thin lips and asked Eason, "Joanne said that Catelyn felt ashamed of me, so she avoided seeing me. What do you think of that?" Eason was most afraid of Cedrick asking such emotional questions because he was bad at reading minds. He wished that Charles was still here, so he could answer Cedrick''s question based on his experience. Without knowing what to say, Eason replied, "Old Madam Atherton has always praised Miss Winters for her honesty, so I don''t think she N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. would lie." "She won''t lie, but the person behind her may not be!" Cedrick''s cold eyes narrowed instantly, and a sharp glint shot out. He was not a fool. Joanne''s nervousness was too obvious to him... ''Why doesn''t Catelyn want to see me? Did she find out something?'' Cedrick took a deep breath and immediately ordered Eason, "Drive to the private hospital instead, and then send someone to keep an eye on any doctor that enters Atherton Manor!" Since Catelyn did not allow him to walk into Atherton Manor and it was not convenient for him to seek help from Sylvie, Cedrick could only find out if Catelyn knew about what he had done in another way... ''I hope... she doesn''t know anything.'' Ignorance was fearlessness. Chapter 989 Chapter 989 Chapter 989 Edwin went to the TV station where Joanne filmed but encountered a little trouble on the way and was a littlete when he arrived. He searched around but did not see Joanne. Where did she go? Didn''t I already send her a text that I''ll pick her up tonight?¡¯ "Hey, what do you think is the rtionship between Joanne and that man?¡± "Driving a limited-edition Maybach to pick her up must have something to do with it! And I''ve heard that the man was married and even had children. What a shameless coquette!" "No wonder there are suddenly so many sponsors after hertely..." N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. "Yeah! If she hadn''t been someone else''s mistress, how would she have been doing so well recently? Looking at how cute and pure her baby¡¯s face is, she must be a sl*t!" Several actresses satirized Joanne sourly without even noticing that a man was approaching. When their discussion was in full swing, a cold voice suddenly sounded, ¡¯ Who did you say Joanne left with?" Several actresses were taken aback when they heard the sound, and they turned their heads suddenly to see a gloomy, unhappy look on Edwin''s unrestrained face. His cold aura made everyone choke. "Mister Atherton, are you here for Joanne? She had just left with a married man, and she even showed off to US how many branded purses she owned in her house. I can tell for sure that such a female artist will sooner orter discredit Eclipse. Consider me, Mister Atherton. I''m a good actress, I promise." In an instant, he narrowed his eyes while smirking. "Do you want to be the actress of Eclipse?" The actress''s eyes lit up immediately, and she took Edwin''s arm intimately. "As long as I get to work for someone attractive like you, Mister Atherton, I am willing to do whatever you ask me to..." Many female celebrities became popr in their careers after working for Eclipse Entertainment because thepany was not only the best celebrity managementpany in the country but also had countless business corporations with many foreign film and televisionpanies. Edwin put on a fake smile and nced at her breasts. "That''s a shame because Eclipse only epts ''natural'' actresses, and you... have gone too far on that." The actress turned pale. ''Joanne is an artist of Eclipse. No matter what she does, it''s not your right to judge her. You are not qualified." Edwin suddenly threw the actress''s slender arms away. The actress bit her lower lip unwillingly, pretending not to see his anger, stomped her feet and continued to act coquettishly. "Joanne cheated with a married man. Will Eclipse tolerate such a scandal?" Edwin repeated word by word, "Again, who is having an affair with whom?" The sharp gaze forced the actress''s facial features to huddle together, stuttering, unable to utter a single word. "I... we..." "If you don''t want to lose your job in the entertainment industry, you better keep your mouth shut." ''Damn stupid woman! I told her to wait for me here, but she didn''t reply to my text and even got in the car of another married man?'' Edwin returned to his car and tugged at his tie irritably. There was no missed call disyed on the phone. ''Very good, you''re having so much fun that you didn''t n to report to me, right?'' Joanne only discovered a sad fact after getting out of Cedrick''s car. She was now on a viaduct, and it was full of speedy traffic. She could not stop a cab... She had no choice but to walk in heels along the roadside pitifully. At a nce, she could not see the end of the viaduct. ''Oh gosh...'' It was already evening. ''Cedrick, you''re really a j*rk! I should''ve sworn at him just now!'' Chapter 990 Chapter 990 Chapter 990 ''Cedrick wanted to hurt the child in Cat''s stomach and even threatened me! In his dream, I''ll tell him the truth! Ha! d I pissed him madly! No matter what he wanted to do, he would fail!'' Joanne was extremely depressed, and the night in winter came very early. She took out her phone to check the time, only to find that there were countless missed calls and text messages. She muted her mobile phone before shooting at the TV station, so she could not reply to those missed calls and messages in time. Unlocking her phone, there were more than a dozen missed calls, all from Edwin, including voice messages from him. [Joanne, did you forget something you promised me?] [The staff at the TV station said that you got into the car with a married man. Who is that man?!] [Send me a location now, and I''lle to pick you up.] N?velDrama.Org (C) content. [I''ll prepare a Christmas gift for grandma in the evening.] [Respond to my message immediately!] [Joanne, let me warn you onest time...] Joanne looked at the countless text messages and was dumbfounded. All of them were about Edwin asking who she left with and why she did not call him back. Swallowing, Joanne felt as if she had pissed him off again. Beep. At that very moment, the phone she was holding buzzed and vibrated. To her, it was indifferent to the calling from hell... However, her trembling hand identally swiped on the answer button! "Joanne, do you want to die?¡± Edwin''s furious roar came from the phone, piercing her eardrums, "I told you to wait for me at the door! Where are you now?!" Joanne subconsciously moved the phone away, and when her ears got used to his roar, she put it back on her ear and muttered guiltily, "I was waiting for you until Cedrick came suddenly and picked me up... I have no choice but to go with him... because you werete! Can''t I go first if you arete?" Edwin sneered. "Of course, you can leave first if I''mte, but shouldn''t you tell me where you went and who you were with?¡± Joanne could imagine how mad Edwin was right now. Edwin had a habit that he wouldugh when he got too angry, and that was creepy in Joanne''s eyes. Joanne shivered and then apologized wholeheartedly, "I''m sorry. My phone was on silent, so I wasn''t notified when the phone received your calls and messages. I apologize. Please don''t be angry with me. I got kicked out of the car by Cedrick, and it¡¯s getting dark on the viaduct. I''m innocent, so if you want to me someone, you can me your buddy. He took me away." Edwin suddenly fell silent, which made Joanne''s heart beat even faster.'' Was he very angry, thinking about how to kill me?'' In the next moment, Edwin scolded angrily, "Joanne, can''t you grow your stupid ass up?! You''re an adult now, so please act like one!" Immediately afterward, with a beep, the phone was hung up. Joanne froze in ce in a daze. She was called stupid by him again. For no reason, she suddenly felt very sad and squatted on the side of the road and sobbed aggrievedly. She also wanted to be smarter, but she was not born smart. It was just that she was not a good thinker like him... ''Why do you always dislike and look down on me... Even judging the way I eat... Then what is this marriage? Since you hate me so much, why don''t you divorce me quickly...?'' Chapter 991 Chapter 991 Chapter 991 Joanne might as well get herself pregnant with someone else. She could not conceive a child anyway, and she would definitely be exposed if this dragged on. It was getting dark. Joanne leaned against the railing by the road to rest as she could not walk anymore. Feeling tired and hungry and in a very bad mood, Joanne eventually fell asleep on the spot. The cold wind blew recklessly as she slept... Joanne had a dream which brought her back to the days when she used to live with her family. The Winters Family ran a small and medium-sizedpany. Her father was always very busy with work. While Missus Winters was pregnant with Joanne, her husband actually had a mistress outside, and he even got her pregnant! During the second stage of Missus Winters'' pregnancy, she identally fell down the stairs. In addition to the dystocia, she died as she gave birth to Joanne. From there, her stepmother moved into the Winters Residence, which was where Joanne''s nightmare all began... For various reasons, she was constantly suppressed by her stepmother. Joanne tried to please her father to gain some family affection, but she was always ridiculed by her stepmother. Eventually, her rtionship with her father went down the drain, and Mister Winters started to hate Joanne more and more as time passed by. Once, she was chased and bit by a dog in the woods. In the midst of it, she identally fell into a cave. It was dark and scary. Joanne thought that her father woulde to her rescue. However, three days had passed without him showing up. Joanne was on the verge of starving to death before she was rescued by a kind-hearted passerby. Joanne eventually returned to the Winters Residence. She thought that perhaps her father could not locate her after she had gone missing, and he must be worried sick. However, reality just pped Joanne right across the face. No one in the Winters Family actually cared about her life and death. When she went back, she happened to hear her father telling his mistress'' daughter that he would spend a huge amount of money on sending her to the best university in the country. In other words, Joanne was nothing to her father. Since then, she ran away from home, cutting ties with the Winters Family. Luckily for Joanne, she was born with a pretty face due to the excellent genes of the Winters Family. Eventually, she befriended Catelyn, who helped her financially before she got into college. Even in her sleep, Joanne was afraid of this horrible memory. She hugged her knees as tears flowed out from her eyes... Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, two strong rays of light suddenly lit up in front of Joanne. She was instantly awake, raising her hands subconsciously to block the blinding light. She realized that a Ferrare had stopped not too far away from her. The door of the sports car was pushed open, and out came a person. Joanne stood up. Immediately, Edwin''s slender body appeared, walking toward her against the light. She could not see his face, but she could feel his intimidating aura from his presence! Joanne wiped her tears and cried, "I must be dreaming..." How was it possible for her to see Edwin here? Did he not hang up the phone on her angrily? Chapter 992 Chapter 992 Chapter 992 Joanne rubbed her eyes, trying to dispel the fact that Edwin was here. Instead of disappearing, Edwin got closer to her. Joanne could not help but pinch her thigh. The pain was so great it made her gasp. Before she could regain her senses, she saw Edwin''s angry face. "Joanne! Seriously? Can''t you see the no-pedestrian sign?! What if you get hit by a car?! I don''t care if you die, but am I supposed to support you for the rest of your life if you''re paralyzed?" scolded Edwin. Edwin''s face was furious. He was not only angry with her, but he was also mad about himself as well! He obviously wanted a child, and there were many ways to get what he wanted. Joanne was such a stupid girl, but he just could not let her go. Even the thought of having a child with her excited Edwin... Joanne was frightened by the sharpness in his eyes. She ducked back in fear. "No... I didn''t want to be here... I was forced..." Edwin walked in front of Joanne and pressed her body against the railing. He lowered his head and grabbed her hips. Joanne struggled, but she forcefully lifted her up by Edwin. He then kissed her deeply, his palm grabbing her waist. Joanne felt pain and chills running down her spine, but her mouth was so tightly fixed on his that she could not even have the strength to shout. Joanne shoved him off with all her might. "Don''t touch me!" She panted, gasping for breath. "I know, I¡¯m dumb and stupid. I have no brains! But what can I do? I don''t have a good life like you. I wasn''t born rich, powerful, and adored by many family and friends!" She continued, "Don''t worry, even if I were to get hit by a car, I don''t need you to take care of me!" "No... In fact, we are two different people. Perhaps we should divorce! Yes, let''s divorce then? Aren''t you worried that grandma couldn''t take it? I''ll tell her! Whatever it is, I''ll never let the olddy implicate you, and it''ll also save you all the time and effort from scolding me every single day..." said Joanne. Joanne''s shoulders twitched, and her eyes flushed as she wiped away her tears. Edwin just stared back at her with cold silence. Joanne was indeed a hopeless, stupid girl. Still, even if Cedrick hade looking for her, she should not have gotten off here! However, seeing Joanne''s angry and aggrieved look, Edwin could not help but regret saying all those hurtful things to her. His unruly eyes suddenly becameplicated and irritable. Without saying a word, Edwin grabbed Joanne''s wrist and dragged her into the car, wanting to get her out of this dodgy ce. As soon as Edwin''s hand touched Joanne''s skin, she felt as if a poisonous snake entangled her. She was so nervous, feeling her soul was leaving her body. ''It''s over... It''s all over...'' She could not afford to provoke Edwin. Her life and stardom were all in his hands. He must have wanted to kill her because she was getting dragged into the car! N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. "I''m not getting in!" shouted Joanne. Without hesitation, she lowered her head and took a bite of his wrist. Chapter 993 Chapter 993 Chapter 993 Edwin cursed out loud as he felt the sting from Joanne''s bite, and immediately loosened his grip on her wrist. Joanne quickly crawled up and started running forward... High heels were inconvenient, so she took them off and held them with her hand as she ran frantically, as if she was chased after a wild animal. Edwin was in pain. He lifted his cuffs to check his wound, and sure enough, a circle of teeth marks was seen on his skin. Darn it! Edwin cursed angrily as he ran after Joanne. In the midst of it, she suddenly ran into the middle of the road and stopped a car in a desperate attempt. She was heard talking to the driver agitatedly, and the driver let her into his vehicle for some reason. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. "Joanne! stop right there!" yelled Edwin with a pale face. Vroom! The car sped away, releasing its exhaust smoke on Edwin''s face. He stood there in silence. Wonderful... Just wonderful! You better watch out, Joanne! Edwin went back to his Ferrare with a dark face. His car was not parked properly at the side of the road, creating some inconvenience for uing traffic. The cars who approached honked and looked at him with contempt. Who was the driver of the vehicle earlier that Joanne had gotten up? It was already sote. Would Joanne be in danger with him? She was a female celebrity, after all. If she gets into any scandal, her reputation will definitely be negatively affected. No. Edwin could not leave Joanne running wild on her own like this. He instantly imagined her being held hostage by that driver earlier. Immediately, he started the ignition and went after Joanne. However, the car drove away pretty quickly earlier, and Edwin was way too far behind. He dialed his assistant''s number. "Go check the whereabouts of this vehicle! The license te number is..." Meanwhile, in the director''s office of a private hospital. "Sir... Master Cedrick, I swear that whatever I''ve said is true. Miss Catelyn wasn''t aware of anything. Here''s the report of the operation. You may check it yourself.'' The female doctor tremblingly handed a stack of reports to Cedrick. Catelyn had given her a warning before she left. If Cedrick found out from her that the child was still alive, her family''s life in Sapphire City would be ruined! Since she had already betrayed Cedrick, there was no choice but to continue with the deception. Cedrick stared coldly at the stacks of medical reports in front of him, and among them was the page where he and Catelyn had jointly signed to agree with the abortion. He shoved the reports back to the doctor. "There''s no point for me to read these. Give me the surveince footage of the operating room." "But..." The doctor was suddenly dumbfounded. Cedrick rubbed his fingertips and nced at the doctor with his sharp eyes. "Don''t tell me the video has been erased." Private hospitals generally have their own surveince room. It was usually used to supervise and promote medical doctors and was also An operation procedure such as abortion was even more heavily scrutinized, and Cedrick was also very sure that this current private hospital had surveince in every ward. ''I didn''t erase it! Are you sure you want to see it? The child is not inplete form, just bloody mass, and..." stammered the female doctor. Cedrick''s cold eyes sank as he yelled, "Show it to me!" Chapter 994 Chapter 994 Chapter 994 In any case, Cedrick also had to figure out why Catelyn was suddenly so distant from him. At times like this, he needed her by his side even more. Twenty minutester, the doctor retrieved the surveince footage of the operating room. In the video, Catelyn was seen lying t on the bed. She was told to spread her legs to do some preliminary examinations. Momentster, theparoscopic surgery began, whichsted about forty or fifty minutes... Cedrick did not blink an eye as he watched the entire process, including the bloody part. As the female doctor said, the child was not inplete form. It was just a lump of flesh and blood. Cedrick''s heart froze, and his lips pursed tightly. "Master Cedrick, are you okay?" asked the female doctor with a face full of concern. "Send this video to my email,¡± said Cedrick. He stood up as he finished, resting one hand on the edge of the table, feeling ufortable, as if there was something very heavy stuck in his chest. The surveince video was not very clear. Cedrick needed to send it to his media team to check it. "No problem. You don''t look so good. Would you like to take a rest?" said the female doctor. Cedrick ignored her and left the room without looking back. The air in the hospital was filled with the smell of disinfectant, which was heavy and depressing. As Cedrick finished watching the video, he finally understood why Catelyn wanted to escape the hospital so badly.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. In this case, this was the execution ground of their child! As Cedrick left the hospital, the female doctor did what she was told and sent the surveince video to his email. And after that, she dialed Catelyn''s number with another mobile phone... "Hello? Miss Catelyn? You''re right. Master Cedrick really dide to check on the surveince video! And I have shown him the edited video ording to your previous request..." At the other end, Catelyn was standing in front of the huge window, looking down at the conservatory from the second floor. The conservatory was filled with various flowers. However, the floral fragrance has been processed so that its scent was not too strong in the air. Catelyn took a deep breath. She avoided seeing Cedrick these past few days, which only made him feel suspicious. It would be dangerous to see him now for fear that she would be exposed even more. "Did he believe it?" asked Catelyn. The female doctor recalled Cedrick''s expression while he was watching the video and nodded. "I think so. The moment he saw the ''child'' was treated as a medical waste, he was really sad.¡± Catelyn''s heart tightened, but her voice was cold. "When he tried to lie to get my child aborted, did he even consider my feelings? He deserves to feel sad!¡± However, the doctor''s words didfort Catelyn a little, making her feel that perhaps Cedrick was not completely ruthless. However, why did he want to abort her child? Boom! Thunder was heard above the gloomy sky, followed by pouring rain. The heavy raindrops hit the window, producing a loud crackling sound. What intimidating weather... Catelyn received a call from Joanne. "Hello? Kitty? Could you get someone to pick me up? I''m stuck..." Edwin managed to get the coordinates of the car from his assistant and found its owner at the end of Third Rings Road. It was raining heavily, but the bad weather did not bother Edwin. Not even caring to use an umbre, he rushed over and knocked on the car window. He knocked the ss really hard, as if he was about to smash through it. The driver lowered the car window and scolded, "Are you crazy? Trying to break the ss?!" Chapter 995 Chapter 995 Chapter 995 Edwin red at him coldly in response. He stood in the rainstorm. His coat was all wet, sticking to his skin. Despite the chilly surrounding temperature, his eyes were colder than the winter wind. Now that the car window was lowered, Edwin quickly nced at the rear seat. It was empty. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. "Where''s the girl in your car?" Edwin asked in a frightening manner. The driver was taken aback by his intimidating aura. "Who? There''s no one in my car," he stammered. "I watched her get into your car with my own eyes. Shall I bring you to the police station with me?" replied Edwin as he raised his voice, his eyebrows rising slightly. "Oh, you mean that girl from earlier? She asked me to stop as soon as she got off the elevated road," said the driver as he suddenly realized and hurriedly pointed to the direction behind him. Edwin did not speak, and just stared at the driver. "What I said is true. She suddenly rushed out of the road to stop the car, saying that she couldn''t walk back, so I kindly gave her a ride. I asked her for her address, and she said that I could just drop her off after we got off the elevated road. I don''t know where she is now." and I don''t know where she is now," exined the driver. Edwin asked, "Did she tell you where she was going?" "No." Edwin was all soaking wet. However, he was not bothered by the rain at all. Joanne was still wandering somewhere alone out there, and he was too worried. He drove to the location where the driver had dropped off Joanne, which was not very far away. The storm was so heavy she should not have gone far. Perhaps she took shelter in a bus stop or a shopping mall nearby. Edwin started searching for nearby gas stations orrge shopping malls within three kilometers. In the end, he found nothing. Edwin could not help but to feel a little panic. Where was this stupid woman? Let US hope she did not run into any trouble. He tried calling her, but her phone was off, apparently. At this moment, Edwin happened to pass by a bus stop. He habitually lowered the window and looked around for her. Raindrops drifted into the car window, damping his already wet clothes even more. He heard two girls gossiping on the tform. "Hey, that girl over there was crying so pitifully, and her clothes were still soaking wet. She must have quarreled with her boyfriend." "Really, if my boyfriend dares to quarrel with me on a rainy day and leaves me alone, I will break up with him immediately! What a heartless man..." Edwin looked at the two girls. Crying pitifully? Quarreled with her boyfriend? Could that be Joanne? The two girls noticed a handsome man in the Ferrare staring at them, and their eyelids shed wildly. Edwin calmed down and got out of the car. He smiled evilly at the two girls and asked them about the ce where the girl was crying. He saw a girl all curled up under the overpass, sitting on the stone steps. She wore the same light pink jacket as Joanne, with her head buried in her knees. Looking very lonely, as if abandoned by society. Edwin''s eyes brightened as he saw her and quickly rushed over. "Joanne, why are you running around like this?!" Edwin scolded harshly as he grabbed the girl''s hand and pulled her into his arms. Chapter 996 Chapter 996 Chapter 996 The girl who was sobbing raised her head and ducked back. "Who are you?" Edwin was stunned. He quickly said, "I''m sorry, I was mistaken." It was not Joanne! Where did she go? An hourter, Edwin received a call from the manor housekeeper, asking when he was returning and whether he needed to prepare his portion for dinner tonight. Edwin asked for Joanne, only to find out that she had already gone back. So his efforts to look for her were all for nothing? Edwin eventually returned to the manor. The servants were all shocked to see his drenched and gloomy face. Edwin did not even bother with them, and he walked straight to Catelyn''s room. At the moment, Joanne was watching TV and listening to music with her for prenatal education in Catelyn''s room. As she heard the door knocking, she thought it was Kelly who was bringing her food again. She threw away the picture book, turned her head, and walked towards the door. ¡¯Aunt Kelly, are you trying to raise me as a pig? The doctor told me to eat less but more frequently, and I''ve gained a lot of weight..." She opened the door and stopped talking abruptly. It was not Kelly who appeared at her doorstep but Edwin. He was all drenched wet. The droplets of water at the tip of his hair slid down to his jaw and corbone, making him look extremely sexy and masculine. How tempting! Joanne was initially still angry with Edwin and wanted to give him a p on the face. However, seeing his charming appearance, she could not help but feel a little starstruck. Joanne shook her head. No, she could not be charmed like this. She had to prepare for the divorce agreement. She rolled her eyes innocently. "What happened to you?" Edwin felt relief seeing Joanne was safe and sound. However, a storm was brewing within him. "You still have the guts to ask? Why didn''t you stop running when I told you to?!" ''Why shouldn''t I? Should I just stay put and allow myself to be abused by you?" said Joanne. She nced at Catelyn, who was in the corner of the room. She felt confident Edwin would not do anything rash with Catelyn around. The blue veins on Edwin''s temple bulged as he stared at her, speechless. Eventually, he said, "Since you''re already home, why did you turn off your phone?" This is from N?velDrama.Org. Joanne took out her phone. The screen was ck. She scratched her head innocently. "No battery." The more she talked, the more she felt the low air pressure around Edwin, and she could not help shivering. "You''re all wet. Why don''t you go back to your room to take a shower?" Edwin red at Joanne, feeling that his IQ was lowered by just talking to her. Could she not just tell him that she was already back home safely earlier? ''Hey, why are you wet?" said Catelyn in surprise as she came over. Chapter 997 Chapter 997 Chapter 997 ¡¯It''s all thanks to her!¡¯ said Edwin as he looked at Joanne. She retorted angrily. "What does it have to do with me? I didn''t ask you toe to look for me in the rain. Why are you ming me?" Edwin''s face turned dark as he heard Joanne''s words. Catelyn was speechless as well. Joanne was pretty bold today. "Kitty, I apologize," Edwin said suddenly. Catelyn was confused. "What for?" "I''ll be taking Joanne away from you for now,¡± replied Edwin. He then stretched his hands out and dragged Joanne to his bedroom. "Ah! No! Kitty, save me!¡¯ Joanne let out a piercing cry. As Edwin brought her into his room, he pressed her against the door and kissed her deeply. They both were doing it until it was almost midnight. After two hours, Edwin was finally done. He lowered his head and left a kiss on Joanne''s forehead. "Don''t you ask me for a divorce without giving birth to a child. I know that you want to break the contract. Because of that, you''ll never make it big for the rest of your life. Oh, and all those actresses who were rted to you, they''ll all be banned as well," said Edwin. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Joanne was silent. Soon, gurgling water was heard in the bathroom as she cried in there silently. If she wanted to divorce him, she had to give birth to a child? Why had she been unable to conceive? Suddenly, Edwin''s cell phone started buzzing on the bedside. Joanne feebly reminded him from the bathroom, "Wild Beast, your phone is ringing." No one responded. Joanne just ignored it, but the constant vibrations made her sleepless. Unable to take it anymore, she kicked off the nket andzily got up off her bed to take the phone. Joanne wanted to mess around with Edwin''s phone to avenge his evil deeds. However, as soon as she picked up the phone and heard the voice on it, she was instantly stunned. "Eddy! Eddy! Why won''t you forgive me?" A woman''s mournful and humble plea was heard from the other side of the receiver. The background sound was pretty noisy, like being in a certain bar or club. Joanne''s breathing froze. "It was your father who threatened me to leave you back then, and I didn''t want to. Now that I have finallye back, can''t you give me another chance? I know you have a wife, but I won''t disturb her. I just want to be close to you..." wailed the woman. The woman was obviously drunk, and her sobbing could be heard from time to time. Joanne did not say anything to the phone. Noticing the long silence, the woman said, "You still hate me! But did you know that hate is love? That only means you still love me!" Soonter, Edwin returned. He saw Joanne, who was supposed to be sleeping soundly on the bed. He sat beside her with his knees bent, holding a pillow in his arms. Edwin''s eyes shed as if he was expecting something. He raised his eyebrows and said, "I was a little tired just now. Wanna do it again?" ''Wild Beast, your first love just called." Joanne licked her lips and pointed to the phone on the bedside table. "She seems to be drunk in a bar, and she is alone. It''s dangerous for a single woman like that to be drunk. Don¡¯t you want to go take care of her?" Edwin nced at the phone and casually threw the towel in front of Joanne. Chapter 998 Chapter 998 Chapter 998 ¡¯You don''t look tired. Wipe my hair for me," said Edwin. Joanne suspected that he did not hear her words clearly, and repeated, ¡¯ Your first love, she is now..." ¡¯Did you hear me? Wipe my hair for me, or don''t sleep tonight. Your choice, '' said Edwin as he sat down at the edge of the bed. It looked like he did not care about that girl''s safety after all. After all, Edwin was a well-known yboy in Sapphire City. It was said that the most difficult thing for a man to forget is his first love. However, Edwin did not seem bothered at all that this girl was alone and drunk in a bar. Would Joanne be treated the same way the moment she gave birth to a child and divorced him? She took the towel and started wiping Edwin''s head. His hair was of good quality. Even though he had just finished bathing, it was still very fluffy. It seemed that he had applied some essential oil while bathing earlier. Joanne could not have but to y with his short hair. She was having a little fun until she realized Edwin was ring back at her. She then quickly stopped messing with his hair and continued wiping obediently. Joanne took a long time, and eventually, she got sleepy. Her eyelids were drooping, so Edwin allowed her to stop and rest. She fell to the bed and was asleep almost instantly. The surrounding temperature was hot, and tiny water droplets could be seen on the skin of her neck. Suddenly, Edwin''s cell phone rang again. He got off the bed, annoyed, and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" "Eddy! Save me... No! Ah!" A woman''s shrill scream was heard from the other end of the receiver. "Noah? What happened-" said Edwin. Beep... The call was suddenly cut off abruptly. Edwin¡¯s eyes sank. He quickly got out of bed, put on a jacket, and was about to leave. Joanne heard the rustling sound around the room. She turned her head around only to see Edwin opening the door. "Where are you going?" she blurted out. Joanne quickly regretted asking that question. She had heard Edwin calling Noah''s name in the phone call earlier. She must be his first love. What a nice name. "Something happened to a friend of mine. I''m going over to have a look. I''ll be back soon," said Edwin. He left as he finished speaking. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Joanne sat up from her bed. The huge room seemed so empty all of a sudden. She obviously wanted Edwin to look for his first love girlfriend. If they got back together, Joanne could just easily divorce him without having children. However, for some reason, she was feeling a little upset about this. Chapter 999 Chapter 999 Chapter 999 Edwin did not return all night. Joanne suffered from a severeck of sleep and woke up with two big dark circles under her eyes the next morning. Her eyes were closed when she went down for her breakfast. ''Joanne, I heard from Kelly that Eddy came back angrilyst night. Did you both argue? Is that why you couldn''t sleep?" asked Old Madam Atherton with concern. "Ah?" Joanne''s eyes widened in shock. She shook her head repeatedly.'' No, no! We didn''t quarrel, but I had a nightmare..." "Look at your dark circles... Get some more sleep after dinner. Don''t tire yourself out," said the olddy. "Okay. Thank you, Grandma." Joanne nodded. Old Madam Atherton admired Joanne''s simple temperament. She had seen a lot of women with bad intentions in her life. Joanne''s character was something very pleasing to her. Catelyn was the calmest among the people present, as she knew what had happened in the room between Edwin and Joanne. From the outside, Joanne was a pregnant woman, and Edwin could not touch her. However, Catelyn knew very well that it was a lie. In fact, she and Edwin were busy making babies! Later in the afternoon, Joanne apanied Catelyn to a private hospital for her regr pregnancy check-ups. The Atherton household was not equipped with advanced medical items. Therefore, they had to go to the hospital. "We must be quick! If someone sees US here, we will be in trouble," said Joanne as she tugged Catelyn''s hand, looking very vignt. They both wore sunsses, masks, and long hooded coats. "Don''t you think it''s more eye-catching when we dress like this?" asked Catelyn. Joanne had been a celebrity for a long time, and she was used to concealing herself in this kind of outfit. '' Anyway, we can take the elevator directly to the gynecological department," she said. The two entered the elevator. In the closed space, Catelyn stroked her lower abdomen. This is from N?velDrama.Org. She hoped the baby was in a healthy state... On the seventh floor, in the corridor of a certain department, a doctor was reporting to Cedrick. He nced past the doctor and looked at Edwin in the room. He was seen leaning on the sofazily with gauze wrapped on his forehead. ¡¯How is he?" asked Cedrick "It''s just a minor skin injury, nothing much to worry about. He should have more rest. Try to quit smoking and drinking, especially," said the doctor. "Okay, I''ll tell him." Cedrick nodded slightly. Apparently, Edwin had a fight with someone in a barst night. With his brute strength, he would usually win in a fistfight. However, his opponent yed a dirty trick and punctured the tire of his car. Afraid that Old Madam Atherton might be worried about him, Edwin chose not to go home for the night. When Cedrick arrived to see him in the hospital during the afternoon, seeing that Edwin was awake, he asked, ¡¯What happened to that womanst night?¡¯ Edwin remembered that Noah was drunk and surrounded by a few hooligansst night and went to save her by himself. "What do you mean?" he asked knowingly. "Stop pretending. I''ve asked the bar owner. The woman had been shouting your name non-stop while being drunk," said Cedrick. Chapter 1000 Chapter 1000 Chapter 1000 Edwin smirked. "Every man has their ex-girlfriends. Why are you being so nosy?" ¡¯I''m just afraid you''ll get into trouble and affect Catelyn and me indirectly. The doctor says you should quit drinking and smoking," said Cedrick as he nced at Edwin indifferently. Edwin had been refraining from smoking and drinking as he yearned to be a father. The fact that he had started picking up the smoking habit again only meant that this Noahdy was someone who was pretty important to him. Cedrick left Edwin''s ward and went straight to the elevator. Ding! The elevator door opened. As Cedrick was about to step inside, he was met with a fully coated woman. Catelyn was also stunned for a second, looking back at Cedrick in surprise. What was he doing here? No, she was so heavily clothed and masked. Perhaps he would not recognize her. Catelyn and Joanne ducked back together. At this moment, there was no one else in the elevator. They had nowhere else to hide. Cedrick shifted his gaze down to Catelyn''s arm and stared at the medical record book she was holding. She instinctively kept the medical record book in her bag... Cedrick entered the elevator with a nk expression and pressed the close button.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. As the elevator door gradually shut, he nced at the two women through the reflection of the elevator walls like a mirror. 6th floor. 5th floor. 4th floor... Catelyn kept quiet and lowered her head. The atmosphere in the elevator was so tense that it was about to explode. They were about to arrive at the ground floor. It seemed that Cedrick did not know she was here with him. The elevator door finally opened. Just as Catelyn wanted to make a run for it with Joanne, her wrist was suddenly grabbed tightly. ¡¯How long are you intending to avoid me, Catelyn?" Cedrick''s voice calling out to her was terrifying. Catelyn had never felt so scared. She widened her eyes. The next moment, Cedrick removed her sunsses and mask from her face, revealing her familiar facial features. Catelyn smiled awkwardly. "Ceddy? What a coincidence. I didn''t expect to meet you here." "Why are you hiding from me?" Cedrick wrapped his arms around Catelyn, pressing her toward the elevator wall. ¡¯I wasn''t avoiding you," replied Catelyn nervously. Cedrick pinched her jaw with his two fingers, lifting her head up. She had no choice but to look him straight in the eye. He sneered, "You say that, but you pretend not to see me earlier." Cedrick stared at Catelyn intently. Seeing the panic in her eyes, he was more certain now than ever. She really was avoiding him! Chapter 1001 Chapter 1001 Chapter 1001 Catelyn forced herself to calm down as she met Cedrick''s eyes with her own, though brimming with tears. Catelyn stared at Cedrick as she yelled, "If you think my sadness is just to hide my guilt, then tell me: How can I not think about our deceased child whenever I look into your eyes? Even though it was just an embryo that hasn''t taken shape, I still have nightmares every day, dreaming that they''de and ask why I didn''t want them!" Cedrick''s sharp stare loosened its intensity, and so did his grip on her lower jaw. ''Have you ever heard of a fetal spirit?" said Catelyn,ughing sardonically.'' Rumor has it that every fetus has a fetal spirit, and if their parents cruelly abort them, they''ll stalk their parents for the rest of their life!" "It''s just a rumor, and we chose to abort the child because they weren''t cared for in the womb. The fetus would''ve threatened your life if they stayed! Even with a fetal spirit, they''d understand that you chose to do that to protect yourself." "Is that so?" Catelyn could not help but question that. Cedrick''s face changed sharply, and his eyes narrowed. "What did you say?" Catelyn shook her head. ''I mean, even though the fetal spirit will protect me, I''ll still think about them every time I see you. Your face will remind me that we signed the consent to the operation that ended their life!" Catelyn had rehearsed her refutation countless times in her mind. Her blindly conceding in their rtionship would only make him more domineering in their marriage, so she must preemptively make him feel the pain that she had felt first to make him believe in her. He could not tell whether he was relieved or even more ufortable to hear her exnation as he stubbornly stared at Catelyn silently. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Catelyn could feel her heart beating fast. His seemingly glowing eyes were glued onto her. ''Should he not believe me for such an absurd exnation?'' She then shoved him, trying to run away quickly, but he refused to let go of her. The zipper of her purse was pulled open in their struggle. "What do you have in your purse?" asked Cedrick, sweeping his eyes into a corner of the medical record that was exposed. He ordered, "Show me that. IV Catelyn''s heartbeat elerated, tightening her purse in her hand. "Nothing nice." "Take it out," he repeated in an entuated tone. He had a premonition that Catelyn, along with Joanne, was lying to him. ''Isn''t she avoiding me because of the pain of losing our child? What''s she hiding now, then?'' N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Of course, Catelyn would not hand over the medical record. She and Joanne exchanged nces when Cedrick asked for it again. Joanne immediately came over to block Cedrick''s vision, and Catelyn took the opportunity to run away, but she failed. Joanne''s strength could not stop Cedrick at all. He shook off Joanne and went straight around Catelyn''s purse to get that medical record. "Give me back my belongings!" Catelyn shouted, but it was toote. Cedrick took out the medical record. Opening the first page, he saw the name [Catelyn] and something about obstetrics and gynecology written below the name. A thought shed in his mind and he looked deeply at Catelyn. "You went to the hospital again for a pregnancy check? Why?" "I¡ªI..." Catelyn stammered. ''What should I do now?!'' She had no reason to hide the fact that she had been to the obstetrics and gynecology department because as a patient who just had an abortion, it was normal for her to return to the department for body checks. However, the fact that she did make everything seem odd to him... ''Will he find it out? If I don''t exin it now, it''ll just be a matter of time...'' Catelyn had an impulse to just tell him the truth and confront himter, but looking around, she was not in Atherton Manor and there were only a few bodyguards that she brought with her. ''What if he takes me upstairs to get an abortion for real this time?!¡¯ Chapter 1002 Chapter 1002 Chapter 1002 They were in a hospital after all, so it could not be easier for Cedrick to find an operating room for the abortion. ''That medical record is mine!" blurted Joanne, quickly whipping up a reason as she pointed at the medical record in his hand. "Master Cedrick, you know that Grandma wants me to give birth to a child for the Atherton family. That...Wild Beast and I have been trying, but I just can¡¯t get pregnant. I¡¯m afraid that I may be unwell somewhere, so I¡¯m here for a check-up." Cedrick stared at her, and the tension in the air seemed to dissipate. ''Why did you write Catelyn''s name in your registration, then?" "I''m afraid that Grandma will find out that I''m not pregnant when she discovers the medical records. If I''m pregnant, there''s no need to go through these checks!" replied Joanne confidently, afraid that he would not believe her. "A gynecological examination is very troublesome. Since Cat''s child has.Jeft, she can go through that examination as a non-pregnant woman for me.¡± Hearing that, Cedrick''s eyes dimmed. Catelyn felt her heart sink too. Joanne felt it was unfair for Catelyn to be the only one upset because of the abortion. She thus wanted Cedrick to taste the same pain too. Taking the advantage that Cedrick was distracted, Catelyn pushed him away and ran. It was not until she got out of the hospital and got into the private car that she gasped in shock. ''Cat, are you okay? You''re sweating buckets!" Joanne handed her a clean tissue paper. Catelyn shook her head, grabbed Joanne''s hand, and asked nervously, "He probably hasn''t found out yet, right?" "Surely he didn''t. Otherwise, how did we get out of there?" Joanne hurriedlyforted her and poured her another ss of warm water to calm her. Catelyn''s heart raced non-stop. She knew that if he continued to interrogate her, he would find out the truth. Hence, she could note out for a check-up in the future. She needed to prepare all the equipment for a pregnancy check-up in Atherton Manor. Joanne, on the other hand, was curious about what Cedrick was up to in the hospital. The car headed back to Atherton Manor. Catelyn''s phone suddenly rang, and the number that showed on the screen was new. Only when she epted the call did she find out that it was Ezekiel. ¡¯My previous phone number has a series of unlucky numbers, so I changed to a new one," Ezekiel exined. Catelyn then saved the new number into her contact list. "What''s the matter?" she asked, her tone monotonous. "I want to talk to you about something. Are you free now? Can youe to the gallery at 73 Lincoln Road? I''ll wait for you there." Ezekiel seemed to want a peaceful talk with Catelyn as he sounded sincere on the phone. Catelyn nced at her lower abdomen. "If you have anything to say, just say it now." ''There are things I can''t say through the phone, and I have something to give you," he said. Catelyn rubbed her forehead. "What is it?" ''You''ll know when youe to the gallery." Before Catelyn could say anything, Joanne silently mouthed to her that they had just escaped from Cedrick, and it would be better to not cause any trouble for the time being. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Ezekiel, too, wanted Catelyn to miscarry, and he was under the impression that the child was no longer alive. "If you don''t tell me anything, I don''t want the stuff. I''ll get itter when I have the time." Catelyn was about to hang up the phone when Ezekiel quickly said, "It''s something rted to your mother. Are you sure about that?" Catelyn went to the gallery on 73 Lincoln Road. Joanne made her way to the toilet due to a stomachache, but she reminded her to not spend too much time with Ezekiel for fear that he might harm her. Catelyn called Ezekiel, but the line was busy, so she had no choice but to wander around. This was a gallery that had been open for many years, housed various rare paintings, and also had a special zone specifically reserved for paintings by new painters to promote the creation of art among youths. Catelyn was surprised to find several paintings in the gallery, all of which had been in the rk Vi before. She still remembered that those paintings were auctioned off after Ezekiel went bankrupt... Chapter 1003 Chapter 1003 Chapter 1003 Catelyn stared at these paintings, dazed and fascinated. In one of the paintings, a woman was standing in front of an easel-holding a paintbrush in one hand and holding a drawing board in the other-and was painting the man opposite. The man leanedzily on the chair and tilted his head sideways, looking elegant and extravagant. She never looked at this painting carefully before, and it was only at this moment that she noticed the woman''s eyebrows and eyes... "She looks very simr to you, doesn¡¯t she?" came the voice of an old yet familiar male voice from behind her. Catelyn turned and saw Ezekiel walking toward her in a suit and leather shoes. Staring at the painting, his eyes sank. "I burned all of Summer''s photos and buried them with her. This is the only painting that was left because she drew this. It was found outter that the court auctioned off this painting, and I spent a long time looking for it before I finally N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. retrieved it." Catelyn could not help but want to reach out and touch the woman in the painting. The painting had been hanging in Ezekiel''s study for many years. He never mentioned the source of the painting, and she only thought it was a masterpiece by a famous artist out there, but she never knew that the painter was her mother. After all, she was just a kid, so she was not so simr to the woman in the painting. However, the model in the painting did not seem to be Ezekiel. Although Catelyn could only see him sideways, his facial features were different from Ezekiel''s. "Who is this guy?" asked Catelyn as she pointed to the man in the painting. "Did he hurt Mom?* Ezekiel stared at her steadily and said, "I asked Summer the same question before, and she said that she never wants to talk about this person in her life, so I guess it must be the man who broke her heart." Catelyn clenched her hands tightly. If it was not for that man, her mother and grandmother would not have been separated for so many years... Ezekiel suddenly asked, "Is your rtionship with Cedrick not going great recently? I heard that you ordered the bodyguards not to allow Cedrickto enter the manor again." "There are ups and downs in every rtionship. This doesn''t affect our love, however. Don''t worry, I still love him very much. Dad, leave US alone." She knew that Ezekiel did not juste to catch up with her. ¡¯How can I not care? You''re my daughter, and I''m responsible for you. Don''t be caught up with the passing of your child, and stay away from him to be safe. "You have to believe that Dad can find someone who loves you more than him for you, and you''re destined to be with someone else who loves you even more." Ezekiel''s words were like needles that pricked her heart. The moment Ezekiel showed his dislike toward Cedrick, Catelyn lost her affection for him. No matter how many conflicts there were between her and Cedrick, even if she was very angry that he wanted to kill their child secretly, she never thought of leaving him. ¡¯Dad, what are you talking about? What do you mean, ''stay away from him to be safe''? What do you mean, we can''t be together forever? I feel that you''ve changed a lot since you came back!" "I''ve never changed; it''s the world that''s changing. It''s not like you don''t know that Cedrick has a hereditary virus in his body. He won''t live long!" if what you''re worried about is the virus, then there''s no need for that. He has an entire medical team under him. Sooner orter, he''ll find an antidote for it." "Cat-" "I don''t want to quarrel with you anymore. You said you wanted to give me these paintings, right? I¡¯ll go to the manager and deal with them. You don''t need to bother yourself anymore now." Catelyn bit her lower lip and fled in a hurry. She did not know what Ezekiel would say if she stayed any longer, but she had a strong feeling of what it might be. One day, she might be in a dilemma to choose between Cedrick and Ezekiel. On Catelyn''s way to find the gallery manager, she bumped into Janice, who had just walked in. "Cat? Why are you here?" Catelyn was stunned for a moment, then quickly greeted her with a smile as she always did. Janice turned to the direction opposite to where Catelyn was heading in a puzzled look, just in time to see Ezekiel''s back who turned and left hastily. Her brow furrowed. ''The man''s figure.Jooks very familiar.'' "Aunt Janice, are you here for the art exhibition?" Catelyn''s question brought Janice out of her thoughts. Chapter 1004 Chapter 1004 Chapter 1004 With a faint smile, Janice took Catelyn''s arm and fondly replied, "Yes. I heard that the gallery has a batch of new paintings, so I came to buy Original content from N?velDrama.Org. a few. Your "Same. Dad said there''s a painting on disy, which happens to be my mother''sst piece of work, so I nned to buy it at the auctionter." "Was the man who was with you just now your father?" "Yup." Janice could not help but nce in the direction where Ezekiel disappeared. She suddenly became more suspicious, so she suggested that Catelyn take her to see Summer''s paintings. Summer and she were of the same generation. Although they never met, Janice had heard of Summer for her good personality and excellent academic performance, and she has a wide range of interests, not only in vocal music but also in painting. It should have been a coincidence that they studied at the same university. However, the Mason family and the Atherton family were always at odds, so Janice used to deliberately avoid meeting Summer. However, the world was a small ce, so Janice used to think that they would meet eventually. Of course, Catelyn would not refuse her request and thus took Janice to see the paintings Summer had left. A sh of amazement shed in Janice''s eyes but surprise followed. She asked Catelyn, "Is the man your father?" "Well, probably not. This painting is older than me, so it should be my mother''s ex-boyfriend. It''s a pity that I can''t see the face upfront." The more Janice looked at it, the more she felt that the man in the painting looked familiar. She must have seen him somewhere before. "I think I''ve seen him before.¡¯ ''Have you?" Catelyn suddenly became a little excited and nervously grabbed her hand. "Where did you see him? Do you know who he is?" Janice was surprised. Catelyn hurriedly let go of Janice''s hand and said awkwardly, "Mom fell out with Grandma because of this man, and she didn''t even see her for thest time before she died." "You mean this man betrayed your mother?" "Well, fortunately, Mom met Dadter and gave birth to me." Janice racked her brains and thought for a while. Although the more she looked at the man, the more familiar he looked, she still could not remember where she saw that man. Instead, mentally searching for the answer gave her a headache. Janice rubbed her throbbing temples and smiled apologetically. "I really can''t remember..." ¡¯It''s okay. It''s been so many years. It''s already not easy that you still remember that you''ve met him before." Catelynforted her, though her eyshes quivered, and she would be lying if she said she was not disappointed. Even if she could not exact revenge on that heartless man, she wanted to see what he was up to the past few years. She wanted to know if he had ever thought about apologizing to her mother... "I''ll call you when I can remember," replied Janice despondently. "Alright, then. I''ll wait for your call." Janice parted her lips but still did not dare tell Catelyn that she seemed to have seen Ezekiel. In her memory, the man in Summer''s paintings seemed to appear with Ezekiel at the same time, but she could not recall specifically the scenes where she saw them. After all, a lot of things had happened in the past 20 years, so why would someone remember a specific scene for 20 years? Janice finished buying the paintings and left. Seeing that Joanne had note out of the bathroom, Catelyn was at a loss for words. ''This girl must''ve fallen asleep in the bathroom, didn''t?'' In the corridor outside the bathroom, Catelyn was about to go in to find Joanne when a staff member walked over with a tube case and smiled. "Miss rk, here is your painting.¡¯ Chapter 1005 Chapter 1005 Chapter 1005 "My painting? I don''t even have time to participate in the auction yet." "A gentleman asked me to give it to you. He said that you''ll like this painting very much." The man smiled respectfully and gently. Catelyn did not even need to think about it to know that the person who bought the painting was Ezekiel. ''But why didn''t he give it to me himself?'' Catelyn looked around but did not see her father. "Where''s the gentleman?" Catelyn asked the staff. The staff shook his head. "It looks like he left earlier, and he just told me to hand over the painting as soon as possible." That was her mother''sst piece of work. Undoubtedly, Catelyn did not want someone else to have it. She took the painting out and caressed it as if she could still feel her mother''s emotions at that time. ''She must''ve felt like she was on cloud nine.'' The man she loved acted as a model for her, and she painted a perfect painting with her own hands. It was just a pity that their love was short-lived. Just as Catelyn kept the painting back in the tube case and was about to continue looking for Joanne, the sound of steady footsteps came from the corner of the stairs. The footsteps were light, but they sounded all too familiar. As the sound got closer, a tall figure came into view. Catelyn was startled. ''Why.Js Cedrick here?'' Catelyn¡¯s first reaction was to hide in the women''s bathroom, but Cedrick was quicker-with his gaze and movement. His eyebrows furrowed as he rushed over in a few strides, grabbing her wrist. Cedrick dragged Catelyn out, much to her irritation. "Where are you taking me? Let me go!" She subconsciously looked at the staff for help. The staff, too, felt that Cedrick was inappropriate toward thedy, but before he could even step in, Cedrick shot him with a cold look. This terrified the staff out of his wits, rendering him speechless. His knees trembled as he pretended to not have seen anything and left. Catelyn was at a loss for words. After all, she was a customer of the gallery, so how could the staff leave just like that? There was no one around in the corridor, so Catelyn had to use all her strength to push Cedrick away. The light in the gallery was bright, and it reflected the chill in Cedrick''s eyes. His deeply drawn lips showed his displeasure at the moment, like a precursor to his anger. Even though she could barely guess what Cedrick was after her for, Catelyn stood her ground and yelled, "What on earth are you trying to do? Is it fun to make such a fuss?!" "Did you already know about ectopic pregnancy?" Cedrick turned his head sideways, and his eyes nced at her cheeks. Hearing that, Catelyn inevitably froze for a moment. She knew that she lied too much. Joanne said that the medical records belonged to her, which could not be exined at all. "Did I know about the ectopic pregnancy?" Original content from N?velDrama.Org. "Don''t y dumb with me! The surveince footage in the hospital was modified! I had people from the technical department investigate it." Cedrick''s voice suddenly lowered as he frowned. "What happened in that operating room? What did the doctor tell you?" "I don''t understand what you''re saying." "Quit pretending! You know what I mean." Cedrick leaned over slowly while speaking, and Catelyn could feel his cold breath fanning her face. His eyes moved from her face to her lower abdomen, and his gaze shook Catelyn to the core. Chapter 1006 Chapter 1006 Chapter 1006 Catelyn instinctively took a step back and shielded her belly with her hands, her terrified eyes visibly hardening in vignce. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The anger in Cedrick''s eyes red. It was as if there was a thin film between them, and he only needed to stretch out his hand to poke for it to burst. The film of their rtionship. Anger, annoyance, and various other negative emotions were intertwined and finally turned into helplessness. All of a sudden, Cedrick lowered his head and captured her lips in a kiss. It felt that it had been a century since hest kissed her so deeply. Her sweetness and softness made him so intoxicated that the kiss became delicate andsted long. It was just that when the kiss got out of control, Catelyn smelled a very faint smell of medicine wine on his body, and nausea suddenly surged in her stomach. Catelyn could not hold it anymore. She pushed Cedrick away, covered her mouth with one hand, and rushed toward the women''s bathroom frantically. "Blergh!" With one hand propped on the washstand, Catelyny beside the trash can, vomiting profusely. The scent of antiseptic on Cedrick''s body made her lips and teeth feel rather numb. It had been a long time since she felt such strong nausea, and she wanted to throw up all the food she just ate. Cedrick did not care that Catelyn just went into the women''s bathroom and followed in right away, just in time to see Catelyn puking. The anger in his eyes exploded. It was as if the film she had carefully maintained was punctured because the child was still there. Cedrick realized Catelyn must have conspired with the doctor and lied to him so she could keep the child. Catelyn''s body reaction said it all. When Catelyn finally finished vomiting and stood up, propping herself up with the sink, her vision was blurred as though gold stars spun in her vision. She turned on the faucet and washed her face. With the help of the freezing tap water, she gradually regained consciousness. Lifting her head from the washstand, Catelyn saw the reflection of Cedrick''s furious eyes in the mirror, and her heart skipped a beat. Cedrick clenched his fist tightly and smashed it on the mirror, causing the mirror to shatter. The back of his hand was cut a little by a piece of broken mirror, and blood dripped from the wound. "So you''ve been acting all this time, making up weird stories about fetal spirits that made me feel guilty!" The results were all lies. Catelyn''s stomach was empty, and she felt exhausted. Seeing that the back of his hand was injured, she did not even have the energy to bandage him. She was too tired to have a quarrel with him as she sneered, "Didn''t I learn everything from you? Colluding with doctors to deceive people into acting. In this respect, there are more things for me to learn from you.¡± Cedrick''s expression faltered for a moment as though he was hurt. "So you admit that you didn''t abort the child?¡± Dead silence hung in the air, and Catelyn''s biggest secret was exposed. She subconsciously shielded her lower abdomen and leaned her back against the washstand. Looking at her weak face in the mirror and then at the gate, she knew she could not get past him and escape. ¡¯I won''t let you hurt this child, even if I die. They''re mine!¡± she yelled hoarsely, and what answered her was a rhetorical question from Cedrick. "But what if the child won''t be a healthy, normal child like the rest? Do you still want to keep them?" Catelyn''s face turned red instantly, and she looked at him in disbelief." What...did you just say?" "Do you think I want to be an executioner who murdered my child?! I''ve never expected less from them than you, but I don''t want them to be born with only suffering. No...maybe they won''t live until then. Even when you''re six to seven months pregnant, you''d still lose the child because it''s an ectopic pregnancy..." "No! It can''t be! You''re lying!" Cedrick grabbed her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. "Is this unbearable? Let me tell you: Even if the child can pull through until you give birth, it''s just the beginning." Chapter 1007 Chapter 1007 Chapter 1007 Catelyn panted and shook her hand agitatedly. "You''re talking nonsense! "Yael''s test results have been out a long time ago, and they''re now in my office. It proves that the virus carried in this child''s body far exceeds the amount in my body. Do you know what that means? This child can only live in an incubator with endless medicines and injections every day. The baby is clueless about their fate, yet they''ll suffer horrendously. Do you have the heart to watch such a young infant being tortured every day? Catelyn, ept reality and send them. Miles and Ollie are more than enough." Cedrick''s voice gradually weakened as he, who was often hubristic, became helpless and sad at that very moment. He wanted a daughter, but he could not even protect Catelyn from pain and suffering. He struggled to tell Catelyn the truth, but he did not think he did anything wrong. This child could not be kept. Catelyn could not take care of this child for a year, two years, or even ten years, let alone a lifetime. In the future, should the child grow older as Catelyn aged, she would only be able to watch others have happy families while she would not experience it for herself. For him, that would be the greatest sin. This harrowing news froze Catelyn. What Cedrick had said was no less than a major blow to her. From the very beginning, she knew that Cedrick was not a ruthless person, and he would not force her to abort her child for no reason. It turned out that it was because of the virus inherited due to Draco''s mistake. Maybe she, too, feared and worried about the same thing subconsciously, so whenever she wanted to ask him why he did what he did, a voice in her mind told her to stop. ''But what should we do now?1 She panicked as she walked back and forth in the bathroom. "Yael only showed you the report. Maybe his examination isn''t urate? We should go to other doctors for examination-¡± ''Yael has studied this virus for many years, and no one knows better than him!" interjected Cedrick, knowing what she was thinking of. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn was so anxious that tears burst from her eyes, but she was at aplete loss for words at this sudden disclosure. The bathroom fell silent for a while. Ady came into the bathroom, but when she saw a man in front of the washstand, she was so frightened that she screamed and ran away. That did not affect the silent couple at all. Cedrick sighed helplessly and slowly reasoned, "It''s ridiculous when your grandma stopped US from being together. She said I wouldn''t live past thirty. It''s nonsense, but what if it''s true?" Catelyn''s body trembled violently. She did not want him to die before he reached 30. "If I die before I''m thirty, you and my grandpa would be my only elders of the Mason family. How long do you think the child can live? Your life will be turned by this sickness, too. If you take care of them all day long, won''t you break down? Catelyn, stop deceiving yourself-" ''Stop it, don''t even say it!" screamed Catelyn as she covered her ears irritably. "Even if it''s a sick child, you shouldn''t hide it from me and decide on your own!" ''I''m not hiding it from you. Do you see that you¡¯re also in this dilemma? Rather than worrying about whether to have this child, I¡¯d rather you know nothing and just think that their condition has nothing to do with US..." Cedrick''s utterance came into her ears no matter how hard she tried to cover her ears. Catelyn finally broke down and cried bitterly; her heart was in great pain. The thought of caring for the child did not deter her nor was she afraid of mental breakdowns, but she was afraid that the child would suffer inhumane torture growing up. ''Such an illness and pain can drive even adults to end themselves. How can such a young child endure it?'' Meanwhile, Joanne sneaked back to the private hospital. Chapter 1008 Chapter 1008 Chapter 1008 Back when she was in the art gallery''s bathroom, she discovered that there were paparazzi outside, seemingly chasing after a well-known painter. After seeing her, the paparazzi gave up chasing the painter and came for her instead. Joanne managed to shake them off after hiding in the bathroom for a long time, but as she did, she heard the paparazzi talking about Edwin. Apparently, someone photographed him entering the hospital in the middle of the night, and that hospital happened to be the private hospital where Catelyn had her prenatal checkup. Joanne inquired about the ward number at the registration desk, took the elevator, and arrived at a ward. It was after-work hours, so the floor of the hospital was rather vacant. When she was about to knock on the door, she noticed that the door was ajar and she could vaguely see someone walking inside. Joanne perked up and listened into what was in the ward, and she heard a woman''s voice. "Eddy, thank you for helping mest night. If you hadn''t intercepted that blow for me, I''d be the one lying in the hospital now, and they¡¯d even..." The woman suddenly choked up and sobbed. Edwin raised his eyebrows casually and said, "The bar you went to was an entertainment industry under my protection. I saved you only because I didn''t want anyone to cause trouble in my territory." ''I know your bark is worse than your bite..." The woman''s voice became softer. She looked at Edwin affectionately as if she was his lover. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. From Joanne''s angle, she could only see the woman''s side profile. She was sexy in apletely different style from hers. She was wearing a low-cut shirt, her coat was wide open, and there was faintly jasmine perfume in the air. "Wait a minute, don''t move. The gauze on your head is about to loosen." As Noah spoke, she leaned down slowly, holding Edwin''s head gently with both hands. Since Noah moved to another ce, Joanne could not see her anymore, and she became even more suspicious. ''This has to be Noah, right?'' It was also because of her that Edwin left in a hurryst night. Joanne scratched her head and cheeks, trying to see Noah''s face properly, but she was too anxious and did not stand firmly on her feet. As a result, she identally knocked open the door...and fell forward in embarrassment. The creaking door attracted the attention of the two people inside the ward. Edwin and Noah turned their heads to look at Joanne and saw her leaning on a table by the entrance. Bang! The toe of her shoe hit the corner of a cab, making a crisp sound. "Joanne?" called out Edwin, surprised. "What are you doing at the door?" ''Could she be eavesdropping?¡¯ he thought. Joanne straightened herself and raised her head, but she was dumbfounded when she saw that Noah''s chest was just above Edwin''s chin. If she had not broken in suddenly to interrupt, Noah would have bandaged the gauze on Edwin''s forehead. Gulping and staggering, she awkwardly greeted, "Hi!" "Did you fall?" When Edwin saw that there was no one behind her, her face was ashen. He could tell that this was her guilty expression. Joanne must have done something uwful. Joanne quickly shook her head, her eyes looking at Noah curiously. Just as she thought, itpletely conformed to Edwin''s aesthetic preference for a perfect girlfriend: the standard model face, with majestic but morous facial features. As Noah''s gaze met Joanne''s, she smiled and introduced herself. "Hello, my name is Noah Sinir. I''m-'' "She is my ssmate from abroad," interjected Edwin, who was at Noah''s bedside, before she could finish. "She just came back to America for career development and is nning to apply for Eclipse." Chapter 1009 Chapter 1009 Chapter 1009 Joanne scratched her nose and frowned. ¡¯So she was his first lover? Why did he lie to me that she was just his ssmate? Is it because he''s afraid that I''ll tell Grandma?'' Joanne pondered. "Hello, Miss Sinir, I''m Joanne. Joanne Winters, a female artist under Mister Atherton''spany!" "Joanne?" Noah''s sight jumped between Joanne and Edwin, and she smiled gently. ¡¯Fortunately, I''ve seen your profile before. You supported an entertainmentpany all on your own." Liking to be praised, Joanne''s eyes seemingly twinkled. She wanted to y it off coolly, but the lifting corners of her mouth said it all. Edwin looked at Joanne, who was smiling secretly, and his already aching head worsened. Wasn''t she eavesdropping at the door? Isn''t she suspicious when she saw me with Noah?'' "Noah, Joanne''s being humble here. She has another identity to her, so let me introduce her to you," said Edwin'' smirking. ¡¯Another identity?" ¡¯Didn''t you always want to see my wife? Here she is. You can call her'' Sister Joanne'' if you want to be more respectful." Edwin smiled slightly and raised his eyebrows yfully. "Are you kidding? Shouldn''t your wife be the daughter of some sort of wealthy, famous family?" Noah looked at Joanne in disbelief. Joanne was flustered at this. What the hell is he doing?!'' "Missus Atherton,e here.'' Edwin ignored Noah and waved to Joanne, signaling her to be at his side. Joanne nced at the pale-faced Noah, obediently walked over, and saw Edwin handing her a te of lychees by the bed. "Peel it for me." "Miss Sinir is still here," Joanne muttered. Edwin nced at Noah as if nothing had happened and smiled at her. "Isn''t this just right? Satisfy your vanity and let her see how much we love each other." Joanne had no choice but to do what Edwin told her to. She thus peeled the lychees one by one and fed them to Edwin. Edwin opened his mouth to catch the lychee, and his warm tongue inadvertently swept over Joanne''s slender fingertips. Joanne felt like she had an electric shock. She almost dropped the lychee te onto the floor, and her pretty face flushed red. She did not usually see him flirting with her like this. She knew Noah still had feelings for him, so he must be trying to use her to irk his ex-girlfriend. Deep jealousy shed in Noah''s eyes. She and Edwin used to be that close, but everything changed after five years. "My stomach hurts a little. Miss Sinir, can youe and help me feed Mister Atherton?" Joanne swiveled her gaze away, waved to Noah, and quickly ran into the bathroom. Even when the door was shut, Noah and Edwin still stared at each other. "Why did you marry...Miss Winters?" Noah could not reconcile herself to the fact that Edwin had married someone else. Edwin nced at the fruit te in her palm and smiled coldly. "If I didn''t marry her, do you think I''d marry you?" ''Joanne, that foolish woman, still allowed Noah to be alone with me?!'' ¡¯Yeah. I didn''t ask you to wait for me for five years." Noah felt choked, and it took her a long time to say something with difficulty. Her eyshes drooped, and her expression was upset. However, at a corner where no one could see her face, there was an air of cruelty. She thought Edwin''s wife would be the daughter of a famous family, but it turned out to be just an actress with a poor background and a load of haters. To Noah, this was her opportunity. Joanne leaned against the bathroom door. The sound instion effect was so good that she could not hear what Edwin and Noah said outside. She started to overthink and imagined that Noah felt stuffily in Edwin''s chest, and the two ex-lovers who had not met for years started to rekindle intimate contact. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She then rubbed her belly, feeling thankful that she did not have Edwin''s child yet. Chapter 1010 Chapter 1010 Chapter 1010 Otherwise, if Edwin divorced her, she would not know if Noah would take good care of her child. Biting her lip, Joanne''s eyes dulled as though shrouded with mist. She blinked hard a few times, squeezed her chubby face, showed a cute smile in front of the mirror, and sniffled. She managed to suppress her inner sadness. Joanne opened the bathroom door, and her long hair, which was originally loose, was tied into a bun, revealing her chubby face. That appearance made Noah a little jealous again. After all, she had gone through many things and endured so much stress that her face was full of wrinkles. ¡¯Joanne." Noah walked toward her fondly, took her hand, and winked yfully. ¡¯I want to work in Eclipse, but Eddy said that you might be unhappy and won''t pass my interview.¡± ¡¯Eddy? Such an intimate way of calling him...'' Joanne felt a little disgusted by this. Only someone close to Edwin like Granny Atherton would call him Eddy. There was a hint of expectation in Edwin''s expression, expecting Joanne to refuse immediately, but Joanne just responded with a smirk as if she did not take Noah''s n of working in Eclipse to heart. "I won''t be angry, don''t worry." ¡¯What right do I have to be angry at you? I¡¯m just a birth-giving machine to Edwin,'' scoffed Joanne sarcastically. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. She began to dislike Noah a little more at this point. If she wanted to work in Eclipse Entertainment, she should find Edwin instead of hinting at him by using her. Edwin squinted and reiterated, "Won''t you be angry?" "Miss Sinir and you were ssmates, and she''s a talented individual. If she can work in Eclipse Entertainment to help you, I''m sure Eclipse will have a bright future!" Joanne said something against her will, her face frozen with a smile. The air in the ward was terrible. She desperately wanted to escape from the ward, and she did not want to be in between the two anymore. Edwin''s face suddenly became serious, and he smirked. "Since my Missus Atherton is so generous and kind-hearted, Noah, I want to see you there next Monday." Joanne pursed her lips and gave an excuse to leave the ward. However, she did not know that an even bigger storm was approaching. It was alreadyte at night, but the whole Atherton Manor was brightly lit. Joanne was fetched to the gate of the manor. Unlike theughter in the past, the manor tonight was very quiet, so quiet that even a needle dropped on the floor could be heard. "Madam Joanne." Kelly was waiting for her on the walkway outside the living room. Her tone was no longer as respectful as before. "I thought you didn''t dare toe back. Get in. Old Madam Atherton and the elders have been waiting for you for a long time.¡± A sinking feeling loomed over Joanne as she cautiously asked, "Did I do something wrong." Kelly''s face was expressionless. "You''ll know when you go in.¡¯ Thud. Thud. The heels of the shoes made a dull sound as Joanne stepped on the marble floor. Joanne¡¯s heart gradually synchronized with her footsteps. As she got closer to the main hall, the ominous feeling grew darker, especially when she saw Sylvie and Harry sitting in the hall with a few bodyguards standing on both sides...and the old folk healer kneeling in front of Sylvie with a guilty look. Joanne''s heart sank. ''Why is the old folk healer kneeling in the hall?!'' Just as her thoughts went rampant, she suddenly felt a pain in her lower back. Joanne could not help but let out a low cry as she fell to the ground in embarrassment. Just when she grinned and tried to get up from the ground, Kelly, from behind her, pressed her down by her shoulder and snapped, "Kneel before Old Madam Atherton!" Chapter 1011 Chapter 1011 Chapter 1011 Joanne bit her lower lip and knelt. She then looked up at Sylvie, who was sitting on the couch in the middle, and she no longer had the gentleness and kindness she used to have for her. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Sylvie stared at Joanne coldly and said to Harry, "Harry, tell her what you''ve found." Harry stood up from his seat, took out a stack of women''s hygiene products from a storage box, and threw it in front of Joanne with a look of disgust. ''Mom, I used to wonder why a notorious actress would fall in love with Eddy, so I asked the maids to keep an eye on her, and these are what they found. These aren''t what a pregnant woman would use, are they?" ''I had someone follow her, and it was exactly as I expected. Today, at the elevator entrance of the private hospital, she admitted that she wasn''t pregnant. She went to the hospital for a gynecological examination. She''s been lying to US all this time!" The fierce light in Sylvie''s eyes intensified at this. She loved Joanne so much and cared so much for the child in her belly...only for it all to be a lie. Furious as she was, however, and despite the burning fire in her chest, she truly loved Joanne, so she could not punish her. She picked up a teacup and threw it on the head of the folk healer. Thunk! The teacup fell to the ground, leaving a bloody red mark on the forehead of the folk healer. "Tell me! Is Joanne pregnant?" The folk healer covered his bleeding forehead tremblingly and nodded guiltily. "Yes, I''m sorry... Madam Joanne..." "Grandma, you don''t have to force the folk healer anymore. I admit that I''m not pregnant. I lied." Seeing the folk healer''s face covered in blood, Joanne was so frightened that her limbs became limp, and she stood up voluntarily. It was all her fault but not that folk healer, so she did not want him to get hurt. "Alright, then... Very well. I''m d you still have a kind heart." There was a hint of anger at being deceived in Sylvie''s eyes. "When Harry told me that you were lying to me, I still didn''t believe it. How can a simple and kind girl like you, a girl who''s willing to weave a scarf for me, deceive me? Joanne, you fooled the entire Atherton family..." Sylvie was always the most respected leader in the Atherton family, but no one expected that Joanne would bribe the doctor to fabricate such a heinous lie for her and the whole family. Seeing that Sylvie had misunderstood her, Joanne waved her hands anxiously. "That''s not the case, Grandma! I can exin-" "Oh, you wish to exin yourself? Alright, I''ll give you a chance! You''d better make this lie more perfect." Sylvie mmed the coffee table to express her anger. Joanne bit her lip and intertwined her fingers subconsciously. "At first, I bought pregnancy test kits to test if I''m pregnant or not, and the kits showed two bars, so that''s why Edwin thought that I was pregnant and wanted to marry me. However, the cheap pregnancy test kits were, in fact, expired. I wasn''t pregnant, but Grandma, you thought I was having a baby, and we couldn''t bear to make you sad..." "If you don''t want to make me sad, do you think lying to me by hiding the facts and giving me high hopes would make things better?" Sylvie scolded. Joanne''s body trembled, and she sat back on the ground, tears falling down. Sylvie''s words were like des that crossed her heart. She never wanted to lie to her at all! Just as she wanted to say something, Harry interrupted her mockingly. Chapter 1012 Chapter 1012 Chapter 1012 "Howe it''s a coincidence that you bought an expired pregnancy test stick, and it turned out to show two lines? I''m sure someone''s trying to use the child to tie herself to Eddy!" "I didn''t!" Joanne yelled back at Harry angrily. "Pretending to be pregnant wasn''t my idea at all!" Sylvie was shocked, and her face suddenly turned pale. Seeing that, Kelly hurriedly handed her a cup of tea and reprimanded Joanne, "Miss Winters, everyone knows that Master Edwin is obsessed with you. Are you saying that Master Edwin was the one who nned all these to fool Old Madam Atherton? How dare you?!'' Joanne thought of the close rtionship between Edwin and Sylvie. If she said it was Edwin''s idea, Sylvie would be hurt even more. After all, being hurt by the one who trusted and cared the most, hurt the most. A wild thought suddenly urred to Joanne. ''Noah is back at Edwin''s side now, so l''m...basically useless now.'' Gritting her teeth, Joanne said loudly, "Well, since you found out, then I have nothing to say. You can think whatever you want!" "You''re a b*tch!¡± Harry stepped forward and pped Joanne. "From today onward, you have no rtionship with the Atherton family, and you can no longer be called Eddy''s wife to the outside world. I''ll have someone send you the divorce agreement.'' Even though she was pped forcefully by Harry, causing her face to swell red, her heart was unexpectedly calm. She seemed to have epted the fact that she was expelled from the Atherton family. Perhaps she knew from the very beginning that the Atherton family was not her home, and Edwin was not a husband who gave her a sense of security. She knew she would leave that manor one day. It was just that she never thought she would leave the manor in such a miserable way. There was an instant she evilly thought that she should exploit Sylvie''s kindness toward her before her lie was exposed. "Grandma, thank you very much for taking care of me during this time. When I leave, promise me to take good care of yourself." Joanne bowed deeply to Sylvie, her eyes reddening as she did. "Of course I''ll take care of my mother. You don''t need to pretend to be kind here. Get lost! Kelly, when she packs up, keeps an eye on her. Don''t let her take away anything that doesn''t belong to her!" Kelly, too, was surprisingly angry. ''If she dares to take Master Edwin''s things indiscriminately, I''ll make sure she leaves this house after paying the price she should!" Kelly has been serving Sylvie for decades, and this was the first time someone dared to fool Sylvie. Sadly, Sylvie even hired a designer to build a children''s yground in the manor for the expected child. She anticipated the child''s birth so longingly, too. Compared with the joy at that time and the disappointment Sylvie had, Kelly wanted to kill Joanne so badly. ''What a scheming b*tch! Fortunately, Master Edwin isn''t here. Otherwise, she''ll trick him to take the me for her...'' Joanne went upstairs to pack her things while Kelly was staring at her as though she was a thief. She even brought several maids to watch her all the time. However, Joanne did not bring anything with her when she left. Seemed like the ce was never home to her. She just took two sets of clothes that she bought with her own money and stuffed them casually in the suitcase. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Before leaving, Kelly was called away by Sylvie, and when she came back, Joanne was about to get in a cab. "Joanne, wait a minute." Kelly chased after her and took out the check from her pocket with a solemn look. "This is from Old Madam Atherton. Keep the money, and keep your mouth shut. If we find out that you dare to corrupt the reputation of the Atherton family, you''ll spend the rest of your life in prison." Chapter 1013 Chapter 1013 Chapter 1013 Joanne stared at the check in front of her, written with a handsome sum. In the past, Sylvie often gave her a check, saying it was her pocket money. At this moment, however, it was nothing but hush money. Joanne had quietly left with a cab under the bright moonlight. The whole manor was well furnished, but Sylvie felt empty. All the feelings and expectations that she had for Joanne for the past few months vanished. Kelly came back and told Sylvie that Joanne was a hypocrite after all and left without taking any money. Sylvie sighed faintly, unable to tell whether it was more anger or more helplessness in her heart. She could barely sleep a wink that midnight, so she got up, went to Edwin''s bedroom, and turned on the light. The bright bedroom was still the same as before Joanne left with all the vintage decorations. In fact, there was something on the nightstand. It was the silver bracelet she gave to Joanne before. Seeing Sylvie staring at the silver bracelet in a daze, Kelly, thinking that her heart was softening, immediately said, ¡°Joanne said that she felt guilty, so she wanted to return this bracelet to you." ¡°She doesn''t deserve a nice silver bracelet, then." Sylvie took back the silver bracelet, feeling a sh of disgust. Edwin was photographed entering the hospitalte at night, and the news spread quickly. Sylvie also saw the news. So, members of the Atherton family went to the hospital to visit Edwin one after another. Edwin waited for a long time, but Joanne did not show up at the end of the day. Instead, Noah came to the hospital every day and was very attentive when it came to taking care of Edwin. Still, Noah did not dare to meet Harry, so she deliberately avoided the Atherton family whenever they visited. On the third day, Edwin insisted on being discharged from the hospital. Based on the fact that his injuries were not serious, the doctor allowed the request. He could not wait to go back and punish his wife who literally made him wait. However, Joanne was nowhere to be seen when he returned to the manor. He tried to call Joanne, but her phone seemed to be turned off already. Edwin turned around and asked Kelly, "Where''s Joanne?'' "Master Edwin, just leave this matter alone. The doctor said that you have a head injury and a slight concussion. You''d better rest for a few days..." advised Kelly, albeit sheepishly. Edwin frowned. When he passed the baby''s room, he saw that everything inside had been emptied. Something was wrong, and he could feel it. As soon as he came back, he felt that something was missing at home, and only at this moment did he realize that all the things he and Joanne prepared for the baby were gone. ''Let me ask you onest time: where is Joanne?" Kelly was silent in embarrassment, and after a while, she gritted her teeth and said, "Joanne''s fake pregnancy has been exposed, and Old Madam Atterton kicked her out of the manor. Master Edwin, don''t let her deceive you again..." Edwin was startled at first, but everything pieced together for him. During the two days he was in the hospital, Joanne must have exposed herself identally, and the family found out that she had been faking a pregnancy. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ''Where is she now?" Edwin asked again. ''Don''t worry about Joanne. That woman is so scheming and has been deceiving you and Old Madam Atherton. She even suffered from high blood pressure and almost went to the hospital! Why don¡¯t you go and see her first?" Kelly tried to direct Edwin''s attention to Sylvie''s health. Chapter 1014 Chapter 1014 Chapter 1014 Edwin felt even more conflicted the more Kelly insisted. The veins on his forehead bulged. He clenched his fists tightly and raised his eyebrows. ¨¬ knew from the beginning that Joanne wasn''t pregnant. It was my idea to deceive Grandma. Don''t put the me for everything on Joanne. If she can be a bit scheming, I think she has learned something from me eventually, and I''m proud of her." Kelly froze as her mouth widened in shock. ''Master Edwin is the mastermind?'' Three days have passed since they met in the hospital. For the past three days, Catelyn had stayed in Atherton Manor and did not go anywhere. It was toote when she learned that Joanne was expelled by Sylvie, and Joanne must have gone somewhere far. She tried calling her, but Joanne only told her that everything was fine before she ended the call. Catelyn wanted to call her again, but she was too busy taking care of herself. After all, she was in a terrible spot herself. When they met in the gallery that day, Cedrick gave her three days to consider before deciding whether to keep or abort the child. At this moment, three days have passed. Cedrick believed that she would see reason in his words after struggling for days and would give up the child in the end. Every minute and every second was a torment for Catelyn, and she felt that she would not be able to hold on any longer. Finally, Cedrick called her as scheduled. Catelyn trembled, but still answered the phone. "It''s me." "Have you made up your mind?" Cedrick cut to the chase. His tone was a little calmer, probably because he had already guessed Catelyn''s choice. Catelyn sat on the small nket, looking into the distance through the window. Flowers and trees in the winter had long lost their leaves and their previous vitality during summer, but that did not mean that they would not germinate and bloom again in theing year. "I won''t give up on this child," she replied resolutely. Cedrick''s breathing fluttered on the phone as he said, "Is this the result of your three days of thinking? Even if this child is a sick fetus and will suffer after birth, you still want to keep them?" "The child is less than three months old, so the test results may not be a hundred percent urate, right? If I¡¯m willing to take the medicine, maybe the child''s condition will get better after a long time?" N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Cedrick was silent for a moment before hoarsely retorting, "You''re betting the rest of your life on this child!" Even if the child could be born and somehow survived, the chance of being healthy was too slim. She might have to live around the child and their gic imperfection for the rest of her life! "Yes, I admit that, but I just can''t give up! The child isn''t in your womb, so you cant feel what I feel! As a mother, whenever I decide to kill this child, they''ll react to me in some ways like they''re fighting for their life, telling me that they''ll be healthy, begging me not to kill them! "Ceddy, give me and this baby a chance, okay?" "There is no chance; this child must not be born!" Cedrick felt that Catelyn''s mentality had reached the edge of copse. Of course, he knew that all mothers loved their child endlessly, but she did not seem to understand what it meant to give birth to a sick baby, and she did not even understand how many people in the Mason family died because of that virus. He knew she would regret giving birth to the child in the future. He had consulted the doctor before and learned that Catelyn''s premature birth four years ago had already impaired her capability to give birth again, and she had worked so hard to raise the child all these years, but she had never taken good care of herself. It would be a blessing to have a healthy fetus, but... If the child¡¯s resistance to the virus was insufficient and would lead them to be infected, she would have a natural abortion in six to seven months which would cause a second injury to her body. That second injury might cause her to lose her ability to be pregnant againpletely. All Cedrick wanted was for Catelyn to be safe and happy. "Cedrick, do you have to be so heartless?" Catelyn was so anxious that she lost her mind and sneered, "The child is mine, and you alone have no right to decide on their life or death. If you insist on forcing me to abort this child, then I''ll-" Chapter 1015 Chapter 1015 Chapter 1015 "You''ll what?!" The word ''divorce'' hung on her lips, but Catelyn could not say it. She and Cedrick had worked so hard toe to this point, and she did not want to lose him anymore. "I''ll die with this child! I won''t kill this child unless I go with it!" "Catelyn, do you think your feeble threat is useful? Miles and Ollie are still young, and Sylvie loves you dearly. I don''t believe that you''re willing to die for this child." Catelyn''s cheeks turned pale. He was right; this kind of threat was so childish that he would not believe it at all. "What about divorce, then? If you dare to force me again, I''ll divorce you! From now on, I have nothing to do with you. You don''t have to worry about this child¡¯s life or whether I can take care of them in the future!" It was what Cedrick had thought Catelyn would say. Still, his tone did not change even in the slightest. "You want a divorce, don''t you? You have to abort the child, then!" Catelyn became short-tempered in an instant and walked forth and back the room anxiously. "Cedrick, you jerk! You keep saying that for my sake and the child''s, you hid the truth from me and wanted to use my hand to kill them. Is that what you call ''for our good''? You can''t be so selfish! The child is in my womb, and only I can decide on their life!" "Catelyn..." Cedrick suddenly called her name. "You should know that there are ten thousand ways to get rid of this child. Let''s solve this matter amicably, and don''t be foolish. You know I won''t be so heartless if this child has a chance to live healthily..." Catelyn could even imagine Cedrick''s expression at the moment. It must be cold and firm. He would seldom go back on his decisions. This is from N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, Catelyn felt as though she and the child were the prey of a ferocious beast. Thump! She dropped her mobile phone on the floor, but she could barely register it. Her heart was trembling as she ran out in a hurry. ''Cedrick is right; there are many ways to have an abortion. I can protect the child for a while, but can I do so forever? Maybe he''s even bribed some of the maids in this manor, ready to give me a medical abortion any time... The only way is to ask Grandma for help!'' "What?! You''re pregnant?!" Sylvie shot up from the couch when she heard the news that Catelyn was pregnant. Needless to say, she was in disbelief. "How can this be? Didn''t you always say that you weren''t pregnant?" Joanne, who most wanted to be pregnant, was not pregnant, but Catelyn, who least wanted to be pregnant, was pregnant. ''Oh, God, what have I done wrong that you want to punish me so dramatically?'' Catelyn''s breathing was unstable, and her cheeks turned pale. She leaned on Sylvie''sp and held her hand tightly. "My pregnancy status was unstable, so I didn''t tell you about it. I''m sorry, Grandma, I didn''t mean to lie to you..." "Then, why are you willing to tell me now?" Sylvie nced at Catelyn''s lower abdomen. Judging by her expression, it did not look like the fetus was in a stable condition. Even though it was hard to say, Catelyn still told Sylvie the truth. "Ceddy said that this child isn''t healthy, and he''s forcing me to abort this child... "But this is my baby, and I can feel this child growing in me every day! They''re healthy, Grandma-they have to be! I need your help..." Sylvie stared at Catelyn nkly, and her breathing inadvertently became disordered. Since Draco''s son had a virus in his body, the death rate was as high as 70 %. Chapter 1016 Chapter 1016 Chapter 1016 In order to ensure the lineage of the Mason family, Draco would not stop his sons from getting mistresses and having offspring with them. Not for anything else but only to leave a few more descendants of the Mason family. Yet, oddly, most mistresses and wives of the Mason males gave birth to stillborn babies, and abortions seemed to cause irreversible damage to these women. As far as Sylvie knew, those women did not end well. As ast resort, Draco even thought of finding a woman to be a surrogate. It was a pity that he was getting old, and his body was damaged due to intemperance when he was young. Hence, his sperms were not fertile anymore... Sylvie got herself out of the thread of memories, closed her eyes lightly, and said helplessly, ¡°Cat, what Cedrick said is not wrong. You need to abort this child." Catelyn tightened his grip on Sylvie and looked at her in disbelief. ¡¯ Grandma, what are you talking about? This is your little great-grandson. Even you want me to kill him too?!" "Not in exchange for your well-being. If this child is destined to be unhealthy, what''s the use of keeping him?" Sylvie''s eyes were full of distress. "This time, I stand with Cedrick." Her grandmother, who was most likely and most powerful to help her, also sided with Cedrick. Catelyn felt a chill on her back and was totally lost. ''What should I do now? Let them abort the child?'' This is from N?velDrama.Org. "Madam, Master Cedrick is here." At that moment, Kelly walked over and bent down to report to Sylvie. "He said he has something very important to take Miss Atherton to the hospital." Sylvie subconsciously turned her eyes to Catelyn. "I won''t go with him! Grandma, Cedrick must be lying about the health of this child. I haven''t even seen the examination report with my own eyes yet. I won''t go to the hospital..." Catelyn was terrified. "Cat, you should abort him before it''s toote. You are still young now. Take care of your health in the future, and you may be able to conceive another healthy baby," Sylvie persuaded her earnestly. Catelyn shook her head crazily, tears streaming down her face. "Why do you just refuse to believe that he is healthy?" Catelyn had a hunch that the child would be fine. "Miles and Ollie were also born by me, and they are both fine..." Sylvie could not bear to look at Catelyn''s painful look. She forced herself to give an order to Kelly, "Let Cedricke in." Cedrick finally got to enter the Atherton Manor again after many days. In the living room, Catelyn was still begging Sylvie to trust her, and her tears long wetted her face. She was like a butterfly whose wings were soaked in water, losing their ability to fly again. "Old Madam Atherton, thank you for your understanding." Sylvie gave him a cold look, suppressing the pain in her heart. "Thank me? Cat wouldn''t have had to suffer these pains if it wasn''t for the Mason family! Take her to the hospital before I change my mind." Cedrick did not hesitate any longer. After slightly nodding his head, he walked toward Catelyn one step at a time. It was useless for Catelyn to beg for mercy, so she had long stopped begging Sylvie to save the child. Watching Cedrick walking closer, Catelyn shook her head helplessly. "Don''te closer. I won''t let you kill that child!" "Catelyn, stop struggling needlessly. I''ve already arranged for the operation, and I promise you won''t feel any pain." Cedrick had a solemn face when he said that. That deeply hurt Catelyn. ''How could he be so calm?!'' Just when Cedrick was about to grab Catelyn, Catelyn suddenly pushed him away, turned around, and ran upstairs. Cedrick staggered as he did not foresee that, and he quickly followed after her, cursing. "Catelyn, stop running. It''s useless! This child must be taken away today!" Chapter 1017 Chapter 1017 Chapter 1017 Catelyn did not listen to him, and she did not stop running. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Catelyn breathed a sigh of relief and ran to the second floor. She initially wanted to lock herself in the room to buy herself time to think of another n, but who knew that two maids just happened toe in the corridor on the second floor... ¡¯Catch her!" Cedrick lowered his voice and ordered the two maids. "That''s the order from Old Madam Atherton! I need to take her away today!" The two maids looked at each other and then looked at Kelly downstairs as if they were seeking confirmation. Kelly nodded and said, ''Listen to Master Cedrick, stop Miss Atherton." The two maids immediately spread their arms, blocking the aisle tightly. Seeing that, Catelyn could not go back to her room even if she wanted to. She gritted her teeth and could only continue running upstairs... Soon they reached the balcony on the top floor. The balcony on the top floor was a greenhouse. Usually, Sylvie would like to hang out in it to cultivate her nts. For convenience, there was a lift on the top floor that led directly to the ground. Catelyn knew she could not outrun Cedrick at all, so she could only pin her hopes on that lift. However, when she arrived at the lift, she realized that the lift was being repaired that day. In other words, she had nowhere to escape now. She was forced to stop because she was running non-stop, and sweat was dripping from her forehead. She turned her head and looked at Cedrick, who was chasing her. He seemed to still be full of energy while she was already out of breath. ''Catelyn,e here." Cedrick looked at Catelyn, who had nowhere to run. Besides restlessness and remorse, there was anger in his heart. Catelyn was horrified by his voice and moved back unconsciously, touching the fence on the top floor. "Stay away from me!" "I can stay away from you as long as you listen to me!" "Listen to you?! And kill the child?!" Catelyn regretted that she did note up with an excuse to flee abroad from the very beginning so that he would never know that the child was still in her belly. She was so anxious that her voice changed, and there was a hint of crying. ¡¯ Don¡¯t force me anymore! If you force me again, I''ll jump from here!¡± After saying that, Catelyn climbed over the fence and stood on the top of the centimeters wide wall on the balcony. A gust of cold wind suddenly flowed past, blowing her body precariously. Cedrick''s breathing became disordered. As soon as Sylvie came to the balcony, she heard Catelyn say that she was going to jump off the balcony, and her heart skipped a beat. She hurriedlyforted her, "Cat, what are you doing? Come down quickly! We could talk this out." Although Atherton Manor was not a high-rise building, it was still several meters high. Sylvie could not afford to lose Catelyn again. ''I also want to talk it out, but you didn''t give me a chance to do so! You said this child is unhealthy. The test report showed that the child would not make it. Why can''t I decide the destiny of my own child by myself?" Catelyn yelled with scarlet eyes. Sylvie was also heartbroken. "Cat, calm down. We''ll listen to you now! What do you want?" Catelyn was really on the verge of despair. Everyone closest to her wanted her to give up her child. Her father, husband, and even her grandmother... ''It''s very simple. Give me another two months. We''ll have another examination when the child is three to four months old. I''ll cooperate with both blood drawing and amniocentesis by then. If the report still shows that the child is unhealthy, I''ll abort him." Sylvie did not want to irritate Catelyn anymore, so she nodded and persuaded her to get down from the wall. She swayed in the cold wind as if she might fall at any moment... Chapter 1018 Chapter 1018 Chapter 1018 ¡¯Okay, I promise you." However, Cedrick did not think there would be a miracle even if they dyed the abortion. ''If you dy the abortion for another two months, it will only cause more serious damage to your body! We are not that high up, and the greatest probability of you jumping down is that you will be disabled and lose the child. In the future, you can only witness the growth of Miles and Ollie but not be able to take part in it. I''m sure that''s not what you want, right?" ''Cedrick, what nonsense are you talking about?" Sylvie was furious after hearing what Cedrick said. ''Is that what a husband should say at a moment like this?!'' Cedrick did not respond to Sylvie. His strategy was to extirpate Catelyn''sst hope beforeforting her that what they were doing was for her good. After all, she stubbornly believed that the child still had a chance of survival, just like he stubbornly believed that the child would inevitably die even if he were born. "Catelyn, if you don''t dare to jump, thene down now!" Cedrick seemed to trigger Catelyn purposely. Standing on the wall of the balcony, Catelyn''s body was trembling, and her chest was heaving violently... Countless thoughts shed through her mind. When Cedrick approached her quietly, Catelyn''s lower lip was almost bleeding from her bite, and she resolutely spread her hands, like a bird spreading its wings, and closed her eyes... She jumped down the balcony eventually... "Cat, no!" Sylvie was so frightened that her heart almost stopped. Catelyn felt the flow of the wind in the air, and just when she thought she would fall, she felt a pressure on her wrist, followed by a force that pulled her back. "Let go of me! Cedrick, let go..." ''You want to die, huh?! Do you know the consequences of jumping?! How dare you jump like that?" Cedrick pulled Catelyn back with a very strange posture. He barely maintained their bnce. If Catelyn struggled violently, it was still very likely that they would both fall together. She bent forward and punched Cedrick''s chest with her fist and roared incoherently, her voice completely hoarse. "Didn''t you make me jump? Why did you save me when I jumped then?!" Cedrick did not dare to struggle hard. He carefully carried her down to the ground, and when she stepped on the ground safely, he locked her tightly in his chest, his voice full of tremors. "I told you to jump, and you jumped. But why can''t you be that obedient when I tell you to have an abortion?" Catelyn fell silent, and the fear of being close to death hit suddenly. Cedrick leaned against her shoulder, felt her body temperature and breathing, and whispered helplessly, "You won." He could not pretend to be unfeeling because all he cared about was her safety. Even if she lost control a little bit, he would not feel any better but only became even more worried. Catelyn was stunned when he heard that and raised her head from his chest. "What did you say?" ''You can do whatever you want. You can wait two months before making a decision again if you want, as long as you don''t threaten US with your life again." Cedrick raised her chin with his slender fingers, looking deeply at the tears on her face. "Are you satisfied now?¡¯ Catelyn was afraid that she had heard it wrong, so she asked again," Really? You promised to stay away from this child?"This is from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1019 Chapter 1019 Chapter 1019 Cedrick''s response to that question was a long kiss. He kissed her dry lips, gently wiped the tears on her cheeks with his fingertips, and whispered in her ears, "What else can I do with you when you''re even willing to sacrifice your life for the child? But promise me, don''t do that again!" "As long as my child is fine, of course, I won''t run and jump off any building again..." Catelyn did not know why she dared to stand on the wall of the balcony just now. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. The fear finally hit her when she recalled her action. The tears slowly stopped, and what filled her heart was anxiety and also excitement. She was ready to die, but in the end, Cedrick "Cat, how could you jump off the building just now? If something happened to you, how can I exin it to Summer in Heaven?" Sylvie''s heart was still beating fast in horror, and she took Catelyn''s hand, startled and angry." Thank God you finally came down safely. I was scared to death by you." Catelyn forced a guilty smile toward the olddy in embarrassment." Grandma, I''m sorry that I made you worry..." "Silly girl! I told you from the very beginning that you have to bear far more than ordinary people when you are with the Mason family. It''s just that this child..." Sylvie had a helpless face, and as she wiped away her tears, she said worriedly, "I don''t know if my promise would do good for you or bad for you..." "Grandma, the doctor didn''t guarantee a hundred percent that this child would have the virus. We need to pray to God for his health. Besides, didn''t Ceddy also carry the virus in his body when he was born, and Miles and Ollie too? Look, they are all healthy now." Sylvie nodded. "I hope so." However, her suspicious gaze still passed over Cedrick. Catelyn closely followed her gaze and also fell on Cedrick''s upset expression. He was staring at her abdomen, not knowing what he was thinking. Catelyn suddenly said anxiously, "You''re not lying to me, are you?" She worried that Cedrick was just coaxing her to get down from the wall. Cedrick gasped. "Grandma is already on your side. Even if I want to lie to you, I probably won''t have a chance to take you to the hospital." "If Grandma weren''t here, you''d trick me down first and then take me to the hospital, wouldn''t you?" "Of course, I won''t." After Cedrick finished speaking, he hugged her tightly in his arms and led her and Sylvie downstairs. He ordered one of the maids to make sure the door that led to the balcony was well locked in the future when no one was in there. He was very conflicted about waiting for another two months to give Catelyn a glimmer of hope... ''What if the child is still unhealthy after two months?'' It was not until she came down from the top floor and returned to the living room that Catelyn''s pale face gradually turned red. In the past three days, she did not know what to eat, and she was always in fear anytime, anywhere. During that time, she never thought that one day, she would not hesitate to jump off a building to threaten Cedrick to promise her something. Now that Cedrick had promised to let her keep the child, Sylvie immediately ordered the maids to take care of Catelyn with the highest standard for pregnant women. The maids then stewed a nourishing porridge with some herbs and traditional medicines and scooped a small bowl for Catelyn. It was only then Catelyn realized that she was already hungry. After finishing a bowl of medicinal porridge, Cedrick''s long, slender fingers suddenly stretched out, moving toward her cheek as Catelyn put down the tableware... Chapter 1020 Chapter 1020 Chapter 1020 "What are you doing?" Catelyn retreated reflexively. Cedrick paused his hands in the air and exined, "There is rice in the corner of your mouth." "I''ll do it myself..." Catelyn hurriedly wiped the corners of her mouth with tissue paper. It was not that she was not close to him anymore but that her nerves had been tensed up all the time for the past three days for fear that he would force her to abort the child. Cedrick''s lip line turned pale. "It seems that I have be a scourge in your heart?" After that, he got up, packed the tableware, and walked straight to the kitchen, looking a little lonely. Catelyn felt as if her heart had been stabbed. She wanted to chase after him and exined that she did not intend to avoid him, but she was just too worried about the child, so she became suspicious... Before she could do that, Harry came in. Harry rushed back when he heard that Catelyn was pregnant. It was not polite for Catelyn to leave Harry alone after all. "Cat, are you pregnant this time?" Harry stared at Catelyn''s lower abdomen and jokingly said, "Don''t be like your best friend, Joanne, who faked a pregnancy just to make Eddy marry her in a grandiose manner. Luckily, we found out and kicked her out." "Kicked her out?" Catelyn was shocked. "Didn''t Joanne leave by herself?"N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. She did not know exactly what happened in Atherton Manor at that time. She only knew that Joanne''s fake pregnancy was exposed, and she left afterward. She was driven crazy by Cedrick those few days, and she never asked about that matter in detail. When she called Joanne at that time, she did not mention what happened in Atherton Manor at all. It seemed to her that she left because she was ashamed to stay any longer... "How would she be willing to leave if she weren''t kicked out? The title of'' Miss Atherton¡¯ is very useful outside,¡± Harry snorted coldly. "Joanne is not that kind of girl!" Catelyn retorted. Turning her head, she exined to Sylvie again, "Grandma, you have been with Joanne for a while. Do you think she looks like a gold digger? Even if she has money, she''ll donate it to the orphanage. She neverpares with others. Even when she attended grand events, it was all brand sponsorship. ¡ö "Since she''s so noble, why did she cheat US with a fake pregnancy?" Harry asked sarcastically. A trace of worry shed in Catelyn''s eyes, and she finally said resolutely,'' Because Grandma thought that Joanne was pregnant, and my cousin didn''t want her to be disappointed, so he decided to y along with the misunderstanding, nning to conceive again in the shortest possible time, so that was a white lie!" Sylvie seemed surprised. She was indeed too angry at the time. Thinking about it afterward, Joanne probably did not have the courage and ability to bribe the manor¡¯s doctor, but even if she misunderstood, she would never invite Joanne back again. "Whether it''s good intentions or not, deception is deception. I''m just curious about what role she yed in this deception. Did she or Eddy Catelyn''s tone was pitiful and distressed. "Of course, it can''t be Joanne! She was forced from the beginning, and she didn''t want to get involved in the disputes of the Atherton family...¡¯ If Edwin had not gotten drunk that night and dragged Joanne to the hotel, there would have been no pregnancy incident at all, let alone being used of fooling the Atherton family for their wealth. However, Catelyn could not tell Sylvie all of that because the farce''s beginning was inappropriate for a faithful and religious olddy. "Nonsense, I think Eddy was bewitched by that woman, she is the mastermind!" Harry roared angrily when he heard that Catelyn pinned the sin on Edwin as if Joanne was the victim. Chapter 1021 Chapter 1021 Chapter 1021 Catelyn was not afraid of Harry, as she sneered. "Edwin had been a daring person all the while. You wanted to know whose idea it was to lie about being pregnant? Just give your son a call. It''s that simple." "You-" Harry was so furious that he smacked the table hard and stood up from the sofa. At this moment, Cedrick came out from the kitchen and red at Harry sharply. "Uncle, my wife is pregnant now. Please do not agitate her. You can talk to me," he said. With Cedrick¡¯s appearance, the atmosphere in the living room changed in an instant. There was no doubt that his presence had brought an intimidating aura. Harry moved his lips and said mockingly, "The audacity of this girl, even meddling in the affairs of my family? Whatever it is, I will not allow her to be my daughter-inw!¡¯ Cedrick listened slowly to Harry''s domineering statement. After a while, he replied, "Whatever, as long as Edwin is willing to listen to you." Harry choked, his old face flushed red. Catelyn secretlyughed. Indeed, Edwin does whatever he wants all the time. He had always been at odds with his father and would deliberately not follow what Harry wanted him to do. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Harry was silent. After a long time, he suddenly smiled triumphantly. "It doesn''t matter if Edwin doesn''t want to listen to me. Anyway, I have already given the divorce papers to Joanne." Meanwhile, at a filming site in Kansas City. "Get ready, Joanne. You''re up next!" reminded the stage manager outside Joanne''s dressing room. Joanne let out a groan and quickly changed her outfit. Her eye sockets were droopy, revealing her eye bags. Not even makeup could conceal them. Ever since Joanne left the Atherton manor, she had not been resting well, constantly dreaming of strange things in her sleep. She came out of the dressing room, and suddenly there was amotion on the opposite street. A man was seen surrounded by a group of stage managers and staff. "My God, it''s Patrick Atherton! He looks even more handsome in real life than on TV!" cried one of the female staff. Another fangirl followed suit. "The Atherton Family really have good genes. Edwin is so handsome, and even his distant rtives are so good-looking... Joanne raised her head and nced at the crowd. Patrick was surrounded by people like butterflies around a pretty flower. Everyone around was screaming and looking at him in awe. He debuted for many years, eventually bing popr in a period TV drama, umting arge following of fans instantly. Many people thought Patrick would be only cast in period dramas, but he quickly moved on to modern TV series, which made him even more famous! From there, Patrick transitioned into movies and released music albums. Now, he is a top-notch celebrity! However, most importantly, he was a member of the Athertons. Although Patrick was a distant rtive, he was still entitled to the wealth of the family. Even if he were not sessful in his acting career, he would still be able to inherit arge amount of fortune. Joanne was crazy about Patrick back when she first entered the entertainment industry, dreaming that she would one day be as popr as him. Even after marrying Edwin, Joanne was still fangirling Patrick in secret, asionally calling him her husband. However, now that she was away from the Athertons, she did not dare to have any interactions with Patrick. Chapter 1022 Chapter 1022 Chapter 1022 People were rushing toward Patrick, except Joanne, who was running in the opposite direction from everyone else. In the midst of it, she identally bumped into another female celebrity... ¡¯Hey! You just stepped on Miss Diana''s foot! Watch where you''re going!" scolded Teresa Diana''s assistant, as she grabbed Joanne''s hand This is from N?velDrama.Org. angrily. Joanne quickly stepped back hastily and sped her hands together. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it," she apologized to Teresa. "You better be sorry!" the assistant replied sarcastically. Teresa was a well-known celebrity in the entertainment circle. She was the female star that Joanne had a dispute with at the entrance of the TV station previously. Joanne was a third-rate celebrity at best, and it''s no wonder that Teresa''s assistant dared to raise her voice at her. Joanne was about to apologize again, but Teresa caught a glimpse of Patrick walking over. She patted her on the shoulder with a smile and asked, "Are you the one ying the third female lead?" "Yes, I''m Joanne Winters." Joanne was ttered. ''Wasn¡¯t Teresa supposed to be a bad-tempered person?'' Teresa said with encouragement, "I have heard of you. Do your best. I believe you''ll do a good job in this drama." "Thank you, Miss Diana!" Joanne nodded excitedly. The rumors were wrong after all. Teresa was actually a nice person! At this moment, Patrick came over to them. Upon hearing the conversation between the two girls, he politely smiled at them. He looked cold in his usual resting face. However, his entire being changed into a charming person when he smiled. Teresa''s heart was beating wildly. She had seen countless male celebrities, but no one had made her more starstruck than Patrick. Teresa returned a smile to him. "Patrick, long time no see." "Yeah." Patrick nodded calmly, his eyes falling on Joanne. Joanne felt that Patrick was looking at her and quickly lowered her head. ¡¯ Miss Diana, Mister Atherton, you both carry on without me. I have to excuse myself now. My filming is about to start." After finishing speaking, she ran away without looking at Patrick. Patrick was speechless. He had been in the entertainment industry for many years, and this was the first time he¡¯d seen a woman actively avoiding him. He touched his face subconsciously. Perhaps his good looks had declined? Joanne was in a daze during the entire film shoot, and there were a few scenes that she had to redo several times. Later, the assistant director called her aside and scolded her, "Joanne! What''s wrong with you? You did really well in your audition, which was why we gave you this role. But look at your performance today! Come on, get a hold of yourself!" It wasmon for actors to be told off by the film director on set, and Joanne had experienced this herself. However, that was when she had just started her career as an actress. She eventually excelled in her job and was able to progress ahead of her seniors. Joanne sniffed. She bowed apologetically to the assistant director. "I''ll do my best in the next scene. I''m so sorry to trouble you..." The assistant director was stunned, speechless by her remarks. He choked a little, not knowing what to say. After all, he would not be giving a role to Joanne if he did not like her acting skills. Even though she was not a veteran actress, she was still pretty capable! Chapter 1023 Chapter 1023 Chapter 1023 ¨¬ really don''t want to scold you. I know you are a good actress. Never mind. Get some rest. You''ve been pretty absent-minded the past two days," said the assistant director. "Yes. I will get a hold of myself!" said Joanne reassuringly. She held her script and studied it silently in a corner. As a popr actress in Monique Entertainment, she was not very well known in Worldwide Entertainment Co. Before this, Edwin had provided her with a caravan, assistants, and many other benefits. Now that she got kicked out from the Athertons, she did not have the guts to ask for all these perks. After all, they all came with a high cost. Therefore, at this moment, Joanne could only do everything on her own. Initially, she wanted to observe her part of the role, which was why she was not putting much effort into her act. Now that she got a good scolding from the assistant director, she realized she had to buck up. She was an actress, and acting was her job. No matter what happens, she will not give up! Besides, Joanne had married Edwin with the goal of being popr within five years. Once she was serious, nothing could escape her eyes. She hid in the shade of a tree as she studied her script. Before she knew it, a few hours had passed. Patrick was the main star of the film. The production would usually focus on filming his scenes first. He could leave after he was done with his shoot. However, he chose to stay a little longer today so he could observe Joanne. Patrick just could not believe that she could resist his charm. In the end, all the women on set were looking at him, guessing that he had stayed back for Teresa. Joanne was the only one who did not bat an eye at Patrick, which frustrated him a lot! This was a trample on his ego! ''Patrick, it¡¯s cold outside. Shall we wait at the lounge?" asked Patrick''s personal assistant. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Patrick waved his hand. "Get me a chair and put it under that tree.¡¯ "What? But why? That ce is for all the B-list actors. Plus, the lounge is heated..." The assistant was surprised. "I was once a B-list actor as well. So why can''t I sit there?" said Patrick coldly. His assistant did not dare to argue further and went to pull a chair and put it under the tree as ordered. However, even suchmotion had not seemed to break Joanne''s concentration as she studied her script. Patrick shouted, "Joanne!" "Ah?" Joanne raised her head and realized there was someone beside her. It was none other than the famous Patrick Atherton. Joanne was so surprised she almost fell off her chair, but Patrick managed to catch her. "Be careful," he said. "Thank you.¡¯ Joanne stood up abruptly, quickly keeping a distance from Patrick. "Do you want to use this space? I''m sorry, I didn''t know that you were here. I''ll go read my script somewhere else." Patrick was speechless at her remark. Did she actually think that he was here to take her ce? Seeing that Joanne was really about to leave, he stopped her. "Don''t go, I came here for you." Joanne blinked suspiciously. Her role in the set did not seem to be connected to Patrick''s. ''Well, we have a scene together tomorrow. I usually have high demands for this part, so I came here to tell you in advance," said Patrick confidently in pretense. The demands of a great actor like him were indeed very high. Chapter 1024 Chapter 1024 Chapter 1024 Joanne gulped. Feeling pressured, she gave a thumbs up weakly and said," Don''t worry, I''ll do my best in my act, and I won''t hold you back." "Well, let''s start then," said Patrick as he nodded lightly and asked his assistant to bring his script. Patrick''s script was so clean! There were no notes or scribbling on it, like a brand-new sheet of paper. Joanne looked at his script and looked down at her own, instantly feeling ashamed. What a brilliant actor! Patrick could just act by just reading the script alone! It turned out Joanne still had a long way to go to stardom... In the scene with Patrick, Joanne was given the role of the daughter of a medicinal sorcerer. She was rescued by the male lead, yed by Patrick. From there, she fell in love at first sight. However, it turned out that the male lead already had a sweetheart. Therefore, Joanne''s character eventually goes into a downward spiral and ends up doing many unconscionable acts. Fortunately, she finally came to her senses in the end and sacrificed herself in order to be with the male lead. Initially, the director did not want to use Joanne. However, she was perfect in the audition and yed her role wlessly, whichnded her in the role of the character. At the moment, Joanne was fully focused on her lines with Patrick... He thought she was ying hard to get and wanted to expose her. However, Joanne was concentrating so much on the rehearsal that she did not even pay attention to Patrick, as if his charm as the male lead had no effect on her whatsoever. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Patrick looked at Joanne intently as he held his chin with one hand. As Joanne finished her part, there was no response after that. She raised her head and said, "Mister... Mister Patrick, it''s your turn to speak the lines." "Am I not popr anymore?" asked Patrick all of a sudden, looking very worried. Joanne shook her head like a rattle. "There is no male celebrity in the whole country which is more popr than you!" "Then why don''t you look at me?" "Because I have a poor memory. If I keep looking at you, I won''t be able to remember my lines," exined Joanne solemnly. She sighed. "Anyway, superstars like you wouldn''t understand the sufferings and sadness of ordinary people like me..." Patrick was amused. "So, are you saying that I have a strong influence on you? Since you said that you would lose concentration when you look at me?" Joanne was about to nod, but she suddenly remembered that this man was a rtive of Edwin and quickly shook her head frantically. She pointed to the lines in her script, which were circled with various colored pens in her hand. "I have too many lines..." she said with a sad face. Patrick nced at her script, and there were indeed quite a lot of lines in it. In the original script, the daughter of the medicinal sorcerer was a chatterbox who had just turned sixteen. In the scenes where she appeared, she had more lines than both male and female protagonistsbined. "Shall I tell the screenwriter to cut down some lines for you?" Patrick suggested with a half-smile. Joanne refused, "No. Although this character has a lot of lines, she has a lot of character. Her image would copse instantly if the lines were removed. But thank you for your suggestion, Mister Patrick." "You sound so formal. Just call me Patrick," he said. Joanne scratched her head embarrassedly and smiled. She heard rumors that many paparazzi criticized Patrick for having a bad temper. Perhaps they were deliberately making things up to paint a bad name for him after all. What a bunch of scum! Patrick was such a nice person! "Joanne!" Suddenly, the stage manager came over and called her, "There is a man outside looking for you. He says it''s important!" Chapter 1025 Chapter 1025 Chapter 1025 Joanne waved at Patrick and left. She was feeling a little doubtful. She did not tell any friends about this film shoot. Who woulde to her? She saw the middle-agedwyer in a suit and leather shoes and instantly understood what was happening. "Hi, Miss Winters. I''m thewyer from the Atherton Family. Here is the divorce agreement between you and Edwin. You can sign it here." Thewyer handed her a ck signing pen as he spread out the document and pointed to the nk space at the end of the page. Joanne gritted her teeth as she took the pen. They found her so quickly,ing all the way here in Kansas City... It seemed that the Athertons really hated her, desperately wanting to remove her from the family. Joanne asked, "Who sent you to give me this document? Was it Grandma? Or Edwin?" "Is there any difference?" thewyer asked impatiently. It took him a lot of time and effort to find out that Joanne hade to Kansas City. He just wanted her to sign the document so he could quickly return back home. She took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Of course, there is a difference. I made a marriage agreement with Edwin. There were many terms that were not in my favor. If he did not give these divorce papers, then it must be iplete. What if I get tricked?" "Rest assured, the Athertons have a very strong foundation and influence. They have no reason to trick you. Hurry up and sign it!" said thewyer, rolling his eyes. Joanne held the pen tightly. Her gaze slowly moved toward the nk space of the document. Did she really want to divorce Edwin? "Sorry, I can''t..." Screech! At this moment, a sharp tire-screeching sound was heard. A luxurious Bagatti Veiron appeared in front of them, stopping right at the intersection behind thewyer! Edwin kicked the car door open and got out of the vehicle. He wore a casual red outfit with ck trousers, whichplemented his slender figure very nicely. Despite that, his murderous look could not be overseen! Joanne had a bad feeling about this, and her fingers were trembling. She quickly took the pen and was about to sign her name on the paper. She only managed to do a short stroke of a signature when Edwin rushed over and grabbed the document from her hand. "Is that the divorce N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. agreement?" he asked. Seeing the scribble at the bottom side of the paper, he breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a sudden burst of anger. "You dare sign that without my permission?!'' Joanne''s eardrums buzzed as he roared. She felt as if her neck shrank a little at his loud voice. Before she could speak, Edwin turned to thewyer and said to him angrily, "Mister Bulmer! Who gave you the right to decide on my divorce?!1'' Eric Bulmer was stunned, his face wrinkled in embarrassment. "Mister Atherton, it was not me who decided on the divorce agreement. It was your father... He insisted that Ie to Miss Winters and ask her to sign it." Edwin scoffed and said, "Oh, really? Tell him this. Even if he chooses to leave his wife, I am not divorcing mine!" Chapter 1026 Chapter 1026 Chapter 1026 With that, Edwin tore the divorce papers into pieces and threw them into the air! Countless shreds of paper sprinkled in the air and danced around them like a heavy snowstorm. Eric wiped the cold sweat off his forehead in horror. Since Harry''s wife''s death a long time ago, Old Madam Atherton had been disgusted with his constant flirting with many women and did not allow Harry to remarry. In other words, the position of the wife in his household registration book had be vacant. How was Harry supposed to leave a wife that he did not even have at the moment? He does not even have a wife. How can he leave? "Mister Atherton..." stammered Eric. "What are you still standing here for? Waiting for me to take you back to Sapphire City?" asked Edwin coldly as he nced at thewyer. Eric red at Joanne resentfully and then at Edwin. He had no choice but to leave. "Well, now thewyer is gone, and the divorce agreement is gone. I''m going to head back to filming first! I''m quite busy with work," said Joanne as she watched Eric leave, trying to slip away. ''I did not give you permission to go!" yelled Edwin, stopping Joanne in her tracks. He chased after her and pulled her back forcefully. Gritting his teeth, he asked, "Why didn''t you tell me that the fake pregnancy was exposed?!" Joanne lowered her head, absent-mindedly staring straight at Edwin''s shiny leather shoes. There was no dust on it at all, looking so shiny as it reflected the surrounding light. "Did you tell Grandma that it was my idea to lie about being pregnant?" Edwin continued to ask. Joanne still did not answer him. "Answer me!" Edwin had been driving for seven hours all the way to Kansas City. He was so exhausted that he was on the verge of exploding in anger. He stretched out his hand to grab Joanne''s jaw. "Are you dumb? Speak!" Noticing Joanne''s wet and red eyes, Edwin was suddenly taken aback. Without any hesitation, Joanne pped him on the face angrily. "Did you think I didn''t exin it to Grandma? I told a white lie, but it had to be convincing enough to Grandma and your father! I had a bad family background, and so they thought I used the pregnancy as an ultimatum toward you. What can I do?!" cried Joanne. "And you ran away for several days, not even intending to give me a call?" asked Edwin. He had been waiting for her for the past two days. The fake pregnancy was their idea after all, with Edwin being the mastermind. Now that the truth was revealed, he naturally did not want Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Joanne to bear it alone. However, after waiting so long, there was still no news from her. On the contrary, Joanne went to Kansas City for a film shoot, as if she was not bothered that she was kicked out by the Athertons. "You''re already in the hospital. What else can I do? Besides, I was the one who lied to grandma, so I should bear all this," said Joanne. In fact, Joanne felt that Edwin had been eager to divorce her. His first-love-girlfriend was back. Why should Joanne be in the middle of this? She was very surprised that Edwin had stopped Eric earlier. "Even so, you can''t let them misunderstand!" scolded Edwin. He was furious, squeezing Joanne''s chin tightly. "Don¡¯t forget, I''m still here! You can push everything to me! I can take it!" Chapter 1027 Chapter 1027 Chapter 1027 Joanne looked at Edwin anxiously. "Then what about Noah?" she asked. "What are you talking about?" replied Edwin. Why did she suddenly mention her? Joanne pursed her lips. "Don¡¯t take me for a fool, I know you two are having an affair." Edwin was silent. "She was your first love, wasn''t it? You called her by name that night. Since you liked her so much, don''t hurt her. Don''t let her be an unsightly mistress, ¡¯ said Joanne as she forcefully squeezed out a smile. At this moment, Joanne''s heart was racing, and she struggled to breathe. Perhaps she was sick. She had not been sleeping well and not performing at her best in the filming. In an instant, Edwin''s face turned cold. His eyes were even more murderous looking now. "Since when did I have an affair with Noah? Did you see it with your own eyes?" "Indeed," said Joanne, blinking her eyes with a troubled expression. Edwinughed back angrily. "Looks like you need to go get your eyes checked. You must be blind!" He could not believe that Joanne actually thought he was cheating on her! Edwin admitted that he called her name that very night. After all, he and Noah had a rtionship previously, and he could not just stand by and watch when something bad happened to her. Joanne¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and then she pursed her mouth. "I think my eyes are fine." Her heart was beating really fast. Did Edwin deny his rtionship with Noah? However, she witnessed Noah''s chest being pressed against Edwin''s face in the hospital that day. If she had not entered the room, the two of them would probably be on to it already. Joanne sobbed as she stared at Edwin. He raised his hand and did a facepalm. ''Til just say this once. Don''t think about divorce. Our agreement clearly stated that you have to give me two children within five years. Your reward will be a big one. I can guarantee that. However, if you breach the contract, you will have to pay ten billion!" said Edwin. Joanne was stunned. Her eyes jumped the moment she heard ''ten billion''. "Ten billion Vietnamese Dong?" she blurted out. "Ten billion dors!" Edwin replied angrily, swearing that he would go insane if he stayed with this crazy woman any longer. The whole point of the extremely heavy fine was so that the contract would never be breached in the first ce! Joanne grinned angrily back at Edwin. "You greedy man! I won¡¯t pay you a single dime...¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "As long as you can give me a baby, you don''t even have to pay. In fact, I can even pay you five billion for one child and fifteen billion for a pair!" Without thinking much, Joanne turned around and fled in despair. Did she hear him correctly? Did Edwin deny his rtionship with Noah and say that he would continue to fulfill the contract with her? Chapter 1028 Chapter 1028 Chapter 1028 The corners of Joanne''s mouth curled up involuntarily as she straightened her back and strode back to the film set. Patrick did not know who Joanne was going to meet, but he could clearly feel that she became very happy after meeting this person. She even took the initiative to say hello to the stage manager. She was smiling all around with her crescent-like eyes as if there were no more worries in the world. Patrick was fascinated as he watched Joanne. He had been in the entertainment circle for so many years, and he had not seen such a simple- minded female artist for a long time. He did a random search on the Inte just now, and it turns out that Joanne had quite a bad reputation among theizens. It was something Patrick did not expect. In the evening, Patrick had made it clear to the director that he and Joanne were ready fortheir scene and that they should start shooting immediately, so they did not have to prepare it twice. The director nced at Joanne worriedly and said in a low voice, "Patrick, I''m just afraid that Joanne will affect your current state. What if she doesn''t perform well?" Patrick did not take the director''s word seriously. "I had a good rehearsal with her this afternoon. She did a really good job. I believe you''ve picked the perfect actress for her role." The director was stunned. What? Was Patrick not the one who dislikesmunicating with actresses? Even when staying in a hotel, it was a requirement by him that there should be no actresses near his room! Why was he sofortable with Joanne? The assistant director overheard Patrick''s conversation and quickly called Joanne over. This is from N?velDrama.Org. She noticed the director looking at her in surprise as she walked over." Joanne! Patrick was praising you for your good acting skills and talent. Anyway, your scene with Patrick ising up. Make sure you give it your all!" said the director. Joanne was feeling very touched. She nodded and answered, "Don''t worry, I will do my best!" ¡¯Well, don''t be too nervous. Patrick has a good sense of drama, and he will take you into it." The director nced at both Patrick and Joanne with a little ambiguous gaze. Joanne did not understand the subtext at all and nodded ordingly." Patrick is my role model. I will follow his lead!" The director wiped off his sweat and proceeded to prepare for the next scene. In order to speed up the process, the actors and actresses were divided into two groups, which were Group A and Group B. It just so happened that Teresa was in Group B, while Patrick and Joanne were in Group A. Teresa did not have many night scenes, and her filming was over very soon. As soon as she was done, she went and watched Patrick and Joanne''s scenes. Patrick was the hero in this act. He puts his arms around Joanne''s waist as he enters for the heroic rescue. Joanne yed a sassy young girl. Her eyes shed shyly as she looked at Patrick with admiration. ''Hey, I thought Joanne was a snobbish person, but I didn''t expect her acting to be this good..." "I heard that the assistant director guaranteed her in this role." "Most importantly, she had good chemistry with Patrick! Let me tell you, I saw him pulling up a chair beside Joanne, and they had spent the entire afternoon chatting..." Teresa cast a cold nce at all the cameo actors and actresses as she overheard their conversation. Everyone immediately stopped talking as they noticed Teresa''s re. She turned her head and looked back at Joanne and Patrick in disbelief. Did Patrick actually have so much to say with Joanne? Since when did Patrick get so interested in this woman? Chapter 1029 Chapter 1029 Chapter 1029 Perhaps Patrick was just sympathizing with Joanne as a neer. Why else would he set his eyes on a woman like her? Teresa thought so disgustingly. However, her eyes were about to burst into mes as she witnessed Patrick pampering and tidying Joanne''s messed- up hair several times during the filming! Not just Teresa, but other female stars on the set, including the director, were all stunned. What happened to Patrick? No, it must be Joanne who seduced him, and now he was too embarrassed to refuse her! Filming a period drama was very troublesome due to theplicated styling and clothes. Joanne tried to drink as little water as possible during the shoot. After the filming was done, she rushed to the bathroom at lightning speed. Bypassing the long aisle, Joanne found the bathroom, and Teresa just happened toe out of it. The two met unexpectedly. Joanne panicked a little as she put on a casual smile and rushed to the side. Teresa''s face sank in dissatisfaction. It was only the first day of filming. Not only did Joanne step on her shoes, and now she did not even bother greeting her? "Joanne,¡± Teresas called out. She noticed Joanne was visibly in a better moodpared to the moment she met her earlier in the morning. What a bimbo! N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Teresa sneered. "Stay away from Patrick. He''s out of your league." Joanne just wanted to go to the bathroom, but Teresa was in the way. She nodded, "Yeah, I know. Patrick is such a talented actor. Anyway, please excuse me, I need to..." Teresa thought Joanne was being provocative and her face quickly changed. "There are so many women like you who tried to get close to Patrick. Why don''t you take a good look at yourself in the mirror, you think you can charm him with this baby face of yours?" Joanne frowned. "Teresa, what are you saying?" Did she offend her somehow? Besides, was Teresa not a kinddy before? Why was she so different now? "It''s not your fault that you are ugly. So stop trying to seduce Patrick!" Teresa snorted. Joanne was instantly triggered. She was pretty, and she knew it. Even Edwin praised her for her good looks! "Oh, I see. You''re just jealous of me being close to Patrick. You''re really pretty, but it''s a pity that he only likes my style, my bad. Perhaps he''s just blind I guess," said Joanne. Joanne imitated the way Edwin scolded her as she spoke to Teresa. The angrier she was, the calmer she became. Teresa was so furious she just stood there speechless. Her face was livid. She took a deep breath and was about to retort, but suddenly, she saw something behind Joanne and smiled strangely. "I heard someone mentioning my name?" At this moment, a voice came from behind. Joanne froze. It was a familiar voice of a man... Patrick?! She quickly felt a guilty conscience within her. Now, more than ever, she just wanted to disappear into the bathroom. Chapter 1030 Chapter 1030 Chapter 1030 Of course, Teresa did not let Joanne go. "Patrick, did you hear what Miss Winters said just now? She was bragging about being close to you. She¡¯s not worth it,¡± she said with an aggrieved expression. Patrick walked over slowly. Apparently he had only heard Joanne''sst few words. ''Perhaps he was blind.¡± Was this her impression of him? Sensing Patrick''s probing eyes, Joanne''s face turned red. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ''Is there anything wrong, Joanne?" Patrick''s tone was very calm and gentle. Teresa was dumbfounded. Why was he still so kind to her?! Joanne was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it. She looked down at her delicate white shoes and suddenly took off toward the bathroom, yelling, "I need to pee!¡¯ "Heh... Joanne is really something. But she is a public figure anyway, and she should be wary of her words. Don''t be so vulgar like those uneducated folks!" said Teresa hypocritically, observing Patrick''s expression. Patrick nced at her unamusingly. "Same goes for you as well." Teresa was shocked by Patrick''s remarks. These six words of his would haunt her forever. Edwin was staying in a certain hotel in Kansas City. He had just found Joanne and did not n to return to Sapphire City so soon. There were many ancient ruins and heritage sites around, and numerous films and television projects were based in this location. Therefore, Edwin wanted to take the opportunity to scout around for major production crews. Just after dinner in the evening, Edwin nced at the time. Joanne''s team should be filming at this moment. She did not allow him to appear in the set, fearing that people would know about their rtionship and cause amotion. Edwin did not want to stir up any trouble as well. Plus, there were still many unresolved issues with Old Madam Atherton. The night sky took over the horizon. As Edwin was about to pick up Joanne, his cell phone rang. He nced at the iing call and cut it off. Just after getting in the car, the driver asked Edwin about the film set''s whereabouts, and the cell phone rang again. Edwin looked at his phone impatiently. It was Noah again. ''Mister Atherton, why won''t you pick up the phone?" the driver asked suspiciously. There are certain things that Edwin wanted to make clear. He pressed the answer button and said, "What is it?" His voice sounded cold, like apletely different person. Noah was taken aback. Since when was Edwin so ruthless? She pretended not to notice his coldness and said coquettishly, "Eddy, I was told that you are in Kansas City, and I happened to be here to apany my mother for a medical checkup. Would you like to have a meal together?" Ever since Noah joined thepany, Edwin did not bother with the petty work, nor did he know her itinerary. ''I¡¯m not free right now. Let''s do it tomorrow. Anyway, I also have something I need to talk to you about," said Edwin. ''The doctor said that my mother can''t be cured, and her condition has deteriorated very seriously. It may only be a few months left for her. I''m feeling so sad now, and I just want to die. Can youe and see me?" sobbed Noah. Chapter 1031 Chapter 1031 Chapter 1031 In a particr Italean restaurant. Every in-colored table had a delicate vase ced on the surface, and a champagne-colored rose sat quietly in every vase. The candlelight flickered. ¡¯Thank you foring to see me." Noah bit her lip. The soothing music did not seem to help enlighten her heavy heart. She called upon the waiter and ordered two bottles of red wine, then poured a ss for Edwin and one for herself. "Mind drinking with me?¡± Edwin nced at Noah casually. What irony, he noted, that he no longer shared her emotions no matter how sad she looked. Needless to say, Noah''s emotions did not affect him anymore. "Noah, after much consideration, I decided not to employ you anymore. I''ll ask the finance department to reimburse your loss," stated Edwin indifferently. Noah''s hand froze from reaching out to pick up her wine ss when heard this, and the happiness she felt when she knew Edwin was willing to see her disappeared into thin air. A moment ago, she even thought Edwin was not really that heartless to her, yet in just the blink of an eye, he shattered her hope. ¡¯Why?" she asked anxiously. "Did I do anything wrong? It''s not too long since I just started working in thepany. There''re a lot of things I''m still new to, sure, but I believe I can do better in the future!" Edwin bent his fingers and tapped on the table. ¡°You know I''m not firing you because of your capabilities at work." She stayed silent for a moment before she understood the real situation. ¡¯ Is it because of Miss Winters? Did she misunderstand US when we were in the hospital the other day? Did she force you to fire me?" Edwin''s eyes squinted at this. "It''s not because of her. I just don''t want to mix work with my private matters." Noah looked at him, and her gaze faltered amid her heartache when all of a sudden, sheughed dryly. "I did an investigation on you before. Over thest five years, you''ve had countless girlfriends. Every time you change girlfriends, you''d splurge lots of money on them. Even invest and sponsor a movie for them to star in to make them famous. What makes you think you''re mixing work with private matters when ites to me? I''m just working in yourpany..." As she talked, she even tried to reach out to Edwin''s hand, wanting to press his palm against her chest. "You can''t forget me, can you? You can''t let go of our tragic ending and are afraid that it''ll affect your marriage with Joanne, is it? Edwin, I''m really sorry. I was wrong. The reason Ie back now is that I want to be with you again... Feel my heart. I''ve been missing you all this while." Edwin''s steely gaze shed with a hint of disgust as he sharply pulled back his hand. Noah, I always thought you were a smart woman. As a smart woman, you should know that you should ce your attention on other men!" "But I just can''t forget you. What can I do?" Her heart hardened with indignance and dissatisfaction. Edwin ignored her teary eyes as he heartlessly replied, "There are plenty of women who love me. Do you think I have the responsibility to react to everyone?" "You''re lumping me with those women?" Noah felt insulted. "I''m done. You can go back to the office next week to settle your resignation procedure," concluded Edwin. All of a sudden, the phone he ced on the table vibrated abruptly. Noah noted that it was a reminder when she nced at the screen. The moment she read it, however, it felt as though a knife was plunged into her heart. [11:00 p.m. Pick up wife from the set.] ''Edwin set a reminder...to pick up Joanne?'' she thought. Over thest five years, he had countless girlfriends that Noah had lost count even with the help of her toes. Instead of remembering these women''s names, what presents he gave, and their birthdays, it was the job of his personal assistant to record them. He was only responsible for talking and flirting with those women. ''Does this mean Joanne is special to him?'' she thought. She felt as though she got cheated. It reminded her of Joanne''s innocent expression when they were in the hospital. It did not look like Joanne did not care about Edwin, but Joanne must have thought she was the only one in Edwin''s heart and that no one else could steal him away from her. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. That was why she pretended to be generous toward her and acted nonchntly! Chapter 1032 Chapter 1032 Chapter 1032 When Edwin went to the washroom before leaving the restaurant, Noah spiked his red wine with the expensive liquid ecstasy she bought. She quickly swirled the wine ss to mix the substance with the red wine. As Edwin returned, she began pleading to him and said, "Edwin, I know well never rekindle what we used to have, but think of the love we had in the past. Can you find it in you to finish this dinner with me? I promise I won''t disturb you anymore.¡¯ "Not dinner. Just this ss of wine." He picked up the wine ss in front of him and finished it in one go. After that, he walked out in a hurry, and it never urred to Noah that Edwin could be so unfeeling toward her. She quickly got on her feet and grabbed him, stopping him from leaving. '' Wait, you can''t leave yet!" ording to the instruction, the liquid ecstasy was a strong substance and would only take 20 minutes before the effect kicked in. She just needed to keep him around for twenty minutes! Edwin squinted his long, thin eyelids to look at the arm that she was grabbing onto. "Huh?¡¯ An idea popped into Noah''s mind. "I... My stomach hurts. Can you go to the hospital with me?" s, Edwin ignored this request ruthlessly. He called upon a waiter and stuffed a pile of cash into his hand. "Send this woman to the hospital. Make sure she''s safe." He then ignored Noah''s reddening face and walked off. Noah was stupefied by how quickly things changed. She tried to chase after him the moment she gathered herself, but the waiter grabbed her and said he would send her to the hospital. As a result, Edwin''s car drove off in a whiz just as she got to the restaurant''s entrance. She was so mad that her face looked distorted. The hatred in her heart continued to grow. There was no way she was about to let Joanne enjoy the opportunity she created. No! She had to do something! Edwin leaned back on the car seat and drove straight to the film set. He was driving a low-profile Bently Musang. He chose this car over the other more luxurious and eye- catching cars such as the Bagatti Veiron and Ferrare because he wanted to avoid being stalked and followed by the paparazzi. Basically, the paparazzi knew his every car te number, and though most of the paparazzi did not dare to write anything about him due to his power, there might be idiots who just started working in the industry and were ignorant enough to know how influential he was. Since he took a shorter route, he arrived outside of the film set within less than 20 minutes. Frankly, this was the first time he had ever arrived early to wait for a woman to get off work. Back then, women waited for him instead. There were records of him arriving half an hour or even two hourster. In the end, he brushed it off with an apology, and those women would still throw themselves at him. He wound down his window to take a look outside. The film set was still bright with lights turned on. There was no telling if Joanna was done filming at the moment. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. As the window was wound downpletely, he ran his slender fingers through his soft, fluffy short hair to create a handsome and sleek hairstyle. After that, he took a look in the mirror. Handsome, charming, and sophisticated. Wait, something was missing. He took off his tie and deliberately unbuttoned three buttons of his shirt, making it look slightly messy. He raised his eyebrows smugly. He bet the future child he would have with Joanna would be a very special, talented baby, seeing how handsome he was. Chapter 1033 Chapter 1033 Chapter 1033 Meanwhile, on the filming set. Joanna packed up her things into her bag and walked outside. She did not want to cause any trouble, so she sneaked out from the back door this time and told no one that she was leaving. After just leaving for a short while, Miss Reed called her. "Joanne, are you and Patrick dating?" asked the woman on the other end of the line, and the question, to say the least, baffled Joanne. She quickly waved her hand dismissively. "Of course not! That''s pie in the sky, isn''t it?" Miss Reed was a very famous celebrity agent that Edwin appointed for her, and Joanne was just an unpopr actresspared to the others under her management. Perhaps Edwin had put in his words for her that Miss Reed paid more attention to her. "Maybe you gave Patrick a pretty good impression. He followed you on Twidder just now, and you''re now a trending topic because of him. Joanne Winters, you''re about to be famous." bbergasted, Joanne quickly pulled up the news app. She initially had about several million fans, but at this moment, the number of her fans was increasing at an rming speed. She was close to reaching 10 million followers! Thements she received were quite simr. All of them were scolding her, using her of piggybacking on Edwin''s poprity, and how she was not worthy of Edwin. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Her scalp tingled when she noticed she had a new follower. It was Patrick. [#PatrickAthertonJoanneWinters], [#PatrickAthertonfollowsJoanneWinters ], and [#Myhusbandisinlove.] These topics were trending. The weirdest part of all was there were some blurry photos of her on the inte, such as the photos of her sitting with Patrick under the tree as they went over the script. The reporter used his or her imagination to make up a story of the secret rtionship she had with Patrick. This whole event annoyed Joanne so much that she felt like ending herself. How hard was it for her to be an actress without being involved in these dramatic rumors? Miss Reed waited for Joanne''s reply, but all she had was Joanne''s gasps and subsequent curses just as she was about to say something. Miss Reed swallowed whateverforting words she was about to say to Joanne. After they ended the call, Joanne kept on receiving calls on her phone. Those unscrupulous reporters cared about her more than her mother did, and it triggered Joanne so badly that she decided to turn off her phone. All she could think of was to get home as soon as possible to create an anonymous ount to fight back at the anti-fans. She could ept the self -proimed Patrick''s wives to express their dissatisfaction, but not those who cursed her family! Depressed and flustered, she hurried to the roadside to hail a taxi. As she walked on a small path, the trees'' shadows on both ends swayed. All of a sudden, someone leaped from behind her and cupped his hand over her mouth. Before Joanne could scream for help, the person dragged her to a ghastly area near the wall. Terrified to the core and with widened eyes, she iled and swung her limbs at every angle possible to fend off the gangster that was dragging her. ''When did security in the filming set get this bad?!'' The man was aggressive, impatient as he ced his hands on the wall. Not giving her a chance to react, he overshadowed his body to hers and lowered his head, seizing her lips with his thin lips in a kiss. Their lips meshed together, and the man kissed like he had been yearning for it fora longtime. Joanne, however, felt chills running up and down her spine at such ferocity. ''Oh, no... Oh, no! I think I just ran out of pepper spray. Wait...why is this breath smell so familiar?'' she thought. She bent her arms and used her elbow to push against the man''s chest. Edwin''s mind was near the brink of a meltdown as he forced himself to talk, albeit hoarsely, "It''s me." "How the hell do I know who you are... Wild Beast?" Joanne was surprised when she finally knew who the man was. He had the smell of alcohol mixed with cigarettes in his mouth. It sickened Joanne and she tried to push him away. However, it only made Edwin hug her tighter. He also took the chance to invade Joanne''s personal space by thrusting his waist at her. "Give me!¡± he growled. Joanne''s expression stiffened. She bit on the tip of his tongue, and instantly, a metallic taste filled his mouth. Edwin felt the pain and breathed heavily as he pulled back his tongue from her mouth. Chapter 1034 Chapter 1034 Chapter 1034 From a condescending angle, Edwin stared closely at Joanne with reddened eyes. It was as though a fiery aura emanated from his body. Joanne''s heart raced at what was happening. It was a dark environment, so she could not see his face clearly. Nheless, her instincts told her he must have an embarrassing expression on his face now. Anger and guilt overwhelmed her. ¨¬ freaked out so badly because you dragged me here out of the blue, and now you''re..." she mumbled. Tears rolled down her face. She was so flustered and exasperated that she bit his shoulder vehemently through his shirt, refusing to let go even when her teeth pierced his flesh and blood oozed out. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The next day... Joanne felt as though she finished a marathon when she had just gotten out of bed. Her entire body ached. "Good morning, Madam." The maid Edwin hired was there to help her to freshen up and change her clothes. After changing her clothes, she could barely walk down the stairs and leaned on the rail. Luckily, she had no filming for the morning. When she got to the dining room, her gut instinct told her something was looming before her. Edwin sat on the chair with a gloomy expression on his face. There were bite marks on his neck and his chin, and his face was riddled with ringly obvious scratch marks. The maids that worked in the mansion were tight-lipped as they stood in a line. Even the butler responsible for overseeing the mansion did not even dare to take an extra breath. Just like the Mason family, the Atherton family also had a specific residence in every city. "Madam, Master Edwin has some questions for you," the female butler came to greet Joanne and invited her over to sit with Edwin. When Joanne saw Edwin''s painfully handsome face, she felt guilty. She only scratched so badly because she was in a whole lot of pain. That, in turn, reminded her of his bad behaviorst night, and she was less scared of him. The maid helped her to sit across from Edwin. "How did I get these scratch marks?" he asked. His memory stopped when he went to pick up Joanne, and because her phone was turned off, he had to go down to look for her. At that moment, he felt as though his body was lit in mes, and that was thest thing he could remember. Joanne nearly sprung up when she just sat down. "You forgot everything?" Edwin did not reply and merely red at Joanne. With a face like this, people would beughing at him as he walked out of the door, let alone going to inspect the film studio! The female butler was very thoughtful and even prepared a dozen masks for him. The problem, however, was that the mask could not cover all of the scratch marks. Joanne gloated internally. Nheless, she cleared her throat and said," You were drunkst night and identally bumped into a cute puppy. You tried to give the puppy a cuddle, but it got angry and bit you. I was the one who brought you back." Edwin smirked upon hearing this. It was his usual good-looking smug smile yet was dangerous as well. Joanne felt chills going down her spine upon seeing this. ''Is he trying to trick me by saying he doesn''t remember when he actually remembers everything?1 she thought. The female butler reminded awkwardly, "Madam, the doctor hade over to treat the wound. He examined them and said they were human bite marks." Joanne was baffled. "There''s an examination forthat?" "That''s right. Don''t lie to Master Edwin anymore," added the female butler, trying her best to wink at Joanne to hint that she should apologize to Edwin. Master Edwin had always thought of himself highly and treasured his face. No one had ever dared to cause such atrocity to his face. Chapter 1035 Chapter 1035 Chapter 1035 Joanne blushed. Why were they asking her this if they knew she was the one who bit Edwin? ¡¯Joanne Winters, don¡¯t you think you owe me an exnation?" Edwin tapped on the tablenguidly. His unrestrained eyes were slightly dark. ''Fine, okay, I bit you-but it was because you were violent first!" Joanne no longer bothered with the facade. She pulled her cor down, and her face blushed. "Look! I got it worse than you!¡¯ The area fell deathly quiet, so much so that a pin dropping could be heard. The female butler, who was feeling sorry for Edwin, immediately changed her target and stared at Edwin. ''Master Edwin has gone too far!'' Edwin could not remember when he had caused those to Joanne. His handsome face looked terrible, and his voice sounded awkward when he said, "I did that?" Joanne rolled her eyes. "No, it wasn''t you. A dog did this!" "You''re calling me a dog?" Edwin''s face darkened. Joanne straightened her neck and refuted, "I''m scolding the dog that attacked me. Why are you so worked up?" To this, Edwin said nothing. He stood up, grabbed a mask, and left. After taking two steps, however, he walked back and ordered the female butler, "Keep an eye on her, and don''t let her go anywhere. Get a doctor toe over, too." In the service apartment, Noah was reading today''s news. Even if Edwin requested her to resign from Worldwide Entertainment Co., the first thing she did was monitor the daily gossip and also yed nice with the paparazzi to obtain thetest rumors. After separating from Edwin in a bad ending, Noah was angry and frustrated, knowing Joanne was the one who got to enjoy the substance she bought instead of her. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Somehow, there was a sound reminding her that she should not miss the gossip today. Miraculously, she saw Patrick and Joanne being at the bottom of the top trending list. She clicked on the thread and saw a photo of them being intimate while going over the script. There was a rumor about how Patrick never got close to female actresses from the same movie. How was he and Joanne... This was just unbelievable! She would like to see how Joanne exined herself this time! As she was submerging herself in her thoughts excitingly, the doorbell rang. Opening the door, she saw a gloomy-looking Edwin walking in with a mask on. His eyes looked so cruel that people might think he was the devil incarnate. He did not take off his mask. Nheless, the scratch masks on his nose bridge were too obvious to ignore. "Edwin, what happened to your face?" Noah pretended to ask while her fingers were almost pierced into her palm. ''That b*tch had the audacity to scratch his face!'' she thought. Edwin nced at Noah. She was wearing a simple set of loungewear. Her in cheeks were rosy in color and looked so attractive. Despite that, Edwin was not in the mood to enjoy and admire her. "What do you have to say?" said Edwin. Noah''s expression turned stiff. She bit her lip and said with a pitiful look." I''ll tender my resignation." ''I''m not talking about that!" Edwin curled up his thin lips, and his slender eyes looked vicious. "Were you the one who drugged my drinkst night?" Noah''s shoulders started to shiver as fear loomed over her. She knew Edwin would not give up easily. Most importantly, she was afraid he would note to look for her. "I ...I''m sorry, Edwin. I was too much of a wh*re to think I can have you by drugging you. I know you and Miss Winters are a loving couple, b- but I just want to bear your child. I promise I''ll never bother you anymore in the future If The nerves on Edwin''s forehead popped out. "It was you! When did you be so gross?!" ''I..." Noah opened her mouth and shut her eyes helplessly. Chapter 1036 Chapter 1036 Chapter 1036 "Don''t let me see you again!" snarled Edwin before he turned to leave. As he did, however, he saw a frail olddy walking over with a stick, her back hunched. She was holding a lunch box with her right hand and N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. made eye contact with Edwin. Tears evidently welled up in her eyes in mere seconds. ¡¯Ed ...Edwin?¡± The olddy was Noah''s mother. She was just over 50 years old, but because of the chemotherapy and other treatments, she looked older and weaker than an olddy who was in herte seventies or early eighty. She was so weak that the wind could blow her away. "Missus Sinir?¡¯ No matter how absurd Edwin was, he could not possibly let himself talk badly to an elder suffering from cancer. "Mom, why are you here? Didn''t I ask you to stay put in the hospital?" Noah looked worried as she rushed over to take over the bag and helped her mother to sit in the room. Missus Sinir shook her head stubbornly. Her eyes were filled with tears. ¡¯ How would I know you nearly got med if I didn''te?" She grabbed Edwin''s shirt with trembling hands. "Edwin, are you here to denounce and condemn Noah? Don''t me her, please. I was the one who gave her the substance. I don''t have many days left, but I just can''t bear to leave her. It just hurts me to see her not getting married or having children before I''m gone... That''s why she... Cough...cough..." Missus Sinir broke out into a coughing fit as she sobbed incessantly. Noah helped her mother wipe off the tears while feeling bad and sorry. Edwin¡¯s elegant eyebrows furrowed at this as he then looked at Noah. Perhaps there was truly telepathy as Noah, too, looked at him. That was how they made eye contact. She bit her lip and looked away helplessly. '' Please leave. Regardless of the reason I drugged your drink, I''m still a shameless person.¡± Edwin felt his temple pulse several times. During the years he was rebellious and insisted on going abroad to further his study, Missus Sinir happened to be around to take care of Noah as her daughter preferred her mother''s cooking. Thus, Missus Sinir also took the liberty to look after him. She was kinder and gentler toward him than his own mother ever was. "I''m going to let this go because of Missus Sinir. Let''s send her back to the hospital for now.¡± In the corner where no one would notice, Noah curled up her lips evilly.'' See, even Edwin can be soft- hearted.'' On the way to bring Missus Sinir back to the hospital, Noah turned on the radio. The radio host was broadcasting the news, and Edwin heard it. "Lately, rumors of the Best Actor Award winner, Patrick Atherton, being in a rtionship with actress Joanne Winters while filming together has been swirling around. There was a photo of them looking very intimate on the film set. Currently, there''s no response from the production team yet, but some fans discovered Patrick Atherton had followed Joanne winters in Twidder..." It was a piece of news about Joanne and Patrick, and it felt quite irritating. Noah pretended to look shocked and wanted to change the channel. However, Edwin stopped her from doing so and listened to the entire news broadcast. "Miss Winters is deeply in love with you. It must be some sort of rumor," remarked Noah. Deeply in love... Edwin''s heart inexplicably stirred upon hearing this. Noah observed the look on his face. ''He looks gloomy.'' She pursed her lips and continued, "Patrick is your brother. I''m sure that''s why they''re close with each other, and that''s what makes people misunderstand them." Patrick was always busy with his filming and other endorsement activities. He had to fly around the world most of the time, and the only time they would see him was during Christmas. Besides, he was rather ''distant'' in the Atherton family''s lineage. Edwin trusted that Patrick did not know Joanne''s real identity. However, Joanne must know who Patrick was, and she should have been careful! ¡¯D*mn that woman; attracting the attention of other men again.'' Edwin''s expression looked vicious. However, he just raised his brow unhappily because Noah was around. "It''s normal to make up stories and gossip in the industry. I thought you should know it better, seeing as you''ve been working in this industry for many years." Chapter 1037 Chapter 1037 Chapter 1037 Noah could imagine how embarrassed she looked. She thought she had triggered Edwin when, in fact, he did not believe this gossip at all. She was not about to give up easily and said, "Wind doesn''te from an empty cave without reason." Edwin did not reply and drove faster. He had called the hospital in advance, so the doctor and nurses were already waiting at the entrance with a stretcher. He had them carry Missus Sinir out of his car and drove off without saying anything. Even when Noah wanted to stop him, she was not fast enough. A pair of beautiful eyes were wavering with jealousy. Back in the mansion. Joanne felt better after the doctor examined her and applied for medicine. Nheless, her lower region was burning in pain, so she sat on the sofa and turned on the television while hugging a pillow. Coincidentally, the news was on. 20 minutes ago, Patrick got surrounded by reporters at a restaurant near the film set, and one of them had asked why he followed Joanne''s social media ount and his reaction to the intimate photo. Out of the blue, he made a response to the questions. His answer was very ambiguous too. "Joanne is a potential actress new in the block. She''s pure, kind, strong, and optimistic. I have a great time working together with her. I believe those people who wrote those badments about her have other agendas. Too bad, she had unrequited love with me in the movie, and there is no room for further..."N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Publicity stunt! This must be a publicity stunt! Joanne''s eyes widened as she angrily stared at Patrick on the television.'' He purposely released a false statement to trick his fans! And he didn''t discuss it with me first!'' While she was still seething with rage, she heard the sound of a car driving in the garage. She quickly reached for the remote control to switch to another channel. Even after switching it three times, all three channels were repeating the same sentence. "There is no room for further-" "Why did you switch the channel when you realized that I''m back?" rang the familiar voice,ced with sarcasm. Her hand trembled, and the remote control fell to the sofa. Startled, she wanted to reach for the remote control to turn off the television. Using his long arms and legs, Edwin was the first one to reach for the remote control. However, he did not turn off the television and increased the volume instead. Listening to the news, Edwin sat down across from Joanne. He squinted his long, narrow eyes. "Oh, I see. You''re feeling guilty. Are you that afraid I''d find out about this gossip?" Joanne gulped upon hearing this and felt her confidence plunging. Nevertheless, she pretended to look guilt-free and disdainfully replied, ¡¯ Why should I feel guilty? This is the publicity stunt for the new movie. A D- list actress with a horrible history, and the Best Actor-award winner with a bright future. Any gossip could help US hype our movie..." Edwin red at her interestedly and asked, "Is it really just a publicity stunt? IV "Of course." Joanne could hear her heart thumping rapidly even as she exined, "I''ve just known Patrick not long ago. Even if it was supposedly'' love at first sight'', it won''t happen so quickly. The thing that worries me the most is that we haven''t signed our divorce papers yet. What happens if your grandmother got to know about this? Will she overthink it? Do you need to exin it to her?" Edwin sneered. "Okay. I understand.¡± "You''re not...mad?" asked Joanne carefully, unable to tell what Edwin was thinking of. "The entertainment industry is always full of gossip. I don''t think I''ll have enough life if I need to be angry every time you''re trending." He stood up with his phone at hand, his expression tranquil and devoid of anger. However, the ferocity in his eyes appeared in a sh, and it gave Joanne chills like the wind from the coldest part of the world blew past her. ''Didn''t he say he was not angry?'' she thought. She bit her lip. It was vital to discuss with the director, and she wanted to disallow him from using her in the publicity stunt! Chapter 1038 Chapter 1038 Chapter 1038 The first ce Edwin went when he went upstairs was his study. He did not even bother to take off his jacket as he immediately sat in front of hisptop to scroll through news about the entertainment industry. Maybe he had been staying low-keytely. He used to overtake the headlines, yet at this moment, Patrick was the one all over the news instead. Patrick Atherton''s romance, Patrick Atherton''s movie, the actress starring in the same movie as Patrick Atherton... Various news rted to Patrick showed up. Although Edwin and Patrick were not closely rted based on the family tree, they both had the same family name. Looking at some points, they shared strong resemnces in some ways. Edwin admitted he was annoyed, especially when an idiot actuallymented on his social media ount and asked to validate his N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. rtionship with Joanne. ''Don''t he even tell his own idol?'' he thought. When he saw Joanne''s name being affiliated with Patrick, he instructed his assistant. "Ban Patrick Atherton''s news from appearing. One month-no, three months. "Disallow any media from reporting anything rted to him!" His assistant felt all too stunned and rushed, but before he could make any response, Edwin added, "Go and look for the screenwriter for my wife''s movie, and ask them to alter her role in it. Make her character into a bad character. Have Patrick murder every one of her family in the movie, and the only thing she thinks about every day is how to kill Patrick." His assistant''s bewilderment only prolonged upon hearing this. When it was time for lunch, Edwin did note down from his study. Joanne requested for the female butler to invite Edwin down, but after a while, she came back down, visibly helpless, and shook her head at Joanne. With her brow furrowed, Joanne went to his study and knocked on his door. "Edwin, don''t you want to have your lunch?" There was no reply. Joanne wrung her fingers together and added, "Are you still mad the production team used me and Patrick to pull a publicity stunt? I''ve already told the director about this, and he promised there won''t be a next time. Why don''t you go downstairs to eat something? You worked really hardst night. You must''ve consumed a lot of energy-" Swoosh! The door abruptly opened, and it caught Joanne by surprise. The joke she intended to say was lodged in her throat, and she could not bear to finish it. Edwin stood still with one hand in his pocket, ring at her. "Are you sure it was a publicity stunt from the production team?" "What? Who else would''ve done it, then?" "Ha." Edwin let out a contemptuousugh and mmed the door shut, nearly smacking her nose in the process. She rolled her eyes. ''Well, he can starve if he doesn''t want to eat anything. I''m not the one suffering, anyway!'' He had to be experiencing some sort of menopause. He was so passionatest night, yet today, he fell t and neurotic. Just as Joanne feared, Old Madam Atherton happened to read the news about Joanne and Patrick in Sapphire City. When she was reading the news, Catelyn was coincidentally in the living room doing her daily check-up. Since she was unsure of the health condition of her baby, it was necessary for her to do the checking every day to make sure the baby did not absorb too many nutrients from her, be in the wrong position, and so on. "Old Madam Atherton, look. It''s Miss Winters," Kelly pointed out as she stared at the screen. After reading the full article, Old Madam Atherton remarked, her tone oddly peculiar and jealous-sounding, "It was just a few days that she moved out, and she''s already gotten herself a new man. What a waste for Edwin to love her so deeply." "You don''t have to overwork yourself for this woman. She''s out, anyway," Kellymented. Catelyn heard Old Madam Atherton''s awkward tone andughed helplessly. Her grandmother disliked how Joanne deceived them with ulterior motives yet was also reluctant to see Joanne going viral online because of another man. She truly wondered what sort ofplex feelings her grandmother was feeling. Chapter 1039 Chapter 1039 Chapter 1039 That evening, Catelyn received a call from Cedrick. He told her that he would not be able to have dinner with her, seeing as he had to work overtime in the office which would result in him returningte. Ever since they decided to keep the baby, she was worried Cedrick would lie to her. She did not dare to go out alone with her, and even if she did, she would request her grandmother to assign bodyguards to follow her all the time. As time passed, however, she figured her worry was for nothing. Cedrick was a man of his word, and he never attempted anything detrimental to her and her baby. When it was aroundte evening, Catelyn changed her outfit and was ready to go out. "Miss rk, where do you want to go?" asked the driver. Catelyn smiled. "Bring me to Mason Group. I''d like to go find Cedrick to talk to him about something." "Sure." The driver opened the car door politely and helped Catelyn to get into the car. He even said, "Your rtionship with Master Cedrick is very admirable. It''s so sweet that I''m having a toothache.¡¯ Catelyn pursed her lips and curled them into a cheerful smile. "Are you going to move out after you two get married?" On the way to the Mason Group, the driver chatted with Catelyn. "I''m sure Old Madam Atherton will miss both of you." "I''lle back to visit all the time." "It''s a shame for Madam Joanne, though,"mented the chauffeur. "If she was pregnant, then Old Madam Atherton would have another great- grandson. It could add more liveliness to the manor, too." At that very moment, Joanne rang up Catelyn''s phone for a video call. She had dark eyebags and looked as though she did not have a good sleep. She also looked intive. Catelyn took the chance to ask Joanne about her gossip with Patrick. She knew Joanne used to fangirl over him. Sometimes, when Joanne could not sleep, she would y the movie Patrick starred in to help her fall asleep as she mumbled to herself, "Put me to sleep, my husband..." Joanne blushed when Catelyn brought that topic out. "It''s ancient history, and I''ve already forgotten about that. I''m a married woman now. The reporter was just making it up." "Then, what''s wrong with your eyes? You look like you had a night of overindulgence. Did my cousin take his im and take an oath of his sovereignty?" she spoke as though shocked, her voice drawled out as she did. "Ack!" Joanne choked on her water when she heard the word '' overindulgence''. ¡¯ Why are you so dirty after you got married? I just didn''t get to rest well because I was up all night filming." Oh, god! "Then what about the bruises on your neck? Did the mosquito bite you?" Catelyn was not afraid to blow Joanne''s cover. Flustered, Joanne quickly pulled up her cor and ced the phone higher so the video would only reflect her face s, Catelyn merely continued teasingly, "I was worried that there''d be a rift between you and Edwin because of Granny. I¡¯m happy to see you two still loving each other. Guess I''m going to have a nephew soon. Told you Edwin has a soft heart with women. You just need to coax him, and he''ll listen to you..." ''Yeah, right.'' Joanne thought otherwise in her mind. She was also figuring out how to get rid of the hickey too, especially when she had to go to the film set tomorrow... Catelyn waspletely clueless of the many attempts Joanne took to get rid of her hickeys: Applying a coldpression to the hickey, massaging the area, trying a banana peel mask, and so on. All the while, Edwin stared at her exasperatedly. It cheered Joanne to see his weirded-out expression. Since Catelyn was pregnant, the chauffeur drove the car steadily and without rushing. It was already 6 p.m. when they reached the Mason Group building. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Although it was the peak hour of getting off work, there were not many peopleing in and out of the building. It was probably because it was the end of the year, and many staff had to work overtime. She called a hotel to order dinner before she entered the building. When the executive secretary saw Catelyn, she felt like her savior had arrived. Putting up her most joyous smile, she weed Catelyn passionately, "Good evening, Missus Mason!" "Hello, everyone. You''ve all worked hard." Cately smiled back. "It''s our honor working here!" the employees replied harmoniously. "Where''s Master Cedrick? Is he still working in his office?" Catelyn looked at Cedrick''s office. She did note to his office very often. Most of the time, she would request Charles and Eason to help her. "Yes. He said he wants to empty two months of his schedule, so he''s been busy working overtimetely," the executive secretary exined with a smile. Chapter 1040 Chapter 1040 Chapter 1040 Catelyn gave a small nod at this. She felt touched by Cedrick''s gesture, knowing he wanted to free up two months'' time because of their wedding. They would then spend their honeymoon traveling around the world as they waited for the baby''s result. Even when they fought and quarreled many times because of the baby, they never once thought of canceling the wedding. This was his Suddenly, Mason Group''s administrative secretary came over with a few stacks of documents and, having mustered the courage to, passed them to Catelyn. Missus Mason, I have some documents here to pass to Master Cedrick. Do you think you can bring them in for me?" Catelyn nodded, not at all bothered by the request. "Sure. Give them to me.'' "Thank you. You''re so kind!" "Mine too, please!" Another secretary took the chance and quickly requested Catelyn''s help. Subsequently, many secretaries followed suit and requested Catelyn to help them. In the blink of an eye, Catelyn''s hands were filled with many documents. ''Do they need to act so exaggerating^?'' she thought. Coincidentally, Mister Peterson-who looked oddly miserable-arrived and walked out of the elevator, also carrying a tall stack of documents. That expression of his, however, vanished when he saw Catelyn. His eyes brightened up as he pulled his face and warned the other secretaries, "You should be responsible for your work! Why should theN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. The other secretaries dispersed themselves swiftly. Even the air felt fresher. Just as Catelyn was going to ask Mister Peterson to take some load off her, Mister Peterson quickly begged, "Missus Mason, please bring these documents to Master Mason, too. Thank you!" Catelyn was at aplete loss for words. Knock, knock, knock! After Catelyn knocked on Cedrick''s office door, an alluring yet enigmatic male voice rang out, "Come in." She took a deep breath. ''Somanding...'' she thought. As she pushed the door open to go in, she was weed with a fierce aura. Cedrick was sitting in front of his table as he was holding the phone in one hand. She had no idea who he was talking to on the phone; all she knew was that he sounded harsh and mean when he spoke. "If we don''t receive the bnce by the end of the year, go ahead with the legal procedure as written in the contract. Let''s see how long he canst." A moment of silence hung in the air before he talked again. "I''m not in the mood to see him. It''s either thend or paying his debt. Let him choose." The low voice sounded haughty and domineering. He sounded authoritative and derisive. Cately''s heart skipped a beat. ''That''s very intimidating. No wonder Charles didn''t dare toe in!'' "Why are you standing there? Put down the documents and leave!" After he hung up the phone, he continued to work without even lifting his head. His thin lips were pursed into a straight line. Catelyn walked over soundlessly and ced the documents on Cedrick''s table. There were already mountains of documents on his table, so much so that the ones Catelyn ced down did not make any big difference to the number of documents. After he finished reading a document, he signed on thest page and realized the woman who delivered the document was still in his office. He furrowed his brow. "I told you to get out. Are you deaf-?" He did not finish hisst sentence when he saw Catelyn''s pure face. "W... What are you doing here?" Chapter 1041 Chapter 1041 Chapter 1041 The way Cedrick spoke to her was sweet and mild. "You''re so superior andmanding, Mister CEO. Why can''t Ie?" Catelyn teased as she raised her eyebrows. Cedrick nced at the huge stacks of documents Catelyn had ced on the table and roughly knew what happened. He recalled that no one informed him about Catelyn''s arrival, so he called the internal line and asked, "Who''s the administrative secretary on duty today?" "Please hold while I check,¡± came the trembling voice of a female. Several secondster, the general secretary answered, "It''s Yoyo. Is there anything else I can help you with?" "Ask her to receive half a year''s wages from the finance department and not toe in anymore from tomorrow." Decisive with absolute power that denied anyone''s rebuttal. The secretary was stunned. ''Missus Mason is here, so why is the CEO still being fussy? He''s even sacking people now! Goodness, this is definitely the worst way to enter a new year!'' "Wait." Without waiting for the secretary to answer, Catelyn snatched the phone from Cedrick with her long, slender fingers and said, "He''s just kidding with you. You don''t have to tell Yoyo that. Let her continue showing up for work tomorrow." "What?" The secretary was bewildered. ''So is Yoyo being sacked or not? Who should I listen to?'' She did not dare to follow Catelyn''s instructions. Thus, the woman on the other end of the line gathered her courage to reconfirm with Cedrick. Cedrick lifted his head to look at the woman who snatched the phone from him. He tapped his feet and slowly moved his chair near the windows. The ray from the sunset shone on his figure, making him seemingly glistening in gold. Instead of answering, he merely pointed at hisp for Catelyn to sit on. Catelyn shook the phone. Reverting to his steely disposition, he spoke to the phone, his voice dark sounding, "Didn''t you hear what she said? Continue your work. Forget what I said about Yoyo." Catelyn smiled smugly upon hearing this. Just as she hung up the phone, however, Cedrick pulled her by the waist, and it took only two steps forward for her to stumble and fall onto Cedrick''sp, sitting on him. Coincidentally, it was exactly the spot Cedrick was pointing at. A sigh came from above her head. She could also feel vibrating in his chest when he talked, "Why didn''t you tell me you wereing?" ''I can''t do spot checks if I inform you!" drawled Catelyn. "Check on me?" Cedrick squinted his eyes meaningfully. "What do you want to check?¡± "People always say that a marriage is at its most dangerous state when the wife is pregnant. What do you think I want to check? I''m here to check if you''re having an affair behind my back, of course." While she was talking, she nced at the table full of documents. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He had been taking care of hertely, living in Atherton Manor after his work to be with her. Due to her pregnancy, she would have abrupt mood swings. Moreover, she had been worried sick that he would force her to have an abortion. Thus, her fetus was unstable. She woke up more often than a normal pregnant woman would. In spite of that, he was always the first one beside her whenever she woke up. It was very seldom that he could really have a good night''s sleep. Nevertheless, she did not expect his workload to be so huge. If this situation continued, even the man of steel would copse! He pinched his chin with his thumb and index finger. Staring into her eyes yfully while using another hand to caress the slight bump on her belly, he fondly remarked, "There''s a bed in the office. Do you want to search deeper?" Chapter 1042 Chapter 1042 Chapter 1042 Catelyn, feeling apologetic when seeing the dark circles beneath Cedrick''s eyes, nodded happily. "Alright. You can apany me to take a nap!" When the secretary discovered the safety alert was dismissed, she exhaled deeply. ''I guess Missus is very useful.'' She opened thepany''s internal group chat and typed out a message with her keyboard. [Dear, all: From the looks of it, the CEO is in a good mood now. Those who are scared to look for the CEO should take this opportunity now.] [Oh my god. I have a budget that requires the CEO''s approval, and it''s been sitting on my desk for a few days...] [Me, too-my quarterly result isn''t ideal. I''m scared he''ll give me the ticket!] Charles also sent a message to the group chat. [Anyone wants to ask the CEO to consider giving US double pay this month? ] In the end, Catelyn failed to drag Cedrick into the resting room to sleep because the dinner she ordered arrived. Since she was a premium guest, the hotel offered premium services and delivery. She forced Cedrick to push his work aside and used the excuse that she had not eaten to make Cedrick eat with her. The food she ordered was mostly light and in. Since Cedrick was not a fan of sd, she ordered nched broli, roasted Brussels sprouts, cream of peas, and so on. The chef turned thesemon ingredients into a luxurious and appetizing meal. Despite that, Cedrick still stared at the food and furrowed his brow since the dishes were mainly in in taste and consisted of more vegetables. "I deliberately ordered the chef to cook these. Look, you got a pimple on your chin." Catelyn took some broli and Brussels sprout and ced them on his te. "Eat these; they''re high in fiber and low in calories. It''s good for your health." Cedrick looked at the food on his te with disgust but nheless picked up his fork to eat a few secondster. Catelyn saw how he enjoyed the food, so she chowed down on her food too, starting with the Brussels sprouts, which she noted were tasteless. Suddenly, she heard ament from the man sitting across from her. "It''s tasteless." "I told you that I told the chef to cook them with less salt and pepper, so it tastes in," Catelyn exined. After that, Cedrick quickly finished the food Catelyn gave him. ''Oh, wow. He finished them so fast, even when it was tasteless. I guess he knows he has been quite unhealthytely,'' she thought. The food from the hotel always had a good presentation and small portions. After Cedrick finished his food, Catelyn asked, I only had a little. Do you want more?" Cedrick furrowed his brow. "I thought you like to eat this?" "You''re less healthier than I am. I can give my portion to you!" Catelyn smiled and picked up her food to move the outeryer of vegetables to Cedrick''s te. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. At that same moment, the chosen management-level employee knocked on the door and entered with his less-ideal performance result. Coincidentally, Cedrick was eating the leftover'' vegetables Catelyn gave him. The employee''s jaw hung wide upon seeing this, and his eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets. ''Aah! Am I in the wrong ce? The CEO has mysophobia, doesn''t he? Why is he eating leftovers from another person? Is this really our CEO?'' he thought. After being pregnant, Catelyn had always practiced eating less during a meal but had more meals over the day. It was the same as her dinner too. When she was drinking her soup, she saw the management-level employee standing at the door with a shocked expression. Cedrick did not wish to have people around to disturb their dinner time. Hence, he gave the management-level employee a look. The management-level employee understood immediately and looked for an excuse to leave the room. After he was gone, many of the staff heard the news and came to stalk their CEO, who had aplete 180-degree change, from the ss window outside his room with different kinds of excuses. Charles looked at them with disdain. ''Why are these people shocked?'' Chapter 1043 Chapter 1043 Chapter 1043 Cedrick could not help but nce outside when he noticed the numerous employees walking past his room. He furrowed his brow. "Haha! Your employees are endearing. Peeking at you having your dinner?" joked Catelyn. Cedrick pulled his face and called Charles. "If any personnel lingers around my office without any urgent matter from now until everyone gets off work, he''ll have his wages deducted for the month and half of his year-end bonus cut." Subsequently, Catelyn saw the same employees who passed by Cedrick''s office disappear immediately after looking at their phones. ''How domineering!'' After dinner, Cedrick had to work overtime. He suggested having the chauffeur send Catelyn home, but she refused and insisted on staying to apany him. Therefore, the office was weirdly harmonious for once. Cedrick sat at the table to handle his work while Catelyn picked a few books from the bookshelf to read on the sofa. There were many professionally written and odd books from many industries. After reading for a while, she started to feel drowsy, fueled especially because she was pregnant. She ced her head on the armchair of the sofa and looked at Cedrick. People always said that a focused man was always the most handsome. It applied to Cedrick, too. ''He''s so handsome. It''s ridiculous how unrealistic it is that he looks like he''s from a painting. He just lacks some softness and has too much stress that he can''t let go of...'' she thought. Cedrick noticed someone looking at him. There was only him and Catelyn in the room. Thus, he curled up his thin lips and had a sense of aplishment to have her admiring him. The room was quiet, save the sounds of Cedrick flipping the papers and their breaths. Not longter, Cedrick felt the pair of eyes no longer on him, so he looked to the sofa and saw Catelyn falling asleep. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. The sofa was too cramped, and it caused Catelyn to curl up into a ball. Her ck hair fell beside the edge of the sofa. There seemed to be a scent of gardenia fragrance in the air. Cedrick put away the document and walked over. Using his strong arms, he hoisted her up from the sofa softly and steadily to avoid waking her up. In truth, however, Catelyn was not too deep in sleep. She felt the world moving around her and thus opened her eyes when Cedrick picked her up. "Huh? Have you finished?" she spoke, too sleepy to mind how she drawled at the end of her sentence softly. Cedrick''s eyes darkened. He could not control his Adam''s apple bobbing, so he took a deep breath as he carried her into the resting room in the office. He ced her on the bed and pulled the nket to tuck her in. "Just a little more. You can sleep here for now. I''ll bring you backter." "You have to take care of your health. Don''t...work toote..." Although Catelyn did not fall into a deep sleep, she was still very sleepy. She could not hold her eyes open for too long. After murmuring for a while, she fell asleep and turned to the side to sleep. Cedrick bent over to give her a peck on her forehead and quietly left the resting room. Just when he closed the door, a sharp pain came from his brain. It was so painful that it felt like countless needles with a hook at the end piercing into his brain in and out, over and over again. He grabbed his head with one hand as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. His shirt clung to his skin as it was soaked by his sweat. He strode to his table and quickly opened the second bottom left drawer to take out a medicine bottle and popped two pills into his mouth. Who knew how many times he had done this skillfully? After taking the pills for nearly half an hour, the exploding pain in his brain gradually disappeared, followed by a moment of doubt and a feeling of being lost. Cedrick stared at the medicine bottle in his hand. He wondered if he truly... would not live past 30 years old as he was told. It was not Cedrick that woke up Catelyn. Instead, it was the vibration of her phone that aroused her from her slumber. Chapter 1044 Chapter 1044 Chapter 1044 Catelyn no longer felt drowsy after she went to the washroom. Looking out from the blinds, she noted that Cedrick was still working, so she did not go out to disturb him. She made use of the time by checking out the resting room. The room had a simple setup with a king-size bed and a few books on the bedside table. The pages of the books were creased, suggesting that the owner had been reading them quite often. Catelyn could imagine how Cedrick took some time off to rest on the bed and read. She picked up one of the books with the title, [What To Expect When You''re Expecting], Looking at the other books, they were all pregnancy books. [Passport to a Healthy Pregnancy], [The Expectant Father], [50 Things To Do Before Delivery], and so on... Catelyn was shocked. While Cedrick was reluctant to let her continue with the pregnancy, he had prepared so many pregnancy books behind her back. ''What a sneaky man,'' she thought. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Regardless of that, Catelyn could understand where he wasing from. Despite being a father of two four-year-old genius kids, he had missed the moments where she went to pregnancy checkups and experienced the baby slowly growing in her womb. Perhaps he also wanted to make up for it. Catelyn imagined being him and read the book to feel what sort of feelings he had. The different levels of creases suggested he read [What To Expect When You''re Expecting] the most. While she read the book, she could not help but burst out inughter. It was hard to imagine how serious he was when he read the pregnancy book. Did he have that typical long face when he read, too? The next day, all of the employees of Mason Group cheered joyfully, knowing Cedrick was not going into the office today. He had to go to the hospital with Catelyn for her monthly checkup and returned to the vi to visit Janice. When they were in the hospital, Catelyn was already familiar with the whole process. Although Cedrick had apanied her many times, there would always be a new experience each time. When she heard her baby''s heartbeat, she purposely ced the receiver to Cedrick''s ear. "Did you hearthat? That''s our baby''s heartbeat!" No matter how calm he pretended to be, there was nothing in the world that could break the connection between the parent and the child. Cedrick''s eyes sparkled with excitement as he asked, "How''s the baby?" "Same as before; clear sound from the lungs. There''s no obvious abnormality from the ultrasound and other checkings. Don''t worry too much. Your wife is in good health, too. The young master is absolutely growing healthily!" Cedrick gave the doctor a fierce look that scared the doctor. ''I... I said good things, didn''t I? Why does it feel so tense and cold all of a sudden?'' His expression changed and he quickly added, "A few weekster, we can do the 4D ultrasound, and you can see how well your son''s physical condition is and his movements. After that, we can also check for chromosomal or gic disorders in him..." However, those words only made Cedrick''s expression worsen. The entire room turned cold because of him. Catelyn, on the other hand, was amused. The doctor had misunderstood the real reason for Cedrick''s sullen face. Cedrick wanted a baby girl, yet the doctor told him the baby was a boy. It would be a miracle if he was not mad. "Alright. You heard the doctor, too. I told you I strongly believe the baby is healthy. It was the right thing to do to keep him! If we had an abortion, you wouldn''t have the chance to see him grow up!" she joked to ease the tension. The chill epassing Cedrick''s body disappeared immediately. He ced his warm hand on her belly and curled up his lips. "Regardless, I''m sure the baby is my little princess.¡¯ Chapter 1045 Chapter 1045 Chapter 1045 Time passed so quickly that the day of Catelyn and Cedrick''s wedding had arrived. They had chosen Aphro Ind, an artificial ind nearby Sapphire City, as their location. It was named after the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. ording to customs, the bride and groom were not allowed to meet the night before the wedding. Since Catelyn was pregnant, she did not want to rush things. Therefore, she was already on the ind the night before the wedding. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick had booked the entire ind for his wedding to only ept and entertain guests from the Mason family and the Atherton family. Many photographers and reporters were looking forward to photographing and reporting the most romantic wedding of the century. Since Catelyn''s mother, Summer, was no longer with them, Old Madam Atherton took her ce to tell Catelyn the responsibilities of being a wife and a mother. Both of them talked throughout the night. They were overwhelmed and also reluctant to leave each other. When morning came, Catelyn was forced to get out of bed to change into her wedding dress and have her hair styled. Nheless, she mocked herself for being the ugliest bride in the world as Cedrick forbade her from wearing makeup-just because she was pregnant! As one of the bridesmaids, Jolene cackled. ¡°I''m pretty sure Master Cedrick forbade you from wearing makeup because he refused to let you be the prettiest and attract other men''s attention." Catelyn pointed at the right side of her nose and asked nervously, '' Hey, take a look for me. Is this a pimple? Should I pop it, or should I just put on some makeup?" Joanne quickly stopped her from reaching the makeup product. "No, no, no. It''s just a tiny pimple! No one will see it unless they zoom in on you." She was invited by Catelyn to attend the wedding. Harry wanted so badly to throw her out of the ind, but Old Lady Atherton did not say a thing, so he knew he should not say anything too. Besides, the host of the day was the Mason family. It was inappropriate for him to make a scene and fuss when it was the Mason family''s day today. Catelyn exhaled deeply. "Okay...as long as it''s not visible." "Even if you have pimples all over your face, Master Cedrick will only love you!" Joanne looked at Catelyn and gave her a big hug. "You must live happily ever after with him." ''Hey, count me in! I want to hug the bride to share some joy too!" Jolene joined in. The three of them hugged. Catelyn patted Joanne and Jolene''s shoulders and inhaled deeply. "Both of you need to find your Mr. Right, too." The makeup artist saw a teardrop rolling in Catelyn''s eyes and quickly reminded her, "Missus, it''s a good day today. You shouldn''t cry." "What? You''re crying? I shouldn''t have been so emotional!" Joanne stuck her tongue out. Catelyn quickly blinked away her tears before the makeup artist came forward to help tidy her dress, which was slightly wrinkled. Knock, knock, knock! Someone was knocking at the door. "Come in, please," Joanne shouted at the door automatically. "Missus, Miss Winters, it''s the Young Masters and Grandpa Mason." The Mason family selected only the finest securities to be in charge of the security of the ind today, and only those who have passed security clearance would be granted entrance. Lately, Catelyn''s sons had been staying in Mason Chateau to apany their grandfather. Grandpa Mason took a peek into the bride''s room and reminded Catelyn to rest well. After that, he left without entering the room. Miles and Ollie were wearing handsome sets of white suits and shiny ck leather shoes. They even styled their hair with hair gel-just like two miniature-sized Cedrick! "Mommy, Mommy, I''m here!" Miles ran over with his short legs. He wanted to cling to his mother''s legs babyishly, but the wedding dress was tooplicated withyers andyers of fabric. He tried and tried, but he could not get to his mother''s legs. In the end, he decided to pull up the skirt to hug his mother¡¯s legs. Chapter 1046 Chapter 1046 Chapter 1046 "Hey, Miles. Your father is the one who is going to take off your mom''s wedding dress. Not you." Joanne bent down to carry the little guy away from Catelyn''s dress. Miles put on a sullen and cool face. "Why?" "Because only the groom can take off the bride''s dress," Joanne answered. "So I can only take off my bride''s wedding dress? Then does that mean the girl will be my bride if I take off her wedding dress?" Miles asked curiously. "Err...that sounds about right. But..." Joanne nodded and suddenly felt something was wrong. When she realized it, she pped her head from behind. The kid was only four years old. It would be long before he found himself a bride. Ollie pursed his lips and looked at Catelyn shyly. "Mummy, you look so beautiful today." Catelyn pinched his puffy cheek. "So sweet of you. Did you have fun with Great-grandpa?" When she was confirmed to be pregnant, her two sons were sent back to Mason Vi. It had been a long time since shest saw them. Ollie nodded his head vehemently. He was already used to being together with his great-grandpa while behaving discreetly and courteously. Now that Miles had joined him in the vi, the atmosphere had be more harmonious than before. "Then what about Miles?" Catelyn asked. "I''m happy too! I''m going to tell you a secret. The Old Demon cant even beat me in backgammon. Now he owes me a vi. I can stay in the vi when I''m five years old!" Miles purposely made his hand into the shape of the trumpet and showed his white teeth. Catelyn scratched his nose bridge. "Mummy, you''re going to marry Big Demon and have another baby. Will you still love Ollie and me?" Suddenly, Miles looked at Catelyn with his big worried, and yet, hopeful eyes. Catelyn had to use some strength to carry him up. She rubbed her forehead against his. "Silly, your father and I were already married. We are only having our wedding ceremony now." Catelyn wanted to carry Ollie too, but she really did not have any strength to do it... "I promise both of you that we are only going to live happily ever after. Even with new members in the family, I''ll still love you both like I used to." "Miles loves Big Kitty the most!" Miles was a good kid. He knew he should not let Catelyn hold him for too long. He gave his mother a peck on the cheek and quickly jumped off. "Big Kitty also loves you and Ollie." Ollie was not used to the sweet and loving moments. His ears turned red because of shyness. He grabbed Miles and quickly ran off. Miles and I need to go prepare to be the flower boy. The four of US will definitely live happily in the future!" Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Soon, it was time to begin the ceremony. The bridesmaids stood outside of the door while Catelyn put on her wedding veil and stepped outside of the room. Many came over to support and walk with her. It was quite distant from the resting room to the actual venue of the wedding. On the way to the venue, there were several mediapanies following her while live streaming. The shlight from the cameras shed nonstop. The ind was covered with red carpet and flowers. People could not stop discussing andmenting. "What a big event. I heard they are celebrating for three days with a total of 666 tables of guests. How luxurious! The bride must have saved the world in her past lives to marry such a guy..." "You''re wrong. The bride is Old Madam Atherton''s granddaughter. They are well-matched. Even if you have been a good person in the past lives, you''ll need to be born in the correct family..." "Hey, do you know? I heard she was only being brought back to the family after a long time. The Atherton family even took the wrong girl before. Who knows if this is the real one this time?" Chapter 1047 Chapter 1047 Chapter 1047 Just as that woman finished talking, someone pushed her elbow. "You better shut up. The Atherton family hates it when people say that. If either Mister Atherton or Old Madam Atherton hears that, your "What...Are you sure?" The others gave the woman a disdainful look and quickly stepped away from her. "Don''t tell the others we know you. We never say anything." Catelyn was getting closer to the venue of the wedding. Miles and Ollie had many different kinds of candy boxes and gifts with them. They shuttled back and forth in the crowd giving out those candy boxes and gifts. Their two puffy faces looked so happy and joyful. The emcee went on the stage to announce that the wedding ceremony was about to start. Catelyn was already at the other end of the red carpet together with her bridesmaids. Thewn was covered with ayer of red carpet. Therge circr arch was decorated with lilies. Many pink-colored balloons were tied together to form a heart shape and were hung on the circr arch. There were times when the balloon would pop because of the weather. When it did, the staff would quickly rece it with another one. The sentence, ''Congrattions to Mister Cedrick Mason and Miss Catelyn rk on their wedding day!'' was written on the balloons. Ribbons flew with the wind, and the entire decoration looked so spectacr and dazzling. Catelyn stood at one end of the red carpet nervously. She was grabbing Ezekiel''s arm. When the ceremony started, Ezekiel would walk her down and pass her to Cedrick. Ezekiel looked at Catelyn''s little bump with aplex feeling. "Kitty, are you sure?" "Dad, I never think about giving up on Cedrick or the baby. So, yes, I''m sure. " Catelyn had the prettiest smile on her face. This is from N?velDrama.Org. It was her wedding ceremony. The one and only wedding ceremony for every girl! She was just a little nervous... She looked at Ezekiel with serious looking eyes. "Would you give your blessing to me?" "I... Of course, I will give my blessing to you. You''re my daughter. As long as you are happy, I''m happy to do anything for you," Ezekiel said gently while helping her to tidy up her intricate wedding train. Catelyn smiled. "Thank you, dad." At an angle where no one could see, a vicious re appeared in Ezekiel''s eyes... At the other end of the red carpet, Cedrick was standing upright. He was wearing a ck suit. His tall and strong figure showed how majestic he was. His short hair was styled sleekly. His usual stone-cold expression looked gentle today with a satisfying and mysterious smile. Even if he did not say a thing, he was the center of attention just by standing there. As the wedding song was yed, Catelyn slowly walked over with Ezekiel to stand in front of Cedrick. All the while, Cedrick had his eyes focused on her. "Cedrick, I''m going to hand Kitty to you now. I hope you will cherish and love her. No matter how powerful you are, I will never let you go if you dare to bully her," Ezekiel said while wiping off the tears in his eyes. Cedrick felt like his heart had skipped a beat. With a solemn face, he epted Catelyn''s hand from Ezekiel... "I will use my whole life to prove to you that marrying me is her best choice and a choice that she will never regret." Catelyn was wearing a pair of white gloves. Cedrick could not see her fingers, but from across the thin fabric, he could feel the temperature of her palm. Catelyn could not stop blinking her eyes while her body felt stiff. ''Oh no. I''m really nervous. What should I do? There are so many people watching US. Other than Nana and Edwin, there are those from The Atherton family and The Mason family.'' In the very beginning, they nned to invite just a handful of people to the wedding. Only those who were closer and more important. However, their families were two of the major families in the city. No matter how they reduced the number of guests, it still resulted in over one thousand five hundred people from each family. Not to mention their oversea business partners. Chapter 1048 Chapter 1048 Chapter 1048 There were also Miles and Ollie''s ssmates. Ezekiel also invited his business partners... and many, many more. In total, the number of people on the ind, including the staff and reporters, was over five thousand! Cedrick knew Catelyn was feeling uneasy. He said in his sexy voice, "You look beautiful today." Catelyn lifted her head to look at him and secretly rooted for herself to make herself look impable. She alsoplimented him, "You look handsome too.¡± "So you''re saying I was not handsome before?" Cedrick pursed his lips and joked. The atmosphere was less tense than before. Catelyn raised her brow." Handsome. My husband has to look handsome every day. You just N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. look remarkably handsome today. Not even our cute sons are as handsome as you are." Suddenly, Cedrick squeezed her hand. It was not too hard or soft, yet it struck her heart. For a moment there, she could not help and wanted to hug him. ''He''s mine forever!'' she thought. They had been to many people''s weddings before. The process was all the same. They took their oath, exchanged rings, and that was all. However, it was a totally new and strange experience when they were the bride and groom. They did not choose to have the wedding in the church. Both of them wished to have a simple and rxed ceremony. Moreover, Catelyn was pregnant, so they had cut off many processes and left with the essential parts... The emcee cleared his throat and asked solemnly, Before God, your friends, and your families, I ask you to affirm your willingness to enter the covenant of marriage to share all the joys and sorrows of your lives and your rtionship, whatever the future may hold." "Cedrick Mason, do you take this woman to be your wife? Do you promise to love her,fort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?" Even when Catelyn knew the answer to those questions, she was still looking at Cedrick nervously. Cedrick saw her nervous eyes and felt funny. His love for her was about to overflow. He said with his calm and steady voice, "I do." After that, the emcee turned to look at Catelyn and asked her the same questions. Catelyn listened to them. When the emcee finished with the questions, she nodded as she felt touched. "I do." She and Cedrick stared deep into each other''s eyes. The two words felt like a huge hammer striking their hearts. They had never thought those two words sounded more alluring than they imagined... After the simple and yet solemn swearing, the emcee shouted excitedly, "I, hereby, pronounce Mister Cedrick Mason and Missus Catelyn rk to be husband..." "Wait!" When the emcee was about to announce them as husband and wife, someone suddenly interrupted inappropriately. Everyone looked toward the direction of the sound. It was from Edwin, who was sitting beside Old Madam Atherton. An uproar appeared in the crowd. Even Catelyn could feel the look on Cedrick''s face was as cold as an icicle. "Kitty, look at your husband. Looking so fierce when he is a groom today. Don''t worry. I''m not going to stop you from marrying him. I prepared a list to test him for you." Edwin walked up to the front with an evil smile. Cedrick red at him impatiently to warn him of the danger. Edwin totally ignored the look on Cedrick''s face and took out a document to pass it to him. He teased, "If you dare to read it out in front of all of the guests, then I won''t have any problems." Cedrick nced over the content, and his handsome face darkened. Catelyn was very curious about the content of the document. Chapter 1049 Chapter 1049 Chapter 1049 Edwin was not afraid to make things worse. He continued to provoke,'' What''s wrong? Are you going to read it or not? Or you are not serious about marrying Kitty that you don''t have the guts to read it out in front of everyone?" Cedrick looked at Edwin, who had a big smile on his face. He gritted his teeth so badly that they made a sound. The issue Edwin had with N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Joanne did not affect him at all. He could still find a way to make things difficult for Cedrick now. Cately did not know what Edwin was asking Cedrick to read out loud. Nevertheless, she could tell they were not something pleasant from Cedrick''s sullen look. "Stop this nonsense, Edwin. You''re going to dy the time..." "No way. Granny Atherton could not challenge Cedrick because she is a respected elder. As your cousin, I can''t just let you be with him so easily. Besides, you gave birth to a twin. He should show some appreciation too.¡¯ "But..." "I''ll read it!" When Catelyn and Edwin were quarreling, Cedrick uttered the words out of his mouth. "Edwin is right. He can''t let his sister marry me so easily. It''s a nice thought. I''ll definitely return it to you one day.¡¯ Edwin felt the chills in his back and foresaw a bad repercussion waiting for him in the future. Nevertheless, he thought it was worth it having to prank Cedrick. Cedrick looked at the document and cleared his throat stiffly. He looked at Catelyn and started to read, "This is a love deration to my wife. I promise that in the future of our marriage, I will..." Love deration? Catelyn nced at Edwin shockingly. ''Could it be those lovey-dovey, corny, and hrious statements?'' she thought. The following answered her question. With the help of the microphone, Cedrick''s sexy voice was heard all over the venue. He sounded so tense. ''Fully obey my wife''s instructions, take good care of my wife''s emotions, respect my wife''s hobby, remember my wife''s birthday, endure my wife''s scolding, splurging on my wife, remember that my wife is always right..." Having thought that Cedrick was a superior and stringent person to read such hrious statements in front of so many guests... Catelyn very much wanted tough out loud, but she knew she should not. Other than feeling touched, she felt nothing else. Edwin mored, "Continue! There''s more.¡¯ Cedrick gave him a fierce re, but Edwin was not afraid. "Kitty is still waiting. Don''t dy the time anymore..." Thus, Catelyn saw Cedrick continue reading with his sullen face. "Dear Miss Catelyn rk, I wish to thank destiny for bringing you to me. You make my blood pressure soar. If my blood pressure reading resembles my love for you, I would be at the highest..." "I''m willing to use my life to protect and honor our sacred and holy wedding. To have only you in my life. I can''t guarantee to love you the most in my early years because of my mother. But I promise to love you and only you for the rest of my life. If I fail to do that, then I shall die tragically, fail like a loser, have mypany in bankruptcy, my children..." In the beginning, Cately covered her face because she felt so shy... Until her heart trembled because of those curses. Her face changed, and she quickly covered his mouth with her hand. "I believe in you. Stop swearing..." After that, she gave Edwin a fierce re. ''Did he ask Cedrickto read those things he used to court those girls? So mushy...'' Edwin wanted to add more spice to the situation. When he looked at how loving the couple was, he smiled evilly and initiated everyone to p with him. Wave after wave of apuse and cheers overwhelmed the guests... Cedrick looked down into Catelun''s eyes and confessed his love among the cheering of the guests. ¡¯I love you." "What did you say?" It shocked Catelyn as she lifted her head to look at him. "I''m very satisfied with the wedding." Cedrick looked away awkwardly while his ears turned red. ''But you only said three words just now!" Catelyn was not about to let him off the hook. She used her hands to straighten his head. "Hurry up and repeat what you said just now..." Chapter 1050 Chapter 1050 Chapter 1050 "What did I say?" Cedrick asked deliberately. "You said I love you!" Catelyn answered without thinking. Cedrick nodded calmly. "Yes, you love me." "It''s I love you!¡± Catelyn was frustrated, so she strengthened her tone. Cedrick continued to nod with a smile. "I know you love me. You don''t have to emphasize it so strongly." Catelyn got so annoyed and did not care that the emcee had not pronounced them to be husband and wife. She pushed Cedrick away and All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. wanted to leave. Edwin was the type of person who was not afraid to cause trouble. Heughed out loud and whistled. Subsequently, Cedrick used a weird posture to extend his hand out to grab Catelyn''s waist before she walked away. Instantly, she was in his arms. He held the back of her head and pressed his lips against hers... "Mmmm..." All of Catelyn''s dissatisfaction was stopped by the kiss. In the meantime, she vaguely heard Cedrick mumbling seriously, "Silly. I said I love you. You''re my forever love, the one and only love." It created the climax for the event, and the guests were uproaring! The emcee stepped in. "I, hereby, pronounce you husband and wife. No matter good or bad, high or low, sickness or health till death do them apart! ¡ö Miles and Ollie threw the flower petals up into the air... The wedding ceremony was finally over in both a solemn and hrious situation. Cough, cough... Janice was watching the ceremony in a special area specially created for her. She saw the couple kissing together happily and got so excited that she forgot about her health condition. The maid hurried over to her. "Miss Coleman, here, drink some honey water." "They are a perfect match for each other. I won''t be afraid to see my sister when the timees." She smiled and drank the honey water. Her eyes fell onto Ezekiel''s back, and instantly, her expression changed. She...remembered! She remembered where she saw Ezekiel''s back before... After the ceremony, it was time to feast. Since there were several thousand guests who attended the wedding, it was not right if Catelyn did not show her face and entertain a little. Although Cedrick requested her to rest in the hotel, she was not about to give the others the chance to pick on her. She changed into a morefortable outfit and followed Cedrick. They went to the elderly''s table to pay their respects and thank them for attending the wedding... Catelyn could not possibly be able to make it to every table, even if they only spent a few seconds at each table. When they were at Janice¡¯s table, Catelyn was very sincere when she cheered with Janice. As Janice saw the happy smile on Catelyn¡¯s face, she hesitated to tell her... In the end, she ended up caring for Catelyn''s body condition and asked her to take good care of herself. Cedrick saw Catelyn was slightly exhausted by now. "You must be tired after standing for so long. Why don''t you let Aunt Janice go upstairs together with you to rest? I''ll go pick you upter." Catelyn looked at the tables that she had not gone to. "But I haven''t gone to all the tables yet..." "It''s alright. They understand since you are pregnant. Besides, the night is still early..." Cedrick deliberately puffed a gush of hot air into her ear ambiguously. Catelyn''s face blushed, and she went up to their wedding room in the hotel together with Janice. Chapter 1051 Chapter 1051 Chapter 1051 The waiter enthusiastically introduced the hotel''s special services, as well as the specialndscapes on the ind, as he led them both upstairs. As they entered the bedroom, the curtains were all drawn, and the whole room was lit with an ambiguous orange light, adding a sense of exotic touch. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. There were alsoyers of rose petals on the huge bed in the shape of a heart. There were also balloons on the wall... Everything was just wonderful and dreamy! The waiter looked at Catelyn''s surprised expression and exined with a smile, "Theseyouts were chosen by both Master Cedrick and Mister Atherton, and I hope you are satisfied with them!" Janice could not contain her excitement. "Ceddy is so romantic! Kitty, do you like it?" she asked happily. "Yeah," said Catelyn, wondering why Edwin was involved in this. The waiter seemed to notice Catelyn''s unnaturalness. "All men have the same taste in certain things in their nature. Not to mention that Mister Atherton and Master Cedrick are both close friends. As your cousin, Mister Atherton is more than happy to contribute, and he hopes that you and Master Cedrick will have a happy wedding night." Catelyn just stood there, not saying anything. The waiter ordered some snacks for her. Before leaving the room, he hinted that Catelyn should rest well and be prepared, as the room might turn into an aggressive animal at night. Catelyn choked as she heard this statement and subconsciously drank a few more sips of water. Janice patted her on the back tofort Catelyn. "Are you looking forward to your wedding night with Ceddy that much?" she joked. "I''m not..." muttered Catelyn. Under the warm light, even without makeup, her face was still translucent, like a fruit waiting to be picked. The more Janice looked at her, the more she thought of Lisa. It was no wonder Old Madam Atherton lost her mind by looking at Catelyn. From a certain angle, she and Lisa really do have an uncanny resemnce. Catelyn stared at Janice suspiciously and called softly, "What''s the matter?" Janice''s thoughts were interrupted all of a sudden. She stared nkly at Catelyn. "Kitty, didn''t you ask me where I saw the man who hurt your mother?" Catelyn''s eyes showed a hint of surprise. "You remembered?" "Well, he was shopping with your mother at the time. The two seemed to have a good rtionship, and it wasn''t just the two of them. There was another..." said Janice. Catelyn''s curiosity was aroused. She asked intently, "There was someone else? Do I know him?" Janice held Catelyn''s hand, and she seemed not to want to continue talking about this topic. "I''ll tell you everything I know after your wedding. I wouldn''t want to ruin your mood now as a bride. Otherwise, Ceddy will hate me!" said Janice assuringly. Catelyn had been waiting for so long for this, and she could definitely wait for just one more night. She said yfully to Janice, "No way, Ceddy cares more about you than me! I would sometimes be jealous of you!" "Silly girl." Janice smiled softly. ¡¯ But with you by his side, even if I''m not around in the future, I can be at ease." Chapter 1052 Chapter 1052 Chapter 1052 "Nonsense! You will live a long life, and you will take care of my children!" said Catelyn. The door was ajar, and a few rays of light managed to slide out of it. A figure passed by. Unlike the warmth and harmony in the room, the atmosphere from outside was quite the opposite. Meanwhile, downstairs, after many rounds of toasting, Edwin continued pouring Cedrick another drink. Cedrick seemed slightly drunk at the moment. Grandpa Mason was very happy to see his grandson finally marry Sylvie''s granddaughter. Holding his ss of wine, he went toward Old Madam Atherton to express his gratitude. In front of countless guests, Old Madam Atherton did not want to ruin the wedding celebration, so she reluctantly drank the juice that Grandpa Mason handed over to her. The old man was as happy as a child, talking about the past in a rambunctious manner. asionally, he would talk about his childhood and the challenges he had faced over the years. Old Madam Atherton was overwhelmed with mixed emotions, and her eyes were red. Cedrick pretended to be drunk to get rid of Edwin and allowed Charles and Eason to entertain the guests. He went upstairs with the help of his servants. On his way, the hotel staff kept greeting him, but he did not respond to them. Only the woman sitting in the room waiting for him could fill his heart with warmth... Back in the bedroom, Janice was already long gone. Catelyn was feeling sleepy after eating, but when she heard the door opening, she immediately sat up from the bed. "How much did you drink?" Catelyn frowned, smelling the pungent alcohol scent from Cedrick. Despiteining, she still went over and helped Cedrick to take off his coat. Afraid of triggering her morning sickness, Cedrick took the initiative to maintain a little distance from himself with Catelyn. He took the coat off himself and threw it into theundry basket in the bathroom. "Well, you should be asking your good cousin how much wine he poured for me just now." Catelynughed. "You both should marry each other." ''Please, no," said Cedrick. Catelynughed even more cheerfully. She watched Cedrick take a change of clothes from the closet. He then stood two meters away from the big bed, staring at her without blinking an eye. The night sky got darker, and suddenly, the room became quiet. Catelyn was feeling ufortable that Cedrick was staring at her with this scorching gaze of his. She moved aside nervously and stared at the floor with guilty eyes. Her palms started sweating. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. So, is this finally happening? "I''m pregnant, and the doctor said no," stammered Catelyn in a panicked voice. She paused for a moment, pursed her lips, and continued, "However, it''s our wedding night, after all." Chapter 1053 Chapter 1053 Chapter 1053 After all, Catelyn was ready for this. Cedrick removed his bathrobe and got under the quilt. He pulled her into his arms. "Kiss me," he said hoarsely in amanding tone. Catelyn turned over and started kissing his chin. She breathed a sigh of relief. Was her wedding night finallying to an end? Suddenly, Cedrick threw off the quilt and went straight to the bathroom. "Ceddy?" Catelyn eximed in surprise. "Aren''t you sleepy? Go to bed first. I''ll be back soon," said Cedrick. He entered the bathroom and started taking a cold shower. When Cedrick came out of the shower, Catelyn was so tired that she fell asleep. He ensured his body had warmed up before lying beside her. Holding her in his arms quietly, he looked at the dark ceiling above his head. Even though his body was not satisfied, his heart was greatly relieved as he hugged her. There was nothing more peaceful than falling asleep with Catelyn in his arms. It was eight o''clock the next day when Catelyn woke up, and Cedrick was no longer in the bedroom. There are many special programs and activities avable on the ind. Catelyn and Cedrick nned to have their first honeymoon trip here. There was no one waiting outside her room. Perhaps the servants did not expect Catelyn to wake up this early in the morning. She washed her face and went downstairs to get breakfast by herself. As she passed the corner of the corridor, she vaguely heard someone talking in the back stairwell. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. It sounded like a conversation between a man and a woman. The woman was Janice, whereas the man had deliberately lowered his voice. Catelyn could not tell who he was. Catelyn instantly smelled gossip. Curiosity drove her to approach the crack of the door. She intended to take a peek to find out who Janice was chatting with... Boom! Suddenly there was the sound of a heavy object rolling down the stairs! Catelyn''s expression changed immediately, and she quickly opened the door and looked down. Janice was seen tumbling down the stairs. Other than that, Catelyn also saw the man fleeing hastily from the scene, and she could not see his face clearly. Janice eventually fell down at the bottom of the stairs and knocked her head on the flower pot on thest step. What came after that was a "Aunt Janice!" cried Catelyn in horror. Chapter 1054 Chapter 1054 Chapter 1054 Catelyn let out a trembling scream. She hurried down the stairs and helped Janice who was lying paralyzed on the ground. She patted her cheek and tried to regain her consciousness.'' Aunt Janice? Can you hear me? Hang on. I''m calling an ambnce...." Janice was soaked in a pool of her own blood, holding Catelyn''s clothes tightly with one hand and pointing at Catelyn with the other. "Cate... Catelyn...¡± "Ah!" A maid screamed in fright as she saw what had happened. She happened to hear Catelyn''s cry earlier and quickly came over to take a look. "My God! Somebody help! Miss Coleman fell down the stairs!" This is from N?velDrama.Org. "Doctor? Where is the doctor..." The hotel instantly turned into chaos. Cedrick was in the midst of talking to Edwin about giving Catelyn an unforgettable moment when he suddenly received a call. Catelyn was so exhaustedst night, and he was so drunk that he did not have the time to do something more romantic. After hanging up the phone, Cedrick froze in ce. Seeing his dazed expression, Edwin bumped his arm. "Are you thinking of how to surprise Kitty tonight?" Thud! The phone slid from Cedrick''s palm and hit the floor. Edwin realized something was not right. "Are you okay?" he asked. Without answering him, Cedrick turned around and left. Edwin had hardly seen Cedrick losing control like this, and he quickly chased after him. "What happened? Could it be that Kitty..." Cedrick could not really hear what Edwin was saying. The cold air blew on his face as his coat fell inside the house. Cedrick shivered from the cold, but there was not any expression on his face. He eventually reached the gates of the hotel. The ind was small, and the medical team had arrived very quickly. Several people were carrying a stretcher with Janice on it to the ambnce. The ambnce drove away. Cedrick held the security head by the cor and asked coldly, "What''s going on? Why did she fall from the stairs? And where is my wife?" "Well... Master Cedrick, I''m not too sure why myself..." stammered the security head. "Ceddy, I''m here!" yelled Catelyn as she squeezed out from the crowd. Cedrick turned his head and rushed over, hugging Catelyn tightly in his arms. He lowered his head and saw that Catelyn was covered in blood. "The blood..." muttered Cedrick. "It''s not mine. I stained my clothes when I hugged Auntie Janice just now," cried Catelyn. Her eyes were red, and she kept shaking her head. "I''m sorry, it''s all my fault. If I had been there earlier, I could have saved her. It''s all my fault..." Catelyn was beating herself up. Why did she not open the door earlier? Just the thought of Janice dying in a pool of blood made Catelyn feel as if someone was choking her by the throat! Just one night before, they both were still happily chatting about traveling the world together in the future.... Chapter 1055 Chapter 1055 Chapter 1055 Once Cedrick was certain that Catelyn was fine, he drove his car and chased after the ambnce. Catelyn was sitting in the passenger seat, watching him clutching the steering wheel with both hands. His bloodshot eyes stared in front, expressionlessly as he stepped on the elerator. The car sped up, and Catelyn felt like she was floating on air. The car did not slow down even when they passed a big windy road. It felt as if they were about to hit something! Catelyn was so frightened that she closed her eyes tightly. She could clearly feel that the tire had hit something hard on the road, and the car started to drive crookedly. Catelyn was sweating all over. She quickly grabbed Cedrick''s hand on the steering wheel. "Cedrick, please drive slowly! Aunt Janice will be okay. I don¡¯t want US to be involved in an ident!¡± Cedrick stared at the road silently. His face was tense, and there was no trace of sadness or joy on his face, like a rampaging beast. He gripped the steering wheel even tighter now. Catelyn had never seen Cedrick like this before. "I know Aunt Janice is like a mother to you, but now is not the time to lose control! We can''t die now! Otherwise, how can we find out who was the culprit behind all these?!¡± pleaded Catelyn. Cedrick turned his head and looked at her. He had a pale face, and beads of sweat the size of peas were sliding down his forehead. He suddenly loosened his step on his elerator pedal, and the car''s speed instantly dropped. Catelyn looked at him in shock and gave him an assuring look. As soon as Cedrick arrived at the hospital, he heard the doctor say, "It seems that there is intracranial hemorrhage, and there are many signs of fractures on the body. Surgery is necessary right now, and the situation is not looking good." "Then what are you waiting for?! Do it!" Cedrick roared loudly. The doctor took the signed form and left, pushing Janice into the operating room. Catelyn went over to Cedrick and gently sped his hand. She leaned her head on his shoulder, saying nothing. Soon, people from both the Masons and Athertons arrived at the hospital. The quiet corridor suddenly became noisy. Everyone was asking about Janice''s current status. Grandpa Mason leaned on his crutches as he asked, "Can anybody tell me what happened? Who was the first who saw Janice falling down the stairs?" Draco had long regarded Janice as a part of the Mason Family. Now that there was an incident like this, he must investigate. From N?velDrama.Org. Was it an ident? Or was it an attempted murder? It was unfortunate that there were no surveince cameras around the stairwell. Nobody could find out what happened. A maid stood up tremblingly. "It was me. I was serving breakfast to the guests upstairs, and I heard shouts from the stairwell, so I went and took a look." As she spoke, the maid suddenly thought of something and looked at Catelyn nervously. Cedrick''s eyes were gloomy. "Say whateveres to your mind!" he eximed. The maid stammered, "When I got to the stairwell, Miss Coleman had already fallen, and this youngdy was squatting beside her in panic, all covered in blood. Miss Coleman was... She was pointing at her and calling her name." Draco heard the maid''s words and looked at Catelyn. His voice suddenly became a little more dignified. "Were you there as well?" Now, all eyes were on Catelyn. Her face changed quickly as she tried to get a hold of herself. Chapter 1056 Chapter 1056 Chapter 1056 ¡¯I was indeed the first one to reach the stairwell, but I was only there because I overheard a conversation between her and someone else. By the time I was there, Aunt Janice had already fallen and hurt herself. I ran down to check her injury and got myself stained with her blood," said Catelyn. Draco''s heart skipped a beat. Cedrick''s face was dark. If there was a third person at the scene, it only meant that Janice was probably pushed down by someone. His eyes were full of hostility, and he continued to ask Catelyn, "You''ve mentioned that you''ve heard a conversation, was the other person a male or a female?" Catelyn replied without hesitation, "I''m sure it was a man." "Then, did you see who he is?" At this moment, Ezekiel suddenly raised his voice and asked. Catelyn looked at her father and said helplessly, "He ran away so quickly, I didn''t manage to catch a glimpse of his face." "What about his voice? Can you recognize it?" Ezekiel asked again in a serious tone. Catelyn tried her best to recall the incident. She was too far from the man, and he lowered his voice while speaking to Janice. Catelyn shook her head. To her, it only sounded like a bunch of indistinct whispers. Cedrick''s expression was gloomy. "Did she tell you anything before she lost consciousness?" he asked. "She didn''t say anything," replied Catelyn. Janice was only half-calling her name at that moment. How could she possibly have any more energy to tell her who the culprit was? Cedrick was unwilling to give up just like that and asked Catelyn forcefully," Think about it carefully. What are the characteristics of this man? What does he smell like? Anything!" "I would definitely tell you if I know anything," said Catelyn. She really had no clue. Now that she had calmed down, the image of Janice lying in a pool of blood started popping up in her mind. It was truly a shocking scene! "Ceddy, let''s not force Kitty anymore. She already said she couldn''t remember anything clearly. She is still pregnant, and she doesn''t even have the time to catch her own breath, and now you''re interrogating her like a prisoner?" Ezekiel said as he stepped forward, standing in front of Catelyn. Old Madam Atherton also sternly reprimanded, "Cedrick, my granddaughter did not marry you to be interrogated like this! Let''s go home, Kitty!" "Grandma, Dad, it''s okay. I really want to find out the culprit behind all this. I''m not tired at all," said Catelyn. Catelyn understood Cedrick''s current mood. She would be even more desperate to find out the truth if it were her. "You may not be tired, but you would harm the child in your belly! You haven''t even had your breakfast yet, and it''s already noon!" said Old Madam Atherton. Catelyn exchanged looks with Cedrick. She knew she could not reject the olddy, but deep down, she was even more worried about Cedrick. Janice''s life and death were on the line, and he must be really worried. Yet, at times like this, she could not be by his side! After Catelyn left, Cedrick seemed to be a totally different person. It was as if his entire body was filled with some sort of evil spirit. His eyes swept over at the people present, and then he said to Eason, "Get someone to seal off the entire ind. No one is allowed to leave until the truth of the matter is found out!" "Seal? The entire ind?" stammered Eason. He could not believe what he had just heard. From N?velDrama.Org. Draco was also feeling skeptical about Cedrick''s words. "Every guest in the wedding is different. What''s the point of this? To find the culprit, we should keep it low to avoid causing amotion." Cedrick ignored Draco and stared at Eason coldly. ¡¯Do I make myself clear? ¡ö ¡¯Yes, I''ll do it right away," replied Eason. Chapter 1057 Chapter 1057 Chapter 1057 Cedrick ordered Charles to retrieve all the surveince footage around the ind a few hours before and after the incident. Judging from the culprit''s frantic escape from the scene, the crime was not premeditated. Since Janice was pushed downstairs on impulse, the culprit probably did not have anytime to hide the evidence... Nobody could have imagined such a horrifying incident to take ce in the morning after the wedding. The ind waspletely sealed off, and non- suspicious people would be evacuated in batches in an orderly manner. The operation seemed a little too much, but no one dared me Cedrick. Old Madam Atherton brought Catelyn into the car, intending to bring her back to the manor. However, Catelyn refused. She and Cedrick had already finished their wedding, so it was only natural for her to move into the Mason Estate. Anyhow, Cedrick needed her by his side. This is from N?velDrama.Org. She was disappointed that Cedrick did not call her the entire afternoon. Even when she took the initiative to call him, he did not answer the phone. She only managed to hear some news about Janice''s condition from Eason. Due to the limited medical equipment on the ind, Janice was eventually transferred to a private hospital in Sapphire City via helicopter. Catelyn could not know about Janice''s condition immediately, and it would otherwise affect her heart rate. For the sake of the child in her belly, she had to eat and rest normally. In the evening, Catelyn thought that Janice''s operation should be done already and Cedrick would call her anytime soon. However, there was still no news. Even Eason did not answer the phone when she tried calling him. Knock! Knock! There was a sudden knock on the door. Catelyn was overjoyed, thinking that Cedrick had returned, and hurriedly got up to open the door. It was Grandpa Albert standing outside the door. "Miss Catelyn, I noticed that you haven''t had your dinner, so I brought you some supper," he said, holding a bowl of stew. The joy in her heart froze. "Thanks," she muttered. Seeing that Catelyn was waiting for Cedrick, Grandpa Albert said, "Master Cedrick is very concerned about Miss Coleman, and he might be staying in the hospital tonight. You should rest early." "I know. It''s just that he hasn''t answered my calls, which is strange," replied Catelyn. She nodded politely at Grandpa Albert and took the bowl of stew from him. Meanwhile, in the hospital, Eason''s phone had been buzzing over and over again. Looking at the number on the screen, he could not bear it any longer. He mustered up the courage to ask, "Master Cedrick, it''s your wife. She has called many times. Do you want to answer it?" Since checking the surveince cameras, Cedrick had been ignoring Catelyn''s calls. He nced at the mobile phone that Eason handed over. "Should I answer it?" "No matter who the culprit is, I believe your wife is innocent," Eason said meaningfully. ''I never said she was guilty. It''s just..." Cedrick nced at Janice lying in the intensive care unit through the ss window. He hesitated to speak, closed his eyes, and said, "Get a few more people to guard my aunt." After finishing speaking, he took the keys of the Benley from Eason and left the hospital. Catelyn could not sleep at night. She took a nket and nestled on the sofa to rest. In a daze, she seemed to have returned to the moment where she had that long conversation with Janice the night before. She recalled her being very happy and smiling gracefully. Then all of a sudden, everything changed, and the memory of seeing her being pushed down the stairs popped up in Catelyn''s head... Chapter 1058 Chapter 1058 Chapter 1058 Catelyn saw the man pushing Janice down the stairs! She saw an afterimage that suddenly pushed her aunt down the stairs! She desperately tried to recall the man''s face, but he was too far away for her to get a good look at him. Furthermore, the man kept his head down as he fled, and Catelyn only managed to see the clothes he was wearing. He wore dark-colored clothes with no distinctive features. Suddenly, she recalled the man''s cuff. Perhaps there was some physical confrontation with Janice beforehand. The inner lining of the cuffs was turned inside out, revealing the intricate letter patterns embroidered on it. N&L. This pattern was magnified in Catelyn''s memory, and she started sweating. That was the style she customized exclusively for Ezekiel to wear for the wedding! Could he be the one who pushed Janice down the stairs? It cannot be... Ezekiel did not even know Janice... Catelyn suddenly felt a little uneasy. She felt a chill approaching, apanied by the sound of small footsteps. Although the footsteps were very faint, they instantly woke Catelyn up. The lights were not turned on in the room, and she could not see her fingers. She saw a tall figure standing near the window. Although she could not recognize his facial features, he had a very familiar aura! It was Cedrick! Catelyn found the remote control on the sofa and turned on the lights. The entire bedroom was lit up, and the sudden st of light made Catelyn squint her eyes. She looked at Cedrick. "You are back?" Cedrick stared at Catelyn for a while. Suddenly, he walked over quickly, stretched out his hands, and pulled Catelyn into his arms. Catelyn was stunned for a while. She then raised her hands to hug him back and sniffed the cool scent of disinfectant on his body. "You didn''t answer your phone, and I was very worried about you. How is Aunt Janice''s operation? Did the doctor say anything?" ¡¯The operation is done, but she''s still very weak. The doctor said that the next twelve hours would be very critical," replied Cedrick. He rested his chin on her shoulder, and his tone became more and more serious. "Perhaps, she will be gone by tomorrow morning." "No!" Catelyn''s heart skipped a beat. If that were to happen, she would also be losing someone very dear to her. Despite understanding Cedrick''s pain and grief, there was nothing she could do but be there tofort him. "Aunt Janice is a good person. God will not take her away cruelly," said Catelyn.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. "I don''t know what I will do if she''s gone. Catelyn, promise me that you''ll always be by my side," said Cedrick. It was unusual to see Cedrick this vulnerable. He pressed his fingers on Catelyn''s skin as he lowered his eyes and stared at her. She smelled his hot breath and nodded with a sob. She reached out to hold his face. "Yes, I will be by your side. We will go through this together. I''m sure Aunt Janice wouldn''t want to see you like this. If you are worried for her, I will apany you to watch over her at the hospital, okay?" Cedrick did not say anything but hugged her tightly in response. After what seemed to be a long while, Cedrick gently pushed her away." You are pregnant. Go and rest. I''ll be at the hospital." "But I want to go with you," cried Catelyn. As soon as Catelyn said it, Cedrick carried her back to the bed and tugged her under the nket. "Rest well, okay? Be good." "But..." Catelyn could not rest. At the same time, she felt that Cedrick was acting a little strange. "No buts! I can''t look after you and my aunt both at the same time,'' said Cedrick in a tough tone as he kissed Catelyn on her forehead. Catelyn had no choice but to stay. She watched him hastily change his clothes and was about to head out with a bag. When Cedrick got to the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and looked at Catelyn deeply. "You really can''t tell who the man was?" Chapter 1059 Chapter 1059 Chapter 1059 Catelyn''s breathing fluttered suddenly, but she quickly shook her head calmly. "I''ve thought hard about it, but I just couldn''t recognize who that was based on the voice alone. You found other clues?" "Not yet. Anyway, don''t think about it so much, sleep well," replied Cedrick. He took the keys and strode out of the Mason Estate. Catelyn sat up from the bed. Why would Cedrick ask that question all of a sudden? His reaction tonight was so strange too. Did he also discover that Ezekiel was a possible culprit as well? Catelyn was wide awake now. She took the mobile phone from the bedside table and called her father. "Miss, he is already asleep. If you have anything to say, you can tell me, and I will pass it on to him tomorrow," said the servant who answered the phone. Asleep? If he really was the person who hurt Janice, how could he be able to sleep? Catelyn rxed a little and asked the servant, "Was there any usual behavior from Dad tonight? Was he restless, or saying words that don''t make sense..." From N?velDrama.Org. "No, he is his usual self. He took a walk in the garden after dinner, got back to the study to read after that, and went to bed on time around ten o''clock. Anyway, since you are married now, he must be feeling lonely," said the servant. Catelyn was more relieved when she heard that there was no abnormality. ¡¯ Then tell Dad I''lle back to see him tomorrow when I''m free." The next morning, Catelyn got up very early. She and Grandpa Albert had been busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen all morning. Cedrick did note back, which meant that he stayed in the hospital all night to watch over Janice. The driver took Catelyn to the hospital. As she arrived at the hospital''s intensive care unit, almost everyone from the Mason family was there, even the bunch with David Mason. Hearing the sound of footsteps, everyone turned around in unison... Catelyn did not expect that there would be so many people in the corridor, and she stopped in her tracks for a moment. She looked around, noticing that Cedrick was not there. Eason had mentioned that he was with Janice in the ward. "Hey, isn''t this the wife of Master Cedrick? Miss Coleman is in such critical condition, yet you could still sleep soundly." A woman from the Mason Family made a sarcastic remark. Catelyn ignored her and walked toward Grandpa Mason. ¡¯Grandpa, I made some stew for you," she said. "Thank you, but I''m not hungry." Draco waved his hands. Apparently, he did not sleep the entire night, and he had no appetite to eat at the moment. Catelyn had a bad feeling. "How''s Aunt Janice doing?" she asked. Draco''s eyes became cold, and his face turned pale. "We were just notified two hours ago to prepare for the funeral. Catelyn, you know better than me how much Ceddy cares about Janice. I''m afraid he wouldn''t be able to ept this. Please, have a talk with himter," he said. Chapter 1060 Chapter 1060 Chapter 1060 Catelyn nodded, looking worriedly at the intensive care unit... Last night, she was still reassuring Cedrick that everything would be fine. However, things just go differently than we want all the time. At this moment, the door of the intensive care unit was pushed open, and a nurse ran over. "Miss Coleman is dying. Come in quick if you want to see her for thest time!" Regardless of the infection of the germs around, everyone just hurried in. For many people, Janice''s death was not the most important thing. Everyone was there because they knew Cedrick cared about her, and now was the perfect time for them to be at his side to ''show their sympathy''. Catelyn walked toward the hospital bed. Over there, Cedrick was sitting beside it, holding Janice''s hand. His eyes were filled with scarlet bloodshot, and a circle of stubble appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if he had not been shaving for days! Janice was lying on the bed with an oxygen mask covering her mouth and nose. A thinyer of water mist formed within the transparent mask as she breathed out. Because of the craniotomy, Janice''s head was wrapped with thick white gauze. The hospital gown looked loose on her body, which set off her skinny figure. She could not speak, but she was able to sense the movement of peopleing into the ward. She grasped Cedrick''s hand suddenly with a little strength, and a few tears slowly rolled down from the end of her eyes... "I''m here, Auntie. I''m here..." Cedrick leaned closer and whispered softly in her ear. Janice''s lips seemed to twitch twice, but no one could hear what she said. The cold wind blew strongly outside of the window like the roar of a devil. At ten o''clock in the morning, Janice Coleman passed away peacefully with Cedrick by her side. Cedrick could not ept any of this. He knelt upright by the bed, putting his trembling hands on Janice''s forehead, tidying her slightly messy hair. Janice had not been in good health, but no one had expected her departure to be like this. In fact, it had to happen after the wedding of the century. If there was no wedding, or if the wedding was not held on the ind, or if certain people were not invited to the wedding, perhaps she would still be alive... Catelyn saw Cedrick''s back was trembling in sadness. She went over with red eyes and knelt beside him. She reached out her hand, wanting to hold Janice''s hand... Cedrick pped her hand away all of a sudden. "Don''t touch her!" His voice was cold as an ice pick, piercing into her heart. Catelyn gasped as she stared at Cedrick in astonishment. Before she could react, he stood up suddenly and covered Janice''s body with the nket, and carried her up. Everyone was stunned. Even Eason and Draco looked at each other in nk dismay. "Ceddy, what are you doing?" asked Catelyn in horror, grabbing Cedrick''s clothes. He turned his head and gave her a cold look. Without any tenderness in his eyes, he said, "Let go." Catelyn felt that she was being choked, and she quickly let go of her hand in a daze. Cedrick hugged Janice tightly as he walked. He whispered softly to her unconscious body, "You said you''ve been taking jabs and medicines your whole life. You will never have to do that again, I promise. Let''s go home, Auntie...." With that, he carried Janice''s body and left the ward. Tears started rolling down Catelyn''s cheek. She gently closed her eyes and shivered in the cold as she watched Cedrick disappear. "Ma''am, let me get you a nket," said Eason. Catelyn grabbed his hand, with tears shining in her eyes, and said earnestly, "You are by Ceddy''s side the entire time. You must know some clues! Tell me, who did this?!"From N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1061 Chapter 1061 Chapter 1061 Chapter 1061 As thest sunset glow disappeared, the car turned thest corner and drove down thene in front of the rk Mansion. Ezekiel had a business meeting in the evening, so he intended to go home first to take a shower and change clothes... He had just gotten out of the car and hadn''t stepped into the foyer when another ck car came up behind him. The dazzling light made him unable to open his eyes. Ezekiel subconsciously reached out to block the light and squinted. Then he saw the car stop. Catelyn got out, still wearing her bulky down jacket from the morning, yet her cheeks were stiffer and whiter than in the morning, and her eyes were red as if she had just cried. "Cat?" Ezekiel raised his eyebrows in surprise when he realized it was Catelyn. "Why didn''t you call ahead to tell me you woulde back?" Catelyn looked at Ezekiel, who greeted her as if nothing had happened. Her heart sank. "I have something to say to you." "Well, me too. Let''s go in and talk about it." Ezekiel took Catelyn in and ordered the maid to make dinner that a pregnant woman could eat. The rk Mansion was brightly lit at night, much more luxurious than before, exuding an air of power and wealth. From N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn''s slender fingers brushed over the jade ornament disyed on the shelf as she said, "Many of the things in this vi were bought for you by Ceddy. Each of them is worth a lot of money. Dad, Ceddy is good to you, right?" Ezekiel''s face was full of pride. "He is good to me for your sake. All is because I have a good daughter." Catelyn suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him calmly, her eyes sharp. "Then how could you have the heart to kill Janice, his most respected person?" Ezekiel staggered as if he had been hit head-on. The smile at the corner of his mouth slowly froze. He put on a serious and injured expression. "You suspect me of being a murderer? "Stop pretending. I saw you push Janice downstairs. Ceddy checked the surveince video, in which you ran away from the back staircase with a panicked face. How long do you want to cheat me?" When she called the maidst night, the maid told her that there was nothing abnormal about Ezekiel. Was he so emboldened because he was confident that no one would find out the truth? Janice was dead. He was now a murderer. How did he keep his face unchanged? Catelyn felt a chill down her back, and suddenly, she was terrified. Ezekiel''s eyes shed with disbelief, and then he gave a cold smile. "Don''t fool me. There is no surveince camera in the back stairwell. You''re married, so you no longer care about your original family. You are now Mrs. Mason. To help Cedrick find the murderer, you even suspect your father. I''ve never even met Janice. How could I push her downstairs?" Catelyn was excited when she learned that Ezekiel wasn''t dead and took him back. However, now she was devastated. She was crying andughing, tears blurring her vision. She was heartbroken. "Dad, maybe you don''t know. To record the wedding morepletely, Ceddy had many hidden cameras added to the ind. You were captured running downstairs at that time, and the suit you abandoned has Janice''s skin tissue on it. You said you had never seen Janice, so why do you have Janice''s DNA on your cuff?" Ezekiel was stunned for a long time before shaking his head in disbelief. "That can''t be possible. If Cedrick had found anything about me, why didn''t hee and get me?" Ezekiel had received word this morning that Janice was dead. Cedrick sat with her body in his arms all day at Nandose Vi, forbidding anyone toe near. In his current state, he couldn''t investigate the truth. If he wanted to find the clues, he should have found them yesterday... Yet Cedrick had note to Ezekiel. Chapter 1062 Chapter 1062 Chapter 1062 Chapter 1062 "You admitted it, right? It''s really you!" Catelyn''s head buzzed, her eyes shing with grief. "You didn''t only ruin Janice but also ruin me. How can I face Ceddy now? Janice was his aunt. He takes her as his mother..." Ezekiel knew it was useless to exin. He anxiously took Catelyn''s hand. "I did not want to. Cat, believe me. It was really just an ident. From the ident to now, I have been unable to eat well or sleep well. I have nightmares every night..." ''I don''t want to hear your exnation. I just want to know what you and Janice were arguing about in the stairwell." Catelyn was annoyed, shaking off Ezekiel''s hand fiercely. Her mind was in a whirl. She didn''t want to hear any exnation now. She just wanted to know how to atone and make Cedrick forgive her All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. father. But was it possible? Her father killed Janice... "I..." Ezekiel hesitated. "You still won''t tell me the truth? Dad, I''m tired of this guessing game. I beg you... Ouch." Catelyn''s blood rushed upward, and because she was emotional, there was a slight pain in her belly. Seeing her bending over and covering her belly, Ezekiel hurriedly took Catelyn to the sofa, let her sit down, and anxiously patted her back to help her breathe. "Don''t be angry. I''ll tell you everything. In fact, Janice and I met more than twenty years ago. Back then, I was young and impetuous, so I made a big, irretrievable mistake. I thought it would be forgotten. Unexpectedly, Janice recognized me and asked me to meet her in the stairwell. She told me to confess my mistake, but I could not do it, so we quarreled..." Catelyn paused and then asked, "What mistake did you make?" "I can''t say it.¡± Ezekiel dropped his head guiltily, hands through his hair, disheveled as if he had aged a dozen years in the blink of an eye. "Dad..." "I really can''t say it. Otherwise, it will ruin everything, including you and me." Catelyn made up her mind, knowing that Ezekiel was so determined that she couldn''t get anything else out of him. '' Alright, then I will not ask anymore. Now we can only make amends. I will take you to Ceddy. Escape will make the situation worse." "You''re going to give me to Cedrick?" Ezekiel looked at Catelyn in amazement. "Instead of waiting for him toe to you, let''s take the initiative toe clean. Dad, trust me. I won''t let anything happen to you." Anyway, Ezekiel was her father. Catelyn was ready to take the consequences for Ezekiel. Maybe he wouldn''t forgive Cedrick... At least she could make herself feel better, even if just a little. Ezekiel closed his eyes. "I see. Then wait here for a while. I''ll go upstairs and change my clothes." "Okay." Five minutes passed. Ezekiel did note downstairs. Ten minutes passed. Ezekiel still didn''te downstairs. Catelyn wasn''t worried that Ezekiel would run away. For Ezekiel, his roots were in Sapphire City, and after spending the first half of his life in prison, he would never allow himself to be a vagrant for the rest of his life. She waited until her limbs were numb. Yet Ezekiel still had note downstairs yet. Catelyn asked the maid to go upstairs to hurry Ezekiel downstairs. However, Catelyn didn''t expect that half a minuteter, the maid''s panicked scream woulde from the second floor. "Somebody! Help! Catelyn, Ezekiel hasmitted suicide! Come quickly..." Chapter 1063 Chapter 1063 Chapter 1063 Chapter 1063 Catelyn was so frightened that her heart almost stopped beating and ached sharply. She ran up to the second floor in a hurry. This is from N?velDrama.Org. The bedroom was filled with a strong smell of blood. Ezekiel was lying on the bed, his bleeding wrist resting on the edge of the clean white sheet. There was a pool of blood on the ground. His wrinkled old face turned pale from blood loss. He looked dying. Catelyn ordered the maid to call an ambnce and then took a medical kit to treat Ezekiel''s wound. The wound was so deep that his bones could be seen. She wrapped thick gauze around it but still couldn''t stop the bleeding. "Dad! Are you crazy? Why did you do this? I told you I wouldn''t let anything happen to you..." "Cat, I killed someone. I should be punished by thew." Ezekiel''s unfocused eyes were narrowed as he choked, "But I really don''t want to go back to jail. I would rather die than spend the rest of my life in jail. Don''t save me..." "What are you talking about? I''m your daughter. How can I stand by and watch you die?" "But if I don''t die, what are you and Cedrick going to do? I killed his closest aunt... It''s all my fault. Why wasn''t I the one who fell downstairs? If so, you wouldn''t be in such a difficult position. I really want to die..." The more Ezekiel spoke, the more emotional he became. Suddenly, he couldn''t catch his breath. His head lolled, and he closed his eyes. Catelyn trembled and reached for his neck to take his pulse. After making sure he was still alive, she slowly took a breath in tears. Ezekiel''s pride in his bones would never allow him to go back to prison. However, someone had to take the me for Janice''s death... She thought, ''Cedrick, I just want to live happily with you, but why is it so hard?'' Nandose Vi. When Catelyn came back, the vi was preparing for the funeral. Draco was sitting on the sofa, organizing photo albums. The table was piled with all kinds of photos. Janice rarely attended the Mason family''s banquets due to her bad health, but every time Cedrick had a birthday party, she would definitelye on time. Draco used to look down on Daphne and Janice. But there was no denying that Janice had acted as a mother to take care of Cedrick all these years and... Seeing Catelyning, Draco sighed quietly and pointed upstairs. Cedrick returned back from the hospital and locked himself in Janice''s room withouting out. They managed to convince him to hand over Janice and let her be put in a freezing coffin to preserve her body, but now, Cedrick kept himself in her room. Catelyn''s mind shed back to the moments with Janice. Janice sat on the couch watching cartoons with Catelyn''s two children. They built blocks, made cakes, and made wishes together... Catelyn was so sad that she wanted to cry, and she didn''t dare to go upstairs to Janice''s bedroom. She felt guilty. Catelyn was so sorry. Draco saw her lost in thought, so he sat with her for a while and said to Eason, "Go call Cedrick down." "Yes." Eason looked at Catelyn with aplicated expression and went to the master bedroom on the second floor. The master bedroom was even messier than Eason had imagined. He had heard the bangs earlier. As he came in, he found that almost everything had been smashed to bits by Cedrick. Cedrick sat on the floor with his back to the door, one leg bent, and one arm on his knee. His shadow lengthened in the light, and his short hair was disheveled. He looked so depressed. Chapter 1064 Chapter 1064 Chapter 1064 Chapter 1064 In front of Cedrick was Janice''s photo, in which she had a graceful smile on her gentle face. He stroked the woman in the photo. It was a pity that she would never smile again. "Mr. Mason." Eason cautiously reminded him, "Mrs. Mason is here, and Grandpa Mason wants you toe down." Cedrick raised his head numbly, his eyes dull. "Tell her to leave. I want to be alone." "You can''t go on like this. No one cane back from the dead. Miss Coleman would not like to see you so sad, and there are some details of the funeral that you need to decide." Cedrick leaned back on the bedside table, his eyes bloodshot. Seeing this, Eason added, "Mrs. Mason went to see Ezekiel in the evening." Cedrick''s slightly closed eyes snapped open and looked sharp. "What was she doing there?" "Mrs. Mason stayed at the rk Mansion for almost an hour. Then an ambnce came and took Ezekiel to the hospital for emergency treatment. It is said that he cut his wrist, but he was rescued in time, so he is now out of danger." Cedrick sneered, "If he had wanted to kill himself, he would have used a more decisive way. Cut his wrist? He was just putting on a show!" "Mrs. Mason came to me this afternoon to ask for evidence to identify the murderer, and she went to Ezekiel in the evening, which proved that she had not known about this before. Perhaps she did not know that the murderer was Ezekiel..." Cedrick was nomittal. To him, whether Catelyn had known this was no longer the most important thing. He would definitely kill Ezekiel. "Did you find anything about the grudge between Ezekiel and Aunt Janice?" Cedrick couldn''t figure out when Aunt Janice, who was always at home, had met Ezekiel. Eason nodded with a straight face. "Before the murder, Janice had sent Ezekiel a text message about an old case more than twenty years ago. I guess that it might be the reason why Ezekiel killed Miss Coleman." Cedrick frowned slightly. "What old case?" This is from N?velDrama.Org. "It happened very long ago. I can only specte through the text message content that it was rted to the death of Ms. Summer Atherton, Catelyn''s mother." When Cedrick heard the name Summer Atherton, his eyebrows were knitted tighter. He said sullenly, "Be more specific." ''I re-investigated the rk family''s connections more than 20 years ago, only to find that Ezekiel was not a close rtive of the rk family, but the son of the rk family''s driver. Yet he suddenly got rich one day and took out arge sum of money to start apany. He imed to the public that he had won the lottery, but the source of the money is very suspicious." Cedrick stood up abruptly and clenched his fists. "What did this have to do with Ms. Summer Atherton?" "Ezekiel made a fortune at the time when Ms. Summer Atherton disappeared..." After saying that, Eason found Cedrick''s expression had turned grim. Eason had been thinking about how to tell Cedrick when investigating this matter. After all, the matter was important. It involved not only Janice but also Summer, and it happened more than twenty years ago. Eason was afraid that if his investigation went wrong, it would mislead Cedrick, but this seemed to be the only reasonable exnation. Cedrick''s face was icy. "You mean that Ms. Summer Atherton''s disappearance was probably not an ident. She was taken away by Ezekiel, and more than twenty yearster, Aunt Janice identally found the truth, so she was killed, right?" "Maybe this is just one of the possibilities. I will continue to follow up on this clue," Eason said hastily. "There¡¯s another way to verify if Ezekiel lied," Cedrick sneered. Eason looked at him in confusion. "Go to the hospital with Ezekiel''s and Catelyn''s DNA for a paternity test." As long as Ezekiel wasn''t Catelyn''s father and Ezekiel was proved to be a liar, Cedrick wouldn''t have to wait for Catelyn to choose between him and Ezekiel. Chapter 1065 Chapter 1065 Chapter 1065 Chapter 1065 At the same time, in the hospital. After the doctor finished checking on the patient and making notes, he turned off the lights and left. Ezekiel, who was originally dying from blood loss, opened his eyes the moment the doctor closed the door. Ignoring his bandaged wrist wound, in a panic, he took out an untraceable customized cell phone from under the pillow and dialed a number. Before he could ask for help, an icy male voice rang out on the other end of the line. ¡¯Idiot, you gave yourself away because of this Janice. Now Cedrick is already investigating you. I should really think carefully about whether N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. to keep you alive. Only the dead keep secrets forever..." Ezekiel obviously felt a murderous vibe overflowing. He was instantly frightened, his forehead sweating. He hurriedly said, "I won''t betray you! Please believe me. I did not say anything. Cedrick can''t find out about you. I raised Catelyn by myself. I know her the best. Today I slit my wrists, and she was scared silly. She absolutely will not let Cedrick hurt me. This shows that I''m still useful. I will not let you down..." This man''s methods were too cruel. If Ezekiel exposed his secrets and became useless, he would be killed sooner orter. Ezekiel must convince the man to keep him alive. "The key is not whether you will let me down, but whether you can survive Cedrick''s revenge. Cedrick is shrewd. Since he is suspicious of you, he will haunt you like a viper, so take care of yourself.¡± Ezekiel swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said firmly, ¡¯Even if ites to that, I will never dare to rat on you!" "It better be." Ezekiel was relieved and let out a long breath. He thought, ''Damn Cedrick, he had people install so many hidden cameras for the wedding, causing me to be in such a dilemma now.'' The only person who could save him was Catelyn, so he must hold on to Catelyn. Cedrick refused to see Catelyn. Catelyn''s mind was full of words, but she couldn''t spit them out. She stayed at Mason Estate in a daze. The next day, she received a call from the hospital, saying that Ezekiel''s wound was infected and that he had a serious fever. Catelyn rushed to change her clothes to go see Ezekiel, but to her surprise, as she went to the door, she found some strange bodyguards outside. The bodyguards reached out and stopped her. "Mrs. Mason, where are you going?" "Do I need to tell you where I''m going? Get out of the way!¡± Catelyn bluffed and deliberately stared at these bodyguards in an overbearing manner. Why were there suddenly bodyguards guarding Mason Estate? Was it arranged by Cedrick? He found out that the murderer was her dad. Worried that she and Ezekiel were conspiring, he asked his people to monitor her, right? "Mr. Mason has said that you''re pregnant and not feeling well, so you should not run around. You''d best stay home and recuperate." The bodyguards were adamant and did not even blink. "If you have anything to do, just instruct US to do it." "My father has a high fever in the hospital. What if I insist on going to see him?" The bodyguards looked at each other and then said forcefully, "Sorry." It was clear that she was not allowed to go out. Catelyn was really a bit annoyed, afraid that Cedrick would take the opportunity to harm Ezekiel, otherwise, why would he ground her? Ezekiel had a high fever. If anything went wrong, she would not be able to forgive herself. Catelyn walked around the living room anxiously. ¡¯Cat, are you home?" At that moment, Joanne''s worried voice sounded outside the door. Chapter 1066 Chapter 1066 Chapter 1066 Chapter 1066 Catelyn sat up straight. She saw Joannee into the house carrying several bags with her. The bodyguards didn''t stop her. Then Catelyn realized that Cedrick had only forbidden her to go out. Joanne ced the bags on the table. They were all supplements. She sat next to Catelyn and took her hand. "Catelyn, your hands are so chilly. I know you''re sad right now, but you have to take care of yourself, so the baby can be healthy..." "Joanne, it''s so good that youe see me. Cedrick won''t let me go out." "Cedrick must be afraid that you would grieve too much over Miss Coleman''s death. He is worried about you." This is from N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn didn''t say the murderer might be her dad. She was anxious. "But I can''t rest in peace right now. My dad is in the hospital having a fever. The doctor said it was serious. I want to go see him, but Cedrick won''t let me." "Is he so harsh?" Joanne muttered. "Yeah. Can you help me?" Joanne blinked. ¡®How can I help you?" Catelyn passed her a wink, then she closed her eyes and copsed on the couch. Joanne immediately shouted, "Cat? Help! Cat fainted!" The bodyguards rushed into the house when they heard Joanne''s shout. They were nervous to see Catelyn copsing in Joanne''s arms. Cedrick asked them to keep an eye on Catelyn and forbid her from going out. But now that Catelyn fainted... None of them could take the responsibility. "You won''t let her go out. She must faint due to depression!" Joanne yelled to the bodyguards, "What are you doing here? Arrange a car and take her to the hospital! Do you want to see her lose her baby?" Joanne was an actress and she made it look real. Then they took Catelyn to the hospital. Joanne went to the hospital with them. When they arrived at the hospital, Joanne was surprised to see Cedrick waiting for Catelyn there. Joanne had seen Cedrick a few days ago, but she found that he looked even more intimidating. His eyes were dark, and Joanne was anxious inside, ''We''re screwed. Why is Cedrick here? ''Catelyn was going to see her dad. How could she get away from Cedrick?'' Joanne found an excuse and left Catelyn to Cedrick. Cedrick carried Catelyn up in his arms and strode towards the hospital. Surrounded by the familiar warmth of Cedrick¡¯s breath, Catelyn breathed hard and greedily and moved closer into his arms. She secretly opened one of her eyes to peep at Cedrick. She had nned to see Ezekiel, but she didn''t expect Cedrick to be in the hospital... She tensed up. Her palms were oozing with sweat. She contemted what she should say to him. ''Should I ask him if he''s doing well? But it''s obvious that he''s not doing well.'' ''Or should I ask him why he''s grounding me? Then there would be no more secrets between US...'' Suddenly, Cedrick stopped. He stared down at Catelyn. Catelyn''s eyes were still open, so he met her eyes. He saw the panic in her eyes... "Didn''t you faint from depression?" Cedrick asked with an expressionless face. Catelyn tried to give an awkward smile, but her smile was bitter. "When you carried me up, I woke up." Cedrick didn''t break up her trick. He carefully let her stand on the floor. "This is the emergency room. Since you are here, go in there and get a checkup.'' Catelyn subconsciously grabbed his shirt. She wouldn''t let him leave. She wanted to say something to him... Chapter 1067 Chapter 1067 Chapter 1067 Chapter 1067 "Are you going to say something?" Looking at Catelyn''s pale cheeks, Cedrick''s heart softened. Since Aunt Jancice''s ident, Catelyn hadn''t rested well. She looked haggard. Catelyn stared down at her shoes and muttered, "I want to see Aunt Janice. ¡ö "The funeral is in three days. You can go to the funeral." Cedrick wouldn''t let her go see Janice now, but on the day of the funeral. Catelyn was surprised. ''Why won''t he let me go to see Aunt Janice?'' The winter sun shone through the ss of the floor-to-ceiling windows, but Catelyn was in a gloomy mood. She clutched Cedrick''s arm and exined anxiously, "My... My dad didn''t do it on purpose. It was an ident. My dad felt so guilty that he tried to kill himself yesterday." Immediately, Cedrick''s mild face turned dark. Cedrick became mad when he heard Catelyn speak up for Ezekiel. ''She knew exactly that Ezekiel was the murderer!'' He shook Catelyn''s arm off abruptly and snapped, "If you don''t do the check -up, I''ll send you home." "I''m not trying to defend my dad. We won''t shift our responsibilities. But I don¡¯t want you to keep dwelling on this matter and making it an unfixable conflict between US..." "Have you said enough?" Cedrick reached up and suddenly lifted Catelyn''s jaw with one hand and gazed at her. "Do you know what you''re talking about? Aunt Janice is dead! Are you telling me to forget about it? You take Ezekiel as your real father, but you have no idea what a bastard he was! He tried to kill himself? He was just acting. Do you expect me to believe he has a conscience? He''s aplete hypocrite! The four years in jail meant nothing to him!" "No, that''s not true!" Catelyn thought Cedrick hated Ezekiel, so he assumed Ezekiel was a jerk. No matter what Ezekiel had done or what kind of man he had be, to Catelyn, he had always been his dad who had loved her since she was young. He used to carry her on his back around the yard and knock on the doors of clinicste at night when she was sick. Those memories were engraved in her mind and she would never forget them. Cedrick stared fixedly at Catelyn and snorted, "What if Ezekiel isn''t your dad?" ''..." Catelyn was dumbfounded. She gave a stiffened smile, "I know you hate my dad, but you shouldn''t make jokes like that. If he''s not my dad, who is?" Cedrick gave a snort. He didn''t answer her. He carried her up again in his arms and put her in the car. Catelyn leaned over the car window and shouted, "Cedrick, my dad really felt sorry for the ident. He has a high fever in the hospital. Please..." "Don''t worry. I''m not going to do anything to him right now. I need to n Aunt Janice''s funeral." Cedrick cast a meaningful nce at Catelyn, but there was no hint of emotion in his eyes. He mmed the car door shut and turned to leave. Through the car window, Catelyn watched Cedrick walk away. She felt something scratch her heart. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ''Ezekiel''s not my dad... What does Cedrick mean by that? ''Dad said he had an argument with Aunt Janice over a mistake made that he had more than twenty years ago and that the secret would destroy them... What is the secret?'' The car stopped at the gate of the Mason Estate. Catelyn had been to the hospital, but she hadn''t seen Ezekiel. "Cat?" Hearing the sound of a car pulling outside the house, Joanne hurried out. Joanne felt sorry that she had left Catelyn alone with Cedrick, so she came to the Mason Estate to wait for Catelyn. Not long after Joanne arrived, Catelyn was back. Catelyn''s mind was in a tizzy. When she saw Joanne, she couldn''t wait to tell Joanne everything... With Joanne''s help, Catelyn got into the house and then told Joanne all her suspicions and fears. Although Joanne had read many bizarre scripts, she was shocked by Catelyn''s story. "Are you saying that the person who pushed Miss Coleman was your father? And he did that because of a secret from more than twenty years ago?" Joanne sorted through Catelyn''s story. "Back then, you weren''t born. What is the secret that would make your dad ruthlessly push Miss Coleman down the stairs? He is such a gentleman." Chapter 1068 Chapter 1068 Chapter 1068 Chapter 1068 Catelyn was also curious about what it was that Ezekiel had been hiding from her. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡¯I''m wondering whether it is about my birth." ¡¯Wait a second! If what Cedrick said is true that you''re not your dad''s daughter, then it¡¯s doubtful whether Miss Atherton and his love story was true." Catelyn didn''t argue with Joanne. She didn''t want to delve into whether her parents had ever loved each other or if they had her because of love. She was overwhelmed by a lot of doubts. These doubts seemed interconnected, but Catelyn couldn''t figure them out. Suddenly, an idea came to Joanne''s mind and she imed, "Is it possible that your father actually stole you from someone else?" Catelyn raised her eyes abruptly and stared at Joanne, her gaze fierce. "I''m kidding!¡¯ Joanne was also taken aback by the idea. She repeatedly waved her hand, "That''s impossible. I''m sure Cedrick will find everything out. The most important thing for you now is to get a lot of rest, so you can attend Janice''s funeral." Catelynpressed her lips and didn''t say anything. Everyone had told her to rest in peace and not to worry about anything else, including Ezekiel. But how could she forget about anything else? ''What is Dad hiding from me? Why did he want to kill Aunt Janice?'' Ste kept calling Catelyn at the hospital. Ezekiel had a persistent high fever. Ste was taking care of him in the hospital. She lost a lot of weight in a few days. But Cedrick forbade Catelyn to go to the hospital or go out. Catelyn was confined to Cedrick Mason. She spent most of her days in a daze. There was nothing else she could do. Sometimes she woke up and went downstairs to the kitchen to get some water, and then she forgot to go back to her bedroom. She just sat on the couch for the rest of the night. By the time Albert found her, her body was stiffened from the cold... Three dayster, it was Janice''s funeral. Janice''s body wasid out in a casket in the middle of the hall, flowers surrounding the coffin. Janice was wearing make-up and a light- colored cheongsam, which was chosen by Cedrick. It was Janice''s favorite dress. She looked like she was asleep. Janice had not gotten married. She had no husband or children. Cedrick was her only family. Cedrick was determined to give her a perfect funeral. Cedrick was standing rigidly in front of the casket like a puppet. Edwin and Joanne arrived early. They saw Cedrick standing in front of the coffin with a grave face. They bowed respectfully to Janice and expressed their condolences to Cedrick. Joanne knew that it was Ezekiel who had killed Janice. She had a sinking feeling. She was worried that something would happen at the funeral. She texted Catelyn and asked her where she was. Catelyn would definitelye and see Janice onest time at the funeral. Chapter 1069 Chapter 1069 Chapter 1069 Chapter 1069 When Catelyn received Joanne¡¯s message, she was on her way to Janice¡¯s funeral. There was a car ident on the road and cars were blocking the entire road. Catelyn had to get out of the car, walk through the traffic jam, and then take another taxi. The wind was piercing. But when Catelyn hurried to the funeral, she was breathing heavily and her forehead was covered in sweat. "What happened to you?" Joanne had been waiting for Catelyn at the front door. When she saw Catelyning, she handed Catelyn a white corsage. Catelyn straightened her ck down jacket and put on the white corsage.'' I waste because of a traffic jam. Has the memorial service started yet? Did Cedrick allow you to see Aunt Janice?" "Yes, but Cedrick was very sad. He didn''t say a word to US." Joanne replied. Catelyn then looked over at Cedrick. Although she had been staying at the Mason Estate for the past few days, she was grieving for Janice all day. In one week, Catelyn felt like she had fallen from heaven to hell. It was supposed to be a romantic wedding, but now, it was Aunt Janice''s funeral. Cedrick was standing next to Janice''s coffin, his body straight, his face taut, without a trace of emotion on it. Catelyn took a deep breath to suppress her sadness and slowly walked up to Cedrick... "Isn''t that Catelyn? She is a family member now, right? Why is she sote? This is disrespectful to Miss Coleman!" N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "I heard Miss Coleman died at her wedding. Someone pushed Miss Coleman down the stairs! Miss Coleman was such a kind woman. She did a lot of donating to hospitals and poor kids..." "Do you guys think that was a symbol of bad luck?" Bad luck? My husband went to their wedding. He said he saw the murderer. Guess who the murderer is." "Who''s the murderer?" "Heh... You should ask Catelyn..." "No, it¡¯s impossible... If Catelyn murdered Miss Coleman, how dare shee to the funeral? But look at Cedrick! He doesn''t look happy with her..." Catelyn finally saw Janice. Janice looked as elegant as ever. She hadn''t had any children and she kept her figure very well. The dress gave out her figure perfectly. The red lipstick suited her well. "Aunt Janice, I''m sorry. I''mte." Catelyn sniffled and hung her head guiltily as she ced a bouquet of flowers next to the coffin. Cedrick nced at Catelyn. Seeing her pale cheeks, he showed a worried look in his eyes. But immediately, he thought of Ezekiel... The love for Catelyn and the hate for Ezekiel were intertwined inside him, which was tormenting him. His hands were clenched tightly. "I want to know if you had to choose between me and Ezekiel, who would you choose?" Cedrick said in a cold voice. Catelyn''s heart twitched. "My dad is lying in the hospital right now. He can''t take your revenge. Ced, please! Don''t hurt my dad. Let''s talk about it after the funeral, okay? Whatever you want from my dad to avenge Aunt Janice, I''ll give it to you..." Instantly, Cedrick exploded with rage. He grabbed her jaw violently and lifted it up. "You''ll give me whatever I want? Can you give me back Aunt Janice''s life?!¡¯ "I..." "See it for yourself!" Cedrick bluntly flung a sealed folder to Catelyn." Ezekiel is not your father. He has always been lying to you. You''re defending a liar!" Catelyn shuddered as she took the folder. Chapter 1070 Chapter 1070 Chapter 1070 Chapter 1070 ¡¯Ezekiel''s not my dad? I''m defending a liar?¡¯ Catelyn was dumbfounded, and her head went numb. She nkly ripped open the folder. It was a paternity test report. Catelyn was stunned when she saw the test report, ''No Gic Ties''. "Cedrick, do you think I believe this report?" Cedrick gave a sneer. He had expected that Catelyn would not believe him even though she saw the report with her own eyes and that even though Ezekiel was not Catelyn''s biological father, she would defend him. But Cedrick was determined to avenge Janice''s death! He wanted Ezekiel to pay with his life. "Believe it or not, but I''m telling you, Ezekiel didn''t spend the past four years in prison. He hade back to Sapphire City a year ago and was caught by the surveince of a shopping mall. Now he''s back in the city again. He must be up to something. Killing Aunt Janice is just part of his n..." "No, I don''t believe you! You want me to give up on my dad... But even if he wasn''t my biological father, he raised me for more than twenty years. This is from N?velDrama.Org. That''s more than a biological father. He''s my dad!" Cedrick shed a sneer at the corner of his lips. He knew she would side with Ezekiel, but he had wished her to... "Let¡¯s see how you''re going to protect him!" Cedrick averted his eyes from Catelyn''s face and barked out amand. Immediately, several bodyguards dragged a hunched man in a blue-striped hospital gown into the hall... The man was probably in his forties or fifties, with gray hair at his temples. His head hung down. People couldn''t see his face. It was obvious that he was very weak. He was dragged along like a dead dog by the bodyguards. He didn''t have any strength to resist. All the guests in the hall were shocked. "Is this man the one who pushed Janice down the stairs?" "Why is he wearing a hospital gown?" ''Was he just brought out of the hospital? " Catelyn immediately recognized that it was her dad, Ezekiel! Ezekiel had lost a lot of blood because he had cut his wrist and he had a high fever due to the inmmation of the wound. Immediately, Catelyn realized that Cedrick never wanted to spare her dad and that it wasn''t for her sake that Cedrick didn''t do anything to Ezekiel all these days... Cedrick had been waiting. He wanted Ezekiel to confess his sins at Janice''s funeral! He wanted Janice to see Ezekiel punished, so she could rest in peace! Catelyn got emotional. She had mixed feelings inside. Her lips were trembling as she was about to say anything. The bodyguards threw Ezekiel to the ground. Bang- Ezekiel hit the floor hard. Ezekiel groaned in pain. Then he slowly lifted his head and nced with guilty eyes at Janice''s photo and then he turned to Catelyn. "Dad-" Catelyn''s heart tightened. "Cedrick, what do you want? My dad is sick now! Don''t hurt him. I''ll pay for Aunt Janice''s death..." ¡¯You are calling her Aunt Janice?" Cedrick was enraged. He roared sarcastically as if she had told a joke, "You called her Aunt Janice. Then how can you forget her death? Don''t call her Aunt Janice!" "I..." "Go ahead." Cedrick shouted in a cold voice. Immediately, the bodyguards gathered around Ezekiel. They began to beat Ezekiel. Ezekiel was old and injured. He couldn''t fight the bodyguards. His body curled up into a ball. He used his hands to protect his head. He looked like a drenched rat... He was moaning in pain from time to time... Chapter 1071 Chapter 1071 Chapter 1071 Chapter 1071 "Dad! Stop! Please! Don''t beat my dad..." A trace of blood seeped out of the corner of Ezekiel''s mouth. Catelyn''s eyes turned red. She tried to rush over to stop the bodyguards, but she was tackled by them by the wrists. She couldn''t get to her dad. Catelyn could not break free of the bodyguards. She could only watch Ezekiel being kicked. The bodyguards'' fists hit Ezekiel repeatedly. Catelyn felt the pain in her heart. Catelyn hissed at Cedrick, "Cedrick, can''t you see that my dad is bleeding? Even if he is guilty, he should be subjected to the court to sentence his punishment! You have no right to punish him! You''re killing him..." Cedrick stood there indifferently, watching Ezekiel thrash around on the floor. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. He nced out of the corner of his eye at Janice''s photo hanging in the middle of the wall. ''Aunt Janice, are you happy now?'' Suddenly, Ezekiel spat out a mouthful of blood. It freaked Catelyn out. ''What should I do?'' Catelyn thought to herself. Even though Ezekiel was evil, he was Catelyn''s father! He had taken care of Catelyn for more than twenty years... "Cedrick! Let my father go! Come at me..." Catelyn struggled with all her strength and hissed, "Do you think Aunt Janice will be happy to see this? No, she won''t! Aunt Janice wants you to be happy. She doesn''t want to see you take revenge on my dad at her funeral..." A cold look shed across Cedrick''s eyes. He passed a look to the two bodyguards holding Catelyn. The two bodyguards got it and immediately let go of Catelyn. Catelyn ran up to Cedrick, her eyes bloodshot with anxiety. She pleaded, ¡¯ Cedrick, please listen to me! I know it was my dad''s fault for hurting Aunt Janice, and we won''t run away from our responsibilities! I will pay for my dad''s mistake! Tell me, what do you want me to do? I''ll do anything you want me to do if you leave my dad alone..." Catelyn was willing to take any punishment for her father, going to jail, or... As Cedrick looked at her, the anger in his eyes grew fierce. He grabbed her wrist hard like he was going to crush it and stared at her with his stern eyes. "You know Ezekiel is not your real father. Why are you helping him? He was using you all the time. Can''t you see it?" Catelyn closed her eyes. She couldn''t tell what the truth was. She wasn''t sure if Ezekiel had pushed Janice down on purpose or not... But she was sure that if Cedrick beat Ezekiel to death today, she would regret it for the rest of her life. She must repay Ezekiel for raising her for so many years. "Catelyn, I didn''t use you. I love you because you are my daughter. Doni plead with Cedrick anymore..." Ezekiel slumped to the floor and cried in a short breath, "I deserve it. I killed Miss Coleman. I''m a murderer. Don''t argue over me! I should go to hell..." "No! The court will judge your crime. You can''t die!" p-p-p- Watching this scene, Cedrick suddenly pped his hands. The crisp apuse echoed through the hall... "I''m really touched." Cedrick showed a sneer at the corner of his mouth, mockery in his eyes. Then he hissed through his clenched teeth, "But Ezekiel must die today!" Catelyn''s breath tightened. She knew Cedrick wasn''t kidding. Chapter 1072 Chapter 1072 Chapter 1072 This is from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1072 Cedrick really intended to take Ezekiel¡¯s life today! Catelyn had wanted to settle this matter in a peaceful way, so she didn''t tell her grandmother about it or turn to Edwin for help. She humbly begged Cedrick to let Ezekiel go, but it seemed there was no way Cedrick would let Ezekiel go! Catelyn bit her lower lip, stopped crying, and stared at Cedrick with stubborn eyes, "Are you sure you won''t give him a chance?" Cedrick sneered, "Has he ever given Aunt Janice a chance?" Cedrick then instructed the bodyguards to drag Ezekiel over to Janice''s coffin. Ezekiel slumped to the floor, gasping for breath. Cedrick looked down at Ezekiel, took out a pistol, and tossed it in front of Ezekiel. He hissed, "Don''t you feel guilty? Kill yourself! After you''re dead, I will let go of your family." Ezekiel timidly turned to the ck pistol. ''Even though it was Janice''s funeral and there were a lot of guests, Cedrick showed no fear...'' ''He really wanted me dead...1 Ezekiel contemted. "You don''t want to?" As Ezekiel was hesitating, Cedrick curled his lips, "Or you have no intention of redeeming yourself?" Under Cedrick and the bodyguards'' gaze, Ezekiel reached for the pistol, his body shaking... ''What am I going to do? Am I really going to die here?'' "Actually, I''d rather send you to jail than kill you. And I can arrange somepany for you, so you won''t be lonely. It should be fun. But I guess Aunt Janice can''t wait to see you." Cedrick''s words were cruel, but his tone was extremely indifferent. Ezekiel sweated in fear, his body shaking... ''Cedrick is so cold-blooded!'' ''Even though Catelyn begged him so, he wasn''t even touched...'' Ezekiel wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked in a trembling voice, ¡¯ What if... If I die, will you take care of Catelyn?" Cedrick got tired of his show. He interrupted Ezekiel, "Don''t pretend to be a good father. You''re not!" "Catelyn, it looks like I can''t take care of you anymore." Ezekiel said resignedly to Catelyn as he shed tears, "Don''t me Cedrick! If you hadn''t saved me that day, I would have died already. God has given me these extra days. I''m happy to see you found a man who can look after you. I haven''t seen your mom for over twenty years. Sunny, wait for me, I''ming..." Catelyn''s eyes went wide with horror as she repeatedly shook her head... ''No! I can''t watch my dad die!'' Just as Ezekiel picked up the pistol and pointed it at his temple, Catelyn rushed toward Ezekiel and mmed his hand holding the pistol. She had waited four years to be reunited with her family. She wouldn''t let Ezekiel die... Everyone was shocked. None of them expected Catelyn to charge at Ezekiel. Bang... A gunshot rang out, and the pistolnded on the floor. Cedrick''s heart nearly popped out of his throat. He clenched his fists fiercely. ''Has Catelyn lost her mind? How could she run to Ezekiel?'' Chapter 1073 Chapter 1073 Chapter 1073 Chapter 1073 Some women let out frightened screams. The pistol in Ezekiel''s hand was knocked out of ce by Catelyn and the bullet shot the wall. Catelyn fell hard to the floor. She felt a pain in her belly... Cedrick rushed over to her and took her in his arms. He stared at her face. His rapid breathing and furrowed brows gave him away. He was obviously worried about Catelyn, and his arms trembled slightly. "Are you out of your mind?" Catelyn saw the worry in his tone, and she sensed a glimmer of hope. Cedrick still cared about her. He wasn''t as ruthless as he appeared to be! ''Maybe my dad could have a chance...¡¯ "Let go of my dad, please?" "Take Mrs. Mason away!" Cedrickmanded coldly. He ignored Catelyn''s plea. Two bodyguards walked up to Catelyn and uttered in an emotionless tone," Mrs. Mason, pleasee with US." ''How can I leave? ''What will happen to my dad if I leave?'' "No! I''m not leaving! I want to stay with my dad!" Catelyn rose from the ground and clutched Ezekiel''s arm. She would not leave Ezekiel, who was badly injured and almost unconscious, with Cedrick. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick narrowed his eyes. "Take her away!¡± Catelyn felt a chill run down her spine. Cedrick had never been so indifferent to her before. The bodyguards approached Catelyn and took her arms on each side.'' Mrs. Mason, excuse US." Catelyn struggled, but she couldn''t get free of the bodyguards. She was so weak in front of the two strong bodyguards. She had no choice but to threaten, "Let go of me! What are you doing? I''m pregnant now. Aren''t you afraid of hurting the baby?" The bodyguards immediately stopped dragging Catelyn away with force. They turned to Cedrick for instructions. "The baby is fine. Don''t care about it! Take her away!" Catelyn had tried so hard to keep the baby, so Cedrick didn''t believe she would risk the baby''s life... With Cedrick''s instructions, the bodyguards were reassured and they forcibly took Catelyn away from Ezekiel. "Let go of me! Let go of me! I''m not leaving..." Bang! Just as Catelyn was about to be dragged away from Ezekiel, a fist suddenly swung from behind the bodyguards and hit one of them right in the face. The bodyguard bent over in pain. Before he could regain his consciousness, Edwin kicked the bodyguard in the chest. The two bodyguards took several steps back and Catelyn was released. "Ced, I don''t have a problem with how you are going to deal with the man who got your aunt killed, but I don''t think you should do this to Catelyn.¡± Edwin shielded Catelyn behind him. A sharp glimmer shed across his slightly narrowed eyes. Today was Janice''s funeral, so Edwin had been silent earlier. However, Cedrick went beyond boundaries. Edwin couldn''t stay silent any longer. Cedrick stood there, giving off a frightening air. The atmosphere in the hall was extremely depressing. ¡¯You''re going against me too?" Edwin raised his eyebrows and exined earnestly, "I understand your grief over your aunt''s death, but are you sure you want to kill Ezekiel in front of Catelyn? He is the grandfather of her child. Have you thought about her feelings?" Chapter 1074 Chapter 1074 Chapter 1074 Chapter 1074 "I don¡¯t need you to tell me what to do! I''m giving you two choices. You can either take Catelyn away or turn against me!" Edwin looked at Catelyn, who had a pale face. Catelyn was now clutching Edwin tightly like she was clutching a straw. She was begging him with her tearful eyes. Joanne also ran over, and she said to Cedrick, "If you want to get back at Mr. rk, you can take him to the police. Why would you want to kill him? If Mr. rk died here today, do you think Miss Coleman could rest in peace?" Edwin said nothing more. He took Catelyn''s hand to make his position clear. Feeling the warmth in her palm, Catelyn threw a grateful gaze at Edwin. Seeing Catelyn and Edwin standing together against him, Cedrick was enraged. He sneered, "Let''s see if you can defend Ezekiel today!" Immediately after that, arge group of ck-d bodyguards entered the hall, and they blocked the entire ce. There were quite a lot of bodyguards, but Edwin was not intimidated. He teased, "Looks like you''re well prepared. What are you going to do? You want not only take Catelyn''s father''s life but also Catelyn''s and mine?" The atmosphere was extremely tense. Cedrick ignored Edwin''s tease and nced at the bodyguards. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. A group of bodyguards were about to charge at Edwin... "Wait a minute!" Catelyn thought it was no use remaining in the deadlock. She went ahead of Edwin and said to Cedrick, "I know you won''t let it go. You must avenge Aunt Janice. Do you dare to bet with me?" Cedrick stared at Catelyn with stern eyes, "How do you want to bet with me?" "Let God decide who will pay for Aunt Janice''s death." Catelyn stared steadily at Cedrick, her eyes welling up with tears, but her voice calm. After she finished, she whispered something into Edwin''s ear. Hearing Catelyn''s words, Edwin showed a shocked expression... But looking at the determination in Catelyn''s eyes and the fury in Cedrick''s eyes, Edwin thought that maybe Catelyn''s proposal was the best way to settle the conflict. He believed that Cedrick still had some sense! Catelyn''s proposal was simple. She was willing to give her life for Janice''s death in her father''s name. Since Cedrick wanted Ezekiel to kill himself with the gun, Catelyn was willing to take the bullet. The pistol held six bullets, but it would only be loaded with one. Then Ezekiel and Catelyn would take turns pulling the trigger and shooting themselves. If Ezekiel got himself killed, Catelyn wouldn''t me Cedrick. But if Catelyn got herself killed, Cedrick couldn''t me Ezekiel either, since everything was paid off in Catelyn''s death. Whoever took the bullet, Janice''s death was avenged. Cedrick stared at Catelyn, his eyes as sharp and cold as a de like he was about to pierce through her. ''Catelyn is risking her life forthat shrewd man... ''No! Maybe she¡¯s just scaring me...1 Cedrick was on the verge of losing control when Catelyn charged up to Ezekiel to knock the gun out of his hand. ''Is she challenging me? Does she think I''ll give up? Well, since she wants to bet, I''ll let her!¡¯ ''If she wants to see who''s more ruthless, I won''t let her down...'' They all agreed to Catelyn''s proposal. And then the game began. Everyone held their breath. Edwin loaded the pistol andid it on the table. He reminded Catelyn and Cedrick solemnly, "Are you sure you want to do this? If the bullet happens to be on the first shot, you''ll be dead straight away. There''s no chance ofing back..." Chapter 1075 Chapter 1075 Chapter 1075 Chapter 1075 Catelyn looked at Cedrick. He had a stern face and showed no sign of backing down. She took a deep breath and said to Edwin, "I''m ready." Catelyn didn''t know what else she could do except take this solution. She couldn''t let Cedrick kill her dad. Maybe Cedrick was right: Ezekiel had secrets and they weren''t rted by blood, but she couldn''t let Cedrick force Ezekiel to death. Edwin turned to Cedrick again, but Cedrick ignored him. He looked straight at Ezekiel, which showed that Cedrick was willing to ept the bet. With Joanne''s help, Ezekiel managed to stand up. He had a touch of fear in his eyes, but he had no choice. Without Catelyn and Edwin, he would surely die here today. He said to Catelyn in a This is from N?velDrama.Org. choked voice, "Catelyn, don''t take the risk. These are none of your business..." "I''ll take the first shot!" Catelyn didn''t want to give Cedrick any time to hesitate. She picked up the pistol and pointed it at her temple. Cedrick instantly clenched his fists and stared at her without blinking. It was silent in the hall. ''What the hell is she doing? What''s the matter with Edwin? How could he let Catelyn turn the gun on herself? How could he let Catelyn risk her life?'' Cedrick was worried inside. His lips tightened into a straight line. His heart was pounding violently... Snap- Catelyn pulled the trigger. Luckily, there was no bullet. She dropped her hand with a shudder and breathed a sigh of relief. Joanne let out a low whimper. She was terrified. She tugged on Edwin''s sleeve and pleaded, "It''s too scary. They''ll get themselves killed! Stop it! Make them stop. We''ll figure out another way..." "It''s their choice." Edwin responded. His hands clenched tightly. Cedrick pushed the pistol in front of Ezekiel, and his eyes glowed with a wicked glimmer. "It''s your turn." Ezekiel looked up, his face swollen. He picked up the pistol and held it against his temple. Catelyn held her breath. Snap-- Another empty bullet... Catelyn was relieved, but immediately after that, she tensed up again. There were four more shots to go. Which turn the bullet would be in? She grabbed the pistol and looked into Cedrick''s eyes, her eyes filled with guilt. ''He must be struggling inside just like I am. Tm sorry, Cedrick. Please forgive me for putting you in such a difficult position...'' ''We can invetigate the identter. What if he just pushed Aunt Janice by mistake? If he dies here today, there¡¯s no way to take his life back.'' Ezekiel was not dead and Cedrick''s hope was dashed. He red fiercely at Catelyn''s hand holding the gun. ''How dare she take another shot?'' "Catelyn." Cedrick said in a somber voice, holding her hand that was gripping the pistol. "You''ve already missed two shots. Do you think you''ll always be lucky? This man is a murderer. Is he worth risking your life for?" Tears slid down Catelyn''s cheeks. She knew she was being cruel. "If it were you, I would risk my life for you too. Step back. It will take four shots at most. And then you can avenge Aunt Janice." "Hehe..." Cedrick gave a bitter smile. He slowly let go of Catelyn''s hand. Blue veins bulged at his temples. He spat, "Great! I didn''t even know the woman I loved had so many guts..." Catelyn dared not look at the disappointed expression on Cedrick''s face. She pulled the trigger again... Chapter 1076 Chapter 1076 Chapter 1076 Chapter 1076 A dull sound was heard, but there was no bullet. Ezekiel took the pistol tremblingly. Even if there was a one-third chance of dying, he had to shoot at his temple in public. But there was still no bullet! Ezekiel was sweating profusely and put down the pistol. "Catelyn, only thest two magazines are left..." ''If God chooses me to atone for Aunt Janice''s death, take good care of my children." Catelyn''s forehead was dripping with sweat. It would be a lie if she said that she was not afraid, but she had no way out. Her hands and feet were constantly shuddering with fright at this moment. Only two shots remained. Either she or Ezekiel would die on the spot. Catelyn''s eyes became darker and darker... So did Cedrick''s face. When Catelyn prepared to shoot at her temple... Crack! Cedrick went crazy suddenly. He pushed all the trays on the coffee table onto the ground. Like an enraged beast, he snatched the pistol from Catelyn''s hand in a sh and threw it away. ring at Catelyn wrathfully, he roared, "You win. Are you satisfied now?" ''Ceddy..." Catelyn took a breath, seeing the indifference in his eyes. "Don''t call me!" Cedrick was burning with fury. He grabbed Catelyn by the cor, dragged her to Janice''s crystal coffin and pressed her head against it, contorting her face. Through the transparent coffin, she could see Janice sleep peacefully. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry..." Catelyn apologized with a lump in her throat. ''Aunt Janice is so kind, but I defend her murderer.'' ''Your sorry won''t bring back Aunt Janice," Cedrick gritted his teeth and scolded sarcastically. "You are sure that I love you deeply and can''t bear to let you be hurt. So, you use my love to protect the murderer! But you must remember that you don''t owe me, but Aunt Janice. Nothing you can do to remedy the situation. You can''t make it up to her." ''No. I can..." "Shut up. Blood will have blood. All your words are meaningless!" Cedrick threw Catelyn away again in a rage. Catelyn staggered and fell onto the ground. Her belly bumped into something, and a sharp pain came over her. The next second, a stream of blood rushed out of her body. At the sight of it, Edwin and Joanne were shocked. But Cedrick ignored it. Pointing at the door, he shouted, "Get out! Take the murderer you want to protect away. Get out of here! Auntie Janice doesn''t wee you..." Catelyn''s face was pale. Her throat was sore, and she uttered in pain, "I''m sorry..." Before Catelyn could finish speaking, she passed out. Edwin hurriedly stepped forward to carry Catelyn in his arms. Joanne took out a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat off Catelyn''s forehead, feeling astonished. ''Hurry up, take her to the hospital..." Ezekiel hesitated for a moment. After taking a look at Cedrick guiltily, Ezekiel followed Edwin out. The crowd gave way to them. This is from N?velDrama.Org. As they walked further and further, Cedrick''s expression became colder and colder. His eyes became bloodshot. "Blood! Mr. Mason, look. Blood..." Eason suddenly yelled, pointing at the ce where Catelyn hady. A pool of bright red blood was on the ground. Cedrick was expressionless. He nced at Janice in the crystal coffin, clenched his fingers tightly, and then punched the wall next to him. The back of his hand was broken and began oozing blood. ''Aunt Janice, I''m good-for-nothing, right? Eason didn¡¯t dare to perturb Cedrick anymore and quickly asked others to clean up the scene. When Eason picked up the pistol, he found... Chapter 1077 Chapter 1077 Chapter 1077 Chapter 1077 ''There is no bullet in thest two magazines.¡¯ Suddenly, Eason thought of Edwin. ''Edwin must have secretly emptied the magazines of the pistol. He has been ying in casinos and nightspots, so he is adept at cheating. It''s no wonder that he has deceived all of US.'' All of them assumed that there must be a bullet in the six magazines. But they neglected the fact that Edwin wouldn''t put Catelyn at risk... In other words, they worked together to deceive Cedrick. "rm sorry..." "Forgive me, Ceddy..." "My baby. Protect my baby..." On the way to the hospital, Catelyn was unconscious, but she kept murmuring these words over and over again. Joanne talked with her in the ambnce to cheer her up, crying sadly. After Catelyn was rushed to the emergency room, Edwin and Joanne stayed outside anxiously. Ezekiel also came to the hospital, though he was very weak. Joanne wanted a doctor to examine him. After all, Catelyn saved him, having risked her life. Ezekiel was hunched, wiping away his tears. "It''s all my fault.¡± "Since you know it''s your fault, go back to the rk family and be a coward. Never appear in front of Ceddy again!" Edwin didn''t ept Ezekiel''s apology, but reprimanded him coldly. Edwin only cared about Catelyn, and Ezekiel was a stranger in his eyes. Edwin thought his noble and elegant aunt, Summer, should have married an indomitable hero, instead of a coward like Ezekiel, who asked his daughter to risk her life to save him after killing a person... Maybe he was not a coward, but a snake which hid its poison... Ezekiel was deeply shocked by these words. He seemed to have aged in a sh and turned around to leave silently. Joanne saw him staggering, as if he could be blown down by a gust of wind. She asked worriedly, "Did you speak too harshly? He is your uncle anyway. If he leaves, will Mr. Mason dispatch someone to arrest him again? IV Edwin gave Joanne a re. "Ceddy won''t do anything to him in the future." "Why?" "Didn''t you know what Catelyn was betting? Ceddy voluntarily gave up that bet, and he lost. In other words, Catelyn not only used the most ruthless method to save Ezekiel, but also hurt Ceddy deeply." Then Joanne understood what Edwin meant. Cedrick admitted defeat and let Ezekiel go, which indicated he gave in to Catelyn... He really loved Catelyn. But would the breach between them be healed? Ezekiel killed Aunt Janice... "Don''t overthink it. It¡¯s all Ezekiel¡¯s fault. It''s useless to think about it any longer.¡± Seeing Joanne''s sad expression, Edwin stepped forward to press her head against his chest. He lowered his head, his warm breath blowing onto her face. Joanne felt his warm breath and grabbed the hem of his clothes. "Why is it so difficult for lovers to be together?" A few hourster, Catelyn''s operation waspleted, and she was transferred to a general ward. She kept dreaming. From N?velDrama.Org. People¡¯s faces were continuously surfacing in her dream. Chapter 1078 Chapter 1078 Chapter 1078 Chapter 1078 These people were Ezekiel, her unborn baby, Aunt Janice, and Ceddy. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "Don''t call her Aunt Janice! You are not worthy of her kindness." "You chose Ezekiel, not me!" "Ezekiel is the murderer, but you are willing to protect him even if risking your life..." "We¡¯re done. I won''t marry a murderer''s daughter. Catelyn, get out. I don¡¯t want to see you anymore. You can¡¯t make it up to my aunt..." Countless words were heard, like needles piercing into her heart. "No..." She covered her chest, feeling so anguished that she could hardly breathe. Suddenly, she sat up, but unexpectedly stretched her abdomen... Joanne had been sitting beside Catelyn. When she saw her wake up, she hurriedly held her shoulders to remind her to be careful. "My baby, my baby..." "Your baby is with you. Don''t worry!" Joanne poured her a cup of hot water whileforting her. "But the doctor said your baby was in danger. You''d better stay in bed for the next few days." Catelyn bit her lower lip tightly, her shoulders trembling. She suppressed crying and asked, ¡¯ How is Ceddy? He loathes me, right? And my father..." "I asked Wild Beast to apany Mr. Mason. He will surelyfort Mr. Mason. Your father has returned to the rk Mansion for a rest. I''m afraid he will disturb you if he stays in the hospital," Joanne responded. Catelyn was choking with sorrow and didn¡¯t say anything. She buried her face deep in her hands. Joanne patted her shoulder lightly. "If you want to cry just cry. I know you did all this for your father. If I were you, I would have done the same thing. After Miss Coleman''s funeral is over, you might find an opportunity to exin everything to Mr. Mason." Catelyn didn''t reply to her. Only sobbing was heard... Joanne looked at Catelyn and found her trembling all over. "Catelyn..." Catelyn suddenly hugged Joanne and erupted into tears. "It''s useless. He let my father go at the price of our love. He is right. I don''t deserve to call Miss Coleman Aunt Janice. I defended her murderer!" "But your father didn''t do it on purpose..." "The DNA test shows that he is not my biological father. I''m going to ask him what happened." Catelyn felt sad. She threw off the quilt and was about to get up. Joanne grabbed her. "Are you crazy? The doctor said you have to stay in bed now! You can''t go anywhere..." Catelyn held back her tears. She wanted to break free from Joanne, but couldn''t straighten up due to the pain in her belly. So, she couldn¡¯t go to question Ezekiel until she felt well. Finally, Janice was entombed next to Daphne. They could apany each other anyway. After Cedrick buried Janice, he lived a drunken life, as if everything else had nothing to do with him. In Barricade Club- Before Edwin entered Cedrick''s private room, he heard a ripple of women''sughter. Pushing open the door, without any surprise, he saw Cedrick sitting quietly on the leather sofa and holding a wine bottle in his hand. In front of Cedrick were countless empty wine bottles on the coffee table. The heavy metal music being yed was loud and rhythmic. The fragrance of wine mixed with the smell of cigarettes, which was strong and pungent. If Edwin hadn''t seen the scene with his own eyes, he couldn''t believe that such a messy and dispirited person was Cedrick. Cedrick was unshaven. It seemed that he hadn''t tidied himself up for several days. "Mr. Mason,e on, let''s have another drink." A woman in a skimpy dress with her thighs exposed put a goblet to Cedrick¡¯s mouth with one hand and caressed his strong chest with the other hand. Chapter 1079 Chapter 1079 Chapter 1079 Chapter 1079 The woman looked like a prostitute. Even in the past, Edwin would not take a nce at women like her. However, Cedrick took a look at Susan and then opened his mouth... Susan took the opportunity to pour the red wine into his mouth. Cedrick didn''t refuse. Some red wine flowed from his lips, and he looked sexy and allured. Susan''s eyes were glistening with infatuation. "Wow! Master Cedrick, you¡¯re great. How about eating some fruit?" Susan picked up several grapes, her fingernails painted red. Edwin couldn''t stand it anymore. He went to the speaker to turn off the music and then turned on the light. Suddenly... The originally dark orange room lit up, and the women in the private room were stunned for a moment. When they found it was Edwin who switched on the light, none of them dared to say anything. "It¡¯s over. Get out," Edwin ordered. The women had no choice but to leave reluctantly. Susan did not forget to ce the grapes into Cedrick''s mouth. He ate them, too. Without the noisy music and women''sughter, the room suddenly became quiet. Cedrick leaned back against the sofa. Though a chandelier hung above his head, his eyes looked dark. ¡¯Are you really going to live such a life?¡¯ Edwin walked to kick Cedrick¡¯s calf. "I still remember how sweet you and Catelyn were at the wedding. You swore to be good to her for the rest of your life. But what are you doing now? Have you forgotten it?" As if stimted, Cedrick stood up abruptly and raised his fist to punch Edwin''s face. "Do you think I don''t know what you did at the memorial service? There is no bullet in the revolver! You and Catelyn teamed up to cheat me!" Edwin quickly stepped backward to dodge Cedrick''s attack. Though Cedrick''s fist missed Edwin, Cedrick exerted so much strength that Edwin''s hair fluttered. Edwin asked yfully, "Were you really willing to put Catelyn at risk? Don''t be dispirited. What Ezekiel relies on is Catelyn''s filial piety to him. The most important thing you should do now is tear off his mask little by little...¡¯ The next second, Edwin felt another gust of wind near his face. Cedrick was more concerned about Catelyn''s attitude. But he didn''t want to think about anything now. Cedrick nned to vent his anger and anguish on Edwin and began fighting with him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. At first, Edwin kept dodging, only defending but not attacking. But after a while, he was hit in the face by Cedrick and immediately scolded angrily," Damn! How can you beat my face? Since you want to fight, let¡¯s fight..." They drove to a Budokan, changed into taekwondo uniforms, and started their fighting. From taekwondo to judo, from judo to fencing... Throughout the night, Cedrick and Edwinpeted in these martial arts for several hours. No matter how energetic Edwin was, his strength ran out now... He was leaning on the rope. Panting while drinking mineral water, he took advantage of the intermission to ask, "I admit that I yed a little trick. But do you have to tussle with me this way?" However, Cedrick wiped off the hot sweat from his forehead, looked at Edwin, and spoke coldly, "Let''s go on!" "What? Go on?" Edwin just wanted to help him vent his anger in the first ce and didn''t n to fight with him to the end. Edwin felt tired and could only dodge him. Edwin had no choice but to call Eason topete with Cedrick. After Eason fought with Cedrick for another two hours, Cedrick stopped, as he was exhausted. Cedrick sat cross-legged on the floor, beads of sweat sliding down his face. And his uniform had already been soaked with sweat. Just with a twist, a lot of sweat could be squeezed out. Edwin persuaded him earnestly to leave. Even the person in charge of the Budokan came to hint that it was closing time. Chapter 1080 Chapter 1080 Chapter 1080 Chapter 1080 Edwin immediately advised taking Cedrick home. Cedrick stood up expressionlessly, wiped off the sweat on his body with a towel, and went to the locker room to take a shower and change clothes. "Do you feel that your boss''s menopause hase?¡¯¡¯ Edwin joked with Eason while they were waiting for Cedrick. Eason felt sad. "Mr. Atherton, did you say it seriously?'' "Certainly! I¡¯m serious." Edwin raised his eyebrows with a half-smile. "Mr. Mason has been in low spirits since Miss Coleman''s burial. I''m really worried that he''s going to get sick." Eason sighed helplessly. "Don''t worry. Cedrick has vented his feelings after having such a fight tonight." Edwin believed that Cedrick would return to normal soon. Ten minutester, Cedrick came out after changing his clothes. But unexpectedly, he ordered, "Eason, drive me to Mason Group." "Mr. Mason, it''s already past one o''clock in the morning. Are you still going to thepany?" Eason was shocked and secretly exchanged nces with Edwin. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Eason felt helpless while Edwin was astonished. "Are you still a human being? Aren''t you sleepy or tired from the fight just now?" "After that, I be soberer now." Edwin gritted his teeth. "Cedrick, you are abusing yourself!" 1 "Shouldn''t you be happier? At least it''s better than hurting your dear cousin. ¡¯ With a sneer, Cedrick shook off Edwin''s hand, asked Eason to drive the car downstairs, and walked away. Edwin felt wordless. Joanne was apanying Catelyn in the hospital, but Catelyn didn''t sleep well, keeping tossing and turning on the bed. So, Joanne lit an incense that aided sleep and was harmless to pregnant women to calm Catelyn down. When Catelyn fell asleep, Joanne called Edwin to exchange news. When knowing Cedrick¡¯s situation, Joanne swallowed. "Catelyn is not good, either. She said in a daze just now that she was going to meet Mr. Mason. What should I do? Didn''t you say Catelyn¡¯s father was the crux? How about taking him away?" "What nonsense are you talking about? Catelyn''s real father hasn''t been identified yet. If we let Ezekiel go, it will be more difficult for Catelyn to find out about the truth." "Then what should we do?" "Wait. Time is the best medicine," Edwin said meaningfully, as he nned to let things go on this way. Catelyn stayed in hospital for three days. She was notpletely idle in the three days, as she asked Joanne to help her re-examine the DNA between her and Ezekiel and to investigate the rtionship between Ezekiel and Summer more than 20 years ago. ''There must be some clues if Ezekiel lied to Old Madam Atherton in the first ce that he and Mother didn''t know each other until they met at the bar...'' The moment Catelyn saw the results of the DNA test report, she calmly epted this fact. She was not Ezekiel¡¯s daughter! Then who was her father? What had Cedrick found? How was he doing now? The more she thought about Cedrick, the more she missed him. She was desperate to meet him. However, what Catelyn didn''t know was that someone leaked the news that Ezekiel had killed Janice. Now arge number of reporters were lurking outside the hospital... Chapter 1081 Chapter 1081 Chapter 1081 Chapter 1081 Catelyn failed to notice there were so many reporters outside the hospital at first, but it was toote when she realized this. Arge number of reporters gathered around with cameras on their backs. Catelyn just came out of the hospital, and she looked quite gaunt, as if a gust of wind could easily blow her away. Seeing her like this, the reporters pushed forward more desperately, asking questions one after another. ¡¯Hello, Mrs. Mason, I''m a reporter from Star Weekly. Did you and your father Ezekiel cause the death of Miss Coleman?¡¯ "Why are you in the hospital? Didn''t Mr. Masone with you?" ''Is your poor mental state rted to Mr. Mason''s new lover? You had a bitter quarrel with him at Miss Coleman''s memorial service. Will you two get divorced? And what do you think of Mr. Mason''s new lover saying that you should give up on him?" The reporters were pushing and shoving to get to the front, and several microphones almost poked Catelyn''s face. Surrounded by bodyguards, Catelyn kept walking towards the car parked by the side of the road with her head down. But when she heard thest reporter''s question, she raised her head. "What did you say? Please say it again." The reporter thought Catelyn didn''t hear clearly, so he repeated, "Will you and Mr. Mason get divorced?" "Not this, but yourst question.¡± ''How could he have a new lover within just a few days? The reporter must be joking!'' Catelyn thought. "Mr. Mason''s new girlfriend Susan openly showed their love on Twitter, suggesting that Mr. Mason has no feelings for you and he is now deeply in love with her. Is your hospitalization rted to Susan''s provocation?" "Susan?¡± Catelyn repeated the name in suspicion. Who was this woman? When Edwin saw Catelyn''s pale face, his face immediately darkened, and he directly changed the subject. "Who leaked the news of Catelyn''s hospitalization to you?" "Mr. Atherton, we are journalists, and we are supposed to make fair and equitable reports.¡¯ The reporter looked a little awkward. ''If you dare to publish today''s event, I will make you disappear in Sapphire City within three days!'' Edwin threatened in a cold voice, and then he helped Catelyn get into the car with Joanne. Catelyn was still full of questions. She grabbed Edwin''s sleeve with dull eyes. "Did you know for a long time that he has found a new lover?" ¡¯He just did it for fun, so you don''t have to take it seriously." Upon hearing this, Catelyn seemed to be struck by lightning, and her limbs froze instantly. After remaining silent for a while, she smiled wryly. "He did it for fun? He used to hate the smell of women''s perfume, but now he allows Susan to provoke me on Twitter." "Catelyn, Mr. Mason only loves you. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have let Mr. rk go at the memorial service in order not to hurt your feelings..." Catelyn certainly knew Cedrick loved her deeply, and that was why she couldn''t ept the fact that he had be like this. It was her unreasonable support of her father and a series of wrong choices that hadpletely changed him. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. "Let¡¯s get in the car. You just recovered, and the doctor didn''t suggest you stay in a cold environment for too long." Joanne helped Catelyn to the side of the road. At this time, a taxi just passed by. Catelyn broke free from Joanne''s arms without hesitation and got into the taxi. Before Joanne and Edwin took any action, Catelyn told an address to the driver, and the taxi roared away. "Catelyn, where are you going?" Watching the taxi disappear in her sight, Joanne stamped her feet in regret. "Edwin, let''s go after her. She is in such a bad state, and I''m really afraid that something will happen to her." However, Edwin was quite positive. "She must have gone to see Ced. It''s good forthem to have a chat." Catelyn arrived at the gate of Mason Group. As the receptionists and other staff knew that she was Mrs. Mason, no one dared to stop her, but everyone looked at her with a strange expression. In addition to respect, there was a trace of sympathy and helplessness on their faces. Chapter 1082 Chapter 1082 Chapter 1082 Chapter 1082 Cedrick was not in Mason Group, and Charles was now in charge ofpany affairs on his behalf. After asking some employees, Catelyn knew that Cedrick was in a newly opened clubhouse. She insisted on seeing Cedrick, and Charles had no choice but to take her there. He didn''t trust Catelyn to go there alone. As soon as they entered the door of the clubhouse, they heard deafening heavy metal music. The interior decoration was luxurious and gorgeous, with crystal chandeliers lighting the hall. Cedrick was in this clubhouse. "Is Susan a nice person?" Inside the elevator, Catelyn asked Charles absently. She had browsed Susan''s Twitter on their way here. Except for some provocative words targeting her, most of Susan''s tweets showed off her expensive designer bags and various countries'' cuisines. Charles got a little nervous, and he said with a ttering smile, "She is just an online celebrity. As a superficial gold digger, she is not qualified topare with you!" "But I broke Cedrick''s heart, and I am sure he hates my guts..." Catelyn muttered. However, she believed that there was nothing between Cedrick and Susan. He hated other women, which was a temperament that could not be changed overnight. When the elevator reached the top floor, Charles led Catelyn out. Before they headed to the VIP room where Cedrick was, a man in the manager''s uniform came up and stopped them. "Mr. Peterson, who is this?" "Mrs. Mason. Where is Mr. Mason?" Charles asked without noticing the awkward atmosphere. The manager seemed to be stricken by lightning. He widened his eyes and stammered, "Mrs. Cedrick? Who is that?" When Charles heard this, he immediately pulled a long face and stared at the manager crossly. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. The manager''s feet went soft, and he asked, "Mr. Mason''s wife?" "Which room is Ceddy in?" Catelyn stepped on the soft red carpet without making a sound. In the silent corridor, her crisp inquiry was particrly loud. Without noticing the guilty look shing across the manager''s face, she heard him say, "Well... Mr. Mason drank a lot of wine and he is having a rest now, so we had better not disturb him for the time being. Mrs. Cedrick, I''ll arrange a private room for you and bring you some food..." Catelyn said sincerely, "I want to see him first. If he is resting, I won''t disturb him." "Well..." The manager hesitated and wanted to find another excuse, but Charles simply ignored the manager and pushed him away. Actually, the door of the VIP room behind the manager was unlocked. Catelyn unscrewed the doorknob. A creaking voice sounded. "Mr. Mason, please don''t be in such a hurry. If you want to eat the dessert, answer my question first. Who is better? Me or your wife who always disobeys you?" A woman''s charming and fascinating whisper sounded in the private room. Catelyn stopped, and she seemed to be drained of blood in an instant. Her hand holding the doorknob whitened due to her great strength... Was this Cedrick¡¯s revenge on her? She took advantage of his love to save Ezekiel''s life, and now he trampled on her love,paring her with another woman. Charles didn''t expect Susan was also in the private room. He took a stealthy look at Catelyn. When seeing her pale face, he said with guilt, "Mrs. Mason, I might have got the wrong number of the room. Mr. Mason is not here, and he must be in Room 808..." Charles tried to stop Catelyn from going inside, but Catelyn had decisively pushed open the door. The next second, she saw everything happening in the room... Chapter 1083 Chapter 1083 Chapter 1083 Chapter 1083 Cedrick leanedzily on the ck Italian handmade sofa. An enchanting woman in a slip dress was leaning against his chest, gently rubbing his lips with cherries... Since Cedrick had drunk a lot of wine, his handsome face was somewhat flushed. His original sharp ck eyes seemed to be covered with ayer of gauze and became a little blurred. Besides, his suit and coat were all scattered on the ground. Everyone seeing this scene would doubt that the two of them were sexually intimate. Nothing hurt Catelyn more than seeing Cedrick like this with her own eyes. A surge of anger swelled in her heart, but it was quickly reced by bitterness. She had no right to feel sad now. Seeing Charles and Catelyn standing at the door, Susan narrowed her eyes and said, "Mr. Mason, I heard that your wife is from the Atherton family and that she''s got a hot temper. You must protect me." Cedrick''s blurred eyes fell on Catelyn. They hadn''t seen each other for just a few days, but it seemed to be as long as a century. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Cedrick''s eyes turned cold, and then he suddenly reached out to hold Susan in his arms, brushing his thin lips against her ears and whispered, "Of course." His voice was not loud, but it was quite clear. Catelyn felt as if she had been pped in the face. If she continued to stay here, she would be more humiliated. However, driven by surging jealousy and anger, she wanted to drag this shameless woman away from Cedrick and even burn the clubhouse to the ground! After a long time, Catelyn looked away and calmly said to Charles, "I am relieved to see that Mr. Mason is doing well. Please take good care of him..." "Mrs. Mason, what you saw is not the truth. Miss Susan and Mr. Mason..." Charles exined eagerly. It was Susan who seduced Mr. Mason in the first ce. Why did Mr. Mason take the initiative to hold her now? Charles''s exnation was obviously untenable, and he could only take his anger out on the manager. "Why did such a thing happen? When did this womane?" "Well... Miss Susan came soon after Mr. Mason arrived here. She said she was Mr. Mason''s lover and even sat on his legs directly, but Mr. Mason didn''t get angry or kick her out, so I had no choice but to keep her in the room," the manager said with a grievance. He didn''t provoke anyone, but he was scolded by both the Atherton family and the Mason family. ''Lover... She directly sat on his legs, but Mr. Mason didn''t get angry or kick her out...¡¯ Catelyn slowly repeated those words to herself. Every word reminded her of Cedrick''s revenge. Catelyn could no longer put up with all this, and she turned around to leave. "Mrs. Mason, don''t go in such a hurry." Susan took a look at Cedrick, who was heavily drunk, and then she turned to Catelyn with a defiant expression. "Mr. Mason drank too much, and he needs to take a bath and have a good rest. I''m afraid I can''t handle all this on my own." Catelyn took a deep breath, and only then did she take a closer look at Susan. This woman was in her early twenties, with heavy makeup and a plump figure. ''Cedrick likes this kind of woman now?'' Catelyn thought to herself. Since Catelyn just remained silent, Susan became more brazen, slowly drawing circles on Cedrick''s chest with her fingernails. "He stays with me every day, and I heard that you went to the hospital with no one taking care of you. It must be hard for you to spend nights in the hospital alone, isn''t it?" "By the way, Mr. Mason also gave me a Maserati, which costs more than 10 million dors." "Mrs. Mason, you don''t look very well." "That''s understandable. Mr. Mason is such a good man, but you didn''t cherish him at all. If he divorces you, you will be a pathetic old woman with nobody to rely on. I heard you have two sons. They are so pitiful, for they will be abandoned by their father at such a young age..." Susan became more arrogant, and she deliberately fiddled with her hair, revealing the sparkling diamond stud earrings on her earlobe. This earring was made by a famous brand, and it was probably worth millions. Charles couldn''t stand this anymore, and he snapped, "Shut up!" Chapter 1084 Chapter 1084 Chapter 1084 Chapter 1084 "Mr. Peterson, how dare you scold me?" Susan gave Charles a vicious stare. "Don''t forget who is Mr. Mason''s favorite woman now. I can ask him to fire you..." "Are you done showing off?" Catelyn calmly looked at Susan. Susan snorted coldly. Before she said anything, Catelyn continued with a sneer, "I was toozy to dispute with a shallow woman like you, but if you continue to be so self-righteous, I don''t mind teaching you a good lesson." "You..." "Since Mr. Mason loves you so much, why don''t you ask him to divorce me and marry you?" Susan''s face turned white. Cedrick would by no means marry her, for she was only qualified to be his lover. "Also, I''d like to remind you that Cedrick and I have a prenuptial agreement, and his property has long been transferred to me. I was unwilling to ept it, so I asked him to handle the property for me. Do you know what this means? It means that all the money he spent on you is mine. As long as I am unhappy, I can freeze his ount and you will never ept any gifts from him!" Susan frozepletely. She looked at Catelyn in disbelief and then at Cedrick. All of Cedrick''s property belonged to Catelyn? This meant he was just a henpecked and penniless man. The sound of apuse suddenly rang out, and it was from Cedrick. He had already pushed Susan away. Leaning on the sofa, he narrowed his sharp eyes slightly. "Mrs. Mason, you had a wonderful speech, but..." He paused, and then he asked with a sharp tone, "Are you so sure that I dare not divorce you?" As a matter of fact, as long as he wanted to divorce her, her objection would be futile. Catelyn pursed her lips and asked bitterly, "Are you willing to be sober now? IV Upon seeing his state when entering the room, she had known that he was not drunk. When Cedrick was truly drunk, he would pretend to be sober. Only when he was half-drunk would he be like this. "Mr. Mason, did you hear what your wife just said? What a bully she is! She even said that all your money was hers. She insulted you as a pauper!" Susan said in a slightly annoyed voice. Cedrick didn''t even turn a look at her. "Get out." Susan''s smile froze. "Don''t be so heartless ..." While saying this, she was about to unbutton Cedrick''s shirt, but a sharp pain suddenly came from her wrist. The next moment, she was thrown to the ground by Cedrick. Then she heard Cedrick''s cold voice. "Drag her out." "Miss Susan, please?" Charles said with a straight face. Susan didn''t expect Cedrick to change his attitude so abruptly. At the thought that she had shown off his preferential treatment to her in front of Catelyn, she was overwhelmed with embarrassment. "I will leave by myself. You should have told me earlier that you are a henpecked man with no property left..." When Charles saw that Cedrick''s face was getting darker, he directly let the bodyguard cover Susan''s mouth and drag her away. The noisy room suddenly became quiet, and only Cedrick and Catelyn were left inside. Her rapid breathing was intertwined with his steady one. Catelyn looked at Cedrick''s handsome face, with pain and regret welling up in her heart. She went to fetch a pot of hot water to wipe his face... As soon as she touched his side face, her hand was tightly held by him. Cedrick put his arm around her slightly plump waist, and he suddenly dragged her to the sofa and pressed her down. "Since you''ve driven away my femalepanion, you mustpensate my loss with yourself!"N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 1085 Chapter 1085 Chapter 1085 Chapter 1085 In the blink of an eye, Catelyn was pressed on the sofa by Cedrick, unable to move. She kept struggling. "Cedrick, let me go! Susan was driven away by you...¡¯ This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. it is all because of you!" Cedrick acted like an irrational beast andpletely ignored her struggle. This made her panic even more. What did he want to do to her? Seeing his violent expression, Catelyn was afraid. She immediately softened her voice and called his name in a grievance. "Cedrick, please be rational. We can''t do this kind of thing now. Have you forgotten our unborn child? I just got out of the hospital, and the doctor said I couldn''t do strenuous exercise...¡¯¡¯ Child? Rational? Cedrick pressed on her neck with a hand. "Do you really care about this child? If you do, why did you risk your life and his?" ''Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to...¡± "I''ve heard enough of your apologies!" Cedrick interrupted her and didn''t give her a chance to exin. "Since you don''t give a crap about him, why do you still keep this child? I''ll help you get rid of him." Catelyn was anxious and afraid, trying to appease his anger. But as soon as she opened her mouth, he gave her a fierce kiss. Seeing his muscr body, Catelyn almost burst into tears. She shook her head anxiously, begging for mercy, "Cedrick, please don''t... My lower abdomen really hurts..." She was wrong. She shouldn''t have provoked him at this time. He was drunk and irrational. If she was not pregnant, she didn''t mind him taking out his anger on her, but she had a child now... Catelyn''s face became paler. He grabbed her knees, and Catelyn knew it was useless to say anything to stop him. In a great panic, she reached for an ashtray on the tea table... When Cedrick was about to unbutton her shirt, Catelyn silently murmured an apology, and then she picked up the ashtray and hit Cedrick''s head. "Bang!¡± A dull sound rang out. Cedrick''s tall and straight body went stiff, and he groaned out of pain. His vacant eyes seemed to have regained a sense of sobriety at the moment. He touched the back of his head lightly, and his fingertips were stained with red blood. In a daze, he looked down at Catelyn, who was biting her lower lip and crying, with an unbelievable expression. Catelyn dared not stay here any longer. She took the opportunity to push him away. Covering her tattered clothes, she scrambled for the door... The blood on her neck flowed down her cor and sshed onto the ground. Catelyn opened the door, and she saw Charles standing outside. He had hoped that the two of them could make up so that he would have less trouble. However, when he saw Catelyn stumbling out with tattered clothes and a bloody neck, he was startled. "Mrs. Mason, you ... ¡° Catelyn looked at Charles with embarrassment. "Find him a doctor." With that, she quickly ran away, and she kept blinking her eyes desperately to hold back her tears. She brought all this on herself, and she deserved to suffer his torment! But she felt like her heart had been cut to pieces... After hearing Catelyn say that he should find a doctor, Charles rushed into the room. The room was a mess at the moment, and there were some wine, sses and sundries scattered on the ground on the other side of the tea table and sofa. Cedrick slumped down on the sofa, covering his face with both hands and burying his head between his knees. No one could see the expression on his face... Chapter 1086 Chapter 1086 Chapter 1086 Chapter 1086 Charles was shaken. What the hell had happened just now? "Mr. Mason, your... your head is bleeding. I will immediately find a doctor to treat you," Charles stammered. The atmosphere in the private room became even more depressing. "Get out," Cedrick said softly and slowly as if squeezing out the words from his throat. "But your injury..." "I told you to get lost. Are you deaf?" Cedrick suddenly kicked over the table in front of him, which skidded on the floor for more than a meter and stopped against the wall. Clunk. The private room looked even messier. Charles did not dare to say anything else. He could only retreat from the room and then call the doctor. He sighed, thinking, "How did the couple be like this?" Inside the room, there was soon a loud tter again. Cedrick smashed everything in sight, and then he looked at the blood stained ashtray on the ground in dismay, falling helplessly down. He leaned back on the sofa, his head low. What did he just do? He forced Catelyn, trying to kill the child. What the hell was he doing? Catelyn entered the elevator and leaned against the wall, unable to take it any longer. She covered her face and sobbed silently. She was in no position to me Cedrick. She had been defending Ezekiel and disregarding Janice''s death, which caused this situation. She couldn''t cry. She had to go to Ezekiel and ask him... What were her true origins? What was the secret that he had said he couldn¡¯t tell? She and Cedrick were torturing each other. Catelyn didn''t want things to continue like this. Wiping her tears away little by little, Catelyn took a short break in the car and let the driver take her to the rk Mansion. She put her hands on her belly the whole way. Catelyn thought that her daughter must be a very obedient baby. Her daughter was so strong and quiet in such an eventful period. Miraculously, the mild pain from when Catelyn was in the private room dissipated. "We''ve arrived," the driver reminded Catelyn. Catelyn looked out of the window at the rk Mansion, paid the money, said thank you to the driver, and got out of the car. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Inside the rk Mansion, the maids were doing the cleaning. Catelyn did not ask them to inform Ezekiel. She went up to the second floor to look for him. In therge and quiet corridor, the floor was covered with soft carpets, which werefortable to step on and would make no sound. If Catelyn had let the maids call Ezekiel, she might have never heard the cruel truth... Inside the room, Ezekiel was talking to someone on the phone... Chapter 1087 Chapter 1087 Chapter 1087 Chapter 1087 Catelyn didn''t know who was on the other end of the phone, but Ezekiel''s attitude was respectful and even ttering. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. "Please rest assured. Now that Janice is dead, no one will know my secret back then... "Catelyn? She is loyal to me. To save me, she bet her life with Cedrick. "I''ve raised Catelyn for 20 years. Of course, she should repay me. The most hateful thing was that Janice asked me to tell Catelyn the truth. Then I could only send her to hell. "Now I''mpletely fine. Even Cedrick can''t kill me. I believe this has proved my value. If you have any ns, justmand me..." Catelyn held the door handle with one hand. She heard those cruel words through the door. Anger surged inside her. It was as if a bomb had exploded in her body. Catelyn choked. She could not hold back her emotions any longer. She pushed open the door of the study with one hand. There was pain and disbelief in her eyes. "Who are you talking to on the phone? Is what you just said true?" Ezekiel did not expect Catelyn to suddenly barge in. His expression instantly became ugly. The person on the other end of the line seemed to have asked something else. Ezekiel immediately covered the phone and said carefully, "Just a little ident. I will take care of it. Yes, I''m still waiting for you to return to Sapphire City and take back what should belong to you..." After saying a few words, Ezekiel hung up the phone and stared at Catelyn seriously. "Did you ... hear something just now?" "I heard it all." Catelyn only felt it was incredibly ironic and disgusting: "So you murdered Aunt Janice and used me to get away with it? Are you still the same dad I remember?" Ezekiel walked to the door of the study and slowly closed it. Catelyn thought he would continue to argue, but this time, he had a showdown with her. "Dad? Do you think I want to be your dad? You are not my daughter at all. I''ve raised you for so many years. You just saved me once. It''s nothing at all." Catelyn was shocked by Ezekiel''s shamelessness. She put a hand on the edge of the table to steady herself. She was so angry that her body was trembling. ''Even though we are not rted, we have lived together for so many years. Do you have no affection for me at all?" Ezekiel narrowed his eyes, revealing his hideous side. He roared in anger," To tell you the truth, if your mother hadn''t begged me on her knees to keep you and promised to live with me as long as I kept you, I would have killed you long ago. In fact, you should be thankful that you still have some use. Otherwise, I would have killed you four years ago." "What... what did you say? You raised me to threaten my mother? Your love story with her is also fake?" Her head buzzed. Her world was rocked. Catelyn staggered back two steps. "No... Impossible. You''re lying to me..." The father she had been concerned about for four years turned out to be a demon. He brought her up just because he coveted her real mother... Catelyn felt it was so ridiculous. Chapter 1088 Chapter 1088 Chapter 1088 Chapter 1088 Tears rolled down from her eyes, blurring her vision... "Yeah, I''ve been lying to you. As long as you want, I can still be your gentle and kind father," Ezekiel smiled eerily. The person that she had respected for more than twenty years now made her feel disgusted. Catelyn was nauseous. She covered her mouth as she retched and red at him. "Since you used me to threaten my mother, why were you willing to continue raising me after my mother died?" As he heard this, Ezekiel''s eyes darkened. Then he sneered. ¡¯Who said your mother had died? She''s alive and well. This bitch promised to be with me, but she drugged me and sneaked away. I raised you just because I thought if you were in my hands, she would definitelye back... But you''re so useless. She has long forgotten about you." Tears were welling up in her eyes. Catelyn stared at him in a daze. "Mom ... Mom isn''t dead?" ''What difference does it make if she''s dead or not? More than twenty years have passed. You think she will look for you?" Being hurt by his words, Catelyn twitched her mouth in self-deprecation. ¡¯ So I''ve been fooled by you for the past twenty years. I''m aplete joke." After a pause, Catelyn sobbed, "Was your car ident four years ago a lie too? You''ve been plotting against me since then, right?" ''It seems Cedrick has found out a lot of things, but unfortunately, you believed me instead of him..." Catelyn bit her lower lip, feeling remorse. indeed, the car ident four years ago was deliberately faked by me. The purpose, of course, was to run away. I found out that you were pregnant with Cedrick''s children, so I thought if you became Cedrick''s woman, with Cedrick''s power, I would be able to return to Sapphire City, but unexpectedly, it took four years. And I had to continue hiding abroad..." "What do you mean? Did you snatch Ollie away and put him at the gate of the Mason Estate?" Catelyn looked at Ezekiel incredulously. The person in front of her became an instant stranger. It was four years ago. The rk family went bankrupt. Catelyn and Ste were struggling to survive, and he had been hiding, watching her, and manipting her... Catelyn''s hands and feet went numb while a chill ran down her back. "Who else do you think it was? I originally wanted to tell Cedrick that you had two children with him, but he is a ruthless businessman, and at that time, he got Maia back. I was afraid that he only wanted the children and that Maia would find me, so I could only secretly carry Ollie to the Mason Estate to leave Cedrick a clue. Who knew he would be tricked by Maia for so long?" Ezekiel had been hiding these things for years. Heughed wildly when he revealed them. ''He''s horrible.'' Catelyn could only think of this. Suddenly, it urred to her that he had talked to someone on the phone just now and that it seemed to be about a conspiracy. From N?velDrama.Org. Were they targeting Cedrick? However, without waiting for Catelyn to ask further questions, a malicious smile appeared at the corner of Ezekiel''s mouth as he walked toward Catelyn. ¡¯Don''t be afraid. Now it''s your turn. I''ll send you to Janice soon." Catelyn¡¯s face instantly paled. Intimidated by Ezekiel, she subconsciously stepped back. "What do you want to do?" "You know so many secrets. Do you think I will keep you alive? In fact, I wanted to continue to be your father at first. You and Summer look so much alike. It would be good if you were my woman, but you shouldn''t have barged in just now..." Chapter 1089 Chapter 1089 Chapter 1089 Chapter 1089 Catelyn''s stomach churned when she thought of how much she had relied on him all these years. She really wanted to throw up. As he approached, Catelyn grabbed whatever she could reach: the sses, themp... She threw them at Ezekiel. ¡¯Get out of here. You make me sick." Ezekiel dodged sideways, and themp hit the floor with a crackling sound. Catelyn held her breath and seized the opportunity to quickly run to the door... Yet as soon as she ran two steps, her hair was yanked from behind by Ezekiel. It felt like he was going to rip off her entire scalp. Catelyn winced in pain, and her voice became a little hoarse. ''I''m here for you, and a lot of people know this. Ezekiel, Grandma and Ceddy wont let you off if anything happens to me." This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Ezekiel pushed Catelyn to the wall, gripped her neck, and said in a shrill voice, "When you¡¯re dead, I''ll put you into the wall. Everyone will just think you ran away from home because you were sad after breaking up with Cedrick. Who will think you''re dead? Cat, just die in peace and say hello to Cedrick when you go to hell..." "Ow..." Catelyn was grabbed by the neck, and theck of oxygen made it difficult for her to think. Her eyeballs bulged out gradually... She punched Ezekiel''s shoulders desperately, trying to push him away. However, it was useless. Her struggle was getting weaker and weaker... She thought about Ezekiel''s words about how to kill her. Was she going to die here? What about Ceddy? She hadn''t said sorry to him and Aunt Janice yet. "Ezekiel?" Just when Catelyn thought she was going to be strangled by Ezekiel, Ste''s voice came from the stairway, apanied by the sound of hurried footsteps. Ste shouted several times, but no one responded. She murmured a little suspiciously, "Strange. Didn''t the maid say he was upstairs?" Ste searched the bedroom and the bathroom, but no one was there. She was just about to call Ezekiel when she saw him walk out of the study and lock the door. Ste''s eyes lit up. She jogged over to him. "Ezekiel, so you''re home." ''I was just on the phone with a client. What''s up?¡± Ezekiel stood in front of the study door with his usual gentle smile on his face. Ste didn''t think much of it. She pulled Ezekiel to the window and pointed to the group of people downstairs. "I found a group of reporters surrounding our house when I came back home. They said they wanted to interview you, which caused a lot of neighbors to watch the fun. Do you want to go see what''s going on?" "Okay, I''ll deal with it." Ezekiel cast a look at the reporters downstairs and smiled at Ste, "Thank you for taking care of me these days." Ste said shyly, "Anything for you, my dear. We''re an old married couple." "Didn''t you say yesterday that your friends had invited you to y cards? Why don''t you go y today?" "But you are still sick..." "It''s okay. The maids will take care of me," Ezekiel replied. It was true that Ste hadn''t yed cards for many days, and her friends kept asking her out, so she was tempted. Meanwhile, inside Ezekiel''s study, Catelyn was tied up and stuffed into a cab. She was gagged with thick cotton cloth, so she could only make small and unclear sounds, which could not attract Ste''s attention at all. Catelyn knew in her heart that Ezekiel had gone crazy. He was no longer the dad she knew. She had to get out. It just so happened that she had a small knife in her pocket, so she twisted into a very strange position, shook the knife out of her pocket, and removed the cotton cloth in her mouth with both knees. Then she bit the knife and cut off the rope tying her hands and feet slowly... In the club. Charles answered a phone call. His expression turned from surprise to worry. Chapter 1090 Chapter 1090 Chapter 1090 Chapter 1090 After hanging up the phone, Charles walked around the corridor anxiously, looking at the closed door of the private room from time to time. He was torn about whether to report thetest news to Cedrick. Charles finally braced himself and pushed the door open. The room was as messy as before he went out. The curtains were tightly closed. The sunshine could note in. It seemed depressing. The air was filled with the smell of tobo and alcohol. Yet what shocked Charles was that Cedrick, who had been leaning against the sofa cushion in low spirits, was now back on his feet. Cedrick had taken a shower and changed into a new coat. His sharp eyes were locked on Charles. Cedrick seemed to be unhappy that Charles had barged in. Looking at Cedrick''s short hair that was still dripping, Charles was stunned for a moment. Cedrick became even more displeased. "Who let you in?" Charles swallowed his saliva and said seriously, "Mr. Mason, I found out something that I think you would like to know." "Go on." "Not only did Ezekiele back to the Mason family a year ago, but he also came back four years ago when Mrs. Mason gave birth to the two young masters." Charles opened his email on the phone, found a few photos, and handed his phone to Cedrick. "This photo was taken at a small restaurant outside the hospital where Mrs. Mason gave birth. Please take a look.¡¯ Cedrick''s eyes fell on the photo, in which Ezekiel was wearing a cap and holding a baby in his arms. The baby was bundled up with a new beige nket. Cedrick''s eyes darkened. This nket... was exactly the same as the one Ollie was wrapped in when he was left at the entrance to the Mason Estate. In other words, it was Ezekiel who stole Ollie and left Ollie at the entrance of the Mason Estate. So Ezekiel had been scheming against them for four years. ''Besides, we found that after Miss Coleman was pushed down the stairs by Ezekiel, he was in frequent contact with an offshore number, which was encrypted and took the technicians days to decrypt. The number owner is in France, and ... ording to our tracing, it might be this group of people who ambushed you in France." Cedrick stared at the number. It was as if there were a thread that had strung all these things together. Over the years, as the Mason family grew stronger, there were many people who privately wanted to ruin the Mason family. The group of people that ambushed Cedrick and Catelyn in France was definitely the most vicious of them all. The ambush in France failed. Cedrickthen returned to Sapphire City, which was the Mason family''s base. So it would be more difficult forthose people to find opportunities to attack him. And Ezekiel came back at this time. Ezekiel lurked to Cedrick''s side as his father-inw. Ezekiel could also use Cedrick to get rid of the murder case that year. In fact, Ezekiel, who had long been bribed by Cedrick''s rival, deliberately schemed against him. However, Ezekiel did not expect that Aunt Janice would identally know some of the dirty things he had done and that they would get into From N?velDrama.Org. a dispute. To protect himself, Ezekiel killed Aunt Janice. Following that, his scheme was revealed. ''With this evidence, Mrs. Mason will not defend Ezekiel anymore," Charles said with relief while watching Cedrick''s face. 1 Cedrick locked the phone with no expression. "No. Don''t tell Catelyn for now." Charles paused, and then it dawned on him. "Mr. Mason, you are afraid that those people will be desperate and hurt Mrs. Mason?" "Since we already know that Ezekiel is a viin, we have to be wary. Now that I have let him go, I don''t mind letting him live a few more days. I want to see who is behind him." That person and Ezekiel murdered Janice. Cedrick would catch both of them. On the other hand, he didn''t know how he was going to face Catelyn. After what he had just done to Catelyn, she wouldn''t listen to his exnations anymore, right? Chapter 1091 Chapter 1091 Chapter 1091 Chapter 1091 At the rk Mansion. Twenty minutester, Ezekiel called the police to disperse the reporters around the vi. In fact, these reporters had followed Catelyn to Ezekiel''s house, wanting to know theplicated rtionship between Ezekiel, Catelyn, and Cedrick, and were eventually ruthlessly driven away by Ezekiel. Ezekiel returned to the study on the second floor, picked up a pillow on the chair, and quietly walked towards the closet. Smothering her was the best solution at the moment. Otherwise, there would be more trouble. He should have killed her after her birth but allowed her to live for more than twenty years. It was time to end her life. If she did not die, he would have to die. Ezekiel sneered and opened the door of the closet. He was stupefied... The closet was empty! Where was the person? He just tied Catelyn and stuffed her in the closet... Ezekiel''s face was gloomy as he stared at the ropes scattered in the corners of the closet. He quickly looked around. The study was locked by him from the outside, so Catelyn could not have escaped... Then he saw the curtains in the study were gone! Ezekiel immediately pushed open the window to check. Sure enough, he saw a rope made from the torn curtain. The rope was long enough to touch the ground floor... Damn it, Catelyn had escaped! Ezekiel quickly walked out. In fact, Catelyn was currently lying on her back under therge bed in the lounge of the study. It was very narrow under the bed, so she felt very ufortable. She originally wanted to escape along the rope. But being pregnant, she was worried that she would hurt her baby if she was not cautious enough as she was escaping from the second floor... At that time, she and her baby would both die. She could not afford to take that risk. Two minutester, Catelyn quietly listened to the sound outside the door. She saw a pair of shiny leather shoesing in. Catelyn clearly recognized that they were Ezekiel''s. As expected, Ezekiel was notpletely convinced that she had escaped from the window. He had just left the study on purpose to test her! She held her breath immediately and covered her mouth. "Did she really escape from the window?" Ezekiel stared stonily at the window, cursed her in his heart, and then called someone. "Hello? Mr. Denham, this is Ezekiel. I am in trouble..." The voice was bing farther and farther away, and Catelyn couldn''t hear clearly what else Ezekiel said. Probably he said she had escaped and wanted Mr. Denham to arrange for someone to find her. Mr. Denham? He was probably a person who had acted in collusion with Ezekiel. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Only after she was sure that Ezekiel had gone far away and would note back did Catelyn sneak out from under the bed and escape through the back door. Luckily, a cab passed by and she immediately got in the car. "Madam, where are you going?" The driver asked with both of his hands on the steering wheel. Catelyn subconsciously wanted to go to the Mason Estate, but Cedrick was probably still in the clubhouse, drunk and out of his mind, and would not listen to her. On second thought, she decided to go back to the Atherton Manor. Ezekiel had sent his men to look for her. Only the Atherton Manor was the safest. As expected, after some distance, they found a car following behind them. People in the car obviously had no good intentions... Chapter 1092 Chapter 1092 Chapter 1092 Chapter 1092 But this driver was obviously very familiar with the road. After several turns and driving around several streets, they finally shook off their pursuer at a traffic light intersection. Trembling with fright, Catelyn borrowed the driver''s cell phone to call Edwin... They agreed to meet at the intersection three kilometers away from the Atherton Manor. Catelyn did not feel at ease until the moment she saw Edwin. ¡¯Cousin!" Thinking of the danger just now, Catelyn felt a desire to cry, and her lips couldn''t help but tremble. "Thank you, thank you for "What happened? Why do you look so terrible?" Edwin touched her cold forehead and asked with concern. Catelyn subconsciously looked around, "Get in the car first." ¡¯Okay." On the way back to the Atherton Manor, Catelyn briefly told Edwin the secret she had heard outside Ezekiel''s door. Her tone was full of sorrow. ¡¯I was so ridiculous because I sped an enemy to my bosom! My mom did not love him at all, and she was forced to stay with him." "Wait, do you mean that my aunt was not missing that year? She was imprisoned by Ezekiel?" ¡¯Probably. That''s why my mom poisoned Ezekiel''s food to escapeter..." But where could she be now? Why didn''t shee to look for her over the past twenty years? So many people in the Atherton family searched for her and found nothing. Was she still alive? And who exactly was Catelyn''s biological father? "Cousin, I recalled one more thing." Catelyn was suddenly a little emotional, ''Aunt Janice... The day Cedrick and I got married, Aunt Janice talked with me in the wedding room and said she had seen my mother, Ezekiel, and another man together at the mall! Do you think that the man was possibly my biological father and that Aunt Janice was killed by Ezekiel because of that?" Edwin''s eyelids twitched suddenly... Everyone was looking for the conflict between Ezekiel and Janice. Although there were a variety of inferences, they were not reasonable. But if Janice had known what Ezekiel did to Summer, then everything made sense... If everyone knew Ezekiel was not Catelyn''s biological father, Ezekiel would lose the protection of the Atherton family and even break with Catelyn. So in order to cover up the truth, Ezekiel chose to kill Janice! Edwin clenched his fist... Ezekiel had actually fooled everyone. Edwin originally wanted to ask more questions, but seeing Catelyn¡¯s pale face, he suppressed the urge and anger in his heart and gently patted Catelyn''s shoulder. "I will investigate this matter. Your sweat trickled down your forehead. Do not think so much. Have a good sleep..." "Ezekiel knows that I escaped, and now he is looking for me..." "You are now under my protection. Nobody could hurt you. Don''t be afraid." Edwin took Catelyn in his arms and let her rest on his shoulder. The situation of a person could change very quickly. A few minutes ago, Catelyn still felt scared. Now, sniffing the faint scent of cologne on Edwin''s clothes, Catelyn found a feeling of dependency and quietly fell asleep, without noticing the sh of killing intent in Edwin''s eyes. Not only Cedrick but also Edwin wanted Ezekiel to die. Since it had something to do with Summer, both Edwin and Catelyn were especially cautious. Edwin did not tell Old Madam Atherton anything about this matter because he did know whether Summer was dead or alive and Old Madam Atherton would feel sad if she knew that Summer was abused. Catelyn had a very deep sleep and when she woke up, Edwin was no longer in the Atherton Manor. Old Madam Atherton was at her bedside. Seeing her open her eyes, Old Madam Atherton immediately asked Aunt Kelly to support her. "Cat, how do you feel? Do you still feel dizzy? The driver told me that you and Cedrick quarreled with each other. That nasty guy could not realize he was very lucky to marry you..." Old Madam Atherton, of course, was partial to her granddaughter. From N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn sat up in the bed and showed a bitter smile. "Grandma, it''s not his fault. I was as blind as a bat and defended the wrong person." Chapter 1093 Chapter 1093 Chapter 1093 Chapter 1093 Old Madam Atherton felt disdainful. She could understand the pain that Cedrick was going through for losing a member of his family. However, he shouldn¡¯t have allowed Catelyn to gamble with her life on a gun when he knew that she was pregnant. What if someone was killed? Boldly speaking, Cedrick didn''t really love Catelyn. Old Madam Atherton looked at Catelyn''s belly worriedly. She was really worried. "Catelyn, until now, are you still wanting to keep this child?¡± When Catelyn heard Old Madam Atherton''s words, her face changed. She subconsciously used her hands to cover her belly. "Grandma, why are you asking such a question?" "There''s already a gap in the rtionship between you and Cedrick. Even if you''re able to reconcile this time, you helping Ezekiel will cause him to have a grudge against you. What''s more is that this child of yours has a high possibility of being unhealthy. You might as well... get an abortion and break off all rtionships with him. I will find you another exceptional husband." Catelyn shook her head stubbornly. "I know you''re trying to do me good, but I already know Ezekiel was lying to me. As long as he doesn''t get in the way, I believe that Cedrick and I will be back to the way we used to be..." Even if Cedrick was mad at her and med her for not being able to see who a person really was, she could still stick by his side and apologize to him until he forgave her. There was no way that Catelyn was going to give up Cedrick and her child. Old Madam Atherton could tell the humbleness in Catelyn''s voice. Catelyn was willing to lower her own self-esteem for Cedrick. However, the more Catelyn acted this way, the more Old Madam Atherton was worried. What if she wasn''t alive in the future? Without the Atherton family to back Catelyn up, would her and Cedrick be like they were in the past? Old Madam Atherton looked at Catelyn''s belly once again and sighed helplessly. "Forget it, I know I can''t convince you, but you have to promise me to not keep the child if the child is unhealthy, alright?" Catelyn hesitated. "It''s the early stages at the moment. We''re not sure of things just yet.¡± "I''m scared that you''ll be softhearted and give birth to the child. This will be a burden to you all your life. I''ve never had a good feeling about the rtionship between you and Cedrick. Plus the child, I..." "Grandma, I feel a little dizzy. I want to rest for a while," Catelyn suddenly massaged her temples, closed her eyes and said in a tired voice. Seeing this, Old Madam Atherton knew that she shouldn''t carry on. Sheforted Catelyn a little more before turning around and leaving. Catelyn rubbed her belly and a sh of seriousness shed in her eyes. "My baby, I believe that you''re a healthy child." However, she was worried that her Grandma suddenly wanted her to have an abortion. For the next few days, Catelyn didn''t pay much attention to what was happening in the outside world. She had been resting in the Atherton family and, at the same time, avoiding Ezekiel. Catelyn noticed that Old Madam Atherton would often stare at her belly in a daze with aplicated look on her face. Old Madam Atherton would also summon Kelly every once in a while. When Catelyn saw the two of them whispering to each other, she took that as the two of them discussing whether to keep her child or not. This caused Catelyn to feel worried. "Is Grandma really going to ask me to have an abortion?" wondered Catelyn. "Miss Catelyn, here are some supplements for you." After lunch, Kelly knocked on Catelyn''s bedroom door with supplements in her hand and a kind smile on her face. Catelyn¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she still kept a calm expression on her face. "Put it on the table. I''ll take themter on." "It''s best to take these supplements now." Kelly passed the supplements to Catelyn. Catelyn looked at the supplements and sniffed. She could smell a faint smell of mint. This was something that she didn''t smell in the previous supplements she took. She forced a smile on her face. "I really have no appetite at the moment. I''ll take them after I''ve had some rest. Don''t N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. worry. I want to keep the child more than any of you." 1 Kelly hesitated and then nodded. She ced the supplements on the bedside table. "Okay, then you must remember to take these supplements." Catelyn nodded and saw Kelly out of the room. After Kelly had left the room, she quickly picked up the supplements on the bedside table. The smell of mint grew even stronger. After hesitating for a short while, Catelyn threw the supplements into the bin. The floor was covered with a carpet, so she walked quietly to the door bare -footed. Chapter 1094 Chapter 1094 Chapter 1094 Chapter 1094 The door was quietly pushed ajar... Kelly''s and Old Madam Atherton''s voices came from outside the door. Kelly said, Mrs. Atherton, is it too cruel to Catelyn? Nothing is for certain now..." "As you can see, with Cat''s attitude, even if this child is sick, she will definitely keep it. Why don''t I help her out? And I have received news that someone is going to deal with Cedrick. Whether it is Ezekiel or whoever, Cat tends to be a target. The best way is to keep her away from this vortex. Otherwise, in the future, even if I die, I will not have the nerve to meet Summer in heaven," Old Madam Atherton sighed. If the child were more likely to be healthy, she would not be so ruthless. However, this child was destined to be unhealthy. It would be nothing but a burden. Old Madam Atherton didn''t want Catelyn to be alone with a sick kid after she died. ''So should we talk to Master Edwin?" Kelly asked cautiously. Old Madam Atherton frowned and scolded, "I don''t know what he''s up to these days. He''s rarely been home. And he always goes to Cedrick''s ce. As long as I tell him about it, Cedrick will know..." "But..." "Stop it. Cat has taken the medicine. It may kick in,¡¯ Old Madam Atherton ordered coldly without giving Kelly time to hesitate.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The supplements had been sprinkled with a little chloroform. Only in this way could they send her to the operating room. Inside the room, the figures moved. Kelly was afraid that Catelyn hadn''t taken the medicine yet, so after waiting for about ten minutes, Kelly pushed open Catelyn''s bedroom door. The supplements on the bedside table were gone. On the soft bed, Catelyn was lying quietly with her hands folded on her belly. Her sleeping face was peaceful and pretty, which made people unwilling to hurt her. "Cat is asleep?" Old Madam Atherton asked from behind Kelly. Kelly said yes. Then Old Madam Atherton arranged for maids to carry Catelyn to a car. Then they drove to the Atherton family''s private hospital. Old Madam Atherton took Catelyn''s hand and talked to the sleeping Catelyn on the way. Perhaps because Old Madam Atherton was upset, tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. ''Cat, I hope you won''t me me when you wake up." Old Madam Atherton looked down and wiped her tears, not noticing that Catelyn''s thick eyshes gently fluttered a few times. Soon, they came to the hospital. The doctors and nurses carried Catelyn to the operating room. Old Madam Atherton insisted on going in to apany Catelyn, but Kelly stopped her. ''Mrs. Atherton, you will affect the doctors operating on Catelyn, and it is tiring to watch an operation. I will wait outside with you..." In the end, Old Madam Atherton sat outside the operating room in the long corridor. While inside the operating room, the doctors methodically instructed the nurses to do the pre-operative examinations and preparations. The nurses reported that everything was normal. Suddenly, Catelyn, who was lying on the operating table, slowly pulled off her hospital gown, opened her eyes, and sat up. The nurses and doctors were all shocked. They were just about to call out to Old Madam Atherton outside the door. ''If you dare to call someone, you will lose everything," Catelyn calmly said to the doctors and nurses, the look in her eyes more determined than ever. Chapter 1095 Chapter 1095 Chapter 1095 Chapter 1095 In the corridor, Old Madam Atherton''s mixed emotions faded, and she gradually calmed down when seeing the operating light turned on. No matter how hesitant she had been, Catelyn was having an abortion now. Kelly could sense Old Madam Atherton¡¯s sympathy and sadness, so she nned to bring some warm water from the doctor''s office to Old Madam Atherton. Catelyn changed into a nurse''s clothes, put on a mask and slipped out of the operating room through the window. With her head down nervously, she walked to another corridor and went straight to the elevator. Coincidentally, when she walked in the new corridor, she saw Kellye out of the doctor''s office. The two met. Catelyn was so nervous that she breathed lightly. But she kept her head down, pretending to be an ordinary nurse. She passed Kelly carefully, with one hand in her pocket... All Kelly thought about was Old Madam Atherton, so she failed to notice Catelyn at the beginning. Catelyn regained herposure and breathed a sigh of relief secretly. But at this moment, Kelly smelled the scent of gardenias. She became serious and turned to stare at the nurse who was walking further and further. Narrowing her eyes thoughtfully, she said, "Stop!" Catelyn knew that if discovered, she wouldn''t get another opportunity to escape, as she was pregnant and many bodyguards from the Atherton family were watching the operating room. She paused, not daring to alert Kelly. Her previous rxedness had gone, reced by nervousness... Her back was soaked in cold sweat. She gripped the tray in her hand tighter, her heart pounding faster. Kelly walked towards Catelyn step by step... Their distance was being shortened. Five meters, three meters, one meter... Catelyn gritted her teeth. She was figuring out whether she could flee by knocking Kelly down with the tray or by holding Kelly hostage with the scalpel. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡¯Miss Preston." Suddenly, a pleasant female voice was heard, tinged with a hint of urging. "Madam Atherton is asking you. Have you finished?¡¯ Kelly''s attention was immediately diverted away from Catelyn. She looked back and saw a familiar female doctor. ¡¯Wait a minute. I''lle soon." Catelyn took advantage of Kelly''s talk with the female doctor to quickly hide herself. She was breathing heavily, as if having just escaped from death. Kelly turned around again, trying to confirm the identity of the nurse with the scent of gardenia on her body, only to find that the nurse had disappeared and only other people were walking around. "Miss Preston, what are you looking at?" the female doctor asked suspiciously. "Nothing. Maybe I made a mistake. Let''s go. Don''t let Madam Atherton wait for us long." Kelly shook her head and left with the female doctor with a smile. ''Miss rk is undergoing surgery in the operating room. How can she be here? ''I personally took the supplements sprinkled with the drug to her and was sure that she had eaten them up... ''I''m too cautious.'' However, half an hourter, the light in the operating room was still on. Old Madam Atherton panicked. Abortion usually did not take so long. She asked a bodyguard to use the bell to ask about the situation, but the doctor only made some sounds and didn''t answer, which alerted Old Madam Atherton. Then the bodyguards forced their way in. Old Madam Atherton saw the empty bed where Catelyn should havein. The doctors and nurses were all tied up with ropes, and their mouths were sealed with tape. It was unclear how long they sat on the floor this way. Chapter 1096 Chapter 1096 Chapter 1096 Chapter 1096 The bodyguard hurriedly untied the ropes that bundled the medical staff. The medical staff were all crying out of breath... "Where''s Cat?" Old Madam Atherton red fiercely at the medical staff with bloodshot eyes. The doctor looked dumbfounded. He shivered as he stammered, "Madam Atherton, it''s not our fault. Ms. rk wasn''t actually unconscious. She woke up as soon as she was brought in here. She threatened US to tie each other up or she woulde after our family. We tried to inform you, but we didn''t have a chance." Old Madam Atherton was stunned. Her body tilted abruptly and she almost fell to the floor. Kelly rushed to help her. "Madam Atherton, look out!" "Cat knew it all along. She knew it..." Old Madam Atherton dared not imagine how desperate Catelyn was at this moment. ''I let her down. She used to trust me. She''s pregnant now. Where can she go?* Kelly thought of the nurse she''d met in the hallway. ''If Ms. rk had got away earlier, the nurse might actually be her!'' Kelly told Old Madam Atherton of her suspicions. Old Madam Atherton clutched Kelly''s hand and yelled, "If you doubted it was Cat, why didn''t you stop her then?" Kelly dropped her eyes with guilt. "Forget about that. It''s no use ming you. I underestimated Cat. Go check the surveince. I''ll call Cedrick right away. Cat will definitely go to him." Old Madam Atherton quickly calmed down. Guessing that Catelyn might be going to Cedrick¡¯s, she dialed Cedrick''s number. She waited anxiously for Cedrick to pick up the phone. Cedrick was at the Mason Estate. Ezekiel was almost desperate. Cedrick and Edwin intended to use Ezekiel as bait to lure the boss behind the curtain out. Suddenly, Cedrick''s phone rang. Old Madam Atherton was straightforward. "Is Cat at your ce?" Cedrick was stunned for a moment. Edwin told Cedrick what Ezekiel had done to Catelyn the other day. Immediately, Cedrick understood that Catelyn was now in danger. Even though Ezekiel knew that Catelyn might have told others about him, Catelyn was still an important pawn to him. She should not go anywhere at that time. "No." Cedrick replied to the phone. Old Madam Atherton was suspicious, "Really?" Cedrick asked, "Catelyn is gone?" "She ran out of the house. She doesn''t take her cell phone or purse with her. If she goes to you, let me know immediately!" Old Madam Atherton took a deep breath and said solemnly. Even if Old Madam Atherton didn''t warn Cedrick, he would inform her once he found Catelyn. He believed that the Atherton Manor was the safest ce for Catelyn at the moment. "OK." Old Madam Atherton was not happy to hear Cedrick''s brief answer. ''If it wasn''t for him, how could there be a conflict between Cat and me? Cat must hate me now.'' This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. "Cedrick, no matter what you think now. Cat is my granddaughter and I don''t want her to get hurt. We both know your situation in the present. Many people want to kill you, and it''s dangerous for Cat to be around you! And she''s pregnant..." Cedrick lowered his eyelids. "I understand. If Catelynes here, I will send her back. If you don''t believe me, you can send someone here. When Catelynes, you can have her taken back." "Okay. In twenty minutes, my men will be at your house." Old Madam Atherton then bluntly hung up the phone. Cedrick stared at the phone screen and got lost in thought... ''Catelyn knows it''s dangerous out there. Why did she run away from Atherton Manor? ''What happened?'' Just then, a car pulled up downstairs. Immediately after, Albert shouted excitedly, "Master Cedrick, Mrs. Mason... Mrs. Mason is here!" Chapter 1097 Chapter 1097 Chapter 1097 Chapter 1097 Catelyn entered the Mason Estateo She sat on the couch and waited for Cedrick. "Mrs. Manson, would you like a cup of warm tea? It has been so cold these days. It may be snowing soon." The maid brought Catelyn a cup of ck tea and smiled. "Yeah. ording to the forecast, it''s going to snow." Catelyn suddenly remembered the storm ss Alfred had given her. She noticed that there was a thickyer of ice in it before she left home. Catelyn nced upstairs with worry. "Cedrick didn''t get drunktely, did he? ¡ö "Mr. Mason..." "I¡¯ll tell you." Before the maid could answer Catelyn, Cedrick''s stern voice rang out from the stairs. Catelyn looked up the stairs and saw Cedrick. He was wearing a loose light gray knit sweater, his short hair hanging casually on his forehead. He looked homy, not as serious as usual. She held her breath and watched as he walked down the wooden stairs until he stopped in front of her. Finally, she saw the familiar face. Even when he smiled, the expression on his face didn''t change much. Catelyn parted her lips and stared at... One second, two seconds, three seconds... They looked into each other''s eyes as if time froze.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. After a few seconds, Catelyn stood on her tiptoes, tried to jump into his arms, hug him, apologize to him, and tell him what she had suffered all these days. Cedrick stared at her with imperceptible affection in his eyes. But the moment her hand was about to wrap around his neck, he took a step back. Her arm was paused in the air. She froze and looked up at him incredulously... "Are you still mad at me? I can exin. I¡¯ve figured it out. My dad... No. Ezekiel was using me all the time. And he colluded with others to try to murder you. I learned his secrets..." "Your grandmother just called me. She was worried about you. She''s going to have you taken back later." Cedrick interrupted her, no expression on his face. Catelyn froze. ''Cedrick doesn''t seem to care about Ezekiel or what I''ve learnt.'' "You''re not going to hear me out but just send me home?¡± "Yes." He didn''t hesitate. Catelyn asked anxiously, "Why? You were so mad at me when I defended Ezekiel earlier." Cedrick lowered his eyes, his hands in his pants pockets. He replied, "Do you know what you look like now?" Catelyn didn''t answer. She waited for his answer. "A few days ago, when you thought Ezekiel was the good guy, you confronted me to defend him. You made me so embarrassed at Aunt Janice''s funeral. Now you say you''ve learned everything. You know Ezekiel is the murderer and you support my decision now like nothing ever happened. Catelyn, what do you think I am?" "I''m sorry!" Catelyn grabbed Cedrick''s hand and exined anxiously, "I was stupid. I let you and Aunt Janice down. But..." "That''s enough. Your grandmother''s men will be here in about ten minutes, and they''ll bring you back safely." Cedrick said in a low voice, no emotion in his voice. Catelyn slowly loosened her grip on his hand... ''Grandmother was right. Janice''s death and the fact I had defended Ezekiel hurt him. ''There''s a rift between US and it''s not going to disappear as time goes by. It is getting deeper and deeper... ''Even if I give up my pride and ask for his forgiveness, he won''t forgive me ever.'' Catelyn closed her eyes for a moment to hold back the tears in her eyes. With sincerity, she asked again, "If my grandmother wanted me to have an abortion and her men would take me straight to the hospital, do you still want me to go back?" Chapter 1098 Chapter 1098 Chapter 1098 Chapter 1098 Time seemed to freeze. Cedrick did not answer Catelyn, and she did not speak again. The two looked at each other in silence. The silence was so long that Catelyn thought Cedrick would not answer her. Suddenly, however, Cedrick''s raspy voice rang out. "I''m sure your grandmother will make the best decision for you.". It was a simple sentence, but it gave Catelyn a blow. Her hand that was gripping Cedrick dropped abruptly. She held back her tears, stood motionless in front of him, and showed a bitter smile at the corner of her mouth, "I see. Sorry to interrupt. I shouldn''t havee today." "I have work to do. I''m going to the office." Cedrick averted his eyes and said coldly to Albert. Actually, his heart was aching. "Albert, stay with Mrs. Mason. Keep her safe until Madam Atherton''s peoplee." Thest thing Albert wanted was for Catelyn and Cedrick to have a fight, but he knew Cedrick never changed his mind. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. "All right. I''ll make sure Mrs. Mason is safe." Albert nodded respectfully. Cedrick then walked past Catelyn with his long legs and made his way out the door. Catelyn remained standing there motionless. As he passed her, he inevitably bumped into her shoulder. It wasn''t a hard hit, but Catelyn bluntly fell backwards onto the couch as if she had been hit hard... When she sat up from the couch, Cedrick had walked out the door without looking back at her. His back was like a mockery of her expectations. ''How naive I was! How could I have thought that the rift between US would disappear after I found out the truth? ''How ridiculous I was!'' "Mrs. Mason?" Albert called out with concern, and Catelyn came back to her senses. Catelyn gave a vacant smile, "I need to use the bathroom." "Okay." Albert hurriedly helped Catelyn up. Catelyn was Cedrick''s wife and she used to live here, so she knew the house well. Catelyn went straight to the bathroom at the end of the hall, which was normally used by the maids. Albert assumed that Catelyn was in a bad mood, so she didn''t bother going upstairs. Albert had a maid follow Catelyn to the bathroom. However, after several minutes, the maid didn¡¯t hear any sound from the bathroom... "Mrs. Mason?" The maid knocked on the door and asked, "Mrs. Mason, is there anything I can do for you?" No one answered. The maid got anxious. ''Mrs. Mason doesn''t fall on the floor, does she? "Mrs. Mason, may Ie in?" Still, no one answered. The maid''s face immediately turned pale. She pushed open the bathroom door, but found that Catelyn was gone! "Uncle Albert! Mrs. Mason is gone..." The maid stumbled and ran to Albert, her voice pitching. Catelyn never expected that in just a few days, she would have to run away from all the ces she once thought were home! ''Daddy, Grandma, Cedrick... I can''t go anywhere where they are. ''Where should I go?'' At that moment, she suddenly realized that however big Sapphire City was, she couldn''t find a ce she could go. She was so desperate. Chapter 1099 Chapter 1099 Chapter 1099 Chapter 1099 Catelyn ran away from the Mason Estate. She nned to escape to a ce where no one knew her and she would give birth to the baby in secret. She would not tell her grandmother or Cedrick, and she could not tell Joanne. She pawned her bracelet for tens of thousands of dors, and then she had someone buy her a bus ticket to Omille city. To avoid being recognized by people, she bought a cheap makeup set and put on makeup. No one noticed her the whole way... As the bus drove out of Sapphire City, Catelyn looked back at the city.'' Goodbye, Cedrick.'' Cedrick''s car had barely left the garage when Eason received a call from Albert. After learning that Catelyn had escaped again, Cedrick immediately asked Eason to drive back to the Mason Estate, his eyes bloodshot with rage. The bodyguards searched the house around, but they couldn''t find Catelyn. Cedrick kicked the bodyguard in anger and asked, "I told you to keep an eye on Mrs. Mason. How could you let a pregnant woman escape with so many of you?" "Mrs. Mason.... Mrs. Mason..." The bodyguard trembled as he answered. Cedrick¡¯s kick was so brutal that the bodyguard couldn''t straighten his back. Cedrick''s fierce eyes then turned to the maid who had apanied Catelyn to the bathroom. His fists were clenched so tight that the blue veins bulged on the backs of his hands. ''Tell me what happened!" The maid stammered and told Cedrick what had happened. The maid apanied Catelyn to the bathroom, but Catelyn then disappeared inside the bathroom... Cedrick thought of the back door in the backyard. Cedrick had kept a dog for Catelyn. Sometimes the dog was very naughty. It used to run around, so Cedrick had a back door constructed in the backyard. ¡¯Catelyn must have gone out through the back door! Usually there was no bodyguard there... N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Cedrick rubbed his furrowed brows and yelled, "What are you standing here for? Go find Mrs. Mason now! Send enough hands!" Sought by the police and his enemies, Ezekiel was desperate. If he found Catelyn first... ''No! I can''t let Ezekiel find Catelyn!'' Just then, Old Madam Atherton''s men arrived. To keep Catelyn safe, she sent eight cars. When the men found that Catelyn had run away from the Mason Estate, they immediately reported to old Madam Atherton. Old Madam Atherton was shocked and enraged. She immediately had hypertension. She sat down in a chair and gasped for air. She ranted to Cedrick on the phone, ''What was so important? How could you leave her alone in the house? I should never have agreed to let Cat marry you. There are so many excellent young men... I''m warning you: you¡¯d better get Cat back to me as soon as possible!" Cedrick did not argue with Old Madam Atherton. After she finished, he asked, "Catelyn ran away after I told her you were going to have her picked up. Madam Atherton, when you decided to let her abort the baby, did it ever ur to you that you should have talked to me? If something happens to her, we''re both murderers. Neither of us can get away from it!'' Then Cedrick bluntly hung up the phone. He went to find Catelyn himself. Four hourster, the bus arrived at the coach station in Omille City. It waspletely dark. Catelyn had been on the run. She was hungry, but she didn''t have much money on her. She was afraid to go to a restaurant with surveince, so she went to a shabby food stall. Sitting at the table, she ordered a sandwich. It smelled good... Chapter 1100 Chapter 1100 Chapter 1100 Chapter 1100 Catelyn had turned off her phone. She was afraid she would be tracked down through her phone. Now she had arrived in Omille City. She got a new SIM card and turned on her phone. Catelyn turned her phone on as she had the sandwich. There were lots of unread messages on WhatsApp and Twitter. Messages flooded into her phone like a tidal wave. Catelyn ignored all the messages except Joanne''s. Joanne sent a few text messages and voice messages. [Cat, where are you now? Why did you leave without telling any of US? We were all worried about you!] [Send me a message when you see my message. Tell me you''re safe and I''ll be relieved.] [I will not tell Cedrick or your grandmother. Trust me.] Catelyn listened to the messages in silence and then sent Joanne a message, [I''m fine. Don''t worry.] [Cat?] Immediately, Joanne sent a message as if she had been waiting for Catelyn''s message all the time. [Is it really you? Are you okay? What happened? You are going to leave your grandmother, Cedrick, and the two kids behind?" Catelynpressed her lips. Certainly, she didn''t want to leave them. But if she didn''t run away, she couldn''t keep her baby... She had thought about taking Miles and Ollie with her, but she was afraid Ezekiel would get them. [It all happened all of a sudden. Please ask no more questions. I''d better not tell you anything.] Catelyn says back. Joanne was silent for a few seconds and then transferred $100,000 to Catelyn. [I got a deposit for a new y. This is all the money I have on my card. Use this money when you need it. Take care of yourself and the baby.] From N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn was touched and her eyes welled up with tears at Joanne''s generous offer. She didn''t refuse and epted the money. She really needed the money at that time. Then she asked Joanne about Cedrick and her grandmother. They both sent arge number of men to look for Catelyn. Catelyn realized that she could not stay in Omille City for long. At night, Catelyn went to a motel that didn''t require ID registration. There was a neon sign on the door that read $40 a night. The hotel smelled musty. The sheets on the bed were yellowish. The concrete floor had stains on it. Catelyn had boiled some hot water to keep warm. Shey down on the bed without taking off her clothes. The hotel was poorly soundproofed. She could hear a couple arguing in the next room, the TV ying loudly in the opposite room, and the sound of heavy traffic downstairs. She couldn''t sleep. She stayed awake all night, tossing and turning in bed and thinking about the people of Sapphire City. She didn''t fall asleep until dawn. When she got up, she took a taxi to the airport. She checked for uing flights and bought four different departures. She knew how powerful the Mason family and the Atherton family were. Additionally, there was Ezekiel and the mysterious boss behind him... Catelyn had to hide in a further ce. When she used her passport to buy ne tickets, they could track her down, so she bought several flights to different cities to buy herself more time... However, it turned out that Catelyn was too naive. When Cedrick made up his mind to find her, it was easy for him, especially since Catelyn had contacted Joanne. As Catelyn was checking in and going through the security checkpoint, she heard amotioning from somewhere in the airport. She looked up and saw a group of well-trained bodyguards in suits with Cedrick marching into the boarding hall... Chapter 1101 Chapter 1101 Chapter 1101 Chapter 1101 Catelyn''s face instantly changed color. She grabbed her visa from the counter and turned to get out of the boarding hall. ¡¯You guys go in that direction!" "All gates need searching one by one! If Mrs. Mason got onboard, you''re all screwed..." Eason gave instructions to the bodyguards, and the bodyguards then began to scatter to find Catelyn. Catelyn''s heart was racing. Just as she was about to bump into one of the bodyguards, she joined a group of women and headed to the ''What am I going to do? Howe Cedrick is here so soon... ''Is Grandma getting here soon too? ''If they take me back, will they send me straight to the hospital for an abortion? ''They had promised me to keep the baby...'' Inside thedy''s room, the other women all went into the stalls. Catelyn was worried that the bodyguards would have someonee in and search thedy''s room, so she went into thest stall. The stall was piled up with mops, cleaning bins, stic bags, and so on. An idea urred to Catelyn. She immediately changed into the cleaner''s clothes, wearing a blue hat and a pair of blue stic gloves. Although there were some dirty stains on the gloves, she put them on. Messy footsteps sounded in the hallway and someone approached... Catelyn gathered her courage and pretended to be cleaning. She grabbed a mop, bent forward, and lowered her head. The bodyguards scrutinized each woman, but they didn''t pay much attention to Catelyn, who was dressed as a cleaner. Fortunately, she managed to escape the bodyguards'' search... After Catelyn ran to the airport exit, she breathed a sigh of relief. Cedrick had four boarding gates locked down and passengers were kept waiting in the boarding hall, which caused a lot ofints. Catelyn ran out of the airport without looking back... It seemed she couldn''t get on the ne. She needed to find other ways to go abroad. There were many cabs parked outside the airport. Catelyn took off the blue hat and gloves and waved for a cab. Just as the cab was about to approach her... Pang- The gate of the airport was suddenly mmed open with force. Immediately afterwards, the cab driver abruptly swerved as if he saw something terrible. The cab drove away. Catelyn froze. She turned around dumbfounded and saw Eason heading to her with several bodyguards. They rushed to her and stopped her. "Mrs. Mason, pleasee back with US." As she had finally managed to get out of the airport and there were so many cabs around, she shook off Eason''s grip and yelled, "Get out of my way! Leave me alone!" "Mrs. Mason, you can''t get away." Eason and the bodyguards surrounded her. From N?velDrama.Org. Catelyn closed her eyes in despair... Cars and travelers were bustling around. When Catelyn opened her eyes, she seemed to hear someone calling her name. Chapter 1102 Chapter 1102 Chapter 1102 Chapter 1102 ¡¯Catelyn..." Catelyn turned around and saw two lines of bodyguards stepping aside and Cedrick showed up at the ends of the lines. The sunlight shone on his handsome face. He gave out an intimidating air, like a beast seeing his prey. Cedrick announced, ''The game is over." ''Game over...'' It took no more than 24 hours for him to find her. Catelyn felt resentful! He wanted her to go back to the Atherton family''s house even though she told him her grandmother wanted her to abort the baby. Catelyn wanted to run away to somewhere no one could find and gave birth to the baby there. Why won''t Cedrick let me?'' ''Will youe to me yourself or do you need me to get you?¡¯ Cedrick stared steadily at her pale face. Catelyn didn''t want to go back with Cedrick, but she couldn''t get away. She dragged her feet towards him. Perhaps because she was startled earlier, her steps were very slow. Sensing Catelyn''s reluctance to go back with him, Cedrick sighed in his heart. Then he strode to her and carried her up in his arms. Catelyn was shocked by Cedrick''s sudden move. She felt like she was falling fast. She was still mad at Cedrick, so even though she felt she was going to fall, she didn''t wrap her arms around his neck. Picking up Catelyn, Cedrick found she was so weak. "Don''t run away again! No matter how far you run, I''ll get you back." Catelyn curled her lips and sneered, "Like when I went to France, but you found me finally?¡¯ Cedrick''s heart flipped, and he responded, "Yes, just like that." ''What are you going to do with me next? Are you going to send me back to my grandmother''s house? Or are you going to take me to the hospital to get an abortion yourself?" Catelyn asked sarcastically. Cedrick frowned and didn''t say anything. Although Catelyn had only been away for a few hours, he felt like it had been many days. Eason pulled open the car door and watched Cedrick carrying Catelyn to the car. As soon as Catelyn got into the car, she moved to the window. The room between Cedrick and her was wide enough for two people to sit. She seemed to hate him. Cedrick showed an upset look in his eyes. He wouldn''t let her be so far away from him. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Cedrick gripped Catelyn''s arm and dragged her into his arms. Catelyn struggled, but she couldn''t fight Cedrick. His clutch was so tight that she couldn''t move. She was forced to sit on hisp. There was plenty of room in the car. Catelyn was small in stature. Being held in his arms, she looked like a pet. Catelyn was so angry that she bit his neck. Catelyn¡¯s bite was so hard that her jaw was sore, but he didn''t make any sound. She then loosened her bite in frustration. Remembering that she had just touched the mop and worn cleaning gloves and that her clothes were dirty, she deliberately twisted her body and tried to stain his clothes. She knew Cedrick had a fetish for cleanliness, so she wanted to annoy him. She was so angry that she didn''t notice that Cedrick''s eyes were darkening... Her jaw was getting more and more sore. She couldn''t break free, so she gave up and quieted down. He didn''t relieve his clutch on her until he smelled blood. He then buried his head on her shoulder and calmed his breathing. Catelyn''s hand slowly moved up. She wanted to touch his face, but she thought of his indifference yesterday. She clenched her hands into fists as she remembered he wanted to send her to her grandmother''s even though he knew her grandma wanted her to abort the baby... Chapter 1103 Chapter 1103 Chapter 1103 Chapter 1103 Cedrick had smelled a weird odour around Catelyn, so he didn¡¯t take her back to Sapphire City right away. He took her to a luxury hotel nearby, so Catelyn could take a shower. The dark circles under Catelyn''s eyes clearly showed that she had not slept in the past few hours. A pregnant woman shouldn¡¯t be running around for long. The hotel¡¯s decoration was fancy. Compared to the one Catelyn had stayed inst night, it was way much better. The waiter led the two to a presidential suite. Catelyn sat on the sofa, staring nkly into the air. "Sir, ma¡¯am, do you need anything else?" The waitress gave a sweet smile. Cedrick took a pen and paper out of the drawer, wrote some numbers, and handed the note to the waitress. "Please get a set ofdy''s pajamas in this size." The waitress nodded and left with the note. Cedrick took off his suit jacket and hung it on the rack. Then he went into the bathroom. After filling the tub with warm water, he said to Catelyn at the bathroom door, "Come take a shower." Catelyn nced at him numbly and then went to the bathroom. Cedrick didn''t look like he was leaving. He tested the water temperature. "The water is just the right temperature. You can undress now." Catelyn frowned. "What do you mean?" ''I don''t think you can take a bath yourself." Cedrick said in a somber voice, ¡¯ Besides, you escaped from our house. I''m not sure you won''t run away again today. I have to keep an eye on you." "I thought you said I couldn''t run away from you, right? Why are you so nervous now?" Catelyn sneered. Cedrick had one hand in his pants pocket. He looked calm. "Confidence and caution are two different things." Catelyn knew Cedrick wouldn''t go out. She didn''t bother to ask him to get out. They were a couple anyway... And she did smell. Catelyn undressed herself and got into the tub. Cedrick learned from the doctor that pregnant women should not take long baths and that the water needed to be warm. Catelyn turned her back to Cedrick and stroked her arms in the water. Cedrick kept his eyes on her without a blink. Catelyn had no choice but to let him finish her bath. After the bath, Cedrick got a clean bath towel from the closet and wrapped her in it. Then he carried her to the bedroom. The waiter just brought in the pajamas. The pajamas had been washed and dried and smelled nice. Cedrick handed it to Catelyn and asked, "Can you put it on yourself? Or do you need my help?" Catelyn nced at the waitress who was still in the living room. She blushed slightly and replied, "I''ll put it on myself!" All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. "I''m going to take a bath. Don¡¯t go anywhere." Cedrick kissed her on the lips, stroked her hair with affection, and then went into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of water running in the bathroom rang out. The waitress showed an envious look and eximed, "Mrs. Mason, your husband is so sweet. I honestly envy you..." ''Mr. Mason carried his wife in his arms to the hotel and carried her out of the bathroom. ''That''s so sweet!'' "You could go on a date with him. Do you like it?" Catelyn gave a bitter smile. The waitress froze. Catelyn lowered her head with bitterness. Chapter 1104 Chapter 1104 Chapter 1104 From N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1104 is this sweet? He''s imprisoning me!'' When Cedrick came out of the bathroom, Catelyn was sitting quietly on the bed with a book in her hand. The light-colored pajamas fit her well. She looked lovely. Cedrick tossed her a towel and demanded, "Wipe my hair.¡¯ Catelyn closed the book and asked with a faint smile, "Aren''t you afraid I''ll choke you with the towel, and then I''ll run away?" "After I caught you at the airport, the Atherton family and the rk family must have heard about it. If you''re not afraid of losing the baby and your life, you can go.¡± Cedrick curled his lips. His tone was extremely gentle, not threatening at all. Catelyn clutched her palms. Then she picked up the towel, pressed his head down, and began to wipe his hair vigorously. Catelyn took it as revenge on Cedrick, so she made a mess of his hair. Cedrick was silent. From the opposite window, he saw the angry expression on her face, and his eyes became tender. He was happy inside. "You seem to have a lump in here." Catelyn felt a lump on the back of his neck. She poked it and found it quite hard, like there was something inside. Cedrick replied nonchntly, "I identally knocked something over once when I was at the construction site, and it turned into a scar." "Did you go to the doctor?" Catelyn frowned. Cedrick grabbed Catelyn¡¯s hand and the towel and turned to take her in his arms. He gazed down at her thoughtfully and asked, "Are you worried about me?" Catelyn nced at him and met his gaze. Immediately, she averted her eyes. "Your hair is dry. I''m going to sleep." She got in bed, turned her back to him, and closed her eyes. Cedrick got under the covers and held her tightly in his arms. His masculine scent was right on her nose. She bit her lower lip. Even though she was tired, she couldn''t sleep. The next day, Catelyn woke upte because she had fallen asleeptest night. Cedrick was not in the bedroom. Catelyn got up and went to the bathroom. She was a little distracted. She guessed that after breakfast, Cedrick would take her back to her grandma¡¯s. Her escape had been short. It onlysted less than one day. Catelyn changed her clothes and then went out of the bedroom. The presidential suite had a spacious living room. Cedrick was standing by the window. He was on the phone with Edwin. Catelyn couldn''t hear what they were talking about on the phone, but she noticed that Cedrick wasn''t happy. Dang-dang-dang- There was a knock on the door. Catelyn looked at Cedrick, and Cedrick also looked at her. "I ordered breakfast." Catelyn then answered the door. The waiter entered the room with the food cart and set a couple of exquisite dishes on the table. They looked delicious. "Here''s your breakfast. Sir, ma¡¯am, enjoy your breakfast." The waitress said with a smile. Catelyn took some money from her purse and tipped the waitress. Thank you." The waiter took the tip and took the opportunity to quickly slip a balled-up note into her hand... Chapter 1105 Chapter 1105 Chapter 1105 Chapter 1105 Catelyn was surprised. Her eyes widened. The waitress passed a quick wink at her and then left with a smile. The waitress''s move was fast. Catelyn grabbed the note and stuffed it in her purse without reading it. Then she set up the dishes as if nothing had happened. When Cedrick hung up the phone, Catelyn was eating breakfast. He walked to the table and rubbed her hair. ¡¯It smells good." "The breakfast does smell good." Catelyn wondered, ''Who is this note from? What''s written on it?'' "I mean your hair." Cedrick leaned over and kissed her hair and then pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. Catelyn paused. She looked up at him, confused. But she was afraid Cedrick would notice something unusual about her, so she quickly lowered her head and continued eating. After breakfast, Catelyn went to the bathroom with the excuse of an upset stomach. She locked the door and took the note out. On the note was a license te number and the address of a parking space. She memorized the license te number and the address and then flushed the note down the toilet. She was confused. ''Who did this notee from? ''It couldn''t havee from Grandma''s men or Joanne. ¡öJoanne cane to see me and help me out of here. ''Is it Ezekiel? Is he trying to trick me out and then kill me? ''But it''s been so many days. I''ve already told the others his secrets. It''s toote for Ezekiel to kill me now. But... ''Even though Cedrick and Edwin knew Ezekiel''s secret, they didn''t take any action. ''Ezekiel is still the head of thepany. ''What is all this about?'' Since Catelyn had been in the bathroom for a while, Cedrick was worried that something was wrong with her. He knocked on the door. Catelyn was interrupted in her thoughts by the knock. She opened the bathroom door and saw Cedrick standing at the door with a sullen face. "Are you okay? Do you want me to call a doctor?" Catelyn returned to the sink, turned on the faucet, and washed her hands. After a few seconds, she slowly looked up at Cedrick in the mirror. "Yes, I need a doctor. I have an upset stomach. I''m not sure what''s wrong with me. I''m worried I''m going to throw up on the way back to Sapphire City." Cedrick showed a worried look when he nced at her thin body... Just as Cedrick turned to get out, Catelyn felt an impulse inside. Suddenly, she grabbed his wrist, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the lips. Cedrick was surprised. Her movements were a little brutal, and her teeth bumped into his. Cedrick stared wide-eyed at Catelyn. It took him a few seconds toe back to his senses. Catelyn gave him a deliberate bite on his lip. Then she was about to stop the kiss. However, Cedrick gripped her waist and kissed her greedily... One second, two seconds, three seconds... Catelyn felt her heart pounding... This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. It wasn''t until she was out of breath that Cedrick let her go. Catelyn pushed him away harshly and asked with a smirk, "I ate garlic and I didn''t brush my teeth. Did you like it?" Cedrick was caught off guard and took several steps backwards as she pushed him. Realizing she was ying a trick on him, he narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me, is this your revenge? I feel sorry for you." Catelyn choked. She mmed the bathroom door shut in exasperation. Chapter 1106 Chapter 1106 Chapter 1106 Chapter 1106 The sound of Cedrick''s footsteps gradually disappeared outside the door... Catelyn touched her lips affectionately, on which his sweet and astringent smell still lingered. ?????? Cedrick called Eason to send a doctor here, and then he went downstairs to arrange the trip. Since Catelyn was feeling unwell, four hours of traveling might not be suitable for her. On the first floor outside the parking lot. Eason spread out a map and pointed to several routes with red lines. ''Mr. Mason, I¡¯ve already made an investigation. The shortest route from here to Sapphire City takes about three and a half hours, and there are some bumpy paths along the way. Mrs. Mason is so weak, and I am afraid she can''t take it." Cedrick frowned and said, "Arrange a private jet for US." This was a small city, and there were no direct flights to Sapphire City. Catelyn couldn''t take a helicopter, so he could only arrange a private jet. Eason was dazed for a while, and then it dawned on him. "Why didn''t I think of that? I''ll arrange it right away..." However, just as Eason was going to call his subordinates to arrange a private jet, the loud sound of an explosion suddenly rang out, and then the whole ground seemed to be shaking. All the cars parked on the ground sounded the rm, which was rather ear piercing. Eason subconsciously protected Cedrick''s head and let him bend over. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Countless dust and debris fell from the sky. "Hurry up to protect Mr. Mason!" Eason shouted at the bodyguards. The bodyguards swarmed over and surrounded Cedrick. Cedrick shook his head, shaking off the dust from his hair and cor. An uneasy sense of foreboding suddenly shed across his mind, and then he looked back at the six-star hotel... The 16th floor of the hotel was filled with gray-ck smoke, and it was burning with a raging fire! Catelyn was still on the 16th floor! Cedrick''s heart seemed to be gripped by someone, and it almost stopped beating. "Catelyn ..." He pushed Eason away and rushed upstairs. Eason immediately shouted with an anxious expression, "Mr. Mason, wait a moment! It''s dangerous inside ..." Before Eason finished saying that, Cedrick¡¯s figure had disappeared in front of him. Having no other choice left, he quickly followed up with other bodyguards. It was a total mess inside the hotel now. The unexpected explosion scared the guests, and they all screamed and rushed downstairs... "Someone has died!" "Oh, my God! How can there be an explosion? Is it a terrorist attack?" "It''s so terrible! Can anyone help me? My room is on fire ..." People''s heart-rending shouts and children''s helpless crying filled Cedrick''s ears. Someone called for an ambnce, someone called for a fire engine, and the scene was a total mess... Cedrick sprinted upstairs against the crowd, for the elevator had already stopped running. His eyes were scarlet red, and he had only one thought left... Catelyn was still upstairs, and he had to take her out! "Young man, the upstairs has exploded. What are you doing? You can''t go there!" A kind-hearted woman stopped Cedrick at the stairs on the fourth floor. Cedrick couldn''t hear what she was saying, and he stared at her moving lips. "My wife is still up there... I cannot leave her alone..." Be more sensible! The 16th floor has all exploded, and the fire is so fierce that your wife must have died! If you rush up, you will die too!" Chapter 1107 Chapter 1107 Chapter 1107 Chapter 1107 The word "died" was the most frightening word for Cedrick at the moment. He gave that woman a vicious stare and continued to stumble upstairs as quickly as he could. There were people all around, but he only felt the freezing chill. In a blink of an eye, he reached the 16th floor. Red mes mixed with dark ck smoke filled the air, and his whole vision was blurry. Cedrick took a towel and soaked it in water. Covering his mouth and nose with the towel, he rushed into the scene of the explosion without looking back! Bang! The chandelier fell on the floor, and the sound of sporadic explosions kept ringing through the whole suite. Cedrick''s eyes turned scarlet, as if he was about to shed tears of blood. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He almost growled, ¡¯Catelyn, I''ming. Don''t hide." ¡¯Come out and I''ll get you out of here.¡± ''We''re not going to the Atherton family¡¯s house, and I won''t force you to abort that child again. Come out..." The scene of the horrible explosion was full of smoke and mes. Cedrick had always been a calm and sober man, but now he was like a wounded and furious beast, scurrying around like a headless fly. He went to the bedroom first, then to the bathroom, and then to the balcony and kitchen... But he couldn''t find her anywhere! He finally went to the living room. The living room was obviously the ce where the explosion urred. The floor waspletely dark and the sofa was aze with fire. What was most uneptable to him was that there were some broken fabrics scattered around the sofa. That was the new dress he had bought for Catelyn this morning! Those pieces of cloth fell to the ground in bits and pieces, giving out a strong scent of blood. The color of the cloth had turned pale yellow under the fire, and the surrounding areas of the cloth were ckened, as if a living person had been torn apart by the explosion! When this terrible thought shed through his mind, Cedrick almost couldn''t stand up. He stumbled and fell on his knees. His eyes were bloodshot and his heart seemed to have been torn into countless pieces. ''No, it can''t be. It''s not Catelyn. She can''t die like this...'' he thought. It must be an illusion! Cedrick stood up in despair and wanted to look elsewhere... Suddenly he felt like he had stepped on something. He slowly removed his feet and looked down. A diamond ring was shining on the dark floor. He picked up this ring. It had been burned red with a distorted shape, but the diamond on it was still intact. It was exactly the wedding ring he had given to Catelyn! After getting married, he forbade her to take it off. She had promised to never take off her ring as long as their marriage still continued. Cedrick held this ring with trembling fingers. Suddenly, his throat tightened with the sickly sweet smell of blood, and he couldn''t help staggering back. ¡¯Ah!" He put the ring against his chest. The temperature of the ring was so high that it left deep scalds on his fingertips and chest. Cedrick screamed bitterly, with tears rolling down his cheeks. He suddenly hated his ipetence! If he could have solved the crisis in the dark earlier... If he hadn''t insisted on sending her to the Atherton family''s house... But the past could never be changed. Chapter 1108 Chapter 1108 Chapter 1108 Chapter 1108 Grief seemed to overwhelm Cedrick. The smell of blood welled up in his throat again, and he found it hard to breathe because of the thick smoke. After spitting out one mouthful of blood, he cked out and fell onto the scorching ground. Before losing consciousness, he seemed to see the crystal chandelier above his head shaking with a loud creak and falling towards him... He spread out his arms and closed his eyes in despair. At Shoal Vi. Edwin made out with Joanne after waking up in the early morning. In a daze, he heard his phone ring. He sat up from the bed with fluffy short hair and picked up his phone with one hand. Then he said in a sexy butzy voice, "Wait for a moment please. w He got out of bed softly, tucked Joanne in, and then went to the balcony to answer the phone. He never saw this caller ID before, and he asked in a low voice, "Who is that speaking?" ''Are you Mr. Atherton? I''m a police officer from Omille City, and my badge number is xxxx. Is Miss Catelyn your cousin? An explosion urred on the 16th floor of the hotel where she stayed. A total of 13 guests and staff, including Miss Catelyn, were killed in the ident..." The police officer''s mechanical but sympathetic voice was particrly clear on the silent corridor. Edwin once again looked at the phone number, and he pinched his thigh in disbelief. ''What did you just say? Who is dead?" he asked in a serious tone. The police officer knew Edwin''s identity, so he called to inform him. He swallowed hard and felt his heart leap up. ''Mr. Atherton, I am truly sorry for your loss. We will try our best to catch the culprit..." Bang! The mobile phone slipped from Edwin''s hand and hit the ground, making a dull sound. Edwin froze on the spot, and his blood seemed to stop flowing. Joanne¡¯s hurried footsteps sounded from behind. Suddenly, she seemed to hit something, and there came a dull thud. Edwin turned his head, only to see Joe slumping onto the ground with a pale face, and her lips trembled slightly. Edwin''s face changed, and he quickly walked over to pick her up. "Is what the police officer said just now true?" Edwin tried to calm her in a half-joking voice, "Your hearing is so good. It seems that the anti- eavesdropping function of my mobile phone is broken." "Don''t lie to me! I heard it all. There was an explosion in Cat''s hotel, right?" Joanne''s voice faltered. She clutched Edwin''s wrist and burst into tears.'' Take me to her at once! She must be fine...¡± A few hours ago, Joanne heard Edwin say that Cedrick had found Catelyn and would soon take her back to the Atherton family. Although Joanne understood that Catelyn must have a reason to leave, she was pregnant after all, and it would be best for her to stay in the Atherton family''s vi and be taken care of by so many servants. Joanne didn''t expect that after just a few hours, she got the news that Catelyn would nevere back! "This must be an illusion, and it can''t be true ..." Joanne murmured to herself. Sadness gripped her, and she cried out of breath, staining Edwin''s clothes with her tears and snot. Edwin frowned, took her by the cor and straightened her up. "What''s going on now is unknown, so don''t make the situation worse!" This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. "How did I make it worse?" Joanne''s eyes had turned red, and she growled with grievance and pain, "Cat is my best friend, and I must go and have a look... Maybe you were too careless, and I will find other clues ..." Edwin stared at her with a sigh. He was about to say something, but the phone rang again. It kept ringing non-stop. Edwin and Joanne looked at the phone on the ground, fearing to hear any worse news from it. Seeing that Edwin was reluctant to answer the phone, Joanne crawled over to pick it up. She sniffed and asked in a broken voice, "Are you Eason? Please tell me Cat is with Master Cedrick and that she''s fine right now!" Chapter 1109 Chapter 1109 Chapter 1109 Chapter 1109 Eason didn¡¯t expect Joanne to answer the phone. After hesitating for a moment, he finally acquiesced. "Miss Winters, it was very chaotic here, and many reporters and onlookers are taking pictures. Mr. Mason fainted at the scene of the explosion, and it''s hard for US to find others to suppress the news, so I hope you can ask Mr. Atherton to use his influence in the entertainment circle to control the media''s spread of this matter..." Joanne''s hope hadpletely evaporated, and her mind was full of the word "explosion". She sat on the ground, numb and absent-minded. Edwin grabbed the mobile phone from her hand and listened to Eason''s description of the specific situation. His empty eyes were tinged with extreme anger. "OK. I''ll arrange everything ande to meet you in two hours." "Thank you, Mr. Atherton," Eason added mindlessly. Edwin exploded with rage instantly. "How dare you say this? Catelyn is my cousin, but you failed to protect her. Tell Ced that we''re not done with this!" After hanging up, Edwin angrily smashed the phone into the sofa... He looked down and saw Joanne widening her watery and swollen eyes, and she was shaking all over. Actually, he had the same feeling as her. When he was about to take Joanne to bed to have a rest, she suddenly stood up and went straight to the cloakroom. She casually put on a down jacket, a mask and hood and ran out. Edwin was worried that her identity would cause a sensation... In fact, the explosion at the hotel seemed more shocking. After thinking for a while, Edwin gave up the idea of keeping Joanne at home. Instead, he went out and called his subordinates, asking them to block the news as quickly as possible. Edwin went directly to Omille City by helicopter. Heavy smoke billowed from the scene of the hotel where the explosion had urred, and arge number of onlookers and journalists were gathering downstairs. The police had put up a cordon, and a dozen ambnces and fire trucks filled half the street. As the explosion was a serious attack, the police had also set up checkpoints far away to prevent cars from passing through. Due to this, Edwin and Joanne had to approach the hotel on foot. The medical staff was carrying stretchers out, and deformed corpses gave off an uneptable burnt smell. When they carried stretchers to the ambnce, one arm was exposed from under the white cloth... Joe took a look at it, and her stomach started to roil with nausea. She didn''t vomit, but her mind was aplete mess now. ''Who is this? Could this be Cat? Cat likes to dress up, and she can''t ept that she has be like this...'' she thought to herself. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Edwin showed his identity, and the police officers put down the cordon and let them enter the scene. Joanne frantically searched among the seriously injured patients, but the more she looked, the more she felt uneasy and worried. Edwin pulled her back, put his arm around her waist and let her head rest on his chest. "Cat is not there. Please stop looking at those bodies.¡¯ But Joanne was worried that they might not have checked carefully. Her eyes were red, and she leaned all her weight on Edwin. Seeing Edwin and Joanne from a distance, Eason greeted them with a dignified expression. "Have you found Cat?" Joanne stubbornly stared at Eason, and her eyes were full of panic and sadness. Eason bowed his head helplessly, afraid to look into Joanne and Edwin''s eyes. "The explosion center happens to be the presidential suite where Mrs. Mason stayed. We estimated that this was a premeditated explosion, and the hotel''s monitoring records were formatted. The cause of the ident is still under investigation, but it is very likely that the culprit wants to kill Mrs. Mason, and other guests were just implicated." Joanne''s vision seemed to be shrouded in darkness, and she almost fainted. ''The culprit is against Cat. What does this mean?'' She dared not think more about it. Chapter 1110 Chapter 1110 Chapter 1110 Chapter 1110 Edwin suddenly put on a fierce expression. '' My wife asked if you have found Kitty." Eason lowered his head. After the fire brigade put out the fire, they entered the 16th floor to search and rescue survivors. However, the guests who lived more than ten meters away from the explosion point were dead, let alone those in the explosion center. Cedrick was almost hit by the falling chandelier, and Edwin saved him in time. However, Cedrick clutched a diamond ring and some rags stained with blood in his hand. Those fabrics were obviously from the dress that Catelyn had worn in the morning... Therefore, it was of great possibility that Catelyn had died without a trace, but Eason didn''t have the heart to tell the truth to Joanne and Edwin. "You''re just a bunch of losers!" Edwin vented his anger on Eason. Holding Eason¡¯s cor in one hand, he snapped, "How about Cedrick? When Cat encountered such a serious ident, where was he?" "Mr. Mason wanted to rush into the scene to save his wife, but he fainted from inhaling a lot of smoke, and now he is still lying in the ambnce over there ..." With his cor grabbed by Edwin, Eason couldn''t breathe smoothly, and he hurriedly exined. Joanne took Edwin''s hand. "Calm down, honey. Eason is not the murderer, and he shouldn''t be med." Edwin followed the direction of Eason''s finger to see the ambnce parked nearby, and he loosened his grip on Eason with a cold expression. ¡¯I want to go upstairs and have a look at the scene. Do you want to join me? " Joanne asked Edwin in a low voice. Edwin also decided to go in to have a careful check. Maybe they could notice some clues that Eason had neglected. As soon as they reached the hall, they were stopped by a group of police officers. The head officer said in a businesslike tone, "I am afraid we cannot let you in. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. If you go in, you may destroy the clues ..." Edwin nced at the namete on that officer''s chest and dialed a number directly. He said a few words with his back to the officer, and then he handed the phone to the officer and motioned for him to answer. The officer took the receiver with suspicion. After the other party said a few words, he immediately saluted Edwin and respectfully returned the phone to him and let the two of them in. Catelyn''s face, hotel, explosion... Countless pictures shed in front of Cedrick¡¯s eyes. He had a long nightmare while lying on the bed inside the ambnce. In his dream, he got married to Catelyn, and they went to Omille City for a honeymoon. But one day when she was sitting on the sofa, her face was covered with a lot of bright red blood and gradually blurred. More and more blood gushed out, wrapped her whole body and finally engulfed her! His face changed drastically, and he wanted to save her from thatrge pool of blood, but when he was about to catch her hand, she exploded in blood, and her body slowly became transparent. His hand went through her body, but he couldn''t touch anything! Cedrick was soaked with sweat, and he woke up in an instant... When he opened his eyes and saw himself lying in a cramped carriage, he gasped, desperately trying to convince himself that it was just a dream. However, the ambnce was not soundproof, and the noise and cries outside constantly reminded him that this was reality. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The hotel had really exploded, and Catelyn was dead. He pulled out the needle on the back of his hand and staggered down from the ambnce. Only a few hours had passed, but some stubble had grown on his jaw, as if he had aged several years in an instant. Just as he got off the ambnce, he saw a fisting toward his face! Chapter 1111 Chapter 1111 Chapter 1111 Chapter 1111 Even though he was weak, he instinctively stepped sideways to dodge the punch. Cedrick looked at the fist and then at Edwin. Edwin was standing opposite him viciously, like a demon who had just crawled out of Hell, full of hostility. Thinking of the ruins he saw on the sixteenth floor just now and seeing the intact Cedrick, Edwin couldn¡¯t suppress his wrath and once again hit Cedrick. Cedrick didn''t dodge this time and endured Edwin''s punch. Giving a low moan, he stood unmoved, looking hopeless. "What have you promised me?¡± Edwin grabbed Cedrick''s cor with both hands in fury, wrinkling it. "When I took her to you, I asked you to take good care of her. Why are you safe and sound while she died?" This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Cedrick gradually returned to normal and stared fixedly at Edwin. "She didn''t die. She is still alive." "Then find her and bring her back!" Edwin¡¯s face was distorted with anger.'' She''s only in her early twenties. This is the best age for a woman. You fail to protect her..." Then Edwin clenched his fist and grasped Cedrick''s cor again with grief and indignation. Rather than ming Cedrick, he was ming himself. He should have picked her up personally. Cedrick''s eyes widened in agony. Like a cheetah suddenly escaping its cage, he caught Edwin''s wrist that was gripping his cor and censured grimly, "Yes, I didn''t protect her well. But I also want to ask why your family broke your promise and forced her to abort her baby. Are you her so-called family members?" They red at each other, as if there were sparks in the air. Edwin loosened his grip on Cedrick''s cor and took several deep breaths. ''There are so many coincidences. No one guessed that she wouldn''t take the supplements. ''No one expected that she would run away desperately in order to protect her baby. ''No one predicted that there would be an explosion in the hotel.'' When Joanne arrived, Edwin and Cedrick were fighting. Cedrick''s face was even injured. She quickly pulled Edwin away. "Stop fighting. Even if you beat Mr. Mason to death, it''s useless. Catelyn won''te back." Edwin let go of Cedrick, with sorrow surging inside him. "Yes. I shouldn''t have hit you. You''d better live well. You must think of Catelyn every day. I want you to live in deep regrets forever!" While saying these harsh words, Edwinforted himself... Joanne asked a bodyguard to take Edwin away. Although she also put the me on Cedrick, she could distinguish between right and wrong. It was obvious that someone had plotted the explosion against Catelyn. Cedrick was not omnipotent, and it was impossible for him to predict everything. Joanne helped Cedrick stand up while consoling him, "Mr. Mason, I''m sorry for the loss. But people cannot be resurrected after death. Besides, Catelyn doesn''t want you to be so desperate. And her murderer is still atrge..." "She''s not dead. She didn''t die." Cedrick repeated these two sentences stubbornly, and then he subconsciously groped for the diamond ring in his pocket. But his pocket was empty. "Where''s the ring?" Cedrick''s voice was hoarse. He returned to the ambnce with a gloomy face and rummaged around for the diamond ring. Even his hands were identally pricked by the needles, but he didn''t seem to feel any pain. All he wanted was the ring. ''What are you looking for?¡± Joanne couldn''t bear to see him being hurt. ''The ring. Catelyn¡¯s wedding ring. I lost it.¡¯ Cedrick bent over and continued to search for it in the ambnce. The bed was overturned by him, and he didn''t leave out any corner. "She said she would never take it off unless she died. She won''t feel happy if it is missing." Chapter 1112 Chapter 1112 Chapter 1112 Chapter 1112 Cedrick''s sad voice was full of self-me. Even now he still felt that everything was just a nightmare. Joanne had been to the scene of the crime, where there was a strong smell of burnt flesh... In the suite where Catelyn had stayed, the sofa was burned to ashes, and countless bloody shreds were on the floor. Catelyn''s body was destroyed in the explosion. Only the ring was left... If the ring had gone, she would have left nothing. Joanne watched Cedrick, who was calm at ordinary times, rummaging in the ambnce crazily. She took a breath to hold back her tears and said in a low voice, ''TH look for it with you. Even if you can''t find it, Catelyn won''t me you." In the end, they discovered the ring at the roadside. It must have dropped when Edwin and Cedrick fought just now. Cedrick picked up the ring and pressed it to his chest like a treasure... This was thest thing she left with him. The police blocked the scene to investigate the murderer and ascertain the truth of the incident. But for Cedrick and Edwin, the most important thing was to piece together Catelyn''s body so that they could entomb her as soon as possible. Catelyn wouldn''t like staying in an unfamiliar city. But the fire devoured everything, and they could only bring the shreds back to Sapphire City. The helicopter took Cedrick, Edwin and others back to Sapphire City. Cedrick sat expressionlessly by the window, with an urn in his hand, as if he had lost his soul, and his body was just a walking corpse. Joanne worked hard to liven up the atmosphere, but both Edwin and Cedrick ignored her. In the end, Joanne couldn''t help crying bitterly... Cedrick got off the helicopter, kept a low profile without attracting anyone''s attention, and went straight to Mason Estate. Eason was worried that there were too many memories of Cedrick and Catelyn in Mason Estate, so he advised, "Master Cedrick, how about resting in another ce? There is a newly opened hotel downtown. I hear that there..." "Go back to Mason Estate," Cedrick insisted without raising his head. Eason had no choice but to turn the steering wheel silently and drive Cedrick back to Mason Estate. Along the way, he saw Cedrick in the car All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. mirror. It was the first time that he had been so depressed. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked haggard, as if he had lost his whole world and only hopelessness had apanied him. "Eason, did Mrs. Mason really pass away?" Albert quietly pulled Eason aside, lowered his voice, and asked with a sob. Eason nodded painfully. "Judging from the evidence found on the scene, Mrs. Mason passed away." "Even if she died, she''ll still live in Master Cedrick''s memory..." Albert said with concern. Then he ordered the servants to cook some food, thinking that Cedrick must have eaten nothing on the way back. Eason sighed while shaking his head. "I feel so sorry for Master Cedrick." His marriage to Catelyn was not the beginning of happiness, but an overture to a nightmare. Janice was pushed down the stairs and died, but her murderer was Ezekiel, whom Catelyn defended. Finally, Catelyn realized Ezekiel''s real intention and then demised in the explosion. Albert personally brought the meal upstairs to Cedrick. The door was closed, and the whole second floor was dead silent. No sound could be heard, and no life could be felt. Albert was very anxious that Cedrick wouldmit suicide suddenly. No matter how he knocked on the door, Cedrick didn''t respond. When he was about to find someone to pry the door open, Eason stopped him. "Let Master Cedrick be alone for a while. Don''t disturb him for the time being." Chapter 1113 Chapter 1113 Chapter 1113 Chapter 1113 Granny Atherton was very old. She knew the explosionter than others. Although Edwin prevented the media from reporting the news, the explosion was so serious that some people still talked about it. When Granny Atherton got the news that night, she passed out and was rushed to a hospital, plunging into critical condition. Wearing a transparent oxygen mask, she murmured the names of Catelyn and Summer. Although Joanne had already been expelled by the Atherton family, when she learned that Granny Atherton had fainted, she went to the hospital to see her. She apanied Granny Atherton for most of the night and didn''t return to Shoal Vi until six o''clock the next morning. She left early because she didn''t want toe across other people of the Atherton family, which would save some trouble. In an empty corner, Catelyn''s and Granny Atherton¡¯s faces shed across her mind, and tears welled up in her eyes again... Edwin and Cedrick worked together to hold Catelyn''s funeral. Catelyn''s death was a heavy blow to Granny Atherton. She didn''t recover after being sent to the hospital, and the doctor even issued a notice of critical condition several times. Every night, Joanne slipped into the ward, held Granny Atherton''s hands and repeated to her that she hadn''t seen her little great-grandchild. Unexpectedly, Granny Atherton persevered and became better. The doctor said it was a miracle, but Edwin knew that it was Joanne who cheered up Granny Atherton these nights. Tonight, Joanne couldn''t go to the hospital due to something urgent. When she returned to Shoal Vi, she found that Edwin was also there. "Aren''t you going to apany Granny Atherton?" Joanne asked gently. Edwin was sorting things out and looking for Catelyn''s photos, as he meant to choose a photo suitable for the memorial service. Staring at Catelyn''s red lips and white teeth in the photo, he exined in a toneless voice, "The doctor said that Granny was not in danger for the time being." Joanne breathed a sigh of relief, but she also felt grieved, her gaze on the photo... "Catelyn is so beautiful." "Unfortunately, she will nevere back." Edwin caressed Catelyn''s cheek. This explosion taught him the truth that life was short and that it was uncertain whether an ident and tomorrow woulde first. Thus, love the one you love and don''t loosen her hand. Looking at Edwin''s expression, she felt sadder and held his hand tightly." I''m still here. Well find Catelyn''s murderer together!" Edwin seemed to be infected and suddenly pulled Joanne into his arms. Gazing at each other, Joanne saw the anguish in his eyes. "Eddy..." Edwin stared at her closely. "Er?" Joanne didn''t speak, stood on tiptoes, and kissed him lightly. Edwin became tense immediately and then rxed. The two of them approached each other to gainfort and warmth. He lowered his head and kissed her deeply They embraced each other tighter. Joanne slowly closed her eyes, kissed him deeply, and enjoyed his kiss. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. After a while, Edwin patted Joanne. "Take a shower before going to sleep." "No." Joanne refused, turned her head and continued to sleep. Edwin was resigned. He carried her in his arms to take a bath. Then he changed his clothes and went out, as he couldn''t rest assured unless he cared for Granny Atherton personally. Chapter 1114 Chapter 1114 Chapter 1114 Chapter 1114 When Joanne woke up, Edwin hadn''te back. Joanne suffered from a severeck of sleep, with deep dark circles under her eyes. She had breakfast even with her eyes closed. The servant advised her to go on sleeping. She declined at the thought that Edwin was still in the hospital alone. After breakfast, she changed her shoes and nned to take some food to the hospital for Edwin. But the servant told her that the breakfast had been delivered to Edwin an hour before. Joanne didn''t have to bother. At this moment, Patrick called her... Patrick had also returned to Sapphire City. They rarely contacted each other. But Joanne still answered the call. "Hello." "Joanne, I¡¯m trapped in Room V608 of the six-star International Grand Hotel. There are many reporters downstairs now, but I feel a little unwell. Can you bring me some medicine?" Patrick stammered while coughing, as if he had a bad cold. Joanne furrowed her eyebrows. "Why don''t you ask your manager to help you?" "Ahem..." Patrick coughed violently again. "You also know my manager''s temper. There will be a concert in a few days. If he knows that I''m sick, he will nag again. I don''t want to be scolded..." "But...¡± Joanne still felt that he should ask for someone else''s help, as her rtionship with him was not that close. But Patrick interrupted her directly and pleaded, "Joanne, I thought we were friends. I''ve increased your followers on Twitter before. Could you not even give me some medicine?" Joanne was soft-hearted. She nodded and agreed. After learning about his symptoms, Joanne went to a nearby pharmacy to buy some medicine. Then she took a taxi and went straight to the hotel where Patrick was staying. When she got to Room V608 in the hotel, she found the door was not closed. ''Well, if Patrick is afraid of paparazzi, why doesn''t he close the door? After all, some paparazzi even pretend to be deliverers and sneak into celebrities ¡ö rooms in order to get gossip.'' Though being doubted, she pushed open the door of the room. However, at this moment, a ck figure dashed toward her from behind. Before she made a reaction, her mouth and nose were covered with a drug- soaked gauze! "Hmm..." Joanne struggled to shake off the man. But the man''s strength was too great and he encircled her neck tighter. Struggling was useless. The drug she inhaled took effect, she gradually lost consciousness, and finally, she passed out in the man¡¯s arms. She thought before fainting... All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ''Am I going to meet Catelyn?'' Edwin apanied his granny for a whole day and did not leave until around ten o''clock. His phone dinged, and there was a message from Noah. "Eddy, are you with your wife? I saw a woman who entered a hotel with Patrick. The woman looked like your wife a lot." There was also a picture in which Joanne stepped into the hotel''s revolving door! Chapter 1115 Chapter 1115 Chapter 1115 Chapter 1115 In the hotel room, Joanne slowly woke up. Her head hurt a lot as if someone had split it up. She rubbed her temple and sat on the bed, but identally touched a man''s chest. She screamed and pulled the quilt to wrap herself up. Then she looked at Patrick''s handsome face. "Ahhhhhh..." Joanne didn''t know what had happened, and her mind was nk. When she noticed that he was naked, she kicked him off the bed. With a bang, Patrick''s head hit the floor. Joanne found that she was also naked under the quilt. Wrapped in the quilt, she hurriedly got up to find a nightgown to wear. But the moment she stood up, she felt as if ants had been gnawing at her body. Someone had drugged her, and she was in danger now! Joanne ran to the washroom in a panic and took a cold shower to cool herself down. Shaking her head, she nned to leave the room now. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. But she underestimated the drug. After she took several steps, the feeling became more and more intense. She staggered and fell on the carpet. Patrick, whose head was hit, now woke up. ''What''s going on..." Patrick''s head was grazed, and he couldn''t help but curse under his breath. The moment he stood up, he was stunned. Joanne was lying beside his feet. Her cheeks were red from the torment of the drug. As she had just taken a bath, her hair was wet and stuck to her cheeks. It seemed that she was not sober and was murmuring something. Patrick narrowed his eyes. Then he quickly picked up the coat to cover her. "Joanne? Why are you here?" Joanne could no longer distinguish between reality and illusion. She felt his fingertips were cold. A dark light shed in Patrick''s eyes, and his Adam''s apple rolled up and down. He carried her in his arms and gently ced her on the big bed. "Don''t worry. I''ll be responsible for you!" At the hotel entrance, Noah had been waiting for Edwin. Originally, she nned to call a group of reporters. After all, this was Patrick, and any scandal about him could be on the hot search list for a long time. But in the end, she banished the thought, considering the identities of Patrick and Edwin. At this moment, she had mixed emotions. Worry, anxiety, and the joy of having drugged Joanne came over her. But she didn¡¯t want to take the consequences into ount. Things had been done anyway. ''There were once scandals between Patrick and Joanne. Patrick has been in the entertainment circle for so long, and he might not be a kind man. Maybe he has already had sex with Joanne, right?¡¯ While Noah was woolgathering, she saw Edwin''s Ferrari gallop and then park in front of the hotel. He was as arrogant and domineering as usual. Noah''s eyes lit up. She immediately got out of her car and walked towards Edwin. Chapter 1116 Chapter 1116 Chapter 1116 Chapter 1116 Edwin kicked open the door and got out of the car. His eyes were scarlet and sharp, and his face was cold, which made him look like a bloodthirsty demon. "Eddy," Noah gasped, a little frightened by such a sullen Edwin. "Where''s Joanne?" Edwin''s beautiful eyes were icy and menacing. "When you were not here just now, I investigated. She is on the 8th floor. Come with me." Noah swallowed her saliva and hurriedly led Edwin upstairs. They were very fast. Edwin walked aggressively. Noah intended to say something else along the way, but Edwin didn''t give her a chance to speak. He was striding so fast that she had to trot to keep up with him. "Eddy, listen to me. I''m sure Joanne didn''te out to fool around with Patrick on purpose. You have to be calm." Bang! Just before Noah could finish her words, Edwin kicked open the door of the room. Seeing the scene inside the room, Edwin was stunned. He saw Joanne cowering on the bed and holding an ashtray in her hand. Her shoulders were bare under the quilt, and her hair was damp as if she had just taken a shower. Patrick was lying at the end of the bed with his face covered in blood. It seemed that he had passed out, and he was not wearing any clothes. "Ah!" Noah shouted in panic and pointed at Joanne. "Joanne, how could you cuckold Eddy? You hurt Eddy!" "Shut up!'' Edwin lowered his voice and growled coldly. He walked quickly upto Joanne. He yanked Patrick off the bed and mmed him viciously on the floor. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. A few muffled grunts escaped Patrick''s lips, but he still didn''t wake up. When Joanne saw Edwin, she broke down. Her shoulders trembled, and she dropped the ashtray in her hand. She was in a terrible state. As if she were in a boat on the sea, she hooked her hands tightly around Edwin''s neck. "Save me. Save me." Noah didn''t expect that Edwin would still be willing to hug Joanne after seeing her sleeping with Patrick. Could it be that after five years of separation, he could even tolerate women who had cheated on him? "Eddy, Joanne seems to have been drugged. Did Patrick do it? How about you put her down? I''ll give her a checkup first. Patrick even assaulted his sister-inw. That''s too much." Edwin embraced Joanne tighter, nced at Noah coldly, and left quickly without looking back. Noah was even more surprised. "Eddy, you''re just leaving like that? What about Patrick?" Edwin only responded to her with a quickened pace. Noah stared at the messy room and then looked at Patrick lying on the floor. This was not like Edwin''s style at all. Five years had passed. He had even changed his temper. Chapter 1117 Chapter 1117 Chapter 1117 Chapter 1117 Just when Noah was disappointed, suddenly, several ck-d bodyguards rushed in and dragged Patrick out of the room by the arm. In the middle, his knee identally hit the leg of the coffee table. The bodyguards did not even have any expression. Hope rose in Noah''s desperate heart. She knew that Edwin would not be able to endure this. In the hospital. Joanne was given a sedative, and her restless, writhing body gradually calmed down. Her breathing slowed down. Her long, wet hair dried naturally in the meantime. Edwin¡¯s face did not show any emotion. He stood silently by the bed, staring at the woman on the bed. Noah came after him again. "Edwin, you sent someone to take Patrick away? After all, he is a movie star. If the news leaks out, it will definitely have an impact on your reputation. Why don''t you let him go first? Let''s take legal action to solve it, okay?" Edwin''s sharp eyes narrowed dangerously. "When did you be so talkative?" From N?velDrama.Org. ¡¯I..." Noah nched. "I just don''t want you to get hurt." "Go get a female gynecologist." Edwin''s thin lips parted as he turned to Noah. Noah frowned. "Are you trying to..." ''Give Joanne aplete gynecological examination.¡± "Is that even necessary? Didn''t you just see her in the same bed with Patrick after the shower?" Just now, Edwin had stopped Noah from checking on Joanne, so Noah thought he had already got an answer. It turned out that he just wanted to bring Joanne to the hospital without dy. Edwin''s dark eyes shed, and his fists hanging at his sides were slowly clenched. "I don''t need you to remind me of what happened. Go get the doctor!" "Okay." Noah bit her lower lip and reluctantly went out. She couldn''t believe that Joanne and Patrick hadn''t made love in that situation. "Wait." Edwin''s sexy voice suddenly came from behind her. Noah turned around in surprise and heard Edwin warning her in a t voice, "If you reveal what happened today to the public, Noah, don''t me me for not caring about our friendship for so many years." Noah''s face became even paler. Twenty minutester. The female doctor very skillfully bent the sleeping Joanne''s knees and gave her an examination. After the examination, the female doctor took off her gloves and walked out of the examination room. ''How is it?" Edwin''s handsome face turned serious as he inquired. The female doctor hesitated and then answered, "She had sex within twelve hours, and the traces are obvious." "Within twelve hours? Can the time be more urate?" Noah looked at Edwin suspiciously. As far as Noah knew, Granny Atherton was critically ill, and Edwin''s cousin had just been killed in an explosion. So Edwin and Joanne were certainly in no mood for sex. The traces were most likely left by Patrick. Edwin''s expression was getting sullen. He looked at the female doctor, waiting for her to answer. The female doctor shook her head and said resignedly, "Mrs. Atherton has taken a shower, so the evidence is not urate. It''s the limit to reduce the time range to 12 hours." Noah, who was secretly pleased, turned to look at Edwin. Edwin clenched his hands tighter and squeezed a sentence out through his teeth, telling everyone to get out. Seeing this, Noah said a few words of mockfort before leaving with the female doctor. Chapter 1118 Chapter 1118 Chapter 1118 Chapter 1118 Joanne slept until five o''clock in the afternoon. Then she gradually came to her senses. She opened her eyes and saw the white ceiling above her head, and she smelled the faint scent of disinfectant. Was she in a hospital? Her mind cleared. She suddenly sat up from the bed, but it identally stimted her tired and sore body. She felt like she had run a marathon and fallen back to bed. Herst memory lingered on the scene of the naked Patrick lunging at her. Later... It seemed she hit his head with an ashtray at a critical moment. And then what followed? ''¡¯Patrick?" Joanne eximed, somewhat horrified. Was he the one who had brought her to the hospital? On the balcony, Edwin was standing by the high fence smoking a cigarette. There was a crystal ashtray on the shelf. His fingers were elegantly holding the cigarette as he blew out white smoke. His handsome face was sullen and terrifying. When he heard a noise from the ward, he immediately turned around and came back, but the moment he entered the room, he heard Joanne calling Patrick''s name. As if a pot of cold water had sshed on him, Edwin crushed out his cigarette with his hands, looking furious. Joanne examined herself under the covers. Although there were some bruises on her body, those were not finger marks. For a moment, her body was a little shaky. She couldn''t even sit steadily. Could it be that something had happened between Patrick and her? Why couldn''t she remember anything at all? "Awake?" A cold male voice suddenly came from overhead. Joanne looked up and saw Edwin''s livid handsome face. Her heart skipped a beat. She looked away from him guiltily. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Why was it Edwin? Did he take her to the hospital? Did he see her with Patrick? Edwin kept trying to convince himself to believe her, but when he saw her avoiding his eyes, his heart ached. He reached out to pinch her jaw and looked at her aggressively. "Was I not good enough to you? You went to meet Patrick and cuckolded me?" Joanne knew Edwin must have misunderstood, so she exined in a panic, "No. It was not like that. I did meet Patrick at the hotel, but that''s only because he asked me to deliver medicine." Her mind was so messy that she couldn''t remember many details. "Are you so close to him that he would ask you to deliver medicine? Joanne, do you take me for a fool, or do you think it¡¯s a good lie?" Edwin pinched her jaw harder in anger. "I''m telling the truth. You can ask Patrick if you don''t believe me," Joanne''s jaw hurt so much. She felt like he was going to crush her bones. Her eyes misted in pain as she stubbornly stared at him, feeling aggrieved. Edwin did not look at her tears. "Tell me if you slept with Patrick." Did she sleep with Patrick?'' Joanne''s body shivered gently. She didn''t even know the truth, so how was she going to answer him? Her hesitation and uncertainty became a silent admission in Edwin''s eyes. She had really betrayed him. Edwin looked at Joanne askance with hatred, wishing that she could disappear from this world. "Joanne, how dare you?" "I... I really don''t know..." A huge sense of helplessness surfaced in Joanne''s eyes, and her voice became dry. It sounded like she was squeezing words out of her throat. Edwin shook her jaw off fiercely, took out a stack of photos, and flung them in her face. "The doctor said you had sex within 12 hours and that the marks were obvious." Chapter 1119 Chapter 1119 Chapter 1119 Chapter 1119 Joanne had not yet recovered from his judgmental words when she looked down and saw a flurry of scattered photos. They fell all over the white hospital bed. Joanne picked up one of the photosnding between her hands. The photo happened to be a picture of her and Patrick hugging each other. She didn''t know where it came from, but it was clear in the photo that she was twisting her body close to Patrick. Her face was pink, and her This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. eyes were misty. It was she who took the initiative to seduce Patrick. Joanne''s breathing became more and more rapid. Was it really her in the photo? She was so ... slutty. Edwin waited for her exnation, but she said nothing. He smiled self- mockingly, left the hospital, and went straight to his vi. The ward was so quiet. Joanne had her hands over her head, and her eyes were filled with sorrow... What should she do? Earlier, she was thrown out by the Atherton family. Edwin didn''t even give up on her, but this time, she slept with another man. He definitely wouldn''t want her anymore, right? The smile he gave before leaving was as if he was saying that she was a bitch. Inside the private vi, Patrick woke up from hisa, and then he saw Edwin walking over with an angry face. Without saying a word, Edwin threw a fierce punch into Patrick''s face. Patrick staggered and fell to the ground. Edwin was still furious. He straddled Patrick''s belly, hit Patrick''s face constantly, and said through clenched teeth, "She is my wife. How dare you touch her? You''re looking for death!¡¯ "Ow... Edwin, wait... wait..." Patrick, who was already weak and dizzy, was beaten so hard that he was unable to fight back. Patrick wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth, his face full of suspicion. "What the hell are you talking about? When did I touch your wife?" "Joanne is my wife!" Edwin struck Patrick again. Patrick shook his head incredulously and forced a stiff smile. "Don''t be ridiculous. Joanne is so silly. How can your dad possibly like her? Grandma won''t agree either. You''re kidding me, aren¡¯t you?" "If you were not an Atherton, I would kill you right now." Edwin grabbed Patrick hard by the cor with both hands. Patrick''s face paled, and he could hardly breathe. Patrick''s face instantly turned ashen as if he had lost his soul. "No... It can''t be possible..." "Did you call her and ask her to go to the hotel to bring you medicine? And then something else happened!" Edwin asked while gritting his teeth. Patrick shook his head awkwardly and confusedly. "No. I was originally at the hotel memorizing the script. Then I received a text message from Joanne. She said she had something to see me about. Then I called the front desk and ordered a bottle of red wine. Who knew that I would get drunk so easily?" "Where''s the text message? Show it to me!" Edwin and Patrick were not close. Patrick was also considered an excellent young man in the Atherton family. Moreover, both of them were in showbiz, so they were closer to each other than to other distant rtives. Patrick didn''t dare to hesitate. He took out his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to Edwin. "The first one." Edwin opened the text message page, scrolled through it, and became even angrier. "Is this the text message you talked about?" Patrick followed Edwin''s gaze and looked at the phone in his hand. The text message sent by Joanne had disappeared. And there was no message on his phone. Chapter 1120 Chapter 1120 Chapter 1120 Chapter 1120 "Impossible! She sent me a text message..." Could it be that someone had deleted it? Patrick suddenly realized something and said, "This is a setup! They deliberately framed me and Joanne. I will find out the truth and give you an exnation..." Edwin smashed the phone with one hand as he was convinced that Patrick was lying. He grabbed Patrick¡¯s messy short hair and pressed his head against the coffee table, "Patrick, do you like her?" The cold coffee table was pressed against Patrick''s skin, and his handsome face was crushed and deformed. He was humiliated and helpless. "I didn''t know she was your wife at the time..." Patrick exined bitterly. Edwin stood up abruptly and kicked him in the belly. Patrick was kicked half feet away from the coffee table and cried out in pain, "If you want to kill me, just do it!" "Which of your hands did you touch her with?" Edwin interrupted Patrick sharply. Patrick liked Joanne, and Joanne acquiesced that he had touched her, which condemned him to death. Patrick recalled those scenes in the hotel back then. "How dare you reminisce?!" Edwin roared almost ferociously and kicked Patrick down again. Patrick had no power to fight back when he was punched by Edwin. He was nearly beaten to death in a short while. When Edwin was tired from the beating and took a break halfway to catch his breath, Noah dared toe over to try to persuade him to stop, "Eddy, don''t hit him. If you hit him again, he will die. He is your cousin after all..." Edwin nced at Patrick who was motionless on the ground, and then asked Noah, "You said you bumped into Joanne and Patrick dating in a hotel by ident?" Noah quickly exined, "Actually, to be precise, I only saw Joanne enter the hotel. But I had received news beforehand that Patrick stayed in that hotel, and a waiter informed me that Joanne had gone to Patrick''s hotel room. I was afraid that something might happen, so I paid some attention to it. I didn''t expect..." After a pause, Noah continued, "Eddy, I know you''re upset. No man can stand his wife cheating, but Joannees from a humble background and works in the entertainment industry. She must have learned a lot of tricks a long time ago. This time, just take it as a lesson. Don¡¯t be fooled by her again in the future." Edwin sneered, "Didn¡¯t you keep saying that Joanne and Patrick didn''t do it on purpose?" "The facts are there, and I can''t find an excuse for her anymore." Edwin didn''t say anything else. He turned and walked out the door. The bodyguards were guarding the door. As the air convected when he opened the door, a bloody smell wafted in the air. A bodyguard nced inside, but Patrick didn''t move for a long time, "Mr. Atherton, Patrick Atherton..." "He''s not dead. Take him to the hospital, and don''t let him die." Edwin gave the bodyguard a cold nce and said. The bodyguard was relieved and immediately took Patrick away with hispanion. Patrick ignored Noah''s shout behind him and strode away. As night fell, Edwin was driving a Ferrari on the secluded winding mountain road leading to the city almost at full speed, rampaging all the way. Edwin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot red. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He knew that Patrick and Joanne might have been tricked into showing up at the hotel at the same time, and maybe she hadn''t cuckolded him on purpose. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. But he did mind that she had called Patrick''s name when she woke up from thea. Even though she knew that there were a lot of people around Patrick at his disposal, she had gone to deliver the medicine to Patrick without hesitation. Was it because he had bullied her so much that she couldn''t wait to throw herself at Patrick when Patrick appeared? Chapter 1121 Chapter 1121 Chapter 1121 Chapter 1121 ''We are people from two different worlds. In order to maintain harmony, we should divorce immediately!" ''I am silly and stupid. Do I want you to marry me? Even if I''m really disabled and paralyzed, I don''t need you to take care of me!" ''If we don''t get a divorce, what will you and Miss Sinir do?" ''You called her name that night. I heard it all.'' ''Divorce..... " It was he who tied her to his side from the very beginning. Maybe she didn''t care about him at all. She couldn''t leave just because she was forced to stay. From the beginning to the end, she felt that Noah was the one he loved. He was jealous of Joanne calling Patrick''s name at such a critical moment. Why wasn''t he the man she was thinking about? Yes, at this moment, he finally came face to face with his true feelings... How could he fall in love with such a foolish woman without merit? It was not even liking; it was love, which was so much stronger than the feeling of liking. When it was in different circumstances, for example, when any of his ex girlfriends cheated, he could even smile and say that he wished her to leave him and find the next boyfriend, but if it was Joanne, there was only one thought in his mind¡ª Kill that man and take her back to his side. Once a thought grew, it grew like a vine and coiled around his heart over and over again, upying his entire thinking and nerves. Edwin''s eyes grew more and more bloodshot. Before Edwin realized it, fog rolled in, followed by a gust of wind and rain, which fell gloomily and mmed against the car window. Suddenly, when the car was turning a corner, a dazzling light shot over. The ear-piercing honking pierced through the eardrums. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Boom-- By the time Edwin realized it, it was toote. The fronts of the two vehicles collided violently. The Ferrari was not solid enough to resist the impact of the truck. The entire car was knocked over and fell hard to the ground. The airbag popped out and was pressed down again, the windshield waspletely shattered, and the debris sshed everywhere. Edwin''s body shook with the shaking of the car, and ring crimson blood slowly flowed down his head, winding out his fine lines. Edwin disappeared. Joanne hadn''t seen Edwin for several days. She had been to the hospital where Granny Atherton was in. The olddy''s condition was unstable. She was once critically ill in the middle of the night. She waited until 5:30 in the morning when the olddy recovered from the crisis. Edwin didn''t show up either. Even strangely, he was absent from Catelyn''s memorial service. Joanne didn''t know if he was avoiding her, but she had exhausted all ways to contact Edwin, yet he never replied. At this moment, Joanne realized that the gap between them was dramatically big. When he wanted her, she must appear by his side immediately. Chapter 1122 Chapter 1122 Chapter 1122 Chapter 1122 When he didn''t want to see her, she couldn''te in touch with him even if she tried all she could. She waspletely abandoned, and she didn¡¯t even have a chance to see him again. Joanne foolishly waited day after day in the Shoal Vi. Even the servants felt sympathetic for her. But all was in vain. "Ma¡¯am, don''t wait any longer. Maybe the young master has something to do in thepany or has flown overseas to work for business. When he was not married, he was often absent. You should go to bed first. You haven''t had a good rest for several days!" Joanne looked haggard, and the tip of her nose couldn''t help but feel sour. ''When he was not married, he was often absent... ''But he is married now... ''How can he confuse these two situations?'' At night, Joanne couldn''t hold on any longer, her head was heavy, and there seemed to be illusory images in front of her eyes. She could only go upstairs to rest. Before going to bed, the mobile phone in her pocket rang suddenly. Seeing the caller ID was Edwin, Joanne sat up hurriedly, feeling at a loss for both surprise and joy. Tears were about to fall from her eyes. Was he willing to call her and listen to her exnation? She thought of many possibilities and also thought about how to exin it to him but what Joanne didn''t expect was that it was a woman''s voice that came through the phone. "Ms. Winters? I''m Noah Sinir." Noah''s voice was delicate and soft, with a kind of post-orgasm laziness, "I heard from the servant that you have been waiting for Edwin toe back in the vi. Don''t wait any longer. Edwin is now on a business trip abroad. I have been with him, and we had a very pleasant time in the hotel..." Joanne bit her lower lip hard, holding her breath, and her heart was tightly clenched into a ball. Noah deliberately used Edwin''s cell phone to call her. Didn''t he just want to show off that the two of them had broken the ice? ¡¯Where''s Edwin? Give him the phone!" ¡¯Well, Eddy just finished taking a shower and fell asleep, so it''s inconvenient for him to answer your call." Noahughed. It took Joanne a long time to find her voice, "Patrick and I have already exchanged information. Someone deliberately framed me. Miss Sinir, that person can''t be you, right?" "I don''t quite understand what you said. I ran into you by ident when you went to the hotel to find Patrick, so I notified Edwin, and it just happened that your adultery with Patrick was revealed. If there was nothing going on between the two of you, I couldn''t see anything even if I told Edwin toe over that day, right?" Joanne''s clear eyes turned scarlet instantly, '' Patrick and I didn''t show up at the hotel at the same time, so how did you know I went to find him? It must be you. You dragged me to his bed when I was in aAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org. daze!" Noah covered her mouth and snickered, "Ms. Winters, your hallucination symptoms are quite serious." After she finished speaking, she hung up the phone, and Joanne sat on the bed without sleep for another night. The next morning, Joanne weed another person in the vi¡ª Harry. Behind Harry were awyer in a suit and leather shoes and two bodyguards. Thewyer held briefcase in his hand. Harry told Joanne with a serious expression, showing that he didn''t juste to catch up with his daughter-inw. "Mr. Atherton," Joanne called him obediently. Harry sat on the sofa with a strong aura and pointed to the opposite side. He said, "Sit down." Joanne was sitting on pins and needles, and she heard him continue to say, "I already know about you and Patrick. I have always thought that you are not a docile woman. You are a grassroots girl with no background who was able to climb up the socialdder by marrying Edwin. How could you have done it without some unscrupulous means? But I never thought that you could go so far as to sleep with his cousin." Joanne stiffened her neck, and her eye circles were red, ¡°I didn''t!" The servant by the side felt sorry for Joanne and couldn''t help but say," Master, thedy is innocent..." "Then who is not innocent? Edwin? His wife gave him a cuckold, so should he bear with it?" Harry gave her a cold look with a sense of silent authority,'' Frankly speaking, I have already met with Edwin and talked about it, and now Edwin is living happily with Noah. He is now considerate, gentle, and indulgent with her, which made me see the Edwin five years ago. He said that he still preferred being with Noah. So he decided to divorce you." Chapter 1123 Chapter 1123 Chapter 1123 Chapter 1123 Joanne was stunned and raised her head numbly. Thewyer took out the divorce agreement, put it on the table, and handed the pen to Joanne. "The young master has already signed it, Ms. Winters. You just need to add your signature here," said thewyer. Harry stared at her pale cheeks and continued, "Eddy also said that when you were exposed for deceiving the Atherton familyst time, he should have divorced you. You are just a pawn to him, a pawn that has lost its original role and affected the overall situation, and it would be rubbish if it remained. He really regretted having driven away thewyer at that time." Joanne didn''t seem to be able to hear what Harry was talking about. There was only this divorce agreement in front of her. The words "Edwin Atherton" in the signature on thest page were flying and dancing, and they were his handwriting! He really wanted to divorce her? In an instant, deadly despair swept over Joanne and her stomach, which was starving, began to throb violently. "Sign it," said Harry. With red eyes, Joanne suddenly threw away the agreement, and her hoarse voice was as if it had been irritated by smoke, "I won''t! I want to see him!" ''Eddy doesn''t want to see you anymore!'' Harry''s eyes shed with viciousness, and he suddenly said coldly, "Also, Ms. Winters, let me remind you again, if you still want to keep your adulterer Patrick safe, just sign this agreement obediently. Otherwise, I am not sure if one day you will see the body of a certain actor in the wilderness in the news." Joanne''s struggling movements stopped suddenly, and the tears on her face did not disappear. She clenched her hands tightly, resisting the pain in her stomach... But the more she endured the pain, the more it surged. "Are you threatening me? Patrick is not my adulterer at all! If you want to kill him, just kill him. Now it''s a society ruled byw...You can''t escape if you kill someone!" "Oh, you are so innocent and naive." Harry picked up the signature pen on the ground, "I''ll ask you one last time. Will you sign or not?" She wanted to vomit... With severe nausea, Joanne spat out a mouthful of filth as soon as Harry finished speaking. She vomited right on the arm of Harry, who was in a suit and leather shoes. There was an unpleasant smell in the air, Harry''s temples were bulging with veins, and he stood up abruptly and scolded coldly, "It''s really bad luck! Eddy doesn''t love you anymore. If you don''t sign, then you will watch Patrick die. You and Patrick can go to theherworld to be a ghost couple. After saying that, Harry gave the two bodyguards a wink. One bodyguard grabbed her left arm, and the other grabbed her right. Thetter thrust the pen into her right hand and forced her to sign. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Joanne''s mind was nk. Edwin''s handsome face seemed to appear in front of her eyes, but there was ayer of white mist in front of her eyes. She couldn''t tell if it was him... The churning in her stomach continued, and the pain caused beads of sweat the size of peas to appear on her forehead. Finally, the bodyguard made her sign. After that, he made her press her thumbprint on the agreement. No matter how hard Joanne struggled, it was futile. Her vision darkened, and she fell down. The servant let out an exmation and rushed over to hug the unconscious Joanne, "Madam? Madam!" Joanne closed her eyes. If it wasn''t for the faint breath, the servant would think it was a corpse. Harry looked at Joanne''s crooked signature on the agreement. Although it was a bit ugly, it was barely noticeable. He put away the agreement, nced at the crying servant who was hugging Joanne and finally looked at the two bodyguards with a meaningful look. The bodyguards nodded slightly, meaning that they knew what to do next. When Joanne opened her eyes again, she found that she was being ced in the driver''s seat by two bodyguards in ck. She couldn''t muster her strength... Opening her eyelids with huge efforts, she saw a cliff in front of the car! Chapter 1124 Chapter 1124 Chapter 1124 Chapter 1124 After the two bodyguards put her in the driver''s seat, fastened her seat belt, started the car and pressed the forward gear. The car rolled forward, and the body of the car swayed. Only the eyes of Joanne could move. It was obvious that someone had injected some kind of drug into her body. The front of the car reached the edge of the cliff. The two bodyguards stood aside, watching the scene quietly. ''Don''t... Help... Help...¡± She asked for help from the two bodyguards outside the door. Because of the great fear, her eyes misted up. Her body was also trembling strangely. Why was she here? What happened? Were they going to push her off the cliff? She had signed the agreement. Why... "Ms. Winters, stop struggling.¡± "The young master said that you betrayed him. Youmitted adultery with none other than Patrick Atherton. This kind of humiliation is unbearable for a man." "You may rest in peace. In the future, the young master will choose a good cemetery for you, and you''ll be buried as Mrs. Atherton..." The bodyguard''s words passed into Joanne''s eardrums, and Joanne waspletely stunned. Did Edwin want her to die? He made her sign the agreement and he also wanted her to die? All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Was it just because he saw her lying on the bed with Patrick? Maybe the truth was that he had never loved her. If he loved her, even a little, how could he be willing to let her die? After she died, he could be with Noah in a grand manner? ''Edwin, you are too cruel! I will curse you in hell, curse you to live in pain forever in this life!'' Boom... The rear of the car also reached the edge of the cliff. The two bodyguards took advantage of the situation and used a bit of strength to give it a little push. The car lost its bnce in an instant and fell headlong off the towering cliff. The car kept colliding on the cliff, making a deafening crash, and finally, the car fell to the ground, making a violent explosion, and exploded all at once. The dazzling red mes soared into the sky... The two bodyguards looked at each other, quickly buried the footprints and other traces, and disappeared quietly into the darkness. After Catelyn''s memorial service, Cedrick shut himself in the room. He didn''t answer the phone and ignored the outside world. No matter how much Albert tried tofort him, no matter how the two little boys suppressed their own sorrow tofort him, Cedrick just refused to open the door. The two little boys walked back and forth outside the door worriedly. No one dared to tell them the news of Catelyn''s "death". Everyone said the same thing. They only said that Catelyn went to a faraway ce to find her biological parents, and even the memorial service was kept secret from them. Miles and Ollie actually had a very bad feeling in their guts, but neither of them expressed how they felt explicitly. It seems that if they pretended to live in fantasies, their mommy would suddenlye back one day and appear in front of them. ''The Big Demon hasn''t eaten for three days. If this continues, what if he starves to death?" Miles'' big eyes were red. It was obvious that he had cried, and his eyes were still a little swollen. Ollie pursed his pale lips, "We must find a way to get my father to eat. If he shuts himself in the room like this, something will happen sooner orter." "Why don''t we climb the window and get in?" Miles sniffed to hide his crying. He always firmly believed that their mommy was not dead, nor would she die. She must be waiting somewhere, waiting forthem to pick her up one day. He should actually me the Big Demon. But he didn''t dare to me him. Once he med him, it meant he admitted that the Big Demon had not protected Mommy well, causing Mommy to disappear from this world. Chapter 1125 Chapter 1125 Chapter 1125 Chapter 1125 Ollie nodded his head. The two little boys did what they said. Miles changed into lighter clothes, then set off from the balcony of the bedroom next to the Cedrick''s and crawled along the wall, with a long rope hanging on his body. The other end of the rope is hung on the railing of the top floor as a measure of protection... Ollie followed closely behind Miles. The two little boys struggled to climb to Cedrick''s balcony. The two of them made a leap, and with the sound of their small bodies hitting the floor, the two little ones finally slipped into Cedrick''s master bedroom. Both of them had thought they would see a decadent Cedrick, but what they saw was beyond their expectations... The things in the room were scattered, and there was a faint stench in the air due to theck of regr venttion. However, Cedrick was sitting alone in front of the multiple monitors set up high by six desktopputers, staring at the screen intently. These were road monitoring in the vicinity of three kilometers near the hotel where the ident happened... The time span was also within three days. He checked over and over again, and his eyes were filled with scarlet blood. Miles and Ollie were taken aback by Cedrick''s appearance. Miles ran over and gave Cedrick a push, "Big Demon, why don''t you open the door, eat, answer the phone, or go downstairs?¡± "Get out!" Cedrick didn''t even turn his head, and his hoarse voice was squeezed out from the deepest part of his throat. Although he didn''t deliberately entuate his tone, his oppressive air made the little boy tremble slightly. Miles''s beautiful brows instantly tightened. Ollie lowered his eyes and walked to the right of Cedrick,forting him with nice words, "Father, it is easy for people to break down if they are too hard on themselves. This is what you taught me. We, including Grandpa Albert, couldn''t see you in the past few days. We thought you had passed out in the room..." Saying that, Ollie stretched out his hand to pull Cedrick up. God knew how long he had been sitting here and how long he had been watching the surveince... "I''ve told you to go away!" Cedrick suddenly raised his hand and shook Ollie away with such a force that Ollie''s small body trembled and that he fell uncontrobly to the ground. Ollie groaned, and his butt hurt from the fall. Looking at this scene, Miles opened his mouth slightly in disbelief. "Don''t make me say it a third time. I don¡¯t need your concern. Get out!" The dark eyes of Cedrick emitted a strange cold light in the room with the curtains tightly closed, and his gaze was still fixed on the screen. He had already found the clues, and only a little bit was left unchecked, thest bit... Miles ran over to help Ollie up, and he moaned, "You''re going too far!" "...¡¯ Ollie got up disappointedly, not knowing what to say. Miles puffed up his cheeks angrily, rushed over furiously, went around behind Cedrick''sputer desk without saying a word, and ripped off all the thick ck wires connected to the power supply,work cable, and disy screen. sh! The originally bright screen instantly went dark. The veins on Cedrick''s forehead were bulging. He patted the table, red at the little boy viciously, grabbed his cor, and picked him up, "Alvis, do you want to die? The little boy''s body was half suspended in the air, his little hands clenched into fists, he waved wildly at the air in front of his face, and his big eyes were red, "Go on, hit me. You can kill me too! Mommy won''te back anyway! I wouldn''t havee to see you if Ollie hadn''t been worried that you would pass out in the room and be left alone!" ¡¯...¡¯ Cedrick''s movement of grabbing the little boy''s cor suddenly stopped. Miles took the opportunity to kick Cedrick in the face, "Big Demon, I hate you!¡± A small shoe print was immediately imprinted on the face of Cedrick, and he snorted softly. Miles took the opportunity to jump neatly and